We are in the back...

We are in the back of the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department, actually the far west side of the building. The Sarasota Writers Group graciously uses the academic training room of the fire department on the side of the building farthest away from U.S. 41. We have our own parking area right by the door, but please don't block the fire doors or the road into the area. While it is a Florida Writers Association meeting, it is an open meeting, welcoming non-members as well. The only requirement for attendance is a desire to write.

We had another great turn out as the fall season begins, with the return of Bill Elam, Peter and Barbara Frickel, and Kerri Dieffenwierth. We welcomed Christine Burton to her first meeting and Rod's lovely wife, Betsy, as well. After the usual meet and greet, a basic semblance of order fell into place and we began our second meeting of October in earnest.

Rod opened the meeting with comments from Jim Kelly. Jim recently spoke with long time member Irv Newman who sends his warm regards to the group. Irv has been active with the hospice, and the nurses, and is keeping up with his writing.

Kerri mentioned she will be attending the upcoming Sanibel Island Writers Conference, November 8 through the 11^th. The only details we have at the moment is on the Sanibel Island Writers Conference Facebook page.

George passed out flyers for the upcoming Eckerd College Writers’ Conference: Writers in Paradise, to be held this January 19-27, 2013, and reminded everyone the 11^th annual Florida Writers Association Conference is to be held in Orlando this next weekend.

Rod began the readings with a humorous piece that has been selected for posting on the Swiss Army Knife web site, On The Cutting Edge: The Bloody History of the Swiss Army Knife, by our centenarian Ed Lyman. (www.victorinox.com/stories). Ed, incidentally, has been published in every issue of the quarterly literary magazine, the Pepper Tree. His wit and humor always draws great responses after the readings which are handled masterfully by Rod.

Joanne Phillips read her next installment of Memoirs of a Sea Hag titled, Bite Me! Only Joanne could tell the story of being bitten, I'm not saying where, by her own dentures. Joanne says it was in the Bahamas...

Kitt Crescendo read from her untitled work in progress, tentatively known as Four One Night Only, and will have every scrambling to look up the ingredients of the drink, Alien Secretion. Again, Kitt shows her skill in capturing her readers (listeners) with her writing. Glad to have Kitt in the group.

George Collias had everyone's rapt attention with his fascinating Sliver of a Memory, a personal memoir of Hemingway in Key West when George was a child living in Miami, and again later in Ketcham, Idaho, where Hemingway spent his last years. Some great intertwining of professional development and coincidental meetings. A really unique seed here, we hope George develops it further.

Kerri read her latest work Swamp Angels, from her great expanding anthology on growing up in untamed Florida. The saga of the “Owls” continues, and again, Kerri snags the listener as efficiently and firmly as her personal stories touch everyone. Great discussion followed the reading, including her use of changing POV, point of view, from 1^st person to 3^rd person effectively in the piece. Great writing from Kerri, as usual.

As always, our poet extraordinaire, Jim Kelly again stopped the show with two, marvelous short poems. First, Picket Fence, and then the timeless, remarkable Hero. Amazingly, they were written earlier in the day. Really great poetry, we are waiting for the next compilation of Jim's works. He may not have started it yet, but we are waiting none the less.

Susan Davis caught Rod off guard as he wanted to hear more about her recent travels, but instead she read one of her marvelous, untitled poems, also written shortly before the meeting. These people must really work well under pressure! She then read a poignant piece about death and acceptance, again, great writing.

Ed Ellis was up next with his applause generating Heavy Fog of Fish. He took us all to Catalina Island as if we were there, leaving us wondering how he did that. We're still wondering about being bologna and cheese, or cheese and bologna. Or spark plugs. You had to be there. It was worth the wait.

We then took a ten minute breather, then jumped back into the wonderful pool of writers who grace our meetings with Peter Frickel, who read his poem Crocodile Baking in the Sun, and then read a passage from Langston Hughes' Raisin in the Sun. Peter never fails to enthrall our group of enthusiasts.

We then were treated to the return of Bill Elam, who introduced us to the quasi-legal term of, if I copied it correctly, of equine-anal, or something pretty close to that. Lawyer talk. Bill then read again in the vein of old men reflecting on their lives, and the painting that miraculously took the colors of a pile of rust and iron oxide brilliantly and inexplicably.  It was well received in discussion by the group.

Rod closed out the meeting reading a chapter in his Little Skeeter story, Soap Box Racer, growing up in Sarasota in far less complicated times. The tight, well written piece had the drama of a NASCAR race even though we knew they were soap box derby cars coasting down a hill. Again, well received and appreciated. It's good to hear Rod get to read his own writing.

Our group of writers is an eclectic, diverse talented group of people and I look forward to every meeting. Drop in and take a listen if you get the chance. See you next time November 7^th!

George

Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

Our Wednesday meeting, May 16th, was a special night for several reasons. Besides having a “Full-House,” we also listened to a special half-hour program given by the Chief of the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department, Frank Palmer. Chief Palmer took center stage after our usual 6:00pm “meet and greet.” That was after our “Firetruck” quiz from Ed Ellis, which was a nice warm-up for Chief Palmer. Chief Palmer's program covered many aspects of community programs that are to be enhanced through a grant that will be written later this year. He asked for writing contributions from the group to help “seed” the project.

