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Category: Writing

If you’re not into any kind of writing, then this is highly likely to not be the blog for you.

Ya think???

How and Why Does Writing Speak to Us?

The written word is something that we have in common with the ancient Egyptians, with people on the other side of the planet, and with celebrities who we will never meet.

Fiction writing, in particular, bridges gaps in the world, and through time. Have you ever read something written by an author who is long dead?

Whether it’s Jane Eyre or The Art of War, we can hear the author’s voice as we read (and yes, I am well aware that The Art of War isn’t fiction. I’m kind of tired, okay?).

But I digress.

Independent Writers Do It All

When we do it well, and we do it right, the indie author wears many hats. Researcher. Editor. Planner. Marketer. Cover artist (or at least hirer of the cover artist). Bookkeeper. Advertiser. Tax Preparer.

Indy writing is a small business. So, like it or not, you’ve got to know these things, or be able to hire someone who does.

Past, Present, and Future Authoring

One of the best things about authoring is the concept of eternity. Now, I don’t honestly expect anything I write to end up being studied in college or becoming movie fodder. But it is still  there, and it can be there forever if you can (and are willing to) preserve it.

This is why I encourage publishing, by the way, even if you never make a dime.

Eternity.

Social Media Happy Holidays!Happy holidays from Adventures in Career Changing! Social Media Happy Holidays!

Social Media Happy Holidays!

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on December 20, 2022

Are You Having Happy Holidays?

Well, happy holidays from me!

So thanks to the fine folks at Canva, there’s a great holiday image and I’ve got to say I really love it.

Plus I was getting a little tired of reusing the older holiday post. Hence here’s something new which I hope will be a lot more timeless.

Reflections

Because the year is drawing to a close, I get a bit pensive. So I often wonder if the year worked out all right. Did I accomplish everything I had wanted to? What were my obstacles? And how did I try to overcome them? That is, if I tried to at all …

In addition, this is when I start to look forward to the following year. Some of this is in terms of resolutions. And some of this is in terms of goal making. Because I am working on becoming a more regular writer, many of these goals center around writing.

But also around its ancillary activities. Because editing, proofreading, beta reading (both for me, and for me to do for others), and promotions are also important.

A writer, if they are at all serious, will have to do all of these things. And by the way, that is even true of big time famous authors. They have to accept editing. And they have to promote their works. Plus we all need to work on our craft. None of us are perfect.

So without further ado, here are some possible goals for next year.

And some reflection on how things have gone. Yeah, it’s been a few years since I did this.

Next Year’s Goals (More or Less) Beyond the Holidays

Goals come in a few flavors.

Writing Goals

So in 2018, one great goal worked out beautifully. It was to write every day, every other month. Now, sometimes that was a bit difficult to do. There were some days when I just plain didn’t want to write something on top of everything else.

But the discipline, I feel, was good for me. So that’s one goal.

Dovetailing with this goal was writing short works during the off months. This I did a lot of although not enough. It came in mighty handy during my most tired days to already have a draft, and just need to polish and type it. Hence I need to do that more.

And in the past few years, writing has been sporadic at best.

For 2023, I would definitely love to write more. I feel most centered when I do. But I also need to work on this website. So, at least some original fiction writing will take a back seat.

Promotional Goals

Another goal from 2018 was to use the off months to promote. This one did not work out quite so well. Life was busy and I was tired. And I was suffering from some wicked imposter syndrome on top of everything else.

Hence I will need to work harder to promote. Fortunately, this blog is a part of my promotional efforts.

In the past few years, I didn’t promote much at all. However, I have updated this blog for speed, readability, and SEO. All of these help.

For 2023, yes, I should promote more. But I honestly have no idea if I will have any real bandwidth for it.

However, I have also gotten better at that. So, there’s something.

Publishing Goals

Yet another goal from 2018 was to query my unpublished works. And again, my adherence to that goal was kind of spotty. So I will need to do better in that area. It may help to get the whole process more organized.

And I have been trying to do just that. In addition, I need to know when to throw in the towel and instead pull the trigger on self-publishing.

For some works, that might be the best or even the only place to get them out there.

There is also the possibility of putting some of my shorter works up as free downloads here. For semi-throwaway works which do not tie to other, bigger works, that could be a good use for them.

A related goal is to really learn as much about self-publishing as I can, from the top down. This also ties in with promotions, to understand how to best promote my work and get it in front of the biggest audiences.

It might be in the form of giveaways, swag, conferences, conventions, or something else.

For the past few years, the same has been true: a spotty record of querying, and little to no time to learn about the craft. I’ve joined FB groups to get better. But, alas, I also don’t really have the time to read them, either.

For 2023, I know I should do better. Heh. We’ll see.

Community Goals

Finally, writing is a community and that means we need to have each others’ backs. While Facebook has splintered badly in that area,

Twitter is still a good place. Following and participating in author hashtags like #AuthorConfession or #OneLineWed already help.

It also doesn’t hurt that I’ve got over 1,000 Twitter followers. That is a tipping point in Twitter, I’ve noticed. In general, an account starts to get people following for the sake of following.

However, one thing I need to work on is if I can shunt some of the accounts I’m following to lists instead, and then unfollow. Because if the number of people I’m following stays below the number of people who are following me, it should help to bolster my influence.

For the past few years, I have actually been doing this! Yay and go me!

Holidays or no, in 2023, of course, I need to do more of the same. And since Twitter is still in the throes of a slow-motion meltdown, it would behoove me to expand to other parts of the community.

BookTok? Instagram? Substack? Egad, I am getting a headache just thinking about even half of all that.

Takeaways for The Holidays and Beyond

I realize this was a bit of a heavy topic for the holidays. Are you looking forward to next year? Are you planning, or just winging it? Do tell. And, by the way, if you can’t make every single goal you set for yourself, don’t worry. Don’t be hard on yourself. There’s always the next year.

Have fun during the holidays! And maybe get offline a little….

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Character Review — Tommy 2000Peri Martin, Tommy 2000, Greg Shapiro, Selkhet 3000, TSTITO, Rachel Gifford, Ted Moore, Charlie Hollis, Sally Bowles, They Say This One Tiles Bathrooms Adequately, TSTO Tiles,

Character Review — Tommy 2000

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on November 22, 2022

Consider Tommy 2000, One of My Original Characters

Who is Tommy 2000?

Tommy 2000, AKA Tommy McFarland, is the kind of police officer you want on your side. A powerful genius who cares about people.

Except he’s not a person. He’s a robot.

Where Did Tommy 2000 Come From?

At first, the original Obolonk Murders was something I was writing about twenty years ago and I was utterly winging it.

