DENTON WRITERS LEAGUE
 FIRST EDITION
MAY 2004 VOL. 15 NUMBER 5

DWL Home Page: http://byjoni.com/dwl

If you would like a copy of the newsletter e-mailed to you instead of through the US post, please contact George Avera or Joni Latham.

NOTICE:  MAY'S MEETING WILL BE AT THE EVERGREEN SUPER BUFFET DUE TO THE LIBRARY NEEDING THE MEETING ROOM FOR A GRANT PRESENTATION.

WHERE WE MEET AND WHEN

The second Saturday of every month, at the

Denton Library-North Branch - click here for map 
3020 N. Locust St (corner of Windsor St & N. Locust St)
 Denton, TX

General Meeting 10:30 a.m.

Lunch at Noon at the
 Evergreen Super Buffet - click here for map 
1006 W. University Dr
Denton, TX 76201

NEXT MEETING - MAY 8, 2004

Guest Speakers

May - Roxanne Conrad
June - Lillian Stewart Carl
July - Hart Parris - RonJon Publishing
August - Karen DeVinney, Managing Editor-University of North Texas Press
September - Annual Workshop
October - Pamela Stone
November - Gloria Oliver
December - General Meeting    

GUEST SPEAKER

Although she was born in New Mexico and raised in the Army, Roxanne Longstreet Conrad is undeniably a Texas author. Her novels have been referred to as "twisted" and "inspired" and both are classifications she's proud of. Her past works include Stormriders, The Undead, Red Angel, Cold Kiss, Slow Burn, Copper Moon, and Bridge of Shadows. Visit Roxanne's website at http://www.artistsinresidence.com/rlc/
 

APRIL MEETING RECAP 

Jeff Crilley talked on how to have your book reviewed in a newspaper or magazine.  Focus on newspapers and magazines instead of television or radio because print media is easier for people to keep.  They might want to read or re-read it at a later date, take it with them when they go to the bookstore, or even tape it on their computer.  Using the actual published or near-published books our members, he told each one how to find out what reporter to approach and how to approach them.  Below are the steps he took us through:

  1. Identity the target market for your book. (ie: World War II veterans)
  2. Identity the reporter who writes about that market by Googling (internet search) on the market and the publication.  (ie:  World War II Dallas Morning News)
  3. Familiarize yourself with the reporter's work.
  4. Call the reporter.  Do not e-mail or fax (both are easily lost or ignored)
  5. Tell the reporter how much you like their work and it's an honor to actually talk to them.  Be sincere and actually have read some of their articles.
  6. Show emotion and passion when talking about your book.
  7. Offer to send them a copy of the book even if eventually decided not to review it.

I was asked to Google a few things for people so I thought I would put my results in the newsletter.  Although it wasn't as easy as it says above, I was able to find two of the individuals who write religious book reviews for the Dallas Morning News.

Berta Delgado-Reporter-Religion
214-977-8244  bdelgado@dallasnews.com
Susan Hogan/Albach-Reporter-Religion
214-977-8467 shogan@dallasnews.com

My search for publications on orphanages wasn't as successful.  I found several website on orphanages and adoption with lists of orphanages but no magazines directed to individuals who had lived in orphanages; although, there quite a few for people who were adopted and their parents.

Working at Writing

Author:  Moushumi Chakrabarty
Date:   10-25-02

Making a commitment to yourself as a writer often falls into the waiting traps of washing machines, meals and procrastinations - especially if you are a work-at-home type of person. I am. Corporate chit-chat is definitely not what turns me on, writing-wise and in other ways. So when I quit the entire ‘going-out-to-work’ lifestyle, it seemed like a wise decision. Now I was going to do what I really was best at - writing, and full-time, at home.

Ulysses set out with less baggage than me on this quest. I had pre-conceived notions about how a writer’s life should be. I got myself fancy software, installed favorite writing-related quotes on the notice board in front of my Ikea desk, bought a whole bunch of colored stationery - in short, did everything a writer is supposed to do, but write.

Every morning, after the kids and husband had left, I would sit at the computer, surfing the Internet. I called it warming up. Who wouldn’t, with a cup of steaming coffee and last evening’s doughnut beside them?

I’d then open up a blank document after the cup was drained and think, “Okay, now to write.” But a subject and its handmaiden, language, refused to join me. I typed out a long string of letters ("m," for instance), hoping for some inspiration. Next, a walk around the garden, thinking disconsolately that the zinnias were blooming divinely unlike my muse. Then it would suddenly strike me that it was almost noon and I hadn’t made lunch. The kids would be home soon.