Susan Haley sadly announced fellow writer and group member Irv Newman is not recovering well from his recent cardiac event. Irv, author of “Living on House Money,”

(http://www.peppertreepublishing.com/book-detail?book_id=95) misses the group, and he is in our thoughts and prayers. Appreciation and Friendship Cards should be mailed to:

Irv Newman

8767 Midnight Pass Road

#407F

Sarasota, FL 34232

The meeting kicked off in earnest with Ed Ellis at the helm, minus the cow-bell he used last time. It wasn't needed as everyone had a great time and enjoyed themselves with another evening of eclectic writing. Richard Zimmerman of Athens, Georgia, attended as a guest of George Mindling, and we welcomed back writer and editor Patricia LaBarbera. 

Patricia announced she will hold a class on self-editing this coming Saturday, May 19^th, at the Selby Library. This free, open to all class will be at 1:30pm in the Conference Room.

Rod DiGruttolo started the evening's readings with a piece written by Malcolm Forbes contributed by Ed Lyman. Rod read the story about the infamous encounter with Mr. & Mrs Leland Stanford and the then president of Harvard that led to the establishment of Stanford University. Always a lesson in humility.

Next, Joanne Phillips continued, albeit not in sequence, with Chapter 17 of her book, “Memoirs of a Sea Hag.” This time evoking visions of lost treasures, well, at least $500 dollars worth, and of an overly amorous Porpoise. Joanne was disappointed she didn't draw serious criticism of her work. The discussion and critique then erupted just to make her happy. Good stuff.

Patricia LaBarbera then read a short story called “Big Mouth” that hooked everybody. Outstanding piece that broke her own rule about using inanimate or non-human subjects. Good writing.

Cecile Bell Kennedy's short story “Are You A Doctor?” about a young boy who has to give himself insulin injections was obviously rooted in personal knowledge and concern. The well written piece using dialog only brought another round of applause.

Don Westerfield read two of his excellent poems. The first, “When You Go” touched everyone who has raised children when those children finally leave home on their own. The great writing just keeps coming! The second poem, My Poem As a Painting” drew great response as well.

Kerri Dieffenwierth read “Ranch Hand” from her upcoming “Homemade Rodeos,” and once again showed her ability to use narrative, dialog, and description to pull the reader into her world. One of the longest sentences ever written, or at least one of the longest I have ever heard, worked like a charm and drew gasps of delight and appreciation. Good writing, Kerri.

Ed Ellis dipped into the past through his “Time capsule” and read two pieces he wrote back in his corporate world days. Ed co-authored an unofficial company newspaper for GE many years ago, and recently received an old copy from a friend. Reading from an old copy of the “Flair Facts,” the prophetic “Department of the National News” and the “Banana Award” for funny happenings showed Ed had the flair and the talent back then.

Susan Haley coaxed Rod DiGruttolo into reading his piece “Snakes, Spiders and Snails,” about Florida's denizens, all real but seen differently through the eyes of youth. A young boy capturing a snake with his bare hands had everyone's attention.

Peter Frickel read a piece that enthralled everyone, but didn't disclose the author until he finished reading. The great piece from “Log from the Sea of Cortez,” by John Steinbeck about the “virtue” of giving and the responsibilities of receiving caught everyone off guard.

Ed closed the meeting with the announcement the next meeting will be in three weeks. The after-meeting session was as much fun as the before-meeting session, but we eventually said goodnight, turned out the lights and went home.

See everyone June 6^th.

George

Deadline Extended!

Due to a computer glitch, the Tales2Inspire website was down for about a week, but Lois (the contest organizer) wasn't aware of it until receiving messages from several confused people. To compensate for these difficulties, she has extended the deadline date to: MARCH 14, 2012, so lets buckle down and get those stories out of your heads and submitted according to guidelines posted at:www.Tales2Inspire.com. Click on the GREEN CONTINUE button at the bottom of each screen for all the details, how to's and what if's! If you have further questions, e-mail Lois at: tales2inspire.com.

Lois W. Stern
Author of:
SEX, LIES AND COSMETIC SURGERY
www.sexliesandcosmetic surgery.com

TICK TOCK, STOP THE CLOCK ~ GETTING PRETTY ON YOUR LUNCH HOUR
www.ticktockstoptheclock.com

Creator of TALES2INSPIRE contest
www.Tales2Inspire.com
tales2inspire@optimum.net

Featured author in 50 GREAT WRITERS YOU SHOULD BE READING by The Authors Show

Wednesday Feb 15, 2012

A warm, beautiful sunset welcomed the latest meeting of the Sarasota chapter of the FWA, followed by another entertaining evening listening to a wide variety of writings by an eclectic group of writers.

