Write Angles November 2010

8/7/2019 Write Angles November 2010

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November2010

Helen Hunt Jackson (18301885) wrote poetry, novels, and children's stories. Her first novel,Mercy Philbrick's Choice, was published anonymously and is a character study thought to bebased on Jackson's lifelong friend,Emily Dickinson.A Century of Dishonor, her account of thegovernment's injustices to Native Americans, led to her appointment as a governmentinvestigator of Californias mission Indians. When her report failed to improve conditions forCalifornia Indians, she returned to writing fiction. Her most famous novel, Ramona (1884),dramatized the plight of the Native Americans she so wanted to help.


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by Lloyd Lofthouse

This year the Berkeley Branch of the California Writers Club (CWC)has Barbara Ruffner, Linda Brown, and me doing the job of one branchpresident.I'm filling the president's chair from November 2010 to theend of February 2011. In March 2011, Linda will sit in that chair forfour months.A few weeks ago, the Diablo branch, of which I'm also a member, had

its newly minted president get a job out of state and he's moving. Iunderstand that the previous Diablo branch president, who probablywanted a break, is returning to fill the open space so the branch willkeep breathing.

The nonprofit CWC, founded in 1909, had among its honorary membersJack London, Joaquin Miller, Ina Coolbrith, and other outstandingliterary friends to help writers survive and thrive in a vast forest ofbooks. (See www.calwritersclub.org, History.) The club survives andthrives because of the efforts of volunteers. Otherwise, there would beno club.

Pres. John F. Kennedy said, "Do not ask what your country can do foryou. Ask what you can do for your country." The next president, LBJ,reversed that concept and created his Great Society, launch-ing theentitlement, self-esteem movements that keep asking, "What can yourgovernment or mom and dad do for you?"

In publishing, writers are one tree in a global forest. Last year, morethan one million new titles were published, less than a quarter comingfrom traditional publishers. Fewer than 20 percent of men in America

read books. Half the adult population is semi-illiterate and probablyread only ads. What's left is a shrinking audience for the written word.I've even met writers who do not read what other people write.

If you are writing your poetry, short stories, fiction, or nonfiction to getfamous or rich in a hurry, you are in the wrong place. Go buy a lotteryticket and sit in front of your TV or computer, and watch the numberscome up to see if you are that one out of twenty million that wins. Drinka Coke and eat some French fries or chips while you wait.

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November2010

ContentsPresident's Message 1

Thoughts from the

Trenches (NCIBA) 2

November Speaker 3

A Tribute 3

One Authors Journey 4

New Member Profiles 5

Member News 6

A Farewell 7

Tidbits 7

Marketplace 8

Presidents Message

CWC Depends on Volunteers

UpcomingEvents

11/14Workshop

Marianne RogoffThe Art of the Noun

11/21Meeting

Ann SeymourThe Art of the Interview

12/11Holiday

Luncheon

1/9/11Workshop:

Karin IrelandWriting for the

Serious Beginner

1/15/11Kickoff25

thAnniversary of the

Fifth Grade Story

Contest

Fewer than 20 percent ofmen in America read books.


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By Alon Shalev

At the Northern CaliforniaIndependent Booksellers Associationtradeshow, nine authors under theCWC Banner offered their books, sellsheets, and souls. The display lookedgood on Thursday, when we set it up.

Friday morning, the big sellers hadestablished themselves withmountains of books and heliumballoons. We probably all took a deepbreath as we filed into the MarriottConference Center in Oakland,minutes before the announcementcame: The floor is now open.

Thoughts from the TrenchesOn the Floor of the NCIBA Trade Show

The CWC is a destination for writers who are passion-

ate about their craft and want to find readers for theirwork.To provide support, the CWC organizes critiquegroups and offers connections to editors, who usuallyexpect to be paid since they can't live on air and wateralone. After the manuscript is ready, the next step isto be published, and the choice is traditional or self-published. Both paths offer no guarantees of success.

The truth is that no matter how hard a writer works,finding an audience isn't easy. In fact, it is estimatedthat there are fewer than 200 published authors inAmerica who earn enough money to pay the bills with-

Volunteers___________________________________(continued from page 1)

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For me it was a special moment: thefirst time I actually held a copy of mybook, The Accidental Activist, in myhands. The books had not arrivedfrom the printers by Thursday, and Ihad reluctantly set up my corner with

my previous book and a sell sheetannouncing the new release.

The conference is grueling. You standin front of the exhibit tables and waitfor unsuspecting independentbookstore staff to glance at yourbook. Then you pounce and pitch.

out working a second job, and I'm not one of them. I've

heard and believe that more than 90% of being an authoris marketing the writing. A few months ago, I stepped upto work with Alon Shalev, and we launched the marketingsupport group. I also host the marketing blog.