He started off as just a cool robot, able to morph. But then I learned, as I was writing him, that he would be a lot more than that.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Tommy 2000

When we first meet him, he’s being fully activated for the first time. But he does tell Peri that he recalls a few brief earlier moments during programming. Peri quite literally is his entire world.

This makes her loss, between the original Obolonk trilogy, and Time Addicts, all the more devastating.

Description

I have always seen actor Steven Culp when I think of Tommy 2000.

And that is exactly what I was thinking of when I originally wrote his description. Tommy is meant to look like a character actor. Someone who is known but not known.

You know.

That guy.
Click to buy Untrustworthy on Amazon

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

Tommy’s sole purpose is to help and protect Peri. He will do anything for her, including potentially give up his own existence.

For her part, Peri initially finds this annoying. She rather pointedly and specifically tells him to stop conceding every single point to her.

… And she’s right!

For them to work together well and efficiently, they need to have differences of opinion. She does not need a reflection of herself.

Evolution

When the original trilogy ends, Tommy is more of a partner to Peri. When we get to Time Addicts, he is her widower.

And by this time, he has a position in the government. Much like the Obolonks’ own They Say This is the One (TSTITO), Tommy is the only ‘ruler’ of sapient and semi-sapient robots.

Because, so long as he has access to replacement materials, he can theoretically never die. So, he just stays on in a leadership capacity.

For the third of the trilogies, I will probably change him up again. But I am not so sure how I will do that just yet.

Quotes (original Obolonk trilogy; Peri and Tommy are discussing a terrorist organization, HEART, run by an anonymous person they call the Farm Boy)

“Yeah, there’s also the plastics from Carolbots. And you probably don’t want to transport a completed bomb so maybe you ship the parts or maybe they’re even developed on site. That means infrastructure, and it also means training. This all spells a rather expensive long-term operation.”

“If that is occurring,” Tommy said, “then there may be issues with all robots that were repaired or manufactured within the preceding ten-to-thirty-month time frame.”

Peri was silent for a moment. “Then that includes you, and possibly also Selkhet, right?”

“It is not outside the realm of possibility.”

Peri swallowed hard. Have I just fed a bunch of our plans to the Farm Boy? “Would you even know if you’d been at all compromised, Tom?”

“I am unsure. The thought is rather … unsettling.”

Quotes (Time Addicts trilogy; Tommy and Josie meet for the first time)

“Why don’t you tell me about yourself.”

“I don’t think there’s much to tell, Mr. McFarland.”

“Oh, God, don’t call me that. Please do not call me that.”

“What should I call you, then?”

“Tommy is fine. In return, can I call you Jolene?”

“Josie, actually.”

“Oh, this wasn’t in my briefing materials.” He looked up again. “Ah, there it is. You’ve had this nickname since second grade.”

So you’ve got access to my elementary school records. I bet you can see everything else.

Who am I kidding? Of course you can. You’ve got Alpha-1 clearance. I bet you know when I got my wisdom teeth taken out.

“Since you probably know all about me, isn’t this kind of a pointless exercise?”

“Not really. I can get information from the cloud, as you can see. Or I can get it straight from you. And what you say, and how you say it, and the order in which you say it—all of this confers a lot more information than just your words. And what you leave in, and what you leave out; those are also vital clues about you as a person.”

“I don’t think a Juliebot would quite get into this level of detail.”

“I know they wouldn’t. Selkhet and I put together their programming protocols ourselves. And then those were agreed to by the Chief Governor, the head of the OIA, and an older Obolonk called We Say This is the One. It had to be unanimous.”

“Just when did this happen?”

“May 14th, 2182.”

“Wait, that was 345 years ago.”

Tommy 2000: Relationships

For a being made up on plastics and polymers, he has any number of relationships over time.

Peri Martin

With Peri, he grows from a hovering, deferential, almost-nosy servant to her loyal and equal partner. Tommy gives her stability, love, and the kind of intellectual banter she craves. He experiences true grief when she passes on.

In return, she loosens him up. She gives him tools to get along in society. Like in any good partnership, they make each other better.

David Shepherd

For Tommy to really be a mature creation, he needs complex emotions. With Dave, he feels jealousy. As Peri puts it, he’s supposed to be like a loyal dog.

But he doesn’t like it when she plays with other dogs. He never gets violent or anything. But Tommy is clearly wounded and he is short with Peri when she tries to talk to him about it.

In Time Addicts, there are a few timelines where the relationship between Peri and Tommy does not advance, or Tommy does not get to the next level. In those, Peri marries Dave.

Dr. James Tinerrian

What is anyone’s relationship with their creator? Jim is father, instructor, programmer, and creator to Tommy, Selkhet, and the rarely seen Emma 1000. And with Tommy, Jim has succeeded well beyond his wildest imaginings.

Selkhet 3000

Made a bit before Tommy, Selkhet also has emotions but hers are more advanced than his. However, she is also more prone to breaking down.

By the Time Addicts period, Selkhet and Tommy aren’t dating. But she is generally his plus-one for any functions.

Emma 1000

An even earlier Tinerrian creation than Selkhet, Emma is a bit unsure of herself a lot of the time. She will show up in the third trilogy, but I’m (as of right now) unsure as to what direction their relationship will take by then.

Hey, I get surprises, too!

Josie James

During Time Addicts, they work together, although he’s no longer a cop. But he has a unique perspective. And, with her display tied to data chips he can interface with, she can effectively share at least some of her memories of other timelines with him.

This gives them a strong, non-romantic bond. Even beyond Carmen, he is the person who, without doubt, question, or reservation, believes her.

Tommy 2000: Conflict and Turning Point

Like with Peri (and Dave, really), the turning point is when they get to Sedna. He sacrifices nearly everything for her. And in return, she does the same for him.

In addition, his basic internal structure changes. Perhaps it’s a bit of deus ex machina, but I wanted for him to evolve almost randomly.

You know, like us humans do.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

Since I also see Jake Radford as Steven Culp, there is a bit of continuity with (of all things) The Real Hub of the Universe.

Future Plans

I don’t have him in either the prequel for Time Addicts or for the original Obolonk trilogy. His earlier life isn’t much. But his life in between the trilogies, and then between Time Addicts and the third trilogy, should prove interesting. Will I ever write that? I have no idea.

Tommy 2000: Takeaways

I strongly resisted turning this character into a latter-day Pinocchio. Far too many writers do that with android/robot characters, and that was not my plan for him. But he does change and grow. And, while he doesn’t necessarily become a “real boy”, he becomes, in a way, a better person than most human beings.

Tommy 2000 — because a sapient robot should be more than a wannabe Pinocchio.

Want More of Tommy 2000 and the Rest of the Obolonk Universe?

