2005 Winter - Wisconsin Writers Association

Wisconsin Regional Writers' AssociationThe Wisconsin Regional WriterVolume 54, Winter 2005On the web at www.wrwa.netDonald Schambow, WRWA’s New Presidenteginning with Robert E. GardB (in 1948), a myriad of dedicated,creative leaders and committed,talented members have thrust aprecious legacy into our hands—WRWA, an excellent organization. Inappreciation for their magnificentaccomplishments, noble endeavors,and superb leadership, let us strive tobuild upon the legacy we have inherited.However, as with all living organisms,and WRWA is one, growthand change allow it to continue tolive. Otherwise, it dies.I am honored to be your president.Although I appreciate the prestige ofthe office you have entrusted to me, Irecognize I have assumed an awesomeresponsibility. Hopefully, I willmeet your expectations.Our Bylaws state, “The purpose ofthis organization is to draw writerstogether to share varied interests, provideinformation for its members, andto encourage the support of writersby the general public.” For WRWAto fulfill its purpose and reach itsgreatest potential, every membermust participate and must contributehis/her creative suggestions and efforts.Please bombard me—and theentire Board—with your thoughts,ideas, and suggestions; and the waysyou desire to participate and contributeso that WRWA might continue togrow and live.I have received several suggestionsincluding the following: (1) to publishingan anthology, perhaps JadeRing Contest winners; (2) to increaseintermingling and collegiality at conferences;(3) to pursue a method tomatch-up roommates at our conference—thussaving money and increasingattendance; (4) to encouragegreater participation by local clubsand local members in planning andhosting our conferences; (5) to intensifyour efforts to identify and useWRWA members’ talents and abilities,including being presenters at ourconferences and employing all theirexpertise to WRWA’s benefit; (6) toinitiate programs and procedures tostrengthen our financial resourcesand to enhance the benefits ofWRWA membership, including developingdeeper relationships withstate colleges and universities; (7) topursue more diligently the use of localnews outlets to publicize localclubs and the WRWA; (8) to expandthe agenda at Board meetings, especiallythe January meeting; (9) toheighten our acknowledgment ofmembers at each conference; (10) toprovide an opportunity at conferencesfor members to hear critiques of submittedmanuscripts and to includesessions with agents and publishers;(11) to sponsor a “first chapter” contest;and (12) to create a system of“regional ambassadors” to visit andwork with local clubs to further promoteWRWA. If I haven’t heard orarticulated your suggestion correctly,I apologize. Please help me make thecorrections and implement yourideas.At the Fall Conference, DonaldSeymour related that each of us possessunique talents and abilities.WRWA’s strength, vitality, and futuredepend upon each member contributing—usingall his/her talentsand abilities, not merely those in thesphere of creative writing. Let’s challengeourselves. Together we canenable WRWA to reach its zenith.DonDear Don and WRWA members: Thank you so much for a lovely weekend. It was an honor for me to both speak and listen. I met so many interestingfolks, heard so many interesting stories. The weekend was a pleasure for me as a speaker and a writer. The people at the conference servedas an excellent example of the role writing can play in our lives. I certainly hope my talk was useful and enjoyable. The whole experience -from listening to other speakers to talking with people at my table to escaping from grading papers to driving in the September light - was such adelightful adventure. Thank you so much for inviting me. Sincerely, Jenny Brantley #

Page 2Pictures from the Fall ConferenceWRWA was honored to have the Robert E. Gard Foundationpresent its Award of Excellence to award-winning Wisconsinauthor Tony Bukowski at the Jade Ring Banquet. Here,LaMoine MacLaughlin, President of the Gard Foundation,stands with Tony, Maryo Gard Ewell, and retiring Gard Boardmember, Jerry Viste. #The Robert E. Gard Traveling Trophy for most participationof a club at the Fall Conference was presented to theNorthwest Regional Writers by Don Schambow. From left:Mary Jacobsen, Don Miller, Val Johnson, Boyd Sutton,Don. Northwest members Kurt Holtz and Sally Bair, whowere at the conference, are not in the picture. #At the Book FairTony Bukowski selling his books John Mutter and Boyd Sutton Judith Strasser selling her bookJade Ring Winners Receiving their Rings from Contest Chair Cary FellmanSusan Kileen Julie Eger Sandy Tully Kathie McGwinJuvenile Short Story Article Nostalgia Adult Short Story

