Clyo's Blog

Ron Stewart's Poetry Group At Landon Library

2011-12-16T16:35:00.009-05:00

I have not attended Ron Stewart's poetry group for a long time, but I am subscribed to his updates and enjoy "staying in the loop."

Ron was unable to host this past Wednesday, December 14, 2011, however, he let us all know how it went. Here is his update:

Here is the insider report on Last Night at Landon. I have it on good authority that a lively poetry workshop took place with 9 or 10 poets.

As you now know the guest facilitator was the beautiful and talented Christine Thorpe and my thanks go out to her for stepping in at short notice and running a fine workshop.

Unfortunately I was not there to take notes on the poems studied last night, but here are some of the titles. I leave it to you and your vivid imaginations to fill in the blanks.

Here are some of the titles:
    They wore pink - (perhaps something about breast cancer?)
    Armageddon in the Food Fair (I can't imagine what was going on here,   but it sounds great)
    Skating Party (A short poem with a twist I bet)
    Dragon Summer (Knowing who wrote this poem, I'm sure it wasn't about martial arts)
    She is (or was) no ordinary rose (not about gardening)
    Untitled about tights and angels (I don't think this was about angels in tights)
    Lover moon (I can see the canoe bobbing gently in the reservoir while two lovers...)
If any of the participants would like to send their poems along I would be more than pleased to read them. My curiosity is killing me.

Anyway, back to Last Night at Landon.

My insider reports that the poems were thoroughly discussed and the poets found the group comments eye opening if not helpful.

I hope to get back on track for the January workshop. See you on the 11th at 6:30 PM at Landon Library.

If you are a London, Ontario poet and you would like to share your work and get feedback, Ron's monthly workshop is for you.

Put January 11th at 6:30 p.m. on your Calendar.

P.S. Landon Library, if you are unfamiliar with it, is located at 167 Wortley Rd., London, Ontario, Canada N6C 3P6. Phone is 519-439-6240.

London's Passionfool Theatre Company Excels!

2011-12-02T13:00:00.002-05:00

I've not really known what to do with this blog - still don't - since it's no longer connected or linked to the original London Writers' Society website.

Yet, there have been so many times I've wanted to blog about a book or a local play or write a recommendation.

I keep thinking I'll start another blog or another site, but I'm really busy.

So, although sticking with "London Writers' Society" for the name of my blog doesn't really fit anymore, it is what it is - at least for the present.

Since I have this blog set up and I need not make any decisions about a new name or URL - I don't have to build or set up anything - and I can still just write, I'm going to do it, even though it's unlikely that this blog will come up in any search engines or be found.

Still - what the hey. So - to my real topic.

When Passionfool Theatre comes out with their new season subscription, get it!

I had one this year and it was great. The last play staged (in November 2011), Attempts On Her Life, was surprise after surprise and brilliantly done. The whole cast did a great job, yet Jason Rip's performance really struck me as outstanding.

Since this is what I have come to expect from Passionfool, this last time - when I was waiting for the performance to begin (and if you've been to the Arts Project venue you know this is a very small venue with few or no props) - I realized I felt as excited as I do when we go to Stratford!

It was, of course, for different reasons.

I feel enthused about going to a play at Stratford for - let's face it - the beauty of it.

It's an opportunity to visit that beautiful little town, step into the sumptuous venue, be enthralled by lavish sets and costumes, and thrill to some famous thespian projecting his or her energy "in the flesh."

It isn't, however, a place to go if you are interested in thinking a new idea or having a bit of a paradigm shift about reality.

For instance, I didn't think too much about Camelot after I saw it at Stratford.

Yes, it was fun. Yes, it made me laugh and, yes, it made me shed a tear for the pain of lost love.

But, bottom line, it was predictable - even though I had never seen a performance of Camelot before - and that's why I think people go to Stratford.

They've seen many of these plays before or, at least, heard the story lines.

The surprise is to see the new costumes, sets, small interpretative changes. In the case of Camelot, the big surprise - and one that got a gasp from the audience - was when a real falcon flew from Merlin's arm.

I have no doubt that Passionfool Theatre - had they the funds - could stage equally beautiful productions, yet that is not their forte.

The company does "edgy" really, really well. Brilliantly, in fact.

Passionfool stages plays you will never see at Stratford, plays that surprise you and - in the words of the TVO slogan - "make you think."

I think the thing I really like about the plays they put on is that they demonstrate how difficult it is, really, to stereotype people or to label them.

We are all much more than we think we are or project. And both the Shadow and the Angel are ever present and waiting for the right - or wrong - circumstances to invite them out to play.

In any event, this is local theatre at its best.

So call The Arts Project at (519) 642-2767 and reserve your 2012 Passionfool season subscription.

For a whopping $50 you'll see 3 plays: House, Three In The Back Two In The Head, and The Crucible. (Brochure.)

If you enjoy provocative and brilliant local theatre,you will not be sorry.

Highly Recommended: Passionfool Play "Terrorism" Thru March 26 2011

2011-03-13T21:03:00.000-04:00

Highly Recommended: Passionfool Theatre's production of the play "Terrorism" currently at The Arts Project.

I went to the matinee on Saturday - reluctantly - because I judged the title as depressing and was, frankly, afraid of the material. If my step kids hadn't given me a subscription to the Passionfool season, I wouldn't have gone. As it was, I dragged my heels going there, but - surprise! - I emerged energized.

A vibrant play that keeps moving and is never boring or preachy, but gives you plenty to think about, it's directed by Justin Quesnelle who has, once again, excelled in both staging and direction.

If I counted correctly, 19 actors fill this play, and they do a really good job of depicting a wide spectrum of viewpoints and behaviors and their consequences. I'm really glad I did not miss this one.

If you like performances that give you something to think about, go see "Terrorism." If you go with a friend, you'll probably find yourself wanting to go out for coffee to talk about it afterward.

Full of surprises, dark humor, ironies and good acting, this is a must-see if you're in London, Ontario. Plays through March 26th. Again, highly recommended. Do not let the title scare you away as it almost did me.

Need a ticket? Call 519-642-2767. Or here's the URL:

http://www.artsproject.ca/theatre/passionfool.shtm

Bruce Johnson Memorial On November 28 2010

2010-11-19T19:00:00.002-05:00

The Arts Project has lost Bruce Johnson:

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/11/18/16210886.html

From the London Free Press:

The devoted father of four adult sons and “champion of culture,” who many credited Thursday for turning the Arts Project into a beautiful facility, died after suffering a heart attack Wednesday night (November 17th). He was 64.

As word travelled Thursday, friends quickly set up a tribute web page (http://brucejohnson.tumblr.com/) for others to post memories and pictures of the dad, buddy, business executive and more recently arts enthusiast.

I stopped in the Arts Project today and Sandra said that there will be a memorial for Bruce at the Arts Project on Sunday, November 28th at 7:30 p.m.

I have to be there. I saw him so many times while buying tickets or when stopping in to see the art. Bruce was a force - a friendly one.

He will be missed by so many.

On a happier note, the oil paintings by Donna Andreychuk (that are up now until December 4th) are fabulous.

(Bruce hated that word, but it fits.)

A must see.

Call For Manuscripts From Penguin U.K.

2010-08-21T21:40:00.000-04:00

LWS member Ruth Zavitz sent me this notice that she saw from Penguin U.K. In the notice the publisher says it will accept manuscripts directly from writers if they are sent electronically. The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2010.

Penguin normally will not even look at a manuscript unless it is brought in by an agent. They do not normally solicit manuscripts from the public, so this notice is unusual.

"People frequently ask us how to go about getting published.

Our company policy is to not accept unsolicited manuscripts or synopses and we cannot enter into correspondence about unpublished work.

However, for a limited three-month period from the beginning of August until the end of October 2010, we will be inviting submissions to be sent in electronically to the following address:

submissions(at)uk.penguingroup.com.

We ask that email submissions comprise a brief covering note and synopsis and not a full manuscripts.

Please do not send attachments, please write out your cover note and synopsis in the body of the email.

