Monthly Archives: April 2013

Publishing an Anthology, The Women's Writing Circle

Publishing Slants of Light Anthology: An Interview with Memoirist Susan Weidener

48 Comments

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

 

“A writer’s voice is not character alone, it is not style alone; it is far more. A writer’s voice lines the stroke of an artist’s brush-is the thumbprint of her whole person-her idea, wit, humor, passions, rhythms.” Patricia Lee Gauch

 

It is my pleasure to feature Memoir Author  and founder of The Women’s Writing Circle Susan Weidener in this guest post on creating the newly-released anthology Slants of Light: Stories and Poems From the Women’s Writing Circle with fifteen members of the Women’s Writing Circle. Susan is also the author of two memoirs: Again in a Heartbeat and Morning at Wellington Square.  We met in a  LinkedIn Writer’s Cafe group chat in 2012. In February, 2013 , I had the honor of  co-facilitating a journaling workshop with Susan for the Women’s Writing Circle. I experienced first-hand the power of women’s voices to inspire,  nurture and support the stories of our lives.  The Slants of Light anthology is tangible evidence of this power: a gift to us all. My reviews are on Amazon and Goodreads.

Welcome, Susan!

Memoir Author and Founder of The Women's Writing Circle Susan Weidener
Memoir Author and Founder of The Women’s Writing Circle Susan Weidener

Welcome lovely ladies of the Women’s Writing Circle!

The women of the Women's Writing Circle and Authors of The Slants of Light Anthology
The women of the Women’s Writing Circle and Authors of The Slants of Light Anthology

 

KP: Please share what Slants of Light: Stories and Poems From the Women’s Writing Circle is about.

 

SW: It’s an original collection of stories and poems never before published. Created by 15 writers from the Philadelphia area, the collection spans fiction, creative non-fiction, memoir and poetry.  The book focuses on the voices of women and their challenging and changing roles in society.  Each story and poem addresses a specific theme of daily life – love, loss, friendships, childhood memories, career decisions, aging, divorce, abuse – with compassion and insight.

 

KP: The Women’s Writing Circle was created by you to help women find and honor their voices.  What are the key ingredients in fostering a safe environment to make this happen?

SW: Without a doubt it’s the support and validation that our stories matter. There’s this feeling in the Circle that: “You’re not alone.  I know what you’re talking about and I recognize this as something I’ve experienced too as a woman. Thank you for sharing.”  The Circle can be very empowering as writers grow and learn from each other’s work.

 

KP: What made you decide to pull the women’s stories and poems into this anthology?

 

SW: The collaboration grew out of a rather innocent question on my part one morning at Wellington Square, which is the name of the bookstore where the Circle meets. For over a  year I had been listening to stories of pain and fear, triumph and tragedy, each woman sharing her life and her memories either through fiction, creative non-fiction, memoir or poetry – and as always I had been struck with the pure power and honesty of those stories.  So I said, “What do you think about sharing some of our stories in an anthology?” A few heads turned to one another.  One woman asked, “Would anyone care what we have to say?”  At which point someone else, said “We’ll never know if we don’t try.”

 

KP: Pulling the stories and poems of 15 women into one anthology seems like a daunting task. How did you make this happen and how long did it take?

 

SW: We had no idea when we started where the journey would lead. Truthfully, it was more arduous than any of us on the core committee anticipated, and if we had known, well…..  We would laugh about that just to break the tension. The committee, which consisted of four of us, directed everything from strategy and implementation of deadlines, opening a bank account for anthology funds, to whom to hire as editor and illustrator.  We also did copy and content edits before we sent the manuscript to the outside editor to lessen her load.  We were working on an extremely tight budget and it wasn’t fair to send her something that hadn’t been fairly well polished in advance.  It took exactly one year from beginning to end.  You have to remember, too, these are all original, never before published stories and poems.  Each piece was crafted by the writers specifically for the anthology and to that end each was subjected to a very rigorous editing process both through group critique and by our outside editor.

 

KP:  The title, Slants of Light, is intriguing. How did you come up with this title? 

 

SW :  We loved the idea of light being in the title because we always light the candle to open the Circle.   Edda Pitassi, who served on the committee and was the editor for my memoir sequel Morning at Wellington Square, has a very literary bent.  She had searched and found this Emily Dickinson quote which she liked.  I particularly loved Dickinson’s’ reference to “cathedral tunes” which I felt was a metaphor for the anthology.

 

There’s a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons – 
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes —

 

KP: How has your role as a journalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer helped you in the publication of Slants of Light?

 

SW:  I always liken working at the newspaper for 16 years as a “day-in, day-out writing clinic.”  So there’s that, of course, working on my craft, which never stops. The synergy in a newsroom of reporters and editors lends itself to collaboration, which is what an anthology is all about.  Plus, as a reporter, you are exposed on a daily basis to catchy headlines and well-crafted press releases.  We had to have a vision for this anthology and that meant incorporating themes that resonated with readers, as well as a message of what made our anthology different from others and why people should buy it.

