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Writers On The Rise Inspiration, Insight and Ideas For Emerging Writers
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Dear Fellow Writers... Rediscovering Balance Editing text next to the garden while the sun burns off the morning mist…now that’s a nice way to start the day. I try to work this way at least once weekly. I grab a cup of coffee or bring a thermos, drop Samantha off at childcare, and pull up next to the community garden here in Wilsonville. I park in the shade, open the windows, roll my seat back and use a hardback notepad as a makeshift desk. The peace and quiet help me hear myself think. The lack of distractions (like e-mail and the Internet) helps me focus. And being close to nature reminds me of what’s essential…and what isn’t.
Balance would be at the top of my essential list, though sometimes you would never know it. I have been known to “burn the candle at both ends” (as my parents call it) – and not just lately, but at various times in my life. I still sometimes throw myself headlong into a project without considering the impact it will have on me, on my family and on the rest of my life. And though I haven’t always felt this way, today I would say, it’s okay. However, there is and always has been such a thing as too much. As in too much work, too many commitments, too much pressure and behavior that otherwise qualifies me for Women Who Do Too Much. I wondered what writer/astrologer Bev Walton-Porter, would say about my sometimes star-crossed nature, so I ordered a copy of Sun Signs For Writers and with it received a natal birth chart and interpretation. Like Bev, I have been a student of astrology for many years, and have had my chart read on numerous occasions, but I learned a few new things about myself (or perhaps I was just finally able to hear them) when I read the interpretation she sent me.
Listening to classical music over Internet radio on my computer is something I hadn’t thought of until I read Sharon Cindrich’s article in this issue. And even if you are not in need of balance today (Kelly James-Enger’s column notes “the feast or famine cycle” most writers live by), hopefully, you will come back when you are in need of a reminder. I know I will, especially to Cindy Hudson’s list of suggestions for coping with deadline pressure. She’s our featured rising writer this month. This issue will remind you to strive to understand yourself better and seek balance in the ways that suit you best, so that, as columnist Gregory Kompes alludes, you will benefit not merely as a writer, but also as a human being. Happy harvest everyone! I hope your efforts this past year are beginning to pay off. If not in actual dollars, then in tangible, measurable results that you can build on next year and the next and the next. It’s good to remember that it’s not only what we reap, it’s how we reap that really counts. In the writing spirit, Christina Katz P.S. I almost forgot…it’s our fund-raising month! And it’s a good thing because “the kitty” is running low. If you appreciate Writers On The Rise for bringing you fresh insight, inspiration and ideas on the freelance life each month (and all without outside advertising), won’t you consider making a donation in any amount? You can do just that right here: Thank you for making a contribution in any amount today! Features: Dealing With Deadlines by Cindy Hudson, This Month's Rising Writer The Stars In Her Pen an Interview with Bev Walton-Porter, Author of Sun Signs for Writers
Ask Wendy by Wendy Burt Fit To Write by Kelly James-Enger Turn Your Writing Hobby Into A Writing Career by Gregory Kompes Got Tech? by Sharon Cindrich Conference Confab by Kelly Huffman Good Reads For Writers by Cathy Belben Sustainable Office by Susan C. Clark Polish Your Prose by Elizabeth Short Lively Writing Tip and Exercise by Kristin O'Keeffe Closing Words by Sage Cohen
Upcoming Classes: Contributor Appearances & Events Support WOTR (It's our fund-raising month for the year!) Look for the ^ Back to Table of Contents ^ button! WOTR-RELATED ANNOUNCEMENTS & GLEANINGS...
That Linda Formichelli! I have always admired her, emulated her, and otherwise kissed the hem of her train as the freelancing goddess she is. And now she’s gone and added another cool addition to her personal website: The Review Copy Helper. Here’s what she has to say: “We freelance writers often need to request review copies of books as part of our article research. The Review Copy Helper is a database of info on how to order review copies from more than 250 publishers.” What are we waiting for? http://www.lindaformichelli.com/reviewcopy/
WOTR is lining up an amazing ensemble of columnists for 2007! Stay glued to your computer for the announcement in our November issue as well as gobs of gratitude for our 2006 contributors. We will be indexing all of our online articles for your searching convenience, adding more writer resources and holding a subscription-drive raffle in November and December. We'll also be adding an e-mail version of the zine and a list-serv feature in 2007. Wow-y zow-y! The cover design for Writer Mama, Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (Writer's Digest Books) has been finalized. Ta-da! Hope you like it as much as I do. Visit www.christinakatz.com to check it out in all its glory. You can click on "Book Cover" to see the larger image.