We remain unable to accept hard copy submissions and will not return or be responsible for the safety of any that we do receive, so please do not send any original or hard copy manuscripts to us.

We will not contact you with feedback on your submission and will only enter into email correspondence with you if an editor within Penguin is keen to progress your idea."

This is a great opportunity if you have a manuscript perfected and ready to go.

Blogger Aims To Publicize London Fiction

2010-07-29T06:54:00.009-04:00

Ahmed Khan has launched a new blog called Fictionlondon at http://fictionlondon.wordpress.com to promote writing (fiction, specifically) that features London, Ontario as a locale.

Ahmed enjoys featuring London in his own stories, and would like to receive information about any works of fiction (both short stories and novels) that also are set in London. His stated intent is "to provide more exposure to writers as well as the city of London, Ontario itself."

If you have written a story set in London, Ontario visit Ahmed's blog and let him know.

Eleven stories set in London, Ontario were read at Fringe Words, and you can read about them in this blog post of mine.

Volunteer Webmaster Sought By London Writers' Society

2010-07-06T20:41:00.001-04:00

I have advised Richard Nagel, the current president of the London Writers' Society, that I must divest myself of all responsibilities I have been carrying out for the society - website maintenance and updates, newsletter creation and editing, and maintaining the email delivery system - effective September 1, 2010.

This is year four for me, and I need to hand things over. It's time for others to get involved and lend a fresh perspective.

Anyone interested in volunteering to update the website (built in css) or who is interested in working with Richard to create another newsletter, please contact him at:

president(at)londonwriterssociety.ca

If no one comes forward and the society is unable to pay for website maintenance, then it is possible that the site will simply have to come down as there is nothing worse in cyberspace than a stale website with inaccurate information.

(Well, maybe it's clicking on a link on some innocent-looking site in a search for legitimate information about a legitimate topic and facing some hideous bit of pornography, and yes, that happened to me once.)

I don't know if I will have time to add posts to this blog; time will tell.

If, however, the LWS site must be taken down, then the issue will probably be moot since this blog was meant to be a quick way to add supplemental information to the website.

September 1st will mark the end of four years of extensive volunteer work on behalf of the society, so that's a great date on which to end it.

It's been an adventure, but all adventures eventually must end and give way to new ones, and a new one awaits my full attention.

Sultry Summer Poetry Festival July 11 2010

2010-07-06T20:03:00.000-04:00

Ron Stewart, who will resume hosting open poetry workshops at Landon Library in October, sends this reminder for this coming Sunday:

The Ontario Poetry Society

Invites You to Attend & Participate In

The Sultry Summer Poetry Festival

Sunday July 11, 201012 Noon at the Mykonos Restaurant,
572 Adelaide St., London, Ontario

Featuring:
The Incredible Heat Wave Raffle

Sponsored By:
Key Porter Books, McClelland & Stewart,
Guernica Editions, Insomniac Press,
Mosaic Press, The Mercury Press, HMS Press
In Our Words, Canada Cuba Literary Alliance,
Creative Vocalization Studio, Magni Frame,
Hidden Brook Press, Snowapple Press, Brick Books,
Descant Arts & Letters, Passion Among the Cacti Press,
The Azrieli Foundation & Innersurf International.
---
Many Exciting Prize Packages
of Brand New Books & CD's to win!
---Members Readings, Open Mic & Free Admission

Free Parking & Free Gift For Coming

Fringe Words 2010: A Hoot

2010-06-29T00:51:00.001-04:00

This year the London Writers' Society paired up with the London Fringe Festival to bring Fringe Words back to the festival.

If you did not attend Fringe Words 2010, you missed a good time and some great stories, all of which were linked through associations (real or imagined) with London, Ontario.

Hosted by LWS president Richard Nagel, this was what you missed

In A Cut Above Bob Gervais gave us non-fiction profile of a London, Ontario tree sculptor who has graced London with his incredible tree sculptures. (For more about London's tree sculptures, where they can be seen and who sculpted them, visit London's Tree Trunk Tour.)

In his Meditation on Clarke Bridge John Hitchens described the precarious state of mind that can be evoked by the simple act of walking across a bridge.

Roxanne Lutz held us spellbound with The Melancholy Madness of Maggie McFarland which she skillfully fabricated from a thread of truth.

In Fat Woman Eating Vickie Candow gave us the triumphant experience of being a woman of large appetite who finally finds equal footing with skinny inlaws who have, for years, deprived her of food during family visits.

Ted Janusz told a harrowing story of blind justice during the London flood of 1937 in his novel, The Tears of Angels.

In Harold's Travel Christina Dass gave a humourous, yet touching, tribute to her deceased father as she recalled London as seen through his eyes.

Richard Nagel made us laugh with Inside The Great London Sinkhole, an Alice-In-Wonderland fantasy populated by late, great London characters whose annoyed ghosts, it turns out, live beneath the city and are displeased with their lack of options.

With The Wayward Guest, Erin Moxam spooked us with a story of love that endures beyond death.

In reading the first chapter of his novel, Victoria Day, John Passfield allowed us to inhabit the body and soul of the exhausted reporter who sat smoking on the porch of his boarding house at the end of the day on May 24, 1881 just as news of the sinking of the steamboat Victoria broke.

With his delightful Fairmont 1580 Douglas Hogg painted a colourful picture of life as he lived it in London in the 1930's.

The icing on the cake, E. Ann (Liz) Bardawill delivered one hilarious punchline after another in The Off-White Hendersons, the story of a little-known (and possibly fictitious) feud of the nineteenth century.

Well done, everyone!

For a little more about London's past, here's a list of significant London events from 1844 to 1894.

London Author Runs Contest With $3000 In Prize Money And No Entry Fee

2010-06-16T16:07:00.003-04:00

London Ontario author Peter Riley sent me this info on a contest he is running to promote his novel. The contest begins on July 4th. From his website:

"Enter this contest to have a chance to win a chunk of $3,000 in total prize money...the catch is you’ll have to read the novel in order to answer the questions.

You’re probably thinking: Free e-book, cash prizes . . . What gives?

What gives is that I’m 65 god-damned years old, this novel means more to me than anything in the world, and I’m desperate to get it published while I’m still alive."

Who cannot relate, no matter what your age?

Peter's idea is to get his book noticed and, possibly, picked up by a publisher.

An innovative approach, this looks like a good chance to interact with another London author, have a bit of fun and maybe win a bit of cash for your own publishing efforts.

And - who knows - his book, Universes, might make a great summer read. (I love the cover so I hope you don't mind, Peter, that I put it in this post so people could see it.)

His website is www.universes.ca and contest information is HERE.

One Way To Avoid Rejection Of Your Manuscript Or Why Publishers Hate "Smart Quotes"

2010-06-11T02:44:00.002-04:00

Ruth Zavitz forwarded this email on using "smart quotes" which was sent to her by Bob Zumwalt. It turns out that publishers are so busy that, sometimes, they will reject a manuscript simply because it will be too much time and work to clean it up.

From Bob Zumwalt:

"Gayle Surrette, IWW's Fiction admin, wrote this a while back.

It offers another perspective on formatting submissions that goes beyond our concerns at Novels-L. Learning proper formatting for our list is good practice for approaching an agent or publisher. They may not send a 'formatting problems' reminder in response to a sloppy submission."

From Gayle Surrette:

I have to speak to the smart quotes plain text thing.

First, I worked on producing a book a while back. I was the copy editor and spent an inordinate amount of time dealing with authors trying to get a decent copy of their stories for the anthology.

The more "famous" authors who publish a lot sent clean plain text documents. A joy to work with. Some had difficulties and while .rtf and .wp and .doc files were okay. Some of the files took quite a bit of massaging to go into the program we were using to get the book ready for the printers.

For the past couple of years I've worked on the WSFA Small Press Award (last year as administrator and this year as a committee member). Again lots of time spent trying to get clean copies of the file that didn't have the author's name, publisher's name in it (we do blind judging).

