Whidbey Island Writers' Association Newsletter

CONTENTS
Message From the Editor
Letters to the Editor
What If by Celeste Mergens, WIWA Director
On the Island
Submissions Wanted for Memorial Publications
Five Fabulous Points for Basic Promotion
by Amber Kizer and Theresa Meyers
Cheers
Transitions
Coming Soon From Three WIWC Presenters
The Continuing Saga of a Dairyman's Guide to Self-Publishing by Murray Anderson
Cyber Surfing
Quotes
To Contact Us
*********************************************
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
Freedom of expression is the matrix, the indispensable condition, of nearly every other form of freedom.
--Benjamin Nathan Cardozo, Palko v Connecticut, 302 U.S. (1937)

Once a day, I turn on the television to watch the news. More often would be too heartbreaking. The stories are of the rescue workers searching among rubble of the World Trade Center towers which collapsed like telescopes on 9-11. Ironic that that's our emergency number nationwide. One of the stories I heard was from a fireman who spent long hours searching for survivors among the splayed beams, shattered glass, dust and debris. He said the hardest part was not the long hours of grueling work or the exhaustion, but the actual moment he had to stop working, step aside and get some much needed sleep and something to eat. I would gladly have stepped in for him as would millions of Americans, because the hard part is not being able to help. We want so much to help. Most of us do not have the skills or are not in the position to be part of the relief team. Even if we happen to be trained as firefighters or medical technicians, only so many helpers can be put to work in New York or the Pentagon. Most of us are not politicians elected to make decisions for our country. We may be the wrong age to join the military, or have conditions, beliefs or responsibilities that preclude our serving. Few if any of us are linguists who can help with Arabic or Farsi translations. Still, we want to help. We do what we can. We donate funds, give blood, attend a memorial, console a friend, give a hug. We share our thoughts through poems, prose, letters to friends, opinion pieces and letters to editors and representatives. Therein lies the strength of America -- freedom of expression. Therein lies your gift to liberty. Uncap your pen and let the ink flow like a river umimpeded by boundaries. Share your thoughts and beliefs and let the world know the people of the United States will not be silenced. Convey our gratitude to the millions world-wide who rushed to offer support and comfort. Let those who lost friends and family in the tragedy know that we hope to ease their sorrow by sharing their grief and carrying the memory of the victims in our hearts forever. Some of you may find writing about the recent events too painful. You, too, can help. These days I find myself searching for stories that offer humor, that spur a smile. Humorists, help us laugh, not the cheap laugh, but the belly laugh that spreads warmth all over, or the laugh that makes the upper lip twitch from a little tickle. Naturalists and scientists, remind us that while our lives may feel like they have been knocked off their axes, nature offers constants -- tides continue to ebb and flow; Polaris still shines in the northern sky. Romanticists and fantasists, we yearn to hear from you that the moon still hypnotizes lovers and embraces them in its light. Whatever your genre, keep on writing. It is the American way. It helps. If you are interested in helping by contributing your thoughts about the September 11 tragedy to a memorial publication, see this issue's article "Submissions Wanted for Memorial Publications." Write us. We want to hear from you. May goodwill prevail,
Candace *********************************************
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A friend in my writers' group forwarded your last newsletter. I enjoyed it so much I'd like to get it myself. Please also add me to your mailing list for conference notification. My group is planning to meet there next year. We bonded online, and support each other via email, so it will be fun to meet in person.
-- Marsiea Warren, Medford, OR
*********************************************
WHAT IF?
