WIWA Newsletter Dec 07

That’s as close to publishing poetry as I’m allowed to get in this forum. But it pretty much wraps up how I’ll be spending my holidays. Writing. And rewriting. In September I wrote and illustrated a 120 page User Manual for a Web platform, and then in November I spent 70 straight hours writing an interactive online corporate training Web site – 48 web pages of it – and now they’ve recruited me to write the investor newsletter and marketing materials, too. I guess I wasn’t careful about what I asked for . . . the top of my 2007 wish list was “more interesting and challenging writing projects.”

I bring up all this personal detail because I’m at the point where I need to pass the WIWA Newsletter Editor torch along to the next bearer. February 2008 will be my last issue, so you’ve got time to think about it. If you’re even slightly tempted, take a look at the announcement and then let me know if you have any questions. It’s been an amazing two years.

Okay. Stopping now before I get mushy . . .

In this edition of the newsletter, we’ve got a slew of local classes and workshops that start after the first of the year (can you believe we’ve less than a month left in 2007?), and a wide assortment of On and Off Island events for both December and January. Debbie Mickelson submitted a review of Donald Maass’ workshop at Fields End, and we’ve got an interview with conference presenter Maureen “The Heroine” Murdock. We’ve got some surprising and thought provoking Web site resources and I’ll be darned if I haven’t managed to pack in another batch of all new Contests & Market Requests, including many small and independent presses, plus a call for fiction editors.

We also have a Writers Ask submission wanting to know “What exactly is ‘creative’ nonfiction?” and I hate to say it, but I had absolutely nothing definitive to offer – and Google just made it worse. Any help you can lend on this one would be much appreciated.

And, finally, a blatant pitch for holiday commercialism – with a literary twist. Okay, yes, you can give WIWA memberships as gifts – and there are gift certificates for the Conference and related events as well. But that’s not what I’m talking about.

When I interviewed our World Fantasy Award recipient, MFA faculty member Bruce Holland Rogers last year (I cannot believe it’s already been a year), I signed up to receive his thrice-monthly short-short stories by email and I have to say I really like my literature delivered electronically and automatically. There is a reason Bruce has won all those awards. So if you’re short on gifting ideas for this holiday season, or even if you’re not, sign up your friends and family to receive stimulating, intoxicating, and sometimes scary literature at regular intervals at www.shortshortshort.com and sign yourself up, too. Regular subscriptions are only $10 per year, and gifts from subscribers are $5 per year. A small amount for a gift with bang, plus you’re directly supporting a writer . . . oh, wait, you’re already doing that – you’re the writer.

And on that note, I’ll close this publication for the year. You’re the Writer. Make your wish list. Ask for what you want. Be careful, you just might get it.

Keep writing and keep in touch!

Digitally over my head, Achaessa

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WIWC 2008 CONFERENCE NEWS

Tick, Tock - Time Is Money

The Writers Conference countdown is ticking away! Take a look online at the great preconference workshops. Register by December 5 to receive a discount and reserve your Chat House while you're at it. Dinner with an Author includes 12 authors and entertainment includes free events at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts and Whidbey Children's Theatre. Gift certificates are available in any amount. Check out the conference Web site and register now before that $55 discount flies out the window.

Editor’s Note: Yes, the rumor is true – the Vienna Boys’ Choir is performing on Whidbey Island. In cooperation with Concerts on the Cove, the Whidbey Island Writers Conference is pleased to announce a performance of The Vienna Boys' Choir at Whidbey Island High School at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 1. The concert is open to the public; tickets are $25 per person. Access ticket information and details at www.concertsonthecove.org.

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Presenter Interview – Maureen Murdock: Memoir, Myth and Memory

Unlike many psychotherapists who humanize their academic writings with patient profiles and “anonymous” case studies, Maureen Murdock has achieved noteworthy success in merging memoir with her academic work in several books, such as her recent release Unreliable Truth: On Memoir and Memory, prompted by the loss of identity and memory that accompanied her mother’s struggle with Alzheimers, and her continuing bestseller The Heroine's Journey, which started with Maureen’s own professional journey, but which compellingly describes The Mythic Journey in everywoman’s life. At the 10th anniversary Whidbey Island Writers Conference, Maureen is presenting a full day pre-conference workshop "Crafting Memoir From Memory" and will team up with Christopher Vogler in the Saturday session “Writing the Journeys – Hero and Heroine.” Want to know more? Read along . . .

AJ - Are the writers that attend your memoir workshops all gung ho and ready to write or do they include those who struggle between the pressing need to write and the Critical Self asking “Why would anybody want to read about you?” And, if you have strugglers, what do you tell them?

Maureen - Most, if not all, writers of memoir have the struggle between the desire to write their life memories and the voice inside that says “Why would anybody want to read about you?” I think it's a normal response to a fame obsessed culture and the worry about not measuring up, not being famous enough. However, I tell them that the beauty about memoir is that the stories people write about their lives are universal. We have all experienced personal successes and joys as well as personal loss and grief, turning points in our lives, the longing for our roots, home, love, and meaning, and each one's experience adds to the wealth of knowledge about how we live this precious life. A writer's memoir is personal but the theme is usually universal. It takes courage to write memoir because you are exposing yourself but ultimately, you are a stand in for all of us.

AJ - Is it true that Joseph Campbell once said to you: "But, Maureen, women do not need to go on any journey. They're already in touch with the Feminine." And, if it is true, how did you respond?

Maureen - That's not completely accurate. In the early 1980s I went back to NYC to show Joseph the diagram of the Heroine's Journey that I had been working on for some time and he said, "Women don't need to take the journey. In the whole mythological tradition the woman is there. All she has to do is to realize that she's the place that people are trying to get to. When a woman realizes what her wonderful character is, she's not going to get messed up with the notion of being pseudo-male." I said, "That might be true in the mythological tradition, but the women I know and the women I work with in therapy yearn to heal their feminine nature and do need to make a journey, a spiritual journey to reclaim themselves as women and to redefine what the feminine is." At that point, we were all trying to succeed in a masculine dominated culture and had lost a sense of what the "feminine" was for our selves. I felt that what the Heroine's Journey addressed was a deep wounding in the psyche of women (and of course in men, too) as well as a deep wounding of the feminine in the culture.

