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WIWA NEWSLETTER
Issue No. 006 Dec. 2001 -- Jan. 2002
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CONTENTS
Message From the Editor
Letters to the Editor
On the Island
-- Whidbey Island Writers' Conference
-- Pre-conference Retreats
-- Creative Writing Class
-- Writers' Group
How to Get the Most out of a Writing Conference -- by Bob Mayer
Cheers
Writers Contribute to Sept. 11 Collection
Releases
Contests, Submission Requests
The Continuing Saga of a Dairyman's Guide to Self-Publishing -- by Murray Anderson
Cyber Surfing
Quotes
To Contact Us
To Unsubscribe
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MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
To live my dream, that is to be a writer, makes me glad, but never happy: each new book is a challenge, and diving in your soul is not always a good experience. Nevertheless, this is what I chose for me, and I find joy in a Good Fight.
--Paulo Coelho
I recently returned from the southern Algarve of Portugal and Andalusia in Spain, which is why this newsletter is late. Remember what I wrote when I first took on the editorship? We’re all volunteers at WIWA, and sometimes our heart says "yes," but our schedule says no.
My trip was a month-long immersion of the senses: earthy smells of carob orchards, shushing sounds of the Portuguese language, the sweet taste of juice fresh from a neighbor’s orange grove, and the feel of the inside of an almond smooth against my tongue. I hiked empty sugar-sand beaches and walked rural back roads. At Cape Sagres, the southwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula, I watched rainbows break with the waves, then turn to prisms of mist as if sprayed from an atomizer..
Whenever I travel, I like to read a book that is set in my new locale. James Michener was always convenient Hawaii for lying on the beaches, Alaska while sailing up the inside passage. This time my friend Heidi lent me the Brazilian author Paulo Coelho’s book, The Alchemist. A deceptively simple book, The Alchemist is a fable about Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who dares live his dream to travel in search of treasure.
The shepherd’s dreams took him to Morocco. Mine led me in other directions, but there was something magical about being in Tarifa where Santiago first gazed upon Africa. During his journey, Santiago learned to read omens strewn along life’s path. He came to recognize that gifts and obstacles are not always what they seem, and that both luck and hard work are necessary for success. By listening to his heart he was able to fulfill his life’s destiny.
As I stood in Santiago’s footsteps on the edge of town, a 13th century castle behind me, the wind whipping my hair into a frenzy and the Atlantic into a froth, I saw Africa--throughout history a repository for dreams. As writers, we all have our own dreams; some we translate into stories. Others guide us in how we pursue our lives. I have a friend whose dream is to publish his mystery. Like Santiago, he’s come so close, but obstacles beyond his control keep appearing. Three publishers have said they want his book, and three times the deal has fallen through. Some of my friend’s family members discourage him, “God must not have meant you to be a writer.”
My friend needs to do what Santiago did--see the world through his own eyes, not someone else's. Often that is most difficult when we have friends or family we care about who think their vision of ourselves is clearer than our own. My friend and each of us should listen to our hearts and trust our own vision. Then persevere, for to succeed, we must dare.
Write us. We want to hear from you.
May goodwill prevail,
Candace
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
It will be fun to see everyone again at the upcoming conference. They do come around fast!
-- Brian Ames
I very much enjoyed the [WIWA Storytelling] workshop. . . I came away with much that was useful. The exercise I found most thought-provoking was one in which we saw ourselves as metaphor: a season, a fabric, a landscape, an animal, a dance. And the idea that most stayed with me was that, in both storytelling and writing, it is important to make a mental image of the scene, to place yourself in it, and keep yourself there while you write (or, in her case, tell the story).
-- Ann Gerike
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ON THE ISLAND
Whidbey Island Writers' Conference
The Whidbey Island Writers' Conference (WIWC) will be held March 1 through March 3, 2002. This conference is appropriate for all levels of writers -- beginning and experienced. Multiple genres will be represented: fiction, creative nonfiction, freelance writing, poetry, mystery, romance, children and young adults, and screen writing.
Known for its unique setting and interactive sessions, the conference takes place on rural Whidbey Island. Friday sessions are held in private homes -- intimate settings that foster friendship between the authors and registrants. Saturday and Sunday classes are held at the local high school and evening events take place in Langley, a picturesque village by the sea.