Christina's sister-in-law, Lisa Perry, her nephew Emerson Perry (and Christina) contributed our lovely fall photographs. Enjoy! And I am currently enjoying reading, Autumn, A Spiritual Biography of the Season (Skylight Paths, 2004) (a gift from my brother, Sean, and his girlfriend, Kate, last Christmas). Here's a short passage... Autumn is the season in between: not summer, though still somewhat like summer, and not winter, though still somewhat like winter. It is the season that does not seem to progress — like spring — as much as it juggles blazing opposites in a great circle. It is the season of work to be taken up after summer rest, and the season to harvest the work of the summer and to turn over the garden and tuck it in for its own long sleep. It is the season that grabs the attention of the moment as we take up our shedules again. And it is the season that reminds us to look ahead, to prepare for the orneriness of winter. It is the season of brilliant October leaves and drab November branches, of yellow warm days and cold crystal nights, of the unfamiliar clunkings of radiator and furnace, the smell of blankets taken out of the cedar chest, and the first touch of silver frost on the windowpane that quickly melts away — until one morning, it doesn't. Your Publishing Questions, Answered By Wendy Burt
Q: I have a toddler at home with me all day and am having trouble finding a way to get all my work done. Do you have any tricks? A: I have a very active 1-year-old, so I feel your frustration. My best advice is to figure out the three tiers of work (intense focus, moderate concentration, busy work) and when you can, do the right task at the right time. For example: For me, intense focus is required for phone interviews and work that needs an immediate turnaround. I know that I have to do that work during my daughter’s nap or at night when my husband can watch her. Moderate concentration is needed for writing articles or proof reading, so I can often do it while my daughter eats in her highchair, plays in the bath or tosses toys around my feet in the living room. The “busy work” is stuff I do while multitasking; returning non-interview calls while cooking dinner, brainstorming on greeting cards while folding laundry, using a voice recorder while driving to the grocery store, etc. Once you write your to-do list for the day, you can start grouping things together by tiers – and your child’s mood! * * * Q: I’d like to get more freelance work but I’m not sure where to start. I feel like I’m going crazy with so many e-newsletters and Web sites dedicated to freelancing! What do you suggest?
A: First of all, avoid the Web sites and e-newsletters that post unpaid jobs. Even if they also post paying jobs, you’re likely to have stiff competition because there are so many beginners reading the newsletter who are desperate for work and will underbid each other. I highly recommend www.freelancedaily.net. The e-newsletter is by paid subscription, but at $30/year for five days a week of paying freelance gigs, it’s a steal.
Check your local business newspaper for upcoming networking events. Be sure to have plenty of business cards and go prepared with a 20-second spiel about what you do (writing, editing, proofing, ad copy). Most small- to medium-sized business don’t have their own marketing/advertising/media department and get excited at the prospect of hiring a freelancer who doesn’t need benefits.