If the story of the Obolonks resonates with you, then please be sure to check out my other articles about how our society turns tripartite, with humans, robots, and Obolonks.

Character Reviews: The Obolonk Murders

Humans
† Peri Martin
• Greg Shapiro
† Rachel Gifford

Robots
† Tommy 2000
• Selkhet 3000

Obolonks
† TSTITO

Character Reviews: Time Addicts

The Good Guys
• Josie James
† Carmen D’Angelo, MD
• Dalton Farouk
† Tad Lewis
• Cyndi Mendez
† Bobby Brodie
• Keisha Darnell
† Vera Travers

The Bad Guys
• Peter Ray
† Dae Ou Xiang
• Elston Young
† Corwin Zachary

The Obolonk Universe

Self-Reviews: Obolonk Trilogy

• The Obolonk Murders
† Self-Review: The Polymer Beat
• The Badge of Humanity

Self-Reviews: Time Addicts Trilogy

† No One is Safe
• Nothing is Permanent
† Everything is up for Grabs

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Character Review — Craig FirenzeCraig Firenze, Noah Braverman, Minka Lopez, Dez Hunter, Eleanor Braverman, Olga Nicolaev, Kitty Kowalski, Mei-Lin Quan, Nell Murphy, Elise Jeffries,

Character Review — Craig Firenze

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on November 8, 2022

Consider Craig Firenze, One of My Original Characters

Who is Craig Firenze?

For Mettle, the first character I came up with was the anchor. Craig is the linchpin of the piece and of the group.

He came tearing into my mind, swearing all the way, Southern accent in full swing.

Where Did Craig Firenze Come From?

I had way too many proper-ish characters. But Craig, and really everyone in Mettle, has a potty mouth. And, in fact, the first word he says (the first word anyone in the book says) is an f-bomb.

He’s sarcastic and smart. Much like Trixie LaRue, his Southern accent may fool some into thinking he’s just a good ol’ boy. But Craig is far more than that.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Craig Firenze

The head of communications at NASA is a veteran, who attained the rank of Colonel. But he’s also got two degrees in civil engineering, and a Professional Engineering license. A PE license is hard to get, so it should be obvious: Craig is no dope.

This combination of qualifications makes him uniquely suited to talk to the press about the astronauts on the International Space Station. But he’s also the one who has to report the negatives with the positives. And the negatives are really bad.

At the same time, the negatives in his life are getting worse. He just wanted to marry a beauty queen. But instead, he got a bipolar wife who doesn’t always take her medication.

Description

Craig’s look is essentially Chris Cooper in American Beauty. I have always intended for him to be and look a lot like a middle manager or midlevel military guy. Someone who you would not really notice.

He’s the short, almost Napoleon-like guy who people underestimate, but who quietly and purposefully gets things done.

But I do have an alternative, as Cooper is currently a bit too old for what I am looking for.

I also like Gary Sinise, but only a bit. Essentially, I only see Sinise when he is in a skeptical or frowning kind of pose.

But either way you slice it, Craig is not meant to have movie star good looks. And I never mean for him to have the classic look of a hero. Yet he is one anyway.

With an accent that’s Texas by way of Georgia, he sounds like he’d be sitting on a porch and dispensing homespun wisdom. But he’s a city guy with two difficult-to-get degrees and a major role in front of cameras in perhaps the most well-known government agency: NASA.

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

The chief motivator for everyone in the Mettle Universe is survival. But before we get there, we have about nine or ten chapters of preliminaries. Yes, I should edit those. I get it!

For the preliminary chapters, Craig has the most screen time and you get the most detail about him.

He is essentially trying to keep above water in his personal life, and cover everyone’s tail (Craig would say something far earthier) at work.

Quotes (Craig Reads the Riot Act to Dez and Nell)

Dez and Nell got their coats and followed Craig out. “What the fuck do you want?” she asked as they walked.

“Just hold your horses.” Craig got them inside the front room. The room was cold, and the shadows had lengthened. He fumbled around for candles and matches while the kids waited. Finding them, he lit one and used it to scour the room. He pointed. “There’s a sofa. Now sit.”

Grumbling and still in their jackets, they sat down. “This blows,” Nell complained.

“Shut up,” Craig barked. “And listen, both of you. Now I know this isn’t a great situation.”

“Right, yeah,” she said. “Get to the fucking point.”

“You interrupt your pappy when he does this?”

“I don’t even know who my father is, so fuck you on that account.”

“Right, sorry. I didn’t know that. But honestly, kids. This is not a fucking country club we got goin’ on here. You gotta pull your weight.”

“What are you gonna do about it?” Dez cracked.

Craig ran a hand through his hair. “I won’t starve y’all, and I can’t ground you in any way. But you gotta understand. This power outage has gone on for, I don’t even know what fucking day it is anymore.”

“It’s June first,” Dez said. “Mink had a calendar and I’m still crossing off the days.”

“So, it’s been a good ten days. We’ve gotten nothing from nobody. No communications, no planes flying and dropping supplies, no tests of power, nothing. That tells me this power outage won’t go away any time soon. And those people who left—including your parents, Dez—are probably not coming back for a while, if ever. That means you’ve both gotta step up.”

“I’m only fucking fourteen,” Nell complained.

“Well, I’m sorry that’s so, Missy, but we can’t just wait around for you to grow up.” Craig paused. “There are only eight of us. Mrs. Braverman can’t help, and Olga is pretty much giving all of her time to her care. So, it’s more like there’s only six of us. You back out and you’re not only hurting yourself.”

“Don’t fucking call me Missy. I hate it.”

“I don’t give a flying shit what you like.”
Click to buy Untrustworthy on Amazon

Relationships

Craig has a relationship of some sort with all the major characters. But these four are the most significant.

Jeannie Scutter Firenze

At the start of Mettle, Craig and his wife, Jeannie, are moving from a relatively even keel to rocky, roiling waters. Craig and Jeannie have known each other since high school. She’s a former beauty queen—and he was just some guy.

But her parents in particular pushed for the union, because Jeannie isn’t what she seems on the surface. The gorgeous Alabama cheerleader has bipolar disorder.

As a result, the Scutters did everything in their power to keep the marriage together. They hid the worst of Jeannie’s episodes.

But when they’ve both passed on, the truth comes out. And it is not pretty.

At the Start of Mettle

When Mettle starts, Jeannie is heading right into a manic phase, like a speeding train in the process of derailing. And Craig is finding out that he doesn’t want to tolerate it any longer.

Noah Braverman

I don’t write Craig with any siblings. But Noah is as close to a brother as I’ve got for him. Even though Noah barely knows him, he takes Craig in, all the same.