 

KP: What are your ideas for promoting the anthology?

 

SW:  Endless!  When you have 15 individuals collaborating on a book, there is an amazingly exponential component created through social media, friends, business associates, libraries, churches, book clubs, etc. We are splitting online royalties 15 ways, and the women will be selling the books at events and venues; so that acts as a built-in incentive for promotion.  As a group, we are constantly brainstorming and right now we have a panel discussion about women finding their voices through writing scheduled at a local library, as well as a public reception and debut of the book on May 11 at an historic book store in our area.  We have plans for open mic nights to read our stories to audiences.  We are also planning meet and greet author events at local community day fairs and author signings at colleges and universities, of which there are many in the Philadelphia area, as you know.

 

KP: Is there anything else you’d like to share about the Women’s Writing Circle or Slants of Light?

 

SW:  I would like to thank the women for their dedication and the wealth of talent they brought to this very unique collaboration.  One of my hopes when we started this journey was that this – creating a published book, would be an empowering experience for the women and a chance for them to go out and affirm to other women the joy of finding a voice through writing.  On another topic, I feel that women sometimes spend inordinate amounts of time volunteering and offering up their gifts, their creations, their handiwork without recompense.  I have done this too.  Due to the dynamics of the new publishing age we are living through, writers have a greater chance than ever to dip their toes into the “entrepreneurial pool” and craft a little extra “income” – both monetarily and creatively by tapping into their talents and taking risks.  That is very exciting!

***

Thank you Susan for sharing the process of publishing your anthology, Slants of Light:Stories and Poems From theWomen’s Writing Circle. It is truly a tribute to the power and joy of sharing women’s voices. 

Cover for Slants of Light Anthology by The Women's Writing Circle.
Cover for Slants of Light Anthology by The Women’s Writing Circle.

Author Bio:

For more information about Susan Weidener visit the Women’s Writing Circle at:

www.susanweidener.com

Twitter @Sweideheart

Or visit her author’s page on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Susan-G.-Weidener/e/B004G7AXQY

The Slants of Light Anthology can be ordered on Amazon

 

How about you? Have you ever submitted a piece to an anthology? Have you ever published an anthology?

Susan has offered to give away a copy of  the Slants of Light anthology to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing.

We’d love to hear from you. Please share your stories and comments below~

 

 

Thursday, 5/2: Memoir Author Laura Dennis will discuss: “Re-launching  a Memoir in the Digital Book Age.” Laura is the author of Adopted Reality and will give away a copy of her updated memoir to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

memoir-writing, Pitching a Memoir to an Agent

Pitching My Memoir: A Guest Post

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Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

 

I am honored to be featured on Gabriela Pereira’s blog DIYMFA today in a guest post “How Practicing My Pitch Helped Me Write A Better Book.”

 

When I attended the Writer’s Digest Conference earlier this month in New York City, I wasn’t sure if I would be pitching my memoir. I decided at the last minute I would and here’s my story:

http://diymfa.com/community/pitch-literary-agents

 

Hope you’ll stop by and leave a comment!

 

“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”  Babe Ruth

 

 

 

Memoir Writing Tips, memoir-writing

Thinking Inside the Frame: Using Photographs to Tell Your Story ~ A Guest Post by Cate Russell-Cole

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A guest post by Cate Russell-Cole/@cateartios posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

“Four basic premises of writing: clarity, brevity, simplicity and humanity.” William Zinsser

 

I am thrilled to feature Writing Teacher, Author and Editor Cate Russell-Cole in this guest post.  Cate has been published in many local and Internet e-zines, magazines and newspapers; and she has researched, written and taught her own courses since 1990. Her most successful course to date is Write Your Life Story, which has a thriving community on Facebook. Cate offers a wealth of writing resources on her site communiCATE. We met online and although I can not remember exactly where we met, I can tell you I feel like I have known Cate forever.

 

Welcome, Cate!

comminiCATE logo
communiCATE logo

 

When I teach memoir writing, my students are mostly women. Whenever we have a male in the classroom, the whole dynamic changes. Often, they don’t want to get too touchy-feely or pour their souls out for a public audience. That’s fine. There are as many types of memoir, as there are memoir writers.

 

In 2004 the Queensland Art Gallery purchased a collection of photographic images by the Australian society photographer, William Yang. These photos are a striking contrast to the gilt framed oils and quirky modern works throughout the gallery. They are a series of 30 black and white photographs, with one short paragraph hand-written under each photo: memoir in a new form… and even better, memoir in a strikingly simple and non-judgemental form. I took my class to view it, including our not so touchy-feely male (who was actually very warm and pleasant off paper.) Everyone walked out of the gallery inspired, considering how they could communicate conflicts and complex issues as easily.