We welcomed back Kris Palmer, author of “Dancing With An Elephant,” (http://www.dancingwithanelephant.com/) and newcomer Lori Davis of Dayton, Ohio. Lori is currently in Englewood and looking for a publisher for her first book. She has already started her second, also in the Young Adult Fantasy genre.

After the usual, congenial half hour “Catch-Up” session, Rod DiGruttolo started the meeting with announcements by Lois Stern and Bill Elam. Lois mentioned her website, (http://www.tales2inspire.com/) has a problem but will be restored in the next day or two. The Tales 2 Inspire contest will be extended to compensate for the inconvenience of the web site being unavailable. Bill mentioned an article in USA Today by Jefferson Graham about ebooks. The article is available at
"http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/talkingtech/story/2012-02-14/ebook-self-publishing/53097762/1" at least for the time being. And that segued perfectly into Russ Heitz's presentation about e-publishing.

Russ shared his wealth of experience and savvy about e-publishing which is fast becoming the defacto method of getting new writer's material into the marketplace. He covered the different formats and how to approach both Amazon (Kindle) at https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin, and with Smashword at http://www.smashwords.com/. A quick list of e-publishing websites are included at the end of this blog.

George started the evening's reading with “What,” his 250 word exercise of Rod's writing challenge to use only dialogue to tell a short story, followed by Rod's reading of our soon-to-be-Centenarian Ed Lyman's work, “Amazing! Well, Not Exactly!” Barbara Frickell read her delightful interpretation of Rod's dialogue challenge titled “Tete-a-Tete,” obviously set in Paris. Lee Taylor completely engrossed the group with her gripping story “Easy Prey With Decals,” which everyone took as a factual story rather than the fiction it actually was.

Bill Elam read his great piece about pilots and airplanes too old to be useful, evoking memories about scrapbooks and memories. Cecile returned, reading her short, delightful one-act play about two baby girls wrapped in blankets in a nursery. Light hearted fun seen from a certainly different perspective. Lois Stern then read her piece for Rod's challenge, adapted from one of her inspiring tales. Amazing fluidity in compressing time using only dialogue.

Susan Davis read two great short pieces from her favorite poets. “The Silent Articulation of a Face” by the 13th century mystic poet Rumi, was followed by a poem by Pablo Neruda dedicated to his love Matilda. Susan has had the pleasure of visiting Neruda's house in Chile. Both great poems, and of course, well read as always.

Kris Palmer celebrated her return with two poems, the very beautiful “Wind,” and a limerick entitled “Lot Lizard.” Glad to have Kris back, even for a short while.

After a relaxing break, we resumed with the inimitable Joanne Phillips. Joanne came through as anticipated with “Rojo Mojo,” an ingenious poem about her last week's encounter with a red headed fireman. “I'm a Little. You're a Lot,” was followed by “Magic Moment,” a tender poem with a soft touch. Nicely done. Ed Ellis read part of a story under development, and under a cloud of secrecy, apparently, about personal confrontation between nuclear holocaust survivors, Great so far, we want to hear more.

Susan Haley was finally coerced into reading a great paragraph resulting from a challenge she received at a different writing group. Her challenge was to write a paragraph based on a single word. Her word was Karma and no one is better suited than Susan to write that paragraph. Nicely done!

We had a few minutes to go, so Kris graciously read her great piece, “My Escort,” and Bill wrapped up the evening's readings with a follow-up story about the lovers he introduced last meeting. Another enjoyable, entertaining, and informative night.

Next meeting will be on March 7th, see everyone then!

George

Kindle https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin
Smashword http://www.smashwords.com/
Createspace http://createspace.com (For paper books)
Cover Photos http://istockphoto.com
Cover Photos http://www.dreamstime.com/
Cover Layouts http://createimagesonline.com/
ebook publisher http://publishing.booklocker.com/
ebook publisher http://www.rainbowebooks.com/store/

ISBNs http://www.bowker.com/en-US/products/customer_type/serv_custype_author.shtml

Advertising "http://author-promotion.com/"
epub newsletter http://publishyourownbooks.com/

_________________________________________________________________
EVENTS

What, When & Where:

Mr. Philip Levine
United States Poet Laureate 2011-2012
Reading and Book Signing
7 p.m., Monday, April 9, 2012
Saint Leo University
Greenfelder-Denlinger Boardroom
Student Community Center
Saint Leo, FL 33574

Come and celebrate Poetry Month with the Poet Laureate of the United States! Mr. Philip Levine is the eighteenth United States Poet Laureate. His works of poetry include the 1991 National Book Award-winning "What Work Is," the 1995 Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Simple Truth," and his most recent "News of the World (2009)."

In the August 2011 announcement, the Librarian of Congress James H. Billington remarked, "Philip Levine is one of America's great narrative poets. His plainspoken lyricism has, for half a century, championed the art of telling 'The Simple Truth'...."

The event is co-sponsored by the Daniel A. Cannon Memorial Library, the English, Fine Arts, and Humanities Department, and Student Services. It is free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first served, however, for seating requests of 10 or more, and for directions and parking information, please call Ms. Tammy Hunt, 352-588-8294.