While they aren’t exactly partners in crime (Noah and Elise are), they both get ‘er done. Craig helps everyone to survive. But Craig would not be able to do that without Noah taking him in.

Nell Murphy

When Craig and Nell start off, they get off on the wrong foot. Nell and Dez abandon the others to follow childish pursuits. This leaves Craig and Mei-Lin lost in Brighton. Dez leaves Elise and Noah when they’re foraging for food. Nell takes a nap and Dez does ollies on his skateboard.

Craig reads them both the Riot Act (see above).

But Nell warms up to him, and comes to realize that he is pretty much the only person standing between the group and utter starvation and despair. The no-nonsense middle manager gets things done.

Mei-Lin Quan, MD

With Jeannie, everything is a difficult slog. But with Mei-Lin, everything is easy. Although some of that may come from sharing experiences in a disaster.

She chooses him, and decides he will be the reason she goes on. But when she first comes onto him, he’s like a deer caught in the headlights. It takes him a bit to come around.

Conflict and Turning Point

Like with the other major characters, and really the book itself, the turning point is when they set off the fireworks. Until then, it feels as if Craig will be the strongest one. But he’s not. That honor, rather, falls to Dez.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

Craig is one of the most easily funny characters I have ever written. He makes pop culture references effortlessly and relentlessly. But I don’t have a real continuity for him across the other universes.

Future Plans for Craig Firenze

There is no question that Craig will appear in the Mettle prequel story. That story will be a bunch of loosely-gathered vignettes, but they will all show foreshadowing of the main book.

These vignettes will also introduce all of the characters, but as separate entities for the most part.

Craig Firenze: Takeaways

Before the disaster, he’s a mid-level government functionary. But afterwards? He’s the key to the group’s survival. This unlikeliest hero (and in that way, he’s a bit like Marnie Shapiro) is indispensable.

Craig Firenze — because sometimes your hero comes from middle management.

Want More of Craig Firenze and the Rest of Mettle?

If Mettle resonates with you, then please be sure to check out my other blog posts about how changes in the periodic table nearly kill us all.

† Eleanor Braverman
• Noah Braverman
† Craig Firenze
• Dez Hunter
† Dr. Elise Jeffries
• Minka Lopez
† Nell Murphy
• Olga Nicolaev
† Dr. Mei-Lin Quan

Self Review: Mettle

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Character Review — Carmen D’Angelo, MDDalton Farouk, Carmen D'Angelo, Josie James, Peter Ray, Tad Lewis, Elston Young, Corwin Zachary,

Character Review — Carmen D’Angelo, MD

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on November 3, 2022

Consider Carmen D’Angelo, One of My Original Characters

Who is Carmen D’Angelo?

Carmen is kind of a fun, take-no-prisoners kind of character. She is one of the most important characters in the Time Addicts universe.

Where Did Carmen D’Angelo Come From?

I wanted a smart, take-charge boss. At the same time, I also wanted to have someone who could intelligently relate to the characters. As a result, I made her a psychiatrist.

This did not just make it easier for the character to relate to time travelers. It also created a separate application for time travel. Because apart from its obvious historian application, what can you do with time travel?

So, what if you could use it to help patients recall and work through trauma? Or, perhaps, help them be able to testify against abusers?

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Carmen D’Angelo

Before the story starts, Carmen works as a psychiatrist. One of her patients, Robin McKenna, seems to experience life differently from other people. Other sane people, that is. Robin seems to be able to recall alternative realities.

But she seems to be mentally sound. What the hell is up with Robin?

When Carmen meets Peter Ray at a party, they get to talking and she explains she has a patient who can see alternate realities. Ray realizes that Carmen’s patient likely can tell the differences between timelines. That is, like Josie James, Robin is temporally sensitive.

Fascinated by Carmen and her unnamed patient, he hires Carmen. Carmen, in turn, hires Robin to be her assistant.

Description

Middle-aged by our standards, smart, and driven, Carmen is a caring, creative boss. She listens to her employees, treats them well, and gets right into the trenches with them.

She’s also from a British enclave on Rhea. Saying it’s a Rhean thing, she calls everyone Mister or Miss or the equivalent. It keeps her at arm’s length from other people.

And, she’s an alcoholic. But I confess I haven’t shown a lot of that. I might even take that out.

She will also, at times, lapse into Italian. I tend to see actress Annabella Sciorra in her.

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

Her primary motivation is to protect what she sees as the primary timeline. But since she isn’t temporally sensitive, her idea of that changes with every time change.

However, in many of the particularly nasty timelines, she believes Josie when Josie tells her things were better. And more importantly, how they were better.

Quotes (Carmen speaks first, and is talking to Josie)

“I can still deposit into your mental accounts book. Or, rather, I can at least not be the one who’s withdrawing from it all the time.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am making the conscious decision to believe you. I can’t speak for the others; so they may still be skeptical about your reports of changes. But I shan’t be. You have my word on it.”

Carmen D’Angelo and Her Relationships

Without getting into her employer/employee relationships, here’s how Carmen gets along with others.

David Wesley-Smith

In the original timeline, they’re divorced. It’s not due to any sort of argument or wrongdoing. Rather, he wants to see the stars, so he leaves on an Obolonk-centric mission. They divorce before he departs.

In other timelines, she is widowed. And in at least a few timelines, they are still married.

In the timeline where Josie meets him, David turns out to be a nasty anti-Obolonk jackass.

Robin Campbell McKenna

Apart from David, the only other person Carmen regularly calls by their first name is Robin.

And so that has led me to wonder—did they have any sort of a romantic relationship? Did it go past psychiatrist/patient? I honestly have no idea, but the concept intrigues me. Perhaps I’ll visit it eventually.

Conflict and Turning Point

Carmen’s conflict and turning point match those of the overall story line. Her mission is to preserve and protect the original timeline as she understands it. And the biggest part of that is keeping Josie alive and well.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

The main continuity is a similarity to another time travel agency boss character I wrote. That was Carmen Calavicci, and she was a product of fan fiction. Are the two Carmens the same?

Well, the Carmen of Time Addicts has more depth, and no time-centric surname to clue in a reader. Rather, her surname just defines her as being one of the ‘good guys’.

Future Plans for Carmen D’Angelo

Because there will be a third trilogy in the Obolonk universe, there is a possibility that her name will come up again. But it will take place a good century after the middle trilogy.

So, even in a futuristic society where people live a lot longer than we do, she’s unlikely to still be kicking then. Then again, these people have time travel. They can always confer with her by going to her time and just, you know, talking.

