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Our group of writers, authors and poets started meeting in 2009. We were all members of various writing classes at Sinclair and the University of Dayton. We meet once a month to discuss our current writings and seminars and classes that benefit our new found love for writing. This blog will contain information for everyone in the group to share about their literary works and experiences.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Wannabe's Journal for January 2012
Writing and sharing your stories with friends is like entering a secret garden. We welcome your visit.
Happy New Year everyone. I hope this new year brings good thoughts and inspirations, together with lots of writing energy. There are a number of very good writing seminars and competitions that will be held in the next few months and weeks. We had a good representation at our meeting this month. We had the opportunity to share the wealth of ideas and experiences that makes our little group unique and special.
What's New: Devoted to members discussing their latest pursuits and literary adventures.
Don P: Commented on the critiques that he has been receiving from his other writers group. Apparently the use of "that" has been appearing in his writing too often. At least that is the feedback he is receiving. I have a similar problem in my writing: staying in the correct POV for any story that I try to compose. That is why I have taken on this task for the group...gives me practice.
Don provided the group with a copy of a book which he recently purchased at a reasonable price at Barnes and Noble. The price is less than five dollars a copy. The Title is: "The Little Red Writing Book" by Brandon Royal.
He also recommended that we contribute a book to the Ohioanna Literary Collection in Columbus. They were founded in 1929 and have over 45.000 books of all genres. If you are a published, (sorry no self published books accepted) you may submit a copy of your book to the following address: Ohioana Library, 274 East First Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43201.
Martha: Surprised us again.... She read a poem about Christmas. Here is a copy of the poem.
Chest Pain Christmas
Merry Christmas, my love!
No response
What is it?
A tightness in my chest!
Call 911?
Not now
Relax, breath deeply
It’s worse, Dial the number
Help arrives – 5 strong men
Questions, IV, monitor, medicine
A fast ride – no sirens, no lights
No traffic
ER – more questions, tests, vampires
Pill under the tongue – Relief!
You should stay
I will but not willingly
New hospital, luxurious room
Pleasant nurses
Christmas afternoon
Twelve visitors
Twenty four gift bags full
Joyous family, anxious laughter
“We love you, Grandpa”
Long night, uncomfortable bed, no pain.
Day two, no sign of dreaded heart damage
Angiogram scheduled
One more night
Tightness returns at sunrise.
Heart catheterization completed
Excellent outcome
No blockages – just spasms
New Medicine
No other treatment needed
Hugs and kisses all around
OK for now
Gratitude for many prayers
80th Christmas
A special one
Almost 2012 - Amen
Jude: She is still writing her memoir but has recently focused her energies on creating a Blog entry for a major publication on a on-going basis. "Crafting a Blog entry in three sentences.... that is an art in itself." She is also investigating opportunities where she will be a guest blogger on other writers and artists blog sites. She believes this will increase her platform exposure when she finishes her memoir and is ready to self-publish her book.
She currently blogs on her own Blog site: Sensuously Sixty at Blogspot(http://sensuouslysixty.blogspot.com/. Her blog site is currently in competition for one of the top blog sites.
Jude also recommended a new book by her fellow writer: Robin's recently self published book of photographs: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2724962?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=bookstore-share
Don H. provided a group an update on the sales that the "Anthology on Christmas Memories" that was produced in early December. With only 8 days of marketing he was able to sell enough books to recoup half of the costs of producing the novel. The editing, formatting, cover design and limited marketing with TV appearance was very successful. Next year we will start the process of marketing and platform identity much sooner in the calendar year with posters, press releases and book signings.
All the authors appreciated the cooperation and support that the Special Education Department provided to our project. The whole project of creating this book was a great learning process for learning what is involved with self publishing. There have been a number of literary projects that were spawn as a result of "Self Publishing Class" which was taught in the spring of 2011. I know of four books that have been created by people who wanted to create either a memoir, children s book or a book of photos and prose.
Don attended the Chicago Book Fair recently and was interested in gathering information on other authors and anthologies. He proposed to the group the idea of publishing another anthology this year by the group. We are seeking input on a possible title(theme) for the book. Obviously if we have a title then we can create a poem or short story that relates to that particular topic. Some of the Titles that have been suggested: Granddhildren 101, Pets and Triumph's and Regrets. Please send me your suggestions for a title for our next collective anthology.
Don also told us the story about the little girl who was asked the name of her new dog. After repeated questions from the patient policeman she proclaimed: "Pincher-Biter" as the dogs new name.
Thomas: Still working on publishing a e book for the Kindle. The short story is about a relationship.