AJ - In a December 2004 interview for LifeWriters Talk About LifeWriting you said, “I think that memoirists are our contemporary mythmakers helping us find meaning in our lives as they reveal the wisdom they have mined from their memories.” How do you get aspiring memoirists to take that leap from reporting their mundane experiences to translating their personal myth?

Maureen - I talk about the four domains of myth that Campbell talked about: Who am I? What is my Tribe, Who do I belong to? Where am I going? What is my purpose?

If you take a look at most memoirs, they are dealing, probably unconsciously, with one of these domains of myth. In memoirs of birth and naming and connection to the land, a writer may be looking at "Who am I?" Flor Fernandez Barrios wrote about the circumstances of her birth in Cuba in Blessed by Thunder and how that initial experience marked her journey to become a healer. In writing about a relationship with a mother, father, lover, or community, a writer is looking at issues of tribe and belonging. Vivian Gornick's memoir Fierce Attachments is a fabulous example. Many memoirs deal with the issues of path or journey, in other words, “Where am I going?” Memoirs like Kay Redfield Jamison's brilliant memoir about her bipolar illness is a journey memoir as is Mary Karr'sThe Liar's Club. I just finished writing a memoir about my journey with my son's bipolar illness and addiction and what I have learned along the path. The theme of "What's my purpose" is often covered in memoirs about spirituality and social justice. Take This Bread by Sara Miles is a great example of both her spiritual journey and her activism in starting a food bank.

Most writers don't know, at first, what the theme of their memoir is but it becomes clear as they write it. I'm not saying that a memoir has to have a mythic theme but most do.

AJ - In a June 2004 interview for WriterAdvice.com you said, “The story we tell about ourselves becomes the story we live. I certainly saw that in my father’s life. He’s a great story teller and he believes the stories he tells about himself and they come true!” Can you tell me more about how your father's stories became his reality? Is this a sort of Big Fish take on life?

Maureen - My father told stories about growing up poor in NY and working by the time he was 13 in a variety of jobs including Western Union in upper Manhattan. He saw how the other half lived and he wanted that life for himself. About 15 years ago he built a home for him and my mother in Florida and replicated the entry hall in their home that he had seen 60+ years before in an upper East Side apartment building. He's a visual thinker and has a visual memory. He also has the belief that he can do anything he sets out to do because he supported his mom and his siblings from the time he was 13, so he has great confidence and optimism. At age 18, he and another man started an art studio which eventually became one of the most successful advertising agencies in New York. All of his stories had a "Can Do" attitude and message.

AJ - In that same June 2004 interview, you also said, “We each have our own emotional truth. That truth might not be exactly factually correct, but what is important for the person writing memoir is how they recall the event and what meaning they make out of it for their lives.” Given the scandals in memoir-world since A Million Little Pieces, and, granted, that your quote does also include a no-fabrication caveat, do you still stand by this statement? And, if so, how does a memoirist distinguish between emotional truth and embellishment?

Maureen - I think A Million Little Pieces is an unfortunate example of memoir. James Frey originally wrote the book as fiction and after 20+ rejections his agent suggested selling it as memoir. He admits, with apology, to it being embellished but it did cast a pall on the validity of memoir (even though I think it did more good than not for a lot of people).

I always ask my students to write their memoir with as much accuracy as possible. It might help to check your memory with family members, friends, or colleagues but what is ultimately important is YOUR memory of an event, or an episode in your life and what you learned from that. I have a student, at present, who is writing about her recovery from a brain tumor. She doesn't remember much about the details of her hospitalization so she asks her husband about that, but she certainly remembers the feelings of being told, at 28, that she had a massive brain tumor that she might not recover from. She's facing, in her writing, how her life and dreams for her future have changed dramatically since the operation to remove a brain tumor 8 years ago. It's her emotional truth that's important; she's dealing with the theme of fairness/unfairness in life and recovery and restitution. The underlying emotional/archetypal themes are certainly illustrated in the details of her memoir but if she gets a fact or two wrong, that's not the essence of the book. Most people don't remember with absolute accuracy a dialogue that happened many years ago so they will have to recall it to the best of their ability and focus on tone and the feelings that came through. If they have to make some of it up, I don't consider that embellishment.

AJ - What do you see is the difference between personal essay, memoir, and autobiography?

Maureen - Memoir is not an autobiography but rather a selected aspect of a life. An autobiography is usually sequential, linear, filled with facts, crosschecked. Memoir is not usually sequential, although it can be, but the important thing is that the writer is looking at a slice of life with self-reflection. There has to be some insight the writer has about her life as she recalls it for it to be a successful memoir. Most autobiographies do not include the writer's self reflection. Personal essay usually starts with a particular subject, like friendship, illness, moving, or holidays and is subject oriented. Memoir starts with a scene, an episode, a memory and the writer follows the memory to see where it takes them – hopefully to a better understanding of their life.

Maureen Murdock is a depth psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and has been teaching writing and memoir since the 1990s. She is the author of the bestselling book, The Heroine's Journey: Woman's Quest for Wholeness, as well as the newly revised Fathers' Daughters: Breaking the Ties that Bind. Other books include Unreliable Truth: On Memoir and Memory; Spinning Inward: Using Guided Imagery with Children; and The Heroine's Journey Workbook. She edited the 2002 anthology Monday Morning Memoirs: Women in the Second Half of Life and her books have been translated into 11 languages. She is currently writing a memoir about madness and addiction in the family and teaches memoir writing at the UCLA Extensions Writers' Program and San Francisco Writing Salon. For more information on Maureen, her books, and writing classes visit her Web site at www.photowords.com/Murdock/index.htm.

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WIWA ANNOUNCES

Board Update. There have been several updates to the WIWA board and the MFA board since our October edition that, I believe, merit us publishing a complete list of the new officers. Welcome to all and many thanks for your willingness to add your elbow grease to improve our organization.

