A newsletter for writers and editors produced by

November/December 2012 Vol. 18 No. 6

After 20 years of freelancing, I’ve learned a thing or two—and dealing with procrastination in the face of deadlines is top on the list. Every now and then, I accept an assignment that I don’t want to do. My life may be chaotic at the time because of hair-pulling home renovations; or angst at the prospect of having to wait for the new season of Downton Abbey to air; or confusion about politics—municipal, provincial, federal and family. Whatever the reason, I believe in delivering on commitments, so finding a way to produce in these circumstances is important. I use positive self-talk, something I believe is lacking in a lot of writers. Rather than focus on the obstacles in the way of completing the piece, I sit myself down and say, “Dorothea, you can do this, and you can do a great job of it.” Yes, folks, I talk to myself. I make it a challenge and turn it into fun. I go back

to my roots, when writing professionally was fresh and new to me, and I approached every job with excitement. Success brings with it financial rewards and professional satisfaction, but it can also make us forget why we got into writing in the first place. This is one of the reasons I love teaching creative writing to beginners. I revel in their joy when they take the giant step of sharing their stories with like-minded word addicts. Several times over the years, students have sold articles before they even finish the course, and I re-experience that elation in the glow of theirs. They remind me why I write; why I teach. On the first night of my course, I make the students say out loud and with pride, “I am a writer.” There’s something magical about that. It’s a positive statement that feels good—and writers need more of those. When’s the last time you said something nice to and about yourself?

Be careful, though, because too much self-praise might make you think you have the writing world conquered. As great as we are, we can always learn more. When I get cocky about my success, I think back to the advice of my eighth-grade English teacher, who used to say, “Pat yourself on the back, but don’t break your arm doing it.”

Read more about Dorothea Helms, a.k.a. The Writing Fairy, at www.thewritingfairy.com

Have you complimented yourself lately? By Dorothea Helms

2

Feb 2nd/3rd Comedy Improv Workshops with Daniel Bagg and Christina Demunda Feb 4th Learn to Draw with Sarah Holtby Feb 5th Writing Down the Winter: A 6-Week Writing Exploration with Dorothea Helms, The Writing Fairy® Feb 5th The Un-Drawing Course with Fly Freeman Feb 9th Weaving the Love Story Into Your Work with Susanna Kearsley Feb 10th Natural Horsemanship Workshop with Licensed Parelli Professional Judy Griffiths

Upcoming Events and Courses for February 2013

3

Message from the Board It has never been a more exciting time to be part of The WCDR. The list of upcoming events and initiatives delivers on our mission statement by offering support, education and networking. Pay-it-Forward is an exciting new initiative that combines reading with a donation that is applied to a new WCDR Pay-it-Forward scholarship. It’s simple: select a book from our Pay-it-Forward list, donate as much as you like (minimum $10) and pass it on to the next member. All money collected will accumulate for a new scholarship to benefit WCDR members. Words of the Season, in partnership with Durham Theatre Festival, is a fun-filled evening of poetry/prose readings and song. Participant spots are limited to 16, but everyone is welcome to enjoy the performances. The next Words will be on December 18th. Come out and support your fellow WCDR members and discover new

talent. The Wellness Fair is a celebration of creativity and wellness to be held on February 23rd at Westminster United Church. This is an opportunity to volunteer and represent the WCDR to get the word out that writing does not have to be a solitary act. The WCDR would not be here without the hard work and dedication of its members. The Word Weaver showcases the creative talents of our members, offers writing tips and inspirational stories and announces upcoming events. It takes a great deal of time, talent and creativity to put an edition together. We would like to express our appreciation to Cathy Minz for all of her hard work as editor of The Word Weaver during the past two years. Under her watch, The Word Weaver has expanded into the vibrant publication we all look forward to receiving. On behalf of the board, thank you, Cathy!