ContentsArticlesWhat Exactly Is a Cover Page? .. 25Spotlight: Mary Ellen Ryall … 24SOAR Reports …………..….. 26, 30Book List ……………………...… 19ColumnsBook Reviews ………………….….19Just the FAQs ……………………...15Midnight Musings ……………...….25Writer’s Markets ……………….... 20Calendar …………………….……....18Computer Tips …………………..... 11Contests ……………………… 14-15Fall Conference ………...... 2, 27-31F.Y.I. ……………………… 16-18Club News …………………… 4-13Membership Form ……………...... 18Members’ Pages ……………..….22-24Growing Old by Jane Ellis …..... 22The Misstep by Pat Fitzgerald …...22Flying Flowers by Susan Peterson .23Homecoming by Boyd Sutton ……23President’s Message…………………..1Tributes ……………………………..32WRWA Officers ...........................16-17The Wisconsin Regional Writer is publishedquarterly by the Wisconsin RegionalWriters’ Association, Inc. solelyfor the benefit of its members. Submissiondeadlines are February 15(spring), May 15 (summer), July 15(fall), and November 15 (winter).Send all e-mail submissions to theEditor at bdsutton@centurytel.net ornewsletter@wrwa.net and a cc to theWRWA Information Coordinator atinfo@wrwa.net. Send regular mail toBoyd Sutton, 23059 Old 35, Siren,54872.Advertising rates are $50 (1/2 page),$40 (1/4 page), $20 (1/8 page). Membersmay list books for sale at $5 forone edition or $10 for four editions(see page 12 for details). E-mail listingsor camera ready ads to the editorat the above address. Acceptance of anadvertisement in this publication doesnot imply endorsement or approval ofthe product or service by the WisconsinRegional Writers’ Association, Inc.or its associates. #IEditor’s CornerPage 3am celebrating a full year as editor ofThe Wisconsin Regional Writer. This ismy fourth edition. I hope you have enjoyed thenewsletter as I have enjoyed producing it.This edition is extraordinary in that it includes32 pages, despite my editing severalentries for length. Future editions will normallybe 24-28 pages. This edition also markstwo additions—our first review of a member’sbook (Jean Willet’s DEAR MOM) and the renewal of an old tradition, a memberspotlight (Mary Ellen Ryall).The inside of the front and back pages show pictures from the Fall Conferencetaken by Kathie McGwin, our outgoing president and continuing unofficialphotographer, and by the Editor. We welcome conference pictures by othersin the future.The Fall Conference was great. Read all about it on pages 27 to 30. CaryFellman emceed the Jade Ring Banquet and seemed to derive as much joyfrom awarding the prizes as the recipients showed in receiving them. Whenshe gave out the last award, an Honorable Mention for poetry, she was unableto contain herself—it was for her. Her ebullience was positively infectious.Watching the enthusiasm of all the winners, from first place through honorablementions, is motivating. We had over 200 submissions this year. With theFlorence Lindemann and Al P. Nelson contests opening in January, it’s timefor all members to limber up their pens, fire up their computers, connect withtheir muse, and enter to win.I have to admit to being disappointed in members’ response to the flash fictionand poetry competitions we have been running in the newsletter. Thereweren’t enough entries in the competition that closed in October to warrantselecting three winners in either category. The two flash fiction winners andone poetry winner appear on the Members’ Writing pages beginning on page22. As this goes to press, the competition that closes on December 1 st also hasfew entries. We’ll run it one more time, but if entries don’t pick up, we’ll findsome other way to use the space.The year ends on a sad note with the loss of two long-time WRWA members,Paula Delfeld and Sherrie Avery King. Tributes to these wonderfulwomen begin on the last page.We have a new president and three new members of the Board of Directors.The President’s message is on page 1 this time. His brief biography as well aspictures and biographies of the three