Hmm.
Click to buy Untrustworthy on Amazon

Carmen D’Angelo: Takeaways

Carmen manages quite a bit like I do, in the sense that I try to be collaborative versus commanding. But she’s a lot more likely to head to a bar than I am. And I don’t call everyone Miss or Mister.

Carmen D’Angelo — because why the hell wouldn’t time travelers need psychiatric care?

Want More of Carmen and the Rest of the Obolonk Universe?

If the story of the Obolonks resonates with you, then please be sure to check out my other articles about how our society turns tripartite, with humans, robots, and Obolonks.

Character Reviews: The Obolonk Murders

Humans
† Peri Martin
• Greg Shapiro

Robots
† Tommy 2000
• Selkhet 3000

Obolonks
† TSTITO

Character Reviews: Time Addicts

The Good Guys
• Josie James
† Carmen D’Angelo, MD
• Dalton Farouk
† Tad Lewis
• Cyndi Mendez
† Bobby Brodie
• Keisha Darnell
† Vera Travers

The Bad Guys
• Peter Ray
† Dae Ou Xiang
• Elston Young
† Corwin Zachary

The Obolonk Universe

Self-Reviews: Obolonk Trilogy

• The Obolonk Murders
† Self-Review: The Polymer Beat
• The Badge of Humanity

Self-Reviews: Time Addicts Trilogy

† No One is Safe
• Nothing is Permanent
† Everything is up for Grabs

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Writing Progress Report – Third Quarter 2022Writing Progress Reports, First Quarter 2018, Second Quarter 2018, Third Quarter 2018, Fourth Quarter 2018, First Quarter 2019, Second Quarter 2019, Third Quarter 2019, Fourth Quarter 2019, First Quarter 2020, Second Quarter 2020, Third Quarter 2020, Fourth Quarter 2020, First Quarter 2021, Second Quarter 2021, Third Quarter 2021, Fourth Quarter 2021, First Quarter 2022, Second Quarter 2022, Third Quarter 2022, Fourth Quarter 2022, First Quarter 2023, Second Quarter 2023, Third Quarter 2023, Fourth Quarter 2023, First Quarter 2024, Second Quarter 2024, Third Quarter 2024, Fourth Quarter 2024, Writing Progress Reports Hub, First Quarter 2024, Second Quarter 2024, Third Quarter 2024, Fourth Quarter 2024, First Quarter 2025, Second Quarter 2025, Third Quarter 2025, Fourth Quarter 2025, First Quarter 2026, Second Quarter 2026, Third Quarter 2026, Fourth Quarter 2026,

Writing Progress Report – Third Quarter 2022

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on September 29, 2022

Progress Report – Third Quarter 2022

How was third quarter 2022 for writing? So I spent third quarter 2022 mainly editing. This is a necessary part of writing! I also did some planning for NaNoWriMo.

Third Quarter 2022 Posted Works

First of all, I worked on a number of new short stories. A lot of these had been drafted on paper and so I spent some time fixing and polishing them.

Then on Wattpad I posted on the WattNaNo profile and the Star Trek Fans profile, and nowhere else.

Milestones

Also, I have written over 3.3 million words (fan fiction and wholly original fiction combined). So right now my stats on Wattpad for wholly original works are as follows:

• Dinosaurs – 40 reads, 9 comments
† How to NaNoWriMo – 25,401 reads, 340 comments
• My Favorite Things (like kibble) – 983 reads, 133 comments
† Revved Up – 59,423 reads, 531 comments
• Side By Side – 17 reads, 2 comments
† Social Media Guide for Wattpad – 15,632 reads, 592 comments
• The Canadian Caper – 506 reads, 37 comments
† The Dish – 250 reads, 24 comments
• There is a Road – 189 reads, 28 comments
† WattNaNo’s Top Picks 2018 – 1,955 reads, 45 comments
• WattNaNo’s Top Picks 2019 – 1,824 reads, 10 comments
† What Now? – 2,700 reads, 104 comments

More Published Works

Also, I am amassing quite the collection of published works!

Untrustworthy, which is my first published novel. So yay!

A True Believer in Skepticism, published in Mythic Magazine.

Almost Shipwrecked, a story in the January 2019 edition of Empyreome, a site which unfortunately is no more.

Canaries, a short story in the March 29, 2019, edition of Theme of Absence.

Complications, a story in the Queer Sci Fi Discovery anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds went to supporting the QSF website.

Cynthia and Wilder Bloom, stories in the Longest Night Watch II anthology.

Props, a story in the Longest Night Watch I anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to Alzheimer’s research.

Surprises, a story in Book One of the 42 and Beyond Anthology set.

The Boy in the Band, a story in the Pride Park anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to the Trevor Project.

The Interview, the featured story in the December 14, 2018 edition of Theme of Absence. So they even interviewed me!

The Last Patient, a story in the Stardust, Always anthology. This was an anthology where the proceeds go to cancer research.

The Resurrection of Ditte, a story in the Unrealpolitik anthology.

This is My Child, a short story published in the April 8, 2019 edition of Asymmetry Fiction, another site which is no more.

Three Minutes Back in Time, a short story published in Mythic Magazine.

Killing Us Softly, a short story published in Corner Bar Magazine.

Darkness into Light, a short story published in Corner Bar Magazine.

WIP Corner

So my current WIPs are as follows:

The Obolonk Murders Trilogy – so this one is all about a tripartite society. But who’s killing the aliens?

The Enigman Cave – can we find life on another planet and not screw it up? You know, like we do everything else?

The Real Hub of the Universe Trilogy – so the aliens who live among us in the 1870s and 1880s are at war. But why is that?

Mettle – so it’s all about how society goes to hell in a hand basket when the metals of the periodic table start to disappear. But then what?

Time Addicts – No One is Safe – so this one is all about what happens in the future when time travel becomes possible via narcotic.

Time Addicts – Nothing is Permanent – this is the second in this trilogy. What happens when time is tampered with and manipulated in all sorts of ways? It’s the ultimate in gaslighting, for one thing.

Time Addicts – Everything is Up For Grabs – coming in November 2021!

Prep Work

So currently, my intention, for next year’s NaNoWriMo, is to write the third trilogy in the Time Addicts/Obolonks universe. But I need to iron out the plot! So a lot of this year has been spent on that. I have no name for this one yet.

For 2022 NaNoWriMo, I have decided to create a prequel for each of the 5 main universes: Real Hub of the Universe, Obolonks, Time Addicts (while the Obolonks and Time Addicts are in the same universe, I just plain want to write two separate prequels!), Untrustworthy, The Enigman Cave, and Mettle.

So, I anticipate a lot of fun and perhaps a little confusion. But it’s all good!

Third Quarter 2022 Queries and Submissions

So here’s how that’s been going during third quarter 2022.