Shulamit: She is going to ask Matt Kish, the local artist who created a drawing for each pages of the novel: Moby Dick to attend a future meeting to discuss his project and what he is currently up to. http://www.pw.org/content/mobydick_in_pictures
She shared with us the feedback she had after teaching her class on photography in the fall. A good author or artists wants to generate a small storm of discomfort in the mind of the reader or viewer. Not everyone is going to agree with your style or message but that does not matter. Famous authors like "James Joyce" or "Ernest Hemmingway" did not care about what the critics thought. I have read many blogs from put down self-published books and their authors as second rate citizens in the literary. It kind of reminds me of my juvenile days when there was that group of students who thought they were cool and better than the rest. When it came to college the fraternities and sorieties took their place for self indulligence. It was like they had a secret on the rest of us. Today the literary word is having a tough time adjusting to the fact that ebooks are out selling the traditioal publishing book giants. Some Bloggers can get over themselves in that some authors do not need an agent and publisher to feel self-actualized and get as much satisfaction from selling 400 copies of their book.
The point here is "Confirm your audience and style".
Announcements:
Kindle Format 8 (KF8), the new format for Kindle, which allows you to take advantage of highlighting, colored text, text wrapped around images, bulleted lists, tables, and more.
Read more about it at: http://us.mg205.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.partner=sbc&.rand=9md3u781lpr3d2. Createspace: As a member with Pro Plan, we're emailing to let you know that Pro Plan is being discontinued as of January 18, 2012. We're now offering industry-leading royalties, low costs on copies of your books and improved distribution options to all our members, free of charge.
The 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award entry period is open. Enter today!
Each Grand Prize winner will receive a publishing contract with Penguin, which includes a $15,000 advance. All Entries can be submitted through CreateSpace and must be received no later than February 5, 2012.3. Mad Anthony's Writers Workshop
The Mad Anthony Writers Conference
Presenter: Dr. Elizabeth Murray, Forensic Anthropologist
Presenter: Brenda Robertson Stewart, forensic artist specializing in facial reconstruction and mystery author.
Presenter: Gary Good, Bail Bond Agent
Presenter: Sergeant Tia (Pearson) Miller
Presenter: Justin Weber - board registered Medicolegal Death Investigator and Latent Print developer at the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office and member of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators.
Registration Now Open
at www.writelikemad.com
The conference is a great price performer with excellent speakers and a chance to network with some talented people.
5. Writers Digest: Each year, Writer's Digest honors self-published authors with the Annual Self-Published Book Awards. We're proud to be in our 20th year of spotlighting today's self-published works. This could be your year. Whether you're a professional writer, a part-time freelancer or a self-starting student, here's your chance to enter the only competition exclusively for self-published books.
2012 Writing Competitions
Self Published AwardsDeadline: April 20, 2012
Our Next Meeting will be February 17th at 9 AM at UD's River Campus
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Anthology of Christmas Memories

This anthology is a whimsical collection of short stories, memoirs and poems written by 16 seniors, nearly all in their 70s, spanning holidays from 1930-2011. The authors are from southwestern Ohio and meet at the University of Dayton's Lifelong Learning Institute. Stories are about "what it's really like to play Santa," how a child perceives the mysteries of Christmas, and the tortuous adult worries and last minute pressures of holidays. Memories of the Great Depression, World War II and the entanglements of recent years are woven into these tales. You'll read about a Santa who robs a bank, a boy in a monastery, adults having faith restored and the timelessness of love. Some of the stories are meant to be read aloud to children. There's even a great recipe.
Anthology of Christmas Memories
Authored by members of the Wannabe's and University of Dayton Writers GroupIntroduction by Nancy Pinard
Cover design & artwork by Tonya Foreman
Edited by Don Hart and Bob Mackenzie
Prepared for publication by Linda Hart
Book is available on Amazon for $ 10.99
https://www.createspace.com/3698022
Thursday, November 24, 2011

for
November 2011
We had a very nice meeting last week of the Wannabes on November 18th. We welcomed a new member from Martha Moody's fiction writing class from the Fall LLI program. Our membership and reputation continues to grow. It is probably the surroundings at the River Campus at UD.
Members present:
Shulamit H. A
Tom D
Don H
Linda
Don P
Jude
Don Q
Linda F
Anthology Update:
Don H provided an update on the status of the Anthology of Christmas Memories, the first self published book to be produced by the Wannabe's. Don showed the attendees a mock up of the book and its cleverly designed cover. I personally have seen a proof of the interior and it looks great. The first copies will be here for the holiday. This experience in self publishing has been a rewarding "lab" for Don H and we all should thank him for his organizational skills and determination in this great project. We talked about using the education we derived to publish another anthology of short stories and poems next year.
Updates:
Tom D:
Discussed a new book that he is presently reading entitled: " Kindle Formatting" by Joshua Tallent. The paperback book provides a: "The Complete Guide To Formatting Books For The Amazon Kindle".
Tom also sent me a email after the meeting with a link to a video shows the features and functionality of a software program that I listed in a previous Journal posting.
http://www.literatureandlatte.com/
This is a great software tool for organizing your text. pictures and scans into a format that can be edited and proofed. There is even a version of the Mac. And the price is right....its free
Shulamit:
She is a very busy woman. She is participating in a programs that allows her to display her photographs at public venues in downtown Dayton. Her display is at the Montgomery County Commissioners Office near Sinclair. The display will be in place for six months. They encompass many of the landmarks which can be found in Montgomery County.