 

William’s exhibition highlighted where his family had lived, their beliefs, their morals and their values. At no time was he ever judgmental about a family member or situation. He did release some skeletons from the family closet, but they were all his skeletons to set free. Out of respect, he waited until his close relatives were deceased before he did so. The picture he painted was realistic, but sensitive. I noticed that he honored his late mother in a simple and special way.

 

As the Art Gallery owns the collection, they allowed me to take the photo shown here; but due to copyright, I cannot reproduce the works in an easier to see form. You can view their page on William here:

Below is some of the text which was with the photos.

 

“In 1979 I had a bad case of hepatitis and I came back to the house of my mother to recuperate. My mother liked having me at home under her control. But I felt the life I had chosen to lead was not in Brisbane, and when I was half better, I went back to Sydney.”

 

“In his day your father was a very dashing man. He played saxophone in a dance band, and he wore silk shirts. He wouldn’t let me iron them, he did them himself. I couldn’t iron them good enough” I stared at my mother in disbelief. “He wasn’t like you know him.” She said.”

 

“Frances was my father’s favorite. She was the apple of his eye. I was my mother’s favorite child. There was a friction between my mother and my sister. They were both strong women.”

 

You can see how simple, but strong the message is. There are no angst-ridden emotional dissections, or lengthy one-sided speeches that could cause family arguments to erupt, or lose your interest amid the details. William got straight to the point. He chose the most important aspects of his family life and how they had affected him. That is always a safe place to focus on controversial topics: how they affected you, rather than who committed what sin.

 

So when you are writing, whatever your gender, use your freedom to be creative and original. Memoir doesn’t have to be a series of dates or plain paragraphs in a book. You can communicate through art, scrapbooking, photos, story quilts, music etc: it’s up to you. Any form of memoir should reflect your personality and interests in life. It should be representative of the main character: you.

 

It is your story to tell. Tell it your way.

 

 

William Yang Exhibition
William Yang Exhibition

 

 

You can find Cate online at:

CommuniCATE Blog: http://cateartios.wordpress.com/

 

Author Page at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cate-Russell-Cole/e/B0083MVRJK

 

Write Your Life Story Community: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Write-Your-Life-Story/173393852705651

 

Twitter: @cateartios

 

This photo of the collection has been reproduced for educational purposes with the kind permission of the Queensland Art Gallery, and is Copyright 2004 Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It may not be reproduced outside of this blog without first obtaining their permission.

 

Thank you, Cate for offering this unique alternative to telling our stories.

 

How about you? Have you ever considered telling your story through photos?

 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~

 

Announcement: Congratulations to book winners: Angie Walker won Poems That Come to Mind by Linda Austin and Dan Blank won Home Sweet Hardwood by Pat McKinzie. Enjoy!

 

Next Week:

4/29: “Interview with Susan Weidener“Memoir Author and Founder of The Women’s Writing Circle on the launch of The Slants of Light Anthology.

5/2: “Re-launching a Memoir in the Digital Book Age: A Guest Post by Memoir Author Laura Dennis”

Memoir Writing Tips, memoir-writing

9 Memoir Writing Tips from X-Pat, X-Pro Athlete Pat McKinzie

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A guest post by Patricia McKinzie-Lechault/@PattyMacKZ posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

 

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Title IX legislation signed into law by President Nixon, June 23, 1972, full compliance required by 1978.

 

I am thrilled to welcome Pat McKinzie-Lechault back to Memoir Writer’s Journey in this guest post on how playing basketball helped her to write her memoir.  Pat and I first met in Dan Blank’s Build Your Author Platform Course in 2011 and have been “team mates” ever since.

 

Pat is a Title IX trailblazer for women’s basketball.  As the first recipient of a woman’s college basketball scholarship, she paved the way for women to have a legitimate place on the basketball court. In her memoir, Home Sweet Hardwood, she chronicles her journey from childhood dreams to woman’s professional basketball. Here is a blurb about her memoir:

 

“Written with an awe-inspiring resiliency and focus, Home Sweet Hardwood is more than just a book about sports. While possessing all of the drama and action you would expect in a blockbuster movie, this captivating book is a deeply personal tale of one woman’s triumphs over tragedy while continuing to pursue her dreams. Throughout her journey, McKinzie’s fight to play, her resiliency after each setback, and her unwavering spirit illuminate readers to the shocking strength of the human spirit and the power of a determined woman.”

 

Here are my book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

 

Welcome back, Pat!

 

Memoir Author Pat McKInzie-Lechault
Memoir Author Pat McKInzie-Lechault

 

Skills I learned as a professional athlete transferred to my career as a writer.

 

A child’s naïve hope helped me believe that one day I would be allowed to play ball like the boys. That same blind faith led me to persevere in publishing my own book. The self-discipline to practice the same jump shot for hours, trained me to rewrite the same sentence over and over to get it right. In rhythm to tunes blasting from my boom box, I shot hoops entering the zone when my body flowed. Now listening to jazz and R&B, I scribble first drafts, losing track of time and place in the artist’s zone of words.