Cryssa Bazos Special Events Coordinator

4

Last month, I spent a couple of days in Halifax, courtesy of Tourism Halifax. My hosts gave me a free night’s stay in a harbour-view hotel room, meals in two of the city’s finest restaurants, a cruise on a tall ship and admissions to four attractions. Last summer, I enjoyed a stay in Stratford at a lovely B&B; the year before it was a weekend touring Ottawa. Each time, the local tourism department cheerfully picked up the tab. Why? Because in exchange for a free stay, I wrote a travel article. If the travel bug is biting, why not parlay your writing talents into a free holiday? Just follow these five straightforward steps. 1. Do your research Choose your destination and decide what you’d like to see and do while you’re there. Or plan a “stay-cation.” Yup, it’s that easy. Tourism websites often provide a travel media section for journalists, stocked with ready-made story ideas. 2. Find your angle(s) and publication (s) To pitch a story to a publication, you need an angle. That is NOT the destination. Your angle paints a compelling reason to travel there, supported by concrete details. For example, my Halifax angle proposed a historic walking tour of Halifax Harbour, naming specific museums and the tall ship cruise as places of interest. My query got several “noes” but one “yes”—a local parenting publication. I found a new angle and scored a second “yes”—this very Word Weaver article! Now that I’m home, I’ll change the angle yet again, re-tailor my query and pitch a few more publications. After all, the first story pays for the holiday; any additional stories are a bonus. You don’t need to land a story in a big magazine like National Geographic. Articles in small publications also offer tourism departments good return on investment. Think broad: travel stories are everywhere. Pitch lifestyle glossies, bridal mags,

Have Pen Will Travel By Heather M. O’Connor

Freelance writer Heather M. O'Connor scribbles articles for national and regional publications by day and fiction by night. The busy mother of five thanks the writing gods for WCDR, where she finds inspiration, encouragement and a great many kindred spirits.

newspapers, even the inflight magazines you read on the plane. 3. Decide on what you want Once you confirm an assignment, contact the tourism representative. But first, banish your insecurities. You are doing the tourism department a favour. They WANT you to write about their city or province. Your story will bring in visitors, and that’s their job. Explain your story and ask for what you want. You might request an overnight stay, meals in local restaurants, admissions and tickets. Listen to the tourism folks; they readily offer advice on other events and places of interest that you may not know about. In my stories on Stratford, I requested tickets to two plays, but the tourism officer offered far more than that—enough material for a second story. Your tourism contact may also plan your itinerary, set up any necessary interviews and give you access to their bank of high-resolution photos. 4. Remember that you’re on a working vacation Participate and observe actively. Ask questions. Take notes and photos, keeping the story in mind as you go, and recording all the rich sensory details you’ll want to work into the story. 5. Follow up Recognize the time and generosity of your tourism liaison and your tourism hosts with a thank you note and a copy of your article.