The CWC was founded to help writers learn about thewriting and publishing world. However, the CWC can'tdo this without volunteers stepping in to fill the positionsthat keep the club running. So, don't ask what the clubcan do for you without finding out what you can do forthe club.

They take your precious babyand toss it into a large bagtogether with all those otherfreebies from distributors, pub-

lishers, and authors. Like ananxious parent, you wonderwhether your little tyke willstand out among its fellows.

"How's it going?" I am asked."Will you do this again?"

The answer depends uponwhether the bookstores followup and order books. Better yet,if they request that the authorput in an appearance in the

store.

As they shuffle away, leaningfrom the weight of many booksin their bulging bag, you watchthem struggle. A strugglingindustry observed through theeyes of a struggling author.

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Were familiar with the aphorism:write what you know. How about:write what you feel? Ann Seymour,our speaker for the November 21meeting, does both. A featurewriter for the San FranciscoChronicle, West Magazine (San Jose

Mercury News), fashionlines.com,and Gentry, Seymour is the authorof Ive Always Loved You, publishedby Firefall media last year. The bookis a tribute to her father, Maj. FrankRibbel, who died fighting in thePhilippines during World War II.Seymour took full advantage of thepossibilities provided by narrativenonfiction in crafting Ive AlwaysLoved You. She based her account onchildhood memories of a family tornapart by war, but also on extensive

A TRIBUTE

TO A HEROBy David Baker

research that included letters,diaries, newspaper articles, andbooks. One reviewer called her storya memoir, but its more than that.

She portrays her own experiencesduring the war but also AmericanG.I.s in combat and Emperor Hirohitoin conflict with members of hisfamily. Her narrative shifts fromCalifornia to the island of Luzon tothe Imperial Palace in Tokyo, settingswhere real people, or creativereproductions of them, illuminatehistorical events.

At first, Seymour had difficulty get-ting Ive Always Loved You published.

She self-printed the book at Kinkos.Then, at her grandsons suggestion,she joined Facebook and sharedexcerpts from her book with friends,who put her in touch with theirfriends, one whom happened to be apublisher. We need to hear moreabout this.

At the November meeting, well askAnn Seymour about featurewritin shes interviewed John

November Speaker

Rice, Charles Schwab, two NobelLaureates, and NASA SETIs chief,Jill Tartar. Well seek advice aboutusing electronic media to callattention to our work. And well

inquire about the challenges a writerfaces using narrative nonfiction toreconstruct the past. With Seymouras our guide, we can explore theseareas and many more.

Farewell to Carlene Cole

Our time together briefA passing of treasurer torch

You served java in your humble abodeI sipped your bookkeeping advicePatient were you with a stranger

Doubtful and empty of knowledge

Unknown then, the call being whisperedA return to aboriginal home

Your illness dwelling within youYet bright your hopes for a cure

As days shortened, you knewThat recognition humanity bears

Your name called, at the apposite hourAn empty envelope, inside

Return to SenderGarbed in your finest, you readied yourself

For your maiden flightSheltered in the downy, feathery nest

A Great White Dove winged you home.

-Madelen Lontiong

Carlene Cole, recent past treasurer of CWC-BB, died onOctober 25 at age 80. She was working on her memoir whenshe passed away. We will miss her.

Her successor and our current treasurer, Madelen Lontiong,has written a poem to honor Carlene.

There will be a service on November 13th at 2:00 p.m. atStrawberry Creek Lodge, 1320 Addison, Berkeley.

A TRIBUTE TO

ONE OF OUR


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Traditional Path v. Self-publishing:

One Authors JourneyBy Carol Newman

For some odd cosmic reason, Ive been lucky when itcomes to being in the right time and place of change.I came of age in the San Francisco Haight district in1966 when old dogma was being discarded and theworld was looked at with fresh eyes. Topless bandscame into vogue nine years later when I was justlearning to play guitar. The experience got me startedon a musical path that lasted a lifetime. The feministmovement and computer opportunities emerged at atime when I needed to make better money to supportmy child. Gender, less of a factor when it came tolearning new technology, left a door wide open that Iwalked through. Now, once again, I find myself at the

brink of a revolutionself publishing.