 

Sports shaped the person I became and helped me to endure 5 concussions, 3 whiplashes, and 1 broken back as well as the countless setbacks and rejections that are an inherent part of any writers’ journey.

 

Here are 9 tips I’ve learned from playing basketball that helped me write my memoir:

 

1. Ideas are everywhere. Never get caught empty-handed. I carry a pocket notebook, always prepared for the muse, and jot down thoughts in class, while officiating soccer matches, and even during dinner parties.

 

2. Practice. Establish a routine! Butt-in-chair-daily-discipline helps ideas flow –journaling is a great warm up.

 

3. Start a blog. I used to write a weekly newspaper column about life abroad and that discipline carried over to blogging and helped in meeting deadlines.

 

4. Exercise. Oxygen to the brain helps you think sharper. Writer’s block? Walk it off. I am invigorated by the view of the snow-peaked Alps towering behind Lake Geneva. Water heals; mountains inspire.

 

5. Rest. As an athlete my inner drive exceeded the limits of my body. Due to injuries, pain imprints my spinal column like a tattoo; every day must include time to recline with my spine aligned to the floor.

 

6. Read. After my car accident, words jumped across the page for two years. When they stopped moving, I felt like I had my life back and could gain inspiration from other writers.

 

7. Form a team. My French husband, a printer, does the layout. My grown children, sisters, friends and former players read and edit. Bloggers like Kathy Pooler, Clara Freeman and on GenFab, NMWA and GIP groups offer weekly inspiration with their posts.

 

8. Persistence! As part of my personality – a feisty, in your face, never-take-no-for-an-answer kid – I became a focused, driven adult. Just as sport teaches you to win and lose graciously, writers must learn to handle defeat gallantly. Rejection stings. Don’t take loss personally, review mistakes, and move forward

 

9. Gratitude. After surviving a near death experience, I will never forget that life is a gift. Chronic illness presents challenges, but each day we face a choice, give up or go on. Thank your God, Great Spirit, and Higher Power for another 24 hours.

 

Over the years, I wrote countless different versions of the book and worked with a dozen editors and agents, but in the end the publishers said no thanks.

 

I felt like a loser. I moped. I swore. I cried. I kicked the wall. Then I picked up the pen again.

 

With a firsthand account of the monumental Title IX ruling, my book serves as an inspiring lesson in women’s history, but it is more than just a sports story. From expatriate life to cross-cultural marriage to motherhood, Home Sweet Hardwood touches on the transitions every woman makes as she bridges the gaps between genders, generations and cultures.

 

Though I suffer from pain, but no matter how awful I feel, I can muster the strength to read.

 

Writing saved my life. Words keep me from giving up. I exist to bear witness and record.

 

Whether I am teaching, coaching, or blogging, my life is dedicated to inspiring courage, breaking barriers, and creating connections.

 

Thank you so much, Pat for sharing these valuable lessons learned from your courageous life’s journey. You inspire us all to be the best that we can be.

 

Author Bio:

As a pioneer for women’s basketball, Pat McKinzie is the first female athletic scholarship recipient in Illinois and first female player to score 1,000 points at ISU. She is one of the first Women’s Professional Basketball League draftees and female inductees in the Hall of Fame at Illinois State. After a 1983 car accident in France ended her playing career, McKinzie began to focus her energy on coaching. With thirty years of experience in coaching, teaching, and writing, she has cultivated an impressive career from hall-of-fame coach to basketball agent, student advisor, columnist, and blogger. McKinzie has a bachelor’s degree in education from Illinois State University. She is married to a Frenchman with whom she raised two Third Culture Kids, and she currently resides in Switzerland.

Links:

Google+ : https://plus.google.com/u/0/

Blog http://pattymackz.com/wordpress/

Facebook    https://www.facebook.com/pat.mckinzie

http://pattymackz.com/wordpress/book/

Twitter:@PattyMacKZ

Home Sweet Hardwood can be ordered from Amazon or Pat’s blog:

 

HOMESWEET HARDWOOD book cover
HOME SWEET HARDWOOD book cover

Pat will give away a free copy of Home Sweet Hardwood to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing.

 

How about you? What life skills have you been able to transfer to your writing projects? How has writing helped you in life?

 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~

 

This week: Pat and I are also over at Clara Freeman’s Clara54Weblog in an Interview on Memoir Insights. Hope you’ll stop by there , too!

 

Next Week: Writing Teacher, Author and Editor Cate Russell-Cole of the popular CommuniCATE Resources for Writers blog will discuss “Thinking Inside the Frame: Using Photographs to Tell Your Story.”

 

Facing Alzheimers/Dementia in a loved one, Poetry

The Face of Alzheimer’s Dementia: A Memoir Moment

35 Comments

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

“we argue again

over nothing important

neither understands

we talk of different pieces

of the same scary puzzle”

Poems That Come To Mind: For those who love someone with dementia

Linda E. Austin, Moonbridge Publications, 2012

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. The cause and progression of AD are not well-understood and the symptoms are degenerative. Current treatments are limited and only treat the symptoms. The Alzheimer sufferer relies on others for assistance and the disease is known for placing a great burden on caregivers.