5

The Writing Fairy®

Silly Cryptic Crossword Puzzle

for Grammar Nerds

Across

1. Cat:animal :: verb:grammar

4. A verb masquerading as a noun

5. If we had verbal punctuation marks, this would be used a lot by older people who forget

critical words in the middle of sentences

6. Byte me, fashionista, metrosexual, BBF, tweet cred, or any clever phrase coined by Neil

Crone

8. Did it rain in Spain during the reign of King Philip II?

9. When you’re in the dog house, you may be unable to use one of these to get out

11. I love teaching beginning writers, or writerlings, as I like to call them

Down

2. This enables you to write your sagas at a high level of word usage, so you can toot your own

horn every time you get a new gig

3. An annoying word that epitomizes the concept of fickleness and is bound to hold you bound

by confusion

7. A trope that will have you spinning your wheels, tickling the ivories and realizing that the pen

is mightier than the sword

10. There are p-p-p-plenty of these in the English language (Answers on page 11)

6

Winning submission: Challenge #1

Last Leaf of Autumn By Ray Williams Autumn splendour laid all around, dappled in splashes of yellows, reds, gold and browns. Riveted to his branch in the swirling gusts, Buddy remained dazzled by the spectacle. He had vowed, after popping out of his maple bud one chilly spring day, that he would be the last leaf to fall from his tree. “Hi there. Nice to see you,” he called out to the newest leaf on his left. “What’s your name?” The leaf didn’t reply or even look at him. Feeling rejected, Buddy turned away. All summer long, Buddy and the other green leaves had fluttered and whistled in chorus upon swaying branches. But not the leaf to his left. Cooler climes spawned torrential rain and damaging winds. Some of his friends couldn’t resist. They crashed to the ground to form parts of a multi-coloured carpet. Turning to the silent leaf, Buddy said, “See what happened to them. I bet you I’ll be the last to fall.” Again, he was ignored. Frost set in. Shivering like the others, Buddy felt his colour changing from green to mustard, then ginger and scarlet. In time, more leaves surrendered. But not his nearby neighbour. As another storm approached, Buddy hoped for some response. “When the hell are you going to fall?” he asked. The leaf held on unshaken in the tempest. Buddy got mad and shouted, “Just you wait and see. I’m going to hold on longer than you, and then we’ll know who’s the strongest.” Thunder roared. Lightening streaked across the night sky, sending more leaves toppling to the ground. Remembering his pledge, Buddy remained determined and so did his stubborn compatriot. Buddy saw a bolt of lightening shooting straight for his tree and he braced himself. He closed his eyes as it hit. He felt the tree shudder. Branches snapped and crashed to the earth as did thousands of wet leaves. In the darkness, unable to see, Buddy wondered what had become of his silent partner. He grew concerned. At sunrise, Buddy gazed upon naked tree limbs reaching for the heavens. Below him a kaleidoscope of colours was scattered all around. He looked to his left, calling, “Hello! Hello! Where are you, my friend?” Again, no answer. He had no doubt the other leaf had fallen, leaving him alone on the tree. He regretted the leaf not responding, but he was also relieved that his wish had come true. Looking down at the fallen vegetation, he shouted with great satisfaction, “I told you I’d be the last leaf of autumn.” Buddy, now a blazing fiery maple, stood, shimmering above his many vanquished friends, as dark clouds threatened on the horizon. He didn’t see it coming. He was propelled by ferocious gusts, swept up and sent tumbling. Stunned, he opened his eyes. There, close by, lay his old neighbour from the left. “Told you I’d win,” Buddy said. “We’re glad you did,” said the leaf with a smile. “Without you, our beautiful autumn carpet could never be complete.”

Write about autumn splendour!

Ray Williams is retired and a long-time member of WCDR. Originally from Guyana, he’s been married for forty-one years, is the father of two daughters and the grandfather of four granddaughters. Ray has written over thirty creative non-fiction short stories as well as travelogues, poems and essays. He enjoys travelling the world, gardening, wood carving and star gazing.

7

Two little boys eye a corn maze where flame-tipped boughs of red maple line the lane. They speculate about face painting, then race to sit on musty bales, giggle as wagon wheels bump over dry stubble where grain grew golden in the summer. Last year a friend called ahead, arranged car access right into the pumpkin patch. Daddy, shrouded in grey tuque (a different grey than his face) hoodie and red plaid jacket tried to use his walker, then had to sit in the car to vote thumbs up or down on pumpkins Mommy and the boys carried over. Back home, he needed help to get into the house, to settle on the couch by the fire. When he read blue-tinged flames did he see remission and hope? Or—did he see splendour in flaming limbs, that would never again feel those colours under the sky? He was back in hospital the next day, strength spent, seldom home after that. But Charlie remembers sitting on the walker seat and Ryland remembers choosing the perfect pumpkin for Daddy.

Jacqui Watts AMBERVALENCE: The state of mind a driver enters into when deciding whether to stop at an amber traffic signal.

Create a new word!

Winning submission: Challenge #2

Splendour in Autumn By Bonnie Thomson

Bonnie Beldan-Thomson, writer, musician and educator, lives in Pickering, Ontario. Her recent publication history includes East of the City, A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider and Tuesday’s Child.