I gave the traditional path a shot when I first startedmy book, Radical Feminist in a Topless Band, becausethere was no other option. Writing conferences, infor-mative in some ways, were mostly cashing in on thedesperation of writers trying to get their work outthere. I paid forty dollars to hear someone ask me whatfamous author I wrote like and what my marketing spielwas. Dysfunctional Simpsons family meets in a bid totake over Manhattan, or some such nonsense. Writersthinking they had to go along with this humiliating salespitch reminded me of housewives nodding their headsin agreement when told they should have the kids quietand dinner ready when their men came home fromwork. One writing teacher at the Maui Conference saidwe needed to have a favorite book open so we couldrefer to itessentially, copy someone elses style? Histheory was that unless you were already famous, yourvoice wasnt going to capture the interest of anyonewho had the power to help you on your path to glory.I dont buy books that are hyped like that and I dontknow anyone who does. We all just want to read acompelling story told in a clear voice.

One exception, and I m sure there are more, was TedWeinstein. Instead of trying to teach me how to pitch,

he listened to where I was with the process. He told methat I would need to have the story run through a fewcritique groups, a good content editor, and when it wasone hundred percent finished, have at least ten peopleread the book. At the time I figured I was ninety per-cent finished and some brilliant editor would take itthe rest of the way. It would take another five years toget to the point where I couldnt do another thing tomake it better.

I believe that to be the best, you need to learn fromthe best so I attended the San Francisco Writers

Workshop for two years. Scott Kemble, a publishedauthor who spoke at a CWC BB meeting, turned me onto Paul McCarthy, who has edited nine books that madeit to the top of the New York Times Best-Seller list. Hiswarm, enthusiastic feedback minimized my ramblingthoughts and zeroed me in on what I wanted to say.

I received good responses when I sent it to publishers.One said, I m sure I m passing on a gem, but I haveother priorities right now. Seal Press said they had atwo-hour meeting on my book, but in the end decidedagainst it. Their requirement was a brief description ofeach chapter. Nobody had the time to actually read it.

Rejections from agents and publishers were based oneither a short query letter or a short description of thebook and maybe, a sample chapter. One agent offeredto represent me, but he wrote, What do you have toloose? Did I want an agent who couldnt spell? A littlepoking around on Google confirmed that his reputationwasnt all that good anyway.

Truth is, most publishers and agents arent capable ofgetting me any more exposure than I can get on myown, and the ones who have contacts and moneyhandle already successful people. If this were ten yearsago, I wouldnt have any other option but to play thegame, no matter how intensely I disliked it. I would notbe able to afford the cost of mass producing a book andI certainly wouldnt be able to cover marketing costs.

I first published on Scribd.com. Reviews from friendsand fellow writers were heart-warming, but no strang-ers paid the $3.00 selling price to view the entire book.Then I published on Amazon.com, Print on Demand.(The working Web site is Createspace.com.). Biglearning curve even with the excellent support of theAmazon team. I chose a book size of 6 x 9. I couldchange the page size, but Createspace.com requires aPDF format, and the free Adobe converter doesntallow the page size to be altered. A new version of

Adobe Acrobat solved the problem. Producing colorphotos costs a lot more, but my husband foundInfanView, a program with a Grayscale option that tookout the color and can also change pictures to 300 DPI,the recommended minimum. For covers and binding,Createspace.com provides an easy-to-use template.

When my story had a beginning, end, and cover that Icould hold in my hand and take to bed with me, I wasinspired to make it look like something Id buy. I no-ticed overused words or phrases, awkward sentence

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New Member

Profiles

Dirk Wales

What I like about writing is that its better than psychotherapy, yourealways learning something, and its the most fun you can have withyour clothes on.

I began writing when I was a theater student at U.C.L.A., where I wroteplays. Nothing is better than sitting in the audience and seeing if whatyou wrote works on the stage. After taking a fiction writing class at theUniversity of Chicago, I began to write short stories. Still fun, causeyou get to read your stories aloud. Finally, I write childrens books. Mybook, Owney: A Lucky Dog, has sold 31,000 copies and will be madeinto a feature movie. Owneya real-life dog who lived in the AlbanyNew York Post Office in the 1890swill be featured on a U.S. PostageStamp in 2011.

So, I am a lucky dog too.

During the Cold War, while in the U.S.Army, just out of college, I was a public

information specialist with the 2ndArmored Cavalry on the Czech border,a fascinating and challenging assign-ment. I collected notes and photos andbackground with the idea of somedaywriting a book about it. Aftermy tour,IworkedinPRand advertising for anumber of agencies and companies.I still work in PR as a consultant. Overthe past few years, my work schedulehas given me time to focus on my book.

TitledA 20-Minute War, it is now

available from Amazon,Barnes &Noble,Borders, and local book stores.While it is set in the army, it's a moregeneral coming-of-age story. Theprincipal character is shaped by whathe sees and does as a soldier in post-war Europe. For more information seeMember News.