new members are on page 17.Wishing you all Happy Holidays and Good Writing in the New Year,Boyd SuttonCopyright NoticeWRWA members whose writing is published in The Wisconsin RegionalWriter retain the copyright to their work. Submission of your work grantsone-time rights for publication by TWRW. Items printed here should beregarded as “published” and authors should make this known when declaring“prior publication” when submitting the work elsewhere. Because ofour limited distribution, most editors probably will not regard that as anissue. Finally, the editor will do his best to uphold high standards of qualityin the selection of what is printed here so authors may be proud of havingtheir writing presented to the full WRWA membership. #

Page 4Writers on the Rock: Ruth I. Sellnow, Reporter Watertown, WI writersontherock@yahoo.comhttp://my.exepc.com/~jayfox/writersontherockJade Ring winners at the September conference in Wisconsin Rapids included Sandy Tully, Kathleen McGwin,and Susan Kileen. Sandy won in the nostalgia category, Kathleen for adult fiction, and Susan for her juvenile shortstory. Susan also won honorable mention for her poetry entry.Published works by the following members give us more reason to cheer: Paul Sadowski, a poem accepted byMargie/The American Journal of Poetry; Kathleen McGwin, “She Savors every second of Summer”, in the ChristianScience Monitor (www.csmonitor.com); Tim Theder’s piece, “The Rest of the Story,” is his third published byThe Badger Sportsman; and Ruth Sellnow had a poem, “Young Art,” in the fall Museletter of the WFOP.We recently had discussion on punctuation related to poetry based on information from the fall issue of the WisconsinFellowship Of Poets Museletter.We have several members pursuing having their books published. Having works in process and awaiting resultsseem to be a lesson in persistence and patience.Our ROCK RIVER ANTHOLOGY – Volume VIX will be available soon. #St. Croix Writers: Jo Stewart, Reporter 715-378-2723P.O. Box 102, Solon Springs, WI 54873Congratulations to our Jade Ringcontest winners Agnes Kennardand Ann Penton. Agnes’ “An AbidingMystery” placed second in theArticle category and Ann’s“Alternative Medicine” receivedHonorable Mention in Poetry. JanJenson also attended the Fall Conferenceand shared with us some ofthe helpful writing tips provided bythe speakers.Mary Ellen Ryall (see MemberSpotlight on page 24) was instrumentalin bringing members of theCreative Non-Fiction English Classfrom Lac Courte Oreilles OjibwaCommunity College and their instructor,Pat Shields, to our October25 meeting. Students and club membersshared their writing, and we allbenefited from the exchange ofideas and writing styles.At the end of our meetings, someonesuggests a writing topic for thefollowing week. Several of the itemswritten as a result have been polishedthen published in the SuperiorDaily Telegram’s “Senior Class”section. Rosemary Ferris wrote on“Musical Memories,” HenrySarazin took a humorous look at“Missed Opportunity,” and JoStewart made light of “An EmbarrassingMoment.” Jo’s essay, “AMost Unusual Cat,” was publishedin the August issue of Grit.Tom King is coauthor of a majortextbook dealing with non-speechmethods of communication rehabilitationthat is nearing completion. Itwill be published by Allyn and Bacon(Boston) under the title, “AACConcepts and Methods: IntroductoryApplications in Augmentative andAlternative Communication.”Anne Rankin’s account of howshe came to adopt her children appearsin the book Adoption MeansLove: Triumph of the Heart, a collectionof true stories compiled byMichelle Madrid-Branch, AdoptionTribe Publishing (Santa Fe).New member, Joan Belan, directedher first major adult play inIron River’s Community Center,November 4, 5, and 6, the AgathaChristie thriller, And Then ThereWere None. “The script and set offeredmany challenges for the director,cast, and crew.” #Writers Ink of Cudahy and Milwaukee: Gail larson Toerpe, Reporter, 414-744-9226gtoe@aol.com 3034 Wentworth So., Milwaukee, WI 53207These members published the following: L. A. Van Veghel—The Wisconsin Regional Writer, fall 2005, GreatLakes Fishing & Hunting News, Sept., 05, WI Fishing Club Newsletter, Sept, 2005; Nancy Allan, AARP Magazine;Carla Clark, Wisconsin Poets Calendar-2006; Lucy Larson, Racine Journal-OpEd; Russell Sepanski, On Top WithDown Syndrome, Spring 2005; Gail Toerpe, Column & articles, Washington Island Observer and Oak CreekBranches newsletter editor. #