My dear friend, Louise, knows first-hand what Alzheimer’s Dementia looks like. Tony,her husband of 48 years was diagnosed five years ago. She started noticing signs of decline five years before his diagnosis was confirmed

Louise is an inspiration to me. I told her she inspired me so much that I would dedicate a blog post to her.

I feel certain she will be an inspiration to anyone who has to face the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s/Dementia on a loved one.

She has a very positive attitude and has simply made up her mind to be happy in her life and make the most of what life has dealt her.

 

Here she is posing with Audrey Hepburn at the wax museum in London a few years ago.

 

Louise and Audrey having tea
Louise and Audrey having tea

She tries to maintain a positive attitude as you will see in this recent update:

A new first for me: To get Tony to actually WASH when in the shower, today I got in with him. What an experience! Don’t worry, this isn’t x-rated. I tried to stand behind him and wash his head and ears and back, with lots of yelling on his part and cursing. It wasn’t easy to manage the water temperature this way and though the water never gets really hot, it can get too cool fast. However I managed with a lot of struggle to do a fairly good job and get him rinsed.

Then there was the cutting of the toe nails, finger nails, cleaning hair out of ears and nose and clipping his eyebrows and shaving off the werewolf hair on his neck. After helping him get dressed, I put toothpaste on his toothbrush and instructedhim to clean his teeth really good. Then I made the mistake of thinking he could really DO this. When I came back he was putting the toothpaste onto his face with the toothbrush, like for shaving. So, perhaps another new job is here for me.

This personal care business is something I really wish didn’t need to be done by me. It takes lots of time and energy and being I have so much to do all the time, I barely have an opportunity to take care of myself. I’m going to look into having someone come and do the personal hygiene business and see how that will work.

He still can feed himself though forgets how to use the utensils. We went out to eat the other day and this is rather frustrating so this is another thing we’ll have to give up soon.

I don’t want to think of a nursing home yet, as he really knows people and cares about them. TONY is still in there. It would be like abandoning him if I put him away someplace, and he’d always been a good husband and father and community person, so this doesn’t seem like the thing to do at this point.

I’m also thinking of bringing him to a day-program perhaps once a week for a few hours to try it out. It would be good for him to socialize, even though he really can’t talk, and be with other people besides me, and it would be good for me to have a few hours to myself, to focus on things that need to get done without interruptions, or to just “be” by myself for a bit.

That’s it for now. Life is challenging!

***

While having lunch with Louise before going to a show a few weeks ago, I wanted to share Linda Austin’s beautiful book, Poems That Come To Mind: For Those Who Love Someone With Dementia. Here are my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

While I admire Louise’s strength and positive attitude in the face of her husband’s cognitive decline, I can’t help but feel the pain and longing she must feel to have him back again. I felt the need to reach out and offer Linda’s poems to her.

Poems That Come To Mind by Linda Austin
Poems That Come To Mind book cover

 

When I read her the poems, I’d look up to see her nodding her head in recognition. For some reason , I felt consoled. Maybe it was the realization that Louise could feel she was not alone.

I feel the loss of the relationship we used to share with them as a couple. I can’t even imagine how Louise must feel.

Reading Linda’s poems was a vivid reminder to me of how we can impact others in a healing way through our words.

With a smile on her face, she thanked me and we went on to see the show.

***

Awareness of what to expect and support for the resulting confusion and heartbreak caregivers experience are essential for anyone who has a loved one with Alzheimer’s Dementia.

Linda lists the following resources for families and caregivers:

Alzheimer’s Association: http://www.alz.org/ 24-hour Helpline: 1.800.272.3900

Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease by Joanne Koenig Coste

Creating Moments of Joy by Jolene Brackey

The Memory People Facebook group

 

How about you? Do you have a friend or family member with dementia?

 

If so, please share your story of how you have been able to cope or help those you love cope with this heart-wrenching diagnosis. I’d love to hear from you~

 

Linda has graciously offered to give away a copy of her book to a random commenter

 

 

On Thursday, April 18: Memoir Author Pat McKinzie-Lechault will discuss her newly-launched memoir Home Sweet Hardwood. A lucky commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing will receive a free copy.

 

 

 

 

 

Writer's Digest Conference East 2013

Writer’s Digest Conference East 2013 Take-aways: You Already Have Everything You Need

29 Comments

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

“Think of the readers who will love your story and believe that you already have everything you need to get your story to them” Tayari Jones, Author of Silver Sparrow and closing keynote speaker for The Writer’s Digest East Conference in NYC, 4/7/13

Writer’s conferences are a wonderful way to learn your craft, update yourself on industry trends and network with like-minded people. I usually find I get out what I put in and what I found in New York City at this year’s Writer’s Digest Conference was magical. Since this is my third WD conference, I went  prepared to hone in on my specific needs–memoir revision, pitching, networking and listening to agents and publishers speak to ever-changing publishing options.