Again pretty much a horror show and a big difference between newly published authors ability to provide the proper document and older more established ones who did it the first time as explained
in the rules.

Now Gumshoe Review publishes one original fiction piece a month.

We've turned a couple of stories down as "not right for us" when in fact, we don't know because they were so poorly formatted after explaining that we wanted a clean document in either .rtf, pdf, txt, wp, doc, or odf -- with no smart quotes or other smart features because it's a bear to get that stuff out before going up on line.

Our members may think that turning in clearly readable documents in plain text is old-fashioned and fuddy-duddy but in publishing it's an absolute necessity if they actually want to get published.

For my part, on Gumshoe Review, I'm pretty much it for getting things formatted and up online. If it's too much work, I don't care how good the story is -- I'm not the only person in publishing that feels this way.

I've recently been reformatting novels from word documents and rtf documents to Kindle format for a friend who is a small press publisher.

The cleaner the document the easier it is to convert and that means no smart anything (quotes, apostrophes, commas, etc.).

Learning the tools of the trade is as important as learning the grammar, tropes, and tricks of telling a good story.

Using a Listserv enforces this and really it is a good thing for the writers.

Do publisher's accept documents with smart stuff in them, yes, they do. But I bet there's some formatting that goes on -- taking up lots of someone's work day -- to make the file work with their in-house software after it is accepted. Writers who don't cause extra work are much more likely to make a good impression.

Gayle

Writers' Police Academy Workshops Include Firearms Training Simulator

2010-06-11T01:57:00.008-04:00

Mystery writer and LWS member Pat Brown sent me the link to the Writers' Police Academy, a workshop for mystery writers given by police officers.

The workshop will include Firearms Training Simulator (FATS) and offers writers the opportunity to:

* Train like the pros
* Bring your writing to life
* Real police academy instructors
* Something for all genres
* Train with real police, fire, and EMS equipment
* An on site working fire station and EMS equipment

Pat says she's going to it and expects it "to be great."

From the blog of Lee Lofland, author of Howdunit: Police Procedure & Investigation A Guide For Writers, and one of the officers who teaches the course:

"Show me your hands! Drop the gun! Drop the knife!

Get out of the car, now!"

"The scenes were intense as experienced police officers from the Triad area of North Carolina gathered together to stop scores of gun and knife-wielding bad guys...

... the training consisted of several classes, but I specifically focused on the Firearms Training Simulator (FATS), since that’s one of the workshops we’re offering at the Writers’ Police Academy (WPA), in September. In fact, the WPA is going to be held at GTCC, and this was the actual room and equipment we’ll be using.

So, come on in, load your weapons, and prepare for the worst."

The workshop will take place from September 24-26 at Guilford Technical Community College And Public Safety Training Academy in Jamestown, N.C.

The motto is Sweat Now, So Your Manuscript Doesn’t Bleed Red Ink Later.

Strange Angel Calls For Original 30-Minute Plays

2010-06-07T17:10:00.005-04:00

Strange Angel Productions is now accepting submissions of original 30 minute one-act plays.

Six plays will be chosen to be a part of a 4-day theatre-based charity event which will be held at the ARTS Project November 3 through November 6, 2010.

The six plays will be grouped into two sets of three allowing for one group to perform on Wednesday/Friday and the other on Thursday/Saturday. All are evening performances.

Submission Guidelines:

~ Running time of 30 minutes

~ Themes are open

**Please keep your set and technical requirement to a minimum**

Production Guidelines:

~ Participants to provide their own cast and crew

~ Participants are responsible for finding their own rehearsal space

~ Participants to provide their own sets, costumes and props

~ Strange Angel Productions will be responsible for ticket sales, the event poster, programs, and publicity

~ Strange Angel Productions will provide basic lighting and technical support

~ Strange Angel Productions will provide one tech rehearsal for each play

Deadline for receiving Submissions: July 15, 2010

Notification of Acceptance: July 31, 2010

Submit hard copies only please.

Include all contact information.

Mailing address:

Strange Angel Productions
P.O. Box 39005
London, ON N5Y 5L1

For further information contact Linda-Lee Armstrong at:

strangeangelproductions(at)hotmail.com

The charity event itself is an opportunity for people in the community to recognize friends and loved ones who have died. A call will be sent out to the public to submit poems or short anecdotes about a person who was important in their lives.

They will be invited to attend the theatre each night to read/share their piece with the audience in between the plays.

The net proceeds of this event will go to the Canadian Cancer Society in memory of Richard Morneau.

Call To Artists, Musicians, Writers For Saturday, October 2, 2010

2010-06-04T08:57:00.007-04:00

From the L.O.O.K. Organizing Committee!

Just received an email from Ron Stewart who hosts poetry workshops once a month at Landon. A member of his group asked him to forward notice from L.O.O.K. about this event in October and its call to artists, musicians, and writers to participate. The following info is from the email:

A Call to Artists for Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

To convene in Queens Park on Dundas East, Old East Village

Between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in London, Ontario. NO FEES.

The Bicycle Powered Stage

Got a band? Love to perform on stage? This stage is going to be powered by the people. Literally!

Truly electric fun! We have eight hours of stage time to fill and we already have bands signing up.

No fees.

Concert contact:

Rob Butterwick, apolloxproductions(at)hotmail.com

Serenade of the Trees

Many of the trees in Queens Park were sprouted in the original Boreal forest before London was created. According to Reforest London, new young saplings will be planted amongst them in 2010. It will be fall and the trees will be going to sleep for the winter. Choose from amongst these trees one that you would like to serenade.

For: acoustic, voice, spoken word, puppetry, poetry, dance ... limited to individuals and small groups only. No Fees.

Contact: Jamie Hume, humejamie(at)yahoo.ca

Performance in the Park

The L.O.O.K. Organizing Committee is hoping to have some remaining space for performance pieces throughout Queens Park. If you or your group have a proposal, please contact:

Jessica Conlon: jessconlon88(at)hotmail.com or

Jamie Hume: humejamie(at)yahoo.ca

Artist Vendors

Painters, sculptors, mixed media, photographers, writers, craftspeople and more! Artists will not pay a fee for tent space at L.O.O.K. There will only be a single returnable deposit requested. We want you there!

Contact: Jessica Conlon, jessconlon88(at)hotmail.com

All performers and special exhibits, will be listed for public viewing on the L.O.O.K. website and on our program of the days events.

Self-Editing For Fiction Writers

2010-06-03T15:27:00.004-04:00

Ruth Zavitz, along with critique group attendees Paula Carr and John Hitchens have just recommend Self-editing For Fiction Writers.

I found self-editing to be a very slippery slope, since the eye and brain are wired to jump over mistakes and see what should be on the page instead of what is.

Had the text-to-speech software TextAloud2 been around back then, I would have used it to listen to my book for an audio proofread and catch those mistakes, but it wasn't.

I remember an email that circulated years ago. It was full of misspellings, but the joke was that no reader saw them until he or she got to the end and the misspellings were pointed out. I remember I found it shocking.

But the brain is very clever and an expert at making sense of misspelled words. All it needs is for the first and last letter of a word to be correct and it will fill in the rest, especially if you're tired, bored, or have gone over a manuscript so many times you know it by heart.

According to researchers at the University of Toronto, as reported in an article in Science Daily:

"What many people don't realize is that the objects we see are not necessarily the same as the information that reaches our eyes, so the brain needs to fill in those gaps of missing information."

I found that to be utterly true and that, the more familiar I was with a piece of writing (having edited and revised it multiple times), the worse it got. For heaven's sake, I submitted my manuscript with the word psalm misspelled as palm and never perceived the error. So going through that process was a real revelation about how the brain perceives.

I'm definitely going to read the recommended book, but my hard-won advice to anyone who is self-publishing and will not have the benefit of a professional editor going through the manuscript (before it is assigned an ISBN number and finalized for print) and who intends to self-edit for financial reasons is this:

1) Read your entire manuscript out loud, one word at a time while running your finger under each word so you will see mistakes you would otherwise miss, or

2) buy text-to-speech software that will read exactly what's on the page for you so you can hear and then correct the inevitable misspellings, omissions and mistakes in grammar that become invisible due to familiarity.