Page 5WRWA Online Discussion Forum: Patty Miler, Reporter pattyapplet@aol.comL. A VanVeghel, Moderator VanVeghelL@msn.comOver the past few months wehave been a busy bunch of writers.If you'd like to chat about writing,have a question, or just can't think ofthat right word come join us!Book promotion was a hot topicwith Jack Magestro giving us wonderfuladvice how to go about this.Blogs and authors’ web sites wereother hot topics of discussion. Wealso discussed various approaches tousing dialect when writing dialogand a wide range of other writingissues.H.B. Huisinga has at long lasthad her book Deracination published.She has also held severalsuccessful book signings and hasmade presentations at schools on herwriting. She was thrilled when onekid asked for her autograph “as afamous writer.” Congratulations!Jenny Turner’s book StarkKnight has hit the shelves and hasbeen told by her publisher that theywant its sequel, Silent Knight, andtwo more manuscripts that she hascompleted, Bulletproof Bride andMy Biker Bodyguard for eBook publication.Her publisher has said she’sopen to a third book to complete theKnight trilogy and has said shewants to publish yet another bookthat is currently on hold with anotheragency if it falls through there.She held a book signing November19. Way to go, Jenny!Marilyn LaCourt held a booksigning September 10. She also hadan article published entitled "ThereIs No Control Group, Dorothy" inSecular Nation (see http://www.lacourt-m.com/articles/index.html).Boyd Sutton and Pat Fitzgeraldwon in the flash fiction contest inthe WRWA winter contest. See theirstories elsewhere in this newsletter.We have welcomed four newmembers over the past four months.They are: Joanne Johnson, MollyBeecher, Nate Scholze, and DonMiller. Welcome to all of you! Wealso welcomed Jenny Turner back!Glad to have you back Jenny!Speaking of new, Forum membersJack Magestro and ClaudiaAnderson have been elected to theWRWA Board of Directors. Congratulations!New member NateScholze is also a new Board memberand is WRWA’s Vice President.The Forum will be an excellentsounding board for these WRWAofficers.Claudia Anderson, Jane Osypowski,and Roxanne Aehl attendedThe School of The Arts inRhinelander in July and reportedthey had a wonderful time.Jane Osypowski, ClaudiaAnderson, Nate Scholze, BillBright, and Boyd Sutton attendedthe Fall Conference. Boyd won twoHonorable Mentions (in JuvenileShort Fiction and Nostalgia) in theJade Ring contest. He gave us awonderful summary of the fall conference.Hope you all have a wonderfulholiday season! #Word & Pen Christian Writers’ Club: Beth Grosek, Reporter dnbgrosek@sbcglobal.netContact: Chris at 920-739-0752 www.mychristiansite.com/ministries/wordandpenChristine Stratton had two poems accepted and printed in the Chattels of the Heart publication. Patti Clark hasa Haiku titled "Monarch Butterflies" in the forthcoming Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets 2006 Calendar. BethZiarnik was a contributing author in the books, Prayers & Promises: Armed Forces and I Must Decrease. She attendedbook signings at Barnes & Noble, Appleton, on October15; Basic Christian Bookstore, Oshkosh, on November12;and will be at the Family Christian Store in Appleton on December 10 th . For more information on Beth'sevents, check www.bethziarnik.com . For more info on Word & Pen, call Chris at 920-739-0752, or checkwww.mychristiansite.com/ministries/wordandpen. #Please send Club News to bdsutton@centurytel.net or newsletter@wrwa.net or 23059 Old 35, Siren, WI 54872. Keep to nomore than 300 words. Items may be sent as e-mail text (preferred), as an e-mail attachment, or through regular mail. Picturessent with club news will be used if space permits. Some reporters have asked whether to report only on WRWA membersin their clubs. Definitely not! Club News items in the newsletter are just that, news about the clubs and their members.There is no requirement that the reporter or anyone else in the club be a member. We want the clubs to report because ithelps to build a sense of the larger writing community in Wisconsin and because it helps WRWA members who do not alreadybelong to a club find one in their area. So please feel free to note the accomplishments of people who belong to yourclub and are not WRWA members. #

