Time goes by so softly, we wonder where it has gone. We're five months into the millennium 2000 and the weather is beginning to turn from spring into summer. We hope all of you enjoy turning the pages of this months newsletter.

The Western Writers of America conference is just up the trail. June 13-17 are the big days. The place is Kerrville, Texas, out among the grandeur of Texas hospitality. Everyone told us Texas is big. It's true, so come enjoy it. Get those plane tickets, make the hotel reservations, send in your check for the WWA program and get packed up. Western Writers of America has planned a wonderful program with interesting workshops, exciting tours to visit Texas history and a huge banquet that will honor the Spur Award authors for the year 2000. We'll be looking for you.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

It should no longer surprise me, but it does. An intelligent person who has spent many hours working on a manuscript sends me work rife with mistakes that would embarrass a seventh grader.

There are many well-written books to help a writer brush up on the basics. Two of my favorites are: The New Well-Tempered Sentence, Karen Elizabeth Gordon (Houghton/ Mifflin, $16) and Patricia T. O'Conner's Woe Is I (River Head Books, $11)

The writers of both books take a relaxed, often humorous approach to dealing with problems that plague many writers. And if they plague writers, editors see them over and over and over.

O'Conner on "hang, hung..": "So, except at the gallows, hung is the correct past tense of hang: He hung around. They have hung around. This is true whether you've hung pictures, hung loose, hung out, hung laundry, or hung up. Anyone who still uses hanged in such cases should be suspended."

If a new or unpublished writer-to-be sends me a ms. that looks like it was written during a slumber party, I am much more forgiving than when I see the same mistakes by a published author--and I do see them. Certainly I understand the necessity for slapping the keys as fast as one can when the creative flow has begun. Don't stop to dam the river! What I can't understand is why the writer, after the flood has dwindled to a damp stream bed, will not proof the results. How hard is it to get a friend to look it over? If it's that difficult, perhaps the writer should work more on technique.

Gordon on the exclamation point: "They do come in handy when one is at a loss for words [but] The English language is so expressive that the right words, especially verbs, rarely need this extra blare." One! per chapter is plenty for me to see!

The number of times I see this unnecessary confusion warrants attention here-your and you're. Patricia O'Conner again:" 'Your our kind of people', reads the hotel marquee. Eek! Let's hope impressionable children aren't looking. The sign should read: 'You're our kind of people.' You're is short for you are; your is the possessive form. If you can substitute you are, use you're." Come on, how hard is that? Yet I will have to exorcise the your/you're demon in one of every two submissions I receive.

As a free lance line editor, my time is my income. I enjoy helping writers. I don't enjoy spending my time and the author's money correcting spelling and grammatical errors that may be helped with the computer's spell/grammar check. A serious writer must have a workable grasp of the language. I have seen some with virtually no formal education evolve into efficient users of English. It can be done and it needs to be.

Grammar is the frame and words are the bricks. If either is weak, so is the complete structure.

What is that valuable one chance to make a favorable first impression worth? Ask any successful writer.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW of the MONTH:

WW: When did you first start writing?

JC: Although I edited a historical magazine earlier, my first book appeared in 1972. It was the history of the primary river system in my part of the country and it won a Certificate of Commendation from the American Association for State and Local History.

WW: What made you want to write Westerns?

JC: I've been in love with the West for as long as I can remember. As a child growing up in the 1940s, there was little else to do but play Cowboys and Indians, baseball, ride a bike, or listen to the radio. I enjoyed all of these pastimes and feel sorry for the youth of today who will never know these pleasures.

WW: What popular Western author influenced your writing?

JC: Of course, I write nonfiction, and believe it or not, I read very few "Westerns" growing up. In fact, I have read very little fiction of any kind in my entire life. The vast majority of my reading has been, and still is, pure history of any kind. While I think fiction is fine for those who like it, I never could understand why one would spend so much time on reading about something that never happened, when the real story of this country and the world has so much to tell. Now, having said that, I do recall reading one Western writer whom I enjoyed very much. He had a series going called the "Powder Valley" westerns, and I believe his name (or pseudonym) was Peter Dawson. Very enjoyable reading.

WW: How many books have you written and what are the titles?

JC: At last count, I have produced 33 books. One series entitled It Happened In. . . includes eight titles that cover the states of Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Texas, and Georgia. Some other western titles include The Santa Fe Trail, Tragedy at Taos: the Revolt of 1847, Mountain Men of the American West, and Legends of the Wild West which was co-written with WWA'ers Dale Walker and Bill O'Neal.

