1

Details of Natalie sighngs were reported with breathless enthusiasm ldquoI met her walking in the woodsrdquo said a woman across from me at dinner before the first workshop ldquoWe talked She was collecng acornsrdquo The sycophansm was rampant and no surprise Natalie Golberg is one of North Americarsquos best known wring instructors Her seminal Wring Down the Bones which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2011 has been translated into 14 languages and sold more than a million copies I received my copy from a friend while living in Japan in the early 1990s and to this day I can remember some of the exercises Later that evening we filtered into the Main Hallmdashwith its buTressed arched ceiling and mul‐paned windows set so high they framed only skymdashfor the first of four workshops based on Nataliersquos book on wring memoir Old Friend from Far Away Seated up front she was as Irsquod imagined her dressed in black shirt and pants with short dark hair a big smile her Brooklyn accent sll untamed aXer years in New Mexico Draped on the back of her chair was a purple shawl A small table on each side was a cluTer of water boTles papers books It was as if shersquod been teleported there from her family room She even stopped once to apply lip balm

Despite this informality she made it clear she was going to work us ldquoWersquore here to crack open structure Thatrsquos where the energy isrdquo she pronounced She was talking as she usually is about life as well as wring The first thing she had us do was break out of our orderly rows of seats and move closer to her arranging ourselves randomly some in chairs some on the floor So there I was on a BackJack meditaon chairmdasha floor cushion with back supportmdashlegs outstretched barefoot no less (shoes leX at the door) I was 700 kilometres from home at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshire Hills of MassachuseTs On the shuTle from the Albany airport I had chaTed with Sunshine a fresh‐

faced yoga instructor from South Carolina In the corridor on the way to my room Irsquod passed a guy doing a headstand At dinner I had congratulated myself on sampling earthy vegetarian medleys but stopped short of adding a dash of something called Bragg Liquid Aminos Irsquod never in my life aTempted yoga and I suck at meditaon Listen I was cracking open structure just by being there Inially there were murmurs of surprise about the group sizemdash148 of us ldquoOh donrsquot worrymdashwersquoll get inmaterdquo said Natalie her promise vaguely ominous We began each session with a 10‐minute meditaon And then we wrote Natalie would suggest a topic ldquoGo Ten minutesrdquo shersquod say (That instrucon is her trademark) During workshops I wrote surrounded by the scritch‐scratch of 147 other pens on paper homework I did alone in my room or with a group of new friends in the coffee shop That mid‐November was one of endless sunshine and spring‐like temperatures so I even wrote on the terracemdashthe trees shedding late‐autumn leaves the expansive lawn sloping down to Lake Mahkeenac the hills in the distancemdashor perched on the lifeguardrsquos chair at the beach (connued on page two)

A newsletter for writers andeditors produced by

NovemberDecember 2010Vol 16 No 6

Studying the Writerrsquos Mind

By Allyson Latta

Inside a Natalie Goldberg Workshop

2

(connued from page one) I wrote and wrote unl my hand felt disembodied The core of Nataliersquos teaching has remained the same since Bones wring pracce Keep your pen moving for a set length of me and write whatever comes to mind not trying to control the result not worrying about punctuaon resisng the itch to cross out It doesnrsquot maTer where you begin What I see in front of me Mashed potatoes Scars You just need ldquoa place to push off fromrdquo ldquoAnd go for the jugularrdquo she advised If something scares you write about it Then she blindsided us We were told we had to read aloud in groups of three these pieces torn from our hearts Donrsquot judge anotherrsquos wring she instructed Donrsquot comment Instead listen ldquostudy the writerrsquos mindrdquo This was difficult at first especially when a piece was powerful But soon we came to see it as liberang Some volunteers read to the whole group and oXen there were tearsmdashin readers and listeners Well aXer all Natalie had promised inmacy Again we werenrsquot to comment ldquoWring is 90 percent listeningrdquo she said Instead wersquod pracse ldquorecallrdquo simply repeang aloud phrases

from the reading that stayed with us We studied Nataliersquos mind too as she spoke and when she read from her memoir Long Quiet Highway She is by turns Zen‐like (ldquoYoursquore here to write because you want to enter your life not get away from itrdquo) and down‐to‐earth (ldquoNobody else gives a shit whether you write or notrdquo) ldquoTake a walk in the orchardrdquo she told us on our second day ldquoDonrsquot write about it Just go Itrsquos beaufulrdquo I

did at dawn when the grass was sll crisp and frost‐pped and the air scented with fallen apples and the sun spilling orange over the hills She was right We also studied through their work the minds of poet Allen Ginsberg novelist Saul Bellow memoirist Paul Zweig and several songwriters including Bob Dylan Over three days Natalie said liTle about memoir But then she didnrsquot have to All good wring bubbles from the same spring of experience and reflecon My take not hers though I believe shersquod agree Natalie Goldberg is a giX to us not because she teaches us how to write but because her love of language makes us feel we can and should She encourages the writer in each of us to listen to others and to the self The rest well that comes with pracce Asked in the final workshop whether she had a meditaon shersquod recommend for writers Natalie sighed ldquoOh honey therersquos no magic Just pick up a penrdquo Go Ten minutes