Wendy Burt is a full-time freelance writer and editor in Colorado Springs, Colo. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Byline and Family Circle. Autographed copies of her two books, Oh, Solo Mia! The Hip Chick’s Guide to Fun for One (April 2001, McGraw-Hill) and Work It, Girl! 101 Tips for the Hip Working Chick (June 2003, McGraw-Hill) are available through http://BurtCreations.com. Dealing with Deadlines By Cindy Hudson Anxiety. Fear. Stress. Dread. These feelings are typical emotional responses to the reality of a deadline, the sometimes loathsome, always critical motivator faced by every writer. While deadlines often produce the necessary focus to complete a writing task, they can also block creativity and loom as saboteurs to writing success. Consider these tips to be motivated instead of debilitated by your next deadline. Know what the editor wants Get the editor to describe exactly what she’s looking for. Knowing her expectations will help focus your thoughts before the writing has even begun, which may save you a great deal of time and frustration in the long run. To begin this article, I confirmed with Christina Katz the desired number of words and when it was due. Then I asked what else was important to include. She pointed me to sample columns from past issues and made suggestions that provided me with a framework. Work backward from your deadline to create a schedule Do you have a week? A month? Four months? The longer the time frame, the harder it is to get started. But if you break your writing into separate, manageable tasks such as conducting research, scheduling interviews, creating an outline and writing a first draft, you can assign a timeline to each. This not only helps you stay on track, but it also allows you to celebrate the victory of achievement every step along the way. Laura Whitcomb, author of Your First Novel, says she sometimes lets an idea percolate for a few weeks when she has a longer deadline. Then she plans the rest of her time with tangible goals like: Write a rough draft of chapters one to three this week, chapters four through seven the next. Organize what you want to say in an outline As an investigative reporter for The Oregonian, Jeff Manning faces both long-term and immediate deadlines in a fast-paced newsroom. He works with an outline to get organized and to help him recognize where the gaps in the story fall. He also feels free to keep his creative options open. “I don’t always follow my outlines. I probably stray from my outlines more often than not.” Explain your story to someone else Can you sum up your story in an interesting way to someone who knows nothing about it? Talking about it can help you realize which details are important to the reader and which ones clog up the narrative. Manning uses a similar technique, a summary statement, when he has a large quantity of information to boil down. He defines a summary statement as “just one sentence, two at the most, that summarizes the single one or two most important points in the story. If you can’t very quickly come up with a summary, you haven’t figured out your story and you’re not ready to write,” he advises. Begin writing Even if you’re not sure of the perfect words for the opening sentences, you can move forward simply by putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Write several leads before settling on one you’re happy with, then go back to the others to find supporting details for your story. Or try taking the advice of Sara Perry, columnist for The Oregonian and author of 19 cookbooks, who never starts with the lead. “I do any paragraph other than the first one just to get myself writing,” she says. Read it aloud Do you trip over certain words or find a sentence long and cumbersome? Does a paragraph lose its meaning somewhere in the middle? Reading aloud will help you discover the sticky points and rewrite them. I shut the door to my office before I begin so I can read in a normal voice without disturbing my family or feeling self-conscious. Finish your work early, then let it sit before reading it again Mary Sawyers, freelance writer and producer, likes to wait 24 hours, and then re-read her writing. “The extra time gives you a new perspective and a better editing eye,” she advises. Have someone else read your writing The writer reads with his own internal voice. Only an outsider can know how well that voice transfers to a stranger via printed words on a page. “It’s important for me to have an outside eye take a look for things I might not see because I’m too close to the story,” says Whitcomb, who also wrote the novel, A Certain Slant of Light. She always leaves time for someone else to review her work before she sends it to her agent or editor. Review twice before sending it off My first editor gave me a tip that has saved me from submitting work with mistakes on several occasions – start at the end and read word by word until you reach the top. While this isn’t practical for longer pieces, it works well for shorter essays and stories. It’s easier to pick up typographical errors spell-check won’t catch when the words don’t string together in a predictable way. You’ll then have a clear mind as you read the entire story from beginning to end one last time for anything you missed before.
Cindy Hudson is a freelance writer and editor who meets a weekly deadline for The Oregonian. Her profile on winemaker Susan Sokol Blosser appeared in the August/September issue of Edible Portland magazine. In addition, her work has appeared in numerous national trade publications. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two daughters.
REGISTER TO WRITE SIX QUERIES IN SIX WEEKS You've taken freelance writing classes, you've read writing and marketing books, you've published a few articles. Now all you need are assignments, deadlines and more checks made out to yours truly. In this class, pitching is all we do. Over the course of six weeks, you crank out six queries. This is exactly the kind of practice you need if you want to get in the habit of landing regular assignments. Designed for writers with a basic understanding of query writing who want to take their career to the next level. Space is limited. For details visit http://www.writersontherise.com/classes.html. For more infomation about how e-mail classes with Christina Katz work, download a Word Doc on How Pitching Practice Works. Download a printable class list for Fall 2006.
