Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
Again with the Weekend! The days are speeding up, but the temperature is remaining in a good, ‘hot enough for you?’ range.
This is, of course, the Ten Things of Thankful, ‘the bloghop that Lizzi built’. I describe it that way, not because anyone is depending on me to identify the creator of this thing of ours, but to remind myself of the power of the initial simple steps, (whenever) we set out to self-improve ourselves. Often, at least for me (and therefore most clarks), the hard part is not getting started on a path of improvement, it is remembering the success that I’ve achieved. Let me re-phrase that, when we succeed at improving ourself, (really truly, fundamentally), the new state becomes the ‘always state’. Our lives change. Which is what (many of us) are after. But the drawback is when life changes, reality changes, and the new me becomes the only real me. It takes a lot of imagination (and effort) to remember that old me, the pre-improvement me, not for any morbid or negative purpose, and certainly not for the ‘well, you’re really still that person, not this new person, purposes. The value in ‘remembering before’ is in the reinforcement of the efforts that went into getting to where we are now. We did it once, and we can do it again, (as in, further improvement).
Ok! I don’t know what brought that on, but I’m grateful that the hostinae at the TToT are so tolerant of my, less than rule-straight manner of writing.
2) (well, ’cause I got one right above… about the co-hostinae here at the TToT?) I appreciate that I still retain the tendency to, upon hearing a random, but odd phrase, be able to hold on to my initial reaction long enough to write it into a post. Item 3 that follows, came out of nowhere, earlier today, while in conversation with Denise about clarks…
3) the phrase: ‘clarks can be so low-self-standardized’ I laughed out loud when I heard me say that, as did Denise. Which, if you’re keeping up with your Wakefield Doctrine studies, this ‘startled laughter’ is one of the markers of the ‘rogerian expression’. I will leave it to you, the Reader, to go here and read up one of the truly charming qualities of our rogerian brethren.
4) credit to Una, when she goes out into the backyard, she’s clearly there to work. She sits, (upright, not like laying down), and faces out towards the woods. Keeping watch, of course.
5) credit to Phyllis for doing the things she enjoys, which included this week, the annual, ‘go to the beach after work and go swimming under the full moon’ (I”ll try to find the vid from last year’s swim).
6) the Graviteers. As a group, does what groups do best, (when groups are good), i.e. despite the vacations, they are all, collectively and one-at-time and alternately, sending in the photos every day (except Sunday). There are tons of demands on our time during this time of year, but not a day in the Summer has gone by without the photos arriving and being posted. good group
7) just completed an online seminar, (about how to write a Query Letter). Sent in my sample synopsis and sample letter, one more step up the road taken. They promise to send me a critique in a couple of weeks, which is the reason for this exercise, i.e. the critique, ’cause when I send out Query letters, agents do not send letters back, (at least I haven’t gotten a letter back), that include suggestions on how to make my query more effective.
8) Chapter 17 of Almira comin at ya this weekend. So, guess who’s coming to dinner? (that’s unfair, Chapter 17 will only set up the dinner at the Gale Farm, the actual dinner should not show up until Chapter 18. I’m kinda looking forward to the challenge, to have a Chapter entirely one scene, ‘dinner at the Gale Farm’. Long before and many degrees colder, Almira is on the mend, staying at Annie LoPizzo’s, although with the frequency of visits from Sterling Gulch, one might be forgiven for thinking that it was his apartment! You think he’s fallen hard for our Almira, or what? We also get to look in on Frederick Prendergast, busy keeping the Mills churning out the profit for the Essex Company and if people get hurt achieving his goals, well, there are plenty more where they came from, (mostly central and eastern Europe), (I mean a lot, like a majority of the population of Lawrence MA in the late 1800s, early 1900s were immigrants from Europe, attracted to the opportunity for work and the, relatively, decent living conditions).
9) (will have to spend more time) on the Book of Secret Rules (Secret Book of Rules), may come back a little later. It’s a real good thing.
10) (speaking of the BoSR/SBoR), SR 1.3 binyons!
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Nice! OMG…Frist?
FRIST!
Wow! I was! Haha. Anyways, great list. Nice progress with Almira. Hope you have a great weekend! If time permits, will try to call in tonight. :)
cool we be there… remind me to ask you, though I think I know the answer (lol, I know, like I wouldn’t… ) your approach to your writing, ‘seat of pants’ or outline
I was here, then got lost in your Roger’s link. Yay for the gravity challenge (this from one of the faithful graviteers) and it sounds like your plans for Almira are moving along well. Don’t know a thing about query letters, but I think your writing samples must speak for themselves. Love the idea of a full moon swim. Missed it this month, but on August 18th I might have another opportunity. And the picture of Una in my minds eye is always the sweet and somewhat shy dog who hid her head in your lap amongst so much attention. Catch you in the week.
yeah…ain’t that so like rogers!
lol
Una is an excellent doggy
I don’t know about where you live, but the weather here is far beyond ‘is it hot enough for you’ and is more like ‘are you melting from the inside out yet?’ I’m dying, Clark, dying I say!!!! I’m quite sure I am living underwater in a hot tub, that is how hot it is here!! And the days are not going by quickly they are moving at a snail’s pace, which makes it all the worse!
southern coast of RI.
