Write Angles June 2011

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June

2011

Edward Rowland Sill (18411887) An inspiring teacher, a poet and essayist, came toCalifornia for a teaching position at Oakland High School in 1871. In 1874 he became thesecond English professor at the newly created University of California, Berkeley.

What we all need is to keep clear of restraining influences these obscure, subtle othat throw us out of rapport with ourselves and make us think of the writing insteadthe thing to be written.

a letter to a student, transcribed in Edward Rowland Sill: His Life and Works by William Belmont Parker


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Linda Brown, president

contentsPresidents Message 1

June Speaker 2

May Workshop Highlights 2

Leadership Conference 3

Dont Forget & Thank You 4

Guest ColumnC. Hope Clark 5

Member News & Tidbits 6

Contacts 7

Picnic Invitation 8

Speaker Flyer 9

Other branch announcements

upcoming

events6/5 5

thGrade Story Awards

Ceremony

6/19 Speaker: Cara BlackHow to Pull the Reader intoYour Created World

7/16 CWC-BB Board PlanningRetreat

7/30 CWC Annual Statewide Picnic1:00-4:00 pmFire Circle inJoaquin Miller Park

7/31 Jack London Awards

View from the Mountain Top

By Linda Brown

Members,

This issue of Write Angles will be the last one for the Clubs fiscal year,which ends June 30. Great work by Tanya Grove and all the volunteers whomade it happen. Watch for your next issue (and alerts about Septemberprograms) in late August.

When I wrote in last months column about not writing on my book, I think Imoaned. With this column, I will reflect and catch you up on whats plannedover the summer. Just writing this column, having it copyedited by Anne Fox,and attending the craft workshops have all helped improve my writing style. Ican add this column as recent work on my rsum. (The last time I wrote

columns was nearly nine years ago.)

Through Write Angles, I have learned more about writing and gotten to knowmore members, most in the Berkeley Branch and some in other branches.

I am energized today. We had a successful branch board meeting on April 30.A week later, on May 7, NorCal held its Leadership Secrets of Successful CWCBranches, with nearly 50 people from the 10 NorCal branches participating.Last Sunday, May 8, we held our final workshop, with 20 people attendingand an excellent leader. On May 15, I learned about what I needed to know ayear ago when I first set up my own website.

Six of your board members participated in the NorCal workshop, and we havemore than 13 ideas to cogitate on and then discuss and prioritize at thePlanning Retreat July 16.

The Planning Retreat is a six-hour visioning/strategic planning session open toall members. I hope many of you will join the board members in creating thestrong blueprint for next year. Our goal is to end the day with the Clubspriorities set forth in writing with these documents:

Five-Year GoalsRolling Three-Year Business PlanApproved Budget for the Next Fiscal Year

Meanwhile, I hope to see you on June 4 to support the winners of the Fifth-

Grade Story Contest, at our last speaker program on June 19, at the PlanningRetreat on July 16, and at the statewide picnic at the Fire Circle (where Jackand his friends hung out) in Joaquin Miller Park on July 30.

Research on Californi a cover author by Karren Elsbernd

About Us:The CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB, founded in 1909, is a 501(c) (3)educational nonprofit dedicated to educating members and the public-at-large inthe craft of writing and in the marketing of their work.


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June Speaker:

Sharpen Your Senses, Create an Experience

By David Baker

Strains of Arab hip-hop remix drifted in from the street. The narrow cafoverlooked rue des Cascades; no entrance to a back room was in

evidence at first glance. Pinball machines from the sixties, their silverpatina rubbed off in places, stood blinking in the corner.

The words provide a setting, foreshadow difficulties for the protagonist, whoexpects to meet someone in a back room, and introduce us to the Belleville districtin Paris. Not bad for a short paragraph. The passage appears in Murder inBelleville, the second of the Aime Leduc Investigations, an eleven-volume noirmystery series written by Cara Black, our featured speaker for the June 19meeting. Black will talk to us about creating a sense of place with settings thatdraw the reader in.