Page 6Fond du Lac Area Writers: Jane Osypowski, W972 Birchwood Drive, Campbellsport, WI 53063martyandjane@powerweb.net 920-553-3044Fond du Lac Area Writers meeton the fourth Tuesday of eachmonth at Moraine Park TechnicalCollege. Our topic for the past twomonths was “Reading, Understanding,and Writing Poetry.” We discussedwhy something is a poemand looked at imagery, figures ofspeech, and symbols. Our next assignmentis to write a poem inwhich someone else or something isthe speaker.Jane Weeks is one of several authorscontributing to The RainbowBook, Life After the Storm, a bookaimed at and to be distributed free toHurricane Katrina Victims. RossPurcell and Evelyn Shinoah eachhad letters to the editor published inThe Fond du Lac Reporter. JaneOsypowski recently attended theWRWA Fall Conference in WisconsinRapids and came home so enthusedabout the experience that shecomposed a poem, “After a Writers’Conference,” that appears with theConference pictures on page 31. #Northwest Regional Writers: Bernice Abrahamzon, Reporter, 715-653-42813446 115th St. Frederic, WI 54837Three of our members—BerniceAbrahamzon, Jody Pearson, andAlice Ford—had essays on “MyFirst Job” published in theWashburn County Register, ShellLake (http://www.wcregister.net/).Kathy Krantz had a Yarn of Yesterday,“My Yellow Kitchen,” publishedin The Country Today, EauClaire (http://www.thecountrytoday.com/). AliceFord’s “Family Made Sacrifices forCircus” was also published in thatpaper. Alice also had an article onthe old lift bridge between Superiorand Duluth published in the(Superior) Daily Telegram and severalpoems in the Washburn CountyRegister.Congratulations to Val Johnson,who placed second in Juvenile ShortFiction in this year’s Jade Ring contest;to Sally Bair, who took third inthat category; and to Boyd Sutton,who received honorable mention.Mary Jacobsen received honorablemention in the Article category, andBoyd Sutton received a secondhonorable mention in the Nostalgiacategory. They were all present toreceive their awards at the Fall Conference.Boyd’s wife, Carmen, andMary’s husband, Ed, also attendedthe Jade Ring Banquet. Don Millerand Kurt Holtz also attended theconference. With six members inattendance, our club received theRobert E. Gard traveling trophy formost participation and our club’sfive prizes were more than any ofthe other 76 clubs in Wisconsin.Boyd Sutton, Editor of The WisconsinRegional Writer, also won anaward for bringing in the most newWRWA members this year. As YogiBerra said, “It ain’t braggin’ if it’strue.”We held our club’s farewell forlong-time member, Sally Bair, inSeptember. Sally is the daughter ofRuth Bunker Christiansen and theniece of Ruth’s sister, Jean BunkerSchmidt, who won a Jade Ring in1959. Both were founding membersof this club. Each member wrote apoem for Sally and read the selectionat the luncheon. Sally now livesin a newly-built house in Washburn.She continues to write a weekly column,“Eternal Perspectives,” for TheInter-County Leader (http://www.the-leader.net/), published inFrederic, and continues to participatein the Yarnspinners, a biweeklycritique group.New member, Stan Miller, wrotea poem, “The Leaf,” to be read at afuneral, and has received many requestsfor copies. #Fox Valley Writers’ Club: Marain Athens, Reporter mathens@juno.com 920-954-5319465 West Ridgeview Circle, #432, Appleton, WI 54911See the club’s new web site at http://www.focol.org/foxvalleywriters/John Purvins ( jpurvins@scienceandreality.com) edits and publishes Science of Reality magazine (seewww.science&reality.com). #

Page 7Unpolished Gems Writer’s Group: Susan Pearl Hansel, Reporter susanpearlgem13@aol.comW 2590 Block Road, Appleton, WI 54915 920-788-3219The Gems judged the writingcontests for the Aestival Festival atthe Menasha Public Library on9/10/05, selecting winners in poetry,fiction, and non-fiction divisions.The group accepted a graciousinvitation to perform monthly poetryreadings on the third Monday of themonth from January through May2006 at Barnes and Noble in Appleton.The group completed a memoirclass in October at the AppletonPublic Library. Jan Elias and AmyDeBroux facilitated the event withthe assistance of fellow members.Susan Pearl Hansel had two poems,“Summer Garden” and“Summer Dream,” published in theFall issue of Irish Stew. Susan alsohad two poems and her nostalgicessay, “The Sixth Pew,” publishedin the Amuzing Artists.Betty Smedlund was selected asone of the Community Columnistsfor the Appleton Post Crescent.Betty will have an opportunity towrite approximately five columnsduring the calendar year 2006 oncompelling topics.Amy DeBroux will have herpoem, “Winter Sun” published inthe Wisconsin Poets Calendar 2006.