>The last day began early as we convened at the Moody Center to caravan up to the Potts Mountain Shooting range. I totally believe that we should be more restrictive in allowing access to guns, and I have no intention of taking up shooting regularly. But, writers owe it to themselves and their readers to experience a variety of activities in order to be able to write about the credibly. So. First I a fired a full magazine in an MP5 semi-automatic, single shots and bursts. We were aiming at targets that were pretty close, but it was still fun to watch the damage we did. Then I learned how to load the magazine and I moved on to the .45 service pistol. I loved the way that handled and I fired my rounds in a very tight range that Pinckney actually stopped the proceedings to show everyone else. Then I fired the .357 revolver, using .38 ammo. Much lighter and easier to fire. My last weopon was a modern shot gun, very light, very accurate, with much less recoil than I remember from the last time a I fired a gun. It was definitely a good experience.
We came back to campus for Fred Leebron’s craft lecture, “Inhabiting Point of View.” I may write some of that up in more detail as it is a good overview of fiction craft.
The afternoon was our final workshop session and for this one Hal showed all of “Truly, Madly, Deeply.” We didn’t interrupt it to talk but he did note for us where the first and second acts ended and also listed some of the unifying devices (tropes). It’s a fine movie.
The last activity was a publishing panel with Jim McKean, Thorpe Moeckel, Fred Leebron, Laura Benedict, Hal Ackerman and Dan Mueller, with Pinckney Benedict moderating. It’s always a pleasure to hear these folks and I’m sure (from the questions that were asked) that for some the participants there was new information that came out.
And that’s it. We’re about to have the final dinner and then I’m heading home tonight. I learned a lot, which is what I came for, so I’d call it a huge success.