Allyson Latta is an editor of award-winning books for publishers in Canada and the Caribbean One of her copyedits Cool Water won this yearrsquos Governor Generalrsquos Literary Award for Fiction Shes a writing instructor at U of T and Koffler Centre of the Arts and has led workshops in Canada the US and Chile wwwallysonlattaca

2

(connued from page one) I wrote and wrote unl my hand felt disembodied The core of Nataliersquos teaching has remained the same since Bones wring pracce Keep your pen moving for a set length of me and write whatever comes to mind not trying to control the result not worrying about punctuaon resisng the itch to cross out It doesnrsquot maTer where you begin What I see in front of me Mashed potatoes Scars You just need ldquoa place to push off fromrdquo ldquoAnd go for the jugularrdquo she advised If something scares you write about it Then she blindsided us We were told we had to read aloud in groups of three these pieces torn from our hearts Donrsquot judge anotherrsquos wring she instructed Donrsquot comment Instead listen ldquostudy the writerrsquos mindrdquo This was difficult at first especially when a piece was powerful But soon we came to see it as liberang Some volunteers read to the whole group and oXen there were tearsmdashin readers and listeners Well aXer all Natalie had promised inmacy Again we werenrsquot to comment ldquoWring is 90 percent listeningrdquo she said Instead wersquod pracse ldquorecallrdquo simply repeang aloud phrases

from the reading that stayed with us We studied Nataliersquos mind too as she spoke and when she read from her memoir Long Quiet Highway She is by turns Zen‐like (ldquoYoursquore here to write because you want to enter your life not get away from itrdquo) and down‐to‐earth (ldquoNobody else gives a shit whether you write or notrdquo) ldquoTake a walk in the orchardrdquo she told us on our second day ldquoDonrsquot write about it Just go Itrsquos beaufulrdquo I

did at dawn when the grass was sll crisp and frost‐pped and the air scented with fallen apples and the sun spilling orange over the hills She was right We also studied through their work the minds of poet Allen Ginsberg novelist Saul Bellow memoirist Paul Zweig and several songwriters including Bob Dylan Over three days Natalie said liTle about memoir But then she didnrsquot have to All good wring bubbles from the same spring of experience and reflecon My take not hers though I believe shersquod agree Natalie Goldberg is a giX to us not because she teaches us how to write but because her love of language makes us feel we can and should She encourages the writer in each of us to listen to others and to the self The rest well that comes with pracce Asked in the final workshop whether she had a meditaon shersquod recommend for writers Natalie sighed ldquoOh honey therersquos no magic Just pick up a penrdquo Go Ten minutes

Allyson Latta is an editor of award-winning books for publishers in Canada and the Caribbean One of her copyedits Cool Water won this yearrsquos Governor Generalrsquos Literary Award for Fiction Shes a writing instructor at U of T and Koffler Centre of the Arts and has led workshops in Canada the US and Chile wwwallysonlattaca

3

JK Rowling makes millions of dollars a year from the sales of her Harry Potter series of books and related items In a restaurant I overheard a conversation during which one of the people said ldquoIsnrsquot it a shame that she rakes in that kind of moneyrdquo It was difficult but I held myself back from attacking her with my souvlaki skewer A shame I think itrsquos fabulous that we have a superhero known for something other than throwing a ball through a hoop That statement hit home for me as I continually find myself in a position of having to defend professional fees for writing services Freelance writers in Canada today make on average less than they did decades ago which is a shame For the most part itrsquos also the fault of writers who undervalue their work When I teach ldquoThe Business of Writingrdquo I encourage people to get over the concept that receiving professional fees for writing is ldquoselling outrdquohellipthat somehow the world deserves writing for free along with music and art

This dangerous yet ubiquitous attitude undermines artistic peoplersquos right to make a living at what they love to do and keeps writers in general underpaidmdashand often not paid at all Choosing to provide free writing for a charity or non-profit organization is fine We give back to the greater community in various ways and thatrsquos a valid form of generosity When it comes to for-profit businesses however thatrsquos a quill of a different feather If you hand over writing to a business or publication for no remuneration or a pittance you do not break even you lose money Writing takes time It puts wear and tear on your computer uses up printer ink may involve mileage for research long distance charges etc Ask yourself whether itrsquos logical to lose money so another business can make money The fact is the world needs what we create Whether itrsquos brochure or ad copy investigative journalism humour articles poetry

fiction non-fiction plays screenplays reports press releases or songs we entertain educate inform inspire and excite We deserve to be paid well for the hours and overhead it takes to do what we do Granted we canrsquot all be superstars but we are wizards of words who can stand up to the muggles of the world who want our magic for free