Reprint

Coming right out of the blue, Mythic Magazine wants to do a second Best of Mythic and chose A True Believer in Skepticism!!! Yay!!!!

In Progress

As of third quarter 2022, the following are (allegedly) still in the running for publishing:

This list is the name of the story and then the name of the potential publisher.

† I Used to Be Happy – Gemini Magazine
• Justice – Adbusters
† Mettle – RAB
• Soul Rentals ‘R’ Us – A Thousand One Stories
† Who Do We Blame for This? – Sonder Review

All Other Statuses

So be sure to see the Stats section for some details on any query statuses for third quarter 2022 which were not in progress.

Stats

So in 2018, my querying stats were:

• 68 submissions of 19 stories
† Acceptances: 4, 5.88%
• In Progress-Under Consideration: 3, 4.41% (so these don’t seem to have panned out)
† In Progress: 10, 14.71%
• Rejected-Personal: 14, 20.59%
† Rejected-Form: 24, 35.29%
• Ghosted: 13 (so these were submissions where I never found out what happened), 19.12%
So in 2019 my querying stats were:

† 23 submissions of 11 stories (so 6 submissions carry over from 2018)
• Acceptances: 4, 17.39%
† In Progress: 11 (so this includes 2 holdovers from 2018), 47.83%
• Rejected-Personal: 4, 17.39%
† Rejected-Form: 3, 13.04%
• Ghosted: 1 (so these are submissions where I never found out what happened), 4.35%

2020 Stats

So in 2020 my querying stats were:

† 37 submissions of 12 stories (so 9 submissions carried over from 2019)
• Acceptances: 3, 8.11%
† In Progress: 7, 18.92%
• Rejected-Personal: 12, 32.43%
† Rejected-Form: 4, 10.81%
• Ghosted: 11 (so these are submissions where I never found out what happened), 29.73%

2021 Stats

So in 2021 my querying stats were 5 submissions of 5 stories, all carried over from 2020, all ghosted, 100%

2022 Stats

So in 2022 my querying stats are:

† 6 submissions of 65 stories (so 5 submissions carry over from 2020 and 2021), plus 1 reprint!
• Acceptances: 14.29%
† Rejected-Form: 1, 14.29%
• Ghosted: 5, 71.42%

It can be pretty discouraging and hard to go on when nothing new comes up which is positive.

Third Quarter 2022 Productivity Killers

So it’s work, what else? It’s always going to be work, and third quarter 2022 will not be the end of that…

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Plot Creation

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on September 27, 2022

Background – Plot Creation

Plot creation can be a somewhat personal experience. And I will be the first to admit that my methods can often be haphazard.

So sometimes, for me, plots come from prompts (my own or others’) or even from dreams. Or I will connect seemingly disparate things, people, scenes, characteristics, etc.

In addition, I like to engage in what I like to call thought experiments. So why is something the way it is? And what happens if one key element changes? Does the thing fall apart? Or can it become something new and different? Or even better?

A big part of writing well is making your plot—even if you’re mostly flying by the seat of your pants.

Getting to the Point

Because I tend to plan out what I write, I often write with a point in mind. Now, this isn’t necessarily that I want to lecture anyone. Instead, it’s more that I want to say something perhaps a smidgen grander than just the plot and the characters.

For example, the point of Untrustworthy is about not letting your personal freedoms slip away. The point of the Obolonks is to look beyond the surface at people. So for The Enigman Cave, the point is that evolution works, no matter where you go.

In addition, in Real Hub, the point is to set aside class and wealth and judge intelligence and talent instead. And finally, in Mettle, the point is to work together for the greater good.

The Germ of an Idea

But before we can get to the point, we have to start from somewhere. For Untrustworthy, The Enigman Cave, and The Real Hub of the Universe, a killer opening line drove the plot bus.

Untrustworthy: There was nothing easy about it.

The Enigman Cave: Life is common.

The Real Hub of the Universe: The greatest treasure in the galaxy is the truth.

Other plots came about in other ways (of course). The Obolonks originally came from two things. One was a means of using The Wizard of Oz in a perverse fashion. The other was to show a tripartite society.

Mettle absolutely came out of a thought experiment: what would happen if some of the elements on the periodic table started to disappear?

And Time Addicts came about because I wanted to see what could happen if you could travel in time by taking drugs. Drugs led to the idea of addicts, and I was off to the races.

Plot Creation: Some Takeaways

Let your mind wander as you consider plots. Have you ever wondered about something or other? Or have you thought: I can do or make something better than what’s out there? Those can form the framework for plots!

How do YOU create a plot? Here’s how I do it. #amwriting

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Self-Review – A True Believer in SkepticismShort Stories, Road, My Aliens, Last Patient, interview, Surprises, Props, shipwrecked, child, Killing Us Softly, Ditte, Band, three minutes, Longest Night Watch, Nothing Good Ever Happens, Complications, Your Call, Darkness into Light, canaries, gentrification, Cynthia, True Believer, Short Stories, Wilder Bloom, Dish, Mitalisque, kitten, Last Try, Minnesota Wish, Dominick and Angela, Alix, Alix’s Apocalypse, A Chance Encounter in Time, A Crime in Time, A Show for the Galaxy, Alien Justice, And the Band Played the Apocalypse, Babel 2.0, Side Pages, Frozen Assets, Julie's Dollar, Mandy Goes to Aspen, Martin's Choice, Mike’s Grades, Out of the Work Camp Frying Pan, Sarah’s Invention, Small Acts of Defiance, The Future Has No Foundation, Unexpected Help, You Will Drink Your Coffee and Like It, Unreliable, East Side of the Universe, Eros vs Thanatos, Dust Between Our Stars, A Show for the Galaxy, A Fairy Tale for Skeptical Adults, A School for Scavengers, Frozen Assets, Out of the Work Camp Frying Pan, 1960s Temporal Crimes, Lizzie Borden is Vital to the Timeline, Walls Came Tumbling Down Again, The End, Will's Dog, Building Trust, Message in an Odd Bottle, The New Kid, What's an Animal, A Touch of Gray Hair, Guilty of Imperfection, Jared's World Turned Upside Down, Caring for Carole, Nuremberg Redux, Art Has All Sorts of Effects, When Russia Invaded Texas, Failure, Tumble in a Tomb, Beauty is Only Earth Deep, Peddler, Escape Violinist, Shimmering Wasteland, Cave Canem and Cave, Skating, Uninformed, Stellar Stowaway, dinosaurs, fragments, none of this is real, buzz, quartz, water, verity, quarrel, rivalry, breakout,

Self-Review – A True Believer in Skepticism

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on September 22, 2022

Review – Self-Review – A True Believer in Skepticism

So the concept for A True Believer in Skepticism came from a few stray thoughts which ended up coming together rather nicely. It was at this time that I was actively trying to write every single day. Hence, I needed to find inspiration anywhere I could.