WIWA Board:

Susan Wilmoth, President

Cameron Castle, Vice President

Linda Casale, Secretary, pro tem

Garr Kuhl, Treasurer, pro tem

Antoinette (Toni) Grove, MFA Governing Board Chair

Pam Owen, Advisory (non-voting)

Donna Hood, Member

Sharon Boyle, Member

MFA Board:

Antoinette "Toni" Grove, MFA Board Chair/Secretary

Nancy Ruff, Treasurer

Allan Ament

Gray Kochhar-Lindgren

Sue Ellen White

Lorraine Healey

Wayne Ude, Advisory (non-voting)

Report for First Annual Critique Mania Fundraiser

by Marian Blue

With joy and enthusiasm, join all of us at Whidbey Island Writers Association in celebrating the success of Critique Mania, the fall fundraiser for the future Soundings Review. Fifty-five authors from the US and Europe agreed to critique poetry, fiction and nonfiction for this event. In all, we received sixty-three submissions in addition to donations of $295, for a total of $1555.00 raised. The submissions came from three countries (with twelve US States represented).

The bulk of the submissions were fiction, so many of the authors who were poets or nonfiction writers didn’t receive anything to critique, but we look forward to increasing the volume of submissions in another fundraiser in 2008 (we’ve already received requests for a repeat event).

A heartfelt “thank you” to all who participated, most especially to the authors who graciously donated their time and energy to this fundraiser. Many of those who submitted material have written to say they were recipients of thoughtful and thorough critiques on their work, something that requires great mental and emotional effort on the part of the reviewing authors.

If any of you have suggestions, I would like to hear back from you. What worked? What didn’t? What options would you like to have in the future? For those submitting the material, did you feel that the guidelines as to fees and length of material were appropriate? For authors, was the turn-around time adequate? Did you receive material that met the guidelines you had? Any information you’d like to share is welcome; contact Marian Blue through the WIWA office at wiwa@whidbey.com.

We will be in contact in the near future with details about Soundings Review and when you can expect to see the inaugural issue.

Thank you all again.

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ON THE ISLAND

The Whidbey Island Writers Group presents their new book, Whidbey Connections, at a book signing and reading. Please join us on December 9 at the Coupeville Community Hall from 3-5 pm. Light food and beverage and great readings will be served. The authors will be there to sign your books.

3rd Tuesday Whidbey Island Writers at 3 Cats Cafe. Join your Island writing colleagues the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m – December 18 and January 15 – at the Bayview Corner in South Whidbey Island. Dessert, espresso drinks, wine available. Call 360-221-5460 for more information.

Molly Cook’s Skylark Writing Studio on South Whidbey is scheduling workshops beginning the week of January 14 starting with a continuation of the Autobiography/Personal Essay workshop. For more information call 360-221-2298.

The Oak Harbor Library, at a joint meeting of the Friends of the Library and the Mystery Readers Group, will host WIWA member Larry Karp on Thursday, January 17, at 3:00 p.m. Larry’s presentation will demonstrate the ways he went about doing research to assure factual accuracy and flesh out characters and settings for his well-received historical mystery, The Ragtime Kid.

Poetry Slam at the Dog House, 230 First Street, Langley, Wednesday, Winter hours – CLOSED on Wednesdays. We’ll let you know when the Slams start back up again.

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WIWA Winter 2007 Classes and Workshops. After the holidays, we’ll all have tons of material to get down in ink – WIWA winter writing classes and workshops are a great way to start the year. See the summaries below or go to the Classes and Workshops Web pages, and then call the WIWA office at 360-331-6714 or write to wiwa@whidbey.com to register.

Classes:

Writing Styles and the 8-Step Process – Mondays, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., January 7 through March 10.

Advanced Poetry – Tuesdays, 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., January 8 - March 11.

I have a pen and I want to write-What now? – Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., January 8 through March 11.

Introduction to Technical Writing – Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., January 9 through March 12.

Making Characters Come Alive – Thursdays, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., January 10 through March 13.

Advanced Fiction Workshop – Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., January 16 through March 19.

Workshops:

Memoir – full day workshop. January 26, February 2, and February 9, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Getting the Idea: Playing on the Page – full day workshop. January 19, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Publishing Choices: POD (Print-on-Demand), Self-Publishing, Traditional Publisher – half-day workshop. January 12, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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WIWA-Sponsored Writing Groups. WIWA sponsors a broad selection of writing groups, both on-island and online. You can find the details for your particular locale or genre on the WIWA Web site at WIWA Writers Groups.

Whidbey-poets@googlegroups.com is an online poetry critique group open to all members of WIWA. To subscribe to the group, email your request to wiwa@whidbey.com. During each month of we have a suggested topic for writing, however, subscribers to the group are encouraged to circulate poems on any topic at any time. Remaining 2007 topics: December – No Ordinary Trip.

Topics for 2008:

January--List Poems

February--Elegy

March--Shadorma (a syllabic Spanish form; look it up)

April--political commentary

May--Triolet

June--Haiku

July--Elegy

August--Thesis, antithesis and synthesis

September--Humor

October--Pantoum

November--fantasy

December--Fibonacci (do a Google search, these are fun short poems)

Editor’s Note: WIWA encourages its members to be creative in forming writing groups that meet your genre’s special needs. If you have an idea for a writing group and you’d like to take the lead in making it a reality, we’d love to assist. The proposal form and group guidelines can be found at: New Group Proposal. You don’t have to be a WIWA member to join a writers’ group, but you will have to become a member to remain in the group once you’ve joined.

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OFF THE ISLAND

Richard Hugo House Events. December events being sponsored by Richard Hugo House. Details at http://www.hugohouse.org/events/.

Write Time. Hugo House's writing workshop series for youth. FREE. Tuesday, December 11, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Stage Fright. Hugo House's open mic for writers 14-24. FREE. Wednesday, December 12, 7:00 p.m.

Red Sky Poetry Theater Reunion. A reunion of Seattle's longest-running open mic, featuring Paul Hunter and Marion Kimes. $2 Donation. Friday, December 14, 7:00 p.m.