Read more about Dorothea Helms aka The Writing Fairy at wwwthewritingfairycom

The Writing Fairyreg

Ea t My Du s t C o l umnBy Dorothea Helms

4

Who is Cathy Minz You may have rubbed elbows with the sunny bruneTe at WCDR breakfasts Yoursquove probably seen her byline in local magazines or her award‐winning tribute to veterans in the Ajax News Adverser Perhaps you saw her promong the Durham Theatre Fesval Well starng this month the freelance copywriter and media maven takes on a new rolemdashsimng in the editorrsquos chair of The Word Weaver WORD WEAVER Yoursquore replacing Janet Boccone as Word Weaver editor How do you feel about this new challenge Do you have any ideas yoursquod like to implement CATHY MINZ Following in Janetrsquos footsteps will be a challenge but Irsquom looking forward to it I respect her talents immensely and will do my best to maintain her level of professionalism Irsquom also looking forward to gemng more involved with The WCDR I like to know whatrsquos going on and Irsquom hoping to keep the membership enlightened and entertained WW When reading or eding certain errors drive me crazymdashitrsquos instead of its for example Do you have a pet peeve error CM Ugh Itrsquos definitely theyrsquore vs theirit makes me crazy when I see that WW What kinds of wring do you do CM While I have wriTen corporate newsleTers sales leTers and markeng material at various points throughout my career I have been wring professionally full me for the past 5+ years I love it Itrsquos a natural fit for me WW And what kind of wring would you like to do CM I also have a dream to one day have the fortude to write

ficon Irsquod love to write a novel but my aTenon span isnrsquot that long so it will probably be a short story WW You received one of the first WCDR scholarships How did you use your $250 award What difference did it make to your wring life CM I was thrilled to receive the WCDR scholarship I immediately put it toward the cost of a Writescape Wring Retreat It was a fabulous experience and it helped me realize that I canrsquot just jump into wring a novel I have some real work to do before I can create an ldquoanimalrdquo like that Creave wring is very different from copywring WW We once discussed how commercial wring tends to sfle our creave wring Would you like to comment on that CM Absolutely I find that commercial wring is a format and there are real pieces of a puzzle to put together to obtain a specific result When wring creavely everything is open There are no rules no guidelines

Itrsquos tough to let my brain explore the possibilies of a completely new world with no specific desnaon in mind WW Do you have a favourite wring resource CM Irsquod have to say the Internet I find tons of story ideas brand comparisons definions potenal clients and even the weather forecast (to see if I want to be inside working or outside playing) WW If you could share three wring pointers with other writers what would they be CM Learn everything you can about everything That will provide lots of fuel for your wring Open your mind to other perspecves Listen and watch other people and think about their movaons for things they do Good brain exercise Talk and listen to like‐minded peoplelike at WCDR breakfasts WW You write a lot of magazine arcles What would be your dream assignment Your dream publicaon CM Irsquove never thought about that before Thanks for asking that queson I would absolutely love to write an arcle that truly inspired people to live a beTer life published in O The Oprah Magazine Irsquod like to either inspire someone to reach for their dreams or help someone improve their standard of living That would make me very happy WW How about your wring dream CM In a perfect world Cathy Minz would be wring smart award‐winning ads the next great Canadian novel and arcles that helped to improve our planet and the lives of people who live on it Is that asking too much

Whorsquos Who

featuring

Cathy Minz

By Heather M OrsquoConnor

5

Hello fellow authors and writing aficionados Wersquove been busy again in the Durham Region helping writers develop their craft and also giving members an opportunity to showcase their talents A grateful nod to our special events co-ordinator Thomas Moss for organizing and hosting ldquoWCDR Presents A Local Literary Reading Nightrdquo on November 12th at Isabellas Chocolate Cafeacute in Oshawa The reading was well attended and the vote of confidence from the many who attended was evident in the chorus ldquoWhen will there be another opportunity to readrdquo Stay tuned and polish up your favourite poem or other writing gem Sue Reynolds our past president and I spent four wonderful days out west in October helping design the

first-ever national organization for creative writing in Canada the Canadian Creative Writers and Writing Programs (wwwccwwpca) It will follow on the success of the Associated Writing Programs (AWP) in the US and the Australian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) Sue provides the details of this important new liaison for The WCDR in an article in this issue The debut of Noelle Bicklersquos leadership of the Reading as Writersrsquo (RAW) bookclubrsquos ldquoBevvies and Booksrdquo evening on November 29th in Whitby was also a great success Several board members attended as part of a group of 14 writers gathered to discuss our December breakfast speaker Rabindranath Maharajrsquos featured novel Homer in Flight Each participant also performed a short reading of a work in progress We had three new authors who had never read their writing to anyone before It is always a treat to be part of that pivotal moment in a

writerrsquos life and one of the chief reasons The WCDR exists The criteria for WCDRrsquos education grants and scholarships application process is being finalized and will be announced soon Last year we presented nine awards totalling $2100 four Len Cullen a Terry Fallis and four WCDR scholarships We will send out emails advising the final details for application and also post them on wwwwcdrorg Since last yearrsquos recipients cannot receive an award two years in a row your application (February 2011 deadline) has an excellent chance of being selected We have lots more to tell you about but wersquove run out of space this issue On behalf of all members of the board I wish everyone the best of this holiday season and wonderful productive writing in 2011