Two main take-aways:

1. Traditional and self-publishing are here to stay and can work together in peaceful coexistence with the emergence of hybrid publishing developing where an author chooses the combination of publishing options.

2. The changing role of the literary agent where “new routes to productivity and profit need to be explored” (Kristin Nelson, Literary Agent for Hugh Howey, Author of Wool. )

For a detailed discussion of this, please see Porter Anderson’s Ether for Authors, “Who is Pitching Whom”

In the end, it seemed to all boil down to putting your energies into writing a good story. Writing is the only way you will get published.

Here’s a few nuggets I gathered to share with you:

Photo Credit "Treasure Chest-250" uploaded form Flickr Creative Commons
Photo Credit “Treasure Chest-250” uploaded form Flickr Creative Commons

*  “When doing a reading of your work, create curiosity in the reader by reading from a point of high drama. Honor your work by letting it speak for itself.”  Journalist/Critic/Writer/Speaker Porter Anderson, Public Speaking for Writers: How to Turn Reading Into Book Sales Boot Camp

*  ” Be an author entrepreneur. Agents are partners with writers. The role is shifting and there are no gatekeepers.” Panel on The Future of Publishing

*  ” Break into the market by pitching smaller magazines before pitching big magazines. Do a few short items first to establish credibility. Try online. Don’t pitch a story idea ,write a brilliant essay.” Panel on How to Write for Big Name Publications.

*   ” Write from your true self–get in touch with that self. You are a river that is ever flowing and craft is the riverbank. Marry craft to self.” Author and #1 Bestselling Writing Coach James Scott Bell , Opening Keynote Speaker

*   “Readers need to bond with and care about the protagonist in the first paragraph; set up the protagonist’s character traits within the first five pages.” Literary Agent /Author Donald Maass, Creating the Greatest Characters of Your Career

*   ” In revision, ask: what is the story? the theme?do the scenes tie in with the theme and move the plot along? What needs more work? Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” Editor, Cheryl Klein

*    ” Generate your own work by listening to your own voice- only 2% comes from authentic self; count words; don’t try to organize at first. Think Scene, Series (meaningful repetition and variation) and  Theme.” Author/Founder, Book Architecture, Stuart Horwitz, The First Draft- Revision Demystified

*     “Become a servant to your reader. Your story is waiting to be read. Get it done- no excuses.” Author Adriana Trigiani, Central Keynote Speaker, Your Writing Life.

*     “Three things you need to write a successful memoir: Strong writing voice; Narrative hook –Remember SMILE- shocking, memorable, inspiring, loving, entertaining– and Author platform.” Literary Agent /Author Regina Brooks, Serendipity Literary Agency LLC, You Should Really Write A Memoir

*    “We live in a 140-character world. Your first ten pages have to sing.” Literary Agent Paula Munier, The First Ten Pages.

***

Questions agents asked during the Pitch Slam where we had two minutes to pitch our story to literary agents and one minute for their response:

How is your story unique in the market?

What is your author platform?

What is your narrative arc?

What is your purpose for telling your story?

Why would I want to read your story?

Who is your audience?

What is your marketing plan?

***

I left the conference feeling motivated and committed to keep writing as well as uplifted by the efforts of all in the publishing industry to keep moving forward, despite the digital disruptions and unknowns ahead.

 

How about you? If you’ve been to a writer’s conference, what take-aways do you have to share? Please leave your comments below~

 

Next week: The Face of Alzheimer’s Dementia: A Memoir Moment

 

memoir-writing, Travel Memoir

Interview with Memoir Author Linda Kovic-Skow: “French Illusions” Book Tour

53 Comments

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” -Saint Augustine

I am very pleased to feature Memoir Author Linda Kovic-Skow in her book tour for her memoir, French Illusions. Leaving your homeland when you are twenty-one years old and traveling to France to work as an au pair without knowing a bit of French can lead to a very intriguing story. Not only was I captivated by her story but I felt I was there with her experiencing France for myself. My book reviews are on Amazon and Goodreads.

Welcome, Linda!

Memoir Author Linda Kovic-Skow
Memoir Author Linda Kovic-Skow

KP: Can you tell us a little about your memoir?

 

LKS: In the summer of 1979, when I was twenty-one, I contracted to become an au pair for a wealthy French family in the Loire Valley. To secure the position, I pretended to speak the language, fully aware that my deception would be discovered once I arrived at my destination. Based on my diary, French Illusions captures my often challenging, real-life story inside and outside the Château de Montclair. The over-bearing, Madame Dubois, her accommodating husband Monsieur Dubois, and their two children are highlighted as I struggled to adapt to my new environment. Continually battling the language barrier, I signed up and attended classes at the local university in the nearby town of Tours, broadening my range of experiences. When I encountered, Adam, a handsome young student, my life with the Dubois family became more complicated, adding fuel to my internal battle for independence.

