Eliot - A Writers' Blog

Popularity: 3% [?]

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About the Author: Brad R. Cook is a Historical Fantasy Writer who daylights as a Business Writing Consultant. He is occasionally called upon to be a poet and playwright. Find him on twitter @bradrcook
Brad R. Cook's Website

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Popularity: 5% [?]

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About the Author: I grew up loving to escape in the world of stories that my Father would write just for me. So it wasn't any wonder that as I got older I too picked up the pen and started writing. As a teenager I loved the stories with anything paranormal and I've tried to create my own world of vampire and other things that go bump in the night. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed creating it. Follow Me On... Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/leighsavage/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLeighSavage Blog: http://leighsavage.blogspot.com/2012/04/featured-author-paige-tyler.html#comment-form Romance Novel Center: http://www.romancenovelcenter.com/leighsavage Email: authorleighsavage@gmail.com GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/leighsavage Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/LeighSavage Blessed Be, Leigh Savage
Leigh Savage's Website

If You Love St. Louis, You’ll Love This Anthology
By Brad R. Cook, President of St. Louis Writers Guild

I remember when we first decided to create the anthology. St. Louis Writers Guild was about to celebrate its 90th Anniversary. We had planned the Year of Festivals, a time to celebrate the long history of the Writers Guild and all the amazing writers who were a part of the current organization. With well over 250 members there was a lot of talent in our midst. For every significant anniversary over the last 50 years or so, St. Louis Writers Guild (SLWG) had created a members’ booklet. Back in the day, it would have held addresses, phone numbers, publications, but in our ambition we decided to do an anthology. I must admit, the topic was never in doubt. To celebrate our 90th Anniversary we would honor the city that had been the home and inspiration to every member of SLWG since its founding.

We sent out the call, and went about celebrating the Year of Festivals. The anthology was always designed to come out after 2010. We wanted to include as many members as possible in the list and knew it would take some time to put the collection together. It was probably better we didn’t know what it would really take to bring this book to fruition – we might have faltered or maybe waivered, but that never happened. As historian of SLWG, I volunteered to spearhead this project – it was of historical significance and I wanted the experience of putting together an anthology. I wasn’t alone, Mary Menke, who was VP of Operations at the time, agreed to help. Ah, we were so naïve, the saying ‘ignorance is bliss’ had never been more true.

It took months to collect all the entries, and then even more months to collect all the electronic ones, some of which we never received, so Mary typed many from the hard copies. Then came the initial round of editing. Then another round of editing, and another.

I took on the task of arranging the stories in order. Some were easy; Pat Bubash wrote a great piece asking the one question that St. Louis is famous for, where’d you go to high school, so that seemed an appropriate way to start. I like numbers, so Dwight Bitikofer’s poignant Seven slid perfectly into the seventh slot, and I took the thirteenth slot with my ode to Clayton. For me it’s a lucky number, and I knew if I put anyone else there, I’d probably choose someone with latent triskaidekaphobia. I ended the anthology with Faye Adams’ poem to St. Louis Writers Guild which seemed a fitting way to close, but it took another month to get the order just right.

The front and back covers came easily, our webmaster took the image of the Arch, and David Lucas, VP of Membership, snapped the beautiful image of the sun while at the annual SLWG picnic. Once everything had been approved by the board we pushed forward with the assistance of StL Books. Erin Robbins and Robin Theiss did an amazing job with the cover and getting the actual book ready for printing. We couldn’t have done it without them.

We scheduled the book release party and waited for the books to roll in, but nothing about this anthology was simple. The first proof came in and was a little off, but that’s why you always order a proof. Fixing the issue caused a delay. It ended up being the most successful book release without the book I have ever been too. We sold over 50 copies and luckily the books came in a day or so later.

