Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women Magazine | Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

Writing your passport to life

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Features Total Risk, Freedom, Discipline by Constance Hale The author of two books on language advises us on her writing philosophy The Memoir Craze by Cathleen Miller The best selling author of two memoirs explains the intimate genre's appeal The Business of Writing by Lisa Alpine Lisa deconstructs the starving artist myth Inspiration by Jacqueline Harmon Butler The muse visits Jacqueline in some surprising places Writing for the Web by Carla King

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Wild Writing Women Magazine | Writing: Your Passport to Life

The WWW's own personal Web dominatrix shows you how it's done The Literary Hotel: Where B & B Means Bed and Books by Cathleen Miller These inns provide a cozy haven for bibliophiles _______________________________________

Writing Tips

10 Tips for Beginning Writers Cathleen figures that even Virginia Woolf started somewhere. 10 Tips for Overcoming Writer's Block Appreciate how Pamela overcame writer's block to write this article. 10 Tips for Making Money as a Writer Haven't penned a bestseller yet? Lisa has other ideas on how to make money from your writing skills. Mining for Gold on the Internet Jacqueline offers tips on searching for new markets. The Economist's Style Tips Orwell wrote them, The Economist uses them, Lisa practices them. After the End Jacqueline tells you what to do after you've toasted the completion of your manuscript. Raw Readings Lisa lets the audience become part of the creative process. The Potato Exercise Lisa shows how even the humble potato can provide inspiration. Links to the WWW (Wonderful World of Writing) Cathleen compiles a list of our favorites.

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Wild Writing Women Magazine | Writing: Your Passport to Life

Columns

Food Flirt Jacqueline on mouth-watering fiction Gear and Gadgets Carla teaches you how to create an online travelogue Getaways Lisa tells you why she whistles while she works Miller To Go Cathy tours literary Dublin

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What Goes Around

Contributions from our students River of Words: Pamela Michael presents some of the poems she receives from children around the world as part of her work with River of Words.

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Reports & Reviews

Books About Writing From inspiration to reference, here are our picks. Daunt Books for Travellers Cathy finds a travel reader's haven in London.

Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©

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Total Risk, Freedom, Discipline by Constance Hale

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

Total Risk, Freedom, Discipline by Constance Hale

Guest contributor Constance Hale shares her writing philosophy with WWW readers. ____________

We're sorry. This article is no longer available.

Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©

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The Memoir Craze, by Cathleen Miller

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

The Memoir Craze by Cathleen Miller

In recent years critics have maligned the "memoir craze" as a self-indulgent diversion where writers (and everyone else) try to outdo one another with the revelation of every facet of their lives--from the most lethally boring minutia available, to the most sordid secrets imaginable. Agents, editors, and publishers change their minds hourly about the genre's status: the memoir's in--oops sorry!--the memoir's out, as if they were peddling shoes at Macy's.

None of these groups seems interested in considering what makes memoirs popular with readers: America is a nation of 250 million voyeurs. Everyone wants to know the private details of other people's business--what goes on behind closed doors. How does my life compare with everyone else's? This explains the explosion in popularity of nonfiction writing in general, and autobiographical writing in particular, with books like The Liar's Club, Angela's Ashes, and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius topping bestseller charts. (This same voyeuristic obsession can be extended to tabloid journalism-which today has become almost all journalism, and the proliferation of reality TV and daytime talk shows that delve into the lurid details of ordinary people's lives.) While on the surface the memoir obsession may seem like just another fad, I believe the reasons for its popularity can be explained by transitions in our society. All of the old ground rules have been cast aside: most of us no longer structure our lives by the tenets of the church; we're separated from the stability of our childhood homes and families. And the careers and material rewards we embraced as the guiding light for all our days, fizzled out when we maxed the credit cards at the same time our employers discovered they could create profit by axing thousands of workers and making half the workforce do twice the amount of work. Even the lucky ones are questioning what to do once they cash in their stock options. So where does that leave us? Millions of people are looking for answers, someone to tell them how to live their lives, and by

reading memoirs, we can sample other people's lives, try them on for size and see how they fit.

In short, trends change, but human nature doesn't. We are all in this strange life together, and http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/miller_memoir.html (1 of 4) [1/2/10 1:17:08 PM]

The Memoir Craze, by Cathleen Miller

it helps to have someone to talk to. Maybe your circle of cronies and acquaintances haven't had the experiences you've had, or the experiences you're curious about. Aha! Enter the beauty of autobiographical literature. A memoir can take you into the thoughts and feelings of someone else's life with an honesty that few of your best friends will provide. _________

My passion is nonfiction, as I consider reality more fascinating than anything I could create. Like most of my fellow nonfiction writers, I possess an infinite curiosity about the world; this passion for life keeps us going--traveling the globe, looking under rocks, seeking new experiences, gathering data, delving into the psyche of everyone from field hands to heads of state. We report back to readers on our findings, knowing that the best nonfiction narratives enable them to feel like they're living the experience with us. I look at my own life as a laboratory for material, much like the mad scientist who tries his latest concoction on himself. And like the mad scientist, oftentimes the outcome of my experiments may provide empirical knowledge for the observer, but turn me into a freak in the process. After I had taken on the assignment of writing Waris Dirie's story, Desert Flower, I met her for the first time in New York. I asked her why she wanted to write this book, and she gave me two reasons: 1) Waris wanted to publicize the issue of female genital mutilation and tell the truth about its horrors from her firsthand account and, 2) she wanted to educate the American public about the beauty of Somalia, because she felt that all the Western world knew of her homeland was poverty, drought, famine, and war. I felt that the first goal was easily attainable. But the second one presented a considerable challenge. As two seemingly unrelated events become fused in a person's mind because they happened at the same time, Waris and Bill Clinton's tribulations became fused in mine.

While I was furiously writing Desert Flower, the media storm was breaking over Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. I remember thinking wryly: "If I can put a positive spin on Somalia for American readers, then perhaps when I get through with this book I'll get a job helping the Clinton administration." Another challenge of writing Desert Flower was in understanding a person who was seemingly the complete opposite of me: a black woman from Somalia who had grown up as a nomad in the desert, worked as a maid in London, then transitioned to lead the glamorous life of an international fashion model and human rights activist. By comparison I was a white woman who had grown up in a strict Baptist household in the swampy Missouri cotton fields, worked in advertising in San Francisco, then transitioned to the decidedly non-glamorous life of a writer and academic. I feared that I would be unable to relate to Waris's life and thus the book's message would ring hollow. http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/miller_memoir.html (2 of 4) [1/2/10 1:17:08 PM]

The Memoir Craze, by Cathleen Miller

I needn't have worried. After spending over a hundred hours interviewing her, we found out that we had numerous points in common: we were both victims of strict, patriarchal upbringings that left us resentful and angry; we both grew up in the wide open spaces and moved to cities that left us feeling disconnected from nature; we'd both left home as teenagers and spent the rest of our lives searching for a place to fit in; we both viewed the world of business with queasiness and mistrust; and we both shared the same grievances against men that any session of "girl talk" will usually unearth. When I began to write the book, I paid close attention to areas where I felt a special connection to Waris, knowing that these episodes would relate to readers from every culture. To date, Desert Flower has been published in sixteen countries, sold over two million copies, and ranked on the bestseller lists of England, Ireland, Germany, Holland and New Zealand. But my biggest gratification has been comments from readers that tell me they connected with Waris's story like I did: "This extraordinary biography describes in perfect detail her journey through seemingly unconquerable feats that leaves the reader gasping for breath with laughter and having to put the book down because you can't see for the tears." I employed the same narrative techniques I used in Desert Flower to write my memoir about moving to rural Pennsylvania. In The Birdhouse Chronicles, my husband, Kerby, and I move from Pacific Heights in San Francisco to a ramshackle farmhouse in the midst of an Amish cornpatch in Zion. I use sensory images to make readers feel like they're right there beside us, watching buggies bounce down the dirt road--lanterns swinging in the darkness, canning tomatoes, burying rabbits, catching fireflies, and exorcising spirits from our old house. During the course of the book, we struggle to transform ourselves from frantic city dwellers to unflappable country dwellers. In the narrative I include a wealth of seemingly mundane daily details to create an oldfashioned sensibility of time--a sensibility that hails from an era when every action was not measured by its cold-cash profitability. The result is a portrait--not only of our lives--but of a way of life that is rapidly vanishing from the American landscape. Critics have called memoirists every evil adjective that derives from the word "self": selfindulgent, self-centered, self-absorbed, self-obsessed, self ish . But writing a memoir is the antithesis of selfishness. It is the art of offering one's life as a lesson to others, and displaying http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/miller_memoir.html (3 of 4) [1/2/10 1:17:08 PM]

The Memoir Craze, by Cathleen Miller

all one's embarrassing foibles and failures in the process. What's could be less selfish than that? _________ Portions of this essay originally appeared in Contemporary Authors.

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The Business of Writing by Lisa Alpine

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

The Business of Writing Deconstructing the Starving Artist Myth by Lisa Alpine

How DO you make a living as a writer? It is not an impossible dream. Let me share with you many tips that will facilitate living the writer's life. These include: marketing your writing effectively, multiple ways to make money with your writing skills, time management, financial planning, and lifestyle choices. Let's rewire your life to make it work for you in a creative way. Be the turtle, not the hare Prepping your mind and body for success Can you afford to be an artist? Making a living as a writer Marketing your writing BE THE TURTLE, NOT THE HARE

Make a long-term commitment to your passion. Don't think your writing should support you immediately--it's a child and won't be an adult for quite a while. Experts say it takes upwards of five years to grow a successful business. Be committed but realistic about your writing. Yes, you can write, but you aren't Ernest Hemingway or Barbara Kingsolver. Editors will not be licking your boots and begging you to write another novel. Your writer's ego is fragile and will have a lot better chance of surviving the turbulent waters of rejection and acceptance if you are patient yet persistent, confident yet humble. PREPPING YOUR MIND AND BODY FOR SUCCESS

When you work for yourself, you are the janitor, bookkeeper, innovator and CEO. That takes a tremendous amount of focus and energy. The learning curve is extremely high and challenging, but when you work for yourself, you reap the benefits of your efforts. In order to achieve this success, you need to have good energy and health. Energy maintenance: Notice where your energy goes. It fuels your life. Are you using it to enhance and create, or do you worry and spin your wheels? This may be the most difficult change to make in your life--getting control of you and learning to deconstruct the internal stress patterns.

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The Business of Writing by Lisa Alpine

The mind uses a tremendous amount of energy to think and weave its stories. It is usually out of control--rather like an undisciplined child. I don't think the Western mind understands its true function. We are not our brain; it's just an organ with a job to do. Give it assignments and when it completes them, let your brain take a well-deserved rest. Learn to not think by creating down time for your mind, a time that is quiet when there is no mental activity. Perhaps going for a hike in nature or getting a massage. Many creative ideas and solutions come out of the "no mind" state that is induced through relaxation and letting go of mental focus. Dietary maintenance. The brain needs calories to function properly and I get very hungry when I write. In the past I would skip breakfast and exist on coffee when I was on deadline. I thought "who needs calories when you are just sitting in a chair typing?" But what I discovered was that my brain would shut off rather suddenly and I would go blank. Welcome to low blood sugar! The brain needs protein and fluids to function. I suggest creating a "brain food" meal you eat before you sit down to write. High in protein, low in carbohydrates and sugars. Think omelets and keep a glass of water at your desk--or even better--a water bottle with a secure top. Sleep maintenance . Fatigue causes "foggy mind" and you can't write a sentence worth reading in that state. The deepest rest happens before midnight so if you have a creative writing project or deadline slated for the next day, get to bed before 11 p.m. if possible. Don't watch violent or depressing movies before you go to sleep. Create a peaceful state of rest. Be a mental Olympic athlete and train yourself to succeed with the energy you need. Relationship maintenance. I personally believe stable relationships are a great boon to creativity, but your partner, family and friends need to really understand and appreciate your artistic efforts. If you feel undercurrents of competition or belittling that you are a writer, stand up for yourself and ask for their support. Surround yourself with other writers and artists, people who understand the ups and downs of creativity. If you aren't in a writer's group already, join one or start one. The editing meetings keep you on track and give you deadlines, plus the feedback is a constant source of learning for improving your writing skills. Time maintenance. How much time is spent during your workday talking to friends on the phone about their latest breakup or an epiphany you had in the hot tub last night? I've wasted a lot of deadline time in this manner. Time management is like dieting, you need to cut out the fat (unless you are on the Atkins Diet). Figure out a writing schedule that you can stick to. In order for this to work, you need to eliminate all distractions--unplug the phone, turn off the stereo, stay away from the refrigerator and don't suddenly decide it's time to clean the house (my house is always the cleanest when I have a writing deadline).