James DewarWCDR President

A Messagefrom theBOARD

Supportyour independent bookseller

Order online atwwwblueheronbookscom

5

Hello fellow authors and writing aficionados Wersquove been busy again in the Durham Region helping writers develop their craft and also giving members an opportunity to showcase their talents A grateful nod to our special events co-ordinator Thomas Moss for organizing and hosting ldquoWCDR Presents A Local Literary Reading Nightrdquo on November 12th at Isabellas Chocolate Cafeacute in Oshawa The reading was well attended and the vote of confidence from the many who attended was evident in the chorus ldquoWhen will there be another opportunity to readrdquo Stay tuned and polish up your favourite poem or other writing gem Sue Reynolds our past president and I spent four wonderful days out west in October helping design the

first-ever national organization for creative writing in Canada the Canadian Creative Writers and Writing Programs (wwwccwwpca) It will follow on the success of the Associated Writing Programs (AWP) in the US and the Australian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) Sue provides the details of this important new liaison for The WCDR in an article in this issue The debut of Noelle Bicklersquos leadership of the Reading as Writersrsquo (RAW) bookclubrsquos ldquoBevvies and Booksrdquo evening on November 29th in Whitby was also a great success Several board members attended as part of a group of 14 writers gathered to discuss our December breakfast speaker Rabindranath Maharajrsquos featured novel Homer in Flight Each participant also performed a short reading of a work in progress We had three new authors who had never read their writing to anyone before It is always a treat to be part of that pivotal moment in a

writerrsquos life and one of the chief reasons The WCDR exists The criteria for WCDRrsquos education grants and scholarships application process is being finalized and will be announced soon Last year we presented nine awards totalling $2100 four Len Cullen a Terry Fallis and four WCDR scholarships We will send out emails advising the final details for application and also post them on wwwwcdrorg Since last yearrsquos recipients cannot receive an award two years in a row your application (February 2011 deadline) has an excellent chance of being selected We have lots more to tell you about but wersquove run out of space this issue On behalf of all members of the board I wish everyone the best of this holiday season and wonderful productive writing in 2011

James DewarWCDR President

A Messagefrom theBOARD

Supportyour independent bookseller

Order online atwwwblueheronbookscom

6

ldquoYou write and let the writing teach you what you need to knowrdquo

FREEFALL WRITING

The first in a series of arcles by

Barbara Turner‐Vessalago

I am making our bed in our shared bedroom an old Victorian home 18-inch thick walls bluestone foundations high red carpeted stairs little piles of clothes always on the lower steps ready to be taken upstairs by anybody planning the ascent Those stairs seemed so high sometimes and five of us slept upstairs so there were many things in transit I smooth the bottom sheet and plump the big pillows begin to shake the down blanket Tears are starting to trickle from my eyes onto the bed our shared abode of companionship of love Aubrey a neighbour and doctor had called by that morning He said my tests did not really show anything not arthritis not tendonitis in my wrists so what was wrong Why am I so tired Why are my torn hands so sore my feet so tender and sensitive inflamed red so stiff He looked deeply into my face ldquoA friend of mine has Sclerodermardquo he said rdquoI think that is what it might berdquo (continued on page 7)

ldquoFreefallWringrdquo an approach to wring that I have evolved over the past three decades does not concern itself with style punctuaon or even with convenons about genre as suchmdashwhat a poem ldquoneedsrdquo for instance or ldquothe elements of ficonrdquo Those are the old chestnuts easy enough to learn when the me seems appropriate My purpose is to help writers trust the wring process and interact with it as they write rather than trying to control it The resulng ring of authority unique to every writer translates to the reader as ldquovoicerdquo To the writer it feels more like absorponmdasha deep and vibrant connecon with whatever is being wriTen Writers can take that new‐found trust wherever their aspiraons lie As writer Susan Wadds reported aXer a recent workshop in Newmarket ldquoI experienced a

dramac shiX in perspecve I knew I had been missing something in the novel I had just wriTen and now I had it It was that quality of being truly lsquoinrsquo a character of inhabing them So that their life is your life and all past present and future can be drawn upon at any given moment to inform and enrich the story to create shadows and point a finger I thought I was well in but this workshop with you allowed me to see what I had been missingrdquo How does this deepening take place Here and in two further issues of The Word Weaver Irsquoll try to give you some examples I believe that in order to do enough wring for it to become truly powerful (and therefore publishable) writers have to become engrossed in it I also know from experience that much of what happens in wring comes from somewhere beyond the conscious mind To get out of my

own way and let that happen I almost have to trick myself Absorpon is the key Five basic precepts will help any writer be swept away First sit down without a plan and write what comes up for you Second donrsquot change anything Just leave what yoursquore wring on the page Be sure to give all the sensuous details (3) (the words of WO Mitchell to whom I am indebted for an early version of this process) This will immediately pull you in further Go where the energy is (4) for you as you write or if thatrsquos not clear ldquogo fearwardrdquo Write what you donrsquot want to write And if ldquowhat comes uprdquo is autobiographical know that if itrsquos 10 years old it works beTer (5) It will have ldquocompostedrdquo as Natalie Goldberg says becoming ferle and ready to use Here is a brief example of where these precepts first took one writer