We ended up with an amazing anthology, one that has been described as a wonderful nostalgia trip through St. Louis memories. It was our love of St. Louis that brought this book into existence. It might have been a pleasant struggle, but that only mirrors the city we were trying to honor. St. Louis is a town of FAN-atics, the residents have a deep passion for this city. Founded on the banks the longest river in North America, it has gone from being the gateway of westward expansion, the home of ragtime, to the spirit that carried Lindbergh over the Atlantic, and raised the tallest arch in the world.

So now that you know why we put the anthology together, here are some of the contributors reasons for writing the amazing pieces found within.

I asked – What inspired your contribution to St. Louis Reflections? Was it the personal nature of your story or did you feel it was something St. Louis needed to hear?

Pat Bubash – Not being a St. Louisan by origin, when the topic for the anthology was given, immediately, instantaneously, the question, “where did you go to h.s. came to my mind”. People from other cities often ask me, “why is this such an important question for St. Louisans”? I think it is a question unique to St. Louis. As I noted in my submission asking this question and receiving an answer, gives a wide variety of information about the person.

Linda O’Connell – I felt that my personal essay had a strong St. Louis connection as Chuck Berry is an icon, but also there was a take away message: greatness is not in a name.

Claire Applewhite – Perhaps the story was both personal as well as a reflection on St. Louis neighborhoods. My contribution followed a book signing in the south St. Louis neighborhood in which I was raised. I had not seen many of the people who attended for nearly forty years, and was genuinely touched by the emotional impact of our reunion. Memories rushed back so vividly, it was as if I had never left. The people who significantly influenced me in so many ways were still there, the way I remembered them. St. Louis is like that. Neighborhoods are such a big part of life here.

Marcel Toussaint – Saint Louis needs to know its own writers and poets. The best way to do it is to have an anthology that will have a media interest rather than promote each writer or poet individually. Or the media would choose its preferences and leave some of them in the darkness of the unknown.

Niki Nymark – “Mama Mississippi”: Written to right a wrong. I always thought it was a mistake to call her “Ole Man River,” when I saw her as a languorous, sexy lady. My family had a business close by the levee and as a tiny child; I often sat on the cobblestones to watch her flow by.

“The Body”: On later reflection, it amazed me that adults would be so caught up in a murder that they wouldn’t notice a four year-old spectator when the police brought the body out. This really happened during the Depression in a hotel next to my mother’s coffee shop. It didn’t seem troublesome at the time (1938), just fascinating.

Billy Adams – It was just an old memory stored away that I thought would be of interest

Faye Adams – In writing my story, On the River’s Edge, I simply wanted to express my reactions to the city of St. Louis. Having been raised on a farm, in a sparsely populated area, and moving to the city in my senior year of high school, I suffered major culture shock. I had to learn quickly how to function in a totally different environment than the one in which I was conversant or comfortable. Both the accent and the colloquialisms were foreign to me, but it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the city of St. Louis. Each day was a new discovery, and joy far outweighed frustration as I moved into the mainstream of the downtown work force.

In my story, A Small Slice of St. Louis History, I attempted to showcase the bank which played a major role in the St. Louis financial arena, holds the distinction of being the oldest bank west of the Mississippi river, boasts a connection to two U. S. Presidents, and was once pulled from the path of disaster by a bordello proprietress.

In the poem, St. Louis Writers Guild, my aim is to present a group of people who helped to establish the St. Louis literary community and have furnished much inspiration and encouragement for Bill and I in the past six years – writers of fiction, poetry, children’s books, nonfiction, fantasy, memoirs, screenplays, and devotionals, who are not only great writers, but great people who overcome adversity in their own lives to reach out and help others.

Donna Springer – I sometimes write when stimulated by “prompts.” I had submitted “Mid-time, 6 a.m. St. Louis, for a workshop at The Saint Louis Poetry Center,” and had written about The Mississippi Mile for the Saint Louis Track Club’s Track Time News in 2003. When The Saint Louis Writers Guild requested material about Saint Louis for its 90th Anniversary anthology, I felt a “prompt” to modify past writings to express my love and appreciation for Saint Louis, and for the Saint Louis Writers Guild. I continue to enjoy watching the day come in at six a.m. from a Saint Louis window, and have happy reflections about the runs across the Mississippi on the rehabilitated Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Though I “went to high school” in Connecticut, I have lived in and enjoyed Saint Louis since 1975.