TextAloud2 is a text-to-speech software that can allow you to listen to your book for an audio proofread and catch mistakes. It converts any text into voice and even to MP3. Not that it works on Windows only.

After editing and editing and missing mistakes right and left and not seeing them until the final proof, then having to pay for corrections, I finally bit the bullet and read through the manuscript using method one. It worked.

If speech recognition software had been available and affordable, however, I would have gone that route. If I ever self-publish another book, I will use method two.

Do either and you will be glad you did.

June 9 - Locavore Author Sarah Elton At LPL

2010-06-03T13:39:00.007-04:00

This sounds great. From LPL website:

Come and meet Sarah Elton on Wednesday, June 9 at 7 pm in the Stevenson & Hunt room in Central Library. Sarah is Canada's leading voice in the local food movement, the food columnist for CBC Radio's Here & Now, the author of the just published book:

Locavore: From Farmers'fields To Rooftop Gardens - How Canadians Are Changing the way we eat.

Locavore describes how foodies,100-milers, urbanites, farmers, gardeners and chefs across Canada are creating a new local food order that is sustainable and can feed us all. In recounting the stories of its diverse cast of characters, Locavore lays out a blueprint for a local food revolution.

A book sale will follow.

Passion Test Profile

2010-06-01T09:24:00.000-04:00

I'm definitely taking this test after I get the London Writers' Society June 2010 edition of the newsletter queued to go out.

Seeking Writing Festivals

2010-06-01T08:27:00.004-04:00

LWS member Miguel Carbonell sent me the email below giving an update on how his book signing went and his desire to do more of them. He has one coming up this month on June 5th.

If anyone knows of a writer's festival other than the four he mentioned here - Words Alive, GritLit, Eden Mills and Bookfest - please leave the info in a comment.

Hi Clyo,

I have a signing Saturday, June 5th from 1-3 p.m. at the Chapters in Ajax. My next signing in London will be at Chapters North (opposite Masonville Place) on Saturday, June 26th from 1-4 p.m.

    I thought the signing at Chapters London South went fine. I sold a few books and got to talk to a bunch of people.Also important, the salespeople at the store now know what the book is about.

    Often, people ask them for suggestions, so it's good to have them on your side. Because the children's section of the store was curtained off for remodelling, they placed me across the main aisle on the wrong side of the store. I had to explain to everybody that my book was a children's book.The store manager decided to keep my book and suggested another signing event some time in the Fall. That's good news.

    On another subject, I was going to ask you if you have a list of festivals in Ontario where writers can go and sell their books. I got some locations from Brian Henry, but maybe other members of the LWS know of promising opportunities. This might be useful information for the LWS website or your newsletter. This is the list from B. Henry:

    Words Alive, north of Toronto: www.wordsalive.ca/news/

    GritLit in Hamilton: www.gritlit.ca/

    Eden Mills festival: www.edenmillswritersfestival.ca/

    Bookfest in Windsor: www.bookfestwindsor.ca

I've looked into these four, and the one at Eden Mills in September appears to be the most promising. It costs $25 to rent a table and two chairs for the main day. I've asked them if they want me to present my book at one of the festival sessions, but I think I'll be running against some major writers for a spot.

    Cheers,
    Miguel

Sell Your Fiction With Videos

2010-05-28T19:44:00.003-04:00

50% of what people look at on the Internet is video, so a video campaign is a great way to get traffic to your writing website.

Likewise, a good way to get viewers desperate to read your book is to record a bit of it (a very interesting bit) that leaves the viewer wanting to know the end of the story and, therefore, wanting to buy your book to find out.

You can hire a professional videographer to do this and/or go to a studio, or you can do it yourself with your home video recorder or camcorder.

Just be sure to include a URL at the end of your video that shows viewers (and readers) where to go to purchase your book.

Let's say that your book is called Agatha's Exile and you choose to read a harrowing account of Agatha stumbling into a group of zombies. (My tongue-in-cheek tip of the hat to Liz and her hilarious creation, Helga Bitter.)

So your call to action in that case could be something like:

"Does Agatha get infected? Does she live or die? Buy Agatha's Exile at: (website URL), and find out."

That would be your call to action.

There is no limit on the number of videos you can create to pique interest in your book, and you do not need to create a drama as Liz did to tell her story about Helga Bitter, but simply read compelling excerpts.

Eventually more and more authors will be doing this, so you may as well get started sooner than later.

Liz Bardawill Publishes Video On You Tube

2010-05-28T19:18:00.005-04:00

LWS member Liz Bardawill is using video to showcase her writing and story skills. Here's her first video, featuring "Helga Bitter." It's a riot - very funny - I loved it (and I don't think it's just because it's Liz), and I bet you will too.

In terms of getting filmmakers to call her, however, there is one thing missing: a call to action.

After all, Liz wants a job as a writer or on a film crew, right?

So what she needs to add at the end is a call to action that says something about who she wants to call her, and for what work, something like:

Filmmakers: Darlings, need a talented concept creator and writer for comedy horror films?

You've seen just a teensy sample of my work.

Don't wait. Contact me at: (email)

If like Liz, you are thinking of using video to find a writing partner or filmmakers to work with or (gasp) pay you to write scripts, then be sure to include that call of action, otherwise people will think that you put up the video just for fun and with no particular goal in mind.

If you do not want to use your primary email address at the end of the film, then set up a gmail account and use that address.

I will tell you, however, that as long as your email address is in a film and cannot be mined by bots, spammers are unlikely to bother you.

Once you have your video ready, sign up for a free membership with TubeMogul. You can upload your video to about 25 sites through the free version of the service.

(By the way, I've shared these ideas with Liz and she agrees they are good and she'll use them for her next video. Now you have the benefit of them too.) ;-)

2010 New England Shakespeare Festival Sonnet Contest

2010-05-12T13:53:00.000-04:00

Are you a Shakespeare lover? Want to try your hand at writing a sonnet? If it sounds like fun, then the 2010 New England Shakespeare Festival Sonnet Contest is for you. DEADLINE: August 1, 2010

1. Sonnets must be Shakespearean:
   • fourteen lines
   • ababcdcdefefgg rhyme scheme
   • basically written in iambic pentameter, variations and substitutions are permitted.

2. Submissions must be original and unpublished.

3. Writers may enter as many sonnets as they wish.

4. The entry fee is $3 (U.S.) per sonnet. Checks should be payable to "The New England Shakespeare Festival."

5. Entries may be mailed (must be received by deadline) or submitted electronically using the Sonnet Contest Online Entry Form. Note that the form also allows submissions in two additional categories, the Student Sonnet Contest and a Rubber Ducky Sonnet Contest for younger children.

Invitation to May 30 Launch of Possessions: The Eldon House Poems

2010-05-08T14:47:00.005-04:00

I just received this email invitation to the book launch for Possessions: The Eldon House Poems. Everyone is invited.

On behalf of Christine Walde and Poetry London, I want to inform you and the London Writers' Society of our exciting upcoming launch of Possessions: The Eldon House Poems. We would love to have you there. Would you please help us spread the word to the London Writers' Society? The details are down below. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Many thanks,

Debra Franke

Poetry London Reading Series

www.poetrylondon.ca

Who: Poetry London in association with Museum London

What: Official launch of Poetry London's first anthology of poetry, Possessions: The Eldon House Poems, with readings by selected poets from the anthology

Where: The lawn of Eldon House, 481 Ridout Street North, London Ontario

When: Sunday May 30, 2-4 p.m.

Admission: FREE

Why: On the occasion of Eldon House's 175 anniversary

Possessions: The Eldon House Poems is an anthology of poetry published in partnership between Museum London and Poetry London on the occasion of Eldon House's 175 Anniversary. Featuring 27 local poets from London and the surrounding region, the anthology celebrates the history, lore and artifacts of the Harris homestead in the past, present and future.