As I write this column, I'm in a work lull. I'm between book projects, just turned in a couple of feature articles, and wrapped up a big medical editing job. In the past, I would have been concerned about the sudden drop in my workload. After 10 years of fulltime freelancing, I've learned that this period is only temporary—so I do my best to enjoy it. Freelancing is a feast-or-famine business. Some weeks I'm overloaded with assignments, and I have to work at night to meet my deadlines. Other weeks, my workload is much lighter—sometimes too light. Those are the weeks I do extra marketing, catch up on administrative work, and, time permitting, take an extra morning off to go to the zoo or take my son on a visit to his grandparents. Regardless of your workload, you'll feel better about it—and less stressed—if you make time for other things in your life. No matter how busy I am, I run or work out three or four days a week. I curl up with a trashy magazine, even if it's only for a half-hour of mindless entertainment, before I go back to work. Or I arrange a grown-up "playdate" with a freelancing friend so we can commiserate about our work. Sure, your writing is important. But the rest of your life is too. Keeping a balance between the two is essential to your success as a freelancer, and as a happy person.
Author, speaker and consultant Kelly James-Enger is a certified personal trainer and the author of books including Small Changes, Big Results: A 12-Week Action Plan to a Better Life (with Ellie Krieger, R.D.) and Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money. Visit http://www.becomebodywise.com for free articles about freelancing and more information about her.
An Interview with Bev Walton-Porter By Christina Katz Introducing the first book to combine the topics of writing and astrology, Sun Signs For Writers (Writer’s Digest Books, 2006). If you are looking for sure-fire ways to beat writer’s block, deal with rejection, and maximize your unique gifts, look no further. Bev Walton-Porter’s first book is a personal guide to your stars and the stars of others (editors, agents and writers) you’ll interact with throughout your career.
Bev, in the earliest stages of your writing career, did you ever imagine you'd be writing a book on the combined topic of writing and astrology? Please tell us how the opportunity came about.
Never. When I was about nine I'd go to the library after school and hang out in the section that had all the books on astrology, numerology, ghosts and all that. Back then, that was the occult section. I was fascinated by astrology and read books upon books about it. My parents were okay with that, but my brothers gave me a hard time about how "silly" I was. Ironically, they didn't think it was so "silly" once I sold my first book.
One day as I was doing up some charts for a couple of friends, I wondered if anyone had written a book about the zodiac types as related to writers and characters. I mean, doesn't it make sense that you could use astrology to help grow interesting, unique characters? That week, I researched how to write a nonfiction book proposal. Then it was time to find a publisher to submit to, but who would take a hybrid book like that? I took a chance on Writer's Digest Books since the book is actually more about writers and writing than astrology.
Once you set about writing a book combining writing and astrology, did you find the writing process challenging or did it just flow?
It flowed and was challenging in different ways. I worked very much on an intuitive level. For instance, if I was sitting with a friend who knew nothing about astrology, I’d contemplate how I could make the basics relatively simple and conversational. The sun sign is only part of the equation; in fact, astrology is much more complex than most imagine. But I couldn't get into that because it wasn't solely a book on astrology. I had to give the readers just enough to understand. You can completely discount the astrology part and find the book extremely useful because it is packed with chapters that are designed to help writers (whether or not they believe in astrology) break writer's block, become more productive and stoke the creative fires. I'd been reading about and studying astrology for about 30 years, so that wasn't the tough part. The tough part was realizing that I had to stay in each sign's writing personality, as it were, to tease out specific exercises, tips and tidbits that related mainly to that sign's personality. However, as everyone finds out when they read the book, you should go past your sign profile and see if there are tips and exercises from other signs to get yourself out of the box, so to speak, and stretch your horizons!
And now that Sun Signs for Writers is on the shelves, how do you feel the experience—from start to finish—has stretched you as a writer? Not sure I can even put that into words. I dreamed of having a book on the shelves some time in my life – ever since I was a little girl – but I never realized how surreal it would be to actually walk into a bookstore and see my own book on the shelves. Writers are my heroes, so the books surrounding mine and in the rest of store, they’re still my heroes and that’s real to me. I’ve been writing for decades, ever since I was a kid in 6th grade, but you never know everything as a writer. You never stop learning or growing. So this was a major growing experience. It required more energy, forethought and planning than any other project I’ve ever done. But I enjoyed every minute of it! Setting short-term, artificial deadlines for myself made the process go much more smoothly. Each week, I made sure I had an idea of which chapter I should be on and how close I should be to writing or editing said chapter. It worked out perfectly in the end – and that surprised me the most!
