So why Six? Part One

Sometimes stories just arrive. You don't really think about where they came from and mostly you don't need to know. Then there are those stories that demand to be written. That hang around until you finally give up and give them a voice.

That is where I found Six.

Six began in 1971 when I was a kid. (Don't do the maths, it's frightening.) My friend, a neighbour across the road, lost her brother in a car accident. We sneaked into his room one night, a shrine to his memory, scared we would get caught by her mother still grieving.

This is what I remember.
A Daddy Cool poster on his wall.
A tidy bed.
Shoes lined up neatly.
The stale smell of nothing.
Guilt that we had intruded upon this special place.
But mainly disbelief that this person's life had ended so abruptly.

Marathon Editing

I have just finished a marathon edit of a story. By editing from beginning to end without a break, I find plot inconsistencies are clearer than if editing over several sessions. Does anyone else find this to be true? While I am itching to edit during my first read, I try to lose myself in the story and just enjoy it. By the second read, I am ready for a full-on editing session, working up a style dictionary as I go. At this point I am not looking for a copy edit, but will take these cxns in as I see them. Rather, I am looking for the plot to make sense, for the characters to ring true and for a sense of satisfaction by the end of the story. Does anyone else have any editing quirks they would like to share?

so what's your story?

'What's your story Dad?'
'It's called a television, son.'

Is this just an Australian saying? I guess what we're really asking is, 'What's going on with you?', or 'What's going on here?' Everyone has a story. That's what makes people so interesting. As a teenager I would find myself edging away when my mother started up a conversation with a complete stranger. We could be anywhere. Standing in line at the supermarket or waiting in a lift or filling up at the petrol station. I was always surprised when people talked back to her. I now find myself doing the same thing. It's amazing what people will tell you — complete strangers — in such a short space of time. Maybe they are confident in the fact that you will never meet again? Or maybe they just needed to tell someone and you were there. Either way, so what's your story? When I'm at an event or party I love asking that question. I just have to be prepared to reciprocate.