WW: Which of the books you wrote do you favor?

JC: I suppose my first book, The Harpeth River: A Biography, will always be among my favorites, as well as my last one, Franklin: Tennessee's Handsomest Town, which is a comprehensive history of my hometown. Other favorites include Tragedy at Taos, The Santa Fe Trail, and The Natchez Trace: A Pictorial History.

WW: How Many hours a day do you devote to writing?

JC: This varies greatly. Sometimes I go days without writing anything. This is particularly true when I have a great deal of WWA work to do, such as at annual dues time and during elections. I have no set time for writing. I do this full-time and I work out of my home, so my schedule is flexible. If I have a tight target date, I'll go on into the night or whatever it takes. Normally though, when I have a project going, I'll write several hours a day, supplemented by as much reading and researching.

WW: Do you prefer to write long hand or on the computer?

JC: I write directly onto the computer.

WW: Where do you find your research material?

JC: I happen to be an avid book collector. I buy books with a passion. Consequently, over the past thirty years, I have built up a sizable collection. And, all of my books are of research quality. Most of them pertain to some area of history in which I am interested. I do research in the Tennessee State Library and Archives in nearby Nashville and in the Library of Congress and the National Archives in Washington, D. C.

WW: In research do you create separate folders for what you have found?

JC: I try to keep notes relating to different subjects in different folders or whatever. I don't worry a great deal about organization of notes while I'm researching, but I try to make some sense of it all when I get home.

WW: Do you have any suggestions to offer the beginning writer?

JC: I guess it is an old cliche, but the best advise I have, based on my own experience, is don't give up. There are so many times when it seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel, and it appears that the best route would be to simply throw in the towel. It is during these times that one must gather all of his or her strengths and push on at full speed. The other thing I'd like to suggest is that one learn to write an attention-grabbing query letter. If you don't get the editor's attention in the query letter, its all over anyway.

NARRATIVE:

What is a character? He or she is the main person of your story. Without them you wouldn't have a story. Unless you are writing about mathematics, electrons, computers, scenery or animals.

The word character reveals "act," and we all know what an actor does. He performs in the story. The main performer, who should excite a reader's interest and desire to know what will happen to him/her in the story.

A writer should know their character thoroughly. Know them as if they were related to you. Know their every move, thoughts and whims. If you don't know them, how can you write about them?

One way to get to know your character is to computerize them. Put them into a file that you can call up when you need to. Type out the physical description: hair, eyes, complexion, height, weight, age, voice (pitch, accent, speed), occupation. Fill in all that information about your character. Get it all down so you can refer to it. This would certainly avoid writing mistakes, such as on page 6, he/she has blue eyes when you stated on page 10 he/she has brown eyes.

Record keeping will avoid errors. However, that isn't all there is to a biography about your character. Knowing what they look like is foremost, but what about other concepts of your hero/heroine?

Their personality. Here's where your file will expand on your character. What's their main goal in life? What are their likes and dislikes? Is he/she an introvert or an extrovert? What are his/her fears? What are the intelligence? Is he/she vulnerable? What about talents and interests? How about knowing their flaws? Were they a victim of a childhood abuse? Did he/she witness something traumatic that carried through to their adult life that could be a trait of their characteristics? What type of background did your characters come from? Think of other significant things for them.

Keep the information handy. Put the character's biography under the chosen name in a file box on your desk, easy to grope through to find pertinent information you might have forgotten about right when you are in the middle of the story.

"Howdy."
"Hi there."
"No, you shouldn't say, 'Hi' you should say, 'Howdy.'"
"Well, you're writing this story. Howdy."
"What do you like to eat?"
"Pizza."
"No! I mean what do you eat at a roundup?"
"Roundup?
Well, I order a large, double cheese round pizza."
"NO! Rough and rowdy cowboys of the West don't know what a pizza is."
"That's a shame. Write it into the story."
"This has to be authentic. Can't you be a reasonable character?"
"Sure."
"Okay. What do you like to do?"
"Drive fast cars."
"No, no, no. You have to be a western cowboy during the 1800. They never had cars in those days."
"Oh. Well, I like to play video games."
"You have to be a cowboy, not a modern person."
"Well, it's your story. Maybe you'd better write me into a mystery. I'd make a great P.I."

Probably, a crude way to illustrate how to know your character. Who he/she is. It's as important as your whole story. Your character should be someone you know thoroughly. If your character doesn't ring true like a real person, then the story is weak.

The name you select is also important. Find a name that is challenging. A name that is robust. A name the reader will remember and identify with. Slocum Smith? Poky Plumb? GubbTrillow? Landau More? Not good enough. Names are important. What if a reader can't pronounce the name? It would get very tiresome to keep reading and skipping over the name because it doesn't make sense. It is also a good idea not to have two characters with the same initials or similar sounding names, as it would get too confusing. A name should be easy to read and one that belongs entirely to your main story character.

Many names can be found in the telephone book, baby name book, newspapers and magazines you read. In fact everything you read usually has some type of name. Be careful not to get a name belonging to a famous person. It would be too shallow for a reader and they might shut the book before they even start to read, if they see a cowboy character named, Billy Clinton, David Letterman or Tiger Woods. Find names that you would like to have as your own and then you will have a pleasant sounding name for your character.

First and most important, know your character like you would know yourself. Then, you will have a real person to put into your story and you will know exactly how he/she is going to act. You will enjoy writing about them.

NONFICTION:

She was known as a tough, hard drinking character, who stomped across the scene like a wild, agitated storm blowing through the frontier towns. Her real name was, Martha Jane Cannery, born in the year, 1850 in Missouri. A woman of mystery about her personal life, she could out drink, out smoke and out cuss any of the men in the saloons. She preferred to wear men's clothes and most often drab buckskins. She could work side by side with the men and could do the job just as well. At one time, she was a mule skinner, then became a well known Army scout.

Calamity enjoyed telling wild stories about her adventures. It was thought she had received the name of Calamity because she generated such a ruckus in town that people would whisper behind their hand, "Here comes Calamity." Meaning..... "here comes trouble." The name Calamity evidently didn't bother her, she used the name in a star billing on a stage show in 1890. She portrayed herself as, Calamity Jane, The Famous Woman Army Scout.

One evening of drinking led Calamity to tell about being married to a man named, Clinton Burke in Texas around 1885 and that she gave birth to a little girl in 1887. She complained that Burke walked off and left her. She never said what happened to the little girl.

She had a good friendship with Wild Bill Hickok when he came to Deadwood during the big gold discovery. She must have felt a terrible loss when Bill was shot and killed one evening in a card game.

Calamity Jane's last trip was sitting on the rear car of an ore train heading for Terry, a small mining community near Deadwood, South Dakota.

When Calamity got off at Terry, she wasn't feeling well and as she staggered hazily toward the Calloway Hotel no one paid her much attention. She managed to sign for a room, climb the stairs to flop down on the bed. She must have caused some commotion, because the doctor was sent for.

Calamity Jane was close to death when the doctor arrived. He made her as comfortable as he could, but he could tell her time was up. Calamity died on August 1, 1903. She died as mysteriously as she had lived. It was felt that her hard drinking caused her death. The doctor who attended her said Calamity wished to be buried next to Bill Hickok's grave.

The undertaker, Charlie Robinson arranged her funeral. He prepared the casket and asked the ladies of the Society of the Black Hills Pioneers to dress Calamity and arrange her hair. Probably, had Calamity known they dressed her in a black dress, she might have jumped right out of the casket. They combed her hair and made her as attractive as they could. Calamity Jane was very much a lady in her last moments.

Her casket was taken by a horse drawn hearse to Mount Moriah, which overlooked Deadwood. Calamity's last wish of being buried next to Bill Hickok could not be realized.

The original, first marker over her grave was so picked away by souvenir looters, it had to be replaced with a marble stone. It was well inscribed with her name, Calamity Jane, the date of her birth and death.

The well known, hard drinking, carousing woman of Army Scout fame found peace beneath the pines of the Black Hills of Deadwood, not too far from her good friend, Wild Bill Hickok.

NONFICTION:

The Army wives kept diaries and some published interesting books about their experiences. They were the heroines of the marching Army. They endured hardships most women would never consider. Yet, within the trials of a hard life, they found something marvelous and satisfying in the association with different people and the knowledge of the expanse and beauty of the country.

Lydia Lane, wife of Colonel Lane wrote "I Married A Soldier" in 1870. Her book offered an insight to a woman's life at the military forts. She wrote about her travels of 9 different moves within an 18 months period throughout the New Mexico territories. She had no worries about having to pick up her belongings and leave at a moments notice. She managed to insert "tacks" on the curtains and carpets so there would be little effort in packing up and being ready for the march. During the many rides her face would become terribly wind burned and she would place a mask with chamois-skin to keep her face moist. However, this mask frightened her baby so much she stopped using the cover. Lydia crossed the plains seven times and rode over 8,000 miles.