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The Business of Writing by Lisa Alpine

CAN YOU AFFORD TO BE AN ARTIST?

One of the main areas of stress in people's lives is money or lack of it. If you get smart about your resources, you can overcome the roadblock of debt and money worries. This does not mean you will become a millionaire, it means you'll use common sense in financial matters and take control of the wheel so that you can open up space in your life to write and be creative. How can you tailor your life to meet your income? I don't own a cell phone or have cable modem. I drive a Saturn. I don't shop unless I really need something. I get airline tickets through my Mileage Plus program. I avoid credit card debt and bank charges. I still clean my own home. I have no goals to be a multimillionaire; my goal is for my art to support me. Educate yourself about financial management and budgeting. Take a course, read one of Suze Orman's books, ask friends how they manage their money. Be frugal but not a tightwad--that in itself is a sign of stress and if you aren't enjoying yourself--what's the point? MAKING A LIVING AS A WRITER: How to organize a freelance writing business

Be organized! Don't think an elf is magically going to organize all the paperwork piles around your office. Deal with that paperwork daily--before it piles up and deliquesces into a big heap of worry. I believe 50% of most people's energy goes to obsessing about what they have to do instead of just doing it. Streamline your energy application. This means thought followed by action. File fanatic. Develop a filing system that works for you. It should resemble the way you organize information in your brain. Don't overlay an organizational or lifestyle model that does not match your personality. Know thyself. It prevents the feeling that you are swimming against the tide and never quite getting to the place where you feel organized. ● ●

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Open and deal with all mail daily. Immediately toss all junk mail. The same goes for your e-mail. I keep 40 messages--no more--in my box at a time. Do a daily review of your email inbox to see what has not been dealt with. Also return all voicemail messages immediately (unless you are writing). When you save emails or other word documents, create file names that make sense to you one month later. Keep your computer files clean and delete files immediately that are not of use. Use FileMaker Pro to file the names of professional contacts where you can source them by individual and by group (Magazine Editors, Professional Writers, Friends, etc...)

I love to throw things away. Your office, and home, should be a place that feels supportive and not cluttered with OLD business. Keep your business fresh by constantly tossing the excess. Get rid of those piles of paperwork that are daunting and create a mess on your desk. MARKETING YOUR WRITING

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The Business of Writing by Lisa Alpine

Be prepared for rejection but be consistent, focused and diligent in contacting editors and keeping the query letters flowing. It will pay off! That is the law of nature. The turtle is the one that made it to the finish line, not the hare. With thousands of newspapers and magazines in the U.S., writing feature articles is the backbone of many writers' income. There are several ways to find out which publications are appropriate for your writing subject and style. You can start the process right now by hopping on the Internet search engine train (or check the list of links included in the Writer's Tips section). You can search Google for a specific magazine or do a search for a genre that matches your subject material. After perusing their Web site, go to the submission guidelines page. If you can't find it on the site (sometimes they are buried deep), go back to Google and type in, for example, "submission guidelines for San Francisco Chronicle travel section." After you study the guidelines closely and I recommend giving the editor a phone call to request information directly from the source. Most students who take my classes are not enthusiastic about reaching out in this way and think the editor will be offended. I promote the idea that it is healthy and totally correct to contact the person you want to do business with and start up a professional relationship. This means that if you get to speak directly to the editor, don't waste their time explaining yourself. Keep the purpose of the phone call clear and to the point and ask them, "What do you want for your editorial section and is there some way I can provide that?" Maybe they'll tell you to get lost. Never mind. Just submit your query or article via snail or email, following the format they specify in their guidelines. They will never remember your name anyway, so don't think it will detract from your chances of getting published if they are annoyed that you called. Here is a big secret: the more special interests you have, the more chances you have for publication. Special interest magazines sometimes pay more due to their captive audience and advertiser base and there isn't as much competition as when you query mainstream publications. One of my many occupations and passions is whitewater kayaking. I've become known as a female journalist who can write about whitewater expeditions for adventure magazines and sport travel sections of newspapers. More esoteric than that, one of my friends is a travel writer who loves dressage. A tour operator found out that she is an equestrian and invited her on a riding tour of the Irish coast. She sold this story to several equestrian magazines that paid quite well. Another market that you can submit stories to is anthologies. They usually pay a pittance ($100 to $200) but are good for the ego and give you a longer shelf life than articles. Good Stories Never Die. Obviously, you can't make a living selling one article. My solution-multiple submissions. This means you query several publications at the same time on the same story idea. It is like fishing--one hook can catch one fish--a net can bring in a bounty!

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The Business of Writing by Lisa Alpine

Again, there is the issue of, "What if they all want the article?" Oh, what a nice dilemma! I say to my students. Ask them how much they pay, and tell them you are offering "one time North American rights." This means they can publish it once and you own it and can do whatever you want with it. This is controversial, as many big publications want exclusive rights. Fine. But are they paying you enough to give them this exclusivity? Rights are negotiable! Again, check the Writer's Tips section for a list of links that will help educate you on this subject. My policy is a good story never dies. That means it has a shelf life and I can just keep updating the sidebar information and re-circulating it to markets farther a field. For example, I have a story about a sea kayaking tour around an island in the Sea of Cortez. It is a timeless piece and when I sell it again, I just update the information in the sidebar. (Of course, this does not work if the place or tour changes or there is a timeliness to the article that only makes it relevant shortly after it's written.) Send queries out en masse and keep track of submissions. Create a map and timeline for submissions and contacts. I usually recommend a plan that incorporates writing one story a month and submitting it to five to ten publications. Keep this program up for a year to see how things progress. In order to not have to reinvent the wheel every single time, keep a thorough and useful mailing list including email addresses so you can just paste the editor name and address into the query letters. Persistence pays off. I take the turtle approach to success. You would be surprised how many editors think they have published my stuff just because I've called them and chatted so many times. Take yourself seriously and life will respond in kind. Are you constantly improving your writing skills? Deadlines (external or self-imposed) do it; taking classes and participating in writing group meetings will help, too. Approach your creative career from all fronts and before you know it, you will be living the writer's life. ____________________

See Lisa's related article 10 Tips for Making Money as a Writer. The Business of Writing is just one of many writing workshops Lisa Alpine teaches at The Writing Salon in San Francisco, Book Passage in Corte Madera and her studio in Marin County. To find out when she is offering the next course, and all the other workshops on her calendar, go to www.lisaalpine.com.

Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©

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Inspiration by Jacqueline Harmon Butler

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

Inspiration by Jacqueline Harmon Butler

Inspiration for stories comes from the most unexpected places. You imagine you'll come up with ideas while walking in the woods, wading along the seashore, listening to beautiful music or looking out at the view from the window of your study. Sure, all these situations are where one would expect enlightenment to show up. But for me inspiration comes at the oddest times in the strangest places. For example, I had just arrived at my boyfriend Claudio's home in Italy a few years ago to shocking news. His other girlfriend was pregnant, and that very afternoon her parents had kicked her out of the house and she had no other place to go except Claudio's. It all seemed like a bad dream. And, because I was planning on spending a week with him, I hadn't made arrangements for a hotel. It was already evening when I arrived, so I agreed to stay the night. I tossed and turned in the master bedroom at the top of the house while Claudio and the other girlfriend slept in the twin beds one floor below. It wasn't one of my favorite memories. However, the next morning in a fit of inspiration and frustration, I began to re-work my novel, "Sono Claudio." I had already decided to change it from a memoir to a fictional story and with the new situation my imagination caught fire. I spent the entire day writing and plotting and drafting the story all the way to the end. Yes,

I used the pregnant girlfriend bit, but from there on, the story is completely fictional. I turned the other girlfriend into a lying venomous bitch who would stop at nothing to trap Claudio into a relationship with her. Another unlikely muse appeared a year or so ago when I was lying flat out on a gurney in the emergency room, so dizzy I couldn't walk. There were countless medical people swirling around, poking at me, and asking questions. While they were waiting for my lab tests to be completed they moved on to other emergency patients and left me alone. Well, you can imagine I was scared. I thought I might be dying--I certainly felt like I was. My usual meditations and methods of relaxing weren't working, so in desperation an idea for a new novel began to form and I started plotting the story as I lay on the gurney. I decided that my heroine--I named her Julie Taylor--would be dying of a rare disease and was given six months to live. The more I thought about Julie and her story, the more I began to relax. Making up Julie's illness and problems and figuring out what she was going to do completely took my mind off my own situation. As medical people passed by me, I told them I was working on a new novel and asked them questions about Julie's possible illness. What kind of disease might she http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/butler_inspiration.html (1 of 4) [1/2/10 1:17:14 PM]

Inspiration by Jacqueline Harmon Butler

have that would be deadly, but wouldn't incapacitate her? She

shouldn't have any physical signs of her illness and be able to function quite normally while her ailment was slowly killing her. The concept ignited as we talked about all sorts of exciting topics like

pancreatic cancer and leukemia. One of my doctors referred to pancreatic cancer as "peek and shriek" because that's what happens when they open someone up and find that type of cancer. It is quick and deadly. But I wanted something that could magically be healed or misdiagnosed or just go away to provide more freedom with my plot. Well, you can imagine the reaction from the medical staff to my constant questions. They were captivated. It got so that various staff members would stop by every so often to hear more about the story. One sleepless night, when my usual getting-to-sleep aids weren't working at all, I tried using what had always been a foolproof way to doze off. I imagined I was in Venice, and I was walking from the apartment where I usually stay near the Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio to the Piazza San Marco. I visualized the entire walk, all the little bridges, all the restaurants and houses. I checked out the wares in all the shop windows. I pictured myself in front of my favorite antique jewelry store. The shop keeps the lights on all night to illuminate the windows where the collections are displayed by stone: rubies in one tray, sapphires in another, emeralds and diamonds and pearls in yet others. I always like to play a game with myself that if I could choose one of the trays, which one would it be? The only rule was that I could select just one tray, and all the jewels on that tray. But even the total concentration of remembering each treasure in the collection didn't put me to sleep. I was getting nervous because I was almost to the Piazza San Marco and still wide-awake. In desperation, I imagined a totally new shop, one I had never seen before. Although

it was late at night, the lights were still on, shining on exquisite silk garments shimmering in the window. The door was open so I went

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Inspiration by Jacqueline Harmon Butler

inside to look around. Almost hidden on a rack of garments, I discovered an incredible strawberry red silk dress. On impulse I tried it on, and magically it fit perfectly. As I twirled around in front of the mirrors I felt that I had never been more beautiful. Every detail of the dress burned itself into my memory and I happily fell asleep wearing that dress. I couldn't forget about it. The dress haunted my thoughts and I constantly saw myself dancing in the Piazza San Marco wearing the strawberry red dress. It wasn't until a week later, while driving my car across town, that I finally realized that I had to give that dress to Susan (the heroine in "Sono Claudio). I stomped and raged about it for days and finally agreed that I would give "my" dress to Susan. It was another turning point in the writing of the story. From there I virtually flew to the ending--the happy, romantic ending. Years ago I read a book that recommended for those of us whose families never supported our dreams or offered the kind of encouragement we wanted, to create a fantasy family. They could be living or dead. So I did. It is a wonderful family and I still call on some of them sometimes to help me. There was Uncle Vincent Van Gogh who helped me with color. Uncle Fred Astair who danced with me and thought I was very graceful. Grandmother Eleanor Roosevelt who encouraged me to be who I am. I chose Jane Fonda as my workout leader but she was a little hard on me so I replaced her with Dolly Parton who always called me "honey" as she coaxed me into exercising.