Please join us on the lawn of Eldon House at 481 Ridout Street North London on Sunday May 30 from 2-4 p.m. to launch this collection of poetry, featuring reading by selected poets from the anthology. Cake and lemonade will be served. Books will be for sale. Rain or shine.

You may recall that another book launch took place last October, for Through a Land of Extremes: The Littledales of Central Asia which recounted the daring travels of Teresa Harris and her explorer husband St. George Littledale in the late 19th century. From the Eldon House website:

"Born at Eldon House in 1839, as the youngest child of John and Amelia Harris, Teresa went on to travel the world with St. George, including remote Tibet, earning the couple fame as Victorian England's greatest travellers in Central Asia. The Clinch's 313-page book describes in detail their many travels, and acknowledges London archivist John Lutman and Theresa Regnier of the University of Western Ontario for all their research assistance. In addition, the late Peter Smith, program coordinator at Museum London, was thanked for his wide knowledge of Eldon House, the Harris family and early Canada.

"This extraordinary presentation was previously delivered to the Royal Geographic Society in London, England and at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. for National Geographic."

Both Museum London and Poetry London host wonderful events, so attend this one if you can.

The museum restaurant, by the way, is second to none and would be a great place to have brunch beforehand. On The Fork has the best view of any restaurant downtown, a relaxed yet refined ambiance, and superb food. Who knew blueberry pancakes could be so delectable?

May 15, 2010 GenreCon Literary Convention in Sarnia

2010-05-08T13:30:00.004-04:00

LWS member Pat Brown will be a presenter this month at 2010 GenreCon, a free literary convention in Sarnia. A wide range of discussion panels on writing, reading and publishing genre fiction—including mystery, horror, fantasy and science fiction—will take place from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

There will also be panels on anime and manga, a free film program of anime movies on the big screen in the Library Theatre, book signings and books for sale.

When: Saturday May 15, 2010 beginning at 10 a.m.

Where: Sarnia Branch of the Lambton County Library, 124 Christina Street South, Sarnia, Ontario, one hour northeast of Detroit, Michigan on I-94 and one hour west of London, Ontario on Highway 402.

For more information: contact Jeffrey Allen Beeler Reference Librarian at the Sarnia Branch of the Lambton County Library, 124 Christina Street South, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada N7T8E1. Phone: (519) 337-3291. Email: Jeffrey.beeler(at)county-lambton.on.ca

The Power Of Words - Last Day To Vote For Amnesty International Film

2010-04-29T16:52:00.002-04:00

I'm in a rush, just want to post this fantastic film on the power of words. If you read this today, April 29, 2010, you can still vote for this Webby nomination and propel it to "the best of the web" in the Public Service and Activism catagory.

Get Happy Video About Abraham-Hicks Teachings Makes Me Smile

2010-04-28T02:49:00.005-04:00

I took a break from working on the May 2010 newsletter to listen to an inspirational broadcast on Hay House Radio. (Hay House is the number one publisher of self-help and new thought titles.) I heard a very interesting broadcast and that led me to check out the website of Abraham-Hicks. There I found a link to the video below.

Books by Esther and Jerry Hicks may not be your cup of tea, but they are very successful authors and workshop presenters who have been teaching that we create our own reality through our thoughts since 1986. I just recently discovered them and this video (made by an admirer of their teachings) which I absolutely love. It leaves me smiling every time I watch it. I hope it does the same for you.

2010 London One Act Festival Concludes

2010-04-26T02:49:00.001-04:00

L.O.A.F. concluded on Sunday, at a 4 p.m. awards presentation at the Black Shire Pub.

I saw all ten plays, having attended on the three nights during which the adjudicator, Bernard Hopkins, gave feedback (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), and really enjoyed the festival.

For a recap of the awards, see my post on the London Playwright's Blog.

Back to Blogging!

2010-04-25T22:57:00.000-04:00

Back when I rebuilt the LondonWritersSociety.ca website I really wanted to create a wordpress blog in which I would have more options in regard to function and design.

Ever the unrealistic optimist in regard to how much I can get done, I took the link to this blog off the website. Of course then I stopped adding posts as well.

Long story short: I haven't had time to create the blog I envisioned. Worse yet, it's been nearly eighteen months since I wrote a post on this one.

Yet during that time I would have so liked to comment on dozens of literary events that might have been of interest to other writers.

So I give. I'm going back to this blog, and putting the link to it back on the website until such time that I actually have another blog in place.

Now: back to working on the May 2010 LWS newsletter!

"How To Get A New Roof" To Be Published

2008-11-10T04:49:00.000-05:00

I just received notice that my creative non-fiction story "How To Get A New Roof" is to be published in Cezanne's Carrot. "How To Get A New Roof" is a finalist in Cezanne's Carrot's "Journeys" contest.

I entered more information about it in the London Writers' Society "My Successes Blog."

This is fantastic news and a watershed moment for me. While I have had a couple of poems published on-line, this will be my first story published by a literary press.

At the beginning of this year the Grand Theatre presented my little play, "The Ten Commandos." Now one of my stories is to be included in a well-respected and discriminating publication.

Joyful Progress!!

LWS Site Has A New Page

2008-09-20T05:00:00.000-04:00

After Ann's presentation, the main topic at Thursday night's general meeting was critique groups.

Barb has gotten requests to get our membership list up on the website so members can try to connect and form small critiquing groups that meet more often than our scheduled groups.

This is especially needed where writers have entire novels for which they need feedback. It just doesn't work to meet once (or even twice) a month with a group that may not be composed of the same people from meeting to meeting.

Our critique groups work great for short stories, but not for critiquing novels.

In any event, I spent the entire day today - about twelve hours - on LWS work. I put up a "Membership Portal" page, created a mock Membership List page, created a template for the password protection page, and added the extra button to all the other pages on our website (as well as updating the News & Notes page.)

So the foundation is now laid to create at least two password protected membership areas: the membership list and a critique forum. (Any number of links to restricted areas can be placed on this new page without my having to "reinvent the wheel" each time by putting another button on every page.)

I've put out a call to the LWS membership to e-mail digital photos of themselves for inclusion in the restricted area. LWS is growing and it would be nice if our members could get to know each other, at least through visual recognition.

We'll see how many come in. Lots, I hope.

Bed Time!

My All-Time Favourite Books

2008-09-20T03:37:00.001-04:00

One train of thought leads to another, leads to another, and I find I am not yet in bed, but ruinating - again - about books I have loved.

My favorite book of all time: Fugitive Pieces by Ann Michaels.

Why? The prose. Graceful and elegant as poetry, there is not a trite idea, not a cliché in the book. Real and heartbreaking yet full of redemption, Ann Michael's novel is extraordinary.

To use a phrase I have never before applied to a work of fiction: it is a work of art. I was frantic to see the movie when I learned of it - a rare reaction on my part - generated by my veneration for her book.

Even my husband - who has the attention span of a flea on a hot brick - was entranced. Curious, he picked Michael's book up for a glance, then took it away from me and stole away to read it before I could.

Other books I have loved:

Fiction:
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

Poetry:
Rilke's Book Of Hours: Love Poems To God by Anita Barrows and Joanna Marie Macy

Non-Fiction:
Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas
The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler

While I know there were other books I read and "loved," these created feeling memories for me which have endured and these are the ones that come to the surface of the "8-Ball" that is my mind.

For an "entertaining" read, try The Girl In The Plain Brown Wrapper by John D. MacDonald who wrote "hardboiled" mysteries with far more awareness and social commentary on environmental issues than one might expect.

Ann Richard's Talk on E-Book Publishing

2008-09-20T00:58:00.000-04:00

Ann Richards gave a presentation on e-book publishing last night, September 18th, at our LWS general meeting.

Of interest to me is the new - to me - software being used to publish e-books. I'm used to pdf's which, of course, page from top to bottom, not right to left.

Last night Ann awoke me from my pdf "Stone Age" by showing us one of her e-books books which is read right to left in MS Reader.