She has also finished teaching a class in the Fall session of the LLI on how to use Picasso and other photo editing tools like Photo shop. The class was entitled: " Creative Studio and Photo Processing Class".
She also discussed a very talented artist who she meet at one of the literary classes that are conducted at the Dayton Library. Matt Kish, a talented artists who created a colorful drawing for every page of the classic book "Moby Dick".
Here is a link to an article which describes his works in more detail: http://www.columbusalive.com/content/stories/2011/10/06/artist-profile-matt-kish-moby-dick-in-pictures.html
Would love to hear him speak to our group.
Don Q:
Discussed a class the he and Linda F will be teaching in the Spring LLI program. Life in 2050 will try to project what life will be like forty years from now. The class will look at history, readings from philosopher's and authors, and historians to help the audience project their personal view of what life will be like in 2050. The five week class will investigate population trends, cultures, education, health, technology and business trends.
Don also discussed a recent Web presentation: "Seven Secrets of Successful Self Published Authors". Here is a link for the Window's version of the presentation.
http://click.writers-community.com/?qs=d7c0ad69fc1c862d81e675d5d42f522b8e1e85e4131666e1ca198e0da3fc2361
The presentation was highlighted by this question: What goes does it do to die with a manuscript in your drawer. How many people would be impacted with your writing before you would say it is worth the investment.
The Seven Secrets.
1. Know your audience.
2. Set a deadline
3. Create a time-line
4. Evaluate your alternatives: Traditional, Do-it-yourself and Supported.
5. Design your cover
6. Social Media--use audience as the key
7. Marketing plan and promotion-celebrate your accomplishment.
Writers Digest, CreateSpace and Digital Book World all offer web seminars all the time on topics that center around your writing passion. Stay tuned for the latest.
Linda F:
Has been busy with her duties with the LLI programs for 2012. After returning from a short trip to Florida she has renewed her efforts to complete her novel on "Life in a Coal Mining Town". The title has not be determined yet.
Jude:
Participating in the Community Voices program at WYSO in Yellow Springs was a real blast. The course is being taught by Sarah Buckingham, WYSO Community Voices coordinator and Neenah Ellis, WYSO general manager. She recommended that we listen to the program "Writing for Radio" which is sponsored by the station.
Her efforts of working on her memoir is coming along. She also still maintains contact with her writing friends that she met while participating in the Writing class in Paris earlier this year.
Don P:
Despite his recent structural problems with his home, he continues to be a creative writer with wonderful stories that he generously shares with us. He recommended Writers Digest for many of the competitions that they conduct for flash fiction and other genre's. We also discussed Smashwords as a good site for those who want to create ebooks for the various platform(Ipod, Kindle, and PC).
Linda M:
Our newest member who joined our group as a result of taking Martha Moody's class this fall in fictional writing. She has been published in the past in the Journal for Adventurous Thought and is recently submitted a new article to The Sun for their consideration. This literary journal has been reommended before by other members of our group.
"The Power of You and The Bond with All" by Lynne McTaggart is another author that Linda recommended. She is also interested in teaching a class in the LLI program entitled: "Cosmic Connections".
Readings:
Don P read the following short story.
Checkers Anyone
John had really looked forward to his visit with his younger brother Harry. This would be John’s first time in the town where his brother now lived. He had planned for a while to visit him and had finally managed to work things out for a week’s stay. They had not seen each other for five years. During the week that he was there his brother was giving him the grand tour. They had visited the courthouse, the new library, the downtown square, the new sewage plant, and two of the three parks in town. As they left the second of the two parks Harry asked him if he wanted to see the giant checkerboard that the city had built and where people took the place of the checkers.
“Yes, I really would enjoy seeing that,” said John.
“It is in this next park, the third one we had planned to visit,” Harry answered. “It’s right on the shore of the lake.
He explained that the squares were two and a half feet on the sides and the people actually stood on them and then moved positions as the two players told them where to step. It was fun and extremely popular on a nice weekend day.
He further explained that the only problem they’d had with the game was the number of terns that like to rest on the board after feeding in the lake. The lake attracted them to the area because it was well stocked with small fish. The townspeople had spent a lot of time in the park with the birds and actually found that they could train them to stay on the black squares. They did this by leaving them alone when they landed on a black square, but when they were on a red square one of the townspeople would pop him with a very low power BB gun that would just scare them without hurting them. The terns quickly learned, it turned out, to just stay on the black squares. This way the people didn’t have to clean the bird droppings off of the squares as often since they only used the red squares for their checker games.
After a short drive John and Harry arrived at the park and walked over to the giant checker board. John quickly noted that all the terns were staying only on the black squares. He asked Harry how, really, had they accomplished this. Harry replied that they had just enforced the one basic rule: No tern on red.
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We hope you enjoyed catching up with our groups activities. Please plan to attend the December meeting. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season.