I got myself into a bit of trouble with my real family over my fictional family. I telephoned my daughter one day to say that I had a wonderful conversation with Uncle Vincent and he had inspired me to create a new painting. I went on and on about how excited I was. "Who's Uncle Vincent?" Laura inquired. "Vincent Van Gogh," I replied. "Mom, isn't he dead? How could you have a conversation with him?" I tried to explain about my imaginary family but I could tell Laura thought I'd stepped off the deep end. A day or so later my son Tim called and asked in a very serious voice, "so Mom, do you want to tell me about Uncle Vincent?' I was pretty much amused by the whole incident but I know for certain that I had them worried about my sanity for a while. http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/butler_inspiration.html (3 of 4) [1/2/10 1:17:14 PM]

Inspiration by Jacqueline Harmon Butler

Months later on Laura's birthday I gathered a big paint box with brushes, canvases, and various other art supplies. I wrapped it all up in a plain brown package and tied it up with string. In what I hoped looked like Van Gogh's handwriting, I wrote: "To Laura, Happy Birthday, Love, Uncle Vincent." Laura's long-time roommate took a look at it and asked, "Who's Uncle Vincent?" Well, I thought if that idea worked so well, why not a literary group? I had had a falling out with my normal support group and had spent a couple of days on the pity-pot feeling like no one understood me. So I created a new group. I call them the Board of Directors. They consist of: F. Scott Fitzgerald, who helps me weave romance and magic into my stories. Annie Lamott, who keeps me realistic about story and pacing. Charles Dickens to help me with memorable characters. Rosamunde Pilcher for her sense of place and ability to bring surroundings alive. And Maeve Binchy for her ability to weave magic around normal, everyday people. I added Isabel Allende because she is so full of love and good will that she brings a healing energy over the whole group. When I was much younger my real family worried over my active imagination. My mother thought I spent too much time daydreaming. At one point in high school, I thought I was crazy because of all the characters I created and situations I made up. As an adult I realize that those voices were telling me their stories so I would write them. Susan Paige and Julie Taylor are extensions of myself, I know that. But I also know that they are my best friends and will guide me in telling their stories. But I've got to run, because right now the Board of Directors is pressuring me for the next chapter and Dolly is sweet-talking me into going out for a walk.

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Writing for the Web by Carla King

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

Writing for the Web by Carla King

Study after study shows that readers read differently when they're reading on their computer than when they're reading a printed page. If you're writing today, you're probably writing for the Web. Luckily, there are many of great articles on how to write for the Web. Here are my best recommendations. Online Writing Tips Weblogs (Blogs) Links Online Writing Tips Johnathan Dube's Online Writing Tips is focused on writing news features, but anyone writing for the Web, online travelogues included, would do well to listen to his advice, including, "take risks, but heed the basics," and, "never bury the lead." Read Mark Bernstein's 10 Tips on Writing the Living Web for some honest words: write for a reason, write often, write tight, make good friends, find good enemies, and be sexy. Daniel Will Harris' Writing for the Web is a good, short description of how writing for the Web is not so different than writing for print, and how to be effective online by formatting your page correctly. "Use plenty of subheads," is one recommendation. "People skim headings looking for specific topics—so use subheads liberally. If you started by creating an outline, your outline headings will automatically become subheads." Make sense? Sound obvious? So does his other great advice. Good stories often include quotes from sources in the know. Don't forget to follow good interviewing etiquette when you're collecting your data. Check out the very good email interviewing tips by Sandeep Junnarkar for Poynter Online. Weblogs (Blogs) http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/king_writingfortheweb.html (1 of 3) [1/2/10 1:17:16 PM]

Writing for the Web by Carla King

Are you thinking of using the Weblog as your online journal? I love Dennis A. Mahoney's How to Write a Better Weblog, which starts with a classic example of professional vs. amateur writing: The professional writer writes: New York is magnificent in spring. The amateur writer writes: I know this is a cliché nowadays, especially after 9/11, but I live in New York, which is much cleaner and safer now because of Giuliani, who really ought to be president after handling the crisis so well, and I know I’ve had some issues in the past with the mayor’s handling of the NYPD in regard to African Americans and his war against art involving sacred religious icons and feces (hello!? freedom of expression!?), but when all is said and done, New York, as maybe the best example of the ‘melting pot’ etc. etc., is a great city, especially when it starts getting warmer and people go outside more, like around March or April. Hmmmm...do you agree? Weblogs began as a way to share comments on the news, but have quickly become a way to disseminate your opinion about anything. To be a popular blogger, you need to be a great writer or have a really hot topic; preferably both. Here's where "niche" really works. One of my favorite blogs is Rebecca Blood's Rebecca's Pocket. She literally wrote the book on Weblogs, and though her interests are broad, her site really works. If you're going to start a Weblog, please take a look at hers first. You'll probably find it easier to focus on just one topic, for example, I chose to make my focus Motorcycle Misadventures, though I also write bicycle travel articles, technical articles, and general adventure stories. A Weblog is also a great way to keep an online journal for sharing because you can post from any computer anywhere by accessing a Web page. I'm finding the Typepad tool extremely user friendly, and it costs only about $5.00 a month.

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Writing for the Web by Carla King

Hypertext (linking to details) When writing for the Web it's important to link to deeper sources of information, or sources of tangential information you think your readers will appreciate. If your article is long, you'll want to break it up into titled sections and link those using anchor links hooked to a table of contents at the beginning of the page -- or from a sidebar. Here are several ways to link to different Web pages or to information on the same page: 1) Here's an example of an inline hyperlink like to my Motorcycle Misadventures blog. 2) You can collect links in a reference box or sidebar like the one to the right. 3) You can list all the links in a footnote at the end of your article.

Why use a sidebar instead of an inline hyperlink? If you've got a lot of links, it's more important that your reader isn't disrupted by hyperlinks in your text. So list them here, or at the end of your article, like this: Rebecca's Pocket Motorcycle Misadventures

4) You can create an anchor link that connects items on the same page. The list of headings at the top of this page is an example of an anchor link. When you click on the heading for "Weblog" the reader jumps to that section. Be selective about links when you're writing for the Web. Your readers, and your editor, will appreciate it. ___________________

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Bibendum in the Afternoon, by Cathleen Miller

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

The Literary Hotel: Where B & B means Bed & Books by Cathleen Miller

The lobby of the Algonquin offers the type of sedately luxurious parlor we'd all have if we'd chosen our ancestors more carefully--and they'd left us something besides our damned good looks and rapier wit. The grand room features coffered ceilings lit by amber Venetian sconces, dark oak paneling punctuated by Corinthian columns, and old-money furnishings. The comfortable wing-back chairs, red leather settees, reading lamps, folding screens and tea tables form oodles of cozy nooks for conversing, devouring books, sipping cocktails, or plotting the overthrow of a government--in fact or in fiction. The centenarian Algonquin is the dowager of America's literary hotels, an unusual breed of establishment which offers both shelter to the transient, and safe haven for lovers of the written word. These inns provide a focus on books, either through their long association with scribes, or their current promotion of literature through readings, signings, and publishing parties. Bibliophiles can usually count on literary hotels to offer a comfortable library, books to peruse for their enjoyment, or even events where guests can meet writers. These inns are places where the contemplative life is celebrated, not shattered by big screen TVs blasting through you like an x-ray machine. The Algonquin is, of course, also renowned as the birthplace of the Algonquin Round Table, the 1920s literary set that included Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Alexander Woolcott and Harold Ross, who founded The New Yorker using the stable of talent he lunched with daily at a soon-tobe-legendary round table in the hotel dining room. The regulars would stumble in hung-over each day, joined by a revolving group of peripherals which included everyone from Edmund Wilson to Harpo Marx. In the evening, the young writers would dash off to the theater, and then to a friend's apartment for liberal doses of bathtub gin--since Prohibition relocated the gin from the public house to the private toilet.

The Vicious Circle A portrait of the infamous Algonquin Round Table

Perhaps the Algonquin's long attraction to the literary set, however, is one that continues to this day when authors like Reynolds Price and Studs Terkel

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Bibendum in the Afternoon, by Cathleen Miller

come calling: the Algonquin's policy of protecting the privacy of their guests, sheltering the sensitive artist from the overwhelming demands of the city. One senior bell captain tells of how William Faulkner used to arrive and swear him to secrecy. Faulkner hid out at the Algonquin to work on his books, while he was supposed to be in Hollywood writing screenplays. The Library Hotel--as the name would suggest--is another addition to New York's literary hostelries. Appropriately positioned a block from the New York Public Library, this boutique hotel opened in 2000 and is a booklover's paradise. Rooms have a tranquil Zen quality and each is furnished with books grouped around a theme. For example, the Love Room offers the titles Aphrodisiac, Kisses, Kama Sutra, and Casanova, making the suite a good spot for brushing up on some of the finer points of amour. But what really makes this hotel special are the public rooms where you want to curl up and read throughout your stay-leaving Manhattan to honk and grind itself to a pulp without your participation. Breakfast is served in the Reading Room, a light-filled space lined with over 1,000 books. The fourteenth floor offers two secluded nooks for contemplation: the Writer's Den, a study with leather chairs and fireplace; and the Poetry Garden, a cheerful greenhouse with a private wrap-around terrace. Not to be outdone, the Left Coast has two equally delicious literary hotels of its own. San Francisco, a city infested by bookworms, sports the Monticello Inn, a small boutique hotel at Union Square. As the name would suggest, the Monticello is decorated as an inn where Thomas Jefferson would feel at home, loaded with overstuffed chintz upholstery, traditional furnishings, and a library with a wood-burning fireplace. Each Wednesday the hotel offers literary events--ranging from writer's salons to author's readings. The salons are attended by a mix of the Bay Area literati and hotel guests. Over a glass of wine, featured speakers discuss everything from self publishing to travel writing. The Monticello features an innovative Book Honor Bar, a take off on the mini-bar, but you become literate instead of hung-over. Cellophane-wrapped volumes are placed in each room, and if a guest breaks the seal and takes a book home, the item is charged to the bill. A few blocks away is the Hotel Rex, which offers an Art Deco lobby that's reminiscent of a 1930's men's club. The dimlyhttp://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/features/miller_literaryhotel.html (2 of 3) [1/2/10 1:17:19 PM]

Bibendum in the Afternoon, by Cathleen Miller

lit room offers an intimate ambiance, with original portraits, period library tables, antiquarian books and leather club chairs--a place where Dashiell Hammett would look at home sipping a martini. Cocktails are available from the sleek chrome and glass bar, which reflects liquor bottles and vintage globes. The Rex has been the scene of many publishing parties, from signings to book launches, and is a preferred lodging site for visiting authors. The trait all these hotels share is offering bibliophiles the chance to be surrounded by the objects they love--even when they're away from home. And in today's current frantic society, perhaps the chance to actually stretch out and read a good book--in a strange city where no one knows how to find you. ____________________ For more information visit the hotels' Web sites: The The The The

Algonquin Library Hotel Monticello Inn Hotel Rex

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10 Tips for Beginning Writers by Cathleen Miller

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

Virginia Woolf Started Somewhere 10 Tips for Beginning Writers by Cathleen Miller

So you want to be a writer. Why not a movie star? Why not an astronaut? Why not president? Maybe you could take Queen Elizabeth's place when she steps down--now there's a more accessible career to consider. Admitting the desire to be a writer to ourselves --much less others--can seem so ridiculously daunting that we cringe at the mere thought. Yet, I have personally known dozens of people who took that first step, i.e. actually writing vs. talking about writing, and they have begun publishing in less than a year. If you think about it, that's rather like starting piano lessons and giving your first concert a year later. As for myself, I published the first story I ever wrote, not because I'm a prodigy, but because I felt like I had nothing to lose by trying. If you're nutty enough to mutter those words to yourself, "I want to be a writer," then here are some steps to start you down that Sisyphean path: 1. Keep a journal. Don't show this journal to anyone, which frees you from censoring yourself. Give yourself permission to write anything that comes into your head, even thoughts crazier than, "I want to be a writer." This freedom primes the pump and let's you become adept at transmitting your thoughts into the written word. 2. Set a weekly writing schedule for yourself and stick to it. Yeah, I know the pros all say they write everyday. But in the beginning--when you're working two jobs to pay the rent--you may not have that luxury. Tell everyone you go to church on Sunday mornings, unplug the phone, and then write till noon. If you write five pages a day, in a year you'll have a book. 3. Take classes. Whether it's a one-day workshop at the local bookstore or an MFA program, having someone else help you with the fundamentals can tame raw talent into publishable prose. 4. Read. You must know what good literature is before you can hope to create it. Read the classics, current bestsellers, The New Yorker, the daily paper. Give away your TV and devote your evenings to becoming enriched and informed instead of "entertained." 5. Join a writing group. One of the reasons so many writers are nuts is that they spend their lives alone in a room. Having other people critique your work offers invaluable feedback, because we writers are artists who seldom have direct contact with our audience. 6. Jealously guard your time. If you're serious about becoming a good--no--great writer, http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/tips/writingtips/miller_woolf.html (1 of 2) [1/2/10 1:17:20 PM]

10 Tips for Beginning Writers by Cathleen Miller

there is one fact you cannot dispute: the more time you put into the practice of writing, the more chance you have of achieving excellence. This means eliminating other distractions that waste your time and sap your energy. 7. Learn to take criticism without becoming defensive. One of the toughest challenges of being a writer is learning who to listen to and who to tune out. Seek the opinion of colleagues whose work you respect, and those who seem to have your best interests at heart. 8. Protect your dream by avoiding negative people. You know, that friend who always cackles when she asks, "So when is your bestseller coming out?" Stay away from her. And that blouse you bought for her birthday? You can go in the bedroom and put that on right now. 9. Submit your work for publication. It's important to begin to build a body of published work--whether it's your neighborhood paper or The Atlantic Monthly. Be brave. Send your darlings out into the world and see what happens. 10. Rejection is part of the game. It happened to James Joyce and it will happen to you. If you hear the same reason for rejection over and over, pay attention. Otherwise, forge ahead and like Joyce, let literary history vindicate you. Oh, and be sure to send an autographed copy of your bestseller to that friend for her birthday.

