murder.booklocker.com

By Rick R. Reed

With the publication of my novel, IM, in May of this year, readers were treated to an online world inhabited by a serial killer. Many people have told me that the scenario in my novel, where gay men invite other men into their homes after just a quick chat online, is an entirely plausible one. Readers tell me this is what makes my story so frightening. Many people, especially gay men, have done just what the characters in my book do: go to an online hookup site, see a picture of an attractive stranger, read a description, and then, with nothing more to go on than the exchange of a few IMs or instant messages, invite that stranger over. Fortunately, for the vast majority of people, that contact in cyberspace is looking for the same thing: romance, sex, or just meeting someone new. The subsequent encounter poses no more risk than meeting in real-life might.

The horror of IM is that it would be very easy for a cunning person to manipulate people online…manipulate them into giving out an address. And once they’re inside your house, with no one knowing they’re there, they can be the cause of all sorts of mayhem. Below are a few precautions that have been probably said a hundred times before but bear repeating because they’re common sense and so many people (myself included) throw caution to the wind in the face of a hot pic and the promise of a hot encounter.

• 1. Never give out personal information. Things like phone numbers, addresses, even ages, can and do get people into trouble. Even if you’re not talking to a monster, this stuff can go out to other people you never intended to see. Be a little patient.
• 2. Never invite a stranger into your home. You may have developed a great rapport online through IMs and e-mails and think you know this person. You don’t. Again, be patient and…
• 3. Always meet in a public place. It’s unlikely anything seriously bad will happen to you in a café or bar. In public, you can make many common sense judgments you couldn’t make online. It’s much easier to detect a fake or a flake in person than online, when the other person has much more control over how he or she is coming across.
• 4. Never trust posted information or photos. This is why you meet up in public if you’re going to meet. It happens all the time: photos are old or are not even of the person behind the profile. There’s no one checking the veracity of any statements made online: everything could be made up. Worse, everything could be made up for a purpose: to entice like a spider luring its prey into a web.
• 5. When and if you do invite someone home, make sure that by now you know a little more about the person, such as a verifiable address or phone number. Ensure someone else knows these things in case things should go awry. And make certain the person you’re invited over knows someone else knows who he or she is.

The bottom line is there is no such thing as a completely safe encounter with a new person. Whether it’s online or in person, there’s no way to completely protect ourselves. So what do we do? Live in paranoia and never meet anyone new? Of course not, and I’m not suggesting we become hermits. Just like there is no such thing as safe sex only safer sex, there is no such thing as safe meeting of a new person, only safer meetings. Use common sense, go slow, and you’re much more unlikely to place yourself into a dangerous position.

They said it best in Hill Street Blues: “Let’s be careful out there.”

To see the worst that can happen online, order yourself a copy of IM from Amazon for 32% off the cover price. It not only will give you a fast-paced, suspenseful reading experience, it will make you think twice about doing something stupid. And thinking twice is what this blog is all about.

[In a recent post on Blooking Central I wrote about the Cat Oars Fiction Collective's blooks. I asked the publisher if he could tell me more about the online group of writers. This is the introduction to the introduction to The Banana Project.]

The Cat Oars group formed in late 2004 after someone posting with the handle Talker asked a question on the Literary & Writing forum, a board on the Craigslist Web site. He had wanted to write a story about a starving artist who was forcing a chimp to paint canvases on the street so that he could sell them to passersby. He thought his artist would come into possession of the chimp by working at the zoo and stealing the creature, but wondered if the Litfo contributors might have a better idea. A discussion followed. After several dozen postings over the next two days, a forum regular who calls himself IAA (for “I’m an Asshole”) suggested we all write our own versions of the story because it had somehow struck a chord with so many of us – the concept seemed so rich with possibilities.

I had started a new job at the beginning of that year. My previous job was so easy it gave me time to do personal writing. So I completed two collections of short stories and a novel there. The new job, well, it was and is much, much more difficult. I wasn’t sure I could keep going with my literary ambitions.

But that weekend, I decided I had to write my own version of the starving artist and chimp story. And I did. It was a rebirth. I’m not sure I would’ve started writing again if not for the discussion and IAA’s suggestion.

Along with another forum regular who goes by Sheisty, IAA and I posted our chimp stories. I quickly realized that the project was too good to be lost in the ether of Litfo history. Brimmer, another Litfo regular, had turned me on to Lulu, which offers free pre-press services, low-cost printing and a platform for Internet sales. I was experimenting with it for my own books, and decided to give it a try for The Starving Artist and the Chimp. It worked. It was a narrow theme, though, with a short deadline, so there were only a few participants.