7

I am breathing heavily conscious I must keep breathing gasping panic my life breathe my body is becoming cold colder cold through to my bones painful cold white surrounds me it is snow I think I am lying in it cold pain my horse hurt nearby I cannot help the others now Will I be caught Will I die Breathe Cold cold to my bones ldquoHelp help me I am still aliverdquo Somebody is beside me his hand is burning on my heart it feels like a hot coal on my body ldquoWhere are you Margaret Speak to me from where you arerdquo ldquoI am in the snow lying I thought I was going to die there was nobody to help If I had called they would have caught me so I would have died anywaymdashrdquo ldquoAnd you did callrdquo ldquoYes and here you are and I am aliverdquo So many times I have been sick with the fear of cold crying with the pain in my body in my hands my feet holding my breath in shock as my hands go blue and then white drawing the blood from my skin in terror my husband holding me in love and care not knowing not understanding That pain and those fears of cold have slipped by me now My terror doesnrsquot draw the blood from my hands Now my skin is much stronger and softer and pink and mostly warm I can sit on the point in the soft wind and know that my husband is across the sea waiting for my return I hear the birds tentatively accept my being here then relax as they prepare and call

By now she is able unflinchingly to inhabit this former self The awkward syntax is gone the voice clear and that lovely last line reflects true spontaneity Irsquom sure it was nowhere in her mind when she started

As she keeps wring these strengths will become ingrained and easy to invoke on behalf of another character And she will keep wring As Susan Wadds went on to say thatrsquos another great giX of this process ldquoIt

connues to pour out so many words jostling to be next on the line a river of words tumbling over rocks and fallen trees Yippee they say Im freerdquo

In this moving piece I can feel the writer approach and back away recycling a few thoughts (those ldquothick wallsrdquomdashsymbolic) perhaps digressing a liTle Moving fearward she returns to the scene thatrsquos unfolding Again the urge

to explain surfaces (ldquoour shared aboderdquo etc) but she shrugs it off and enters the current the news and the couple taking it in forced by this great unknown to enter the present moment Wring like this makes me think

of holding your hand in the fire you stay with it only as long as you can bear But the next me you can do it longer When this subject comes up again for this writer therersquos no sign of backing away

(continued from page 6) I tell Bruce now on the opposite side of the bed pulling up the other side of the quilt ldquoHow long have we gotrdquo he asks softly ldquoI donrsquot knowrdquo comes out automatically ldquoIt depends on whether the skin within my kidneys and lungs becomes affected Aubrey saysrdquo He approaches me as if with fear and love ldquoAre you still thererdquo in his arms as they enfold my weak body ldquoWersquoll do anything you want together travel together wersquoll take the childrenrdquo He is frightened I cannot see beyond today

8

As we signed in at the registration desk for the CCWWP conference at the University of Calgary on October 7th the registrar asked us ldquoWhich committee would you like to be on We have governance fundraising membership and the next conferencerdquo WCDR president James Dewar and I must have looked a bit nonplussed (though he chose governance and I opted for membership) I was at the conference to deliver a paper on the benefits for incarcerated women of participating in a creative writing class James was there representing The WCDR But over the next few hours we began to understand Not only was this the first-ever conference for Canadian Creative Writers and Writing Programs (CCWWP) but also part of its raison drsquoecirctre was to see if the will existed to create a Canadian organization equivalent to the AWP in the States and AAWP in Australia Over the course of the next four days (two of which took place at the Banff Centre for the Arts) we attended six panels a keynote by Greg Hollingshead a lecture by Aritha van Herk and a plenary talk by Rosemary Sullivan In the opening keynote Hollingshead addressed

the state of creative writing in Canada at the moment noting the profound rise in the sales of creative non-fiction in the past 15 years the loss of independent booksellers and the rise of theory and cultural studies in creative writing courses All of which was interestingmdashand a little discouragingmdashbut what electrified me was his statement ldquoBad writing is a series of strategies for containing distancing and walling off emotionrdquo He went on to insist that re-experiencing emotion is a necessary part of excellent writing and the primary reason for the story to be written From that moment I knew I was in the presence of my peers and settled in for the duration He also quoted Vladimir Nabokov who wrote that in the presence of great literature ldquothe hairs on the back of my neck stand uprdquo This has always been an indicator for me of when a workshop participant has really created something magnificent and I was delighted to hear it echoed by him and several

others in the next few days Over the span of the event we each participated in three breakout sessions for our chosen

committees as well as in

the final decision to create the organization and elect a board Jamesrsquo input to the governance committee was invaluable given both his 23 years in corporate management and his years on The WCDR board (In fact several of the models for the new organization were adopted from WCDR best practices) At the end of the conference I was nominated to stand for the board of this new national organization I thought of all the work on my plate alreadymdashmy unfinished thesis my Novel Approach participantsrsquo manuscripts waiting to be readmdashand I hesitated But then I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise ldquoYesrdquo I said ldquoYes Irsquod be delighted to standrdquo

WCDR Past President Sue Reynolds was elected to the CCWWP board and nominated as vice-chair of the organization She is responsible for communications including web presence To read more and to become a part of this organization check out wwwccwwpca This site is still under construction and will launch officially in January 2011

By Susan Lynn Reynolds

WCDR Presidents Contribute toNew National Writing Organization

The first‐ever CCWWP conference was held in Calgary and Banff jointly between October 7th and 11th 2010 (Photo courtesy of wwwccwwpca)