And in this case, it was the Home Depot. No lie.

Background

When I wrote True Believer… my husband and I had just come back from ordering flooring from the Home Depot. We had met a very pleasant and knowledgeable salesman named Reynaldo.

And I loved that name, because, to me, it evoked mystery. Hence the story started to come together.

Plot

Denise lives an ordinary life in a dull, ordinary town. But when a fair comes to town, she eventually goes to it. But she scarcely knows why.

While there, she meets the Great Reynaldo, who tells her fortune. Denise is skeptical, feeling that fortune tellers are only so much hokum. And she isn’t fully convinced that the Great Reynaldo can do what he claims he can.

It’s not until she leaves the fair that the first part of his predictions start to come true….

Characters in A True Believer in Skepticism

The characters are Denise and the Great Reynaldo. While there are other people at the fair. While the story refers to them, they don’t have names. And those other people don’t speak, either.

Denise, of course, is the True Believer.

Memorable Quotes

There was a booth which she had not noticed amidst the crowds. A fellow was seated on a stool, wearing a turban. There was a banner at the front top of the booth which said, ‘The Great Reynaldo Will Tell Your Fortune.’

Denise laughed a little. Fortune tellers were just so much hokum, the product of willing believers who were so chatty they would give their secrets away willingly. A scam artist merely needed to be good at reading body language, asking leading questions, following up on the answers, and convincingly recover from unexpected or out and out wrong answers.

Rating

The story has a K rating.

A True Believer in Skepticism: the Upshot

I really love the title of this one, and am particularly happy that it found an audience. It is to be published by Mythic Magazine, which also published Three Minutes Back in Time.

Are YOU a true believer in skepticism?

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Character Review — Dalton FaroukDalton Farouk, Carmen D'Angelo, Josie James, Peter Ray, Tad Lewis, Elston Young, Corwin Zachary,

Character Review — Dalton Farouk

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on September 20, 2022

Dalton Farouk is a character I created as the love interest for the main character in the Time Addicts trilogy, Josie James.

Who is Dalton Farouk?

He was always to be a Muslim character and always to be smart and attractive. In addition, this character was to always have a very strong reason for Carmen choosing him for the team.

So, why was he put on the team?

It’s because he’s got a very real memory gift. It’s rare and quite amazing.

Hello, Hyperthymesia

So, to make Dalton truly fascinating, I decided he would have hyperthymesia.

It also goes by the name, ‘highly superior autobiographical memory’. Essentially, a person is able to recall everything that ever happened to them, and in exceptional detail.

Where Did Dalton Farouk Come From?

The name just sort of came to me. I loved the idea of a very WASP-y kind of first name and then the surname just kind of bangs a left.

And here we are.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Dalton Farouk

Born in the Philadelphia-Main Line section of the Washington Megalopolis, Dalton is the elder of two. His sister, Maryam Tracy Farouk, shows champion schnauzers. Maryam is learning how to do so from their mother, Susan Dalton Farouk.

Their father, Ali, is also involved in the breeding and training of the dogs. But he doesn’t show them.

Dalton himself reports that he and Maryam didn’t always get along so well as kids. But they’ve gotten better as they’ve gotten older.
Click to buy Untrustworthy on Amazon

Description

When I think of Dalton, I think of the actor Shazad Latif.

So, just like Latif, Dalton is a handsome Middle Eastern guy with a beard. He smiles easily and is exceptionally attentive to Josie.

He is, in many ways, the perfect boyfriend. But why?

Because, since he can remember everything forever, he does everything in his power to avoid regrets.

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

Dalton really has two separate motivations. His first is like the other employees of the OIA-DTN: to preserve and restore the original timeline. But his second motivation is to date Josie. Then again, I suppose there’s a third, because he’s got to cope with the burdens of his gift.

It’s got to be tough when you remember every humiliation you ever had in nursery school.

Quotes

(from the first time we see Dalton in the storyline)

“Hi, I’m Dalton.”

“Er, hi. I’m Josie James.” His hand was smooth, as if the only physical labor he did was in a gym.

“You sound like a dance hall girl or an outlaw. Definitely something from a western movie.”

“You sound upper crust.”

“I was born in the Philly section of the Washington Meg so, yeah, kinda. You?”

“You want to know where I was born?”

“Well, yeah, seeing as we’re not supposed to be hinting at roles and responsibilities yet.”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot that. Man, oh man, the OIA sure has some strange protocols. Still, I figure there’s a kind of a method to their madness.”

“Oh?” asked Dalton.

“Yeah, they get to continually test us on secrecy and on following instructions. We screw up, and they can boot us. You know, like it says in our contracts. I am assuming you got the same contract that I did, er, Dalton.” Why the hell is this dreamy guy just going by his last name? How weird.

“I’m sure I did. And yeah.” He seemed to be staring at something for a second, as if he was mentally flipping the pages of the contract, in electronic or paper form. “You’re right; it does say that. But you didn’t answer my question, outlaw Josie James.”

“I didn’t? Er, what was it again?”

“Where were you born?” he asked, as the door opened and a Wingbot arrived with a strong-looking guy who looked like he played football professionally.

“Tad Lewis,” the new guy said, shaking Josie’s hand and then turning to Dalton.

“I’m Josie James and this here is, er, Mr. Dalton.”

Dalton started to laugh. “Hell, no. My first name is Dalton. Hiya, Tad. Where you from?”

Josie mouthed the word ‘sorry’.

Relationships for Dalton Farouk

Dalton of course has been around the block enough that Josie isn’t his first love interest.

Lisa Shore

So, when I started, Lisa was a blank slate. And then I got to thinking about her being borderline abusive. Since Dalton would not want to rock the boat in most relationships, I felt it best to make her so awful that he would just have to end things.

His parents even comment that they weren’t so fond of her.

Conflict and Turning Point

For Dalton, the conflict and turning point align with the rest of the story and characters. He, along with Josie, Tad, Jerry, Cindy, Keisha, and Carmen, have to finally stop a group called the Yester Masters.

Changing time is making Obolonk lives worse and worse. But unsatisfied with Obolonk slavery, the Yester Masters want to go one step further. They want to commit genocide.

Dalton’s role is perhaps a little foolhardy, since he sustains a rather bad injury.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

Apart from having love interests in many of my works, I kind of don’t have a continuity or Easter Egg for him. But I do love his memory, and may write a similar character in the future. Imagine Dalton’s POV!

Future Plans for Dalton Farouk

So, right now, there are no plans for a sequel featuring him, and the prequels don’t have him, either. But in a way, I like the idea of him ending with a question mark, for tomorrow never knows.

Dalton Farouk: Takeaways

Dalton is a little bit of a “careful what you wish for” character. Smart, handsome, and kind, he feels so perfect. And then, when you get to know him, you learn just how troubled he really is.

Time Addicts is all about memory, and Dalton Farouk is its poster child.

Want More of Dalton and the Rest of the Obolonk Universe?

If the story of the Obolonks/Time Addicts resonates with you, then please be sure to check out my other articles about how our society turns tripartite, with humans, robots, and Obolonks.

Character Reviews: The Obolonk Murders

Humans
† Peri Martin
• Greg Shapiro
† Rachel Gifford

Robots
† Tommy 2000
• Selkhet 3000

Obolonks
† TSTITO

Character Reviews: Time Addicts

The Good Guys
• Josie James
† Carmen D’Angelo, MD
• Dalton Farouk
† Tad Lewis
• Cyndi Mendez
† Bobby Brodie
• Keisha Darnell
† Vera Travers

The Bad Guys
• Peter Ray
† Dae Ou Xiang
• Elston Young
† Corwin Zachary

The Obolonk Universe

Prequels

• The Dust Between Our Stars
† Eros vs Thanatos

Self-Reviews: Obolonk Trilogy

• The Obolonk Murders
† Self-Review: The Polymer Beat
• The Badge of Humanity

Self-Reviews: Time Addicts Trilogy

† No One is Safe
• Nothing is Permanent
† Everything is up for Grabs

Next article

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Self-Review – CynthiaJake to represent Cynthia

Self-Review – Cynthia

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on August 25, 2022

Review – Cynthia

So the thing about Cynthia is, it’s a fun although ultimately sad story.

You see, Cynthia is a Great Dane.

And to her sorrow, her master is succumbing to Alzheimer’s. This short story was written for the second volume of The Longest Night Watch. All of the proceeds go to the Alzheimer’s Association.

I love the canine point of view. There is just something about writing about a species that is so incredibly close to us yet their ‘language’, such as it is, is vastly different.

Furthermore, even science says that dogs experience so much more than we do when it comes to scent. And so, I firmly believe that their perceptions have to be rendered in that manner.

Background

I have always been a dog lover, and I even have some fan fiction where the POV comes from a canine perspective. As a result, I had the itch to write something similar yet wholly original. I also wanted it to reflect the overall subject matter, Alzheimer’s. What better way, than to show that the creature keeping their faculties is one who didn’t have quite so many to begin with?

Plot

The plot is small and compact, and it reflects how Daniel’s life is shrinking in on itself. The dog even says that there is more food when Keisha arrives, and the walks are longer. You don’t need to be human to know that Daniel is faltering. Because this status quo will change, and the center will not hold.

Characters

The characters are the narrator, Cynthia the dog, Daniel Robinson, her owner, and Daniel’s daughter, Keisha. However, we only see Keisha at the end, although there is a mentioning of her before.

Memorable Quotes from Cynthia

I love him.

He smells good.

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Cynthia: Upshot

Canine POV, as I noted above, is great fun to write. But the story is truly a sad one. For Keisha in particular, her father is slipping away. And even though she’s a nurse, she can do nothing to slow down or stop his decline.

Cynthia’s devotion and love are as real and true as any human’s. #amwriting

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Self-Review – Gentrificationgentrification, Kitten, Wilder Bloom, Last Try, Minnesota Wish, Props, Dominick, Band, Mandy Goes to Aspen, Frozen Assets, Sarah’s Invention, Mike’s Grades, Building Trust, Martin's Choice, World Turned Upside Down, Caring for Carole, Failure, Tumble in a Tomb, Uninformed, African Escape, Scavenger Hunt at Lanterman's Mill, Jealousy, freshly baked bread, AM/FM ghosts, rescued,

Self-Review – Gentrification

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on August 18, 2022

Review – Gentrification

Gentrification is about an extremely controversial topic—abortion. When I wrote it, Roe v Wade was still fairly secure. I didn’t intend to write a prophecy.

Background

The story idea originally came to me because house flippers are a pretty large segment of the customers for the company where I work. And then the peeling away of the layers of ownership turned into something far different. But I did not intend to write about much. But it just … happened.

Plot

While peeling wallpaper from an old house’s walls, the narrator comes across a mural, painted in pastels. So, it’s clearly for a child.

She traces down the ownership of the house, finally finding one woman who was probably around when the mural was painted.

Yet Hazel Prentice Morse wasn’t just around. She was in the thick of it.

Characters in Gentrification

The characters are the unnamed narrative, a woman who is a retired lawyer. Also, Hazel Morse, the storyteller, who was twelve at the time of the events. In addition, Hazel’s Aunt Martha and Martha’s boyfriend, Chet. Also, Hazel’s parents and her grandparents.

Memorable Quotes

That woman, Hazel Prentice Morse, agreed to meet with me. We met at a café in her much nicer neighborhood, where she was reserved and somewhat skeptical, even after seeing numerous pictures. Then I drove her to the brownstone. The four flights we had to walk up weren’t too kind to our old knees.

When we were in the room and she saw the mural in the flesh as it were, she started to cry. I didn’t really have much of a place to sit during renovations, so I went downstairs to give her some privacy and find the one folding chair I always bring so I can have a place to eat my lunch.

I brought the chair up. She sat down as I leaned against the windowsill. “What is it?” I asked. “What do you remember, Mrs. Morse? Do you know who the artist was?” When I was still practicing law, I took a ton of depositions. I know how to gently get information out of frightened witnesses. You never forget how to do that.

“Yes, I know who it was.” She stared off into the distance.

“You don’t have to tell me anything.” She was no witness. I didn’t have to indulge my morbid curiosity.

“I do, actually. Woman to woman. It’s funny. But I’m the only person alive who remembers. I imagine the statute has run by now.”

“Statute?”

“The Statute of Limitations—you know—how long you can be charged with a crime.”
Click to buy Untrustworthy on Amazon

Rating

The story has a PG-13 rating. There are some rather upsetting parts of it, and I depict deaths but not in detail.

However, I tell about the deaths via the conceit of having a character relate them decades later. So, the reader is even further removed from them.

But they’re still not the kind of thing most people like to talk about, or ever think about.

Gentrification: the Upshot

I have workshopped this story more than once and I have submitted it for publication. So for a publisher with the cojones to take it on, I think it’s a story to tell. Particularly these days.

But I have been getting the feeling that publishers are just too afraid to rock the boat right now.

Gentrification, a story that we need to tell. #amwriting

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