Wannabe's: Our recent Meeting May 20th

Wannabe’s Journal

For

May, 2011

During our last meeting on May 20^th I had a moment of enlightenment. I know you are asking yourself…what was so profound. Well…I guess I was struck by the fact that our group continues to grow both in numbers but also in scope and quality. The original group only had about a dozen people who had a interest in satisfying the creative talents that had been awaken by the classes we took at UD and Sinclair. Many of the group’s members have published pictures, novels, poems and other forms of creative writing. There have even been book marks and small prayer cards been created and shared by the group. It is not strange to find someone you know at a writer’s conference or workshop.

A lot has transpired since that day when we make the decision to start this group. Many of you now have web/blog sites, use Facebook and even use Twitter for social networking. In some ways we were ahead of the curve in not being intimated by the digital age where self publishing has become fashionable and is no longer labeled by instructors as vanity publishing.

I was especially proud to hear the members who attended our last meeting request that we have a meeting more often than what we have been doing since January. We will also try to have a more structured format in that we will have time to write while together, provide feedback to members who submit a sample of their recent poems and short stories and discuss current trends and books that other members might be interested in.

Panera has informed me that they can no longer reserve the community room for our meetings. We will have to meet as a group in the general area while they reconfigure the

Wannabe’s Updates:

News from the Meeting on the 20th

Judy W. Recently retired from the Dayton Public School system she has found her literary roots. She has publish a short memoir (350 words) in a literary magazine entitled: Sun Magazine (http://www.thesunmagazine.org/) for $ 32 per yr. She is currently writing her personal memoir and has engaged Dr. Eric Maisel author of “Mastering Creative Anxiety”. She is also participating in his summer writing experience workshop in Paris this year. God are we jealous or what?

She believes very strongly in keeping a personal journal and recommended a number of blog sites: Seriously Sixty at BlogSpot and Blood Red Pencil (Blog site for writers). She is an instructor for the LLI Program at the Osher Institute at the University of Dayton. She recently taught a class in writing a personal memoir.

Bill F. Recently attended the Mad Anthony Writers Workshop in April. While he enjoyed the seminar a great deal he felt as though he had hit the “mother lode” of literary assistance when he receive a personal critique of his children’s book by our very own Nancy Pinard. She has already proven her contributions to the literary business by publishing and teaching at UD and other venues. Hearing Bill speak of his session reviewing his book which he has read parts of to our group brought back memories of our classes and workshop seminars. She proved once again her credentials as a great instructor and fellow writer.

Annette J. She recently finished taking a creative writing class in Dayton. She was encouraged to attend our meeting by Trish C who was unable to attend. Annette is working on writing a memoir but has also written a number of limerick style poems in the past. She has taken up the passion for writing since she recently retired and started to take classes.

Martha: Wants to write a start about the younger generation as seen through the eyes of their grandparents. She shared with us a very personal story of a young couple who are in their early teens and the challenges that they face as they mature. The fact that they want to live a life just like their grandparents who have been married for nearly 50 years they have no idea that there is no secret formula that can be read in a book on how to achieve this goal. It seems strange that we put so much emphasis on college as the golden ring to success in life. Education in reality does not stop at graduation it only begins. That will be true for the rest of their life.

One of the interesting discussions centered on the timing of newborns in families sometimes follow the death of a grandparent or older member of the family. In some cultures they believe there is a connection between the two happenings. Food for thought?

Don P: He has a new email address. I will not publish it in this newsletter but if you want it I will have him send it to you. Don continues to be busy writing stories for writing contest at Dayton Daily News and Writers Digest. He announced that his lovely bride Rose is working on her memoir.

Don recommended a Writer’s Workshop:

Beginning Creative Writing

This course focuses on learning and developing the elements of goof writing that are required for publication. The course explains the writing process in detail that must be employed when creating fiction for a book or a short story. It also explains how to analyze your story concept and implement the appropriate steps to produce a query letter to submit to potential publishers, in a timely fashion and without much stress. It deals with writing tasks such as: a story synopsis, character descriptions, cover letters, cover letters and an author's bio, all of which go into a submission packet or book proposal. The course also looks at the publishing industry and examines how editors judge submissions. No previous writing experience is necessary; however, knowledge of Basic English grammar is required. There will be a half-hour lunch break.

336915-A Sat 9a.m. - 3 p.m. June 11

Fee: $45/ resident; $55/non-resident

Instructor: Tony Lupia

Advanced Creative Writing

This course helps the writer edit, revise and fine-tune the story line and characters to make the story more enjoyable. It assists the writer in producing a sample chapter and a detailed outline. It also helps with the final preparation and formatting of a manuscript, so that it is ready to submit to a potential Publisher. The course explains the typical publishing contract, the publication laws and how literary agents work. The seminar also deals with the process of selling your writing skills and a book or short story that you hope to have published. It takes a critical look at what each writer can do to improve his or her work. Attendees should have completed the Beginning Creative Writing seminar or have equivalent knowledge.

There will be a half-hour lunch break.