For her, the place is France. Daughter of a Francophile father, Black attended aFrench-run Catholic school where nuns taught her archaic French and gave her

summer subscriptions to Elle magazine. She also made numerous visits to Paris. In1984, while standing on cobblestones in the Marais, the old Jewish district, sheheard a story from a friend about a fourteen-year-old girl who hid alone in a hotel room after her family disappearedduring the German occupation. The story stayed with Black, and, ten years later, provoked her to write Murder inMarais, the first book in the Aime Leduc series.

Black spends a lot of time sketching locations to prepare for the work of crafting scenes in her books. She alsointerviews people and joins historical societies in the districts shes writing about. Her efforts yield descriptions thatmake readers feel theyre having a real experience in a real place. We can learn to do the same. At the June meeting,Cara Black will tell us how.

May Workshop

Memoir Writing Workshop Delivers

By Shereen Rahman

Linda Joy Myers conducted a workshop on memoir writing on May 8 at the Independence Plaza auditorium. The livelyinteractive workshop drew upon writing exercises on turning points and timelines. The main topics included these:

Why are you writing your memoir? (The reason decides the path.)What do you want to say, show and share? (Thats the theme.)Issues of truth and family (solving the obstacles on your writing path)How memoir writing is different from journalingTransforming your turning points to scenes. (Thats the story.)

As an experienced therapist for over three decades, Myers described how she had seen

the healing power of writing memoirs.

Participation was high in this well-attended workshop. At the end, the consensus wasthat three hours was too short a time.

Excellent speaker and workshop. I have heard this speaker before and really enjoyedhearing her again many helpful suggestions, wrote one of the participants.

Once president of CWCs Marin branch, Linda is the founder of the National Associationof Memoir Writers (NAMW).


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Leadership Conference

Redwood Writers Lead by Example

By Kathleen L. Orosco

President of CWCs Redwood Writers Linda Loveland

Reid led a dynamic presentation at the May 7 con-ference, Leadership Secrets to Successful CWCBranches. Her reputation for enthusiasm and naturalleadership preceded her presence. Under her leader-ship, the Redwood branch membership has increased bymore than 125 percent, to 226 members, the largest inthe state.

The attendees eagerness to listen and respond toLindas thought-provoking questions and creative ideaswas clearly proof that her secret formula works andworks well. The bigger message was to rise above theaverage, mundane, and self-defeating mechanical steps

that branches often mistakenly use to recruit volun-teers and attract new members.

Linda said, Most organizations have what they need tobe successful. If they only knew how to use all their toolsto the highest advantage, they could doubletheir membership in one year.

Six members represented the Berkeley Branch at the conference inPleasant Hill: President Linda Brown, Treasurer Madelen Lontiong,Speaker Chair Jane Glendinning, Write Angles Editor Tanya Grove,next years Workshop Chair Barry Boland, and Nor-CalRepresentative Kathleen Orosco.

Linda offered many excellent suggestions, the most important onesfocusing on the following points:

1) maintain high professional standards by personalizing approac2) encourage voluntarism3) increase new memberships to include younger members

But the one theme that Linda consistently linked to all of herpoints was to pay attention to how people are treated, whichbrings to mind these words by esteemed poet Maya Angelou:Ive learned that people will forget what you said, people willforget what you did, but people will never forget how you madethem feel.

Linda Loveland Reid, CWC-Redwood president

While we learned and acquired many essential tools that attract potential members, it is also important to note thatin the process we are essentially writers helping writers.

Linda Loveland Reid leads by example with a high level of professionalism and a desire to treat all members withrespect. She also projects a commitment to enrich and promote growth in the California Writers Club, and in doing so,inspires us to do so as well.

Special t hanks t o co-NorCal delegate Jef f Kingman for t he professional manner i n which he handled branchreservations and notifications.

from left to right: Madelen Lontiong, Barry Boland, KathleenOrosco, Tanya Grove, Linda Brown, JaneGlendinning


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Write Angles 4Dont ForgetBy Cliff Hui, Membership Chair

She emerged from out of the shadows, walking towards me in a black leather mini-skirt, her hips swiveling like well-oiled ball bearings. She stood next to me at the barwhile I drank in her blond curls brushing her shoulders and the buttons on her fieryred blouse straining to stay closed. She turned to me and fixed me with her baby

blues. I was struggling to think of an opening line when she said, Times up.