Presenters include best selling true crime author Ann Rule, Iowa's Poet Laureate Marvin Bell, Utah's Poet Laureate David Lee, New York Times best selling romance and suspense writer Catherine Coulter, screenwriter Bill Kerby, Edgar Award winning mystery writer Burl Barer, children's authors Jules and Effin Older and Kirby Larson, and many more. Agents and editors will also be available in classes or for pre-registered private consultations. This is the fourth year for WIWC.
Tuition is $308. Group discounts are available. Private consultations are additional. Applications for a scholarship to the conference may be made by Washington state youth enrolled in grades 9 through 12, a running start program or an undergraduate program. Interested students must complete an application, write a letter of 100 words explaining why they want to attend and submit an original piece of written work from one to five pages long. The postmark deadline for scholarship application is Dec. 31, 2001. For more information about costs, registering or youth scholarships, see the Web site www.whidbey.com/writers.
Pre-conference Retreats
Four pre-conference retreats will be held Thursday, February 28 in poetry, fiction, mystery writing and nonfiction. The sessions are full day intensive workshops from 9:00 to 4:30 and are for the serious writer. Retreats are limited to the first 10 people who register. The cost for the retreat is $175 and includes dormitory style lodging for the entire retreat and conference weekend. For more information, email writers@whidbey.com or call 360-331-6714.
Peggy Shumaker, professor emeritus in the MFA Program at University of Alaska Fairbanks and author of four collections of poetry, will teach the poetry retreat, "Herons Over Useless Bay." Poets and those who love poetry will spend a day talking about poems and generating material for new poems. Participants are requested to bring writing materials, an open mind, and a sense of humor. This retreat will take place near Useless Bay, a body of water that stranded early mariners--but for poets, it's far from useless. It sustains herons and eagles, clams and sandpipers, and Whidbey writers. Participants will look at work by Li Po, Pablo Neruda, Naomi Shihab Nye, Dave Lee, Marvin Bell, and others.
A favorite instructor, Elizabeth Engstrom Cratty, will teach "Designing Your Novel." From title to climax, a well-written, well-received novel doesn't happen by accident. Participants will spend a day with this author of eight books and editor of three anthologies, learning the internal architecture of fiction, how to populate a story with characters that matter to the reader, and how to hone prose to a polished sheen.
Patricia Rushford will teach "Writing Mysteries to Die For." This Edgar nominee and author of more than 20 mysteries will instruct participants to plot the perfect murder. They will also learn to hook the editor and readers with arresting openers, practice creating characters who are more than corpses, and discover the art of building a plot and creating cliff hangers that keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Would you like to get paid to write your nonfiction book? If so, join the dynamic duo Michael Larson and Elizabeth Pomada in the retreat, "Get Paid to WriteYour Book!" Michael and Elizabeth will use humor to help you develop your ideas into successful books and the career you were born for. Michael is the author of How to Write a Book Proposal, now in its second edition. You will receive a step-by-step workbook and have the opportunity to work on your proposal and get feedback on it during the class and through free follow-up phone calls. After you register, you can send your proposal or a part of it for free oral feedback. Mike and Elizabeth are celebrating their agency's thirtieth anniversary. They are members of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR) who have sold books to more than 100 publishers and have written or co-authored fourteen books. Their Web site, www.larsen-pomada.com., includes a list of the parts of a proposal.
Creative Writing Class
Grab your pens and paper and join the non-credit creative writing class at South Whidbey Center of Skagit Valley College. Each Thursday, beginning January 3rd, from noon until 2 p.m., the class will explore how techniques shift as writers cross genre borders.
What makes an essay not a poem? Maybe it is... To register, visit the college office (at Kens Korner in Clinton). Cost is $44 for the 11-week class. Instructor is Marian Blue, published author of fiction, poetry, essay, and journalism. For more information, contact her at 360-341-1630 or blueyude@whidbey.com.
Writers' Group
The WIWA Writers' Group meets the first Wednesday of every month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Freeland Library. Anyone interested in writing is invited to attend. It is a place to discuss writing techniques or problems you may be having with your work. Informal brainstorming and support for fellow writers are encouraged. If you feel like sharing something you have written, please take it with you to the meeting and read it aloud. For more information, contact Michele Griskey at 331-6099, or smwatson@mail.whidbey.com.
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How to Get the Most out of a Writing Conference
by Bob Mayer
When you go to a conference, be prepared. Many have sign-ups where you get to talk to an editor and/or agent for 15 minutes. Have what you are going to say rehearsed. Have your cover letter and one page synopsis in hand. Pitch your idea and story succinctly and in an interesting manner. Don’t ever expect to hand the manuscript to them-- remember, most are flying home and don’t have the space or desire to haul it with them on the plane.
When you get feedback, consider it carefully. Don’t argue-- it won’t change their mind about your book, but it will make them think you would be hard to work with.
Use the "free" time constructively. Be willing when the conference director asks for people to pick up agents/editors at the airport to volunteer. Take them out to dinner. You might be surprised at what you will reap. I’ve learned more over a one-hour dinner with editors than sitting for four hours in their lecture during the day.
Treat the people who run the conference with respect and courtesy. They are volunteers who have given tremendously of their time and effort to make sure the conference works.
Much of what you hear at conferences you might nod at and say to yourself “well, that’s common sense.” But do you really believe it? There is a gap between understanding and acceptance. That gap can cause not just writers, but anyone, great trouble in their life. You have to be open-minded and willing to listen for the message inside the message.
How to find a conference? The Writers Market has a listing. On the Internet: Shawguides at: http://writing.shawguides.com
(This is excerpted from THE FICTION WRITER’S TOOLKIT: A GUIDE TO WRITING NOVELS AND GETTING PUBLISHED by Bob Mayer www.nettrends.com/mayer)
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CHEERS
Your good news cheers us on! Please share your successes with us.
Romance writer Cherry Adair received the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for the Best Contemporary Romance of 2000 for her novel Kiss and Tell. Cherry will be teaching at WIWC 2002. http://www.cherryadair.com
Candace Allen, editor of WIWA Newsletter, has another article published in Log Home Living (LHL). You can read "Altar Ego" in the November issue of LHL.
WIWC participant, Brian Ames, has a short story, Memory of Hard Rain, published in Glimmer Train No. 41 http://www.glimmertrain.com/is41win20.html. Check out his short history lesson, A Scissors Trick, online at: www.sweetfancymoses.com, "Where Wit Lives." Also, be sure to read this newsletter's Releases column to find out about Brian's latest book.
Professional pie baker and WIWC participant Jan Gunn writes about trying to give Mayor Giuliani a pie. You can read her November 22 article for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer at: http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/national/47007_pie22.shtml.
Marcia Preston, editor of ByLine reports that sales of her mystery/suspense novel, Perhaps She'll Die, have been wonderful. It received great reviews in Library Journal and Booklist, and it sold out the first printing in one month. The Poisoned Pen, a famous mystery bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ, chose the book as one of the best first mysteries for 2001 and ordered 140 signed copies for their book club members. Paperback rights have been sold to World Wide Mystery, a division of Harlequin. Marcia is currently working on the second book in the series. http://www.bylinemag.com/
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WRITERS CONTRIBUTE TO SEPT. 11 COLLECTIONS
Michele Griskey reports Voices and Viewpoints, a collection of writings and drawings composed in response to the September 11 tragedy, can be viewed online or downloaded and copied for distribution at http://www.laplume.com/. Many local residents and WIWC participants contributed to the collection. Anyone who has questions about the project may contact the project coordinators Christine Bianchi and Jeanne Lanigan at wavoices@yahoo.com.
WIWA member Julian Taber contributed an article to Glory: A Nation's Spirit Defeats the Attack on America. Sands Publishing says all profits from the book's sales will be donated to the AmeriCares Foundation "Heroes and Victims" Fund. For more information about the book, see: http://www.americanpublishingnetwork.com/
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RELEASES
Smoke Follows Beauty
by Brian Ames
February 2002
Pocol Press
http://home.attbi.com/~tendollardog/
Brian Ames, WIWC participant, has written a book of 22 short stories, Smoke Follows Beauty, which will be released in February 2002.The editor of Glimmer Train, Susan Burmeister-Brown, says Brian "delivers his characters brilliantly and gently to the page; they've clearly got him in their grasp, and he has them in his. Gorgeous!"
Teach Yourself Travel Writing
by Cynthia Dial
September 2001
Contemporary Books (a division of McGraw-Hill)
Cynthia Dial has penned a practical how-to book, Teach Yourself Travel Writing, designed to give advice and guidance to those "who love to travel and long to write about it." Complete with travel tales and writing tips, the book simplifies the process for aspiring travel writers, giving the necessary tools to put travel experiences on paper and sell them.
This addition to the British-published Teach Yourself series made its U.S. debut in September after hitting London's bookshelves last spring. It is available from Contemporary Books (a division of McGraw-Hill) at most major bookstores. The ISBN# is 0-658-01331-9.