Can you give our readers your best advice on getting a cool nonfiction book of their own in print? Absolutely! Advice and feedback from people are essential during the process of pre-writing, writing and selling the book. However, be very careful which sources you choose to listen to. Your relatives and best friends may have interesting and valuable input, but they aren’t writers. True, they are readers, so you should listen to what readers do want to read. But when it comes to the down-and-dirty writing process, listen to those who have experience in what you want to do and model their behavior. If your friend who is an author has a set schedule for writing, try to do that in your own life, given your own set of circumstances. People who write and publish have successful habits to get them there. They have processes and methods, and no two methods are the same. Ask a lot of questions, enlist help from those ‘in the know,’ and then take all that information, cull out what works for your personality and writing rhythm and apply it to your life. Do something every day toward your writing goals, however small. Don’t be afraid to take chances, either. I probably told five people – including my mom – what my idea was for Sun Signs for Writers. I knew it was such a strange hybrid of a book idea that I’d probably hear mostly negative or cautionary responses. But I felt the book would sell, felt it was needed and made sure very few people knew about it (save for those five close people) until AFTER it sold. Guard your dreams with prudence. Don’t let the majority dowse the raging flames of your creative fire.
What's your sign and how does it impact you as a writer and in the giving and receiving of writing criticism? I was born December 17, 1964 at 10:40 p.m., Eastern. My sun sign is Sagittarius, but my moon sign is Gemini and my rising sign is Virgo. As a writer, I like that combo because while Sagittarius is passionate, impulsive, optimistic, has curiosity and isn’t afraid to come out and do or say things many other signs wouldn’t, the Virgo rising mutes that a bit and adds some Earth, or stability, into the mix. The Virgo influence is what comes into play when there are deadlines or editing jobs to be done. Virgo-influenced people can be overly critical of their work, and that is certainly true with me – thank goodness I have Fire and Air elements in that triad (as well as other chart influences/aspects as well), or I might be more reticent than I am. The Gemini moon makes me a natural multi-tasker. I want to do this, that and the other. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, the planet generally tied to communication, both written and spoken. Unfortunately, Gemini also gets bored easily, so freelancing and/or writing on different subjects is probably good for my Gemini side. Nothing is written in stone. What matters is how you use the knowledge of your sign’s predilections to advance your creative goals and writing aspirations. In the end, it takes action on your part to make anything happen. The trick is finding what works for you!
How can writers make the best use of Sun Signs for Writers to benefit their writing career? Read your profile first to understand some of the influences your sun sign may have on your personality as a writer. If you can, you should run a birth natal chart and get the other influences in your chart, because those will impact whom you are – which is why not all Leos are exactly alike, etc. Then, read the sections following your profile for the writer sign you are. Make notes and try some of the exercises. Really DO them. Then, once you’re finished those, delve into the rest of the book and get to know other writer signs. Find out what sign your agent or editor is – see if you can get hints as to how they tick and what you need to do to give them what they want. Also, if you write fiction, use the character building techniques in the back. An Aries character can be quite different than a Cancer character! Use that information as a jumping-off point for your character development. Special for WOTR readers: Get a free astrological birth chart. E-mail Bev at sunsignsforwriters@adelphia.net. Tell her Writers On The Rise sent you!
If you would like to purchase Sun Signs For Writers, please click on the cover photo, above.
WRITING AND PUBLISHING THE SHORT STUFF Finally, a writing workshop that fits into the busy lives of moms! The focus is on getting you into print sooner, rather than later, and without pulling all-nighters or paying a fortune in babysitter fees. You will learn how to write and publish short, easy-to-write articles before you work your way up to longer, more time-consuming articles (like features and profiles). Try your pen at tips, fillers, short interviews, list articles, how-tos, and short personal essays. Have fun in the little time you have to write and submit what you complete for publication. The best way to prove you can make money writing is to start doing it! Two detailed reviews of your drafts-in-progress are included at weeks three and six (you choose one piece each time). Busy dads and non-parents are also welcome. Class worksheets are brief and get right to the point, while providing plenty of encouragement and examples from moms who have been where you are. Two detailed reviews of your draft-in-progress are included at weeks three and six. Visit http://www.writersontherise.com/classes.html for more information. Download a printable class list for Fall 2006.