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Overcoming Writer's Block by Pamela Michael

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women

Ten Tips for Overcoming Writer's Block by Pamela Michael

I Had to Overcome Writer's Block to Write This: block (verb) to stop, hinder, impede, jam, frustrate block (noun) obstruction, child's toy, street (as in "around the block"), building unit Writer's Block. All writers have faced it. Indeed, anyone whose job involves creative effort has struggled with it. (Maybe it's a conceit to imagine that only creative people have to deal with this bugaboo; perhaps we're unaware of Plumber's Block, Banker's Block, and Truck Driver's Block.) For some it's a sporadic and short-lived annoyance; for others it's a terrifying, career- and sanitythreatening fog. To look at the number of books, websites, even clubs dedicated to overcoming writer's block is to conclude that the condition is epidemic. Some bromides counsel to "write through" it, others suggest taking a break. Different strokes for different chokes; you'll have to experiment to see what works for you. Years of battling this demon, admittedly one of my own creation, have afforded me some weapons that may be of help to others. I offer them with my best wishes and heartfelt condolences: 1. Leave it alone for a while. Work on something else, or take a short break from writing altogether. Take a walk or a swim, workout, take a bath, weed the garden. Get your blood and breath and chi moving. 2. Change your writing location or routine. Move to the kitchen, the yard, the park, the library. If you usually write in the morning, try writing at night. 3. Make a "sense map" of your surroundings: smells, textures, sounds, sights. Slow down and dig deep. Embrace the subtle. Track nuance. Pay attention. 4. Change the mechanics of your writing. If you usually use a computer, write by hand. Buy a fabulous fountain pen and some beautiful paper. Try talking into a tape recorder. Sing your sentences. Paint your story. Dance your story. Turn your story into a poem. 5. Try "cluster" writing. Write down one word or idea, perhaps a key phrase from the piece you're working on, circle it, then free associate, writing down phrases and words as fast as you can, connecting one idea to the next with lines. Fill the page. Let your imagination loose. Don't question or judge, just let it rip. 6. Seek inspiration and feedback from your friends, writing http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/tips/writingtips/michael_writersblock.html (1 of 2) [1/2/10 1:17:22 PM]

Overcoming Writer's Block by Pamela Michael

group, teachers, or family. 7. Read a book. Read some poetry. Read aloud. 8. Try writing personality profiles of people you know, or of characters from your work in progress. 9. Keep a day book or journal. You needn't make it a grand opus--just recording the weather, what you did that day, or current events can be enough to keep your writing muscle flexed and active until the next burst of creativity strikes. 10. Relax. It's only ink.

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Ten Tips for Making Money as a Writer by Lisa Alpine

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

Cashing in Your Words 10 Tips for Making a Living as a Writer by Lisa Alpine

No more living in a chilly Parisian garret dining on stale baguettes and undrinkable plonk. You, the modern day writer, CAN make a living at your craft, you just need to be resourceful and learn to mine your already developed abilities and resources (writing and otherwise) that you can turn into money-making ventures. Early in my writing career I started making a living using my writing skills in various ways, and I've listed ten below. 1. Write press releases for businesses. 2. Write book proposals for people who have good ideas but can't write. If they like your book proposal, they will more than likely hire you to ghost write the book for them. Believe me-there are a lot of published authors who didn't write their book! 3. Write the text for web sites. Small businesses need help with this endeavor. 4. Do guidebook research. Researchers often make more money than the editor of the guidebook who is just looking for an author's credit. 5. Write ad copy. Send exciting samples to companies large and small. 6. Create the small blurbs (usually less than 100 words) that run in the "departments" section of magazines. Many times this is the best way to begin a relationship with a publication. Call the editor and ask how you can submit material. 7. Sell reprints of your already published works to get maximum income from one article. 8. Call the newspapers in your area and see if they need a writer who will produce local features on spec. 9. Promote yourself as an assistant to a professional writer who might be overwhelmed with projects and paperwork. This way you learn the ropes from the inside. In order to offer services, you will need to develop your skills. 10. Practice pithy prose in a medium that affects people's lives: Get a job in a fortune cookie factory writing the messages. Think of all the perks! How do you find these jobs? Advertise on networking sites like www.craigslist.com. Post flyers advertising your services. What to charge? Make sure to set an hourly fee that matches your skill level. Are you still on training wheels? If so, your rate must reflect that. Join writer's organizations

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Ten Tips for Making Money as a Writer by Lisa Alpine

that post jobs available (look under Links to the WWW for listings). Be persistent in your hunt for writing gigs and your determination will pay off in cash dividends.

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Mining for Gold on the Internet by Jacqueline Harmon Butler

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

Mining for Gold on the Internet Finding new markets for your work by Jacqueline Harmon Butler

I often refer to my latest copy of the Writer's Market, but with the vast majority of publications now with Web sites, I find I'm relying on my search engines (like Google and Yahoo) far more. It's fast and easy to go to www.google.com and request a search for either a publication or a more general search of, say, newspapers, magazines, or editorial calendars. For instance, I just asked Google to look up "magazine editorial calendars" and was amazed at the number of listings that showed up. Possibilities I had never even thought of! Publications I've never heard of before. Find a publication's Web site using your favorite search engine. Next, look for their writer's guidelines and editorial calendar. A big advantage in going directly to a publication's Web site is that you get their up-to-the-minute information, which will help you craft a story or article especially for them. Now you're ready to start sending the editor your work. You can narrow your search by going to the link at the bottom of the search results page and asking for a more specific search. For instance, I began my search requesting "magazine editorial calendars." I narrowed my search by adding the word "travel" to "magazine editorial calendars." Almost like magic, a list of magazines with travel sections came up on my screen, some surprising and more than a few very interesting. Of course the possibilities for searching are endless. You could ask a search for writer's guidelines or author's guidelines, or what about contributor's guidelines? After spending the time researching and coming up with important information, where to store it is often a problem. When you find a publication's Web site or other information that interests you, be sure to bookmark it and place it in a folder called "markets" or "guidelines." Another option is to copy the data and paste it into a Word document and save it on your hard drive in a specifically named file. I have one I call "Writer's Markets." You can easily do a "save as" from an Explorer page directly onto your hard drive. Just make sure to label it and save it in a place where you can find it again, because these nuggets of information could equal a goldmine.

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The Economist's Style Tips by Lisa Alpine

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

The Economist's Style Tips

I read The Economist Magazine to get a more balanced view of what is happening around the globe. But they publish more than politics. On the first page of their stylebook they recommend that writers follow the six rules George Orwell set out in his 1946 essay, "Politics and the English Language." Here they are:

by Lisa Alpine

Orwell

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech that you are used to seeing in print. 2. Never use a long word where a short one will do. 3. If it is possible to cut a word, always cut it out. 4. Never use the passive where you can use the active. 5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. 6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous. Well, I, for one, have abused all of these "nevers" but over time I will learn....

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After "The End" by Jacqueline Harmon Butler

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

After "The End" by Jacqueline Harmon Butler

Well, you finally made it to the end of your book. Congratulations! You deserve a little time off. That's right--take a break to celebrate your accomplishmentr, have a glass of champagne, and treat yourself to a nice dinner. Put the story away for at least a week or two and try not to think about it. When you get ready to work on it again, take the time to read the manuscript slowly from beginning to end. Make mental notes of what works and what doesn't. Then read it again, and on the second time around, mark what you think are any problem areas. This is the time to look at the total project. Does the story work? Revising gives you the chance to reflect on the entire narrative, and the editing process is a good time to consider what the story is all about. How it moves from beginning to end. You no longer have to worry about where it's going; you just want to make sure the going will hold the reader's attention.

Ask yourself, are the characters believable? Do they retain their unique individuality throughout? Be on guard for secondary characters that take up too much room in the story. Take a close look at your chapter breaks. Are they correctly placed? Is there a natural pause between them? You might want to take a look at your pacing of the story, making sure that the chapters flow smoothly into each other. Be on guard for two slow moving sections together. Your reader might fall asleep. You want to keep the pace moving and the pages turning. This is the time to go over each scene, sentence by sentence, making sure the flow is smooth.

You might wind up moving a sentence or a paragraph or even a whole chapter to give them more force. Now comes the time when you may want to cut parts--repetitive words, sections, even whole chapters from your book. Be ruthless. If the story isn't dramatically moved forward by a particular scene, cut it. If you are using the same adverbs over and over, cut them. Sharpen up

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After "The End" by Jacqueline Harmon Butler

the action. Tightening the whole manuscript can make an enormous difference. By the same token, some scenes, sentences or chapters may need a bit of expanding to make them more powerful. Watch out for repetitions, especially with unusual words. They can be distracting as the reader goes along and become tedious if used too often. Make sure you do not repeat the same adjectives over and over. Don't repeat statements excessively: we know she had red hair and a wicked temper, you told us that in the first chapter, we don't need to be reminded again and again. We

want examples of how that wicked temper manifests itself.

Save your revision and mark the file as version 2. That way you have the file of your original manuscript intact to refer back to if you realize you cut something important. The editorial process can be painful as you go along, sometimes deleting entire sections or characters who don't matter to the story. However, there is an immense satisfaction in completing the first serious revision of your manuscript, so celebrate yourself and your accomplishment.

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Raw Readings by Lisa Alpine

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

Raw Readings by Lisa Alpine

Lately I'm entranced by giving readings from my "works in progress" instead of from the already published story. It is so much more vulnerable for me--not just a repeat of the last book reading, but fresh and raw. I am exposing my creative process. It can be rather like watching an artist put the final vibrant touches on her painting, and not just listening to her talk about it as it hangs, dusty, in the gallery. I like to get the audience involved and intrigued by the writing process. You might want to try this: Have a party and invite your writer friends to read from stories they are in the process of writing. They do have to be well-edited even if they aren't completed. And when you read, what if you ask their opinion on two different endings? It's a theatrical way of getting feedback. But can you handle it? Or do you want to be perfect all the time and not reveal that many times the artist stands at a crossroads of decision? Try it. I call it a " raw reading" and it still scares me. In fact I did it last night at our Wild Writing Women Literary Salon in San Francisco. Six of us read from works-in-progress--fiction and nonfiction. The audience loved the behind-the-story stories we told on how (and why) these yarns were being birthed. I read from "The Coptic Priest"--a tale of my time in Palestine. I began writing it last week and from the audience's response, I will finish it. Their positive feedback let me know the story has depth and is worth completing.

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The Potato Exercise by Lisa Alpine

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

The Potato Exercise Is there a potato story in you? by Lisa Alpine

Jane Underwood at the Writing Salon in San Francisco sent this writing exercise out to her writing teachers. She asked us to write a short piece about a potato, and wanted us to read them at her next Salon. It is a fun exercise that got me to write out of the box and had unexpected results as I found out when I discovered that -- by George! -- I did have a potato story to tell. The Pivotal Potato I was traveling over the altiplano on a road that circles around Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. The Indians there are very poor and the environment harsh (16,000 feet elevation and freezing). There are no tourist facilities so I spent the night in an Aymara Indian family's hut. I was hungry, and they invited me to dine with them. They were eating what they ate every day of the year--small freeze-dried potatoes in weird mottled colors -- purple, green, and red. The potato originated in South America and there are more varieties in Bolivia and Peru than any other part of the world. The ones we were eating had been reconstituted with boiling water. No salt. No flavor. My hosts savored them. Obviously, these puny potatoes were a main part of their existence. When they weren't eating them, they were cultivating them. "How were they grown?" I asked to spark conversation among this very reticent and superstitious family with whom I was renting dirt floor space for the night and sharing a meal. The mother, whose mahogany face was cracked and polished from exposure to extreme weather, told me, "We dig them up when they are ready and leave them on the hard ground to freeze. Then we go through the field in our bare feet and roll each one under our feet to remove the skin. Then we store them in baskets and they last a year." "Oh," was my only comment. I looked down at her feet. They were blackened and cracked and had calluses as thick as history books. Maybe I did detect some flavor in my meal after all...