(All of my opinions are based on the fact that it, cannot, contrary to popular opinion and verified by scientific research*, can never be hot enough for me. I understand that others may not share the feeling and that, by virtue of living in the North East with it’s bastard-cold winters, I may have a different comfort-boundaries bracket.
the time, well that’s easy to esplain! you are simply not ancient enough (to feel that the day went too fast, and you spent it at work!!) lol
Hot enough for me…why yes it is.
Love numbers five and seven. Swimming under the moon sounds divine and you are a brave one to tackle the query letter. The whole process seems so damn daunting.
Thanks for the hints on Almira. Eagerly awaiting.
the best thing about the process is that, somehow, it has become an extension of whatever it is that I write this blog for, and, as such, is somehow, immune to the dynamic insecurities that apply to most of the rest of my life… lol (no, I only half know what I mean).
We’ve moved beyond the “hot enough” weather here, but I’m glad you’re enjoying the heat there. I’m not the most reliable of the Graviteers, but appreciate the reminders to join in.
the Challenge is enjoyable… community becomes a thing in and of itself and so, each of us have both tenure and leeway!
How timely you should rant this week about clarks remembering improvements of the past…Just a few days ago, I had a conversation with my clark-child. He has one thing about himself he is trying to change, and he doesn’t think he can do it. When I reminded him he’s done it before, he was shocked. He had totally written it off after he’d done it, thus, again, believing he couldn’t change anything about himself. Good heavens, raising a clark is hard work, yo! :)
We have reached the “is it hot enough” phase of summer. Just this week. Even out in our yard, in the shade, which is usually a nice place to be, even on hot days, is no longer pleasant. I’m happy for you and your desert-desiring tendencies, though. ;)
We (Cynthia and Denise) were talking about that very thing last night, about how the effort at self-improvement is not, in and of itself, the biggest obstacle, it is, at least for clarks, the claiming of the rewards of our efforts. The saying came up, “when a successful effort at self-improvement is made, we’re usually the last to be told” So, very good on the reminder to your child, not only on his success, but on the fact of his ability to improve… his efforts are sufficient. Very huge for clarks (and therefore understanding-resistant).
Although the currently preferred term is ‘eloquently share thoughts with like-minded and sophisticated Readers’
lol
So was the query letter course worth taking do ya think???
yeah… in a qualified (clarklike way*)
the main thing will be the critique of the whole thing I submitted (Query, Synopsis and Sample 2 pages), as most agents will not be sending a critique with a ‘no thank you letter’.
the second element is that the process provided structure that I now have a workable query letter** and most importantly a synopsis that, though I don’t like it (2 pages double spaced, as in 500 words!) aye how to tell the story… in that short a time
the good part is the agent is totally a roger, which I suspect (for reasons I get from her own listing at her agency, she won’t have much interest in my story, the fact of being a roger will make the suggestions of value
the interesting thing about what I got for my money is one more level of membership… I have taken a course on and have submitted a full Query letter that ‘doing the things that the people who do the things that I would do, do’ is huge in my book
*from the Department of Redundancy Department, of course
** hey want to read my query letter? what? you’d love to? that’s great hold, let me get a copy:
Dear Agent,
I’m seeking representation for my first work, ‘Blogdominion’. Complete at 86,278 words, ‘Blogdominion’ is best categorized as, ‘Mystery Science Fiction (with a touch of noire)’ and serves as the introduction to a series of ‘Sister Margaret Ryan’ books.
‘With the fabled ivy leaves grasping and pulling her back into a life of chaos, Margaret Ryan left Radcliffe with a single, battered suitcase and sought refuge in the Convent of St Dominique’s on the shores of Chesapeake Bay. Her newly found life of peace behind the walls of the centuries-old religious Order is soon threatened by a very modern problem. At the request of her Mother Superior, Sister Margaret Ryan, still in her Novitiate, sets out to discover what is behind an attack on one of the Order’s parochial schools..
The virtual world rests upon a foundation comprised of complicated design, machines built from exotic materials and the interaction of an vast array of solid-state components. Unit 17 is one of those components. A key element in the city-block sized Online Hosting facility in Provo, Utah, Unit 17 performed flawlessly, right up until 4:44 MDT one September morning. The trouble actually started at 4:44:001 MDT when Unit 17, re-initiating after automatic shutdown, realized that it had acquired the quality of self-awareness.
Both must learn what it means to live a good life. Without dying in the process.’
I was born in a taxicab, racing through the streets of the second largest Town on Martha’s Vineyard, in the dark-early morning hours of a day in March.
Educated beyond practical necessity and employed in a variety of occupations and professions, best described as a ‘liberal arts work-history’. My first novel, it is the direct result of a serendipitous insight into human nature and years of writing a blog , the Wakefield Doctrine, which is based on that insight.
Thank you for your time and expertise in review of this Query
Oh, your mind! It is a rich and verdant landscape! “I laughed out loud when I heard me say that.”
thank you, May
Swimming under the moon sounds COLD! Far, far too cold. I’m glad for the other things, and especially for you sending off that letter – that sounds AWESOME and I hope you get good returns.
process-progress, the world can change ‘instantly/catastrophically’ and that is not, in and of itself a bad thing, but it can also be changed gradually incrementally. which is a way more arduous process… it’s not just the persistence, it’s the acceptance (of the success) thats the real tough part.
ya know?