Turn Your Writing Hobby into a Writing Career A Hero's JourneyBy Gregory A. Kompes Our writing careers, like our lives, are a journey. If you share my literature background, you might think of this journey as a heroic epic, like that of Homer. We're faced with challenge, we gain knowledge and experience, we conquer--hopefully triumphantly--and then we tell our story. As in all great tales of yore, my journey hasn't been solitary. I've faced challenges and gained knowledge with teachers, guides and mentors at my side. Mrs. Epoch (how appropriate) taught me to look at life's many angles. Mrs. Knoss hounded subject/verb agreement and punctuation. Mr. Cox gave the experience of joy in accomplishment. Dr. Bevelander explained the strength in discord. Dr. Sachs defined the power of language. Dr. Shaw mentored the possibilities of a writer's life. There are hundreds of others who guided my life through education, knowledge, spirituality, love, challenge and experience. A part of each of them is with me in all that I do, all that I write. I hope that my journey continues well into the future. I trust that teachers and mentors will always appear along my way. I now pass to others what's been given to me. And, I wish for you, gentle reader, that your life is now and will continue to be filled with teachers, guides, and mentors, who not only make you a better writer, but also a better person.
Gregory A. Kompes (www.Kompes.com) is a writer and manuscript consultant. He is the author of the #1 Bestseller 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live, The Endorsement Quest and The Everyday Gay Activist. Gregory is the editor of The Fabulist Flash, an informative newsletter for writers, founder of LAMOO Books and Coordinator of the Las Vegas Writer's Conference. The author holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University, NY, and is currently a Master of Science in Education candidate at California State University, East Bay.
Smile, You're On Digital Camera By Sharon Miller Cindrich
Looking for the mood music your writing spirit needs to meet a deadline? Want to explore the music of a heavy metal character? Looking for musical inspiration to write a love scene? Find harmonious inspiration through digital sounds. Digital music services are a great way to organize your music. If you haven’t been to iTunes (http://www.apple.com/itunes/) you simply must visit – everything from instrumental to Indie, classical to classic rock, is available for sampling and purchase – then listen on your computer while you work, download music to a CD for the car or load it onto your MP3 player. If you like variety, try a subscription service like Rhapsody (http://www.real.com/rhapsody/info.html?src=rcom_foot_unlimited) , which gives you unrestricted access to over a million songs for a fee. Listen to podcasts – digital broadcasts that can be downloaded to your computer or MP3 player. For writing instruction, tips, author interviews and inspiration, get started by checking out Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac (http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/podcast/) and The Secrets by Michael A. Stackpole (http://www.stormwolf.com/thesecrets/podcasts/) Internet Radio is one of my favorite music resources – it’s free, it’s easy and it’s always on. You can find great Internet radio stations at iTunes or LaunchCast, organized by genre (classical is my favorite when I’m stressing over a deadline.) The best part – Internet radio has very few commercials and for a few bucks a month you can skip the commercials all together. What about your favorite CDs? As long as you have a CD drive and media software (which is pretty standard on most computers today) you can just pop in your favorite disc and listen while you work. Or, make a copy of your music on your computer (this is completely legal) and add it to your music library or your MP3 player.Sharon Miller Cindrich is a freelance writer whose work has been published nationally in magazines and newspapers around the country including The Chicago Tribune, Parents Magazine, and The Writer. She is a Contributing Editor at FamilyFun Magazine and writes a bimonthly humor column for West Suburban Living Magazine in the Chicago Suburbs. She is a regular contributor to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Lifestyle section and Metroparent Magazine. Her book E-Parenting: Get Plugged In to Raise Safe, Smart Kids is due out from Random House at the end of the year. Read more about Sharon at http://www.mediabistro.com/sharoncindrich.