Hugo Works in Progress. New! Hugo House's open mic for adults. FREE. Monday, December 17, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

SoulFood Poetry Night. Every third Thursday, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at SoulFood Books, 15748 Redmond Way, Redmond, WA. Featured readers, followed by open mic. Free. December 13 (2nd Thursday) and January 17. For directions, visit www.soulfoodbooks.com or call the store at 425-881-5309 or email info@soulfoodbooks.com.

Open Mic Poetry Jam. The second Friday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Arts Alive! gallery in Enumclaw (1429 Cole St) led by WIWA member Debbie Fank. December 14 and January 11.

The Hero’s Journey--a workshop for writers and illustrators. Saturday, December 15, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., Seattle. Only Ten Seats Available: To reserve your seat, email: john@boysread.org. 100% of tuition fee supports BoysRead.

Field’s End Writers’ Roundtable. “Opening pages: what grabs; what drags?” with romance writer Ann Roth. Tuesday, December 18, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Bainbridge Public Library. Free.

Literary Arts invites you to a series of readings by local authors who inspire high school students to find their voices through the written word. Bipartisan Café, 7901 SE Stark St. Portland, OR, Tuesday, January 15, at 7:00 p.m.

Richard Hugo House Six Week Courses. All of these are limited class sizes. Details and registration at http://www.hugohouse.org/classes/listings/.

Practice Might Make Perfect, But Practice First: Writing the Personal Essay. Tuesdays, January 22 through February 26, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Disciplined Artist. Wednesdays, January 23 through February 27, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Generating Poems. Saturdays, January 26 through March 1, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Ireland Writers' Retreat: Seeking two groups of 12 writers for weeklong writers' retreat in County Kerry, Ireland, May 2008. Week begins with seminar by notable Irish author Niall Williams. Fee includes all meals and accommodations in beautiful rural setting. For information and photos write to marcie.miller11@gmail.com.

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THE FIRE IN FICTION by Donald Maass, a Field’s End Workshop on Bainbridge Island

by Debbie Mickelson, WIWA member

Bainbridge Island author and previous Whidbey Island Writers Conference presenter Susan Wiggs introduced Donald Maass, president and founder of The Donald Maass Literary Agency (www.maassagency.com). With over twenty years experience as a highly successful literary agent, Donald Maass represents over one hundred fiction authors in the United States and overseas. Author of The Career Novelist, Writing the Breakout Novel, and The Breakout Novel Workbook, plus seventeen novels, Donald is an in-demand speaker in publishing. His forthcoming book on writing craft, The Fire in Fiction, due out in 2009, was the premise for this workshop.

What happens after the first published novel? Continued publication is a tough pace for established writers to keep. There are deadline pressures, with authors often expected to produce one novel per year. Staying inspired on a high level of writing is difficult. Donald began the discussion with his thoughts on what it takes to remain an inspired and successful writer. Masterpiece writing is not magic. Magic is unpredictable and not repeatable. Passion, however, inspires great technique and is a practical tool. When a writer has a burning drive to get something on paper, the words flow. How do experienced writers go wrong? They are self indulgent and often fool themselves. Writers of all levels allow writing myths to seduce them. Greatness is a worked skill, and with command of their passion, master authors stay at the top.

Writers are successful when developing the world of story without mere descriptions. It’s natural for writers to pull back or tip toe into their characters, resulting in flat and expected actions and emotions. For writers to stay on top, scenes must be stronger. Unexpected moments of emotion make the story passionate. Master authors go beyond obvious emotion and details to give a scene setting more force. And it is the skill of involving the reader’s emotions that makes a story. Donald effectively utilized hands-on exercises to illustrate his techniques.

Place and Time. A large majority of the audience had a novel in progress, allowing the exercises to work for them with specific scenes and characters. Donald began with the audience thinking of a scene from their project (if applicable), and listing five to ten obvious things about the setting. Next, he said, make a line through that list. Now, slow down and look at what the protagonist sees. How does he or she feel about the place? What is the most extreme emotion of this place? Use these emotions to write the scene. See if it now shows passion and not just description.

At the completion of this exercise, Donald asked the question, “How many of you like what you wrote?” The majority of the participants raised their hands. Continuing, he asked, “How many of you think that you can use this in your project?” Again, the majority raised their hands, confirming this as a productive exercise using emotions to create a powerful scene.

It’s also important to use the time-period to reflect emotions in the scene, Donald explained. There are social values, political ideas, fashion characteristics, sports, and music of the times that give your protagonist strong emotions and motivation. How does he or she feel about these things? Does he or she approve or disapprove? Does the protagonist feel angered by an event during that time? What would the protagonist do or say? Utilize color and the way people think. Get down to the core values. All of these areas create strong, motivated characters and exciting scenes.

The writer must create a world for the reader. It’s the writer’s job to point-by-point convince the readers that what happens in the story is real; that an event can, must, and does happen. There must be obstacles for the protagonist to overcome to make an event or moment happen. Step by step, the author must convince the reader that a specific moment could happen by taking away the objections. The reader must “buy” the story. That is success. Donald admits that it’s hard to do. It takes more work to pull off and is the reason for a writer’s resistance.

Action. Sex and violence are the least riveting scenes in a story. Why? According to Donald, they are usually merely descriptive and don’t move us or grab our attention. Readers often skim or skip over these scenes. To make them more captivating, the writer must dissect the scene. Begin by picking five pieces of the violence or sex scene. Next, freeze frame each piece. This brings out the physical aspects of the scene. Finally, it’s important to get to the point of view (POV) character’s emotions for each piece in the scene. But don’t get just the obvious emotions. It’s essential that the writer obtain the secondary or unexpected emotions of the protagonist. It’s these vivid, unpredicted actions and details, the unexpected emotions, that get to the reader.

The Saggy Middle. After this brief discussion on sex and violence scenes, the workshop looked at sagging middle scenes. A writer must keep the story moving from beginning to end. This requires deconstructing the scenes. A writer needs to find the turning point of each scene, the moment when things are different. To illustrate this point, Donald had everyone take the scene that they wrote in the beginning and do a mental chronology ten minutes prior and poll the character’s feelings. How does the character feel about his or her self at that moment? Now, wind to ten minutes after the action and poll the character again? Have the POV character ask, “How am I?” and “Who am I?” Identifying the interior characteristics of the POV character gives the scene a sense of importance.