By Celeste Mergens, WIWA Director Writers write. We've heard it from presenters discussing the "secrets" of mastering every genre...write every day. But during this time of grief for our country and the world’s citizens, it hasn't been easy to keep any kind of schedule, let alone one of creativity, sensitivity and craft.Yet, in these days of sorrow and concern, perhaps writing is even more important for writers and those closest to us. To this end, I offer my "what if" of the day. What if writers everywhere became ambassadors for healing, encouraging others to pick up pen and paper and...you guessed it, write! Journaling has been proven to be a stress relieving, problem solving tool. The writing doesn't have to be for publication, nor have sterling conventions. Instead, let these musings be outpourings of emotion. They can even be written with such intensity and speed as to be illegible, because this writing is just for healing. Muse patriotic in poetic form. Start a list of what you are grateful for, or the great things you have seen people do for each other this week, or the 25 top reasons why you will choose to live fearlessly. And while we're all at it, what if we all started a new habit? A nightly gratitude journal, listing the top five things that you are grateful for each day. Find yourself falling to sleep each night in an "attitude of gratitude." Blessings! Our thoughts (and pens) are with you. Meanwhile, we have something wonderful to offer you to look forward to. Only five more months until we Celebrate Writing in a big way at this coming year’s Whidbey Island Writers' Conference. Have you seen the line-up of presenters? Catherine Coulter, Ann Rule, Terry Brooks, Dan Millman, Marvin Bell, David Lee, and many, many more. We are all in for another uplifting, enriching event that leaves us with more understanding and expanded ability as writers. Check out our Web site at www.whidbey.com/writers/conference for more details, quotes from past participants and presenters, and registration forms. Early registration discounts are still available and volunteers are needed. Find out for yourself why so many call this annual event, "simply the best writers' conference." Join us March 1-3, 2002. See you there. ********************************************* ON THE ISLAND
Greenbank Art Show and Book Signing
The Whidbey Island Writers' Association in conjunction with the Greenbank Artists will sponsor a book signing by local authors at the 32nd annual Greenbank Art Show October 6 and 7. The book signing and art show will be from 10:00am until 5:00pm at the Loganberry Farm and Winery in Greenbank, located on the east side of Highway 525. Eighteen authors are scheduled to attend at various times throughout the weekend, including: Susan Zwinger, naturalist and author of five books; John Hogue, author of Nostradamus and the Millennium and eight other books; Val Dmitriev, founder and director of the University of Washington's Model Education Program for Children With Down Syndrome; and Jim Bennett, author of The Rohn Disaster, WWII's Secret Tragedy, which has been adapted into an hour-long documentary to be shown on the History Channel in November. More than 20 artists will show original work in oil, watercolor, pastel and acrylic. Subjects include: Whidbey Island, marine scenes, florals and still life. Artists will give demonstrations each day. Many members of the group have been painting together for more than 10 years and have gallery affiliations. Some of the artists are represented in national shows and in collections in Europe, Mexico, as well as the United States.
There is no charge for admission. Visitors may also visit the farm gift shop and wine tasting room. For more information about the event, call 360-678-3430 or 360-331-7552. Storytelling Workshop
Master Storyteller Jill Johnson will teach a workshop Nov. 3, 9:00am to 2:00pm about ways to enrich your writing using oral techniques and traditions of storytelling. The workshop will be held in the home of Linda Jedlicka, a Whidbey Island Writers' Conference fireside chat host. Registration is limited to 20 and costs $25 for WIWA members, $30 for nonmembers. A light lunch is included. For more information, or to register, call (360)331-6714 or email writers@whidbey.com.

Grant Writing Workshop
Wayne Ude and Bobbie Sandberg will offer a Grant Writing Workshop Saturday, Nov.10 from 1:00 to 5:00pm in Greenbank on Whidbey Island. Directions will be provided to registered participants. The workshop is $54 for WIWA memebers and $59 for nonmembers. If you would like more information, call 360-331-6714 or email writers@whidbey.com.

The workshop will be divided into three parts: an overview of grant-writing, an introduction to searching for funding sources on the Internet, and finally, going online to look for specific funding sources. Elements of a typical grant will be discussed, including the kind of background information required from the applicant, the project plan and the budget. Internet hookups will be available to help applicants search for funding sources and obtain application forms. Participants are urged to have a specific idea or project in mind as much of the work will be hands-on.