 

KP: What compelled you to write this story after thirty-three years?

 

LKS: About four years ago, after my husband and I dropped our youngest daughter off at college, I went through a sort of mid-life crisis. I missed being a mom and I wondered how I would fill the void. Sure I had my part-time bookkeeping business, but it consumed only a few hours a day and it wasn’t interesting any more. Something was missing, but what?

 

This prompted me to review what I like to call my “mid-life list.” This is similar to a “bucket list,” with an important twist. The idea was to refocus myself and figure out the things I wanted to do with my life in my fifties – while I could still do them. My list was short.

 

-Learn to play the piano

-Travel to Africa to see the elephants

-Travel to Tahiti and see the island of Bora Bora

-Travel back to France (with my family this time)

-Write a book

 

At the time, I didn’t own a piano and, with two daughters in college (on the east coast no less!), I couldn’t afford a trip to Africa or Tahiti. I had already traveled back to France in 2001 with my family, so that left me to examine the fifth item on my list more closely.  If I did write a book, would it be fiction or non-fiction? What genre would I choose?

 

The answers to my questions came to me in the shower (which is where many of my ideas seem to materialize, strangely enough). I decided to hunt down my diary from my au pair adventure in France and compose a memoir. It took me three years and countless hours to write French Illusions, but now I can scratch another item off my mid-life list.

 

KP: Can you tell us about some of the difficulties you experienced writing your memoir?

 

LKS: I have to admit writing my memoir was a lot more complex than I initially imagined it would be. My diary offered a great outline, but I realized early on that I would have to change the names of people and places in my story to protect identities. This was especially true with regard to my host au pair family. Acquiring permission from them was out of the question. Totally out of the question. I mean it. Read my book and you’ll understand. Additionally, over thirty years had passed since I spoke with anyone I’d met in France. I no longer had any contact information. With this in mind, I researched common French names that might fit my characters. I tried them out and retained the ones that were a good fit.

 

Other decisions haunted me along the way. Where will I find elusive data on the  Loire Valley, the Loire River and the town of Tours? How should I deal with the French sprinkled throughout the book? Should I italicize my inner thoughts? Oh, and I really struggled with how much detail to include in my own love scenes. This was probably the most challenging dilemma of all.

 

KP: Is there an excerpt you would like to share?

 

LKS: It’s difficult to choose one excerpt, but I’m proud of the detailed picture I paint of a French baker in Songais.

 

“I watched as the other woman, maybe in her eighties, kneaded a large ball of dough at a table on the other side of the display window. Her gnarled fingers pulled and rolled the dough, adding flour until it gained the right consistency. At one point, she stopped to scratch her face , leaving a smudge of flour on her cheek. As I followed Madame out the door, our eyes met, her grin transforming her face from serious to radiant.”

 

KP: What’s a typical weekday like for you?

 

LKS: I start my day about 8:30 in the morning with a generous cup of coffee. After I check emails, I attend to book business for a few hours – promotions, research, my blog or twitter. At certain times of the month, I meet with clients or perform tasks associated with my bookkeeping business. Often, in the afternoon, after lunch, I walk the dog, run errands or write. I can’t sit for long or my neck hurts, so I switch back and forth between my desk and a standing computer station. Late in the day, my husband arrives home from work and that signals a break for dinner. After a few more hours writing at the computer, I finally shut things down at around nine o’clock. Ahhh, a glass of wine usually helps me unwind.

 

KP: Does your book have a hidden message for readers?

 

LKS:Set in the beautiful Loire Valley, French Illusions, my remarkable true story, will remind readers what it was like to be young, adventurous and filled with dreams. It’s not too late to create your own memories so go out and explore the world.

Life’s for living, after all.

 

Thank you Linda for sharing your adventuresome,romantic and intriguing memoir writer’s journey with us.

 

 

French Illusions Book Cover
French Illusions Book Cover

 

-Purchase information for my book at Amazon: Amazon

 

Author’s Bio:

Linda Kovic-Skow resides in Kirkland, Washington. She earned an Associate Degree in Medical Assisting in 1978 from  North Seattle Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Seattle University in 1985. She has been married for 27 years and has two daughters. An enthusiastic traveler, Linda also enjoys boating, gardening and socializing with friends. French Illusions, her debut memoir, is the culmination of a three-year project.  

For more information, visit http://lindakovicskow.com/. Watch the book trailer, it’s a lot of fun

 

 

How about you? Do you have a daring story to tell?

 

Linda will give away a free copy of her memoir to a random commenter.

 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~

 

Next Week: “The Face of Alzheimer’s Dementia:  A Memoir Moment”

 

 

 

 

 

Memoir Writing Tips, memoir-writing

Why “Wild” Works: Memoir Writing Tips

36 Comments

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

 

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” Anton Chekov

 

 

Wild Book Cover by Cheryl Strayed
Wild Book Cover by Cheryl Strayed

 

 

Sometimes, our greatest teachers are found on the pages of a book. That’s what happened to me when I read Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, Wild as it apparently has for many others.