Continued from Dealing With Deadlines By Cindy Hudson
Need more ideas to help you meet deadlines? Check out the book, Writing to Deadline, by Donald M. Murray. There’s also good advice to be found online at the following sites: “Conquering Deadline Writing,” by Laurie Hertzel, Writing Coach/Team Leader at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. http://www.notrain-nogain.org/Train/Res/Write/conq.asp “Tips for Writing on Deadline,” from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. http://www.notrain-nogain.org/Train/Res/Write/dline.asp “Writing Clearly on Deadline,” by Steve Buttry, Writing Coach at the Omaha World- Herald. http://www.notrain-nogain.org/train/res/writearc/deadline2.asp “Writing With Deadlines: It Takes More Than One,” by Chip Scanlan, Senior Faculty-Writing and Director, the Poynter Institute. http://poynter.org/column.asp?id=52&aid=15995 “Making Friends With the Clock: Time Management for Writers,” also by Chip Scanlan. http://poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=10466
Writing and Publishing Success Stories CATHY BELBEN’S article on her post-mortem plans to visit the Body Farm appears in the October/November issue of BUST magazine. [Ed Note: Don't miss it!] LAURAL RINGLER's take on her six-month climbing class was published as "Ice Axe Adventures: Learning to Climb with the Mountaineers" in the fall issue of Adventures NW Magazine. KELLY HUFFMAN welcomed the return of the Seattle theater season with a review of an unusal production called "Dinner Theater" in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. LORI RUSSELL's feature story “Lessons Learned on the Playing Field Can Last a Lifetime" appears in the October issue of Ruralite magazine.
Success happens in clusters, writers! Keep the announcements coming and keep inspiring us! Places To Meet and Greet Industry InsidersBy Kelly HuffmanFlorida Writers Association 5th Annual Conference November 10-12 There’s magic in the air at this jam-packed conference, located in a Walt Disney World resort. Nonfiction writers will dive into workshops on columns, reviews and nonfiction book proposals. Discover how to become an expert in your field, and then pop next door to uncover 101 ways to promote your work. Answer the eternal question, “Honey, Who Shrunk My Book?” as you craft a sizzling synopsis of your full-length work. There’s even a special conference track aimed at young writers and their parents. (This is the Magic Kingdom, after all). http://www.floridawriters.net/
Southwest Writers Conference November 18-19 The emphasis is on the practical at this Albuquerque gathering: pitching, publishing and promoting your writing. Who better than a New York literary agent and author to lead the sessions on pitching? Bob Sanders, CEO of the dynamic small press Mundania, will divulge the secrets of publishing. And an industry insider, formerly with Time Warner books, will head up the promotion sessions. http://southwestwriters.com/conferencespeakers2.php
December 9-10 Retreat to Patchwork Farm in western Massachusetts, where Patricia Lee Lewis leads a group of 6-10 writers through an intensive weekend of writing and trail walks. Lee’s method is based on the Amherst Writers & Artists model, which aims to help writers find their true voices by tapping into the images, memories and feelings we all carry inside us. http://www.writingretreats.org/Retreats/Weekend/index.html
Kelly Huffman is a freelance writer based in Seattle. She contributes reviews and arts news to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the website Theatermania.com, and writes for the local lifestyle publication Destination Issaquah. Contact WOTR columnists as Speakers for your 2007 Event! Did you know that most of Writers On The Rise columnists are speakers on a variety of topics? Take a peek at their outstanding Bios. I think you will agree that Writers On The Rise has a pretty darn impressive line-up of contributing writers. Christina hopes to meet you in-person at a 2007 writers conference! If you would like her to propose a topic for your event, visit www.christinakatz.com. I Feel Bad About My Neck By Nora EphronReviewed By Cathy BelbenReaders and writers would be remiss not to check out Nora Ephron’s new collection of humorous essays, I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman. One of the funniest books I’ve read recently, Ephron’s short reflections on everything from her neck and its agedness to her account of meeting John F. Kennedy is sharp, witty, and the perfect antidote to foggy fall gloom. At 38, I don’t feel bad about my own neck yet, but I can feel it coming, and Ephron’s wisdom and humor about the inevitable will provide reassurance when I get there. “Every so often I read a book about age, and whoever’s writing it says it’s great to be old. I can’t stand people who say things like this. What can they be thinking? Don’t they have necks?”