7

I am breathing heavily conscious I must keep breathing gasping panic my life breathe my body is becoming cold colder cold through to my bones painful cold white surrounds me it is snow I think I am lying in it cold pain my horse hurt nearby I cannot help the others now Will I be caught Will I die Breathe Cold cold to my bones ldquoHelp help me I am still aliverdquo Somebody is beside me his hand is burning on my heart it feels like a hot coal on my body ldquoWhere are you Margaret Speak to me from where you arerdquo ldquoI am in the snow lying I thought I was going to die there was nobody to help If I had called they would have caught me so I would have died anywaymdashrdquo ldquoAnd you did callrdquo ldquoYes and here you are and I am aliverdquo So many times I have been sick with the fear of cold crying with the pain in my body in my hands my feet holding my breath in shock as my hands go blue and then white drawing the blood from my skin in terror my husband holding me in love and care not knowing not understanding That pain and those fears of cold have slipped by me now My terror doesnrsquot draw the blood from my hands Now my skin is much stronger and softer and pink and mostly warm I can sit on the point in the soft wind and know that my husband is across the sea waiting for my return I hear the birds tentatively accept my being here then relax as they prepare and call

By now she is able unflinchingly to inhabit this former self The awkward syntax is gone the voice clear and that lovely last line reflects true spontaneity Irsquom sure it was nowhere in her mind when she started

As she keeps wring these strengths will become ingrained and easy to invoke on behalf of another character And she will keep wring As Susan Wadds went on to say thatrsquos another great giX of this process ldquoIt

connues to pour out so many words jostling to be next on the line a river of words tumbling over rocks and fallen trees Yippee they say Im freerdquo

In this moving piece I can feel the writer approach and back away recycling a few thoughts (those ldquothick wallsrdquomdashsymbolic) perhaps digressing a liTle Moving fearward she returns to the scene thatrsquos unfolding Again the urge

to explain surfaces (ldquoour shared aboderdquo etc) but she shrugs it off and enters the current the news and the couple taking it in forced by this great unknown to enter the present moment Wring like this makes me think

of holding your hand in the fire you stay with it only as long as you can bear But the next me you can do it longer When this subject comes up again for this writer therersquos no sign of backing away

(continued from page 6) I tell Bruce now on the opposite side of the bed pulling up the other side of the quilt ldquoHow long have we gotrdquo he asks softly ldquoI donrsquot knowrdquo comes out automatically ldquoIt depends on whether the skin within my kidneys and lungs becomes affected Aubrey saysrdquo He approaches me as if with fear and love ldquoAre you still thererdquo in his arms as they enfold my weak body ldquoWersquoll do anything you want together travel together wersquoll take the childrenrdquo He is frightened I cannot see beyond today

8

As we signed in at the registration desk for the CCWWP conference at the University of Calgary on October 7th the registrar asked us ldquoWhich committee would you like to be on We have governance fundraising membership and the next conferencerdquo WCDR president James Dewar and I must have looked a bit nonplussed (though he chose governance and I opted for membership) I was at the conference to deliver a paper on the benefits for incarcerated women of participating in a creative writing class James was there representing The WCDR But over the next few hours we began to understand Not only was this the first-ever conference for Canadian Creative Writers and Writing Programs (CCWWP) but also part of its raison drsquoecirctre was to see if the will existed to create a Canadian organization equivalent to the AWP in the States and AAWP in Australia Over the course of the next four days (two of which took place at the Banff Centre for the Arts) we attended six panels a keynote by Greg Hollingshead a lecture by Aritha van Herk and a plenary talk by Rosemary Sullivan In the opening keynote Hollingshead addressed

the state of creative writing in Canada at the moment noting the profound rise in the sales of creative non-fiction in the past 15 years the loss of independent booksellers and the rise of theory and cultural studies in creative writing courses All of which was interestingmdashand a little discouragingmdashbut what electrified me was his statement ldquoBad writing is a series of strategies for containing distancing and walling off emotionrdquo He went on to insist that re-experiencing emotion is a necessary part of excellent writing and the primary reason for the story to be written From that moment I knew I was in the presence of my peers and settled in for the duration He also quoted Vladimir Nabokov who wrote that in the presence of great literature ldquothe hairs on the back of my neck stand uprdquo This has always been an indicator for me of when a workshop participant has really created something magnificent and I was delighted to hear it echoed by him and several

others in the next few days Over the span of the event we each participated in three breakout sessions for our chosen

committees as well as in

the final decision to create the organization and elect a board Jamesrsquo input to the governance committee was invaluable given both his 23 years in corporate management and his years on The WCDR board (In fact several of the models for the new organization were adopted from WCDR best practices) At the end of the conference I was nominated to stand for the board of this new national organization I thought of all the work on my plate alreadymdashmy unfinished thesis my Novel Approach participantsrsquo manuscripts waiting to be readmdashand I hesitated But then I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise ldquoYesrdquo I said ldquoYes Irsquod be delighted to standrdquo

WCDR Past President Sue Reynolds was elected to the CCWWP board and nominated as vice-chair of the organization She is responsible for communications including web presence To read more and to become a part of this organization check out wwwccwwpca This site is still under construction and will launch officially in January 2011