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Links to the WWW (Wonderful World of Writing)

Writing: Your Passport to Life

Wild Writing Women TM

Links to the WWW (Wonderful World of Writing) Compiled by Cathleen Miller

The Web offers a plethora of information to writers -- markets, job opportunities, professional organizations, references, research tools, and more. Listed below are some of our favorite sites; like old friends, we visit them again and again. ________________ OUR WWW FAVORITES Travelerstales.com is the site of the Travelers' Tales publishing house. Here you can read their great monthly newsletter, and learn about their large selection of books, which include some of the best travel narratives in print (most of the Wild Writing Women are featured in one volume or another). But more importantly, their site lists the books for which they are currently accepting submissions; they are happy to work with unpublished authors as long as the material is terrific and it fits the theme of the anthology. The English Department at San Jose State University maintains Literary Locales, a site featuring 1,100 images related to authors. Here you can see photos of everything from Plato's Academy to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to Edgar Allen Poe's museum to Langston Hugh's schools to Borges's childhood home. We can virtually visit Illiers, France, the setting Proust used for the vacation home in Remembrance of Things Past. You can also find links that connect to biographical information about the authors, criticism, quotations, even fun trivia like Proust's recipe for bouillabaisse. This site is a helpful reference source, but an even better rainy-day activity for those curious about the literary world. www.backpacknation.org Brad Newsham is quite a guy: writer, diplomat, cabdriver, visionary, world traveler and philanthropist. While most residents of the Bay Area-certainly those with a family to feed--are just focusing on paying the bills, Brad decides to travel around the globe, select a worthy individual, and pay to bring this person to America. And naturally drive them cross-country in his taxi. And give interviews to the BBC, CBS, and NPR along the way. And of course write a book about it all called Take Me with You. He now has new projects afoot, Brad's personal vision of how world travel will make the planet a better place--and who are we to argue? His organization, Backpack Nation, will also be seeking and accepting stories that emphasize encounters, relationships, and acts of kindness between individuals who have met through travel. Read more about him on his website. WildWritingWomen.com And of course our own Wild Writing Women site! Here you can read our dispatches from the road; in fact, since we're all traveling, this is where we frequently learn what each other is up to. You can subscribe to this magazine, learn about new events and workshops, and even if you're trapped in the office, you can take a virtual trip to far-away places by surfing through our gallery of photographs. ________________ GENERAL WRITER'S INFORMATION AND ORGANIZATIONS

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Links to the WWW (Wonderful World of Writing)

www.wnba-books.org. Women's National Book Association. Among other things, they hold an annual Meet the Agents Day, a forum for writers to meet and talk to agents about their work. www.californiaauthors.com/index.shtml California Authors is a non-profit site that features authors, events, advice, independent bookstore lists and more. If you are a published author, you can list your book and bio with them for $25 a year. www.WritersDigest.com The Writer's Digest site has all sorts of information on copyright, jobs, writer's tips and much more in their free weekly newsletter. [email protected] Pat Holt is a writer who puts out a free newsletter with advise for authors on the publishing world. www.editpros.com/news.html Edit Pros offers a good overall writing resource and monthly newsletter: www.bookexpoamerica.com BookExpo America, now in its 104th year, is a showcase for books in all formats, gift and music merchandise, as well as new technology and services. BEA offers an educational forum that looks at the business of publishing from many viewpoints, and is a meeting place for the entire book industry. www.americanpenwomen.org The National League of American Pen Women sponsors a writing contest, and the local Bay Area branch produces a monthly series called "Pen Women Presents: Interviews with Creative Achievers" which airs on channel 29. Their email address is: [email protected] ________________ JOB POSTINGS The following sites offer job opportunities for writers. SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: CraigsList.org SFStation.comzz SFGate.com -- Calendar link to Bay Area events. Poetry Flash NATIONAL: CraigsList.org www.literarymarketplace.com www.writersmarket.com www.shawguides.com www.californiaauthors.com/index.shtml www.nwu.org--National Writer's Union www.media-alliance.org ________________ INFORMATION ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

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Links to the WWW (Wonderful World of Writing)

These organizations can answer your questions on copyright and other legal issues. www.nsja.org - American Society of Journalists & Authors has a free newsletter and Contracts Watch archive service where you can search for answers regarding your print rights. www.nwu.org - The National Writers Union is the trade union for freelance writers of all genres who work for American publishers or employers. They have chapters around the U.S. and offer many workshops on a variety of subjects from writing skills to selling rights (workshops are also open to non-members). www.media-alliance.org -- Media Alliance is based in San Francisco. By joining you get discounts on classes; invitations to free discussions, panels, and social events; and access to their credit union, reference library, and job listing service. http://www.woodenhorsepub.com offers many services including a CONTENT WATCH: where you can check illegal use of your words. ________________ LITERARY EVENTS CALENDARS The following sites offer listings of readings, workshops, and literary events. BAY AREA: SFStation.com SFGate.com -- Calendar link to Bay Area events.Poetry Flash Travel Writers Calendar (Laurie King's email newsletter) NATIONAL: CraigsList.org ShawGuides.com ________________

INFORMATION ON AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS Before contacting any agents, refer to the latest edition of the Literary Market Place or the Writer's Digest Guide to Literary Agents for agents' specific submission guidelines and marketing areas. www.WritersDigest.com http://www.LiteraryMarketplace.com (LiteraryMarketplace.com charges a subscription fee for info on some of its literary agents. This URL has it for free: http://www.writersservices.com/WrHandbook/wh_alphaindex_3.htm) www.writersmarket.com is very helpful because you can search their database by various criteria and hone in on

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Links to the WWW (Wonderful World of Writing)

the ones most to your liking. $30/year. Directories The following directories of agents vary in the kind and the amount of information they provide. For best results, check what several of them include about the same agency. Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents by Jeff Herman (Prima). This directory is unique in that it asks agents questions that give you a sense of their personality as well as their approach to their job. Its list of publishers enables you to find out more about their editors and what types of books the company specializes in. If you decide to approach publishers yourself, verify Jeff's listings because editors tend to move around. Also contains a ton of other helpful information. Guide to Literary Agents (Writer's Digest Books). An annual sold in bookstores that gives thorough info on 550 agents, including a subject index, and includes a wealth of helpful articles. Writer's Market, (Writer's Digest Books), an annual sold in bookstores. Also lists information on magazines and publishers. Since it is published for writers, it goes into more detail about publishers' needs and requirements. Literary Agents: A Writer's Guide by Adam Begley (Penguin) is published in association with Poets & Writers. After a solid, systematic explanation of how agents work and how to find one, this guide contains a listing of almost 200 agents who do not charge reading fees. Literary Market Place (LMP): The Directory of the American Book Publishing Industry with Industry Yellow Pages, which is in your library, is the annual two-volume, all-inclusive trade directory of publishing. The listings include basic information on 500 agents and the interests of publishers of all kinds that do three or more books a year. The Writer's Handbook, which is published annually by The Writer magazine. The Handbook lists the names and addresses of more than 150 agents, and also includes articles about all kinds of writing. ________________

MISCELLANEOUS WEBSITES OF INTEREST TO AUTHORS Amazon.com American Booksellers Association American Society of Journalists and Authors Authors' Licensing & Collection Society Authors Registry Authoryellowpages.com/about.asp Barnes and Noble BookExpo America BookSense BookWire Copyright Law -- An Overview Copyright Law -- Hypertext of Title 17 Currency Conversion Elements of Style (online version) The Electronic Newsstand http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/tips/writingtips/miller_linkstothewww.html (4 of 5) [1/2/10 1:17:30 PM]

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Horror Writers Association Ingram's Top 50 Mystery List Inkspot -- writing resources on the internet Library of Congress Media Bistro Mystery Writers of America National Listing of Publishers National Writers Union New York Public Library New York Times Book Page New York Times Reference Novelists, Inc. Pen American Center Publishers Weekly Romance Writers of America R.R. Bowker (access Books in Print) Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. Screenwriters/Playwrights Information The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators U.S. and International Copyright Information Site U.S. Copyright Office USA Today Extended Bestseller List (51-150) The Writers Guild of America Writers Weekly

Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©

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Jacqueline Harmon Butler's Food Flirt

Writing: Your Passport to Life Jacqueline Harmon Butler's Food Flirt

The way to a reader's heart... You've heard the old adage, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." But have you heard the parallel writer's adage, "The way to a reader's heart is through her stomach?" The same principal applies to both -- appeal to the senses of smell and taste, and you will soon have the intended recipient eating out of your hand. In fiction, how characters eat can tell us as much about their personality as what they say or do. The first step is to bring readers to the table with your protagonist; permit them to silently join the scene in which a meal takes place. Many beginning writers make the mistake of merely listing the foods. Yes, a dinner of steak, baked potatoes, green beans, cornbread and iced tea sounds delicious. But that's merely a menu, not a meal. By seasoning this dinner with a few tempting details, you enable your reader to TASTE this scrumptious repast along with your character. Let's spice up your steak with a black peppercorn marinade and grill it to a juicy medium-rare; add sour cream and freshly chopped chives to the baked potato; top your green beans with a concoction of bread crumbs, butter and paprika; and let sweet, honeybutter drip over the edges of your cornbread. Drop a sprig of fresh mint into your iced tea, and now your reader is enjoying this mouth-watering feast. Don't forget the setting in which the meal takes place. Was it a restaurant? What type, expensive or modest? Who was there? What time of day? Season? Was it a picnic somewhere? Perhaps a crowded lunchroom or a diner alongside the highway. Dinner for two in a romantic place? Even room service at the character's hotel? The setting adds an important dimension to your story. Be adventurous. There is more to life than the standard American meat-and-potatoes fare. Take your reader on a vicarious culinary world tour. Consider writing about special foods from far-away places: African, Asian, Caribbean, French, Greek, Hungarian, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, or Spanish. Each conjures images of delectable delights associated with distinctive and unique flavors. http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/columns/butler_no6.html (1 of 3) [1/2/10 1:17:32 PM]

Jacqueline Harmon Butler's Food Flirt

When writing about foreign foods, it's important to know what ingredients are used in the food, how the food is prepared and what is used to flavor it. For instance, much African cuisine is associated with cumin or coriander. French is associated with heavy sauces seasoned with tarragon or chervil, a la the classic Béarnaise sauce. Greek cooking invokes flavors of olives and lemons. When you think Mexican, you think cilantro and chili peppers. It isn't necessary to give the entire recipe, (unless required by your editor); just hint at some of its more flavorful ingredients. At this point you may be throwing your hands in the air and saying, "But I can't even boil water without burning it!" Don't despair. You don't have to be a gourmet chef in order to create tantalizing stories about food. Read what other authors have said about food, memorable meals and culinary delights. When dining out, jot down quick notes about what you ate. Texture, taste, smells. Did you like it or not? What was your total experience? What was going on around you? Did other diners seem to like what they were eating? What was the wait staff like-helpful and attentive or lazy? Or spend some time on the sofa with your television tuned to one of those twenty-four hour cooking stations. Incorporating little details regarding the preparation process can make your story come alive. Remember that man (or woman) does not live by dinner alone. It's a refreshing change to write about breakfast, lunch, brunch, or a cocktail party and wax poetic on the various textures and tastes associated with high-class hors d'oeuvres. And don't overlook the sensuousness of a decadent dessert. Always add beverages to your stories, and remember to describe their flavors or serving temperatures. Perhaps Pierre drank an ice-cold fizzy soda, tangy juice, an exotic coffee or maybe a cozy, hot buttered-rum. Use a few choice words to describe the taste of wine: wild herbs, hay, lemon, berries, chocolate. These additional details make the experiences of your characters come to life for readers. When you sit down to write, spend a few minutes going over sections of your story where the food scenes takes place. Close your eyes and conjure up the actual food, beverages, who is there, what is going on, where the scene takes place. If in a restaurant, what did the restaurant look like? Or was it a picnic on a park bench, a deserted beach, a crowded train? Maybe dinner in someone's summer garden. Whatever the place, imagine yourself in that picture. Open your nose to the smells in your imagined surroundings. Fresh bread, ripe strawberries, smoked meats, vine-ripened tomatoes, olive oil. Next, imagine the taste and texture of the food, the sounds around you. This simple exercise will bring to mind images of your own experiences and help you re-create the scene in your story.

