On my way to Denver in 90 minutes and hoping my stress dreams about it will now end! Absolutely crazy one this morning. This is why I find fantasy writing easy, I suppose!
Doing a giveaway of an awesome Viking mug (painted by moi at Fire On The Mountain and in honor of NaNoWriMo), hers and his Orville T-shirts (thanks to Becky Jewell for the artwork and Judith Mulder for the Ts), an octopus dress (long story), and of course, some books! Scan the QR to be added to my mailing list and enter for a chance to win it all!
Don’t call Marge Dorfmeister a cute little old lady.
There’s something about people who grew up on a farm. Octogenarian Marge Dorfmeister shares a lifetime of experiences, her poetry, her humor, and her ideas about the end of life.
Her original work “Buena Vista” (from the original musical melodrama “He Promised Me Violets”)
Writing groups, the Shavano Poets, and her poem “What Was the Question?”
Dealing with the end of a 67 year relationship with her man
Her favorite “Secret Garden” door
The idea of being a “cute little old lady” and the circle of life
“Old wives tales” medical treatment
Fears?
Happy memories, her husband, the Pick and Shovel Players
Controversial actions
Advice, even though she doesn’t believe in giving it
Her songwriting and how her daily routine has changed
These are a few of her favorite things
Storytelling and dreams
Secrets
Handwritten notes of Marge’s music, page 1How did the people at High Mountain Pies know that Marge is turning 88?! (photo taken by me after a Chaffee County Writers Exchange gathering in Leadville on 8/13/18)
Lyrics to Marge’s song “It Takes A Lot Of Slinging To Make A Tow A Town”!
If you enjoyed this episode and others, please subscribe to Alligator Preserves on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts, and tell your friends about it! Please support Alligator Preserves on Patreon. You will be rewarded!
Marvin and Lisa “paint” on magical disappearing paper before our interview!
Marvin and Lisa Sandoval discuss their experiences with the Leadville Race Series and what it takes for anyone, including YOU, to finish these epic endurance races!
This is the third in a special series about these renowned races in Leadville, Colorado . . . races that start at 10,200′ elevation!
Lisa and Marvin display their post-interview paintings! (they drip when wet!)
Show Notes and Links:
Marvin talks about his Turquoise Lake 20K run finish
Leadville’s Herald Democrat newspaper
Heavy half-marathon
Finishing races and one not completed (no new gear!)
Marvin talks about his knee surgery
Marvin and Lisa discuss why they race
Overcoming anxiety and having the right mindset
They discuss their most difficult and most fun races
f you enjoyed this episode and others, please subscribe to Alligator Preserves on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts, and tell your friends about it! Please support Alligator Preserves on Patreon. You will be rewarded!
Pat C. Hoy II, the man who helped to determine my future. Photo from a link to his full essay: Homage to Vietnam
Who will you remember today, tomorrow, and forevermore? In this episode, Laurel reads an excerpt from an essay written by her West Point mentor, Pat C. Hoy II, who was instrumental in her decision to stay at the United States Military Academy.
Pat’s essay reminds us of the sacrifices made not only by service members of the Armed Forces, but by their families as well.
“Duty, honor, country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.” ~ an excerpt from General MacArthur’s Farewell Speech — Duty, Honor, Country (May 12, 1962)
Hey, story lovers! Did you know that Alligator Preserves is a one-person operation?
Please help keep me, Laurel McHargue, host of Alligator Preserves, on the road! Would you treat me to a monthly coffee (and brownie)? Please and thank you!
Every week I think of ways to inform and entertain my listeners, seeking out fascinating people and writing pieces to share with the world. Each finished episode takes many long hours to produce, and I do this because like you, my listeners, I enjoy stories told well.
With the support of patrons, I can continue to provide stimulating weekly content free of charge to many who are unable to pay, and I can keep up with the latest equipment to provide you with an enjoyable listening experience.
I’ve already started to travel to capture stories on-location, and that costs time and money. A girl’s got to eat, you know, and even if you could cover the cost of one coffee (and maybe a brownie?) each month, your support would help keep me on the road!