Jeanine Dahlberg – A nostalgic stroll back into time when St. Louis suffered under the Great Depression inspired me to write my story. The reader will learn the hardships imposed upon a very little girl and her family and how she coped with the experiences.

Lynn Obermoeller – I was inspired mostly by the personal nature of my story, “Hendel’s Market.” It was a huge part of my childhood. I feel not only did it reflect a part of St. Louis, but something that other communities in the U.S. or even around the world could relate to.

Debbie Fox – I enjoy a challenge in finding a story with a universal theme based on real events. I submitted my story because I am a part of the Guild and wanted to participate. Although my story was personal, it would appeal to a larger audience. It certainly wasn’t something St. Louis had to hear, but I believe people will remember the places I wrote about.

Hal Simpkin – Since the book was to be a memoir I dipped as far into my memory as I could. To a kid in rural St. Louis County, streetcars ranked high in importance. The cars are long-gone; those of us who enjoyed as well as depended upon them, are chasing steadily behind. The feel of kinship with fellow riders, with the motormen who made them happen for us, and yes, even the cars themselves, was real and should not be lost. I felt it imperative to leave what I could of that feel for future readers to perhaps internalize and enjoy for themselves.

Ross Braught – I felt that “A Scent of Honeysuckle” was a story St. Louis needed to hear. St. Louis is the center of not just the United States, but of the world of nature and the world of medicine. I tried to blend the two in my story.

As for myself – I grew up on the not-so-mean streets of Clayton, I went to Clayton High School which answers Pat’s question and should tell you a thing or two about me. It became a way to honor the little metropolis that raised me. My piece about the history of SLWG came out of all the work I did for the Legacy Project which continues researching our rich history.

In reflection, we found this city that fostered the writers guild over 90 years ago is still thriving, still overflowing with literary talent, and still coming together to form not only St. Louis Writers Guild but a true community of writers.

Then I asked my favorite question – Which line did you struggle with more, the first or the last?

Linda O’Connell said, “Probably the first, it is not as attention-grabbing as I would have liked.” While Claire Applewhite had the opposite problem, “Probably the last, because I feel it needs to have the same emotional punch as the first line, and sometimes, it is hard to know where to stop to achieve that goal.”
But my favorite comment was by Niki Nymark, “The endings of most of my poems have been re-written with a carving knife.”

Marcel Toussaint poignantly stated, “In Torn Flag in the Wind, the last line was the most difficult since it had to make an impact and still remain delicately graphic.” While Jeanine Dahlberg avoided any struggle, “I quoted from Charles Dicken’s novel, A Tale of Two Cities, the last line of the story came easily.” Lynn Obermoeller also found it easy, “I can’t say I struggled with either. Not with this piece anyway. I just wrote from the heart.” But Debbie Fox found another problem, “Actually, I struggled with the second sentence—”a backdrop for first love.” It still sounds ditzy to me, yet I put the “backdrop” word in the last sentence. I always try to wrap up a piece neatly, often going back to the opening. I don’t think it worked well, but that was how it stood because I didn’t have weeks to let it stew and morph into something better.”

I think Faye Adams captured it best when she said, “The hardest line to write in any poem is the last line. How do you end a story or poem with one line which “says it all?” Let the reader be the judge of whether or not we have failed to do so in this anthology.”

As for myself, “I struggled with the last line, the first came easily but the last was rewritten probably a dozen times.”

Now for a little something extra,
The Writers’ Lens is a resource blog for writers and readers and is featuring St. Louis Reflections in one of their regular giveaways. Comment on The Writers’ Lens blog for your chance to win one copy of St. Louis Reflections. See www.thewriterslens.com for details.