A first time presenter at Whidbey Island Writers' Conference 2001, Cynthia will again join the conference in 2002.
Reckless Eyeballin
by Judith Smith-Levin
November 2001
Fawcett
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=0345420853
Judith Smith-Levin, along with several other mystery writers, will teach at the WIWC 2002. Her third mystery featuring homicide detective Starletta Duvall was released November 2001. Earl Emerson has this to say about the main character, "Starletta Duvall is smart, sassy, gorgeous, and great fun to be with."
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CONTESTS, SUBMISSION REQUESTS
The 2002 Literary Contest, sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association, is now accepting submissions in 11 categories including: articles, books, plays, poetry, screenplays and short stories. The contest deadline is Feb. 16, 2002 (Postmarked). For more information, see http://www.c-2.com/pnwa/htdocs/events/contest/2002contest.htm
Snowapple Two is now reading for its second issue, to be published in early 2002. The publishers hope to include the work of writers from a variety of geographies and perspectives, to piece together a collection that explores the terrain and trails, the woods and waterways, the plants and animals, the travelers and homesteaders, and other features of wild places near and far. (They are also accepting some non-thematic work.)
Snowapple is dedicated to poetry and other kinds of visionary writing. It is a gathering place for the work of writers from all corners of the United States and beyond. Fresh language and vivid images, compelling poems that pursue truth and open the door to hidden worlds are wanted. The journal averages 48 pages, saddle-stapled and digest-sized. Contributors will receive two copies of the issue that includes their work. For guidelines, email: snowapplejournal@yahoo.com.
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THE CONTINUING SAGA OF A DAIRYMAN'S GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING
By Murray Anderson
This is the third of a series of articles Murray Anderson has written about his experiences self-publishing his novel Breederman.
Things are going well in the self-publishing of the novel Breederman. We have sold books in 19 states and will have sold out our first 500 Books by Christmas. I hope to have the second printing in three weeks.
Things I learned about self publishing. Timing is important; I wish I had started earlier organizing for the Christmas season. We have had many orders for Christmas gifts. Even though we had a selective mailing list, I don’t think mailing flyers is profitable. Money spent on ads and news releases in agriculture magazines seems to be more productive.
If you self-publish, be aware that you will be working hard and that you will be tied down with shipping and delivering books to customers and by the 1-800 number. And then there are the phone calls from customers in New York, Vermont and Massachusetts ordering books between 5:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
I would say that my wife and I each work six hours a day on something associated with book selling. It has been especially hectic during this pre-Christmas period with the daily waiting in the post office line to mail the books. But I am not complaining. It is exciting and rewarding to be a self-publisher.
On the mental side it has been wonderful to hear the supportive comments from the customers who have purchased and read the book.
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CYBER SURFING
Have you encountered some helpful Internet sites? Send us the address and your brief review.
ShockwaveWriters.com http://www.shockwavewriters.com/ is a Web site of professionals and specialists who help people better understand our global environment and find ways to protect our computers, networks and information while enhancing privacy and personal freedoms. Of particular interest is the Web site's section Being a Writer. Here you'll find Victor O-Reilly's article Why Write? What Else and Dr. Gerald L. Kovacich's two-part article If You are an InfoSec Professional, You Must Also be an InfoSec Writer. Dr. Kovacich, a WIWA member and island resident, has 36 years experience in security, criminal and civil investigation, anti-fraud, information warfare, and information systems security.
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QUOTES
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on."
-- Robert Frost
Advice to young writers who want to get ahead without any annoying delays: don't write about Man, write about a man.
-- E. B. White
I write to find out what I'm talking about.
-- Edward Albee
There is only one way to defeat the enemy, and that is to write as well as one can. The best argument is an undeniably good book.
-- Saul Bellow
TO CONTACT US OR SUBMIT AN ARTICLE
We are interested in hearing from you. Perhaps you've been to a recent book fair, heard a favorite author speak, learned some valuable tips from a writing class. Perhaps you're a professional willing to share your expertise. If you would like to submit an article; tell us about your good news for the Cheers column; send us your favorite quotes, markets, contests and cyber sites; or to contact us about the newsletter for any reason, please email the editor at: candace@whidbey.com
To contact the Whidbey Island Writers' Association, email : writers@whidbey.com
The WIWA Web site is: http://www.whidbey.com/writers
Whidbey Island Writers' Conference:
March 1--3, 2002
The Spirit of Writing
http://www.whidbey.com/writers/conference
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