By Susan Lynn Reynolds

WCDR Presidents Contribute toNew National Writing Organization

The first‐ever CCWWP conference was held in Calgary and Banff jointly between October 7th and 11th 2010 (Photo courtesy of wwwccwwpca)

8

As we signed in at the registration desk for the CCWWP conference at the University of Calgary on October 7th the registrar asked us ldquoWhich committee would you like to be on We have governance fundraising membership and the next conferencerdquo WCDR president James Dewar and I must have looked a bit nonplussed (though he chose governance and I opted for membership) I was at the conference to deliver a paper on the benefits for incarcerated women of participating in a creative writing class James was there representing The WCDR But over the next few hours we began to understand Not only was this the first-ever conference for Canadian Creative Writers and Writing Programs (CCWWP) but also part of its raison drsquoecirctre was to see if the will existed to create a Canadian organization equivalent to the AWP in the States and AAWP in Australia Over the course of the next four days (two of which took place at the Banff Centre for the Arts) we attended six panels a keynote by Greg Hollingshead a lecture by Aritha van Herk and a plenary talk by Rosemary Sullivan In the opening keynote Hollingshead addressed

the state of creative writing in Canada at the moment noting the profound rise in the sales of creative non-fiction in the past 15 years the loss of independent booksellers and the rise of theory and cultural studies in creative writing courses All of which was interestingmdashand a little discouragingmdashbut what electrified me was his statement ldquoBad writing is a series of strategies for containing distancing and walling off emotionrdquo He went on to insist that re-experiencing emotion is a necessary part of excellent writing and the primary reason for the story to be written From that moment I knew I was in the presence of my peers and settled in for the duration He also quoted Vladimir Nabokov who wrote that in the presence of great literature ldquothe hairs on the back of my neck stand uprdquo This has always been an indicator for me of when a workshop participant has really created something magnificent and I was delighted to hear it echoed by him and several

others in the next few days Over the span of the event we each participated in three breakout sessions for our chosen

committees as well as in

the final decision to create the organization and elect a board Jamesrsquo input to the governance committee was invaluable given both his 23 years in corporate management and his years on The WCDR board (In fact several of the models for the new organization were adopted from WCDR best practices) At the end of the conference I was nominated to stand for the board of this new national organization I thought of all the work on my plate alreadymdashmy unfinished thesis my Novel Approach participantsrsquo manuscripts waiting to be readmdashand I hesitated But then I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise ldquoYesrdquo I said ldquoYes Irsquod be delighted to standrdquo

WCDR Past President Sue Reynolds was elected to the CCWWP board and nominated as vice-chair of the organization She is responsible for communications including web presence To read more and to become a part of this organization check out wwwccwwpca This site is still under construction and will launch officially in January 2011

By Susan Lynn Reynolds

WCDR Presidents Contribute toNew National Writing Organization

The first‐ever CCWWP conference was held in Calgary and Banff jointly between October 7th and 11th 2010 (Photo courtesy of wwwccwwpca)

9

Word Weaver Writing ChallengeldquoDREAMrdquo

WCDR members are invited to participate in The Word Weaver Writing Challenge that appears in every issue Entries may be works of poetry fiction or non-fiction however the challenge word (which

is left up to your interpretation) must appear at least once in the body of your piece

He hated this time of day Sun everywhere and shade nowhere Heat rose from the sand penetrating the soles of his boots making his feet sweat Sweat soaked through the khaki bandana wrapped tight around his head too and trickled down his back The only moisture you find in the desert is what you produce yourself He licked parched lips and reached for his canteen He grimaced Even the water was warm Not like at home where water came in cool streams from the tap cooler when you let it run And you could It came in waves and ripples in fat raindrops and morning dew woven through his days and nights and dreams Especially now It was spring at home Not the dismal cusp of spring but its glory days Just the thought of the cool breeze rolling in off the lake made him homesick The ice

wouldrsquove melted called home weeks ago by the blue water The old maple would be starting to budmdashfat crimson tassels bursting along every branch Katersquos allergies would have her sniffling and red-eyed soon He sniffed himself in sympathy for her and for himself But the forsythia by the front porch would be decked out in stars of gold and the magnolia in creamy white petals as soft as his wifersquos cheeksmdashand every bit as sweet-smelling And butter-coloured daffodils would be in bloom the ones he and Kate planted when they first moved into the old farmhouse A carpet of sunshine so different from the white-hot disc overhead Shersquod be blooming too with their baby due in June So far away from this hellhole Daydreamsmdasha soldier couldnrsquot afford them He blinked and damned the sunrsquos brilliance and the heat that made his throat tight and the waste of moisture and the miles and the months Then he touched the letter to his lips and stashed it inside his camouflage jacket Say hello to the daffodils he whispered

Freelance writer Heather M OConnor 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 She still canrsquot believe she gets paid to write