Was this a password? Did I miss the coded message drop? At the risk of blowing mycover, I responded, Times up?

Its time to pay your writers club dues for 2011-2012. Just bring a check madepayable to CWC-BB to the next meeting. She paused. Ask for Madelen. Shelooked me up and down and with a slight smile added, Or check the website for amailing address if you prefer delivery service. She turned to the bartender. Illhave what hes having.

I was stunned. Dues?

For active, associate, and supporting members its forty-five dollars. For dual andstudent members, the rate is twenty dollars.

My eyes narrowed to mere slits. Theres more to this code than the usual. I rackedmy brain for the right response. Finally, I asked, So?

She smiled, her eyes twinkling in the glow reflected from the mirror over the bar.So if you get dropped from the rolls because youre late, its gonna cost you anadditional twenty bucks plusyour dues to get back on the rolls. Thats the wordfrom the big boys at the Central Board.

I raised my eyebrows. Now were getting somewhere. Her drink arrived. She held itup to eye level and examined the ice still swirling inside. She locked her eyes on

mine as she took a sip. She uttered a soft purr. I gave up on trying to find the codeand searched my brain for a good opening line but stopped searching when she pressed the glass to her cleavage andasked, Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

I could feel my eyes getting big. My pants felt tighter. How about

She pressed her finger to my lips and leaned forward. Her warm breath caressed myear as she whispered, Dont forget.

Then she left, walking back into the shadows. Her drink remained on the bar with aperfect impression of her lips on the rim.

Thank You to CWC-BB Volunteers

Some people volunteer to help on committees or to lead committees. Others volunteer for spot jobs. Still othersprovide meeting space or make paid staff available to help on occasion. Whatever the method, special thanks to theCWC-BB members who volunteered their time and expertise to make new and ongoing things happen during the July 1,2010-June 30, 2011 fiscal year. Your efforts served our 99 members + five additional members who joined the CWC-BBas a dual member and the larger 1,500 members throughout the CWCs 18 branches. Special thanks to those whovolunteered for multiple activities.

Continued on page 5 __________________________________________________________________________


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Write Angles 5Guest Column:

The Games We PlayBy C. Hope Clark

As writers, we test ourselves, and those tests oftentake the form of games. We give ourselves deadlines,

obstacles to overcome, and benchmarks to tick off ourcalendar.

-write 500 words per day-submit an article per week-find five new markets each week-speak to two new people in a conference

workshop-bring a new chapter to the next writer's group-use social media no more than an hour each day-read email only after we've drafted a chapter

We throw up challenges, limits, and goals so that weknow what we are doing, where we are going, andhow long it'll take for us to get there.

But I bet we play other games as well. We don't oftentalk about these games. They are mental tug-of-wargames.

-I stayed up late last night, so I'll only write 200words today.

-I have a headache, so I won't submit an article.-I won't post to the blog this week, because no-

body commented on it for the last three timesanyway.

-My writing sucks, so I'll skip the novel for awhile and take a break.

-Just a few more emails (or games or blogs orFacebook).

Those are tangibles. The serious games we play,however, are along the line of:

-I don't need to edit this. I like the way it'swritten.

-Three agents rejected me, so no point in writingmore.

-I don't understand platform. I'll go ahead andpost my book on Amazon anyway.Somebody will see it.

-I put myself out there writing this book, so I'lltake a break now and see how it sells.

I have a friend who thinks I edit my novel too much. I

can find something wrong with it every time I pick itup. That's why I pitched 12 agents, then after thoserejected, I edited the book hard again. I did thatthrough 72 agents. Each time the story improved.

When we are our own boss, it's easy to be lulled intostopping short, skipping steps and finding reasons notto work so hard. Rejection is ours to own. Whether wesubmit premature work or pitch to an agent thatdoesn't fit, it's all on us to edit, research, rewrite, andsubmit without pulling punches or cutting through theneighbor's yard to take a project home.