John Q. McDonald

I have been writing essays and stories since1993 and have been published in small jour-nals over the years. I try to express my visualsense and observations about the physicalworld, the setting of our lives, and thosechanges that come more rapidly with eachpassing year. Ive written one (unpublished)novel and am working on a second. I work atthe University of California as a spacecraftengineer. I paint pictures in oils and have an

Journey______________________________________________ (Continued from page 4)

structure, and was more aware of format. I could see the story from a more detached perspective. Now I could sendan actual book to people Id written about and get their feedback and permission to write about them. The good (orbad) news: you can revise your book at any time on both Scribd.com and Amazon. With Scribd.com, the modifiedversion is uploaded immediately. On Amazon, it takes a month to get the proof, approve it, and see the new version.

It was a big thrill to see my first royalty payment show up in my checking account. So far, its not much, but I haveyet to market the book, or even tell acquaintances that Ive written one. I want to go slow, see how its received.Will I need t to make more improvements? My next step is to tell my golf league and fellow California Writers Clubmembers that the book is for sale on Amazon.com. At the beginning of October, I uploaded a Kindle version. TheWeb site to publish digitally is Dtp.amazon.com.

My future plans include publishing on Barnes & Noble and Borders Web sites, looking for self-published bookcontests, and exploring marketing options. Ill keep you posted.

abiding interest in architecture, which has included participating in a

writing seminar at the university's department of architecture.

I'm a voracious reader and have many favorites, though the ones mostinfluential on my work include Iris Murdoch, Claude Simon, VirginiaWoolf, and Marcel Proust.

Interested readers can see my most recent essay online in EarthSpeakMagazine: http://www.earthspeakmagazine.com/issue2.htm, and someof my paintings at: http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/~jmcd/art/.

Irv

Hamilton


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David Gray is promoting his nonfiction work-in-progress, How andWhy All Languages Continuously Change. On the first Monday ofevery month from December to April, he will present a talk in theback room of Cafe Au Coquelet, 2000 University Avenue, Berkeley(near BART). Come at 6 p.m. for dinner or at 6:45 for the talk.See [email protected] for information about lecture topics.

Irv Hamiltons new novel,A 20-Minute War, self-published byiUniverse, is now available on Amazon, Borders, and Barnes &Noble.Irv has had readings/signings in Lompoc and at Books Inc.,Alameda, and was in Alamedas Webster Street Jam. Anotherevent is scheduled for November 6, 7 p.m., at A Great Good Placefor Books, 6120 La Salle Ave., in Montclair Village, Oakland. HisWeb site, in development, is at www.20minutewar.com.Linda Brown attended her first Writers Retreat. Sponsored bythe Northern California CWC branches, it was at the Pema OselLing Mountain Retreat in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Linda reportsthat the getaway was just rightthe number of days away (2.5),the distance (90 miles), and the price ($225 for classes, accom-modations, and meals).Workshops included Technology Useand The Hero's Journey with Fremont member Jay Schwartz;Agent Pitch by Nina Amir, who will be the CWC-BB's Januaryspeaker; and two with Nora Profit, founder of The Writing Loft.There was also time for group sessions, readings, free writing,and socializing. About 25 people participated, from San LuisObispo to the Bay Area.The message from all the workshopleaders: You must have a platform. Publishers buy content andthe author's ability to sell books (in whatever form) through theirestablished platforms, e.g., Web sites, social media marketing,and blogs.

Risa Nye's mouth-watering piece about Oakland's Brown SugarKitchen has top billing in the "On the Road" section of VIA, theAAA magazine (November/December).

Janell Moon, author of eleven books, artist, writing coach,counselor and certified hypnotherapist, was named Emeryvillesfirst Poet Laureate at the City Council meeting on Oct. 19. (Seearticle and poem, "Gateway," in October 26 Oakland Tribune.)She seeks information about Emeryville writers to put into a

directory. In addition, she is planning for a Literary Night nextyear to follow the current exhibition of Emeryville artists (5818Shellmound Way). Janells collage was displayed at the eighthannual Emeryville Art Exhibit on October 1.Sheintroduced herbook Salt and Paper, and 65 Candles at the CWC table at theNorthern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA)show in October.

Trena Machado, RAW ArT PRESS, www.rawartpress.com,publishedJanell's book. For more information, go towww.janellmoon.com and friend Janell on FaceBook.

Member NewsJoAnn Smith Ainsworth will appear at thefollowing author events:

Sunday, 11/14/10 - 1-4 p.m. Barnes &Noble, Hacienda Crossings, 4972DublinBlvd., Dublin, CA (925-560-1495).