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Jacqueline Harmon Butler's Food Flirt

We aren't talking about writing restaurant reviews here. We are talking about simply describing a memorable meal. Bringing the food to life. You can draw your reader into your characters' experience and leaving them absolutely drooling!

Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©

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Creating an Online Travelogue by Carla King

Writing: Your Passport to Life xxCarla King's Gear and Gadgets

xxGear for creating an online travelogue In 1995 I put my laptop computer in the sidecar of a Russian Ural sidecar motorcycle and took off across America, sending weekly dispatches to a Web site called American Borders. My photos were Fed-Exed to an editor in California and my stories were sent via an America Online email account. After editing, my materials were handed over to an HTML programmer and graphic designer who scanned and cropped my photos, then formatted and designed my pages. By the time my readers saw it on the Web it may well have been touched by half a dozen people. Things have changed a lot since those early days of the Internet and today I'm armed with all the tools I need to do it myself. At first glance, it's a formidable collection of equipment that includes a notebook computer, digital still camera and digital camcorder, and all the supporting chargers, adapters, converters and cables. Not to mention storage and transfer media like CD-ROMs, SmartCards, Memory Sticks, and a portable mouse that is also a memory card adapter. Software includes word processing, photo manipulation, video editing, Web design software, and backup and data transfer programs. The addition of the necessary protective bags, cables, locks, motion detectors and alarm systems, along with your regular camera equipment, ensure that there's little room for a change of clothing in your baggage. Now if that doesn't deter you, read on for recommendations for basic hardware and software followed by a checklist on how to put it all together, and more: Hardware Software Putting it All Together Connecting Overseas Averting Disaster Hardware

Notebook Computer I've used both Apple and Windows machines while traveling and, though there are a lot of good laptops out there, I currently recommend the Apple iBook with System X. If you're using a digital camera you'll appreciate the built-in iPhoto application that arranges your pictures in thumbnail format and lets you file them into albums, and even easily make a Quicktime slideshow for sending via email or uploading to the Web. Digital Camera I highly recommend the Olympus C-series cameras for quality and performance, a prosumer camera that costs around $500. I've tested them in India's humidity, dust, and the vibration from my Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle; in Europe, and America, too, and they've performed very http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/columns/king_no4.html (1 of 6) [1/2/10 1:17:37 PM]

Creating an Online Travelogue by Carla King

well. Buy a recharger and nickle-metal hydride rechargeable batteries for longest performance. Lisa just bought the Canon Camcorder I finally entered the digital video world with Sony's popular DCR-PC9, a tiny digital video camera with a swivel screen and night shot. It's loaded with features but user friendly, too, which perhaps explain its popularity. Professional videographers probably scoff at the editing software that comes bundled with this camera, but I'm not ready for anything more than the basics. I tried iMovie (which comes with the Apple iBook) and found it incredibly intuitive. Look on the Web for the best price. Backup Media CD ROMs are passé and for good reason. They're not large enough to hold all the data you need to store, and they are notoriously flakey. You really need two copies of the same CD, just to be sure. So make the investment in a pocket hard drive and make backing up easy. There are a variety of pocket-sized hard drives on the market and any of them will do, but my best recommendation is the Apple iPod. You heard right. Basically, the iPod is just a hard drive. You can plug it in to any computer and download (and upload) data. The more expensive the iPod, the larger the hard drive in it. It's as simple as that. Connectors, Transformers, Plugs, Cables, etc. TeleAdapt has the most complete array of connectivity products and services in the world, including telephone adapters, plug adapters, transformers, converters, and even a phone-in tech support service. Buy one of their "country" packs or a "world pack" if you're making big travel plans. If you have trouble connecting overseas, just call their nearest office, and they'll walk you through the connectivity process, wherever you are. Don't wait until your overseas to find an adapter...unless you're visiting a big city, you probably won't find one. Paranoia is a Heathy Travel Companion I carry this laptop cable with me everywhere, for peace of mind when I leave it in a hotel room, a conference center, or I'm working in a public place where I'm wary of thieves. I also carry the DEFCON 1 Ultra, below. http://www.ComputerSecurity.com 800/466-763610 This is one of the most versatile devices I've found and I really never leave home without it. The DEFCON 1 Ultra has a retractable cable that attaches to the security slot in your laptop and can also be looped around your purse, suitcase handle, camera bag...whatever, and secured to your chair or another difficult-to-move object. If the cable is cut the device shrieks, and really loudly. You can also activate the motion detector to sound the alarm if it senses movement. I've set it on my motorcycle to alert me if someone's messing about on it, I've used it to secure my backpack, camera, and purse on long train trips, as a peace-of-mind system in airports and in busy restaurants, and as a hotel-door alarm, too--I just hang it from the door knob so it'll sound if someone tries to open it. http://www.targus.com

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Creating an Online Travelogue by Carla King

800/242-3133 I tested the TrackIT 110 decibel alarm (with a key ring transmitter) when I worked at PC World as a gadget reviewer, and it's a great little device. You put the alarm in your suitcase, purse, computer bag... whatever, and keep the transmitter in your pocket. When the alarm is separated from the transmitter by more than 10 to 40 feet (you select the distance), the alarm goes off and the thief will (usually) drop it and run. It works through walls, windows and around corners, too. This is a great device for dicey areas where thieves are especially clever at quietly separating you from your valuables. http://www.trackitcorp.com 888/487-2251 Software

Web Design Software Web design software allows you to create Web pages without actually having to code in HTML. You can insert text, photographs, graphics, video and audio from other programs and experiment with page layout using all the WYSIWYG menus and windows. To begin, save a Web page you like as "source," then open the HTML file in your Web design program to modify it and insert your own photos. I use Dreamweaver but many graphic artists and photographers tell me they prefer the GoLive! package. These programs are really key to creating a Web site quickly. Photo Editing Software These days every digital camera comes with easy-to-use photo enhancing software. While they're adequate, I wouldn't dream of using anything other than Photoshop. However, unless you're an expert, or plan to become one, you won't need this expensive program for basics like color enhancement and sizing, and if you're using iPhoto, it's getting better with every release. Word Processing / Text Editing Word processing programs like Microsoft Word are handy because they have features like spell check and now even feature a "Save As HTML" function that works pretty well at creating a basic Web page from the document. Data Transfer Program (FTP) You can find a variety of FTP (File Transfer Protocol) programs on http://www.download.com. An FTP program is necessary to transfer your pages to your Web site. You simply connect to your server (ask your ISP how), enter your identifying data (host name, user ID and password) into the FTP program window, and then simply drag the web pages you created from your computer hard drive to your ISP's server, which will "publish" it on the Web for everyone to see. This is the last, magical step to publishing your page. I recommend the Transmit FTP program for the Mac. Putting it All Together

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Creating an Online Travelogue by Carla King

It's very important to carefully organize your site before you go so that when you're5 on the road you won't become confused. You'll write your text and enhance and size your photos, insert them into your pre-designed pages, connect to the Web, FTP them to your site, and enjoy the rest of your evening. Here's what it takes: 1. Carefully organize your folders so that your HTML files can find your images, audio and video clips, and so that the links between your pages remain consistent. Your Web design software has an organization tool that makes this easy. Pay careful attention to where your program wants your images to be. 2. Decide upon naming conventions for all of your files, such as Paris_Day01.html and Paris_01.jpg. Stick to them! 3. Collect existing graphics, text, and other common elements in a separate folder. 4. Create empty folders on your computer's hard drive that match each section of your site (such as Home, Dispatches, Photo Gallery, Credits and Contact). 5. Create a template for each style of page you'll be creating, and create the shells of pages you anticipate needing. Put text in them like "Stay tuned! This page will be active November 7th." 6. FTP these to your site and test them on the Web, making sure that all the links work. 7. When you've worked out all the kinks, FTP the folders to your server and, voila! You have a site! Connecting Overseas

Internet Connection Software America Online and Earthlink are two great big companies that provide Internet access all over the world. It might be worth it to sign up with one of them if you travel a lot for short periods of time, but the bill can be high if you're working for an extended period overseas, as our own Cathy Miller found. "I hooked up on Earthlink until I got a bill for $600 and that was the end of that little foray into the cyber world. After that was when I found Inter.net Traveler (see the review I wrote in the Europe issue). I love them! They provide unlimited access in most countries for $27.95/ month and have great 24 hour support—in English—with 800 numbers in every country in Western Europe. And they answer immediately. Try that with Earthlink!" Miller also recommends a chain of internet cafes called Easy Internet Cafes, "which are springing up all over Europe. We used them in Munich, Rome, Edinburgh and other places. In Rome I took my laptop into a cavernous black basement and hooked it up to their DSL line. They are like these huge warehouse places with little customer service, but cheap at 2 Euros/hour." As a professional journalist I've been able to finagle Internet access with companies I work with when I travel. When I motorcycled across China, I traded realtime articles for Internet access with China Business World, who gave me an all-China access number. In Italy I used the RoadPost cellphone and Internet connection service which was great, reliable, even luxurious, but not cheap. Wireless Internet Access

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Creating an Online Travelogue by Carla King

Recently I put an Airport card in my iBook to get access to WiFi (wireless Internet) connections everywhere. Check the WiFi freespot directory for free WiFi access spots all over the world. Check the Wi-Fi Hot Spot Directory for both commerical and free access where you're going. (I just paid a $10 fee for a day-long WiFi access at Oakland Airport, because I really needed it, and not too long ago took advantage of San Francisco airport's free access. Starbucks used to offer free WiFi hot access, but now they've implemented a for-pay system. Apple Computer stores have free WiFi, so you can just sit outside and dial-up. Some cities, like Portland, Oregon, are starting to offer free WiFi access anywhere in the downtown area. San Francisco is full of hot spots, as you might imagine, but so is Rome, Italy. I've used WiFi access at friends' houses and in companies where I am interviewing someone for a story. Wireless access is becoming so pervasive that it's worth considering putting a WiFi card in your computer, even if you only use it at home and around town. (It's great to be able to get out of the office and connect from the living room, the back yard, or in bed.) Here's an interesting tale I found while researching free WiFi: wireless in san francisco: a day's travel{b} logue is a virtual tour of the city and also a very good example of how weblogs can be put to good use as a tool for writing travelogues. Connecting by Phone WARNING: Hotel Digital PBX systems will literally fry your modem (smoke and all, no kidding). If I'm uncertain about the connection I use digital line tester (small gadget that plugs into the telephone plug), or just ask to use the hotel's fax line instead, because fax lines are always analog. TeleAdapt also sells a TeleSwitch Plus device that provides an analog connection over virtually any office or hotel digital PBX or, multi-line phone system, directly to your computer's fax modem. See TeleAdapt's Connectivity Tips for more detailed info on this solution and other connectivity tips. Averting Disaster

Maybe you'll be lucky and you'll have no equipment disasters on the road. But most people I know have had at least minor problems due to human or computer error. For example, I accidentally deleted several application programs while I was in India, and had to drive to Bangalore to buy new ones. Cathy's hard drive crashed in the middle of a lengthy journey in Europe, and she lost all of her data and momentum while researching a project until her return to the USA many weeks later. So take heed: 1. Get used to your equipment before you leave. Use your hardware and your software together and make sure everything works perfectly. 2. Copy key pages of instruction manuals to take along, like troubleshooting pages, especially if the equipment is new to you. 3. Put copies of all installation CD-ROMs for your operating system and programs in a hard-sided case to bring along with you in case you need to re-install them. 4. Back up your entire system and leave one copy home, take another copy with you - whether it's on CDs or a pocket hard drive. (I'd leave the CDs at home, and bring the hard drive with you -- consider the iPod as a backup hard drive. It's compatible with both Apple and Windows machines.) 5. Buy adapters, transformers, chargers, etc. TeleAdapt has a huge selection, a great reputation, and even has a help hotline. http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/columns/king_no4.html (5 of 6) [1/2/10 1:17:37 PM]

Creating an Online Travelogue by Carla King

6. Collect phone numbers for technical support for all your equipment and software. 7. Buy theft-prevention hardware listed above in hardware. 8. Print out your contacts, phone numbers, email address. 9. Email important documents, emails, contacts to a trusted friend who will file them away, just in case.

Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©

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Wild Writing Women Magazine | Getaways by Lisa Alpine

x Writing: Your Passport to Life Lisa Alpine's

Getaways

T Working... and Whistling all the Wayx "Well worth traveling 6,000 miles to fly in a Beaver!" quipped my across-theaisle seat mate from New York City as our floatplane skidded along the placid surface of Green Lake. Mike Quinn, owner and pilot of Whistler Air Services, agreed as he took us upward into the sapphire heavens and announced we were going to get a "beautiful view of God's masterpieces."