About the instructors: Wayne Ude wrote his first grant application while an undergraduate at the University of Montana. Since then, he's spent four years as a full-time grant-writer and project manager and seventeen years as a full-time faculty member and part-time grant-writer and project-manager. He's written successful grants for arts programs including two reading series and two literary magazines, as well as for programs dealing with Senior Transportation, Meals on Wheels, Head Start, Day Care, Neighborhood Youth Corps, Community Planning, Alcoholism Counseling, and others. His most recent successful grant application was to Skagit Valley College for training for South Whidbey Center part-time instructors (summer, 2001).
Bobbie Sandberg teaches computer courses throughout Island County, including at Skagit Valley College's South Whidbey Center. She frequently teaches in a computer lab which she maintains in her own home. Her courses include programming and maintenance of computers, as well as operation of all major computer programs (and most minor ones as well).
 Writers' Group
The WIWA Writers' Group meets the first Wednesday of every month from 7:00 to 9:00pm at the Freeland Library. The next meeting is October 3. 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 bring it to the meeting and read it aloud. For more information, contact Michele Griskey at 331-6099, or smwatson@mail.whidbey.com *********************************************
SUBMISSIONS WANTED FOR MEMORIAL PUBLICATIONS
The following publishers are seeking poetry and prose for memorial publications to help raise funds for victims of the September 11, 2001 tragedy. See their Web sites for details:
Sands Publishing, www.americanpublishingnetwork.com/
Roberts Publishing, www.robertspublishing.com/
God Allows U-turns, www.godallowsuturns.com/america/home.htm The Raven Chronicles, www.speakeasy.org/ravenchronicles requests that you contribute a poem or piece of prose that expresses your feelings about the tragedy for inclusion in a compilation of stories to be copied and sent to the New York City Fire Department and New York City Rescue Services. Stories may be submitted to The Raven Chronicles, 1634 - 11th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122-2419. For more information, you may email ravenchr@speakeasy.org, phone 206-323-4316, or Fax: 206-323-4316. *********************************************
FIVE FABULOUS POINTS FOR BASIC PROMOTION
By Amber Kizer and Theresa Meyers The Devil is in the details. It doesn't get any more basic even in promotion and publicity. All the fancy press kits, glossy bookmarks and book signings won't help your promotions without these five basic elements anyone can master. Getting published is truly just the beginning. You've got to keep up with the details to take your career higher and make your promotional efforts worthwhile. Apply the following five fabulous basics to your career. What's your message? As an author what do you want to project? Do you have a persona of a New York Times best-selling author? Are you more a cozy fire and a good book author? Do you write to showcase a wide array of talents or interests? Answer this question and you'll begin to understand your personal message. A promotional message is a sound bite; it's the snippet you want everyone to associate with you, and your work, every time they hear it. Take everything that is you; put it in the large end of a funnel--what comes out the bottom end is a single shining point of light. That's your message condensed into one or two brief sentences. Take Mark Twain’s quote, "My books are water; those of the great geniuses are wine--everybody drinks water." In that short sentence Twain says that he writes for the masses, he has wide appeal, he does what he does and is proud of it, and he couldn't care less what the literati think. That is Twain's message; yours should be as clear, concise, and memorable. Update, update, update! If your promo photo is five years old, it's too old. If your bio is one year old, it's too old. If your Web site is six months old, it's too old. Okay so you love that picture that captured the heart of your youth, it's your Kodak soul on film, but if you do any public appearances readers will notice the difference. Sound picky? To be blunt, it’s about trust. If you look different than your readers perceive, they'll begin to distrust you and your work on a subconscious level. We've all read books where the hero and heroine have long flowing red or brown or blonde tresses on the cover, but inside the character description is something else entirely. It's irritating and misleading. While you might not put the book down, it breaks the positive associations the reader has with the book and they have to be rebuilt, putting you behind the start line in the race. Perception is everything! . As an author you are a public figure--this means constantly molding how you are perceived. Help your readers to build a relationship with you by being as forthcoming as you can--this means keeping updated. Accept, announce, and apply! There’s a huge difference between being promo savvy and being a diva. When someone compliments your work, say "Thank you." Accept their compliments and accolades graciously; don't brush them aside in embarrassment. Announce your awards, compliments, good reviews, and press coverage ruthlessly. Someone else said it. There's no being a diva in repeating others' compliments. This is how you take your career to the next level.