St. Leo, FL is approximately 90 miles north of Sarasota, east of I-75

Thank you, Kerri for the information, and thank you Ms. Hunt for your kind assistance

More...

More on the newly formed Sarasota Editors Association:
Patricia La Barbera mentioned the newly formed Sarasota Editors Group at the last meeting and has now announced their new web page at:
http://www.meetup.com/sarasota-editors-association

“Networking is an important tool for staying current with the publishing industry's standards. Join us to help sharpen your editing skills and share your knowledge. We'll have monthly lunch meetings at various Sarasota restaurants. Editors, guests, and those who'd like to learn more about editing are welcome. There's no charge, and the calendar includes our next lunch meeting (March 2 at 1 pm at Shakespeare's Pub in Sarasota). Let me know if you have any questions. Patricia La Barbera, patricialabarbera@live.com

Also...

Russ Heitz, author of Crosshairs, Dying in Deer Country, and Krazy Kritters of Florida, will do a presentation on publishing/uploading ebooks at the next meeting on Feb 15th. Several people at the last meeting seemed very interested in ebooks and Russ has graciously offered to share his expertise and experience.

Also...

The 2012 ROYAL PALM LITERARY AWARD COMPETITION is open for submissions February 15 through June 15, 2012.
The RPLA competition is a service of the Florida Writers Association established to recognize excellence in members' published and unpublished works while providing blind, objective, and constructive written assessments for all entrants. Entry fees are lowest at the beginning of the submission period, so don't delay. Download your entry package at..
http://floridawriters.net/RPLA.html

See you Wednesday, the 15th
George

TALES2INSPIRE Contest

Non-fiction stories in any format written with an uplifting, thought provoking or touching message.

MAXIMUM LENGTH: 1200 WORDS

DEADLINE DATE: FEBRUARY 29, 2012

ENTRANCE FEE: $4.95 per story, per category

AUTHOR BENEFITS: The following two benefits, which are normally reserved exclusively for published authors, will also be available to non-published (aspiring authors) who take part in this contest through special liaisons I have made under the TALES2INSPIRE BANNER.

Each author submitting an inspiring “tale” accepted into this contest will have the opportunity to showcase it on novelist and host, Sylvia Massara’s Internet video LitChic Show (short for Literary Chic, not Chic Lit), where Sylvia has committed to a bi-monthly TALES2INSPIRE program to feature every contributing author.

Lois and Sylvia just went live to kick off the Tales2Inspire contest, so you might want to watch this video intro for more details:

http://www.litchickshow.com/2012/01/lit-chick-show-special-tales2inspire.html

A second new feature comes as a result of a liaison Lois has formed with award winning author, teacher and marketing guru Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Each author with an inspiring “tale” accepted into this contest will have the opportunity to have a review of their story placed on her popular book review blog under the Tales2Inspire banner

http://www.thenewbookreview.blogspot.com

Contest Guidelines, 'how-to's' and 'what if's' are detailed on the tales2inspire website:

www.tales2inspire.com

SUGGESTION: Start on the homepage and click the GREEN CONTINUE button at the end of each screen to get instant answers to all of your questions. You are welcome to contact me at: tales2inspire@optimum.net, but please understand that depending on volume of inquiries, it might take me several days to respond.

Warm regards,

Lois W. Stern

Creator of the TALES2INSPIRE Contest

In Memory of Phil Dobrin

In Memory of Phil Dobrin

As writers we all celebrate the good writing of individuals who attend our writers groups on a regular basis to share their experiences and writing. Phil was exceptional, bringing quality writing and comment to both the Nokomis group and Suncoast Writers.

Phil's book, Adventures of a Surgical Resident, is a must read for anyone interested in the memoir's of a very successful medical doctor. Phil's ability to take very dry subject matter and turn it into a book full of information you should know, in a way the layman can understand. His stories are told well and bring a smile and laugh.

My life has been touched in very special ways knowing Phil. I'm sure yours as well. When I drive home from our meetings from Nokomis and look over and see the car seat empty my mind sees Phil sitting there helping me drive in the dark. I once told him if he sat in the back seat he could see better. The drive home was always interesting with Phil telling me more and more stories. We also had additional conversations about the meeting and Phil helped me see things in a different light and perspective. The secret we kept from our wives was the stop for three taco's and a senior drink.

For some strange reason, Phil stayed slim and trim and I added to my weight. Taco Bell will always remind me of Phil.

Phil left me with a treasure for my personal library, a signed copy of his book.

"With best wishes for a great friend" Phillip.

I know we all miss Phil.

Ed Ellis

Tom Smith's New Book

While we're tooting horns, here's another reason to celebrate.

Tom Smith, who has been attending our meetings for more than a year, announces the publication of his new collection of poems. The book is called "DUST AND OTHER POEMS" by Thomas Noel Smith and it is available through Amazon.com.

Congratulations, Tom! And best of luck with the marketing.

Posted by
Russ Heitz
www.russheitz.com

Win a Kindle ... and More!

Kerri Dieffenwierth passed along a website that she thought might be helpful to our devoted and versatile group. It's sponsored by the Gotham Writers Workshop in New York City. Their website is http://www.writingclasses.com.

This particular group is a wide-ranging source of information that covers just about every genre and every skill level. The site currently provides information about a variety of writing contests, one of which will be giving away to the winners IPads, Kindles and other eReaders. The site also has a list of How-To books for writers, plus up-to-date news about the publishing industry. As its web address suggests, the site is also the gateway for numerous writing classes.

Check it out. And win an IPad. Maybe. Or a Kindle. Maybe. But what was that old saying? "You can't win if you don't play." So give it a whirl.

Posted by
Russ Heitz

Wolfman Photos Wanted

For those of us who were at our mid-November meeting, FOX & QUILL editor, John Wolf, gave a very informative and interesting presentation about how us writer-folks can use our computers more effectively. He also sang a song that he wrote especially for our leader Susan Haley. In return, he'd like a favor from us.

Did anyone at the meeting take any pictures of John giving his presentation? Or of John eating cake? Or of John playing the guitar? Or of John, period?

If so, contact him at http://www.johnwolf.lobo@gemail.com.

Thanks!

Posted by
Russ Heitz
http://www.russheitz.com/

Your Loss, Our Gain

For those who missed our meeting last night, see above. Ryan Van Cleave had an outstanding presentation plus a valuable handout for all who were there. He also graciously and thoroughly answered a lot of questions about a broad range of writing-related topics: agents, publishers, memoirs, ebooks, platforms, marketing, etc. There was something for nearly everyone.

Ryan is an advocate of "creative nonfiction"--using fiction techniques for nonfiction works. He talked about Freytag's Pyramid that includes the primary ingredients of any story: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

The helpful handout distributed was specifically about writing memoirs.

By using and analyzing popular movies as examples, Dr. Van Cleave also discussed how stories are built, how they are structured--whether the stories are developed in a fiction or a nonfiction genre.

He also talked about the necessity of having a "platform" and a clear-cut and aggressive marketing campaign no matter what your book is about or who publishes it. Ryan verified once again the mantra we've heard from all traditionally and non-traditionally published writers: it doesn't matter who publishes your book, you, the writer, will be required to do most if not all of the marketing or selling of it.

Thanks, Ryan, for an excellent presentation!

Wednesday Meeting--October 20th

A quick reminder. Our general meeting this coming Wednesday night, October 20th, will feature Ryan VanCleave, a successful and widely published author whose new memoir, UNPLUGGED, is an Amazon bestseller in four different categories.

UNPLUGGED's explanatory subtitle, MY JOURNEY INTO THE DARK WORLD OF VIDEO GAME ADDICTION, gives a clear indication of what the book is about.

Ryan is the author or co-author of sixteen books and he has taught creative writing and literature at Clemson University, Eckerd College, Florida State University, and the Ringling College of Art and Design.

Ryan lives in Sarasota and works as a freelance writer, editor, ghostwriter, script doctor, and an addiction & recovery consultant. Additional information about Ryan can be found at his website: http://www.ryangvancleave.com.

After Ryan's presentation he will be open for comments and discussions. So bring all your questions about writing in general, memoir writing in particular, computer addictions, publishing, editing, or any other writing-related topic.

Following Ryan's talk -- if time permits -- we will also be open to readings, so bring your short, three-pagers. See you then: same time, same place.

Posted by
Russ Heitz

Meeting Recap for October 6th

We had another good meeting last night, and a busy one at that. Three visitors: Patricia Deeder, Krista Gorman and Kathy Question Mark who didn't sign our sign-in sheet but is interested in quantum physics. All introduced themselves and told us a bit about their writing interests and goals. Patricia also shared with us some of her writings. We hope to see all three ladies again at our future meetings and encourage them to bring any questions or comments and perhaps something to read at our next "reading meeting."

Charles Meyer from the Sarasota County Film and Entertainment Office told us about Sarasota's burgeoning interest in TV and movie production and the possible building of a full-fledged soundstage production facility in our community. He also encouraged all of us to submit "fresh and creative" ideas for a contest about a possible television series that might even be filmed right here in Sarasota County. Check out his website, http://www.filmsarasota.com, for information about the program and click on the banner/logo "TV ME" for info about the contest. The grand prize winner of the competition will get a free, expense-paid trip to the LA/Hollywood area and a chance to pitch their TV show ideas to the people who make the decisions about new nationally broadcast TV shows. Deadline for the competition is November 30. Check the above-mentioned website for details about the contest and the categories for entries.

Rod DiGruttolo also asked me to remind everyone that he and Kerri Dieffenwierth are starting an on-line critique group which could possibly turn into an in-person critique group later on. Anyone who is interested in learning more about this on-line critique group should write to me at russ@russheitz.com and I'll send you Rod's and Kerri's email addresses.

We also had a full slate of readers for this "reading meeting," starting off with another humorous story from our Writer Emeritus Ed Lyman. The title of Ed's story was A NEEDLESS TRAGEDY which had to do with relationships, in general, and (Sly Old Dog that he is) sexual relationships, in particular. Phil Dobrin read another humorous excerpt from his newly released book, ADVENTURES OF A SURGICAL RESIDENT. Joanne Phillips read a short piece from the book she's working on. Peter Frickel's cultured and refined "radio voice" was put to work reading several pieces that other folks had brought in, including a short piece of his own. Joe Porter read a couple pieces about his earlier days traveling around the country. Andrew Parker read the synopsis of a possible novel about a paraplegic who is crossisng the country on a bicycle while promoting euthanasia. Andrew always seems to be working on topics that are fresh and unusual. Kerri Dieffenwierth also read an amusing story about her adventures with a surfboard.

Jim Kelly, Cecil Bell, and Cathy Marine also attended the meeting but didn't participate in the readings.

As a reminder for those who weren't at this meeting, our next meeting on October 20th will have a special speaker, Ryan Van Cleve, who will be talking about his new book about a new medical/psychological malady that is affecting more and more computer owners: computer game addiction. No, that's not a joke. Computer game addiction really is becoming a serious health issue throughout the computerized world. Some psychology and sociology experts tell us it is becoming just as serious and damaging as addictions to alcohol and drugs. Ryan will also discuss the writing of memoirs, a topic that is popular with quite a few of our local FWA attendees.

Madeline Mora-Summonte, one of our elusive FWA members who only appears at our meetings every now and then, has another impressive "published" credit to her name. A devotee of Flash Fiction, Madeline also has a flare for another short fiction genre called Hint Fiction, which is limited to -- believe it or not -- 25 words or fewer! Hint Fiction was inspired by Ernest Hemingway's well-known "six-word novel:"For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Madeline's Hint Fiction story, THE EMPTY NEST, was selected to appear in a new collection HINT FICTION: AN ANTHOLOGY OF STORIES IN 25 WORDS OR FEWER which is being published by W.W. Norton. This collection will be released November 1st and can be pre-ordered through most of the major booksellers including Amazon, Borders, and Barnes & Noble. The collection includes Hint Fiction stories by Joyce Carol Oates, James Frey, Peter Straub, and Ha Jin so once again, Madeline has surrounded herself with very good company. For more information about Hint Fiction go to http://www.robertswartwood.com/hint-fiction/the-ultimate-flash-fiction-package.

A final note, Susan Haley will be returning to Sarasota in November and expects to be back in the saddle for the November 3rd meeting. See you then, Susan. Hope to see the rest of you for our October 20th meeting.

Posted by
Russ Heitz
www.russheitz.com

NPR: Another Market For Local Writers?

A member of our local FWA group and director of the Suncoast Writers Guild in Englewood, Ann Favreau recently shared with us an email she received from Guild member Kathy Nixon. It may open the door for some of us to yet another possible market for our
work--National Public Radio--especially if you enjoy writing personal essays. Here's Kathy's account.

"Following the advice of our guest speaker on other ways to publish, I wrote a three minute essay about taking my grandchildren to an ancestral burial ground. I contacted the local public radio station. [In our area that would be WUSF-FM in Tampa-Ed.] The editor loved it and we arranged a time to record when Randy and I were visiting the grandchildren. The [NPR editor], Martha Woodroff, was so easy-going that she made the whole experience a real high point of the vacation. You can go to http://www.wmra.org/, click on Civic Soapbox (My Grandchildren's Half-told Family Story) and listen to the essay or click on Civic Soapbox blog to read it."

What makes this possibility even more interesting and potentially profitable is that our local NPR station (WUSF-FM) has recently purchased a radio station here in Sarasota and will be expanding their programming in our immediate area. That means they will also be needing a lot of material to fill their new daily schedules. And, yes, they DO pay you for your work. This is not a freebie.

If you have any short personal essays that could amuse, inform, enlighten or inspire NPR listeners, contact Sheila Rue, WUSF-FM's Program Director at srue@WUSF.org. Sheila should be able to direct you to the proper contact within the organization.

Give it a try. It won't cost you more than a stamp-less free email. And GOOD LUCK!

Posted by
Russ Heitz
http://www.russheitz.com/

Winding Down -- Winding Up

Susan's Alaskan Adventure is nearly over and my foray into the dreaded Klinkton County is about to begin! I don't have a blog to post my adventures but I'll try to post a summary when I return. To check out the blog that captures the essence of Susan's journey, and to see more of Karen's fantastic flower fotos go to www.fwasarasota.blogspot.com.

Posted by
Russ Heitz

Rain, Whales, Bears, Forests and Fjords

Sue Haley sent us another update on her Alaskan Adventures so, being the conduit that I am, I'll pass along her words again verbatim (more or less.)

"We have been in Seward for a week of pouring rain (intermittent WiFi signal, too) except for the day we hiked to the glacier! [My son] Bill went back the next day and took the difficult trail to the top of the mountain, to the ice fields. ... He said it was like being in Antarctica up there. The glaciers were gorgeous.