The Writers’ Lens is about bringing Fiction into Focus, so I asked the contributors what brought their writing into focus.

Pat Bubash – Personal situations, events. I am such a fan of Bill McClellan and Elaine Viets- their writing is the reality of what happens to people – I “know” these subjects because the situations they experience, I could or have experienced, These two authors have a way of bringing whatever point they are making come full circle as they finish the article. Absolutely am a fan of both!

Linda O’Connell – My personal essays are written with authenticity but they also have to be written with creativity. I do love crafting words

Claire Applewhite – What brings my writing into focus, for me, is the interaction between and among the characters. The way that they interact and react to each other tells me who they are, where they’re headed, whether they are growing and/or changing, and reveals plot points in the story. I have an outline, but sometimes, I suspect they do too!

Marcel Toussaint – Having been in Radio-Theater in my teens, I have been cast in interesting characters, stories as diverse as the writers’ imaginations, acting the crafted words that the authors excelled in using. So my answer must be all of the above.

Niki Nymark – I begin with a character, who tells me a story. Then I sample lots of words and use the ones that taste right.

Jeanine Dahlberg – I believe that the development of my characters to their potential to the plot enhances the story line forcing me to craft my love of words in a descriptive manner, which engages the reader.

Lynn Obermoeller – This was a hard one after I gave it more thought. My first thought was the love of crafting words–because without that, there wouldn’t be any stories. But if you didn’t have the idea or story in your head, it couldn’t be written. And then without characters, there isn’t much of a story either. Seems like they are all tied in together. But you have to love to write, so I’m sticking with the love of crafting words.

Debbie Fox – To me, writing creative nonfiction is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. I have to be sure everything fits well together, that I didn’t leave out a piece or construct a fuzzy picture. I love finding the perfect metaphor, theme, and transitions and then find the perfect words to hold everything together. I love to describe things, take it slow, use specific terms rather than vague modifiers.

I thank all the contributors for their amazing stories, poems, essays, and memories – it truly is an amazing tribute to this city that we all love.

St. Louis Writers Guild will be having a book signing for the anthology on Saturday, February 18 at 6 North Café, 14438 Clayton Rd. in Ballwin from 10am to Noon, and you can order the anthology anytime at www.StLBooks.com or any major online retailer like www.Amazon.com or www.BarnesandNoble.com – find out more about St. Louis Writers Guild and the anthology at www.stlwritersguild.org

Also Don Corrigan wrote a great article about the anthology and the writers guild for the South County and Webster/Kirkwood Times, read more at http://www.websterkirkwoodtimes.com/hc.e.178697.lasso

The Writers’ Lens is giving away a free copy of St. Louis Reflections – comment on the St. Louis Reflections posts on www.thewriterslens.com until February 4th, 2012.

Thank you and everyone at St. Louis Writers Guild hopes you enjoy our 90th Anniversary Anthology!

St. Louis Reflections $9.99

Popularity: 16% [?]

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About the Author: Brad R. Cook is a Historical Fantasy Writer who daylights as a Business Writing Consultant. He is occasionally called upon to be a poet and playwright. Find him on twitter @bradrcook
Brad R. Cook's Website

There’s an old joke that seems appropriate about now. It goes like this.

A man is in his living room one night when there’s a knock at the door. He opens it and there, at his feet, stands a small snail.  The man grabs the snail and flings it as far as he can, across the street into a neighbor’s yard. He closes the door. One year later, the man is again in his living room when he hears a knock at the door. He opens it and the same snail is standing there. The snail looks up at the man and says, “So… what was that all about?”

I thought of that snail the other day when I went to The Mall. Doesn’t matter which mall, does it? It’s like asking, “Which Denny’s did you eat at?”

Long lines of traffic lined the highway and roads leading into the parking lots and garages,an annual pilgrimage. Like a Ridley Scott movie where an endless column of Roman soldiers, stretching to the horizon, march resolutely to lay siege to the castle.

As I walked from the garage through some sliding doors into The Mall, I saw signs on the doors with two words. “Shop More.” It meant stores are open later, I think until midnight or 2 a.m. or dawn. The deeper meaning was obvious.

The mood inside The Mall was energetic, to say the least. People moved in all directions, Christmas music seeped through the very walls and ceiling. People on cell phones or hands-free mobile devices seemed to talk to themselves or passing strangers or to the air. People carried logo-decorated bags large and small. Their attitudes covered the range from fun and relaxed to frantic and stressed.

I saw Macy’s at the end of The Mall. Its logo took on a new meaning. The Red Star. I used to equate the Red Star with the Red Army back in the good old days of World War 2. But now it became a religious beacon, calling out to shoppers, guiding the Three Wise Shoppers looking for 20% off, plus another 10% for using their Macy’s charge.

The swirling shoppers, the patient traffic, the determination and enthusiasm, the sales. Always the sales. It’s the same scene as last year, the year before, and every year before that, stretching back to the horizon.

On Christmas night, after the nation has unwrapped presents, admired choices and colors and considerations, hugged and kissed each other, thrown another log on the fire or poured another cup of coffee or glass of wine … on that night I will drive by The Mall. I will scan the vacant lot and empty garage, the empty roads, the dark and silent buildings. And I will think about that snail.

And I will wonder, “What was that all about?”

I wish you a happy and peaceful holiday season, that you enjoy and appreciate your family and friends, that the season brings you all closer together and pushes problems further away. That your hugs last more than three seconds. That somepresents are transitory and can be returned on Monday.

Just keep in mind, the time we have together is precious. Use it wisely.

Popularity: 14% [?]

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About the Author: Freelance writer, sometime musician, sometime photographer, sometime playwrite Former ad guy as writer and producer. Works mostly in fiction, but also humorous commentaries and articles as opportunities appear.
Noodles

Event write-up: St. Louis Reflections Release Party & Last-Minute Holiday Book Fair
By Brad R. Cook
President of St. Louis Writers Guild

Last Tuesday night was an overwhelming success! It was the best book release party without the book I have ever attended. Usually, a release party without the book would be met by an unruly crowd in a near riotous state – but such was not the case for St. Louis Writers Guild.

For those who didn’t hear, the printer took about 48 hours longer to complete the job than we hoped. So, that put a wrinkle in our launch party, but as they say in the theater – the show must go on! Our saving grace was the brilliant addition of the Last-Minute Holiday Book Fair!

We all gathered at the Kirkwood Train Station, where we hold our monthly open mic. It is a beautiful venue. The old wood charm of the working train station was the perfect setting to celebrate our 90th Anniversary one last time. The wine and cheese were provided by One 19 North, a local Kirkwood business, and the books were provided by SLWG members.

About sixty-five writers – book sellers, anthology contributors, members, and friends – gathered that night to celebrate St. Louis Writers Guild and hear readings from the anthology. I kicked off the evening with a reading of my poem, Clayton: The Little City. Many of the contributors came and read their pieces, like Lynn Obermoeller who celebrated her birthday by reading her short story Handel’s Market, she even brought penny candy! Faye Adams, Marcel Toussaint, Marilyn Probe, and Dwight Bitikofer read their poems. Mary Ward Menke, who edited the anthology, read her piece about St. Louis seasons. Claire Applewhite, another contributor, made certain to bring her latest novel. Debbie Fox, Linda O’Connell, Bill Adams, Peter Green, Thelma Ulrich, Mort Levy and more read their stories and shared their memories.

St. Louis Reflections wasn’t the only book on display! Many members brought their books and soon every nook and table around the Kirkwood Train Station displayed their hard-begotten labor. It was a booklovers version of Shangri-La.

Many people attended and over 50 books were sold that night! Not bad for a book release without the book. Many thanks must be offered to everyone who came out and supported St. Louis Writers Guild. I would also like to acknowledge all the dedicated work of Robin Theiss and Erin Robbins of StLBooks who helped put this anthology together.

St. Louis Writers Guild is committed to helping our published member with avenues to sell their books and you’ll see more events like this in the coming year.

If you would like to purchase or learn more about St. Louis Reflections, you can find it at this link or any of the major online retailers. http://www.stlbooks.com/B009271-1211-51/Review.aspx

You can find out more about SLWG by visiting our Facebook page or by following us on Twitter @stlwritersguild

Lynn Reading at the Reflections Launch Party

Popularity: 13% [?]

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About the Author: Brad R. Cook is a Historical Fantasy Writer who daylights as a Business Writing Consultant. He is occasionally called upon to be a poet and playwright. Find him on twitter @bradrcook
Brad R. Cook's Website

St. Louis Reflections – An Anthology by St. Louis Writers Guild to Honor its 90th Anniversary

St. Louis Reflections is now on sale! $9.99 Order Online at StlBooks.com.

Founded in 1920, St. Louis Writers Guild continues to thrive! St. Louis is known to many as home of the Cardinals, the Blues, the Rams and the Arch, and as the birthplace of Ragtime, ice cream cones and provel cheese. It has always been a literary hotbed. To show our love for everything this city on the mighty Mississippi has given us over the last ninety years, we decided to share our reflections of our wonderful, close-knit community. We honor the culmination of the Guild’s 90th Anniversary Year of Festivals with this anthology written by some of today’s greatest writers. Inside you’ll find 45 poems, stories, essays, and memories. Enjoy!

St. Louis Reflections contains a list of every member in 2010.

St. Louis Writers Guild is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission to further Missouri’s literary heritage; connect, support, and promote writers and literary organizations in the community. It is one the area’s oldest and largest writers’ organizations.

Order it today!

http://www.stlbooks.com/B009271-1211-51/Review.aspx

Also available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and all major online retailers

St. Louis Reflections - $9.99

Popularity: 17% [?]

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About the Author: Brad R. Cook is a Historical Fantasy Writer who daylights as a Business Writing Consultant. He is occasionally called upon to be a poet and playwright. Find him on twitter @bradrcook
Brad R. Cook's Website

I am writing this blog for a few reasons. The first is because I have recently been asked how do you blog on here. The second reason is to help members of St. Louis Writers Guild keep this blog alive. After all, this blog exists for the members of St. Louis Writers Guild to help promote us as writers and is one of the many benefits of being a member.

How to Blog on the Elliot Blog:
1st: You must be a member of the St. Louis Writers Guild to blog here. (You do not have to be a member to read and follow this blog);
2nd: Select “Eliot – A Writers’ Blog” from the home page;
3rd: Become familiar with Blog Rules and Guidelines
4th: If you are a member and haven’t already received your sign in name and password, select: “Request an Account”
5th: If you are a member and have your account, select: Log in
6th: Write your blog.
7th: Don’t forget to announce your blog post on any social media that you have (Facebook, Linked-in, Twitter, etc.)

Why write on the Elliot Blog?
1st: If you don’t have a blog page of your own, this gives you a platform to blog on.
2nd: If you are like me and have your own blog page and/or even write on other blog pages, the Elliot Blog gives you another platform to reach your ultimate customer–the readers in this world.
3rd: It is a chance to share your views and your writing with your fellow St. Louis Writers Guild members.
4th: The Eliot Blog can help drive traffic to your webpage, blog page, or where others can buy your books.
There are more reasons–but I will leave it to you to have fun and discover for yourself the benefits of The Elliot Blog.

Thank you for reading and please visit www.davidalanlucas.com for more information on my writing. (See what I mean about driving traffic to your webpage?)

Popularity: 17% [?]

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About the Author: Writing stories of Paranormal, Mystery, Horror, and Science Fiction that explore the human condition one story at a time. Please visit www.davidalanlucas.com for more info.
David Lucas II's Website

Thank you to the Winners of the Robin Theiss Award for Volunteer Service!
Honoring you all was long overdue.

Faye Adams, David Alan Lucas II, Dr. Rebecca Carron Wood, and Mary Ward Menke received the award this year. For those who don’t know, at The Winter Gala we presented the Robin Moore Theiss Award for exceptional Volunteer Service. It was created to honor the members who have kept this organization running and one of the writers guild’s greatest presidents.

Not that any of the other Presidents were bad… Sam Hellman will always be remembered, King McElroy had one of the greatest names, and Charles Guenther served in more decades than anyone, but Rebecca felt we should acknowledge Robin and those members who have matched her dedication.

The Winter Gala was a success again! Ridley Pearson was hilarious and insightful – he beautifully connected pushing a train over a hill to writing a novel – many thanks to him for making the night so wonderful. The award winners were all caught off guard – we were sneaky – even Mary, who helped me announce the awards, was shocked to receive one. Dinner was delicious, and it was good to see all of you, even if the room’s proximity to the sun caused a few minor blackouts.

Thank you to Dwight Bitikofer for making the arrangements with CJ Mugg’s.

Now for a Hello…
For those of you who weren’t at the Gala, we understand and hope to see you next year, but it was officially announced that I am the new President of St. Louis Writers Guild – an honor I hold dear. Rebecca had to step down to teach refugees – no kidding. Don’t worry, she’s not going anywhere, she’ll still be a board member of SLWG.

I have served as Historian since 2008, and among other things, headed the Legacy Project which discovered much of SLWG’s history. As I relayed tales of the past, I found people wanted to tell me their stories of St. Louis Writers Guild, and as any good writer would do I listened. Soon I realized I had become the writers guild’s storyteller, the keeper of our oral history. I share these memories all the time, and will continue to do so perhaps even in posts like this one. Just know I consider it an honor to be the President of one of the oldest and largest literary organizations in the Midwest, but we’re not resting on our awesome laurels…

2012 is going to be an exciting year – just in case the Mayan Apocalypse comes true. The 90th Anniversary Anthology will be on sale, there’s a revamped Here’s News!, and a new Scribe is on the way. We’re going to start having webinars for members, another Night of Music and Poetry, and a new kids writing contest as part of Writers In The Park, plus the great workshops, lectures, and open mics this organization is known for. And that’s not even everything, but we have to keep a few things up our sleeves. Our goals have never changed – provide help with sales and marketing to our published members; knowledge and industry insight to those who are querying; as well as tips, tricks, and encouragement to those writers just starting out.

Big thanks to David, Dwight, Teresa, Rebecca, Peter, and Faye the amazing board members who make all of this possible.

We celebrated our 91st Anniversary, time to kick off 92!

Ridley Pearson at The Winter Gala

Popularity: 12% [?]

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About the Author: Brad R. Cook is a Historical Fantasy Writer who daylights as a Business Writing Consultant. He is occasionally called upon to be a poet and playwright. Find him on twitter @bradrcook
Brad R. Cook's Website

Harvey asked in October where our blog had gone. In response, I am going to start trying to make a weekly entry. Wouldn’t you join me?

Every builder, bricklayer, carpenter, electrician, mechanic, chefs, and related professional has a toolbox. In it you will find common tools and tools specific to their trade. Stephen King in his memoir ON WRITING, he advices that writers should have their own toolboxes. But what tools should be in a writers toolbox?

When I first built my tool box, after listening to Mr. King, I had the parts that most would think of: dictionary, thesaurus, writing books (like how to create characters, dialogue, tec.), books specific to the genres I write, writing magazines, writing software, my website, my blog and membership in writing groups. For a long time, I thought that was all I needed for my toolbox. Over the last month I have reevaluated this and realized the toolbox I had built was a limited one.