Writing, however wonderfully done only will take you so far. When J.K. Rowling hit the bestseller list it was because of her work and word of mouth, but once there, she had to keep the momentum by giving interviews and promoting her success. The public needs an image to identify with no matter how private you might like to be. If you want to sell your books, learn how to be a public figure. Speak at conferences, at civic groups, at ladies' tea parties if you're so inclined. Be seen, be gracious, and be vocal. And last apply for the awards and honors. No one can pay you respects if you don't put your baby out there. If speaking in front of groups scares you, get training, gain a comfort level, and get over it. The art of the simple thank you! Don't be afraid to write thank you notes to everyone. This includes but is by no means limited to: industry professionals, fans, conference chairs, RWA board members, the librarian, booksellers, readers, the handy man, the garbage man, the post person--you get the idea. "Thank you" goes a long way and not just an email thank you. Invest in clean, elegant thank you notes. You don't have to send a novel--two sentences and your business card suffice. Write on the back of the business card where you met the person. A piece of paper, one that brings with it gratitude, has a bigger impact than any other simple thing you can do. Spend the 34 cents on a stamp to let someone know that you appreciate her or him--that's basic. Webster vs. Spell check! PROOF! Even simple correspondence needs to be proofed and spell check just doesn't cut it. There are no excuses, sleep with Webster under your pillow if you have to, but double-check everything. Case in point: During my first big meeting with the agency’s largest client (who was paying a $7000 a month retainer), I walked into the room with the CEO, the VP of Marketing, and the Owner of the agency, her boss, the Director of PR. She passed out a one-sheet list of ideas that was supposed to be titled "Public Relations Proposal." It was spell-checked numerous times. Before it could flutter down to the table, the owner of the agency snapped it up and said something about including ideas from the meeting into the proposal and getting them a new one. If not for the fast thinking of the agency owner (who was the only other woman in the room) the men around the table would have read my "Pubic Relations Proposal." A very valuable, very basic lesson. Have someone else read everything before it goes out. If you'd like more information or coaching on any of the above services visit www.alacarteauthor.com/ or call 360-321-4404, Amber Kizer and Theresa Meyers are A la Carte Author Services. *********************************************
CHEERS
Your good news cheers us on! Please share your successes with us. WIWA board member Robin Reynolds Barre's poem, Original Sin, has been accepted for publication in the next issue of Scajet, a Skagit Valley College Literary and Arts Journal. WIWA instructor Marian Blue recently signed a contract with Seal Press for inclusion in an anthology of essays to be released next spring. She also has a short story coming out in the February issue of Eureka Literary Magazine. Marian is co-owner of Blue & Ude Writing Services: www.blueudewritersservices.com/main.htm Michele Griskey, coordinator for the WIWA Writers' Group, will have an article about pregnancy and exercise in the January issue of American Fitness
WIWA webmaster and frequent fireside chat host, Linda Jedlicka , will have her short story, Murder Most Fowl, published in the February/March issue of Futures Magazine: www.futuresforstorylovers.com/.   USA Today recently interviewed author and WIWC instructor Eva Shaw about gardening and its healing powers, which is the topic of Shaw's latest book, Shovel It: Nature's Health Plan (Writeriffic Publishing, $15.95). The article from the August 3 issue is available at www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20010803/3526855s.htm.   