On days like this one I'm really grateful I chose travel writing as a profession. I imagine that I could be sitting in an office all day, every day, staring at a carpeted cubical wall. Instead I'm working while I tour Whistler, one of my favorite outdoor destinations for both winter and summer activities. To get acquainted with the mountainous surroundings--Whistler sits in a large verdant valley crowned by snow-capped peaks in British Columbia--I decided to get aerial on this visit and see the big panoramic picture. We flew over the Alpine terrain of ice and rock, glacial remnants of the last Ice Age 12,000 years ago. The shadow of our plane followed us, silhouetted on the glaring snow below as we climbed toward the razor sharp shoulders of Mount Garibaldi. Along a ridge top were fresh tracks of a mountain goat. We peered into glass-blue fathomless crevasses as we swooped down low over the face of Warren Glacier. This trip is not for the queasy-stomach people. Our pilot soared and swooped like Sky King. On land again, I savored a hearty, grounding breakfast at Chef Bernard's Café (which has the best breakfast in town). Now it was time for exercise. The Mountain Bike Park, right outside the Pan Pacific Lodge where I stayed, has a world cup downhill course. I hired a guide because there are a plethora of trails to choose from and I didn't want to find myself on the equivalent of a black diamond run. Scott suited me up in protective gear (think Michelin Tire Man) and gave me a lesson on weight transference and other handy tips to make sure I didn't fly over the handlebars. Oh, the sacrifices I make for my readers! http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/columns/alpine_no6.html (1 of 4) [1/2/10 1:17:40 PM]

Wild Writing Women Magazine | Getaways by Lisa Alpine

There are 25 trails for all different skill levels, a total 200 kilometers of single track. Scott said there are, "lots of trails for high end riders and free riders who like the big jumps." I emphatically told him, "I am not a free rider. No big jumps for me." I was much more interested in seeing a bear on my downhill run than a bump or a stump to jump. Some 50 bears make their home on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. Michael Allen, black bear researcher and guide for Bear Viewing and Mountain Ecology Tours, filled me in on the details of bear life. He and his compatriots have even planted huckleberry bushes up on the mountain so the bears don't come down to the village and stroll around looking for snacks. Whistler is designed like a small village and the architecture is so perfect and uniform in a Tyrolean way I expected Snow White to rollerblade past, followed by Goofy on a mountain bike. The first paved road to Whistler came in 1975 and cars are not allowed in the village. Before that it was just a fishing camp! Dusty and slightly achy from my mountain bike foray, I craved a massage and a sauna. I limped over to the Westin Resort and Spa, sweated myself silly, and then had a divine Chinese Tui Na massage from Kendra Starr. Since, after all, I am a travel writer, I wanted to learn as much as possible while here in British Columbia. And indeed, I learned something new at the Bearfoot Bistro. Did you know that Napoleon would only go into battle if his attempt at opening a bottle of champagne with a saber succeeded without shattering it? News to me. André Saint-Jacques, the owner and sommelier, told us this. We raptly watched as he demonstrated in his wine cellar. My friends and I followed him down a spiral staircase on the promise of a glass of bubbly. It was dank and dim with dusty bottles from floor to ceiling. André lit a taper and chose a 1929 Clos de Vougeot. He explained Napoleon's method. He simply said, "It's all in the wrist," and ran the saber blade up and down the bottle seam three times and then whack! He thumped the bottle's neck at an angle with the blade and the top fell off cleanly. Not even a pop. It tasted divine. This spectacle was followed by an exquisite five-course tasting menu featuring ingredients "from our local farms, wilds and waters." Their bar is also unique, with willowy champagne flutes arranged on banks of ice, lit from below. Truly classy! André has an artist's eye that extends from the ice bar to the handsome décor in the dining room. Make your reservations way ahead of time http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/columns/alpine_no6.html (2 of 4) [1/2/10 1:17:40 PM]

Wild Writing Women Magazine | Getaways by Lisa Alpine

for this delightful dining experience and make sure to ask for a tour of the cellar. The next morning, fresh air was in order. After finding a village café open at sunrise, I walked the paths through ancient cedar groves up to Lost Lake. A beaver waddled across the path, and then snuffly bear noises emanated from the huckleberry shrubs. I started power walking. Marmots popped up like jack-in-theboxes from the granite boulders edging the lake. Fish broke the water's calm. A bald eagle wheeled overhead. Once again, another tough day at the office.

IF YOU GO All rates are in Canadian dollars. Where to stay: My favorite hotel is the Pan Pacific. It is posh but not pricey and located right at the base of the ski runs. Room rates can start as low as CAD $115 for a studio. Special packages offered on their website include a Two-Day / Three-Night Ski Package for CAD $279 a night for: ●

● ●

Accommodations in a studio valley-view suite (upgrade to a one- or two-bedroom suite at a surcharge) Two adult, two-day Whistler/Blackcomb ski passes Breakfast for two daily in the Dubh Linn Gate Restaurant

For other special offers visit www.whistler.panpacific.com or call 800-327 8585. Whistler's Official Central Reservations offers accommodation packages online at www. hotdealsatwhistler.com Air and ground transportation: Air Canada flies direct to Vancouver daily. Visit www.aircanada.com or call 888-247-2262. This can be a no-car vacation. Everything is within walking distance in Whistler and if it isn't, they will pick you up. Busses leave for Whistler from the airport and downtown Vancouver regularly. It is a 75-mile, two-hour drive on the scenic Sea to Sky Highway.

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Wild Writing Women Magazine | Getaways by Lisa Alpine

To find out about all your transportation options from Vancouver airport to Whistler, go to www.mywhistler.com/getting_here/trans_sched/providers.asp Activities and dining: Whistler Air Services: The 30-minute Majestic Glacier Tour costs CAD $99. Other longer tours include a dinner and more for CAD $129 and up. Call 888-806-2299 or visit www. whistlerair.ca Whistler Mountain Bike Park: For bikers 10 years old and up. Bike rental starts at CAD $30 and guided tours with bike rental and lift passes start at CAD $40. Call 866-218-9690 or visit www.whistler-blackcomb.com/bike Westin Resort & Avello Spa: A variety of massage treatments range in price from CAD $90-$140. Call 877-935-3444 or visit www.whistlerspa.com Bearfoot Bistro: Call 604-932-3433 or visit www.bearfootbistro.com Bear Viewing and Mountain Ecology Tours: Tours cost CAD $169. All tour proceeds are invested in environmental education. Call 866-218-9690 or visit www.whistlerblackcomb.com/hike/bears.asp Tourist Information: For information, planning and reservations, visit www.mywhistler.com or call 1-800WHISTLER. Tourism British Columbia invites travelers to order its two free BC Escapes guides, by calling 1-800 HELLO BC (435-5622) or visiting www.HelloBC.com

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Miller to Go: Touring the Lunatic Asylum

Cathleen Miller's xMiller To Go...

Writing: Your Passport to Life

xxxTouring the Lunatic Asylum _________________________ You must respect a government so judicious that it doesn't extract income tax from its writers. Being here in Ireland I get the feeling that their native scribes are indeed their national heroes, much as athletes are in America. And while some of the most famous like George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde have infamously turned their pens on the British, most have spent their entire literary careers trying to make sense of their homeland, the country Shaw referred to as "the world's largest open-air lunatic asylum." For a deeper understanding of Eire's authors, nothing can match a visit to the nation that bred them, especially its capital -- wandering the lanes of Dublin, strolling around Merrion Square to see the childhood home of Oscar Wilde, or visiting the stately campus of Trinity College, where for hundreds of years literary giants from Jonathan Swift to Samuel Beckett have attended classes. While at Trinity, you can even see the Book of Kells, a ninth-century work considered the greatest AngloSaxon illuminated manuscript ever produced. For bibliophilic bliss, see the college's Long Room in the Old Library, a 200-foot-long chamber containing over 200,000 volumes.

Ha'penny Bridge Across the Liffey River in Dublin

For further literary exploration of the city James Joyce referred to as, "dear dirty dumpling," you can visit the museum devoted to him on Great George's Street. Or tour the sites associated with other Dubliners: at St. Patrick's Cathedral, pay homage at the tomb of the satirist Swift, who was a dean of the church. South of the Liffey River, you can visit the humble birthplace of playwright George Bernard Shaw, one of Ireland's three Noble Laureates. However, two experiences offer an overall feel for the literary Dublin: the Dublin Writers Museum and the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. Located in a Georgian townhouse on Parnell Square, the Writers Museum takes you through the history of Ireland's dead authors (possible inclusion giving the living ones something to look forward to). The exhibits include letters,

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Miller to Go: Touring the Lunatic Asylum

manuscripts, first edition books, portraits and other memorabilia such as Brendan Behan's old typewriter, the one legendarily thrown through the window of a pub in a fit of temper. These artifacts provide a behind-the-scenes look at the artists' lives, such as a letter written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan pleading with his creditors. Composed two centuries ago, this document proves that some things haven't changed much in the writer's life. The museum also provides surprising information on women authors who haven't made it into the commonplace canon of literary studies in America. Maria Egdeworth, born in 1767, is credited with writing the first Irish novel and influencing the work of Sir Walter Scott. Lady Gregory (also known as Augusta Persse) penned 40 plays, and she joined with Yeats to launch the Irish Literary Revival. Together they founded the Abbey Theatre and supported dozens of aspiring writers.

Memorabilia at the Writers Museum

Interestingly enough, there always seems to be a connection between the history of any Irish writer and a pub. This fact is what prompted the creation of the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl, a rollicking tour of the city's public houses that have a literary connection -- and that would seem to be most of them. Dramatically presented by two actors, the evening's narrative was like watching a play with a constantly changing set. As we did, you can visit Davy Byrnes pub, familiar to readers of Joyce's Ullyses. In December we spent more time at another Joyce hangout, McDaids, because the interior has retained its authentic atmosphere. The space is odd, with the ceiling seeming taller than the room is long, as if one were drinking in an uprighted shoebox. The soaring arched windows provided an occasional glimpse of humanity beyond the pub, as Grafton Street shoppers passed by with holiday packages. Inside, the lovely walnut bar festooned with garlands and the miniature Christmas tree made the establishment feel like home -- which it appeared to be for many. McDaids is one of the oldest pubs in Dublin, an establishment that's seen plenty of writers pony up to the bar in its history, particularly during the 1940s and 50s when it was the scene of the avant garde Irish literary set. They came for the craic and the inspiration -- it's rumored that McDaids regulars have been the basis for numerous fictional characters. It was also the local of the http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/columns/miller_0104.html (2 of 3) [1/2/10 1:17:42 PM]

The Joyce Hangout

Miller to Go: Touring the Lunatic Asylum

rambunctious Brendan Behan, who must have roused some concern entering with his typewriter. _________________________ More information on these Dublin destinations: http://www.writersmuseum.com/ http://www.dublinpubcrawl.com/ Going to London? Visiting Dublin via London? Read Miller's review of Daunt Books, "a terrific shop of new and used tomes, located in London's fashionable Marylebone district..." and stay in one of the hotels she reviewed in her column, Literary London.