336916-A Sat 9a.m. - 3 p.m. July 23

Fee: $45/ resident; $55/non-resident

Instructor: Tony Lupia

Courses at: Rosewood Kettering Arts Center

2655 Olson Drive

Kettering, Ohio 937 296-0294

Here is a copy of a story about Don’s sailing adventures:

Not Mighty Yar

The two sailboats were on a beat, heeled to almost 45 degrees in a fairly stiff breeze as each of the two skippers worked hard to get an advantage over the other. They were intent on the course and locked in on it, when suddenly Harry, the skipper of one of the boats, looked over at the other skipper and loudly yelled "I'm leeward. Don't keep coming down on me. I have the right of way. If you don't stop it we are going before the race committee."

"What do you mean you have right of way?" George, the second skipper, retorted even louder. "You overtook me from astern and have to maintain your proper course. Stop coming up into me or we will take this to the race committee."

Then without a second thought Harry reached over and shoved George, not holding anything back. They started to argue right there, each bringing up some rule that he thought applied and that might give him some sort of advantage. All the while they pushed and shoved and tried to hit each other with their antenna. Giant insects? No, just two radio control sailboat racers with each one knowing with absolute certainty that he was in the right.

If this were big boat racing, the two would be yelling across the gunwales of their boats and would then continue down the course, but with radio control sailing they were standing

on shore within arms length of each other.

During the ensuing argument neither skipper paid sufficient attention to his boat and thus lost ground to the leader who had been only three lengths ahead of them. Due to their face to face argument and their obvious inattention to the racing they were now about ten lengths back. While being so intent on each other they had lost sight of their positions and their subsequent losses to the leader. In fact they had actually dropped back to fourth and fifth place as two other boats got past them, while giving the two a wide berth to avoid any entanglement with their boats.

It went this way all around the course with more pushing, shoving and arguing and loss of position. Finally after all of the boats had crossed the finish line, they circled back to the dock, and pulled out of the water for the lunch break. At this point the two combatants started to discuss their lunch as if nothing had ever happened. They sat together talking, joking, laughing, and eating a sandwich. They had known each other and had been friends for over ten years. Their families often got together over the holidays and several times over the summer for outdoor barbecues. They had even taken trips together, sometimes for sailing, sometimes both families together for vacations.

Twenty minutes later the race director called, "Boats in the water. The start tape will begin in three minutes." The two skippers scrambled to comply and to then sail over to the area behind the starting line. They got there just as the two minute countdown began. At the starting gong they hit the start line side by side in third and fourth place with both of them jockeying for position.

"I'm leeward" Harry yelled. "Don't keep coming down on me. I have the right of way. If you don't stop it we are going before the race committee."

"What do you mean you have right of way" George, the second skipper, retorted even louder. "You overtook me from astern and have to maintain your proper course. Stop coming up into me or we will take this to the race committee."

Don’s Book mark reads:

The Wannabes of

Metro Dayton,

Ohio

The greatest

Pleasure on earth

after sex, is reading

a good story

followed very,

closely by writing

one.

Thus the great life

Includes a bad boy

A good book, and

Paper and pencil

Live it up

Write a story

Long or short

But never hurry

He also recommended and distributed to the members present a copy of an article on “101 Best Websites for Writers:

http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2010/05/17/101BestWebsitesForWritersMyFavorites.aspx

Don H: recently published an article in his favorite web site, The World Net daily entitled

Republican Mensheviks have to go!

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=296561

Congrats to Don for having his work being published. He would like to write a column for the web site on a permanent basis. He is off to a good start. Don also read one of his short stories that he has been working on recently entitled: The Magic Set. The story details the search by a young man to find out the source of the secret words that are mumbled by the magician as he makes rabbits and playing cards disappear. He describes how the young man could not wait for Christmas morning when he received his Magic kit under the Christmas tree. It reminded me of one of the featured speakers at Antioch Writers Workshop a few years ago who discussed the power of words. Rebecca McClanahan’s book entitled “Word Painting” provides new writers with a guide for writing more descriptively. Writing is a form of Magic in the mind of the reader.

Last of all Don Q: I have finally finished my “Santa’s Magic” book. The editing, design and formatting are complete. I will proof it one more time before uploading it to Createspace and Smashwords in order to create the various versions. Then the real work begins.

I have recently started a new book on ghosts and family reunions. My bride has also convinced me to create a book of pictures of the flowers of the world that I have taken while on our many trips in Europe and the US.

I will be teaching again in the fall but I am registered to participate in the Antioch Writers Workshop which I am looking forward to participating in.

A Special request from Rosie H, a frequent Wannabe who is paying tribute to a young artist whom passed away too young in his creative career.

Hi Everyone,

I would like to invite you to a very special event--one that celebrates the memory of a young man and special friend of mine, Brandon Haskins. His life ended last July in a horrific scene. You might have read it in the newspaper and/or seen it on television. His step-father shot and killed him. Myself, along with a couple of my artist friends, started a memorial art scholarship as a way to honor Brandon's memory. We are also commemorating his life and beautiful spirit by having an exhibition in his honor.

I know this announcement is rather lengthy, but it is so important to me that you know about what we are planning, in order to honor our friend's memory. No matter, if you live far or near, I hope you can participate in some way.

Thank you in advance for your thoughtfulness, support and generosity.

Warm regards,

Rosie