Did a workshop critique on my story "Gazpacho" last night, and some thoughts occurred to me, some things came out that even caught me unawares.
While two pages of the story had been written nearly a year ago, I sort of just picked up on it and continued it from there a couple weeks ago, finishing it within a few days to a rough second draft form. Somehow, from a classroom setting and a first person pov, there was no mention of gazpacho, so I had no idea where the story had originally been going. It was no problem, however, to get back into the mood of the setting and flow from there. And amazingly, gazpacho naturally showed up.
I’m sure the story as written now is in no way similar to what it was going to be. In the time since, I’ve read Faulkner and that enabled me to overcome one of my biggest problems in writing up to this point: time changes and free thought that brings in some bit of emphasis on character via snippets of backstory, as well as projecting into the near future. (Writers truly need to read, read, read! It’s amazing how much is learned through absorption without realizing it.)
Everything seemed to come together through soups and time in this story, and while there needs to be work done on conflict in particular (mine’s always too soft, wrapped in cloaks of words), and the main conflict within the character was misread–rather, miswritten–as that of between the protagonist and her husband instead of within herself, the metaphors were all spot on, as well as some found that I hadn’t seen.
But food is a biggie with me in writing; right up there next to nature and the sky and trees. I’m not sure where this comes from, although studies have been done on symbolism and "sturdy oak" and "bending willows" are images that are fairly universal.
Right now I’m into a strawberry-rhubarb pie with cream-cheese on the bottom. Tart? Always my favorite. I’d made two of them because my rhubarb was ready and since my brother-in-law and his wife didn’t make it here for the Fourth, Jim (also a sour vs. sweet taste preferrer) and I are finishing them up ourselves. Meant to bring one of them to the meeting last night but forgot.
I wonder what story will come of it.
| STRAWBERRY – RHUBARB PIE | |
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1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
2 tbsp. milk 2 tbsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla Pastry for one 9" pie (baked as directed) 2 1/2 c. fresh strawberry halves 1 1/2 c. coarsely chopped rhubarb 3/4 c. water 1/2 c. sugar 2 tbsp. cornstarch Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla, mixing until blended. Spread on bottom of baked pie shell.
Mash 1/2 cup strawberries (set aside). Arrange remaining strawberries on top of cream cheese mixture. In saucepan, combine reserved 1/2 cup mashed strawberries and rhubarb and water, bring to boil, simmer 2 minutes. Drain reserving 1 cup juice. Add water if not 1 cup. Combine sugar and cornstarch in pan. Add juice. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil 2 minutes until clear and thickened. Stir in rhubarb mixture. Cool slightly. Spoon over strawberries and chill. |
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The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology