A Season of Resolutions

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Since we just started 2016 a topic on a lot of blogs is all about making personal resolutions for the New Year. Well, this isn’t one of those blogs.  

As a Downton Abbey fan, and with this being its last season, I'm sad to see the series end. It all started with the sinking of The Titanic in 1912 and the impact on the Grantham family and will end in 1927. A lot of history has occurred in those 15 years over six seasons. The British class system is evolving with the quickly-changing world.

Downton Abbey is a cleverly-written show rich with tremendous attention to details of a country lord's life. As a viewer, you feel as if you could easily fit into Downton, if you were invited to a dinner at the Granthams but I'd probably enjoy dinner with Mrs. Crawley, even better. The real royals are fans, which says a lot about the show's authenticity. Prince William and Princess Catherine (Kate) both watch and are fans of the show and have visited the Downton Abbey set to see how the show is created. In the pre show to the season premiere Prince William made a statement of support.

I find it encouraging that the series writer, Julian Fellows, has dubbed this season, "resolutions." Thank goodness because the various storylines will have conclusions, and viewers will have closure.

Don't you just hate it when a television series ends prematurely without a resolution of storylines? Downton Abbey's memorable characters deserve an ending to their stories. Viewers can imagine the characters’ lives past 1927, when the depression struck America, and ripple effects were felt worldwide.

One of my favorite characters is the properly British Lady Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. She has reached an age where her often caustic deadly one-liners are fan favorites. Maggie Smith brilliantly delivers the "zingers" as only she can. One of my favorites is the brilliantly written telephone episode. Can you imagine a time when the telephone was introduced to the estate? You can view Fellow's version as written for Lady Violet below.

Since it's all ending, you can use Julian Fellows characters as a “for fun only” writing exercise. Write your own continuation of the characters’ lives as they deal with the changes in the world from 1927 forward. Ready set go.

Stuck in the Middle

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


The great philosopher Taylor Swift once said, "I love the ending of a movie where two people end up together. Preferably if there's rain and an airport or running or a confession of love."  I think I might have seen that movie. 

Of course, what we don't see is what comes afterwards.  We usually don't see the happy couple getting blood tests, dealing with paperwork at the registrar's office, trying to lose weight for the wedding, or arguing a year later because someone didn't take out the trash. 

"If you want a happy ending," said Orson Welles, "that depends, of course, on where you stop your story." Indeed, most stories end at the point where there is a happy ending, a resolve, or a sense of hope.  Ever since man began telling stories, beginning / middle / end has been the standard. 

But in the early days of film, movie makers realized audiences would keep coming back week after week if they were given a story that has no ending.  Thus were born short features like Flash Gordon, Superman, The Perils of Pauline, and other cliffhangers starring recurring good guys, bad guys and damsels in distress, some literally hanging from cliffs until the next installment.

That same serialized approach became a staple of radio once it came along.  Even Amos & Andy had its roots as a fractured drama, complete with a somber opening theme.  Then, only a couple of decades later, soap operas dominated TV.  Romance and drama are a natural mix for a storyline that has no ending.  No sooner is one problem solved when three more come along.

NBC keeps its biggest mystery unrevealed on The Blacklist

Today, the "continuing story" concept is more popular than ever.  It's all over nighttime television, from Game of Thrones to Downton Abbey to The Blacklist. Miss one episode and you'll miss some event so pivotal that you'll be scratching your head down the road.

But these are not simply long sagas with no end.  Each episode includes its own weekly situation to be dealt with, and while we are still baited with a cliffhanger, we receive some satisfying conclusion to the drama du jour.  Otherwise it would get frustrating to invest repeatedly in something that never pays off because the story is forever stuck in the middle.

We have an inherent craving for resolve.  Like the tales we tell, our lives contain constant ups and downs, but when we succeed, the world doesn't stop to acknowledge each victory with "THE END".  We love a hero we can identify with and feel the elusive sense of closure through.

If we've written solid characters, their lives could continue beyond the ending of our story.  Choosing the most satisfying place to close the epilogue is how we give readers what they desire.  They are thankful for happy endings, because real life tends to be one big cliffhanger.

Avoiding the Conference Kerfuffle

By Jeris Hamm

Yes, "Kerfuffle" is a word.

True, it's used more often by the Brits to describe a royal scandal, disturbance, or fuss. The word brings to mind Downton Abbey's Countess (Maggie Smith) raising a pinky as she drinks from her teacup and dishes the latest social transgressions.

When it comes to planning a writer's conference, I've learned there are ways to avoid a royal kerfuffle.

With careful planning, the event can be more like a royal Ascot race­--sleek horses poised at the gate listening for the bell, jockeys harnessing the power of the thoroughbreds under them, and hooves pounding through the flying dust across the finish line.

The race is run, not in confusing kerfuffle, but toward an intended destination. It begins with a burst of excitement and ends with an accomplished outcome.

Hosting a conference is a rush of expectations, planning, and nervousness. There are miscommunications and mess-ups. But with a plan and lots of prayer, the event can be an experience that stretches writer muscles, hones organizational skills, and grows group cohesiveness.

The starting line is important. Hosting the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference has been a dream of my writer's group, Byhalia Christian Writers, for a couple of years. We originally planned the meeting for 2013, but soon realized we were too late getting out of the gate.

Instead of grumbling about lost opportunity, we got back on our young steed and set a date for 2014. We chose a Saturday in early March, a date that wouldn't interfere with spring break or conflict with other well-known conferences.

Other first decisions included securing a venue and contacting our keynote speaker. With these essentials in place we were off to a good start.

Next we planned the schedule. Several from our group stepped up as workshop leaders, stretching their communication skills to include not just writing, but speaking. Others volunteered for gathering hotel information and hosting snack and lunch breaks.

Marketing plans followed. The group decided on a budget and a target for our marketing outreach, depending on publicity as much as possible. We started a blog, posted on Facebook pages, and used contacts within our group for website and brochure development. We've posted on free community calendars in our area, including newspapers, radio, and television.

We did splurge on brochures, investing in quality printing to communicate a professional image. We also placed ads in strategic writer's magazines.

As we approached the final turn in January, we learned two important lessons.

Although we'd all been praying for the conference, we realized we needed a prayer chairman. Having one person to relay needs and prayer requests kept us united and spiritually on track.

Another lesson was: communication. When clarification was needed or questions arose, we solved problems by communicating with the group, especially among conference staff.

Our members regularly post on our Facebook page, passing along information and posing questions. We give each other support, try to be patient, and realize we are all in this together­­--for God's glory and to encourage writers for His kingdom.

With the conference drawing near, we're giving it our best, pressing toward the finish line.

I've personally had a few kerfuffles, but I'm still galloping on.  Although I'll be panting and trotting in on wobbly legs, the end will be worth it.  I can smell the wreath of roses now, although a nice bouquet of daisies would be fine.

After all, it's our first conference.

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Jeris Hamm is a West Tennessee writer who has published in several national magazines including Clubhouse, Kids' Ark, Southern Writers Magazine, and Christian Communicator. Her novel for children, The Secret of the Seven Rubies, is an award winner, as is her blog, Southern Grace. She is Marketing Director for the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference. Jeris teaches creative writing in Corinth, MS.