It’s easy to become a patron at this Patreon link. For only $1/month you’ll get four ad-free episodes of my show, and at higher levels you’ll get extra episodes, including premiere readings of a new short story I’ll create each month . . . and more.
If you are already a patron, thank you for your continued support, and please encourage your friends to join you as an Alligator Preserves Patron of the Arts! I just might have a future episode with your name in the title!
Support an Army veteran! Simply click on the Become a Patron button to help support my labor of love.
Senior West Point photo in “full dress” for parade uniform.
Today is an auspicious day. Thirty-five years ago, I traded in my cadet gray for Army blue along with all my other classmates in the class of 1983. “Proud To Be ’83” was our motto, and to this day, I’ve never questioned my decision to join the Long Gray Line.
Author Kat Seaholm posted my essay about why my goal is to write in every genre, and my decision to attend West Point factors into my story.
Ride a mountain bike over 100 miles in tricky terrain over 10,200′ elevation? And do it again and again . . . despite extreme adversity?
Ty and Roxanne Hall have eyebrow-raising stories about their experiences training for and participating in the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race, and tips for anyone who might consider signing up for this challenging race series. Do it! Sign up!
Ty and Roxanne Hall share their experiences overcoming adversity and racing the LT100 Mountain bike race!
Ty and Roxanne Hall, owner of the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, Cookhouse and Sleep Yurts discuss how they met and why they race (are they born with the desire?)
Roxanne’s mother is in the Sports Hall of Fame in Leadville and in Denver for her contributions to the skiing world. Roxanne loved gymnastics
The camaraderie of racing
The early days of the LT100 Mountain Bike Race (started in 1994, and Ty first raced in 1995 with about 150 other racers)
Crewing for the race
Roxanne talks about her horrific accident in 2008 and subsequent recovery
Roxanne’s Ange Guardien de Velo (Guardian Angel of the bike) project
Owner of Melanzana makes special items for Roxanne during her time on crutches, and Harperrose Studios promotes her work
They each talk about food for racing
Tips for newbies to the race
Ty’s participation in the “Tomorrow Chaser” project…raised @$35K last year for the community
f you enjoyed this episode and others, please subscribe to Alligator Preserves on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts, and tell your friends about it! Please support Alligator Preserves on Patreon. You will be rewarded!
Ever wonder how writers are inspired, what their routines look like, how they make characters “real” and relatable? I have answers for aspiring writers of every age!
After my Skype session with a language arts class in Texas, the teacher compiled a list of insightful questions from her 7th grade students and sent them to me. In this episode, I answer them all!
Fun Skype session into a Texas School library! Thanks to Melanie Moore Vann (teacher), Linda Kay (Librarian and photo credit!), and Ridgeview Middle School students!
My sincere thanks go out to the staff and students of Ridgeview Middle School in Round Rock, Texas for their enthusiasm and sincere interest!
Show Notes with embedded Links: (These are the questions I received. For answers, listen to the episode!)
What would you recommend when you have writer’s block?
What tips do you recommend for coming up with ideas? (check out how Neil Gaiman answers this question!)
What troubles did you have along the way of writing your series?
Author Carol Bellhouse helps me stay in the right POV and tense (check out some of her books!)
When you wrote your first book, did you plan it to be a series or did you just start writing and then decided to make it into a series?
Notes on what might happen in the village
Where is your go-to writing spot? (I wrote The Hare, Raising Truth in our weird little red room!
My little red room with the Harry Potter door under the stairs! Note the flying frog in the upper right corner! (I moved the chess set off while I worked in this room)
Did being in the Army affect your writing style/type of pieces that you write? (See my piece Battle-Dressed Breasts for one example of the Army’s influence!)
How old were you when you decided you wanted to be an author?
Did writing start as a hobby, or did you have a job when you started writing? (I completed most of “Miss?” during a NaNoWriMo challenge!)
How do you write in a genre that you aren’t comfortable in?
How do you prolong stories (make time pass slower) in order to add more suspense or volume to the book? What happens if your story is 23 pages and it’s almost over?
How do you show detail?
When you are in the middle of writing a story and you get stuck, what helps/inspires you to keep going?