WIWC instructor Wayne Ude's Native American tale, The Haunting of Thomas Longbull, was published in the August issue of the online magazine, Margin: Exploring Modern Magical Realism, available at www.magical-realism.com. The magazine says, "Ude's work has endured a quarter century and seems only to grow more socially relevant as we enter this next 100 years. We like this tale for its easy narrative voice and strong sense of place." Wayne is co-owner of Blue & Ude Writing Services at: www.blueudewritersservices.com/main.htm.  Whidbey Island writer and 1999 WIWC instructor Susan Zwinger and photographers Natalie Fobes (Seattle) and Russell Sparkman (Whidbey Island) are part of the One World Journeys team currently exploring Alaska and the BC coast in search of understanding the cycle of the salmon, of capturing a moment with the rare, white Kermode bear, and of a glimpse into what wildness and wilderness really means. One World Journeys has been picked as the Yahoo Site of the Day for each expedition; it's currently USA Today's "hot site," and it has been selected as one of only 200 sites to be archived by the Smithsonian Institution: www.oneworldjourneys.com. *********************************************
TRANSITIONS
After a residency at Yaddo, Gabrielle Daniels (WIWC 2001 instructor) will teach at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York and continue work on SUGAR WARS.
*********************************************
COMING SOON FROM THREE WIWC PRESENTERS
Cherry Adair, Susan Plunkett and Eva Shaw will be teaching at the Whidbey Island Writers' Conference 2002. Here's a description of their latest books scheduled for release this fall.
Hide and Seek
By Cherry Adair
October 2001
A Double Day Bookclub Selection
www.cherryadair.com A steamy, heart-stopping thrill ride through the jungle as a woman living a lie is forced to trust the one man who can expose her secrets...
Posing as the spoiled girlfriend of an international drug lord, Delanie Eastman braves a remote mountain in South America to find her missing sister, Lauren. The last person she expects to encounter is Kyle Wright, the man she had a torrid affair with four years ago. He claimed to be a doctor. But who is he now? A humanitarian, or a slick dangerous killer? If he betrays her again, it will cost her life and that of her sister.  Kyle is in the middle of his own secret, life and death mission. He's not about to let the gorgeous, unpredictable Delanie ruin years of international undercover work. He has five days to get her out of the way. By fair means or foul. But just one touch is all it takes to rekindle the intoxicating flame that still burns between them, igniting an arsenal of desire that could expose them both and cost them their lives. Once on the run they must play the final game of...HIDE AND SEEK.
  Bethany's Song
By Susan Plunkett
November 2001
www.susanplunkett.com Two years after her life was altered in a car wreck, Bethany James found freedom. It came in the form of the River of Time, sweeping her away from her old life to 1895. But awakening in Juneau, Alaska, Bethany discovered a whole new batch of problems. For one thing, she had been separated from her sisters--the only ones with whom she shared perfect harmony. And the widowed mine-owner who found her--Matthew Gray--was hardly someone with whom she expected to connect. Yet struggling to survive, drawing on every skill she possessed, the violet-eyed beauty found herself growing into a stronger person. She was learning to trust, learning to love. And in helping Matt do the same, Bethany realized the laments of the past were only too soon made the sweet strains of happiness.
Readers who enjoyed Alicia's Song will relish the next book in her Alaskan trilogy!
 Writerific: Creativity Training For Writers
By Eva Shaw
October 2001
Writerrific Publishing
www.writeriffic.com/ Eva's latest book, Writerrific: Creativity Training for Writers , is designed to motivate writers through guidance and writing exercises to: increase their self-confidence, boost their creative gifts, and capture their voice and make it sing. It will also help writers design a creative life that promotes innovation, overcome the fear of starting, and understand what it takes to be a writer.