When I got home I downloaded the free plug-in for Word that now allows me to view a document in the Reader format. As to creating my own e-book in MS Reader, this works the same as Adobe's Reader. While the reader is free, the software to create a commercial e-book, ReaderWorks Publisher - is not (just as Adobe Acrobat is not free. )

I found the software here:

http://www.overdrive.com/readerworks/

Educators who want to create e-books for classroom presentations can download the Standard version for free.

Since I want to sell my e-books on my own website, I will need the Publisher's version which is $119 U.S. Compare that to the new Adobe Acrobat 9.0 which costs $299 U.S. (The Pro Version is $699.) All I can say is that I'm glad I bought my old version of Adobe Acrobat seven years ago. It may not be as fancy, but it's still quite functional.

John Jeneroux's Story "Bible Man"

2008-09-02T22:27:00.000-04:00

I just received Brian Henry's newsletter. Brian posted LWS member John Jeneroux's story "Bible Man" on his blog.

I was privileged to hear John read this at a critique group. I liked it then and I like it now.

Here it is:

http://quick-brown-fox-canada.blogspot.com/2008/09/bible-man-john-jeneroux.html

Leave a comment!

Goodbye To August, A Great Month

2008-08-31T13:32:00.000-04:00

Since we're saying goodbye to August, I want to acknowledge that it was a great month for enjoying the talents of writers. There was, of course, The Fringe. At the beginning of this month (August), Ingrid Dicaire, Jamie McDonald and I read work at Fringewords. (Elizabeth Bardawill was also scheduled to read, but her dad had a medical emergency.)

For those of you, like me, who have sat in critique groups, heard Jamie's vignette's and like his style, you would have been gratified to hear how he strung three short pieces we've heard together, into a longer story.

I videotaped a bit of what was read, with the intention of editing it and posting it so you could get a flavour of the event, but I'm sleep deprived and short of time and haven't gotten "a round tuit." (So what's new?) I'm still engaged in a year-long project that I am desperately trying to bring to completion. When it is, I'll reveal what has taken so much of my time.

Hopefully the winter months will give me the time to devote to getting more content on this blog regarding the great writing events that are on our schedule. (Hint: there's a New York Times best-selling author scheduled to speak to us. Good job, Kevin Love, and thanks for helping us to make contact, John Jeneroux!)

Regarding the August 17th poetry even organized by THE ONTARIO POETRY SOCIETY:

I am so glad I attended. I heard some great poetry and enjoyed myself, despite the fact that the day was very hot and we generated even more heat on the covered outdoor patio at Mykonos Restaurant. Toward the end, I really felt anxious to leave. It is a tribute to the poets that I stayed to hear everyone.

The Ontario Poetry Society put on an impressive event. Founder Bunny Iskov and Vice-President Debbie Okun Hill (an awesome poet) are to be congratulated. Bunny passed out a memento of the day, a small bonsai - a "Poet Tree" - to each attendee. Mine is on my writing desk, along with my other icons of inspiration. So I still feel a connection with that great event, and those writers.

So check out one of the Sarnia events on the calendar for this month, if at all possible, and meet a great bunch of people.

Video Of Me At Freedom To Read Project

2008-07-28T22:32:00.000-04:00

Back in February (2008) I participated in Global Importune's "Freedom To Read" project at the London Public Library. I read the opening piece - "The Cell Door Closes" - written in 1937 by Arthur Koestler, a Hungarian, who was imprisoned during a stay in Spain on charges he was a spy.

The video is on the right side of the page that will open when you click on the link below. I didn't introduce myself because I didn't want to draw attention away from the piece. As a result Ed Corrigan identified me afterwards winging it, bless his heart, which is why he didn't quite have the name of the London Writers' Society on his tongue.

View Freedom To Read Video

Arthur Koestler was born Kösztler Artúr (Hungarian names put the surname first), but buchstabiert sein name auf Deutch (spelled his name in German) when he lived and worked in Germany and used that spelling thereafter. He is often referred to as a British writer because he became a British subject in 1945.

The Cell Door Closes By Arthur Koestler

It is a unique sound. A cell door has no handle, either outside or inside. It cannot be shut except by being slammed. It is made of massive steel and concrete, about four inches thick, and every time it falls to, there is resounding crash just as though a shot has been fired. But this report dies away without an echo. Prison sounds are echo-less and bleak.

When the door has been slammed behind him for the first time, the prisoner stands in the middle of the cell and looks around. I fancy that everyone must behave in more or less the same way.

First of all he gives a fleeting look around the walls, and takes a mental inventory of all the objects in what is now to be his domain:

The iron bedstead, the washbasin, the toilet the barred window.

His next action is invariably to try to pull himself up by the iron bars of the window and look out. He fails and his suit is covered with white from the plaster on the wall against which he pressed himself. He desists but decides to practice and master the art of pulling himself up by his hands.

Indeed, he makes all sorts of laudable resolutions; he will do exercises every morning and learn a foreign language, and he simply won’t let his spirit be broken.

He dusts his suit and continues his voyage of exploration around his puny realm – five paces long by four paces broad. He tries the iron bedstead. The springs are broken, the wire mattress sags and cuts into the flesh; it’s like lying in a hammock made of steel wire. He makes a face, being determined to prove that he is full of courage and confidence. Then his gaze rests on the cell door, and he sees that an eye is glued to the spy-hole and is watching him.

The eye goggles at him glassily, its pupil unbelievably big. It is an eye without a man attached to it and for a few moments the prisoner’s heart stops beating.

The eye disappears and the prisoner takes a deep breath and presses his hand against the left side of his chest.

‘Now then,’ he says to himself encouragingly, ‘how silly to go and get so frightened. You must get used to that. After all the official’s only doing his duty by peeping in. That’s part of being in prison. But they won’t get me down; they’ll never get me down. I’ll stuff paper in the spy-hole at night…’

As a matter of fact, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t do so straight away. The idea fills him with genuine enthusiasm. For the first time he experiences that almost manic desire for activity that from now on will alternate continually – up and down in a never-ending zigzag with melancholia and depression.

Then he realizes that he has no paper with him, and his next impulse is – according to his social status – either to write or to run over to the stationer’s store at the corner. This impulse lasts only the fraction of a second. The next moment he becomes conscious for the first time of the true significance of his situation. For the first time he grasps the full reality of being behind a door which is locked from outside, grasps it in all its searing, devastating poignancy…

And this is how things are to go on – in the coming minutes, hours, days, weeks, years.

How long has he already been in the cell? He looks at his watch: exactly three minutes.

Spain, 1937 (From Dialogue with Death)

The Persia Cafe

2008-07-26T17:32:00.001-04:00

Saturday Afternoon and the day is just zipping by. Just updated the LWS website. I have a million other things to do:

1) more cleaning of my house

2) post on a couple of other blogs

3) give my beloved cat (Hobbes) a bath (he's been rolling in dirt)

4) finish my on-line class that - conservatively - could take me two weeks to finish if I did nothing else

Plus I'm working on a series of websites and other projects.

BUT. . . I have to comment on the recommendation that I gave for summer reading: The Persia Cafe.

I find it to be a, somewhat poetic read, but it's gripping as well. So I'm having trouble attending to other things. I read late into the wee hours of the morning last night and I want to sit down and finish it because it really is so well-written and I have to know: is justice ever served?

The Persia Cafe by Melany Neilson is set in Persia, Mississippi in 1962. Right there you know what it's about: injustice. It's told from the perspective of a young woman who has been raised in a racist town, but can't keep to the expected "code of silence" when a young black man is murdered and the FBI comes to investigate.

You know what really irks me? It's nothing about the book. It's about how I was raised.

I was born in Cleveland. In 1962 I was 11 and I didn't even know there was a civil rights problem. I knew nothing about what blacks were going through, how they were denied access to public libraries, denied voting rights, denied human dignity because I didn't know anyone who was black.

Imagine this: there are maybe 400,000 black people in your city of 876,000, but you never see them. Your parents "shelter" you. They move you to the suburbs. Realtors won't sell blacks homes anywhere, but in the poorest parts of town. Did I know that?