French/English Dictionary new word: mots-tivated: Jacqui Watts; obsessively compelled to read, write, dissect, combine, re-invent and envision individual words from all angles, directions and appearances, for as long as she remembers.

8

I thought I knew a lot about stories until I began to write them. Silly me. I’m sure you know what it’s like at the beginning, trying to figure out things like structure and style. Several of the books and magazines on writing that I read didn’t click in my brain. I found answers to my questions about fiction in a screenwriting book called Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, by Robert McKee. I had heard about McKee and his costly sold-out lectures around the world. Allegedly, he sometimes shouts, even swears at attendees to get his point across. I bought the book after flipping through it. Glad I did. Filled with well-organized diagrams, explanations and examples, I can almost hear him shouting when he writes “Eliminate ‘is’ and ‘are’ throughout. Onscreen, nothing is in a state of being; story life is an unending flux of change, of becoming.” Great, I thought. I need information and reasons for it. I lapped up his words. I know I can apply his ideas to fiction, non-fiction, stage plays, television, poetry and lots more. There is also, as I imagine in his lectures, adult-rated language to get the reader to listen and act. He quotes Ernest Hemingway, “The first draft of anything is shit.” McKee admits his education is mostly from reading many hundreds of books and essays on the art of story. Story contains a genre and sub-genre system with 25 entries, which is an extraordinary illumination of various types of writing. It also includes the principle of creative limitation; the politics of artistic versus commercial success;

irony; the persuasive power of a story; writing from the inside out and more. One section is summarized by, “The measure of the value of a character’s desire is in direct proportion to the risk he’s willing to take to achieve it; the greater the value, the greater the risk.” Here are some of McKee’s other insights: “In Suspense the audience and characters know the same information.” “Fall in love with all your characters…Embrace all your creations, especially the bad people. They deserve love like everyone else.” “…poetic means an enhanced expressivity…The first step in turning a well-told story into a poetic work is to exclude 90 percent of reality.” “A protagonist and his story can only be as intellectually fascinating and emotionally compelling as the forces of antagonism make them.” I appreciate McKee’s ability to foresee the kinds of troubles I could get into. He bluntly gets to the core of a belief about writing, looks at it, then, like a doctor, writes his prescription. Unlike a doctor, though, his writing is very clear. McKee helped me get to know the art of storytelling intimately. Now I can focus on the business of writing while enjoying my writing more because I better understand the elements. My copy of Story is full of scribbles and underlines. Often I just sit back in admiration at clear explanations of what I want to know. McKee has helped me move on. His work has given me caffeine to climb the writing ladder. I highly recommend it.

Story by Robert McKee (Harper Collins, 1997)

Book Reviews for Writers By Ken O’Connor

9

Rudyard Kipling said, “If history were told in the form of stories it would never be forgotten.” As a writer and a historian, I am inspired by this statement to borrow from one discipline to augment my work in the other. In particular, I like to encourage my life writing clients to utilize the principles of oral history and especially the interview, to encourage their own memory recall and to add new perspectives to their stories. Oral history is much more than an interview; it is the disciplined conversation between two participants about some facet of the past. In life writing, an oral history interview provides access to different information about your topic (perhaps things you might not remember), allows you to ask the questions that most interest you and can encourage a sense of identity, place and worth in the participants. Oral history generally takes the form of a dialogue between two people about an event they deem important. In life writing, it can be helpful to interview other family members, neighbours and friends to provide depth to your writing. Often two people remember the same event but in very different ways. James McBride, New York Times best-selling author of the Color of Water: A