Frances Roe was stationed at Camp Supply, Colorado territory in 1871 with her Lieutenant husband, Faye Roe. While her husband was busy soldiering, Frances rode sidesaddle across the prairie within eye sight of the fort. In her book, "An Officer's Wife" she described the fort having a decayed, rotten smell with a gray mold that infested the huts, reeking of malaria germs, alive with every conceivable bug ever created. Snakes were prevalent and in every place one would imagine they would not be. She further explained that the officer's wives did not need to be there, but she believed places such as that, where her husband had to be, was just the place she was needed. She found life adventurous and fun.

Frances said, one evening they invited an Indian chief and his wife to attend a dinner with them. Chief Powder Face and his wife, Wauk came dressed in their best buckskins, feathers, beads and finery. They ate silently and when they were completely full, the Chief took what was left of the food from the table into a napkin, explaining it was for their papoose. Frances said she actually wept when orders came for them to move to Chicago. She would miss the galloping rides and the beautiful territory.

Ellen Biddle wrote, "Reminiscence of a Soldier's Wife." Her book depicts the hardest part of Army life was the concern she had for her children. She believed they were turning wild, listened to the "stable talk" of the men and seldom had school to attend. Her husband was on a constant move between New Mexico and the Arizona territories fighting Indians with General Crook. She wrote that the Army gave instructions to all the wives to become sharp shooters. They attended rifle lessons every morning. Further orders were much more serious. They were never to let the Indians take them or the children alive. She had heard that young General Custer had issued an order to his men that if ever there was an Indian attack and it looked certain the Indians would over power them, his men were instructed to kill his wife.

Ellen related an exciting event that happened to them late one night in 1867. Her husband, Colonel Biddle took a troop of men out to fight Indians. The women and children were taken to the magazine storage with orders given to the sergeant to light the fuse if the Indians came over the wall and the Colonel and his men had not returned to fight them off.

It was a rough life for the Army wives if they wished to travel with the units. They were women of courage who found a joy through the bonds of love and the need to be with their men.

NONFICTION:

John Slaughter served four years as Sheriff in the Cochise County, Arizona territory during the years of 1887 - 1890. He was approached one afternoon by an impetuous, over curious reporter who asked him why he carried a shotgun along with a Winchester rifle and a Colt six shooter when he went on a manhunt. Slaughter's quick reply was, "Why? To kill men with, ya' damned fool."

A double-barreled 10 gauge shotgun with the barrels meticulously sawed off around 18 to 20 inches, loaded with 00 buckshot was popular as well as the 12 gauge. The important fact was the scatter-gun offered 9 buckshot in a shell, which gave a man 9 chances more than a single shot of a six shooter. The shotgun meant mighty big business, up close.

The rifle was the gun for long range shots. A nice easy bead down the sight usually caught an outlaw horseman running for cover.

Billy the Kid shot and killed Bob Olinger with Bob's own shotgun during Billy's escape from the Lincoln County Courthouse in 1880. Olinger's shotgun was a 10 gauge Colt-made gun with a Damascus barrel sawed off to 18 inches and was conveniently leaning against the wall when Billy made his getaway.

But then, who would have thought Billy would get away? Doc Holliday carried a shotgun when he headed for the O.K. Corral. He hadn't gone far when he came across Tom McLowery. Doc cut down Tom with a load of buckshot. Then it misfired and Doc gave it a toss into the street, pulled his long barreled six-shooter from under his coat and continued toward the O.K. Corral.

Wild Bill Hickok was said to have kept off a hundred wild, drunk Texans from entering Abilene when he was the marshal there. The Texans all claimed the story was just a "shotgun yarn," that it never happened.

The next "shotgun yarn" was about Wyatt Earp cutting down Curly Bill Brocius at Iron Springs, Arizona. Wyatt felt Brocius had killed his brother, Morgan and he was going to satisfy a revenge. Some professed Wyatt never killed Brocius because a body was never found. Then again .... Brocius was never seen after that.

Shotguns were used against the James-Younger gang at the Northfield, Minnesota bank holdup. It caused many of the gang to be laid out on the boardwalk, quite dead. The shotgun was used when Phil Sublet gunned down John Wesley Harden. Harden was wearing a solid metal money belt at the time and it saved him from being killed. He received several wounds that kept him out of action, but he was alive to face his trial.

The shotgun was not an easy weapon to tote around, but it settled affairs a lot faster.

Hope you enjoyed your read. We'll be looking for you next month, 'til then, keep your powder dry.

Jack & Marge