Friday, 11/19/10 - 7-8 p.m., with authorMary Lou Schram. A Great Good Place forBooks, 6120LaSalle Avenue, Oakland, CA.

Alon Shalev's novel, Oilspill dotcom, waspicked up by Three Clover Press and hasbeen released with a new cover under thetitle The Accidental Activist. The novel isavailable in paperback and on Kindle.

Patricia L. Morin, CWC-Marin President,announces publication of her new book,

Mystery Montage, a collection of twelveshort stories. Local readings will be onWednesday, 11/5, 5:30 p.m., Dark CarnivalBookstore, 3086 Claremont Ave., Berkeley,and Thursday, Nov/18, 7 p.m., A GreatGood Place for Books, 6120 LaSalle Ave.,Oakland.Visit Pat's Web site to learn more:www.patricialmorin.com.

Please send submissions to [email protected] Member News in the subject line.


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Our monthly meetings are

free and open to the publicand feature a speaker, anauthor event, or both.

Oakland Public LibraryWest Auditorium125 14th Street (94612)Entrance on Madison Street between

13th & 14th Streets.

About Us

The CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB, founded in 1909, is a 501(c) (3) educational nonprofit dedicatedto educating members and the public-at-large in the craft of writing and in the marketing of their work

Find out about our speakers, authors, contests, workshops, writing groups, and more at

www.cwc-berkeley.com.

Tidbits

A Farewell to a FriendW.E. (Bill) Reinka, years-ago past president of the BerkeleyBranch, resident of Oregon, and frequent contributor ofarticles to Write Angles, died Friday, October 1, following alongtime battle with lymphoma. He continued to write andparticipate in the life of his family and always worked toextend his remarkable writing skill and knowledge. His yearswith the Berkeley Branch were marked by his enthusiasticencouragement and help for writers.

Earlier this year, for perhaps the first time, or at least thefirst time in recent memory, the CWC Central Board joined theNCIBA. Lloyd Lofthouse, who is the CWC-BB representative tothe CWC-CB, organized the CWC's participation and participatedin author signings along withCWC-BB members Lucille Bellucci,Thomas Burchfield, JoAnn Smith Ainsworth, Janell Moon, GurnamS. S. Brard,Dodie Katrague,and Alon Shalev. Linda Brownpromoted the CWC-BB and our authors to industrycolleagueswith media releases._________________________________________________________

Lucille Bellucci is handing over the reins of the 5th Grade StoryContest to Debby Frisch. Lucille has labored over the last ten yearsto make this contest possible by contacting hundreds of schools inAlameda and Contra Costa Counties, reading piles and piles ofstories, making certificates, and holding awards ceremonies. Andshe did it all with a smile. We thank Lucille for all her hard workand welcome Debby aboard.

_________________________________________________________

This year CWC-BBs holiday luncheon will be at Bateau Ivre onTelegraph Ave. in Berkeley. Its Saturday, December 11, at noon.Come socialize with fellow writers and have a lovely lunch in aprivate, cozy atmosphere. There will be a no-host wine bar andentertainment as well.

RSVP to Barbara Ruffner. You may either send a check to P.O.Box 6447, Alameda 94501 for $25, made out to CWC-BB, or pay atthe door, but theres limited space, so reserve your spot early!

ONTACTS

contacts

CLUB OFFICERS

President: Lloyd Lofthouse

Vice President: Linda Brown

Past President:Barbara Ruffner

Secretary: Kimberlie Ingalls

Treasurer: Madelen Lontiong

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Marketing: Lloyd Lofthouse

Membership: Clifford Hui

New Member Orientation: Barbara Gilvar

Publicity Chair: Linda Brown

Workshop Chair: Barbara Ruffner

Write Angles Editor: Tanya Grove

Copy editor: Anne Fox

Delegate Central Board: Lloyd LofthouseDelegate CWC-Norcal: Linda Brown

Web Manager: Matt Martin

Communications Guru: Kristen Caven


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Write AngesYour business card could be here!

Send business card or bookmark-size jpg image to [email protected].

Write Marketplace in subject line. I will put in what space permits.Get it in by the 15th of the month for the following months issue.

Barbara Firger-Researcher for Hire

aweigh with words

I can find it: landscape, seascape, jargon, context, color, era, source

Give me your questions. Ill bring back answers.You get more time to write.

www.aweighwithwords.net/

[email protected]

www.linkedin.com/in/barbfirgerforresearch

Member Marketplace

Thomas Burchfield

Editing & Writing Services

Tel. (510) 547-1092 Cell (510) 541-1991

Email: [email protected]


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