Black Man’s Tribute to his White Mother, used interviews extensively in writing his memoir. McBride interviewed more than 100 people over the course of writing the book to get information he did not remember clearly. Oral history can augment any writing project that involves research by adding new knowledge and a fresh perspective to the topic. Keep in mind that women, minorities and immigrants are often missing from the historical record, which is mostly written from a white male point of view. Oral history interviews allow one to access different kinds of information not always available in speeches, government documents and other official sources. Ordinary people often live through extraordinary times, so finding an interview subject with first-hand knowledge of a particular event can produce interesting results. Preparing for an oral history interview requires that you complete at least some basic research in order to prepare a list of questions that will elicit the most information based on your particular focus. Oral history does not end with the interview, however. Interviews should be verified as much as possible for validity, accuracy

and truth. How you use the information from the interview will depend on your project. Quotations can be used to support an argument or to enhance recall of a particular event. When finished with the interviews (and with the interviewees’ consent), consider returning the material to the community by donating it to a local historical society or archives. This way you will be helping to preserve the social history of the 20th/ 21st century, with its lack of diaries and personal correspondence. For more information on using oral history in your writing, see www.oralhistory.org.

Laura Suchan is Director of the Oshawa Community Museum, where she has been balancing budgets and writing business plans for more than 20 years. Laura was project manager for several oral history projects and continues to teach oral history.

Let’s Talk… By Laura Suchan

10

By Barbara Hunt

Who’s

xx

hats. TD: I liked the jobs. You know, stuff comes up and you think, “I can do that.” WW: And through the board, you got involved with the contests? TD: Ruth wanted to continue the contests and Heather O’Connor and I offered to help. It was a way to learn from people who have much more experience. Then I saw how the contests helped newer members who maybe hadn’t entered anything before or were new to creative writing. I heard our feedback was what they’d needed or it gave them an idea where to go next with their work. That’s very gratifying. WW: I think of you as the three musketeers… TD: Sure, Ruth has the connections to find judges. Heather’s a natural for PR, and as a bit of a note-taker—an organizing-type person—I just do the admin. WW: So, why the Amherst Writers & Artists accreditation? TD: I’ve taken a lot of workshops. With Ruth and Gwynn Scheltema. Sue Reynolds and James Dewar. So when training came up that May, I thought, “I should learn that.” In November, after Soul Collage training in Chicago, I went to Massachusetts for post-certification training at Pat Schneider’s home. I thought,

“pinch me!” WW: That allowed you to conduct workshops for the WCDR? TD: It’s hard for newbies. So, members for less than a year took my six-week workshop. On-the-spot writing. Reading out loud. A little poetry. Learning how to give positive feedback. Like the WCDR tagline says, writing doesn’t have to be a solitary act. They learned there’s no right way or wrong way. That’s important. I remember how it felt to be out of my element and not know much of anything. WW: Back to Soul Collage. Does it cross-pollinate your writing? TD: Yes, the cards represent different parts of yourself. Ideal for memoir. But you could make cards for characters. Or elements of characters. It’s a visual way of tapping into that same creativity. WW: So, what’s new? What are you exploring now? TD: Lots. Always. I just finished a short story course with Sue Reynolds and an online course with Sarah Selecky. I took James Dewar’s chapbook workshop but I’m not there yet. I need a lighter poem to balance the retrospective material for a chapbook. I’m taking A Novel Approach to Memoir again because I haven’t finished. And then I’m coming back to fiction. That’s for sure!

Former WCDR boarder and perpetual “willing hand,” Theresa Dekker describes her life as “one giant journey and it won’t be stopping for a long time.” And anyone who knows her benefits from her “trying everything to find out where [her] true niche is.” WW: This journey started when you joined the WCDR board, right? TD: I give total credit to Dorothea Helms because it all started with her creative writing class in Uxbridge. If I hadn’t taken her class or had taken it with a different teacher, I wouldn’t be where I am today…a writer, period. Also retired and learning so many things. I finished her class on a Monday and came to my first WCDR (Christmas) breakfast on the Saturday. Joining quickly due to Ruth Walker’s encouragement. For the board, I put my name in. I wanted to find out how things work, and what better way than to put yourself out there…ask questions. That’s the great thing about the WCDR. If you make the effort, members are totally willing to share. WW: You enjoyed your stay? TD: Obviously. Five years. First as secretary then as treasurer for two, VP and breakfast co-ordinator and finally I covered breakfast, finances and secretary. WW: A lady wearing many

featuring

Who

Theresa Dekker

11

Saturday, January 12th Start off the new year on the right track by learning more about the publishing industry. The WCDR breakfast meeting features Sam Hiyate, president of The Rights Factory, a literary agency based in Toronto with an international reach. Learn more about protecting your work by signing up for the mini-workshop, “Don’t Click Too Quick: What Every Writer Should Know About Online “Contracts,” with Susan Croft.