Donald is a firm believer that there are few scenes in a story that don’t belong. They just don’t have enough emotion. Every scene needs power and should do something. Sometimes cutting a sagging scene is okay. However, he advocates that a better way to handle them is to find the deeper reason for the scene.

Unblockers. The workshop concluded with Donald giving techniques to use anytime you feel lost or blocked as a writer. Start by asking a question about your life. What was the moment in your life with the greatest betrayal – when someone lied to you or used you? Now, be more specific to the day, year, season, and time of day. What made it especially hurtful? What detail “twisted the knife?” Try to recollect objects, people, clothing, food, beverage, temperature, and light. How did you feel at that moment? What did you say or do when you realized the betrayal? When your protagonist feels betrayed, let down, fooled, or humiliated, your own experiences become your protagonist’s. If you feel stuck in your writing, ask what the strongest emotions your protagonist can have, and then use your own experience details for that scene. Details give force and impact to the story.

“Can’t you think of the reader?” Hugo Williams taught Donald’s first poetry class and gave him his most profound piece of advice. Look at your writing as if someone else is reading it. Give characters the passion and show fire in fiction. Everyone in this workshop did it; a testimony to Donald Maass’ techniques.

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MFA PROGRAM UPDATE

Editors Note: The Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Program is a low-residency program that consists of four 16-week semesters and five 10-day residencies. Residencies are held on Whidbey Island in August and January, each followed by an online semester.

Residency, Reward, Recognition

by Wayne Ude, Program Director and Fiction Faculty

January MFA residency update

The January MFA residency will take place at Captain Whidbey Inn in Coupeville, including three public readings by faculty and visiting faculty. Readings will be at the Inn. All begin at 7:15. They’re free and open to the public. Books by the authors will be available for purchase at all three readings.

Here’s the schedule:

Monday, January 7 Novelist Elizabeth George

Poet and short story writer Tess Gallagher

Poet, novelist and dramatist David Wagoner

Thursday, January 10 Nonfiction writer Gary Ferguson

Novelist and essayist Kathleen Alcala

Nonfiction writer Susan Zwinger

Friday, January 11 Novelist and young adult writer Anjali Banerjee

Children and young adult writer Bonny Becker

Children and young adult writer Carmen Bernier-Grand

Children/Young Adult author Bonny Becker joins the MFA faculty for the January residency and spring semester. She’ll teach the workshop in writing for children and young adults this semester. Becker holds an MA in creative writing from San Francisco State University and is the author of ten children's books including picture books and novels. Her books have been featured in the New York Times Book Review, read on National Public Radio and selected for the Junior Literary Guild and Children's Book of the Month Club. She's an instructor for the Institute of Children's Literature and a freelance editor and writing consultant with an expertise in story structure.

MFA faculty have been busy piling up honors.

Novelist Kathleen Alcala has won an Artist Trust Washington State Arts Commission Literary Fellowship. The 2007 Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowships honored 21 Washington artists. Each recipient receives an unrestricted cash award of $6,500. The award recognizes an artist’s creative excellence and accomplishment, professional achievement and continuing dedication to their artistic discipline. (Editor’s Note: Wayne absolutely insisted that I also let you know that a Clinton resident, Sharon Bryan, is also a 2007 Fellowship recipient – but I can’t put it in the Cheers! section because Sharon’s not a WIWA member. If you know Sharon, tell her to use $30 of her Fellowship to join WIWA – we’re neighbors, for goodness sake, not to mention that we’re always looking for talented folks to lead local workshops and classes.)

At the invitation of the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, award-winning short story writer Bruce Holland Rogers in November spent four days in Portugal speaking about creative writing. He was a guest at the Universidade Lusófona's annual conference on the fantastic where he debated the future of the short story with Portuguese authors and read from his award-winning story collection The Keyhole Opera (just published in Portugal as Pequenos mistérios). He lectured on "The Creative Writing Workshop" at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and on "The Psychology of Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular" at the Universidade Clássica de Lisboa.

Poet, novelist and dramatist David Wagoner has been appointed a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow - one of about 100 from all disciplines - ex-cabinet members, diplomats, writers, retired judges, the head of the ACLU, the director of the League of Women Voters, etc. Under the jurisdiction of Princeton, their bios and curriculums are posted for the delight of about 250 independent colleges all over the country. The administrators of those colleges select a visiting fellow and the Woodrow Wilson Foundation finances the week-long stay of that Visiting Fellow on campus, giving a lecture, tutoring or work- shopping students, reading his/her own work, and so on.

Children/young adult author Carmen T. Bernier-Grand’s latest book, Frida! Viva la vida! Long Live Life received a starred review in Booklist.

A Change of Maps, poems by Carolyne Wright (Lost Horse Press, 2006) is a winner in the Independent Publishers Book Awards for 2007 in the Poetry category (Bronze Award).

Alumni and students are doing well, too.

Alum Ann Gonzalez continues to be recognized for her upcoming young adult novel Running for My Life (formerly titled Sh, Sh, Sh and due out in March of 2008). On Friday, November 9 she was interviewed on Sound Focus on KUOW-FM, 94.9 (Seattle) about her life and writing. The interview can be heard through the Web site www.kuow.org on the Sound Focus page.

Alum Nina Bayer was profiled in the University of Washington magazine Insight.

Publications and acceptances by students and alums.

Caleb Barber, poems in Stringtown, Cascadia, and the international anthology The Fulcrum.

Nancy Boutin, an essay in Portland Review and a story in Halfway Down the Stairs.

Stefanie Freele, an essay in Shark Reef, a story in the anthology Futuristic Motherhood, and a poem in Literary Mama.

Laurie Junkins, poems in Literary Mama and Shark Reef.

