A Pattern Story: August Book Club

 "...every story is a pattern story."  ~~ A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders

According to George Saunders, no writer begins his or her great work of fiction with the idea, "I think I'll write a pattern story" or "What this story needs is pattern." And yet, no matter how funny, beautiful, complicated, or bizarre, every story is a pattern story.

Life, in itself, is a pattern story, though we rarely recognize repetition as part of the process. The same is true with stories. For example, all rags to riches stories follow the same pattern. The protagonist starts out with hard times, then an opportunity presents itself which leads to a change of fortune or the ability to overcome the original adversity. The characters and/or circumstances might be different, but the pattern is the same. The same is true for rebirth. The lead in the story is experiencing darkness - physical, spiritual, or maybe even other-worldly. He succumbs to the torture that is his life until an unexpected intervention breaks through the bondage. Once free, the main character begins to live life with peace and happiness. 

A pattern story can also be compared to the acts of a play. In comedy, the protagonist is characterized as pretty normal - the pizza guy, the beat cop, the lawyer, the dogwalker, or the loafer. Their life is upended by an unusual and unexpected conflict, which is perpetuated by their self-deluded desire to find a solution. The involvement of the main character usually results in even greater chaos, until he or she returns to normal life. In drama, the story follows an opposite pattern. Maybe everything is okay or great or even perfect in the beginning. Then a problem arises that usually descends from bad to worse. Finally, the story hits rock bottom. All hope is lost - or maybe not! Could there be a way out? A way to rise above the waves and make it to the shore? At the very end, once the main character finds salvation, he learns a lesson he never forgets - a gift that came out of the darkness.

As with the other exercises, once a reader begins to recognize pattern, it becomes difficult to overlook. Tragedy, mystery, adventure, romance - every story is a pattern story. If the main character is overcoming a monster (real or imagined), he restores peace and calm by facing down the foe that seeks to wreak havoc upon his society, his family, or himself. If the protagonist is beginning a quest, he answers a call to act, sets out on a journey, encounters troubles that threaten and overwhelm, and finally, by whatever means necessary, finds the inner strength or outside help to restore peace - usually accompanied by a new perspective of life or greater responsibility. 

When you strip a story down to its barest bones, similarities of pattern exist. Even the most original ideas for fiction follow a pattern, which is sometimes described as formulaic or predictable; however, readers are often creatures of habit when it comes to genre fiction. If readers prefer romance, they have general expectations of pattern. The protagonists meet, experience an attraction, reject the relationship on one or both sides, face a midpoint crisis, confess their deepest secrets and fears, break up completely, recognize their misery and loss, and complete the pattern with a declaration of love and a happy ending.

Pattern is expected in all genres; it is why readers read what they do. In fantasy, the pattern involves a hero's journey. In horror, the reader waits for the unexpected horrifying twist that is totally expected. If the reader is bored, he or she might choose adventure which provides an adrenaline high. Or maybe they want to read fiction that shocks the senses with its graphic realism. These novels still follow a definite arc with internal struggles laid bare for all to see. Armed with preexisting prejudices and judgments, realistic fiction combines the main characters' layers of motivations, fears, and desires with adverse external circumstances and internal conflict - creating what is known as the framed narrative, or the story within the story.

Saunders is correct in his statement: "every story is a pattern story." The best writers master the art of a pattern story, and readers return to their favorite genres and authors time and again to find that formula they crave. From Agatha Christie's crime fiction to Julia Quinn's regency romance to Michael Farris Smith's gothic Southern realism, pattern is what readers expect. The difficult task for the writer is to create an addiction to pattern from which the reader never recovers.

Please make plans to attend the Forest Public Library adult book club on Tuesday, August 24, at 6:00 p.m. as members discuss pattern in the books they are currently reading and in their favorite genres. Pre-packaged snacks, bottled water, and canned drinks will be provided.

The Heart of a Story

The July adult book club at the Forest Public Library focuses on the second exercise of A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, entitled The Heart of a Story. According to Saunders, great writers use elements of structure and form to carry the reader to a pivotal point where they can't go any further without being fully engaged, wholly committed, and forever changed. He describes this place as the heart of the story, and he uses the example of a literal cart to reach that destination.

In the exercise, Saunders loads the cart with TICHN (Things I Couldn't Help Noticing). He explains that if readers pay special attention, they "enter into a transactional relationship with the writer." The reader begins to fill his TICHN cart with observations. These observations take the reader beyond the summary inside the front cover of the book.

In the beginning, the heart of the story is very much like a human heart. The reader knows that it is beating with a pulse, "What next...what next...what next," but it remains hidden from view. Sometimes it is buried within a file or dossier of information that the writer deems important to respect the reader; however, carrying the weight of too much information can cause the reading energy to drop.