Throughout the short collection, Ephron, who’s best known for novels and screenplays including Heartburn and When Harry Met Sally, delights, enchants, and enlightens us with her good-natured and intelligent vision of life as a woman. Her reflections about reading in the essay “On Rapture” were among my favorites in the collection; in remembering her favorite books, she transported me to my own rapturous reads. “Take more pictures,” she advises in “What I Wish I’d Known.” “Write everything down. Keep a journal. Back up all your files,” she adds. And best of all, she reminds us that “anything you think is wrong with your body at thirty-five, you’ll be nostalgic for at fifty-five.” This funny, thoughtful book will be the gift you give your friends—and yourself–in the coming months.
Cathy Belben lives in Bellingham, Washington, where she earned early fame for her award-winning fourth grade essay, “What the flag means to me” and later wrote bad rhyming poetry for the Whatcom Middle School Warrior Express. She recently survived a year in Hollywood writing for the show Veronica Mars. She’s returned to her normal life as a high school teacher and librarian, a triathlete, a weightlifter, a yogi, a dog’s mom, a cat’s slave, an artist, a napper, a nanny and an auntie. She’s thankful every day for everything.
Resources For Writing Green By Susan W. Clark Writing is often a solitary profession, so wouldn’t it be great if you could turn your concern for the environment into bylines for your freelance career and connect with other, like-minded folks at the same time? The Natural Step (TNS) is an organization started by Swedish physician Karl-Henrik Robert. TNS was launched in Sweden in 1989 and is rapidly spreading throughout the world. His work on scientific steps toward sustainability has exploded into conferences, meetings, a website with business profiles, and a free email newsletter. This should give you plenty of variety if you’re lucky enough to live near an active Natural Step group. If not, subscribing to the free newsletter will connect you with emerging green businesses and the steps they are taking to clean up their act. Who knows what articles you might be able to produce if you meet one of the profiled innovators? www.naturalstep.org Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is spreading responsible actions through meetings. They are sponsoring workshops on energy efficiency, as well as one called “Spotlight on Global Warming.” Stories about churches taking on the environment might be in your future if you connect with some of these committed folks. www.emoregon.org
Check out local green activities through your Chamber of Commerce. Look for workshops, conferences, or other group events where you can expand your green activism, meet like-minded people, and find juicy new writing material.
Susan W. Clark is a freelance writer and photographer. Her work regularly appears in publications such as Capital Press, In Good Tilth, Permaculture Activist, the Canby Herald, and Small Farmer’s Journal. She was recently recognized as Author of the Year by the editor of In Good Tilth. She co-founded Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Land Trust (OSALT) and is editor of the quarterly journal SALT of the Earth. She lives with her husband near Canby, Oregon.
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Most importantly, I was reminded to ease up sometimes. Or at least to look for ways to delegate more and plan ahead better and otherwise live a bit more sensibly. I confess this does not come naturally to me. Nor would I prefer to live an entirely prudent lifestyle (bor-ing!). However, a little bit of sitting by the garden on a beautiful fall morning can go a long way…a really long way. 
It’s time to vote for us! Please send an e-mail to Writer’s Digest and sing all of your praises for Writers On The Rise. We would love to see our name on that Top 101 Websites List again! Please tell them what you appreciate about us at 
Tiffany Talbott and Margaret Foley have launched a beautifully designed new zine (with rounded corners!), Thereby Hangs A Tale. The title was inspired by the Bard (a.k.a. Shakespeare), who turned the phrase in three of his plays (The Taming of the Shrew, Othello and As You Like It). Order the first issue, The Expat Issue, the second issue, The Birth Issue, or the third issue, The Stolen Issue. To learn more and to submit your writing in a variety of genres, visit: 
Christina is offering a new class this fall especially for moms, called "Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff" alongside with her popular "Pitching Practice" class beginning October 25th! Check out all of Christina's reasonably priced, six-week classes at 
PITCHING PRACTICE STARTS OCT 25TH: 
Bev Walton-Porter has been a full-time professional writer since May 1997. She has had hundreds of columns, articles, poems, stories and interviews published in a variety of venues. Sun Signs for Writers is her first published book. She is also co-author of The Complete Writer: A Guide to Tapping Your Full Potential (Red Engine Press, August 2005). She writes romantic fiction under the pen name Star Ferris for Whiskey Creek Press. Bev lives in the Rocky Mountains with her fiancé, two teenagers and four lovely felines.
Subscribe to Sustainable Industries to get tips on the latest good ideas in business. It’s a positive read and covers innovations nationally and internationally. 
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