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Debut of MFA Commemorative Graduation T-Shirt

by Nancy Ruff, MFA governing board chair

The pioneer class of the Whidbey Writers Workshop has left the island, but you can still share the excitement of the first Residency, the first new classmates, and the first graduation. For each event, the students commissioned t-shirts featuring the work of the talented visiting and permanent faculty to raise scholarship funds for the only Master of Fine Arts degree sponsored by an organization of writers. Award-winning poets Marvin Bell and David Wagoner donated thought-provoking poems entitled "One of the Animals" and "Muse" for the first two wearable poetry shirts.

After nonfiction author and poet Susan Zwinger shared her elaborate, illustrated journal with the class during their first week on the island, it was only a matter of time before her fantastic, full-color toad hopped onto the front of one of the shirts, and just in time for the inaugural graduation this August.

The students instituted the t-shirt series during the inaugural residency in August, 2005, inspired to share their experience with writers who might otherwise face financial hurdles to attend the MFA program. They continue to support the Whidbey Writers Workshop and hope you will, too. To see a photo of the shirt, click here and scroll down the page until it “hops” out at you. Anyone wanting to purchase a t-shirt may contact WIWA at 360- 331-6714 or email wiwa@whidbey.com.

The commemorative graduation shirts are available in long or short-sleeve styles and include sizes medium (limited supply -- long sleeve only), large, XL and 2XL. The cost is $12 for short sleeves and $20 for long sleeves. If you are unable to pick up your order in person, include an additional $3.50 per shirt to cover mailing expenses. Students paid the production costs of the shirts; therefore, all proceeds from sales will go into the scholarship endowment fund.

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Want to see what the MFA Program students are up to? Visit the student site at www.whidbeystudents.com - student publications, student blogs, interviews with writers, agents and editors, Northwest small press directory and much more.

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RECENT RELEASES

NOTE: Let us know when you’ve got a new release or publishing contract. We love to celebrate your publishing successes!

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CHEERS!

NOTE: When you place in a competition or get a submission accepted for publication, please let us know. We love to celebrate your successes!

WIWA member Susan Jensen recently received notice from the 76th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition that her essay "Couch Potato Sprout" was awarded Honorable Mention in the Memoirs/Personal Essay category and her poem "Longevity" was awarded Honorable Mention in the Non-Rhyming Poem category - each placing in the top 100 entries in each category out of 19,000 entries in this year's competition.

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CONTESTS AND MARKET REQUESTS

NOTE: When you place in a competition or get a submission accepted for publication, please let us know. We love to celebrate your successes in our CHEERS! section.

DATED CALLS:

Poets&Writers. Deadlines for grants and awards, http://pw.org/mag/grantsawards.htm.

GOT TRUTH? THE TRUTH ABOUT THE FACT International Journal of Literary Nonfiction. Accepting submissions of nonfiction literary essay & memoir; nonfiction poetry, 1000-5000 words in email attachment only. Submission deadline December 14. ccrab999@gmail.com.

Artsmith is pleased to announce the first annual Artsmith Literary Award. For 2007/2008, the contest is “Purely Poetry.” Submission deadline is December 31. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.orcasartsmith.org/id17.html.

Lunch Hour Stories magazine announces its second annual VERY Short Story and Narrative Prose Poem Contest. Submission deadline December 31. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.lunchhourstories.com/very_short_story_contest.

Kore Press, a 501(c)3 dedicated to making women’s voices heard, accepts submissions for full-length books during an open submission period each January. The open submissions period is not a contest; manuscripts are not reviewed anonymously. Kore expects to publish only two to three books in 2008, including the poetry contest winner. Manuscripts must be postmarked between January 1 and January 31. Kore seeks book-length manuscripts in poetry, memoir, fiction and creative nonfiction. Details at http://www.korepress.org/Submissions.htm.

Fred Bonnie Memorial Award For Best First Novel, sponsored by River City Publishing. Entries must be postmarked between January 1 and April 30. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.rivercitypublishing.com/newsite/bonnie.html.

Oak Tree Press is an independent publisher that celebrates writers and is dedicated to providing publishing opportunities to all writers, especially first-time authors. We consider novels and nonfiction in a wide variety of genres and subject matters with a special emphasis on mysteries and crime fiction. Contests accepting entries postmarked between January 1 through July 31 – Cop Tales, Dark Oak Mystery, and Timeless Love. Details at http://www.oaktreebooks.com/guidelines.htm.

2008 Colorado Prize for Poetry. Submission deadline January 11. Details and guidelines at http://coloradoprize.colostate.edu/sub.html.

Glimmer Train Press submissions calendar. Details at http://www.glimmertrain.com/writguid1.html.

Fiction Open – Submission deadline January 15

Very Short Fiction Award – Submission deadline January 31

Richard Hugo House - Hugo Literary Series: New Works Competition. Seeks poems, short stories, personal essays or plays, of no more than 1,500 words from residents of Washington, Oregon, Idaho or Montana. The theme is “Answered Prayers and Other Tragedies.” Submission deadline January 11. Details at http://www.hugohouse.org/events/NewWorksCompetition/.

Graywolf Press is a literary press that publishes about twenty-four books annually, mostly collections of poetry, memoir, essays, novels, and short stories. Reading period begins January 15. Details at

http://www.graywolfpress.org/.

10th Annual Whidbey Island Writers Conference 2008 Benefactor's Award Writing Contest

The contest is open to all registered conference attendees. Categories include: essay, short fiction, children's literature, and poetry. Conference participants may submit one entry in each genre. Multiple submissions in any one genre will result in disqualification. Submission deadline February 1. Details at http://www.writeonwhidbey.com/Contest_Scholarships/Benefactors_Contest.htm.

Macadam/Cage Publishing Inc. was founded in 1998 with the aim of publishing books of quality fiction and nonfiction and with the commitment to bringing new and talented voices to the literary marketplace. Submission period opens February 1. Details at http://www.macadamcage.com/.

The Literary Journal of the University of South Carolina proudly presents The Pocataligo Poetry Contest. $500 prize. Submission deadline February 15. Details and guidelines at http://www.yemasseejournal.org/contests.html.

Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest. The eight finalists in each category are read by agents and editors, some of whom attend the PNWA conference. Submission deadline February 22. Details at http://www.pnwa.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=13.