"We've done some exploring of the surrounding scenery and it's just beautiful. Even with the rain, the lushness and green in the forest almost looks tropical. I'd have never guessed so many beautiful ferns would carpet forest floors this far north.

"We donned rain gear and hiked a few short trails in the rain. I found a huge hole in among a tree root system that was attached to a huge rock wall and I'd bet my life it was a bear den. [We] trampled all around the entrance and [saw] what I think were droppings of a cub or two not far from the entrance. I decided NOT to knock on the 'door.'

"We did have a whale boat booked but they had to cancel every day due to 19 foot seas in the Gulf of Alaska! We are going to try one last time tomorrow and [then] we must move on to Homer on Tuesday. We can try again there, or take a shorter tour that stays in Resurrection Bay and at least see the fjords. ... They said the whales often come in there, too.

"Today the sun shown gloriously but seas hadn't diminished enough. Oh to see a whale after all else I've been so blessed to see would be the icing on a wonderful cake before leaving.

"Beautiful place, this planet Earth, as long as you get away from the hoards of people. I've made it a project of picking up trash in the forests; [I always] take a bag with me hiking. You wouldn't believe [the amount of tossed aside trash] even up here. People, collectively, are a scourge, I swear.

"I've eaten some great Alaskan halibut and cod and we did go to a stream where the salmon are on their tortuous trip upstream to spawn. Incredible how those fish jump to go against raging current on descending mountain rivers. ... 'Course, the bears are gathering at the major spawning sites for the hunt that will fatten them up for winter.

"After Homer, I'll be leaving out of Anchorage and not looking forward to it at all but Bill and Karen are beginning to think about their 5,000 miles trip [back to their home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania] and I can't go into Canada [because I have no passport.]"

So, our own "den mother" will be coming back to sunny Sarasota one of these weeks. She's obviously having a wonderful time and well deserved, to which we can all say, "Amen."

Posted by
Russ Heitz

Memoirist, Check THIS out

DOORWAYS MEMOIRS, a new local Sarasota County publication is looking for memoir-type submissions of 1500 words or less and they even PAY for accepted stories: $50.00! BUT there are some restrictions. Such as:

You must be a permanent or part-time resident of Sarasota County, age 50 or older. Your story must be true (no fiction); and a maximum of 1500 words. One submission only is allowed during their reading period, which runs from July 1st to October 31st. Previously published stories are acceptable, as long as you own the copyright. And the stories must be submitted by e-mail. No snailmail submissions allowed. And no photos or attachments.

For more information, send a note to DoorwaysMemoirs@aol.com.

Posted by
Russ Heitz

Top of the World -- and Higher!

The magic words for today are Chicken and Talkeetna. No, you don't have to use both of them in a sentence for the next FWA reading meeting. These two words are the names of some of the towns Susan Haley has been experiencing during her Alaskan sojourn.

Chicken is the home of the well-known Chicken Creek Cafe where it is said you can get a "fantastic lunch." Chicken is also the home of the Chicken Creek Gold Camp RV Park. And, yes, gold actually WAS mined at the Chicken Creek Gold Camp from 1938 to 1967. Chicken also has its own Post Master and U.S. Post Office where mail, we are told, can be picked up "twice a week." Sorry, no UPS Overnight Delivery.

If you're thinking about moving to Chicken, Susan assures us that "they do have a new school, a volunteer fire department, and a 911 system with a medical facility." Free helicoptor service to Anchorage is also provided for those with medical emergencies. What more could one ask, right?

Talkeetna, Susan tells us, is a "Different world. Different values. Different culture." ... The residents, she insists, want no part of "progress" and don't care much for a certain politician who describes herself as a gun totin' "rogue." "Everyone [in Talkeetna] pretty much has electricity," Susan says, "but many come to town for free water and hot showers and laundry. The most popular vehicle is an ATV in the summer and a snowmobile or dog team in the winter. No traffic, no redlights, no sales tax, and neighbors are family." Susan was so enthralled by this particular town that she'd "love to spend a whole summer right here in Talkeetna."

One of the recent highlights of Susan's rambles with her son, Billy, daughter-in-law Karen, and granddog, B.B. McPup, was their recent bush pilot flight through the Alaska Range that includes Denali. In fact, the pilot flew all the way around the massive mountain. Since Denali is 20,263 feet above sea level, the passengers and pilot all had to wear oxygen masks anytime the plane climbed above 18,000 feet.

Of the people who climb Denali the old fashioned way, with ropes and crampons, Susan says, "only 50% make it to the top where [the temperature often] drops to 40 below 0 in the SUMMER! ... Personally," Susan adds, "I'd rather not even try [to climb Denali] even if I could. I can't imagine surviving 40 below and god only knows what the wind chill factor would be."

The next update from Susan could come at anytime now, depending on the availability of internet service. In the meantime, additional background and beautiful photos of the Haley's Alaskan Adventure are available at www.thehaleyhiatus.blogspot.com. Check it out.