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River of Words

Wild Writing Women TM

Writing: Your Passport to Life

River of Words

With great pride and admiration this issue of our magazine spotlights the work of Wild Writing Woman Pamela Michael. Pam's organization River of Words has trained thousands of classroom teachers, park rangers and youth leaders on how to incorporate nature exploration and the arts into their work with young people. Below please find some of the children's poetry that has resulted from her work. Pam has added yet another hat to her growing collection--travel writer, radio host/ producer, non-profit director, and now . . . gallery director and curator. River of Words has opened one of the first galleries in the country devoted exclusively to children's art and poetry from around the world. The Young at Art gallery opened in November with art from Afghan refugee children (featured in the Nov. 30, 2003 issue of Parade Magazine), an exhibit of art from children living 50 miles from Chernobyl (site of the world's worst nuclear disaster) and a retrospective of winning art and poetry from River of Words' extraordinary collection of children's work. River of Words has conducted an international children's art and poetry contest for the last nine years, in affiliation with The Library of Congress. Winners are selected from the tens of thousands of entries by Pamela and judges Robert Hass and Thacher Hurd. Nine of them (and a Teacher of the Year) win a trip to Washington, DC for the award ceremony at The Library of Congress: eight kids from the U.S. in various age categories, four in poetry and four in art, and an international winner. "I probably read more children's poetry and view more children's art than anyone on earth," Pam says, "and what's remarkable is that a pattern seems to emerge each year--either in the images submitted to the contest, or in the poems, as if all the kids in the world secretly decided that year on a common theme. One year it was tree hollows; it seemed every other painting had a tree hollow, often with a rabbit or squirrel peeking out. Or snow-capped mountains--one year those predominated. Another year, it was a verbal theme: the word 'everlasting.'" Pamela wasn't prepared for the themes that surfaced in the last couple of years, however. "After September 11, many poems submitted to the contest contained words like 'sorrow, grief, suffering,' or 'tears.' Some poems directly addressed the tragedy in New York, of course, but so many of the others that ostensibly were not about the event were nonetheless full of grieving words. Last year, and the year before, the theme was war. Beetles 'battled.' Crows 'attacked.' Storms 'raged.' The powerful effect of world events on tender psyches is painfully apparent in the art and poetry of young people. We may think they don't know what's going on, but they do. That's one reason giving them avenues and skills to express their deepest feelings and ideas http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/whatgoesaround/riverofwords.html (1 of 8) [1/2/10 1:17:45 PM]

River of Words

through the arts is so important." The idea behind River of Words is simple: give kids an informed and heartfelt connection to the place they live, its natural and cultural history, its flora and fauna, landscapes and watersheds and the art, poetry, songs and legends the place has inspired. The organization believes that children who grow up with a sense of belonging to a particular place, who have an intimate connection to that place, will become engaged citizens and effective earth stewards. "People take care of what they love, " Pam offers. "All the dire statistics and finger-wagging in the world won't make people take care of the planet; we've seen that. Only love and education will." To see more of this remarkable work from the earth's children, visit www.riverofwords.org , or, if you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, call Pam at the Young at Art Gallery (which shares a space with the River of Words office on 8th and Dwight) in Berkeley at 510-548-7636. Currently, the gallery is open on Thursdays and by appointment. They sell original art, as well as prints, books, calendars and notecards of the children's art and poetry. All proceeds support the organization's educational work around the world.

________________

Children's Poetry from River of Words http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/whatgoesaround/riverofwords.html (2 of 8) [1/2/10 1:17:45 PM]

River of Words

Dear Aquarius Tonight you bend because the stars are fearless enough to glow on you They speak their truths in muted light If one grain of sand is traced from a twisting kiss in the North to this forgiveness draped around my feet then salvation lies in every loop and thrash You keep your secrets well in lengthy, passionate channels, too gargling and gracefully knitted to control But Aquarius, I have long held this view of you basking in your semiprecious charm When I was small, seven or so, I'd put on brother's dingy jeans and rill my way through silted grass, to the steady saplings blooming at your edge Toe by toe, foot by dirtied foot I disappeared Everything from the mirror down was me no more Kt Harmo, Age 16 Vicksburg, Mississippi 2000 Grand Prize, Grades 10-12 ___________

The Rain Dark Pouring Scary Black Puddle Night Maddison Boewe, Age 6 http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/whatgoesaround/riverofwords.html (3 of 8) [1/2/10 1:17:45 PM]

River of Words

Clarkston, Michigan 2000 Finalist ___________

Festival Day it started as a good day the water was moving smooth it wasn't all crazy with the gleam of the sun walking along the bridge to Cape Verdian festival that happens once every two years music all day to the red water at sunset here it's dark there it is clear but my grandmother doesn't talk about it they came after dark twenty of them twenty of us with more coming because everyone likes a fight the flood of the fight rushing from near the water to the street the sunlight just about gone you can't change this Leeron Silva, Age 17 Providence, Rhode Island 2003 Grand Prize, Grades 10-12 ___________ Time Changes Everything Gritty creeky waterway. Chilly air wraps the silence. Bird tracks impress me. The ancient oak dangles its roots over the water. Times changes everything. Dillon York , Age 12 Woodside, California 2003 Finalist ___________

Prayer Often have I come to you http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/whatgoesaround/riverofwords.html (4 of 8) [1/2/10 1:17:45 PM]

River of Words

In the fitful light of evening Or the constant sheen of morning And often have I sought your solace, River. Show me the secret of your solitude That thing, that unknown certain thing Which has brought you through a hundred shifting seasons And will bring you through at least a thousand more. Teach me to be alone through summer, autumn, winter, spring And still to catch the gleaming sunset And dance in golden eddies in the shadow of the islands. Tell me all the secrets of those silent seasons Or one thing only-When spring comes, show me how to break the ice. Alexandra Petri , Age 14 Washington, DC 2003 Finalist ___________

The Flame The flame of orange persimmon collides with the dark of the pomegranate as the seeds circle the thing of change they learn how the inside is the outside. Within an apple of rust is a seed that is born and how the hill is alive and dead at the same time. As the rattle of the snake is the fate of the tree and if the mouse steps here the bird will live and if it does not the bird will die. And the wind in the tree is nothing. Forrest Ambruster , Age 11 San Francisco, California 2003 Shasta Bioregion Prize ___________

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River of Words

There is a dark river / Hay Un Rio Oscuro In the gutter of the street In front of my school. It was born in the rain And isn't flowing anymore. It's sort of sad With drops of gasoline And a red wrapper Some kid tossed After eating a candy. But although it's sad and filthy It carries the shadow of my face The tattered clouds And in white and black The whole sky. Hay un rio oscuro En la alcantarilla de la calle En frente de mi escuela. Nacio de la lluvia Y ya no corre mas. Se queda triste Con gotas de gasolina Y un papel rojo Que tiro un nino Despues de comer un dulce. Pero aun triste y sucio Lleva la sombra de mi cara Las nubes andrajosas Y en blanco y negro Todo el cielo. Michelle Diaz Garza, Age 9 & Rosa Baum, Age 9 Watsonville, California 2003 Finalists ___________

Oda a la Fresca O strawberry Forgive me because http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/whatgoesaround/riverofwords.html (6 of 8) [1/2/10 1:17:45 PM]

River of Words

You have so many Freckles on your face But I couldn't Bear it and I ate You in one bite And locked you u In my stomach So warm and filthy. O fresca Perdoname por Si tienes muchas Pecas en tu cara Pero yo no pude Aguantar y te Comi en mordisco Y te encerre En mi estomago Caliente y sucio Cinthia Martinez , Age 10 Oakland, California 2003 Finalist ___________

Twilight Oh skies of blue, Cerulean shades, Evening's painted beauty made In artist's eye flowing dark Wisping crawl, Whispering call Of twilight glories shining E.A. Blevins , Age 16 Boutte, Louisiana 2000 Finalist ___________ http://wildwritingwomen.com/zine/issue/YourPassportToLife/whatgoesaround/riverofwords.html (7 of 8) [1/2/10 1:17:45 PM]

River of Words

The Storm Is Coming Wind whistles through The pine needles twirl Sawgrass sways While clouds dash by Little creatures hide The pond waters splash Rain gushes down And tickles my toes Kevin Brown, Age 5 Lake Park, Florida 2000 Finalist ___________ River of Words: www.riverofwords.org Young at Art Gallery 8th and Dwight, Berkeley 510-548-7636 Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©

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Books About Writing compiled by Cathleen Miller

Wild Writing Women TM

Books About Writing compiled by Cathleen Miller

Books about writing books offer advice on mastering this elusive art. Below we discuss a few of our favorites and provide a list of others we recommend. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott Anne Lamott says that, "Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, "'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'" Of all the instructive books on the craft of writing, somehow this one stands out as the one that has been the most helpful to me. Writing a 500-word article can be intimidating, so you can imagine how daunting a whole novel can be. But Annie's advice to take it "bird by bird" really gets me through the hard parts. In this book she covers the entire process from "Getting Started," through to the section on "How Do You Know When You're Done?" She continues to give very good advice as she guides you through the subsequent chapters. By the time you have finished this book, you will have all the tools you need and hopefully enough gumption to write your own book. —Jacqueline Harmon Butler One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty I can't quite bring myself to call this iconic author Eudora, although the eponymous email program has co-opted her first name in a way to make it a household word. No, I will refer to her as Ms. Welty, because she was a Southerner, an independent woman from another era, who never married, preferring instead to devote her life to writing and travel. In her advanced years, after she had become a literary legend, she was goaded into writing a book on the craft she had long-since mastered. With characteristic modesty, here she seamlessly weaves together advice on writing with an autobiographical look at her own life, a beguiling tale of that rarest of all birds: a writer who had a happy childhood. When Ms. Welty tells us of the years she struggled to sell her stories, saving up to take the train from Mississippi to New York so she could call on editors--only to leave that city again and again in defeat--she offers inspiration to every writer who's ever received a rejection letter. And indeed, this book is a gift to all of us who aspire to write. —Cathleen Miller The Art of Creative Nonficiton: Writing and Selling the Literature of Reality by Lee Gutkind

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Books About Writing compiled by Cathleen Miller

Creative nonfiction has to be the hottest genre going, with every poet, novelist, and journalist who ever hammered a keyboard experimenting with its hybrid form, which blends fact with the techniques of fiction. Lee Gutkind is the author of eight books, and the founder and editor of the publication Creative Nonfiction, a literary journal devoted exclusively to short works in the genre. All this activity earned Lee the sobriquet "the godfather behind creative nonfiction" in James Wolcott's Vanity Fair article on the subject. As is only fitting for a godfather, he has taken care of the rest of us by publishing a straightforward primer offering step-by-step advice on writing creative nonfiction--telling you what it is, isn't, and how to make it what it should be. But Lee is not a fairy godfather; he expects you to work hard and make the magic happen yourself, a fact he makes clear in the introduction. Luckily, armed with his text and your own determination, you'll have everything you need to succeed. —Cathleen Miller The Alphabet versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image, by Bay Area brain surgeon Leonard Shlain. Ignore the terrible title, the book is great. This intriguing examination of the evolution of communication and cognition, which looks at how learning to read and write reconfigured our brains and culture, has given me a much deeper, more interconnected, understanding of history, religion and gender relations. Shlain handles a rich melange of heady topics like a novelist. And his passion for the material is infectious. This is one of those books you want to buy for everyone you know. A big plus--an interview with the author and discussion questions for book groups at the end of the book. (Shlain is appearing at our March 2004 salon in San Francisco.) —Pamela Michael E-What? A guide to the Quirks of New Media Style and Usage: How to handle inconsistencies in punctuation, capitalization, Internet addresses, and more. From the editors of EEI Press. Is it web site or website or Web site...or Web page? Why is Internet capitalized when intranet isn't? Is it email or e-mail? Got questions on Internet copyright issues? Want to know when to use a forward slash / or a backward slash \ ? This book has all the Eanswers you need. Order direct from EEI. —Carla King GRAMMAR AND STYLE The Chicago Manual of Style 2003 by the University of Chicago Press The Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed, by Karen Elizabeth Gordon Strunk and White: The Elements of Style 4th Edition, by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White On Writing Well: the Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser Sin & Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose by Constance Hale INSPIRATION

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Books About Writing compiled by Cathleen Miller

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard A Writer's Journal by Henry David Thoreau Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott Martin Eden by Jack London The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron REFERENCE The American Heritage Dictionary Roget's Thesaurus Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions Rand McNally World Atlas The New York Public Library's Writer's Guide to Style and Usage The Timetables of History World Weather Guide Funk & Wagnall's Standard Handbook of Synonyms, Antonyms, and Prepositions

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Daunt Books for Travelers by Cathleen Miller

Wild Writing Women TM

Daunt Books for Travelers by Cathleen Miller

Its Palladian interior resembles a cross between a temple to books and a greenhouse where ideas grow. I'm talking about Daunt Books, a terrific shop of new and used tomes, located in London's fashionable Marylebone district. The downstairs houses current releases while the upstairs holds the real drama: a glass pitched roof rising two stories above the wooden floor and a gallery of treasures where bibliophiles can lose themselves for hours. The way the store is organized is truly inspired and a treat for the traveler (or as the British spell it, traveller). Volumes are grouped by region, e.g., in the France section I found Madame Bovary, Colette's biography, and Lonely Planet's guides to Provence and the Cote d'Azur, all side by side. Mr. Daunt obviously knows something about how the literate traveler's mind works. If one is interested in going to France, then why not French culture? This establishment operates the way a bookstore should, books hand sold by a knowledgeable staff, a refreshing change from the BooksRUs model where items are sold as a commodity rather than as literature -something people actually read. Visit when you're in London and let your mind wander the world along with your feet. _____________________________________ Details Daunt Books for Travellers 83 Marylebone High St., London, W1U 4QW Telephone: 0207-224-2295

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