With something like relief, I'd rush into the kitchen to start preparing a meal. Midway, the laundry would call out; piles of unwashed clothes wallowing in the basement. Running up and down the stairs leaves me tired and all too soon, the day is done.

However, after some serious thinking, I’ve come up with some tips to combat this dreadful lack of discipline.

  1. When you meet someone and they ask you, “What do you do?,” leave out the tremor in your voice when you say, “I’m a writer.”

     
  2. Keep introducing yourself in the mirror. Practice assertive talking: “I’m a writer.”

     
  3. Every morning, when you are about to start, borrow a leaf (or bone) from Pavlov. The trick is reinforcement. Tell yourself you will have an extra éclair after you’ve written a page.

     
  4. Do not go on to the Internet. Save that for later. It’s like a maze; you keep getting into pages of information that may be fascinating, but that you can do without. After all, the mating habits of grasshoppers may make an article, but…

     
  5. Start with writing prompts if you don’t know what to write about. Or just pretend you’re James Joyce and do a stream-of-consciousness.

     
  6. Keep a journal. Like a word processing program or pen, this is an essential tool for the writer. Write about yourself, or nature's beauty, or your husband’s snoring which hardly gave you sleep last night or how you could strangle the neighbor’s dog. Start your writing day with an entry in your journal. Think of that as your warming up exercise.

     
  7. If you like poetry, keep a book of poems on your desk. Look up your favorite poem. A poem can be like dipping into a clear lake on a hot day, it refreshes and energizes so.

     
  8. Tell yourself you will sit in front of the empty page for half an hour, even if you don’t write anything. You have allocated it to be your writing time. That’s what it is. You are not going to do anything else but write. Soon you’ll find boredom is a great stimulator. You’ll start to write just to keep from staring at the empty street.

     
  9. When you manage to write something, make a tick mark on the calendar with a bright red pen. The ritual is to have these tick marks on at least five days in a week. The thought of not having a tick mark on a particular square makes me write without fail.

     
  10. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Even if you write a few lines, pat yourself on the back.

Now go and have that éclair.

Copyright 2002 Moushumi Chakrabarty. All rights reserved.

Reprinted from Writers Net http://www.writers.net

Texas Conferences and Events 

April 30-May 1, 2004 Oklahoma Writers’ Federation Conference, Embassy Suites Hotel, 1815 S. Meridian, Oklahoma City OK 73108, (405) 682-6000. Click here for details http://www.owfi.org/OWFI_Conference3.html .

May 1-2, 2004, Houston, Houston Festival of Books. Location TBA in January 04

May 4th, Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers will host award-winning author of Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott, 7 p.m. in the OSU-Tulsa auditorium. For more info see the center's website at: http://poetsandwritersokstate.edu/events

From the Texas Author’s Coalition, Inc website. URL in listing below.

On-Line Writers resources

Author's Network-for writers about writing based in Europe, but interesting- http://www.author-network.com/
Copyright Forms- http://www.loc.gov/copyright/forms/
Dallas Sceen Writers- http://www.dallasscreenwriters.com/
Denton Public Library - http://www.cityofdenton.com/pages/library.cfm
National Association of Women Writers - http://www.naww.org
New Writer's Market http://hge.members.atlantic.net/
Para Publishing Website - a good writing, publishing, and promotion source - http://parapub.com/getpage.cfm?file=/homepage.html&user=#user
Preditors and Editors-a resources to check out agents and publishers http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/
Ralan's Webstravaganza-speculative fiction resource http://ralan.com/
Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators http://www.scbwi.org/
Texas Coalition of Authors, Inc. http://www.texasauthors.org/
The Market List-the online resource for genre fiction writers http://www.marketlist.com/
 The Novelist's Workshop-essays and advice on how to publish your book- http://www.monash.com/writers.html
Writer's Exchange http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing/
Writer's Market http://www.writersmarket.com/index_ns.asp
Writers Net-source for information for writers, editors, agents, and publishers- http://www.writers.net
Writing-World.Com - http://www.writing-world.com 
The Zuzu's Petals Literary Resource Homepage-for both writers and poets- http://www.zuzu.com/

There are multitudes of writing resources available on the Internet. Go to any search engine and ask for writer's resources, writer's markets, writer's contests, writer's conferences, etc

DWL OFFICERS:

President       Joni Latham ( joni1957@verizon.net) - 940/243-5200
Vice President  June Powell - 940/565-1013
Treasurer       Joseph Marino
Newsletter      George Avera ( gavera@chatter.com) - 940/382-8161