The Ledge 2008 Fiction Awards Competition. Submit previously unpublished fiction of 7,500 words or less. Submission deadline February 29. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.theledgemagazine.com/Fiction%20Awards%20Contest.htm.

Upstreet literary magazine seeks quality submissions with edge for fourth issue – fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction. Submission deadline March 1. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.upstreet-mag.org/guideline_layers.html.

Blue Begonia Press, independent publisher of poetry for thirty years, is accepting submissions of full-length manuscripts for publication in 2008 from poets residing in Washington State who have never published a full-length poetry book. (Chapbooks OK). Submission deadline March 31. Details at http://www.bluebegoniapress.com/index.php?page_id=317.

West Branch A Twice-Yearly Journal of Literature Published at Bucknell University's Stadler Center for Poetry. The 2007-08 reading period is open. Fiction and nonfiction submissions may be sent by email, poetry submissions only by postal mail. Submission deadline is April 15. Submission guidelines at http://www1.bucknell.edu/Arts_at_Bucknell/West_Branch/Submit.html.

Sol Books Poetry Series grants one annual award for a book-length collection of poetry. The winning entry will receive a standard royalty contract, including a $500 advance, and be published as an ebook, with the possibility of a printed version being produced at a later date. Finalists may also be offered a publishing contract. Submission deadline April 30th. Details and guidelines at http://solbooks.com/contests/poetrycontestrules.html.

The 2008 Mid-American Review Fineline Competition for Prose Poems, Short Shorts, and Anything In Between. First prize $1,000 plus publication. Submission deadline is May 1. Guidelines at http://www.bgsu.edu/studentlife/organizations/midamericanreview/2008fineline.html.

OPEN CALLS

Absey & Co. accepts mainstream fiction and nonfiction, poetry, educational books, especially those dealing in language arts. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.absey.com/.

Carnifex Press is proud to announce the formation of our new imprint, which will focus exclusively on Young Adult Fantasy and Horror novellas. Reading period is open until further notice. Details and guidelines at http://carnifexpress.net/blogs/index.php?cat=61.

Coffee House Press publishes emerging and midcareer authors - literary novels, full-length short story collections, and essays. Details at http://www.coffeehousepress.org/resources.asp.

Dreamriver Press is a freshly launched publishing house. We print books contributing to the positive change taking place on the planet - moving us into a new age. We are mainly interested in works on topics of "spirituality/mind-body-spirit" and "environment." For more information, view our Web site at www.dreamriverpress.com.

Leaf Press - Monday's Poem. We select 4 poems from those we receive each month. Please email your poem and bio to ursula@leafpress.ca. Subject Line: Monday's Poem. We ask for non-exclusive

one-time electronic rights only, but poets are given an option to archive the poem on the site.

Please supply credits for poems previously published in the journals; poems published in books or on another Web site are not eligible. We will ask selected poets to email us a quirky photo as well. We regret not being able to pay in cash—10080 minutes of fame is the best we can do. More details at http://www.leafpress.ca/guidelines.htm.

Mid-List Press is a nonprofit literary press dedicated to the survival of the mid-list, those quality titles that are being neglected by the larger commercial houses. Our focus is on new and emerging writers. Details and guidelines at http://www.midlist.org/generalsubmissions.cfm.

Narrative Magazine welcomes submissions of previously unpublished manuscripts of all lengths, from short short stories to complete book-length works. We regularly publish fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, including stories, novels, novel excerpts, novellas, personal essays, humor, sketches, memoirs, literary biographies, commentary, reportage, interviews, and features of interest to readers who take pleasure in storytelling and imaginative prose. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.narrativemagazine.com/shared/submit.php.

No Record Press is a new press specializing in literary and experimental fiction and poetry titles. They also publish The Red Anthology and Poetry Flyer. Someone on their staff reportedly said, "We accept only previously unpublished writers who have neither obtained, nor are in the process of obtaining, an MFA in fiction." http://www.no-record.com/

River City Publishing publishes books of national appeal, with an emphasis on Southern writers and Southern stories. Details http://www.rivercitypublishing.com/newsite/contact/submissions.html.

Unbridled Books dedicated to publishing high-quality works that are moving, beautiful, and surprising. Details and guidelines at http://www.unbridledbooks.com/.

The Whidbey Student Choice Award for Short Forms. The Whidbey Student Choice award is open to writers of all genres, locations, and levels of professional attainment. We only require you keep the word count below 1,000 and follow the posted guidelines. Don't delay. The submission mailbox closes each month as soon as a winner is chosen. Guidelines and submission portal can be found at www.whidbeystudents.com/WSContest. Some great editing suggestions can be found at http://www.whidbeystudents.com/WSContestChecklist.htm.

Wolf Pirate Publishing. Another new press. Wolf Pirate specializes in genre fiction: Contemporary Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Suspense, Thriller. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.wolf-pirate.com/.

OTHER

Fiction Editors Wanted. In an effort to manage an enormous increase in submissions, West

Branch is looking for one or two associate fiction editors to help screen fiction submissions. Let me emphasize that this is an unpaid position, intended for someone who seeks editorial experience or

simply enjoys reading fiction in his/her free time and would appreciate the chance to do so in an official capacity. Our hope is to find someone who will stay with us for a while and for this reason we are asking for a somewhat formal application. We regret that we can't pay, but we think the non-monetary payoff will be more than worthwhile for the right person. If you are interested or have any questions contact Andrew Ciotola at ciotola@bucknell.edu.

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WIWA WEB SITE NEWS AND MEMBER SERVICES

Keep Up With Your Favorite WIWC Presenters

To make it easy for our members and conference attendees, WIWA links to the Web sites of past conference presenters who provide their Web site addresses to us. It’s a convenient place to look up your favorite presenters and find out where they’re reading and what they’re publishing. Just visit our Web site under at http://www.writeonwhidbey.com/Prior_Conferences/Prior_Presenters.html.

If you’re a past WIWC presenter and your link doesn’t appear on our links page, but you would like it to, just let us know. The only requirement is that you provide a reciprocal link to WIWA and/or the conference Web site at: http://www.writeonwhidbey.com/.