At this point, the writer must shed the excess to protect the heart. How much of the back story is necessary? When is digression allowed? How much repetition is acceptable? What about causation - investigating the role, impact, or association of specific occurrences within the story? Is it important to present pages and pages of detailed descriptions about certain characters to fully introduce them to the reader? Does the reader need to know the tiniest details of each interaction or decision in order to be informed? How does this process apply to the more modern reader who prefers minimal descriptions - showing versus telling - the Ruthless Efficiency Principle or the Hollywood Version?  According to Saunders, "The writer revises, the painter touches up, the director edits, the musician overdubs."

And the heart of the story continues to beat...pounding, fluttering, racing. Over and over, the reader reviews his cart of TICHN. The writer and reader are moving closer towards the life force of the story. A bond is strengthened; all parties are engaged. No matter what happens at this point, the writer-reader agreement is solid - the heart of the story is opening. Even as the cavity is revealed, every layer is removed, and every consideration is critical, the reader trusts the writer to bring closure.

Finally, the reader reaches the final page. The contents of his TICHN cart have brought him to this place - the stopping place. If the writer has been successful, the book has become a thing of movement, of fear, of change, of love, of life. And that life is claimed by the heart of the story.

Be sure to register for either one of the July adult book clubs scheduled for Tuesday, July 13, at 2:00 p.m. and Tuesday, July 27, at 6:00 p.m. Both meetings are held in the Forest Public Library conference room and prepackaged snacks are provided. 

A Page at a Time

American author and epic fantasy writer Terry Goodkind said, "A book is read one page at a time. A shelf is read one book at a time. A library is read one shelf at a time." 

The most amazing journey of a reader begins a page at a time. Even as a small child, the act of turning the page is one of deliberate movement. Teachers witness the phenomenon all the time. As a child learns to read, he/she develops decision-making skills with each positive or negative reaction to a single page. A child cannot always identify where a story is headed, but they know almost immediately if they want to find out. If they are not interested by page one, they might not even make it to page two.

Adults are the same, even though our power of deductive reasoning has been strengthened over time with practice and repetition. In the book, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders gives an example of how this process is so critical to the response of the reader: "In the first pulse of the story, the writer is like a juggler, throwing pins into the air. The rest of the story is the catching of those pins. At any point in the story, certain pins are up there and we can feel them. We'd better feel them. If not, the story has nothing out of which to make its meaning."

Each page presents the possibility of a pivotal moment for the writer and reader. The writer decides what will happen next, and the reader decides if he wants to know. Children understand this concept with their first bedtime stories. One page can introduce a warning, and they anticipate a pin drop. One page can create specific curiosity about a setting like a beautiful castle, or a dark wood, or a candy-coated cottage. One page can initiate a conflict that even the youngest listener recognizes as trouble. Saunders calls this "a linear temporal phenomenon."

In classic logic, formulas are fixed. Monday comes before Tuesday. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Everything is absolute - true or false. The simplest definition of linear temporal logic is that a condition is true until another fact becomes true or an expected condition will eventually be true if the path continues. However...if a subsequent path appears in time, one questions if the expected condition will remain true forever or never be true at all. Isn't that the very definition of reading?

That scientific formula is supported by the bowling pins example. We know they are up there - in the air - and we feel that we understand their trajectory. But, once again, what might happen, what needs to happen, or what will happen remains in the air until we turn the page.

If you are not able to attend the Forest Public Library book club in person, please enjoy the exercise presented in the book: Read one page and answer the following questions: Without looking at the page, 1) What do you know so far? 2) What are you curious about? 3) Where do you think the story is headed?

Consider this final quote from the book as we complete the first exercise. "It's kind of exciting to pause here and admit that, as things stand, it's not yet a story. Not yet. And I'm going to claim, right now, that by the end, it's going to be a great story. So, there's something essential to learn here about the form itself: whatever converts not yet a story into great story is going to happen any minute now, over this next (last) page."

6 Word Story

RALEIGH: "Apparently, Ernest Hemingway was lunching at Luchow’s with a number of writers and claimed that he could write a short story that was only six words long. Of course, the other writers balked. Hemingway told each of them to put ten dollars in the middle of the table; if he was wrong, he said, he’d match it. If he was right, he would keep the entire pot. He quickly wrote six words down on a napkin and passed it around; Papa won the bet. The words were “FOR SALE, BABY SHOES, NEVER WORN.” A beginning, a middle and an end!"

That is a story that is told about Ernest Hemingway. We have decided to continue this idea to honor National Library Week by having our own 6 word story contest. We will be accepting 6 word stories the week of April 7th - 13th. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 15th and will win a $25 dollar prize.

Let's see how creative you can be.

Writers Meet at Flowood Library

Mississippi Writers Anonymous

February 16, 2019, 10:00-12:00 p.m.

Share your interest in writing with a group of talented writers. This group meets every third Saturday of each month at the Flowood Library.

Explore the art of writing with masters of the written word. Bring the book or short story you have been working on and have it critiqued and improved upon until it becomes a well-polished masterpiece that can be published.

Learning to write was one of the more difficult challenges I had to face when I started college at the University of Georgia. Fresh out of high school I had to take remedial English or English 100 as it was called. During this summer class, I learned to write a paragraph. I passed the class with a “C” and moved on to English 101.

My experience in English 101 was most unpleasant. The teacher had a “my way or the highway” attitude and the class had no sense of direction. I passed the class with a “D” and had to retake the class.

The University of Georgia offered English 101 as a correspondence course. We did not have online courses back then. If we had online courses, then I could have avoided setting foot on the overcrowded UGA campus.

Learning to write was hard for me. I had the imagination to write, but I lacked an understanding of the formal structure which accompanies writing. I did not understand thesis statements, themes, or the basic introduction-body-conclusion components of almost every form of writing. I did not understand the need for sentence diagramming. I did not know what a semicolon was. I could not write a paragraph, an essay, a research paper, a master’s thesis or a dissertation.

How embarrassing. 

I opened my Harbrace College Handbook 1984 edition and learned about subordinate conjunctions and subordinate clauses which for me are the basics of writing.

As part of the course I wrote the following story:

The Passion for Speed

Two racers decided to compete to see who had the faster car. The two drivers revved their engines as the flag dropped. The two cars started to move and accelerated to 30 miles per hour in a matter of seconds. They rounded a curve and increased their speed even more. A dog was in the road, so the cars swerved out of the way and continued. 

Their speed reached 100 miles per hour as each fought to keep the lead. They approached a one-lane bridge that could only fit one of the cars at a time. Their speed reached 120, and neither driver showed a sign of letting the other through first. The bridge was 100 yards away. The distance narrowed to 50 yards and then to half of that. Both cars impacted into the bridge and exploded. The race was over.

The assignment was to write a story that would end in a climax or immediate conclusion.

Why write?

Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.”

We learn to write to complete a research paper.

We learn to write to complete a job application and often a resume.

We write to create the great American short story or novel which may become a Hollywood movie someday.

We write because we live in a high literacy society where our ability to write can often make a difference between success or failure.

I write because I enjoy it.

The next meeting of Mississippi Writers Anonymous will be February 16, 2019, between 10-12 p.m. This group meets every third Saturday at the Flowood Library.

Come find your “muse” with a group of talented writers.

Interest in Writing?

Are you interested in writing? There are several opportunities during the month in CMRLS Libraries to help you follow your interest, whether it is a group to discuss critiquing and publishing or meeting a published author.

Beginning today:

• 10/7, 5:00 p.m., Raleigh Library - Author John Floyd discusses and signs newest book, Clockwork
• 10/7, 5:30 p.m., Pearl Library - Author Renee Allen McCoy, new book Kiss of Judas
• 10/8, 12:00 noon, Flowood Library - Southern Writers Group meets
• 10/8, 1:30 p.m., Flowood Library - Red Dog Writers Workshop
• 10/9, 9:00 a.m., Flowood Library - Poets Anonymous meets
• 10/11, 6:00 p.m., Richland Library - Richland Writers meets
• 10/16, 10:00 a.m., Flowood Library - Magnolia State Romance Writers meets
• 10/16, 1:00 p.m., Flowood Library - Author John Floyd discusses and signs newest book, Clockwork
• 10/22, 12:00 noon, Pearl Library - Author John Floyd discusses and signs newest book, Clockwork
• 10/28, 6:30 p.m., Flowood Library - Southern Writers Group meets

Ask at your local Library about these and other programs.

Are you interested in writing or storytelling?

Who often READS, will sometime wish to WRITE.

~ George Crabbe, English poet & naturalist (1754-1832)

Magnolia State Romance Writers meets at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, Feb. 20 & Mar. 20 at 10:00 a.m. Writers meet to discuss and share educational sessions for writers & aspiring writers of romance fiction. Occasional guests and speakers.

Richland Writers meets at the Richland Public Library in Richland, Feb. 8 & Mar.8, 6:00 p.m. Local writers discuss the craft of writing.

Pearl Public Library in Pearl, will hold an All Writers' Workshop, led by freelance writer Margie Culbertson on Feb. 9, 23,  & Mar. 9, 6:00 p.m. The focus will be on inspiration, tips, exercises, and member critique. Open to all writers-from newbies to published, 16-116 years old. Attendees should be actively writing and wish to improve their writing skills.

Poets Anonymous meets at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, on Feb. 13 & Mar. 13, 9:00 a.m. Poets and aspiring poets meet to learn, discuss and share poetry and publishing.

Storyweavers meets at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, on Feb. 23 & Mar. 23, 7:00 p.m. Local adult storytellers meet to share the oral tradition of storytelling, for a time of education and sharing.

Southern Writers Group meets at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, on Feb. 12 & Mar. 12, 12 noon. Meet to discuss writing and publishing. Bring lunch; drinks provided.

Southern Writers Group meets at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, on Feb. 25 & Mar. 25, 6:30 p.m. Writers and aspiring writers meet to discuss writing and publishing.