Posted by
Russ Heitz

Sue's Alaskan Adventures Abound

At this very moment, Susan Haley is somewhere in Alaska on another adventure with her son, Billy, and his wife, Karen, and their special canine family member, BB McPup. I had a long adventure-filled email from Sue and I promised I'd pass at least some of the info along to all of her friends down here in Civilization Land.

If you haven't heard, Billy and Karen have been touring the states since January in their pickup truck and pull-along trailer and they insisted that Sue join them for at least part of their Alaskan episodes. For those who are interested in Alaska, check out Karen's very interesting and beautifully photographed blog at www.thehaleyhiatus.blogspot.com.

As for Sue's experiences in the past week or so, here's a few quotes from her email.

"Never did I fully comprehend the utter joy of experiencing my first viewing close up of a wolf in his own domain. No words can describe it."

"The wolf and the fox actually stalked right down the road along side us totally oblivious to our presence. [The wolf] was zeroed in on the herd of Dall Sheep about 50 feet off the road. The fox ... on the horseshoe hare we stopped to view. The fox just came out of a clump of bush. He was gorgeous, tri-colored with a magnificant tail that literally drug the ground!"

"We saw a herd of Dall Sheep [and] the lone wolf (later we saw his mate laying outside their den, which had been staked off and closed to all foot trafic, even the rangers left them alone. The guide said they had four pups but we didn't get to see them."

"This is the rest of the list which I will describe more fully later. All were magnificent! 2 large male grizzlies. 1 mama grizzly with two cubs. (Spectacular to see!). She was playing with them. 3 large grizzlies traveling together. ... A mama moose with two calves drinking in a stream not ten feet away! ... Our second mama grizzly this time nursing two little guys! One was blonde and one was dark chocolate. She, too, ignored us!"

She also saw "a beautiful huge golden eagle gliding over a canyon. Many birds and beautiful meadows of wildflowers. ... Saw several ground squirrels and we were lucky to see a huge beaver house and community but the beavers weren't home."

"It's like being in another world. "The Mountain" or as the Natives call it "Denallee" formerly known as Mt. McKinley is so massive that it is only fully visable 20% of the time. We were most fortunate to view both the south and the north summits at 20,849 feet but a huge hunk of the middle was cloud covered. Then we saw the glacier base."

"We learned that in total rock bulk, the "Mountain" is bigger than Everest and since it's a 'young' mountain, it may someday surpass Everest in height, too."

"The scenery is magnificent. Cool days but if the sun comes out for the whole day, one ends up in shirt sleeves. It never gets totally dark. Sunset is 1:30-ish a.m. and sunrise is 3:30-ish a.m. Really weird when trying to keep track of day and time."

All of that, I might add, happened during Sue's first few days in Alaska. Who knows what's she's done and seen since then. But have no fear. Whenever she sends an update, I'll be sure to share it with all of you. By the way, you can still send emails to Sue but don't bog her down with a lot of "writing business stuff" right now. Remember, she's on VACATION! And she can't always get back to you because WiFi service in Alaska is spotty at best. And that can be a Very Good Thing -- especially when you're on a vacation!

Posted by
Russ Heitz
www.russheitz.com

New Words, Congrats & Recap

Two reminders: (1)our next meeting, our General Meeting, will be Wednesday evening the 16th, same time, same place, and (2) the Magic Words, contributed by Peter Frickel, are POOR and POUR. Use both words in one sentence, or each word in a separate sentence, or whatever other combination you can come up with. Your choice. And use your imagination. Let's see if we can create some unique sentences.

The congratulations go out to Kerri Dieffenwierth. The poignant and very original story she read at the last meeting about Chupa Chup, the old man who was trapped and died in an amusement park ride, placed 4th in a contest that had 400 entries. Way-to-go, Kerri! Let us know the details about the contest at the next meeting.

The meeting recap will include just about everyone who came to the meeting because nearly everyone brought something to read.

Joe Porter read a very moving piece about his experiences in Hiroshima shortly after The Bomb destroyed the whole city. Ed Lyman brought another one of his humorous short pieces. This one was about pickles and olives. Kris Palmer read a piece about Courage and demonstrated once again that she definitely has more courage than most of us. Our resident actor Tom Smith read, presented, and acted out his version of the Snow White fable. Jean Porter shared a couple poems about swimming and the current oil spill disaster going on in the Gulf of Mexico. One of our new visitors, Micki Knowles read her story about the Demonic Delights of the Cabbage Patch dolls. Phil Dobrin took us all into the operating room again and gave us a glimpse of what goes on during a heart operation. Andrew Parker read another one of his powerful and this time heart-rending story segments, about a young man who is trying to adjust to the results of a life-changing accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. And Peter Frickel brought the evening to a close with another poignant and powerfully presented dying scene from his novel.

During the meeting we also had a very lively and informative discussion about some of the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus author initiated publishing, usually referred to with the very broad and comprehensive terms "self publishing" and/or "POD publishing"

Don't forget to use our two Magic Words poor and pour in a sentence or two. CU all on the 16th.

Posted by
Russ Heitz
www.russheitz.com