C. Hope Clark is the editor of FundsforWriters, www.fundsforwriters.com, Writer's Digest 101 Best Web Sites for Writers - 2001-2011 and author of blog - www.hopeclark.blogspot.com

Continued from page 4___________________

Executive Board & Past Presidents: Al Levenson, DavidSawle, Linda Brown, Lloyd Lofthouse, Barbara Ruffner,Kymberlie Ingalls, Madelen Lontiong,

Contests: Lucille Bellucci, Tatjana Greiner, JeffKingman, Debbie Frisch and everyone who readsubmissions and made selections

Support/Critique Groups: Anne Fox, Barbara Gilvar,

Bruce Shigeura, David Baker, Debbie Frisch, JenniferSnow

Central Board & NorCal: Dave Sawle, Jeff Kingman,Kathleen Orosco, Linda Brown, Lloyd Lofthouse, VernonDolphin, Alysa Chadow

Marketing Group: Lloyd Lofthouse, Alon Shalev, BarbaraGilvar, JoAnn Ainsworth, Dodie Katague

Membership: Barbara Gilvar Barbara Ruffner, Cliff Hui,Francine Howard, Shelley Wagner, Shereen Rahman

Publicity, Social Media & Website: Linda Brown, LloydLofthouse, Lynn Fraley, Madelen Lontiong, Matt MatthewsEva Merrick, Kristen Caven

Speaker, Workshops, & Special Events: Jane GlendinningBarbara Ruffner, Barry Boland, Tanya Grove, LucilleBellucci, Vernon Dolphin, and the members who led aworkshop or gave a speech or author reading

Write Angles: Anne Fox, Tanya Grove, David Baker, Kriste

Caven, Karren Elsbernd, April Kutger, and everyone whosubmitted an article

If your name is not here and you volunteered in the past 1months, please accept our apologies for the omission andsend an e-mail to [email protected] letting us knoabout your contributions. Well note your contributionwhen Write Angles resumes with the September 2011 issu

California Writers Club Board of DirectorsBerkeley Branch


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Member News

Francine Howard will have a book signing for The Sisterhood Hyphen and Page From a Tennessee Journal at AlexanderBooks in San Francisco on June 3 between 12:30-1:30.

Over 100 people attended an exhibit opening, "Consumers Cooperative of BerkeleyA Noble Venture," at the Berkeley

History Center in downtown Berkeley, on May 15. A panel of 7 people, former Co-op employees and experts in thefield, enlightened the crowd. The program and exhibits were videotaped and will go on YouTube. Co-curators areTherese Pipe and Linda Rosen. This exhibit continues to September 24. Info, Therese (510) 841-5493, or BerkeleyHistory Center (510) 848-0181.

Irv Hamilton Jr.s novel, A 20-Minute War: A Cold War Novel, was reviewed by Judith Gallman in the Media Shelfsection (New Releases from the Bay Area) of Oakland Magazine, May-June 2011.

Write Angles editor Tanya Grove took third place in a contest for short, short fiction (under 750 words) sponsored bythe Sacramento branch of CWC. She will read her winning story, "A Serendipitous Visit," at that branch's June 18meeting. Sacramentos newsletter, Write On!, will carry the story.

Write Angleswelcomes letters to the editor, boo k reviews, and articles of i nterest to wr iters. Submit to [email protected]. If you are a member and

want to share news, please write Member News in the subj ect line. Deadline is the 15th of the month .

Tidbits

Memoir Writers Critique Group Forming

A number of Berkeley CWC members have expressed interest in forming a critique group for memoir writers. It isproposed that the group meet once every two weeks on a Wednesday afternoon. Pieces to be critiqued should be sentby e-mail no later than the previous Friday. There will be a planning meeting to organize the group in June in Berkeley.If interested, please contact Shereen Rahman, 510-845-3425 or [email protected].

Where Are the Survey Results?

The data from the tech survey that was handed out atour last two meetings and was featured in the May issueof Write Angles has not yet been analyzed. The resultswill be in the September issue.