Sun SalutationBy Heather M OrsquoConnor

WORD

WEAVER

WritingChallenge

This monthrsquos

word

BITTER

Maximum wordcount

600

Deadline

January 25th 2011

Entries may be

works of poetry

fiction or non-

fiction and must be

original and never

before published

The ldquowordrdquo is up to

your interpretation

but must appear at

least once in the

body of your piece

Send yoursubmissions to

wordweaverwcdrorg

10

Saturday April 30th 2011Deer Creek Golf amp Banquet Facility

Ajax Ontario

Advanced Workshops with Gwynn Scheltema and

Robert J Wiersema

Plenary Sessione Yin amp Yang of Publishing with

Paul Lima and Adrienne Kerr

For more information or to register online visitwwwthewritersconferencecom

Hands-On Workshops ~ Blue Pencil Sessions ~ Evening MarketplaceAuthor Readings ~ Lecture Series

Keynote Dinner SpeakerRobert J Wiersema

Author of Before I Wake The World More Full of Weeping and Bedtime Story

Oddsamp Eds

By Janet Boccone Word Weaver Editor

I wasnrsquot going to write anything But seeing as this is my final issue of The Word Weaver I feel the need for closure And heck from now on in order for my wring to appear on these pages Irsquom going to have to pitch arcle ideas and enter wring challenges So why not take full advantage of my final moments at the helm of a

newsleTer that has helped to transform my career as a writer and editor During a meeng with incoming editor Cathy Minz a few weeks back I encouraged her to let her imaginaon run free and make The Word Weaver her ldquoownrdquo I didnrsquot want her to worry about recreang its current appearance Sure it will sll be 12 pages long and filled with amazing content WCDR members will soon find out that Cathy is not only a talented and imaginave writer but that she also has a great eye I look forward to reading her first issue of The

Word Weaver and seeing how she transforms its design Irsquod like to remind my fellow WCDR members that this is YOUR newsleTer Please donrsquot hesitate to submit your entries to Word Weaver wring challenges and pitch arcle and column ideas And if at first you donrsquot succeed submit again I have always considered The Word Weaver to be a place where emerging writers find their voice and experienced writers share their stories and wisdom No maTer who sits at the editorrsquos desk I hope this will never change

11

Whorsquos Coming to Breakfast

JanuaryBarbara Turner-Vessalago

FebruarySandy Naiman

After-Breakfast Mini-Workshops

January The Biography Workshop

with Lesley Ann Marcovich

FebruaryWriting for Hi Low and Reluctant

Readers with Erin Thomas

MarchThe Amazing Seven Things I Learned from Tabloids with Gwynn Scheltema

April Yoga and Creativitywith Jackie OrsquoBrien

May E-Publishing

with Gwen Campbell

For a complete list of workshops visit wwwwcdrca

News

MemberPaeans

Congratulations to the following WCDR members

Roderick BennsGraham Ducker

Lois GordonMargaret Hefferman

Dorothea HelmsNicholas Adam Kolodzie

Clive LilwallMonika MoravanRoger MorrisonValerie Mutton

Jessica OutramVicki Pinkerton

Barabara PonomareffDeb RankineBetty Tyrrell

For a detailed list of what your fellow writers have been up to visit wwwwcdrca

Andrea Adair TippinsCatherine BezubiakMary BlackstockMike BolotenkoSharon Bradley

Laurel CooLori ChownNeil Crone

Ryan GoldsmanJane Kavanaugh

Robert KerbyLana Lord

Michael MasonIan McMillanPatrick MeadeAntonette NgEdwin PriorJoy Prior

Robertha WaltersPeter Webb

Welcome to OurNew amp Returning Members

Trillium Grant to Fund WCDR AdministraUve Assistant PosiUonThe WCDR Board was thrilled to hear of the success of one of their fundraising applications The Ontario Trillium Foundation has granted The WCDR funds to hire an administrative assistant for two years

beginning January 2011This home‐based positionrsquos successful applicant will help with all the ongoing administrative aspects of the organization and will need to be computer literate and have strong bookkeeping and organizational

skills Familiarity with QuickBooks and WordPress would be idealWatch your email for the call for applications

12

The Word Weaver is published by The Writersrsquo 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 andor consulting

appropriate professional advisors Publications are invited to quote from

The Word Weaver upon obtaining written permission from the President The Writersrsquo Community of Durham

Region Bayly Postal Outlet PO Box 14558 75 Bayly Street West Ajax

ON L1S 7K7 905-686-0211 wwwwcdrorg

Word Weaver subscription$12year (six issues)

We reserve the right to edit or reject submissions at our discretionEditorDesktop Publishing

Janet BocconeCopy Editor Sherry Hinman

We welcome your inputSend questionscommentsarticle ideas to wordweaverwcdrorg

James Dewar

President

Theresa Dekker

Vice-PresidentBreakfast Co-ordinator

Sue Reynolds

Past PresidentTreasurer

Christina Vasilevski

Secretary

Dorothea Helms

Public Relations

Sally Moore

Workshop Co-ordinator

Maureen Curry

Membership

Rich Helms

Web Liaisonwebmasterwcdrorg

Thomas Moss

Special Events

For complete board bios or tocontact a board member visit

wwwwcdrorg

20102011Board of Directors

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Showcasing Durhamrsquos Writers amp Artists

SUBMIT YOUR STORIES amp POETRYNext Issue Spring Summer 2011Submissions continuously accepted