Then someone posted something about an overweight girl longing for love. IAA responded with a story about a fat girl who wanted him in college and how his insensitivity to her has haunted him with regret. I remembered a similar story from my college days. R_Toady did, too. I suggested we all write stories with the theme of “She Wanted Me,” or “He Wanted Me” for the ladies. This time, I gave a one-month deadline. The turnout improved and several other forum regulars and newcomers contributed.

I still pick up Book of Desire & Regret and leaf through it every now and then. It’s a fantastic collection of great stories. True, I’m not an impartial observer, but if it were borderline I would say so. It isn’t. It’s wonderful.

The next project, Black & White, was born from a discussion of both racism and how we fail too see the nuances in complicated situations. I was expecting it to be more substantial than Desire & Regret, but I didn’t know how much more substantial. Desire & Regret included ten stories; Black & White twenty-two (a twenty-third was added later). As we were posting our B&W stories, I realized it was going to be an extraordinary collection. Each work was excellent on first read. Almost every one brought a new thrill of discovery. Each entry got raves and kudos or other great comments from the participants. Instead of the more common insults (yes, it’s true, the forum becomes a hostile place at times), anonymous posters left kind and encouraging comments. It was beautiful.

Even with R_Toady, GhostofMajestic and BowlOfCherries as co-editors it was a lot of work. So when contributors asked for a new theme that weekend, I didn’t think I could do it. So I turned the next projects over to R_Toady and BowlOfCherries with Minivis and Crazy Love, respectively. Minivis is a poetic form inspired by a post from Meme_in_Situ; Crazy Love was our Valentine’s Day festival. I know that both books are going to be excellent. Toady and Bowl are completing them as I write this and I’m really looking forward to seeing the first two Cat Oars books that I’ll discover as a reader instead of as an editor.

Who are we? A museum guard in Portland. A water engineer in Phoenix. A businessman in San Francisco. A mom in New York. A phantom and a former female drag performer in Seattle. (The phantom part is a joke, but he is really in Seattle; the former female drag performer is not a joke; she’s in Seattle, too.) Surprise: We’ve got a guy from Tobago participating. I could go on, but I won’t. We’re an interesting bunch, I think. The largest contingents, unsurprisingly, I guess, are in New York and Los Angeles.

Cat Oars Cat-alogue:

• Crazy Love
• Fire & Ice
• A Charlie Taylor Christmas
• The Banana Project
• Minivis
• Black & White
• Book of Desire & Regret
• The Starving Artist and the Chimp

I got this in the mail this morning from a psychic (don’t ask how he found me — he’s a PYSCHIC!)

I was surveying the sea of countless possibilities which is the internet when i came across the spirited expression which is your site.
 
My compliments on your palette of personal perspective. I enjoyed the genuineness and creativity of your site. The flower of your soul is evident throughout your pages. You have woven an authentic unique tapestry of inner light and heartfelt spirit.

I wish you great joy and prosperity in all endeavors. Thank you for sharing your creative inspirations. May you discover your dreams, embrace your gifts and awaken to your true self that you may inspire the sacred divine within.

I just wish I knew which site he was talking about!

I have a highly personal story which I wrote several years ago. It’s in the form of an allegory. The form came to me. I did not choose it. It seems now as if it was the only way I could myself the story (which is what writers do before they tell anyone else).

I’ve been doing so much research and writing about blooking that the inevitable finally happpened last night. I considered posting the allegory in bits and pieces as a blog, eventually to be a book or blook.

I confess I was tempted. I still am. But first, because of the nature of the story, I would have to secure anonymity. Several blog authors who went on to have their blogs/stories published have succeeded in this but many more have failed. So this is a big concern for me.

Secondly, I’m unsure of reader response. I know that I want response or I wouldn’t even consider putting my writing on line. But how would readers handle several different takes on things. More like multiple drafts. The interesting thing about this is that pointing up the differences and making statements about the reasons behind the changes is one of the things that most appeals to me! But would a reader read several iterations of the same story in a series of posts?

Thirdly, although much of it is written, it would be lot like writing in public. The few times that I took out my watercolors and began painting in public places I was nearly mobbed with people pointing and chattering. I don’t expect that would happen with a blog but am I really prepared to dialogue with readers about what I’ve written or why I chose THAT way instead of THIS way?

The idea intrigues me, appeals to me, tempts me. Also scares me half to death.

Michelle Ailene True runs two writing groups from the Indian Trails Library in Wheeling: Poetic License (poetry) which began in July 2003 and Write Your Life (memoir/lifewriting) which began in March 2007.

[Note: Michelle recently reported to the Chicago Writers Association forum "My poem, Wounds, originally published in my 2nd book was re-printed in the June 2007 (11th Issue) of Taj Mahal Review. It's cool to be published internationally!"]

Michelle runs two writing groups from the Indian Trails Library in Wheeling: Poetic License (poetry) which began in July 2003 and Write Your Life (memoir/lifewriting) which began in March 2007.