No, but I should have. We should have been marching with Dr. King, but I didn't even know about Dr. King.

So reading this book just makes me shake my head. I mean, I've watched a lot of PBS specials over the years; I've had some conversations; I've come a long way in terms of my education about the black experience. [Pitiful isn't it?]

But I had to educate myself. My parents didn't do it.

In fact, it ticks me off that my parents never talked about it in a way that showed they empathized at all and - maybe I do them an injustice because they are both dead and cannot tell me differently - but I don't think they cared. I don't think it bothered them at all that citizens of their own country were being denied rights they had.

How is that different than what the German people, as a whole, did to the Jews?

People say it was "a different time. . ."

I say: "No."

You know better if you have a working heart and an intact mind. You feel right from wrong no matter what your mind is telling you. You know when you're supporting an immoral status quo by keeping silent.

I guess it eats away at me that my family was a part of that huge white conspiracy to keep blacks from the economic and educational pie. They just went along with it.

Sure, they were worried about putting bread on their own table; yeah they had their own problems. But they still had a choice about what to support in how they thought and talked.

So, in a way, it's shameful for me to read this book, as good as it is, because I was so ignorant for so long about the black experience and such ignorance is just breathtaking.

Worse, my ignorance was part of the status quo described in The Persia Cafe,
because everyone is on one side or the other: part of the problem or part of the solution. And I was part of the problem just by virtue of my ignorance.

But - getting away from that - this is a very good read. John Grisham gave it a glowing review and he was right. Poetry, suspense, plot, characterization - it has it all. Plus it's not fluff. It's about something that matters - about many things that matter in a life. But they are never thrust upon the reader from a sermonizing point of view. There's no lecturing here.

Instead, it's a galloping journey of discovery.

"A haunting story; beautifully written, finely plotted, filled with people who linger long after the last page." -- John Grisham

I agree.

LWS Members Have A New Baby Boy!

2008-07-05T13:47:00.000-04:00

I just found out that LWS members Kimberly Grover and Kirk Shearsby had their baby on June 21st. He weighed 8 lb. 7 oz. and his name is Alexander. My only question is whether to post this news here or on the "My Successes" blog!

CONGRATULATIONS Kim and Kirk!

Cabaret At Stratford + Writing Contests

2008-07-05T02:59:00.000-04:00

I'm busy, busy on a couple of projects, so I haven't had time to post, but I have to rave about the current production of Cabaret being staged at Stratford. The cast received a well-deserved standing ovation. Forget the movie - it's been ages since you've seen it, anyway. Go see Cabaret.

And sit in front.

The second item on the old agenda is about contests. I've long subscribed to a wonderful FREE service called Creative Writers' Opportunity List or CRWROPPS. I don't know how they do it, but they manage to list just about every contest out there. I just put the URL for that on our News & Notes page.

Bookmark the site and check it a couple of times a month or sign up for e-mail notifications. Just make sure you create an e-mail filter or two so those e-mails go into a folder other than your inbox.

I've paid for other notification services and, frankly, I think this one is the best in terms of keeping you informed about contests.

For Canadian contests, mark your calendar to get a copy of The Canadian Writers' Contest Calendar when the 2009 edition is printed.

May 24th 2008 How To Get Published Workshop

2008-05-25T00:11:00.000-04:00

I was pleasantly surprised by the workshop entitled How To Get Published that was given by Brian Henry at the Central Library on Saturday.

Mr. Henry has an entertaining style and his workshop was well worth the $40 cost. And while I thought I knew what it takes to get published, he filled in several gaps in my understanding and corrected a couple of misconceptions while filling us all in on the inner workings of the publishing industry.

Bottom line, I recommend that any writer who wants to be published take this workshop when he offers it again.

Of interest, note what Mr. Henry recommends to all writers: Don't spend your money on hiring an editor or proofreader.

Instead, learn how to proofread and edit well yourself. Take a college course; join a critique group; learn how to do it well, because that is really part of your job as a writer.

Then when your manuscript is perfected, spend your money on mailing it out to potential agents.

Mr. Henry also said that the secret no one knows is that publishers are constantly asking, "Where are all the good manuscripts?" He says if you can write well, it's a "seller's market." You just need persistence and the right approach.

It was a refreshing bit of optimism from someone who is on a first-name-basis with several publishers...

Detective Webb's Presentation on May 15th

2008-05-24T23:12:00.000-04:00

I took copious notes during Detective Webb's one and one-half hour PowerPoint presentation on forensic investigation and for those of you who missed it, it was exceptional.

I had the feeling it would be and so I asked Detective Webb if I could videotape it for posting here, but she suggested that the photos she would be sharing would be too graphic and, after attending I must agree.

Detective Webb showed us crime scene photos and they really would not have been at all suitable for this space because she walked us through real investigations. She shared unexpected details with us in regard to how she approaches a murder site and collects evidence.

The amount of chemicals she uses - and the order in which they are applied to get results - is fascinating.

I came away from her presentation with a tremendous respect for our London Police Service and for Detective Webb. I don't think I could do this type of work, yet it must be done.

Plus there are so many behind-the-scenes people who do everything from cataloguing fingerprints to handling "cadaver dogs" - dogs that can find a dead body even when it has been buried under concrete by a murderer.

While it would take pages to try and relate all that Detective Webb shared, I would like to post one disturbing fact that Detective Webb shared with us:

Because of shows like CSI, the Police Service is occasionally criticized and second-guessed (not her words, but mine) because the public believes things are possible in evidence collecting that are not, in reality, possible.

In other words, the Police Service is - increasingly - being expected to live up to a standard of detection and forensic investigation that is pure Hollywood fantasy.

I know, myself, that this is true. When I remarked to an acquaintance on how fascinating Detective Webb's presentation had been, he turned very bitter and talked utter nonsense about how the police "know" things and "could" prosecute any person who stole a car - how that person's DNA could be collected and the person tracked down.

Of course Detective Webb had disabused us of that notion.

Only certain criminals, convicted for very specific crimes, have their DNA samples saved. The law is very clear on that. So if a petty criminal who had never been convicted of one of those crimes stole a car and disappeared, he couldn't be tracked down with his DNA. Not to mention that the car could have dozens of people's DNA in it and how could the police know which sample was whose? None of the other people's DNA would be on file either.

Yet this is what the police are faced with: being called to task for not living up to a fantasy standard.

I, personally, want to take this opportuntity to publicly thank the men and women in our London Police Service. For a city our size we don't have a lot of crime. They walk our streets, they investigate our crimes, they clean up the ugliest of messes, and they don't ask for a lot of thanks. But where would we be without them?

We need only look at Iraq to see what life can be like when there is no law, no reliable police presence, and no real justice system.

RiverFest: A Brilliant Concept

2008-05-12T13:15:00.000-04:00

There are three more chances to see works by THE RIVER PROJECT (listed at the end of this post) one of which was RiverFest which I attended this past Saturday, May 10th.

RiverFest was designed to increase awareness of issues involving the Thames, including how the natural world serves as inspiration for artists and writers, and was organized by a group of nineteen London artists and poets who have been "creatively exploring the Thames River within the boundaries of the city."

To this end they had a book launch on May 1st in which they introduced a beautiful "coffee table" style softcover as a collaborative effort.

I bought my copy of the river project: 19 London artists turn to the Thames on May 2nd when I attended an event at the central library featuring Cornelia Hoogland, Kane Foucher, Penn Kemp and Sheila Martindale, and I'm so glad I have one of these limited-edition works-of-art. (About 2000 were printed; preview the book here.)

It seems to me that we in the London Writers' Society may want to take a look at what they have done and see if there is a project that we would like to undertake in the future that would add to the appreciation of our city and people.

But back to RiverFest. This was Saturday's itinerary:

RIVER FESTIVAL Go with the Flow

When: Saturday, May 10, 2008
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Place: Central Library, 251 Dundas Street, Stevenson & Hunt Room
Cost: Free

Films - Tonda Meeting Room:

11:00 a.m. - Bridges of London
11:30 a.m. - Lost April
12:30 p.m. - Vagabonds & Visionaries
1:30 p.m. - Slippery
2:30 p.m. - Canadian Heritage Rivers
3:30 p.m. - Flood of 1937

Presentations - Stevenson & Hunt Meeting Room:

11 a.m. - Cornelia Hoogland, Thames River Poetry
Noon - London Camera Club Workshop
1 p.m. - "The Story of the River" by Steve Sauder, UTRCA
2 p.m. - Multi-media Presentation by Pat Donnelly
3 p.m. - Penn Kemp, Poetry Reading

Displays & Artists Appearing in the Hudson's Bay Passageway:

Kevin Bice - all day
Maurice Stubbs & Iris Waddell - 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Kirtley Jarvis & Helmut Becker 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Marion Drysdale
The Thames River Revisited (Recreating the Paul Peel canoe trip)
Upper Thames River Conservation Authority
Pendas Books
London Public Library
London Camera Club
Brush & Palette Club
London Canoe Club
Friends of the Coves - Mellwraith Field Naturalists
City of London - Pat Donnelly, Urban Watershed Program Manager
City of London Thames Valley Corridor, Andrew Macpherson, Manager Parks Planning and Design
Thames River Urban Water Cycle

The film on the Flood of 1937 was amazing. Chris Doty made that film and I was struck - again - with what a loss London suffered as a result of his death.

All the films listed above are in the LPL's film collection and can be viewed in library. If you have any interest in London history, you will enjoy them.

Also, do visit THE RIVER PROJECT'S website londonartists.ca.

Lastly, events to come are:

May 15 to June 22: The River Project: McIntosh Gallery (UWO)
May 16 to May 24: The River Project - Other Works: The Art Exchange (Wortley Road)
November 15, 2008 to January 10, 2009: The River Project: Woodstock Art Gallery

Tonight's Non-Fiction Group: Energizing

2008-05-09T00:30:00.000-04:00

The clock says it's Friday morning, but it hasn't been that long since Kevin, Jennifer, Bob, John and I wrapped up our non-fiction critique group at the library on Thursday evening.

Although I was tired, the walk to the library got my blood going.

Still, I questioned whether I was up to the challenge of critiquing so I stopped for coffee to sharpen my mind, but after I arrived, I hardly touched it. The company and the task at hand energized me so that my "inner critiquer" kicked in despite physical tiredness.

We critiqued 4 pieces (although Bob got short shrift because we were running out of time) and I must say: while trying to fix a bad piece of writing can be a chore, it's a delight to have the challenge of making a good piece even better...

Honing good work is like working an interesting - even fascinating - puzzle. I don't want to change anything just for change's sake; so it takes careful looking and analyzing.

Sometimes I couldn't quite get a grip on what bothered me about a sentence (because I was tired) and that's where Kevin, John & Bob, especially, were helpful. They've been critiquing for several months now and are damn good at it. (And I don't mean that in any kind of condescending way at all. They each have amazed me with their insights.)

It seems each one of us brings a different set of critiquing "eyes" to the table. Kevin may see a structural problem. John may see word redundancies. Bob may provide a better descriptive phrase. I might question whether a particular verb really conveys the meaning the writer intended.

Between us we cover all the bases and it gets very exciting (at least for me) to see us making a good piece better: trimming out the throwaway words and making it more powerful through better verbs and active tense.

The goal is always to help each other craft something that has a chance at publication.

So what did we critique?

Jennifer brought a thought provoking piece she wrote about the choices we make as consumers. I loved the topic; loved the comparisons she was drawing. A musician, she wove in that aspect - how we consume music - and we encouraged her not to equivocate but to "stand in her power" as someone who can speak with authority about the value of music and how it's treated as "a commodity."

Kevin brought a clever little piece on aikido that I think may have widespread appeal.

John read a speech for Toastmasters about a life-changing moment he experienced and we were riveted.

Bob - who disarms us with the charm of his style - took us to a sweltering July afternoon in Montreal during which we chased a family pet who seemed to laugh at us...

All good stories. All different styles. All held our interest. Believe me, this meeting was no chore to get through, but flew by...

Oh, and you might think that everyone's work started to sound the same, but that didn't happen at all. In fact, we talked about this as we were leaving: how the integrity of the "voice" in each person's piece was maintained - and made stronger.

I feel so very good about what we did tonight. Lots of laughter; lots of great critiquing. I loved it, coming away with more energy than I had when I arrived...

A One-Minute Visit With Wordsmith

2008-05-07T16:09:00.000-04:00

I lived in Tarpon Springs, Florida for three years from 2001 through 2003. During that time I attended a critique group - Wordsmith - and learned how valuable a good critique group can be.

Thanks to Wordsmith I became a better writer. And that is why I have worked so hard as the 2007-2008 president of the London Writers' Society to get our group established by reaching out to writers of every stripe.

Wordsmith changed my idea of myself as a writer. I became more serious, more confident and more determined. One of our critique groups here in the the London Writers' Society may change your ideas about yourself as well and give you the confidence to never quit until you get published.

But you don't have to take my word for it. Here's a little video with the founding members of Wordsmith. ~ Clyo

May 15th Flier

2008-05-05T15:19:00.000-04:00

Here's the flier for our May 15th general meeting.

About 70 Hours Into This Project So Far...

2008-05-04T14:03:00.000-04:00

I have a surprise for LWS members. I've been working on it non-stop for the last seven days and I hope you like it...

Here's a hint: Remember that list of fiction publishers compliled by Ruth Zavitz and pasted into our old website? Well, I went through it.

I checked out all the websites, deleted the URLs that no longer exist, added a thumbnail of updated information so you can get some idea about the publisher before visiting the publisher's website, formatted each URL as a link, and added a link to each website's submission guidelines page, if one exists. It took me about 36 hours.

So far I've put about 70 hours into this whole project since last Saturday. I'm not quite finished and I'm working feverishly to get it on-line today. Just want to make sure this blog is going to work out well before I add the link to the NEW LWS WEBSITE and it goes live... ~ Clyo

The Reason For This Blog - plus - MY BIO

2008-05-04T13:29:00.000-04:00

I'm the outgoing president of the London Writers' Society in London, Ontario. I've re-vamped the LWS website and established this blog so I can finally post photos, videos and other information of interest to LWS members (and to other writers) as events occur.

MY BIO -

I’m Married to a great strapping Scot (who looks impressive in a kilt) and we live in London, Ontario, Canada.

Hubby and I have a wee feline - a great golden armful of love - called Hobbes who would be opening cans of salmon on his own if he had opposable thumbs.

Main thing: I’m excited about life and very happy about where we live.

I can walk to the end of my street, over the King Street pedestrian bridge that spans the Thames River, and head over to the Covent Garden Market or to a coffee shop or to the library.

Or I can head, instead, to Wortley Village to the best bakery in London (my opinion) or to The Black Walnut, a little cafe with fabulous baked goods created by a former chef who came back home from Toronto.

Mine is a swell world in which I can walk almost any place I want to go - cutting down on my carbon footprint - and enjoy what feels like almost village life in a city of over 350,000.

While I’m very aware of all the tragedy in the world, I’m very happy in my life.

So I’m trying my best to be a good citizen and do what I can - and what I’m good at - to make the world a better and friendlier place, like helping to build the London Writers’ Society.

Since my tenure as president of LWS is coming to an end - on the Ides of May (a good time I think to pass on the office to the new executive) - I’ve started this blog to “keep in touch” via the LWS website.

My intent is to add some good content that will help people understand what we in the society do, what the society is for, and why they may want to join us.

Regarding what I write: short stories (some dark, some not), poems, prayers, essays, memoirs, you name it. I’m all over the place because I love to write more than I like to eat.

(And I adore good food.)

So I plan to have fun with this blog…

P.S. I’ve got some videos to upload from a couple LWS events, so those are in the works... ~ Clyo