 *********************************************
THE CONTINUING SAGA OF A DAIRYMAN'S GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING
by Murray Anderson
This is the third of a series of articles in which local author Murray Anderson describes his experiences self-publishing Breederman, a novel about the struggles of a couple who own a dairy farm during the 1950s and 60s. Murray hopes you can learn from his mistakes. When I received the proofs for Breederman this summer, I was disappointed to find that the book had three unnecessary blank pages. The camera ready copy would have to be redone. I went back to my copy editor, made the corrections, and resubmitted the manuscript. The cost was $300. I received the second proof July 31, and submitted it to the printer. The print shop's production schedule is made up in advance, so my book had to be rescheduled for August 24th. While waiting, I prepared news releases to send to dairy and agricultural magazines.

• Lessons to be learned: Even if you hire a professional with technical skills to do a task, you are still responsible for the job and must double check everything. Take your time; hurrying can cost you more time and money in the long run. Don't publicize your book before it is in your hands and ready to ship.
• Although it hurts to make corrections, it is far better to do that than to publish a book with errors, even if they are minor, that you and others will see.

The book finally arrived on 9-11-01. Who could forget that day? The books were beautiful. They had a solid feeling. I don't know how others feel who give birth to a book, but for me it was such an achievement. During the long wait, I worried that some of those who had ordered books would cancel because of the delay, but they held. Another lesson I learned was to be sure you price your book right so that it covers all your expenses and makes you a profit. When I started, I estimated that it would take 200 books to break even.With the extra expenses, that figure is now about 300. You will also find that you will need quite a few gift copies for bartering--to help place your books in shops and restaurants, etc and to get on mailing lists. Once the book was out, I found myself waiting for indications of what people thought of the book, and wishing for a few words of praise. Then there were nights when I woke in a cold sweat worrying if I had adequately covered the true identity of some of the characters in the book. Or if someone would take exception to something I wrote and I would face a lawsuit or something more dire. It is funny, but the minute your book is out there, you finally become an author and a celebrity, and to many people you are a different person than you were the day before. I also learned to respect any author, anyone who takes the chance of putting his or her work out there for the public to evaluate. The sales have been terrific and I haven't even sent out my mailings or had news releases in local papers. In fact it is clear that if I am going to do this right, I will have all the work my wife and I can handle in the next six months.
 *********************************************
CYBER SURFING
Have you encountered some helpful Internet sites? Send us the address and your brief review. Check out the new Web page for the Whidbey Island Writers Association www.whidbey.com/writers. The new site has links to theWhidbey Island Writers' Conference site, writing activites, WIWA newsletters and a WIWA membership application. The beautiful site was created by our webmaster Linda Jedlicka.
Multi-published suspense author, Blaine Mackenzie invites you to become a part of Suite 417-Suspense, groups.yahoo.com/group/Suite417-Suspense. This is a Yahoo Groups discussion panel for anyone who enjoys reading or writing suspense/thriller novels. Come rub elbows with authors, publishers, editors, and book reviewers. Suite 417 is a friendly environment where the content covers a wide avenue of discussion such as today's literary market, the latest suspense and thriller releases, and writer-chat about the art of writing and marketing. There are moderators to ensure everyone enjoys the discussion. As a registered member, you feel free to contact the moderators, Sutie417-Suspense@yahoo.com or BlaineMackenzie1@aol.com. To learn more about the owner of this group, visit Blaine Mackenzie www.blainemackenzie.com.
 *********************************************
QUOTES
I do often intend a comic sense. I love a joke, I love the humorous. The name "Isak" means "laughter." I often think that what we most need now is a good humorist.
-- Isak Dinesen in an interview with Eugene Walter
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
--E.E. Cummings
Wit has truth in it; wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words.
--Dorothy Parker, Paris Review, Summer 1956
I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall.
--Eleanor Roosevelt
What's another word for thesaurus?
--Steven Wright.
*********************************************
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: www.whidbey.com/writers.

Whidbey Island Writers' Conference:
March 1--3, 2002
The Spirit of Writing
www.whidbey.com/writers/conference