The responses to my questions were essentially the same for both groups so I’ve combined the answers.

How and when did the group start?

I started Poetry in July 2003 at my local library. I wanted to find a writing group focusing only on poetry and couldn’t find one nearby, so I started one. Memoir began in 2007

How did you choose where to hold your meetings?

I asked the library if they would add it to their Programs list and they did!

What’s an ordinary meeting like?

We pass out copies of our work to everyone in the group, settle in and then go around the table taking turns reading our work. There are a few minutes of critique time per person.

Do you have a limit on the number of folks who can participate?

There is no limit though when we have more people at a meeting the per person time for reading goes down accordingly, so everyone has a turn.

Are there expectations of participation by members?

Yes we do either writing assigments during the month that we then read at the next meeting, or just bring in any new pieces to read. Everyone is expected to participate.

Do you have a waiting list? Do you vet participants?

We don’t have a waiting list. We always provide constructive criticism of the poems.

What good things have come out of the group?

Friendships, commaraderie, a number of people go to local public poetry readings together. We’ve published a book of our poetry.

I asked Michelle if she could be more specific about the actual meetings.

Poetry:

90 minutes long, once a month, 7:00 p.m. the last Wed of the month. The library lists the group in it’s quarterly brochure and I also put a free ad in the local weekly paper, posted flyers in coffee shops, bookstores, etc. We have 25 members and average 14 at each meeting. One month, an assignment might be to write a sonnet. I will provide a format description and at least one example of a sonnet. The next month there is no assignment, we just bring in 3-5 recent or new poems to read. We alternate so there’s only an assignment every other month.

Memoir:

90 minutes long, once a month, 7:00 p.m. the 2nd Monday of the month. The library lists the group in it’s quarterly brochure and I also put a free ad in the local weekly paper, posted flyers in coffee shops, bookstores, etc. We have 17 members and average 8-9 at each meeting. An assignment might be to pick an event in our life (i.e. high school prom) and write about it. What made it important. What emotions did they feel at the time and how do they feel about it today. What other peole were at the event and what was the significance of that person? Write as much detail as they can about the event. What they wore, smells they remember or associate with the event, sounds, etc.

Neighborhood Writing Alliance

The NWA is a non-profit organization that hosts free writing groups all over Chicago. The organization also publishes the quarterly Journal of Ordinary Thought, featuring works written by workshop participants. See the website for more information. [List of places they currently meet]

New Town Writers

New Town Writers is a gay and lesbian writers’ salon based in Chicago that holds bi-weekly meetings where writers can share and critique their works-in-progress. Visit the website for upcoming meeting times and locations.

Young Chicago Authors (YCA) “encourages self-expression and literacy through creative writing, performance and publication. YCA provides student-centered, artist-led workshops free to youth ages 13-19 in schools and communities.”

• Saturday Writing Program
  A 3-year writing workshop series
• GirlSpeak
  Enlightens young women about self-love, healthy lifestyles, activism through art and awareness of the world around them.
• Say What Magazine
  Chicago’s premier youth writing publication with over 20,000 readers
• Watch the Steps Press
  Two trimester magazines and an end-of-year anthology
• Louder than a Bomb
  Six-day poetry slam, workshops and panel discussions
  “Over 400 participants representing over 50 schools and community organizations”
• WordPlay
  Chicago’s longest running teen-oriented weekly open mic
  Tuesdays 6-9 p.m.

[Lisa Laing included this from Jennifer Stevenson.]

I was a dedicated but clueless writer when I joined in the winter of 1998. Chicago North educated me in how romance works, sure, but they also educated me in basics of the publishing industry, information I’d been craving for twenty years. I learned the things that make the realization of my ambitions seem possible.

CN also prepared me to get The Call, prepared me to negotiate with agents as well as editors, prepared me for a realistic understanding of how success happens in publishing. I learned when to fire my agent (fired her soon after!) and when to hold my peace, do my job, and earn my clout. I learned how to impress my editor =after= she’d loved and bought my book, how to work with departments within the publishing company, how to negotiate the cover art and promotion issues which many authors will tell you are nonnegotiable.

CN has a library of over 700 tapes and CDs, recordings of seminars, workshops, and speeches by writers, editors, agents, book distributors, publicists, and other experts in the field. One winter, I listened to every one of them while trapped in traffic in my car. What Chicago North members couldn’t teach me directly, I learned through our library.

Best of all I got unremitting support. And laughed at a lot–I write humor. In the writer’s groups I’d attended before, too often the message was, “Why should you ever get published?” At Chicago North, the message was, “This can work. How can we make it work?”

