Story Hunting

Posted on by Thor

Mad About Words founder Mary Ann De Stefano invited me to sketch a workshop on October 26th by resident author Caroline Walker at the Kerouac House (1418 Clouser Avenue, Orlando FL). Caroline Walker is a writer, producer and amateur explorer originally from Rock Island, Illinois. She holds a BA from the University of Southern California and an MA from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She has hiked many miles of tunnels, mines, architectural time capsules, trails, not-yet-trails, roads, shorelines, cityscapes, caves, graveyards and abandoned buildings.

The invitation explained, “Writers explore uncharted territory every time we tell a story. We are the cartographers, archaeologists, anthropologists and private eyes of our own imaginations. The real world can be a powerful ally—if we know where to look for clues. This workshop encourages storytellers to excavate narratives through a connection to place. Using photographs and objects as prompts, participants will discover how to:

    Empower locations to serve as dynamic characters

    Employ everyday observation as an evocative research method

    Exploit objects and artifacts as unique narrative tools

    Experience a deeper connection to our surroundings”

This workshop was right up my alley. I’m out exploring everyday using a sketchbook to record the hunt.  Though Caroline was dressed in a fashionable black dress with a tight blue belt, she wore practical hiking boots instead of high heels. She asked the writers to focus on two things, Objects and Places. Places are secret keepers, clues to the story. She described in eloquent detail the unique place in Wisconsin where she grew up. It was spared from the glacial drifts millions of years ago which left it un-scarred. It is the one place where Paleozoic snails survive and it brings back vibrant childhood memories. She talked about the huge Live Oak in front of the Kerouac House which is surrounded by Resurrection ferns and all that implies. Some places instinctively make her light up with inspiration. For some people that place might be a beach, but she feels uncomfortable at the immense expanse of open ocean.   More than anything, she invited writers to discover what place lights them up, to access a childlike sense of newness.

Each writer said a little about themselves including a bit about a place that they call home. Caroline handed out photos she had taken of abandoned places and the authors had thirty seconds to write something based on what they saw. The results were surprising and sometimes profound. Caroline is a true listener, and endlessly curious, I suspect the writing session fueled her creative reserves as well. Her enthusiasm to explore and discover something new everyday was infectious and inspiring.

Mark Your Calendar, Caroline Walker will be reading at the Kerouac House (1418 Clouser Ave, Orlando, FL) on November 16th at 7pm. She will also be reading at Functionally Literate, on November 22nd at The Gallery at Avalon Island (39 S. Magnolia Avenue, Orlando, Fl) starting at 6pm.

The Joy of Writing

Posted on by Thor


While Philip Deaver disappeared upstairs for several hours, the authors all focused and wrote. I was pleased to see that five out of six were using pen and paper as the chosen method of writing. The only computer that was being used was in the far corner of this table and can not be seen in this sketch. Some authors consulted with Philip for one on one advice but for the most part everyone was strictly focused on the task at hand. One person commented that drawing authors writing must be like watching paint dry. I found the opposite to be true. I found it to be an absolute thrill to be in the room with so many creative people pushing toward a common goal. There was no mindless chatter just the sounds of pens on paper. Once in a while someone would get away from the table and stretch like a prize fighter and then go back for another round.
When Philip returned he asked people how they were feeling about their progress. The goal for the next meeting was to be half way, or have thirty pages written. He stressed that in the beginning when you are trying to figure everything out progress is slow but once the project is up to speed things move fast. His analogy was the space shuttle. Lift off seems agonizingly slow but once the rocket is in orbit it moves at an astonishing 17,000 miles an hour.
Since the workshop Jana has expressed an interest in collaborating on future stories so that could spur me to push myself in new and unexpected directions. She had a list of interviews lined up that astounds and inspires. It was only 4 days ago that I wrote in a post that I need to get out and meet people and listen to their stories. Life has a way of amazing me. One quote from Phil really sticks with me “The end is not the goal, the journey is the goal.”

Mad About Words

Posted on by Thor


Mary Ann de Stefano invited me to sketch at a novel writing workshop being run by Philip Deaver. The workshops meet monthly on Sunday afternoons for six months. Philip offers encouragement and insights then lets the authors work for several solid hours. I arrived a bit early. Mary Ann and I finally had a few minutes to sit down and talk face to face for the first time. She has followed this blog for a while. She saw a drawing I did of Darlyn, a past resident author of the Kerouac House. On a coffee mug in that sketch, I had drawn, Mad About Words. As it turns out Mary Ann is the founder of that organization and that tiny sketch of a mug has brought us together.
It had not rained in Central Florida for months. As people started to arrive it started to pour outside. A quiet knock sounded at the sliding glass back doors and there was Jana Waring in her wheelchair soaking wet. Mary Ann rushed to let her in and before Jana even had a chance to dry off she was introducing us. Jana brushed a wet strand of hair away from her face and we shook hands. She apologized that her hands were still wet. Mary Ann had already been bragging about Jana’s web site which consists of in-depth interviews with everyday Orlando citizens. Jana told me about how one interview with Jaqueline Siegel had caused a bit of a firestorm because Jaqueline is married to billionaire David Seigal and she was complaining about having to cut back to 5 nannies. I was fascinated, perhaps a bit envious, that this soft spoken young woman had gotten such an amazing story. When she said that her site had “taken on a life of its own” I knew that I had run across a kindred spirit. I sometimes explain to friends who ask, that my blog has taken on its own life and I am just trying to keep up. So within minutes of meeting Jana, I was on my knees showing her a sketchbook and suggesting that a collaboration might be an interesting prospect. I don’t know if I sold her, but I was sold with the first wet hand shake, and when I started to read her work online.