 

A #1 New York Times bestseller since its 2012 release, it holds many memoir writing tips.

 

So, I set out to look at what Cheryl does to captivate my attention, keep me turning the pages and then leave me with the sense that I have not only accompanied her on her journey but I have experienced a connection to my own journey.

 

Wild is a story within a story of a twenty-six year old woman who decides to take a hike along the Pacific Crest trail in the wake of her mother’s sudden and untimely death from cancer, her failed attempts to bring her siblings together after her death and a divorce from a man she loves but does not feel capable of relating to in a mature, committed way. The fact that she is an inexperienced and ill-equipped hiker further adds to the drama and tension of the journey.

 

Strayed weaves in her inner and outer struggles seamlessly, tapping into universal themes throughout the story. I found myself grieving over the potential loss of my own mother; I could almost feel the pain in my feet as she recounted the blisters that develop from poorly-fitting hiking boots and I marveled at her ability to walk alone through snake and bear-infested trails. With raw honesty, she reflects on her own flaws and needs in a way that makes me root for her.

 

I was spellbound by this book.

 

Here’s are the lessons I take away from reading “Wild “:

The author:

 

  • Transforms real-life events into a story that matters by tapping into universal issues: death of a parent, divorce, grief, regrets, hiking alone on a trail.

 

  • Reflects upon the meaning of the experiences by weaving in the voice of innocence and the voice of experience. By sharing her inner thoughts about her losses, I feel her deep pain and understand why she took off by herself to try to sort it all out.

 

  • Uses graphic sensory details to bring the reader into the story. Not only do I feel the blisters on my feet but I experience thirst when her water supply is dwindling and the water tank on the trail is dry. I nearly gasp out loud when her boot goes sailing into the precipice below. And,oh those rattlesnakes…

 

  • Conveys the meaning of the story clearly through the theme of searching for self after devastating losses and regrets.

 

  • Develops multidimensional, believable characters whom I can see and  root for or disdain, like the two bow hunters she meets on the trail and has a “creepy” feeling about: “They both looked in their midthirties. One man was sandy-haired and wiry, though he had a little belly; the other was a redhead tall and meaty enough to be a linebacker. They both wore jeans with big buck knives hitched onto their belts and enormous backpacks that had bows and arrows slung across them.”

 

  • Uses fiction techniques effectively. She writes in scenes using sensory detail, dialogue, conflict, tension, a defined plot that moves along at a steady pace.

 

  • Crafts a beginning, middle and end. I see the reason for her hike, feel the rising action of hiking it alone with dangers everywhere from wild animals to temperature extremes, snow-covered mountains, questionable human predators and come full circle with her to the end of her hike where she sees her life with new eyes. Tranformation.

 

Speaking of craft, Cheryl has admitted taking a long time to write her memoir. She took the hike in 1995 and her memoir was released in 2012. When asked in an interview why it took her so long to write, she replied:

“For a number of reasons. It took me years of apprenticing myself to the craft before I could write a book. Once I did that, the story I most urgently had to tell was the one I told in my first book, Torch. I don’t write about something unless I feel a stirring inside of me to do so and it wasn’t until 2008 that I felt that in relation to my experience on the PCT. I think the years between my hike and writing about it made for a better book. I gained perspective that I wouldn’t have had if I’d written about it immediately.”

 

  • Writes from a position of strength and perspective by allowing time and emotional distance to guide her story.

I have heard that a good memoir:

       *invites the reader into a personal experience ,

       *keeps him/her engaged throughout and

       *provides a level of satisfaction at the end.

 

Isn’t that something we all want to do for ourselves and for our readers?

 

I am grateful to Cheryl for inviting me into her world and showing me how she faced and overcame her life challenges. Not only did I enjoy her story but I learned some important tips about memoir writing.

***

The National Association of Memoir Writers is co-sponsoring a workshop with Cheryl Strayed June 1, 2013 in Petaluma, CA. Click the link to sign up for the great opportunity to work with Cheryl.

Learn from the New York Times bestseller about how to write a successful memoir!

 

Workshop Schedule (subject to change):

8:30 Continental Breakfast
9:15 Welcome and opening remarks.
9:45 Introduction
10:00 Talk & First Writing Session
11:00 Sharing Q&A
12:30 Lunch
2:00 Craft Talk & Second Writing Session
3:30 Sharing and discussion
4:00 Reading 4:30 Q&A
5:00 Book Signing & Close

 

 

How about you?  Have you read Wild?  If so, what lessons did you take away?

 

 

Announcement: Congratulations, Debi Wandrey! Your name was selected in a random drawing of commenters to receive Barbara Techel’s memoir, Through Frankie’s Eyes: One Woman’s Journey to Authenicity and the Dog on Wheels Who Led the Way.

 

 

Next Week: Memoir Author Linda Kovic-Skow will discuss her memoir, French Illusions. Linda will give away a free copy of her memoir to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing.