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TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine-

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

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A seagull standing on top of a piling as the ferry to Block Island recedes in the distance. A seagull (in a photo that is mostly shades grey) is a close to what ‘if God were a child and was asked to do a drawing using only three crayons. (no, seriously) As animals depicted in photos go, the seagull in the photo is a badly drawn oval, with two vertical lines for legs, a hooked horizontal line for a beak and a stab of black for an eye. it’s tail is designated by a rough serration of the end of the oval opposite it’s head. The setting, a pier in the fishing port of Galilee in Narragansett Rhode Island. shows the parallel rows of pilings from the perspective of looking down the wooden decked pier. Being of nearly the same dimensions, the effect is almost a vanishing point perspective The gull stand on the second nearest piling on the left. The immediate left of the photo (from bottom to almost the top of the frame) is a piling. It has cracks and fissures running from top, downwards, the very top is slightly beveled and there are streaks of green lining the cracks, moss growing on the wood. The parallel rows of pilings converge so that after the second piling (where the seagull stands) we don’t see them as individual upright posts, rather it looks like a wall running downwards. The top of these tow walls show steps downward as it recedes into the distance, the only indication that this is not a solid wall of brown word, rather is an equally spaced row of posts that we can’t see in between…of…. lol The sky is mattress gray with a soft lumpiness that implies a light behind (or above them).

Josie Two Shoes‘ (or, Josie Two Shoes…. or, it could be Josie Two Shoe’s….. Josie Two Shoeseseses)…. in any event, welcome to Josie (of the multiple foot coverings)’s Ten Things of Thankful bloghop. It’s easy to participate. The benefits are as varied as the participants, but, then that’s the internet for ya.

1) dogs

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Una and a Bed. We know it’s Una because of the pink tab at the bottom of a black triangle of black fur. the central feature in the photo is the bedpost, seen in close-up. A light brown (maple) the post looks like the Pawn in a giant, wooden chess set.

2) Una and Phyllis

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Standing behind Una who looks out a window down at Phyllis who is in her blue Mini (with a white racing stripe) with the top down, backing out of the driveway in front of the house.

 

 

3) books by friends  click here for Cynthia’s excellent website, below on the book to see it on Amazon)

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Click on this here book cover here. You work really hard at… well, at stuff. You owe it to yourself to provide your tired brain and worn down heart a little positivity…. get yerself one of these books.

4) Chapter 11 of ‘Home and Heart’ coming early this week. Chapter 10 is out on jukepop (don’t forget to vote!)

5) I received a rejection letter from an agent this week that I choose to perceive as progress along a certain continuum. Most are professional and polite and, inevitably impersonal. The follow excerpt made we sit back and say ‘whoa’  (and ‘ …whoa’ and ‘damn’) etc:

While I found your characters to be engaging, I personally didn’t connect with the pacing, and because of this, I feel that I cannot represent this novel to the best of its ability.

So the thing about this letter that qualifies it for inclusion on this week’s TToT is that there is constructive feedback in it. (What it suggests is that while writing a book as a serial is good, it may have an effect on the how the story comes across when finally complete and compiled. Note: this agent asked for 50 pages as part of my query letter, most submission guidelines ask for 10 pages.) While a rejection letter might, at first blush, appear to be an Item of hypo-gratitude* in this case it was not.

6) Una Garden update (‘runn, Foress…ruunn’)

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When art hijacks practicality… also known as ‘sending a clark to do a roger’s job’ This photo is a taller than wide photo of a branch stuck in the ground to serve as support to a growing tomato plant. The bottom half shows a rectangle of mottled brown dirt. There is tiniest of hints of a curve to the top edge, no one would be surprised to hear that it is a section of the capital ‘U’ in the ‘Una’ garden. The tomato plant has triangular leaves on branches extending to either side of the stake. There is a viney sinuousness to the way the separate branches of the tomato plant extends to either side. The stake is a tree limb of maybe half a thumb and forefinger around size. It appears to be at least three feet tall and has a near 90 degree angle at the top. Totally looks like a cane, stuck in the ground. Like the tomatoes are expected to be pumpkin sized or something. In the top left of the photo is the pile of rocks, light, stone-colored, with the solidly rounded shape of worn granite stones.

7) the Wakefield Doctrine

8) the Book of Secret Rules (aka the Secret Book of Rules) specifically and by example, provides a rule that allows using negative events as an Item. SR 7.3.2[sub chap: b{9}] which states, in part, “..having had a week populated with flat tires, broken shoe laces, Dear John letters, good fer nuthin boyfriends, failure of appliance a day after expiration of Warranty (and an hour before totally necessary use), writers block, writers cramp,  stiff neck, sore back and a spellczech that changes your refined insights into the mindless, obscene braying of a drunken crowd at an after-hours demolition derby, sometimes things just suck. In such circumstances, with sufficient documentation, it is acceptable to cite an event/occurence/mood or screw-up as one of the Ten Things of Thankful, provided it has been clearly identified as such. (Exception Case 9..1 “…[m]ore than 3 Items of hypograt and you’re just messin with the Rules; more than 8 and you probably need to update your bookmarks.”)

9)

10) SR 1.3

*  no, really! hypo-grat is a ‘real thing’… check Item 8

 

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Click on this and join us at the TToT…. you know you wanna

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clarkscottroger About clarkscottroger
Well, what exactly do you want to know? Whether I am a clark or a scott or roger? If you have to ask, then you need to keep reading the Posts for two reasons: a)to get a clear enough understanding to be able to make the determination of which type I am and 2) to realize that by definition I am all three.* *which is true for you as well, all three...but mostly one

Comments

  1. valj2750 says:

    The fact that you submitted your manuscript is a thing of thankful. It’s wonderful that the comment you received will help your future writing/publishing endeavors. And, again, I see Una and Phyllis are heaped together as an item of gratitude. Each time I see this, I wonder why each doesn’t have her own thing of thankful. I’ll catch up on Chapter 10. I’m looking forward to relaxing and reading today.

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      yeah, it presents an interesting perspective on the writing… can’t say I’m a huge fan of this learning curve (how is it I can go from ‘hey this came out pretty good to ‘god this is the work of an un-inspired 5th Grader’? lol)

  2. Fabulous post Clark.
    50 pages. Impressive. Comment, while saying “thanks but no thanks”, good :)
    Yay for the garden!

  3. #3? Deserves a comment all by itself :)
    Go Cynthia!! You are a shining star for our people :)
    And everybody else too :D

  4. Sageleaf says:

    Congrats on sending out query letters. One rejection just means that you’re that much closer to getting to “yes”. :)
    And THANK YOU for sharing about my lil book. :) Much appreciated and obliged! Glad I’ll be sending you one! :D
    Hope you have a great rest of your weekend! Fun call in last night.

  5. Carin says:

    In church service today, I learned that every “delay” has a purpose in God’s eyes. It is time to stop and think, to learn, to grow. I am not judging your writing at all. . . We can learn a lot during the delay period.

  6. May says:

    It kind defeats my goal of feeling gratitude when I allow myself to leave here feeling so dog-gone jealous of Phyllis again! I can not believe she has a tree house AND a mini…..with a racing stripe no less! I love her life!

  7. Good for you for submitting your book. I’m definitely sold on self-publishing so I don’t know that I’ll actually do that part – at least not at this point. Getting something constructive from an agent is definitely worthy of thanks.
    Phyllis’ car is too cute!

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      I envy you the energy to take on the self-publishing, the time and, most of all, the energy it demands (or so it seems from what I see of those who do).

      Feedback is such a double-edged sword.

  8. dyannedillon says:

    It’s nice that Una shares her big ol’ bed with you and Phyllis. Nora allows me a little space in my bed and cleverly pins me into place where I can’t jostle her (and can’t get up to go to the bathroom, which is not good, because, you know, old bladder).

    Constructive criticism is a pretty awesome thankful.

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      yeah… getting my head around the insight, keep on keeping on is my mantra

  9. Pat B says:

    Constructive criticism with the rejection letter is helpful, even if disappointing. That is just one person’s opinion. Someone else will love it.
    That tomato stake looks so much bigger that how you described it. Good work with the camera.
    I’ve never bought one of the adult coloring books for myself, but I have given a few as gifts. The drawings are intriguing. I did bookmark Cynthia’s website for future reference.
    Your #8 makes me laugh. You do have a way with words!

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      It does kinda dwarf the plant and all… lol

      The Book of Secret Rules (aka the Secret Book of Rules) is truly a fun thing to have (available)

  10. First off, I love your seagull photo! I’m finding that the writing and reading of these descriptions leads to closer scrutiny and deeper appreciation for the picture presented! Una, identified by her pink tongue, is adorable. It is so difficult to photograph animals with dark fur well! The bedpost as a giant chess piece, looking very much like one, made me smile. :-) Phyllis looks adorable in her Mini, and I’m sure Una’s face waiting eagerly at the window is just as sweet!

    The Una garden is growing things! Tomatoes up and running, how exciting!! I love the natural stake as opposed to the ugly metal cages so often used, and I suspect the vines will appreciate this more natural post to cling to as well!

    Cynthia’s colorbook sounds amazing, especially in the sense that it more than just random pages to fill in spaces with color. A very clever way to promote peaceful, mindful thoughts and activity!

    Yay for continued progress on your current novel, and I would say “boo” for the rejection letter, but instead I tend to agree with you that some time was taken to provide useful feedback, and I also agree that the pacing of a serial story is someone different when read as a whole. I have thought about that with my “Secrets of the Old Farmhouse” tale and feel it might come across as quite piecemeal if read in it’s entirety.

    I totally loved items eight and ten, and the thought put into that explanation for the benefit of new readers. I am sure they understand the rules much better now!! :-)) My week was somewhat similar with a fair list of hypo-grats, but “All is well that ends well” and “On we go,” and all that stuff! Hope this week is being kinder to you! XO

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      yeah, I was talking to someone about that, about how it’s good practice. in fact, how the essence of writing is, perhaps, simply, finding the words that would allow another person to experience what I experience. way more difficult that it seems in a funny way, i.e. the first few were difficult but simple, the remainder have become increasingly more difficult and less simple…lol kinda like every thing else, non?
      That, btw, is one of core principles of the Wakefield Doctrine, that we all experience the world as individuals. So, like our saying about ‘relating ourselves to the world around us’, the words used are critical. Example: if we were both standing in front of a restaurant, it (might) be accurate to say that we both see the same thing, however, it would not be accurate (and, at the same time, it would be most telling) to say that we both experience the restaurant the same.
      Cynthia is very amazing, I totally agree there
      the BoSR/SBoR is an awful lot of open-ended fun

  11. herheadache says:

    I love the first photo and how you explained it to me. I love seagulls and was quite focused on birds where I was just the other day. For me, there, it was ravens. I was also at a nature reserve and they had a bald eagle who’d lost a leg. She was as curious about us as we were of her I was told. Thanks again for the descriptions that only you could give and double edged sword indeed. Brave of you to get this far and I hear it takes many queries and rejections to get anywhere. Keep up the good work.

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      probably did that cool ‘bird examining gesture’ head turns to present one eye directly, tilts to the side about 45 degrees, switches to other eye and repeats.

      lol… I’ve thinking about variations on ‘style’ (of photo descriptions) already… if I gots the chops, that is