The toolbox I had build was like a toolbox with a removable tray and what I should have built was a toolbox like one that you would see used by a mechanic in a garage—drawers on top of drawers. As a result, I spent time using an excel spreadsheet with multiple tabs to complete my toolbox. These tabs are:

Resource
* Advice from other writers (Elmore Leonard, Ben Bova, Erle Stanley Gardner)
* Alien World Generation (Rules for any science fiction I write)
* Alien World Sheet

Character Info
* Body types
* Character Philosophy
* Character Traits
* Character Sheet
* Eyes
* Hair Color
* Hair Types
* Mental Disorders
* Skills (Real, SF, Fantasy)
* Social Class (USA)
* Skin types

Description Thesaurus
* Color
* Settings
* Shapes
* Symbolism
* Textures
* Weather & Phenomena

Suspense Elements
* Chase Scenes
* Devices to heighten suspense
* Dramatic Situations
* Homicide (Methods)
* Suspense Moments

Emotional Descriptions
* Emotional Tree
* Emotions (Physical Display)
* Flirt, Romance, Sex

Plotting elements
* Plots (Different kinds of plots)
* Criminal’s Ladder
* Scene Writing
* Themes
* Voice tips

The Anatomy of Story Work Plan
* Main Work Plan
* Character Webs
* Character Sheets
* Plotting Settings
* Main Plot Scene Weave
* Subplot Scene Weave sheets
* Story Map
* Overall Scene Weave

Post Writing
* Editing
* Pitch elements
* Synopses Examples
* Marketing Plan
* Publicity Plan
* Cash-Flow Projection
* Trip Planner (for any trips our tours to promote the book)

This is what is in my toolbox. What is in yours?

For more information about me and my writing, please visit www.davidalanlucas.com

Popularity: 14% [?]

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About the Author: Writing stories of Paranormal, Mystery, Horror, and Science Fiction that explore the human condition one story at a time. Please visit www.davidalanlucas.com for more info.
David Lucas II's Website

I have shed blood, sweat,immeasurable tears
Stared bluntly in the face of my greatest fears

I have had good thoughts and some insane
Some brought me great pleasure, some brought me great pain

I have been free and trapped in a cage
Been bursting with love and insufferable rage

I have known death and I have known birth
Seen Heaven and Hell in my life on this Earth

I have been lost and also been found
Been lifted up high and kicked down to the ground

I have turned hate to love and love into hate
Done magnificent things, a few not-so great

I have several friends, enemies too
Some of them old and some of them new

I have spoken with ink, lips and heart
Written and read inspirational art

I have lived life as well as I could
Some parts might have been bad but, most parts were good

I will rise up each time that I fall
For life is worth living so I give it my all

Popularity: 19% [?]

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About the Author: I am a married mother of two teenage children. I have always enjoyed writing dating all the way back to high school. I always did quite well in an Advanced Writing class. I began my family shortly after high school, and the first lesson I learned being the mother of a newborn is, writing needed to take a backseat. I did, however, manage to teach myself Spanish as a second language during my 9 months of pregnancy. I began writing again in 2010. First, poetry began to flow from my soul. News articles and a small biography followed. Finally, I began blogging about my life experiences and opinions. I have earned several accomplishments in the short period of time that I have been writing again; poetry contest trophies, published articles on both Technorati and Yahoo Associated Content, and blog awards from my peers. What started out as an outlet for me to express myself had turned into a want... no, a need to share my life adventures with the world. I have always been an advocate for awareness groups but, after recently losing my sister to Cancer three days after her diagnosis, I became more focused on spreading awareness of this horrible plague that is slaughtering so many loved ones. I also spread awareness of child abuse, being a child abuse survivor myself. Knowledge is power and people cannot fully understand something if nobody speaks about it. My dream is to finish two biographies; one for my sister and one for myself. If I become a published author it would be magnificent but, I will be just as contented if all I ever achieve is to touch just one person's soul so deeply that their life is forever altered.
InJensMind's Website