Oakland Indie Awards Honor

CWC-BB & Member Kristen Caven

The Oakland Indie Awards focus on positive social andenvironmental impacts of Oaklands businesses andartists. Member of CWCs Berkeley branch KristenCaven was nominated in both the "Oakland Soul" and

the "Pillar" categories, and the club was nominated asa Pillar for independent writers.

The awards ceremony took place on Friday, May 13, atthe Lakeside Theatre, followed by a party with foodrepresenting Oaklands gourmet melting pot, live artdemonstrations, a photo booth, and a DJ spinning tunesfrom Oakland.

President Linda Brown and member Kristen Caven at the OaklandIndie Awards. Between them is Kristen's mother, Louise Hart, alsoan author and independent publisher (Uplift Press).


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contacts

CLUB OFFICERS

President: Linda Brown

Treasurer: Madelen Lontiong

Secretary: Kymberlie Ingalls

VP Administration: Al Levenson

VP Membership: Clifford Hui

VP Communication: Position Open

VP Writing Groups: Barbara Gilvar

VP Programs: Barbara Ruffner

VP Marketing Writers Products: Position Open

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Marketing Writers: Position Open

Publicity Chair: Position Open

New Member Orientation:Barbara Gilvar

Speaker Chair: Jane Glendinning

Workshop Chair: Barry Boland

Write Angles Editor: Tanya Grove

Copyeditor: Anne Fox

Central Board Delegate: Position OpenCWC-NorCal Delegates: Jeff Kingman &

Kathleen Orosco

Web Manager: PositionOpen

Write On! Story Contest: Position Open

5th-Grade Story Contest: Debby Frisch

Visit our web site @ calwritersclub.wordpress.com

More f rom t he cover aut hor:

E.R. Sills words inscribed on his memorial chair at theUCB Greek Theater:

'Tis not in seeking,

'Tis not in endless strivingThy quest is found.Be still and listen,Be still and drink the quietOf all around.

Excerpt from On a Picture of Mt. Shasta by Keith:

What is this breathing atom, that his brainShould build or purpose aught or aught desire,But stand a moment in amaze and awe,

Rapt on the wonderfulness of the world?

Our monthly meetings are free and open to the public and featurea speaker, an author event, or both.

Oakland Public Library

West Auditorium

125 14th Street 94612

Entrance on Madison Street

between 13th & 14th


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SOUTH BAY WRITERS PRESENTS:A Workshop Led by Nina Amir

How to Write a Book Fast!4 Ways to Compile & Publi sh a Manuscri pt in Record Time

June 25, 20119:00 am 2:30 pm

Lookout Restaurant605 Macara Ave.Sunnyvale, CA 94085

Registration @ 8:30; workshop begins promptly at 9:00; continental breakfast and lunch included.

Students w/ID (up to age 25), anytime $25Early Bird (before June 10, 2011)CWC members: $35Non-members: $45After June 10 and at the doorCWC members: $45

Non-members: $55

Do you want a published product to sell while you build your platform by speaking? Do you have tips youd like to put into a full-length book but no time now to write it? Would you like to write your book quickly? Do you have blog content youd like to recycle into money-making published products?

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, youll find the information you need at this

workshop. Learn how to write and publish tip books, booklets (short books or condensed versions of full-length

books), blogged books (manuscripts written while blogging), and booked blogs (books created from blog posts).

Discover how to repurpose your written material while producing salable products. Youll leave with outlines,

written material, plans, how-to info, and tons of ideas (+promotion tips) for writing a variety of books fast.

About the presenter:Nina Amir, Your Inspiration-to-Creation Coach, inspires writers to create the results they desirepublished products and careers as writers and authors. An author, journalist, freelance bookeditor, and writing, blogging and author coach, she has 5 blogs, including Write Nonfiction NOWand How to Blog a Book, and writes 2 on-line Examiner.com columns. She is the founder of WriteNonfiction in November, a blog and challenge. Find out more about her at www.NinaAmir.com.With Nina youAchieve More Inspired Results!

Documents

Write Angles June 2011