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WIWA'S WISH LIST

The Whidbey Island Writers Association is looking for generous individuals or groups interested in donating any of the following items to help us in our efforts to offer outstanding and new programs to local writers and readers. Please contact 360-331-6714 if you have any questions or to make a donation, or email wiwa@whidbey.com. WIWA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and donations may be tax deductible.

Wanted: The Chicago Manual of Style, University of Chicago Press (Looking for an angel who would order a used one through Amazon.com and have it shipped to us at WIWA, P. O. Box 1280, Langley, WA 98260).

Ongoing: Phone cards, copy paper, and new books on writing (to be used as prizes in the annual youth writing contest) always appreciated!

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WIWA SEEKS

Volunteer Newsletter Editor

Okay, not strictly volunteer – for one year’s work, six editions, you get free conference registration, worth over $300. And my two awesome peer reviewers say that good humor is a MUST qualification. Okay, here’s the official Want Ad:

WIWA Seeks Volunteer Editor for Newsletter – This position calls for an enthusiastic individual who is interested in taking an active role in all aspects of the Whidbey Island Writers Association, including the annual conference, local programs, the master of fine arts program and membership benefits. The editor will solicit and edit news, information and articles as well as develop and report stories and news events of interest to writers and the Association. Click here for details.

Volunteer Roving Reporters

Fame! Glamour! Publishing opportunities! Join WIWA's team of volunteers as event-specific and beat reporters. I know you’re out there attending events and participating in our local writing community and our readers want to hear about your experiences. (Okay, fame and glamour I can’t promise, but two of our contributing reporters have been contacted by outside publishers as a result of their WIWA articles.)

There is no payment or stipend available for event or class tuition. Reporters will work with the newsletter editor to report on current events they attend to bring pertinent news back to our writing readership. For more information, please contact the Newsletter Editor directly at NewsletterEditor@writeonwhidbey.com.

WIWA does not pay for articles published in the newsletter, but your article will be circulated to approximately 2,000 writers, agents and publishers via our newsletter’s email distribution list and posted on the WIWA Web site. After publication, all rights revert to the author, who may freely use publication in the WIWA newsletter as a publishing “clip” either in hardcopy, PDF format, or by citing to the newsletter archives on the WIWA Web site. All rights are retained by the author, but we’d love it if you cite the original publication with us when the article is republished.

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QUOTATIONS

NOTE: Please send us quotations about writing that you would like to share.

“Wisdom too often never comes, and so one ought not to reject it merely because it comes late.” – Felix Frankfurter

“Medicine is my lawful wife and literature my mistress; when I get tired of one, I spend the night with the other.” – Anton Chekhov

“The land of literature is a fairy land to those who view it at a distance, but, like all other landscapes, the charm fades on a nearer approach, and the thorns and briars become visible” – Washington Irving

“The only sensible ends of literature are, first, the pleasurable toil of writing; second, the gratification of one's family and friends; and lastly, the solid cash” – Nathanial Hawthorne

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CYBERSURFING

NOTE: If you find a Web site you think other writers would find useful, send us the URL.

Camel Book Drive. Donate To Kenya’s Mobile Library http://camelbookdrive.wordpress.com/

The Futility Review. Submitted by our beloved Marian Blue. You’ve just got to check out the Guidelines! Be careful that your mouse isn’t hovering over the Record icon while you’re laughing out loud. http://www.futilityreview.com/index.html

RhymeZone. Submitted by WIWA member Julian Taber who says, “Some poets think using a rhyming dictionary is cheating. I use them a lot. It seems the more I use them the less I need them. One of the best on line is: http://www.rhymezone.com/.”

The Page. Poetry, essays, language, ideas. http://thepage.name/ Wow! Another awesome submission by Julian Taber.

The Baby Name Wizard's NameVoyager. Searching for a time-appropriate name for your murderer in 1892 Baltimore? NameVoyager is an interactive portrait of America's name choices. Start with a "sea" of nearly 5000 names. Type a letter, and zoom in to focus on how that initial has been used over the past century. Then type a few more letters, or a name. Each stripe is a timeline of one name, its width reflecting the name's changing popularity. If a name intrigues you, click on its stripe for a closer look. http://www.babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/

10,000 Names. Other name-finder tools on ivillage.com include find it, famous names, dictionary, favorites. With character-perfect names like this one - ALIDA: Greek for "beautifully dressed." Perfect for the child of a compusive shopper. I went to school with a girl named Alida and she really was just the fashion perfectionist! http://parenting.ivillage.com/pregnancy/babynames/finder/0,,,00.html

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WRITERS ASK / WRITERS RESPOND

Do you have a question on writing or publishing that could use additional input? Do you have writing or publishing resources, information or experience that you’d like to share with our readers?

From WIWA member Dan McGuire: As a semi-novice, I'm curious about a phrase that I've seen in a number of such lists. What exactly is "creative" nonfiction?

Questions and responses can be sent to NewsletterEditor@writeonwhidbey.com and may be published in upcoming editions of the newsletter for the benefit of all readers.

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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, or learned valuable tips from a writing class. Perhaps you're a professional willing to share your expertise. We want your writing related articles. We want to hear your good news for the Cheers or Recent Releases columns, too. Have you discovered interesting markets, contests and cyber sites that we should know about? Or do you have a favorite quote to share? Contact us about the newsletter for any reason at NewsletterEditor@writeonwhidbey.com. For information about the Conference, email writers@whidbey.com. The WIWA Web site is http://www.writeonwhidbey.com.

2008 newsletter submission dates:

January 15 for February 1 edition

March 15 for April 1 edition

May 15 for June 1 edition

July 15 for August 1 edition

September 15 for October 1 edition

November 15 for December 1 edition

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TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE

The WIWA Newsletter is published approximately every two months and posted to our Web site at http://www.writeonwhidbey.com/Publications/. If you would like to receive an email announcing when each new edition of the newsletter is available, send an email, with SUBSCRIBE WIWA in the subject line, to wiwa@whidbey.com. If you would like to unsubscribe, please reply to the announcing email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject, and we will delete you from our records. WIWA will not share or sell your name or email address.