In 2003 I sold my first book, TRASH SEX MAGIC, to Small Beer Press and CN taught me how to promote it. In 2005 I sold a two-book deal to Del Rey and landed a terrific agent. In 2006 CN gave me a wonderful opportunity to meet the Borders buyer for romance, which I could then parley into a third sale to Del Rey before the first two books had even been published. If I had not been prepared for these opportunities by my RWA chapter, I wouldn’t have known how to take advantage of them. I owe everything to Chicago North.

Jennifer Stevenson
TRASH SEX MAGIC
Small Beer Press 2004
THE BRASS BED, April 2008
THE VENUS MACHINE working title, May 2008
THE HAUNTED PORN FACTORY working title, June 2008
Ballantine Books

Lisa Laing answered some questions about her writing group, the Chicago-North Chapter of the Romance Writers of America.

How did the group start?

The feature story in that issue reviewed the history of the chapter.

How did you choose where to hold your meetings?

We meet twice each month. The first meeting of the month is held at the Des Plaines Public Library. The second is at the Arlington Heights Historical Society. Site selection considerations include cost (a big factor), size of meeting room, availability on our desired days at our preferred times (very few places stay open until 10pm), and accessibility for our members. We try to choose a central location in order to make it easy for the majority of members to attend.

What’s an ordinary meeting like?

At each meeting we discuss chapter business and do a large-group critique of at least one manuscript (20 pages max). On program nights we also have a speaker, workshop, or program of some type. On non-program nights we critique a second manuscript. We also take long breaks to give members time to catch up with each other.

Do you have a limit on the number of folks who can participate?

There is no limit on our membership. We welcome both published and unpublished authors. Our mission is: “We, the members of the Chicago-North Chapter of RWA, come together to support published and unpublished writers in an atmosphere of integrity, harmony, and peace. We encourage our fellow writers with unconditional support, incisive critiques, and a professional network. Our purpose is to nurture each other as we strive for excellence and achievement of our publication goals.”

Are there expectations of participation by members?

There are no hard-and-fast rules. Some of our members have moved away from Chicago and participate only in the online e-mail discussion group. Some of our members have the time to take on a board position or to head a committee (e.g., web site, publicity, conference, contest, etc.). At meetings, some members participate actively in discussions and others simply listen and learn. We hope that everyone will find a way to contribute and that everyone will learn something new.

Do you have a waiting list? Do you vet participants?

We do not have a waiting list. We have no need to vet participants.

What good things have come out of the group?

Each year, several of our unpublished members join the ranks of the published authors. We all learn so much from each other. Those who have advanced in their careers support those of us who are following in their footsteps.

[NOTE: There are two other RWA groups in the Chicago-area:

• Love Designers Writers’ Club
  Romance Writers of America Chapter, Region 2
  1507 Burnham Avenue, Calumet City, IL 60409
  Phone (708) 862-9797
• Windy City RWA

I saw David McNelly’s post looking for folks to join a small Chicago writing group on Craigslist and asked him to describe the group for me.

All our writing group’s decisions are made by consensus. When someone new wants to join, we try and trade a few pieces of fiction first so that  we establish the writing is both good and what we are looking for.

We haven’t added anyone other than our original five because many who have asked to join recently are novelists, playwrights, or poets. We want to concentrate on critiquing short stories and we all are either sending out stories for publication or are getting our stories honed so that we can do so soon.

By having a diversity of people in the group, we are able to get some different readings of the piece so that the writer can choose what sort of audience to focus on.

I formed the group by posting on craigslist and the first five people who responded who wrote short stories and other short fiction were invited to meet at a coffeeshop on the north side. We ended up meeting at the Belmont stop, but then realized we all lived close to or in Andersonville, so we switched to a coffee shop there. We meet twice a month and turn in stories once a month in a rotating basis.

In an ordinary meeting, we talk for about half an hour at the beginning, especially if people are trickling in, about what sorts of artistic things we do, about books we are reading, the publishing process, our dreams, literary journals, bikes, moving, etc.

Then, we take about half an hour for each story (normally 3) talking first about what we think the story is about, and what it is in it’s essence, then we move on to things we liked and then suggestions for revision. It’s the standard process for workshopping.

We would like to ideally be between 6-8 people, but we like the balance that we have so much, that it’s hard to add anyone else. We expect each group member to write out their critique, make it a page single-spaced or the equivalent, and make editing notes on the story and give it to the writer.

We’ve only met 4 times now, but we get along really well together, and I hope we start to see some acceptance letters from literary journals soon.

I just want to add a note that Craigslist is not the only way to find other like-minded writers. This was posted to the CWA forum:

I’m a member of two writing groups — I found them both via meetup.com. Both are small and meet in coffee shops. One is focused on speculative fiction and meets monthly in Lakeview. The other is more general although we have a fondness for poetry, experimental dramatics, and lit-fic — it meets every
other week in the Loop (and no longer uses meetup).

Lynn Voedisch has a lot to say about writing groups.