Sunday, January 27th What Publishers Want – A Workshop with Sam Hiyate sponsored by WCDR. Today’s literary marketplace can be a mysterious minefield to writers. What’s hot? What’s over-saturated? What’s literary? Does genre fiction have rules that can be broken? What are editors really looking for? Sam Hiyate, literary agent and founder of The Rights Factory in Toronto, will examine the publishing world in Canada, the U.S. and international markets in this one-day workshop.

ANSWERS to Crossword Across 1. Hyponym 4. Gerund 5. Ellipsis 6. Neologism 8. Homophone 9. Morpheme 11. Diminutive

Down 2. Palindrome 3. Antagonym 7. Synecdoche 10. Phoneme

More Interaction, More Writing for 2013 Monthly Meetings Every year, the WCDR board reviews feedback generously provided by our members. This year, the message given was loud and clear: more networking time and fewer announcements at the monthly meetings. We are pleased to announce that starting January, WCDR will be launching a new format for the meetings. The day will begin with a sumptuous gourmet breakfast as usual, but instead of announcements, we will be inviting everyone to participate in a short, interactive writing exercise led by a qualified instructor. Don’t worry; information about upcoming writing events will still be available, just in a different format. We will package the announcements into a PowerPoint presentation that will be displayed at the members’ table area, along with pamphlets listing all the details. We expect these changes will encourage more interaction, inspiration and networking opportunities.

Previously missed in the special edition, WCDR Members Publish, of The Word Weaver: In the Mind's Eye By Barbara Ponomareff Literary Fiction (novella) Quattro Books www.quattrobooks.ca www.Amazon.com

12

NEW WCDR MEMBERS Paula Mazzocchi

Carol Espie Laura Francis

Nicole Bashford Jason DeLeskie

Desmond Washington Charlene Jones Roger Karam

Larry Johanson Sashko Kotlarovski

Ben McColm Sue Brodie

Marilyn Miller Oke Purabi Das Jill Mueller

April Scott-Clarke Dustin Cormier

Alice Marlene Reback

RETURNING MEMBERS Deborah Harkness

For complete board bios or to contact a board member visit

www.wcdr.org

2010/2011 Board of Directors

Sally Moore Vice-President/

Workshop Coordinator

Sharon Overend Breakfast Coordinator

Maureen Curry Membership

Christina Vasilevski Web Liaison

webmaster@wcdr.org

Cryssa Bazos Special Events

James Dewar President

Jenny Madore

Treasurer

Phil Dwyer Secretary

Hélène Paquin

Public Relations

Marie-Eve Girard Member-at-large

2012/2013 Board of Directors

The Word Weaver is published by The Writers’ Community of Durham Region as

a service to its members and other interested parties. No one should act

upon advice given without considering the facts of specific situations and/or consulting appropriate professional

advisors. Publications are invited to quote from The

Word Weaver upon obtaining written permission from the President,

The Writers’ Community of Durham Region,

Bayly Postal Outlet, P.O. Box 14558, 75 Bayly Street West, Ajax, ON

L1S 7K7 905-686-0211 www.wcdr.org

Word Weaver subscription: $12/year (six issues).

We reserve the right to edit or reject submissions at our discretion.

Editor/Desktop Publishing: Cathy Minz

Copy Editor: Sherry Hinman

We welcome your input! Send questions/comments/article ideas

to wordweaver@wcdr.org.