How do you plan out your stories? Do you have a certain process that you follow every time you write? (Listen to my episode: Are You A Pantser? to learn more about writing processes). Many different processes. Different for my nonfiction book Hunt for Red Meat (love stories)
f you enjoyed this episode and others, please subscribe to Alligator Preserves on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts, and tell your friends about it! Please support Alligator Preserves on Patreon. You will be rewarded!
Submit your books to the prestigious 2018 CIPA EVVY Awards. The website for more information is at cipabooks.com. You have until May 19th, so don’t miss out!
And if don’t have a book to submit but love to read, please volunteer to judge this year’s submissions (and you’ll get a bunch of free books, too)! Click on this easy link to receive your favorite types of books. You choose how many and what kind of books you want. Remember – you get to keep all the books you judge for FREE!
In this episode I visit and laugh and really mess up a knock-knock joke with Annalisa Parent, writing coach and author of “Storytelling for Pantsers: How to Write and Revise Your Novel Without an Outline.”
Annalisa discusses the benefits of planning and pantsing when it comes to writing a book, how neuroscience influences creativity, ways to work around writer’s block, the evolution of language, and much more.
f you enjoyed this episode and others, please subscribe to Alligator Preserves on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts, and tell your friends about it! Please support Alligator Preserves on Patreon. You will be rewarded!
Submit your books to the prestigious 2018 CIPA EVVY Awards. The website for more information is at cipabooks.com. You have until May 19th, so don’t miss out!
And if don’t have a book to submit but love to read, please volunteer to judge this year’s submissions (and you’ll get a bunch of free books, too)! Click on this easy link to receive your favorite types of books. You choose how many and what kind of books you want. Remember – you get to keep all the books you judge for FREE!
Ken Chlouber, poster child for grit, guts, and determination! DIG DEEP!
Ken Chlouber, poster child for grit, guts, and determination! DIG DEEP!
Do you have what it takes to complete a 100-mile foot race through the Rocky Mountains? Ken Chlouber, founder of the Leadville Trail Race Series, believes in you–but you must make a commitment to yourself.
In the first episode of this special Alligator Preserves series, Laurel visits with Ken and learns what’s special about Leadville and this unusual race series.
Show Notes with Links:
Ken Chlouber, 60-year-old bull rider!
Ken Chlouber, founder of the Leadville Trail Race Series, talks about his background as an underground shift boss at Climax Molybdenum Mine
Laurel’s story Everybody Loves a Donkey Tale (with photos, published in Colorado Central Magazine Jan 2006) about the burro race her husband participated in with Chlouber, Imrie, and McDougall
Merilee Maupin becomes Race Director (first volunteer!)
Ken throws his quacking phone out the door!
Other Ultra races
How the race has grown over the years, LT100 bike race added
Ken credits his desire to “be somebody” as a child, and his father’s work ethic, with why he’s now the poster boy for grit and not quitting–in racing and in life
Life Time Fitness purchases the race series, and how Ken and Merileecame back to be “The Face of the Race” series
Ken Chlouber, 70-year-old climber of high peaks: Aconcagua (mountainflyer magazine #13)
Ken’s focus is on Leadville being served
Ken talks about motivation: “Motivation stinks”
What will you do at that deciding moment when you want to quit?
Does Ken fear anything?
Bull riding at age 60!
Most challenging physical experience: Ken summits Aconcagua, highest mountain in the Americas at 22,842 feet, at age 70
f you enjoyed this episode and others, please subscribe to Alligator Preserves on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts, and tell your friends about it! Please support Alligator Preserves on Patreon. You will be rewarded!
Submit your books to the prestigious 2018 CIPA EVVY Awards. The website for more information is at cipabooks.com. You have until May 19th, so don’t miss out!
And if don’t have a book to submit but love to read, please volunteer to judge this year’s submissions (and you’ll get a bunch of free books, too)! Click on this easy link to receive your favorite types of books. You choose how many and what kind of books you want. Remember – you get to keep all the books you judge for FREE!
, talks about planners and pantsers
and Stephen King’s 