#Poco Penners: Audrey Stensvold, Reporter, 24 120th St., Deer Park, WI 54007Lonski@amerytel.netferent for our group for this meeting.Everyone will do a short writingin which "Christmas" must bethe first word.We do not exchange Christmasgifts among ourselves but for severalyears now have brought somethingto donate to the CommunityReferral Agency (CRA). They doappreciate any help they can get,especially now that governmentfunds have been reduced. Gifts ofmoney are welcome also.[Editor’s Note: I have been dealingwith the Poco Penners for severalyears and always thought it was anabbreviation for Polk County, whereWe have one more new member,Harriet Thomson. We are so gratefulfor each new member and newideas. Our last meeting was November11th. Since the room we use forour meetings is in the governmentbuilding for Polk County in BalsamLake and it was closed for Veterans’Day, Brenda Mayer invited us toher home. It was a wonderfulchange to be in such a warm, comfortablesetting. Our members writeon a variety of subjects, both proseand poetry.Our next meeting will be ourChristmas Party and we also electthe new officers for the next year.We are going to try something diftheymeet and most members live.After seeing that in an earlier newsletter,Carolyn Lumsden wrote tome to explain that the correct nameis “Poco,” derived from the Spanishfor “little, somewhat, to a slight degree,gradually, or little by little.”The name was chosen to reflect theirwriters’ efforts to improve gradually,or little by little. The club beganin 1973 as the Purple Thumbs,changed in 1976 to The Polk CountyWriters, then finally adopted theircurrent name in 1983. It is one ofWisconsin’s writing clubs’ most interestingand innovative names.] #A Thank You Note from the Ambassador of GoodwillI want to thank Kathleen, the Board, and WRWA members for voting me as an Honorary Lifetime Member. I feelit is a great honor to be selected.I have been in WRWA for over 40 years and have loved every minute of it. Wisconsin Regional Writers have beenlike a family to me. I have met so many friends, which I am proud to have. If at any time I can be of help to anyone,please call on me and I will try to help you.Thanks again for bestowing this honor on me.Ralph Bud MasonLimber up your pens, fire up your computers, connect with your muse. Start preparing your entries for the FlorenceLindemann Humor Contest and the Al P. Nelson Feature Article Contest which open in January 2006.

Page 8Phillips Regional Writers’ Club: John “Milt” Neuhauser, Reporter miltneu@pctcnet.netP.O. Box 48, Phillips, WI 54555-0048 715-339-3219Robert Pripps, Springstead,recently won a GrandPrize of $500 and a trip fortwo to the Grand Old Opry inNashville, Tennessee. Hisessay entry in the contest,“How Your Hometown FamilyContributes to FireSafety,” was sponsored byGustafson's IGA Store inPark Falls. Bob's essay read:What? What's that? Thatterrible beeping sound as Itry to shake myself awake.Oh no, my pager is goingoff. Not a fire call tonight,please Lord. It's 20 below outthere.Back, L to R: Saria Diane, Milt Neuhauser, JohnThieme, Lois Angelo. Front, L to R: Lois F. Robertson,Robert Pripps, Lillian Chase, Eva Thieme, andMarilyn Angelo. Not pictured is Mrs. Pripps. #Why do I, and 17 of myfriends, sign up for thistownship volunteer fire department?(And it's not onlythe guys; my wife belongs tothe ladies auxiliary whichhas a roster of 40 activemembers.) It's called communityspirit, or hometownpride. We do it for communityand for the safety of ourneighbors, and because weare proud of our hometown!Bob and his wife will leavefor Nashville on December 4and return Dec. 8.That's it for now. #Northern Lakes Writers’ Guild: LaMoine MacLaughlin, Executive Director 715-268-6811www.northernlakescenter.orgRecently the Northern LakesWriters Guild hosted a writingworkshop and reading at the NorthernLakes Center for the Arts inAmery, Wisconsin. The workshopfeatured Michael Norman, a writerand playwright who makes his homein River Falls, Wisconsin. A universityjournalism professor for over 30years, he is the coauthor with thelate Beth Scott of the Haunted USAseries of true ghost stories including,most recently, Haunted Heritage,published in October 2003 by TOR.Norman and Scott’s earlier collaborationsinclude Haunted Wisconsin,Haunted Heartland, Haunted America,and Historic Haunted America.He is working on a sixth book in theseries, Haunted Homesteads, forrelease in 2005. The afternoonworkshop focused on a series ofjournalistic questions relating to theHometown Gazette, the local communitynewspaper published by theNorthern Lakes Center for the Artsand the Northern Lakes WritersGuild. The newspaper publisheslocal writers’ work. Mr. Norman’sevening presentation centeredaround the sources of his writing,which he describes as true ghoststories, and was the perfect materialtwo days in advance of Halloween.In addition to the Haunted Americaseries of books, Norman alsowrote Entering the Circle: The Livesof Pioneer Farm Women for theWisconsin Sesquicentennial withsupport from a grant by the NationalEndowment for the Humanities. Theplay used diaries, memoirs, letters,and other reminiscences to tell thestory of rural women. The playtoured to several Wisconsin citiesthroughout 1998. He also wrote Nyeand Riley Tonight!, a play based onthe nineteenth century lyceum programsof Indiana poet JamesWhitcomb Riley and humorist EdgarWilson “Bill” Nye. The NorthernLakes Theater Guild performedboth plays this past year.In December the Northern LakesWriters Guild will be collecting materialfor its January publication ofNorthern Lakes Soundings, its semiannualpublication of local writers’stories, poems and essays.In February, the Northern LakesSchool of the Arts will be offeringan eight week course, Sing In Me,Muse: A Course In Poetry, designedto provide greater appreciation andinsight into the art and writing ofpoetry. For more detailed information,please call the Northern LakesCenter for the Arts at (715) 268-6811. #

Page 9Chapter One Waukesha Area: Bette Williams, Reporter bkwjmw@execpc.com 262-966-3491P.O. Box 115, Nashotah, WI 53058Karen McQuestion signed withliterary agent Ben Salmon of RightsUnlimited. Her novel, Finding Angie,is currently on submission. Ms.McQuestion, a widely publishedessayist, facilitated Waukesha'sWriter to Writer group. Karen'stopic was, "Writing and Marketingthe Personal Essay." Neela Sukhatme-Shethreceived HonorableMention in the Jade Ring Nostalgiacontest for her story, "One ThousandMoons." Ms. Sukhatme-Shethtraveled to Columbus, Ohio, to attenda short story workshop conductedby C. Michael Curtis, Editorof The Atlantic Monthly. JosephGeck continues to write for"Community Column" in The MilwaukeeJournal-Sentinel. SarahEhrhardt did a book signing at thehospice library in Shawano for herbook, A Bend in the Road, OneFamily’s Journey Through Cancer.Ms. Ehrhardt's book printed itsthird edition in January 2005.Marilyn LaCourt published "ThereIs No Control Group, Dorothy" inSecular Nation. Chapter One meetsthe second and fourth Tuesday ofeach month from 7 to 9 p.m. at MarthaMerrell's Books in Waukesha. #Sheboygan County Writer’s Club: Ann Grote-Pirrung, Reporter pirrung@tds.net 920-693-3329955 Polk Lane, Cleveland, WI 53015Mary Kunert won first place for poetry and Jane Kocmoud received honorable mention for her poem at the AestivalFestival. Kunert also wrote the words to a song sung at the annual Celtic Mass in Sheboygan Falls. A phototaken by Paul Hanson appeared in a newsletter published by Senator Leibham. Hanson also has photos appearing inthe Sheboygan Rehabilitation Center Calendar. Sylvia Bright Green's "Mailbox Madness" will appear onwww.absolutewrite.com. She also had two pieces accepted by Sasse Magazine. #Janesville Area Writers’ Club: Edna M. Thorp, Reporter mefarley@ticon.net 608-752-5559222 N. Franklin St. #215, Janesville, WI 53548-2987Sherry Derr-Willie’s novels,Mistaken Identity, Her Tenant, andJayden’s New People, have comeout recently. Sherry also has a shortstory in an anthology, Tales fromthe Treasure Trove, which featurestwelve stories by twelve writers.Ruby Walton, along with mem-bers of her classes at Janesville SeniorCenter, is again distributing dictionariesto Janesville public schoolthird graders. This is made possibleby profits from the sale of Hopscotch,Hobos, and Foxholes, a kaleidoscopeof true memories ofthese class members.Dorothy Schwenker and MaryFarley have poems in the WFOP2006 Calendar. Dorothy also has apoem in a November issue of NorthwestHerald. Julie Cousin has poemsin four recent issues of thissame publication. #Waukesha Writer’s Workshop: Mickey Burgermeister, Reporter 262-679-0862S69 W17349 Kirkwood Drive, Muskego, WI 53150-8851Nancy Schultz reports her article about salvaging cord blood for stem cells, “Cell Assurance,” will appear in theDecember issue of ePregnancyMagazine (http://www.epregnancy.com/). Another article, “Sunrise Service,” won herHonorable Mention in this year’s Jade Ring contest.Mickey Burgermeister had her answer to the question, “What did you do on your summer vacation?” publishedin the “Question of the Week” section of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.The Waukesha Writer’s Workshop is happy and proud to have member Don Schambow elected President ofWRWA. Congratulations, Don. #

Page 10Sauk County Writers: Richard W. Basker, Reporter aw305@mwt.net (608) 524-14901520 Coventry Court, Reedsburg, WI 53959-1448After months of kicking the ideaaround, the Sauk County Writers areexpanding with a branch in Reedsburg.The club was losing activeparticipants in that part of the countydue to the distance from Baraboo.Some of our members no longercared to drive and the cost of a cabwas too great. Add to that the risinggas prices made this the time tostart.The Reedsburg Branch of theSauk County Writers will meet atLongley’s, a restaurant on Reedsburg’seast side at 1:30 p.m. on thesecond Tuesday of every month.The first meeting was held November8 th . The Baraboo Branch meetson the first Monday of the month, sothe different dates will allow membersmore flexibility in participating.President Teddy Jedry usuallyassigns a topic for the next month.October’s topic was “Epitaphs,” andthe lighthearted results of a morbidtopic were fun to listen to. #Pauquette Wordcrafters: Marge Inselman, Reporter minselmanwriter@mymailstation.comW5538 Hwy 60, Poynette, WI 53955 (608) 635-4657Idella Anacker had three 3 poems published in Free Verse. Lou Roach published a poem in the fall issue of MainStreet Rag, had two poems accepted by Hummingbird and has a review of another poet's book in an upcoming editionof Free Verse. Marge Inselman, Idella Anacker, Dave Manthey, Charlotte Clark, and Carol McCune allhad articles in “Writers' Write,” a newspaper column started in January 1999 in the Portage Daily Register.The “Pauquette” in our club’s name comes from the name of the first pioneer to settle the Poynette area. The localtown was called the Village of Pauquette until a postal employee misread, or could not read, the name on a piece ofmail, and changed it to Poynette. Several businesses and organizations still use the name Pauquette so the history ofthe name is not lost forever—for example, the restaurant, Pauquette Pines, next to the golf course on the edge ofPoynette. #Mid-Central Region: Linda Aschbrenner, Reporter wordzoo@dwave.net (715) 387-8058First Report M233 Marsh Road, Marshfield, WI 54449Writer and photographer SylviaOberle was recently featured inBoomers. Gloria Federwitz haspublished her poetry in the MarshfieldBuyers' Guide.Susan Twiggs has participated inpoetry workshops, MAPS meetings,and Final Friday open mike readings.Michael Kriesel was appointedby the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poetsto serve on the Wisconsin PoetLaureate Commission. This fall hegave readings in Wisconsin Rapids,Marshfield, and Madison. His newestchapbook is Chasing SaturdayNight: Poems About Rural Wisconsin.(See Michael’s ad on page 22)His poetry recently appeared in TheProgressive, Free Verse, and WisconsinAcademy Review.Linda Aschbrenner, editor andpublisher of Free Verse and MarshRiver Editions, published chapbooksin 2005 by poets Karl Elder, KarlaHuston, Michael Kriesel, and LaurelYourke. Seewww.marshrivereditions.com. Thisfall she participated in three bookfairs, including the Wisconsin Publishers'Showcase in Madison. Herpoetry appeared in Cup of Poemsand The Wisconsin Poets Calendar.Linda and Michael served on thepanel, “Making It Happen! Poetryand Community: An Open Roundtableon Poetry in Wisconsin for Poets,Publishers, Teachers, BookBuyers and Librarians,” at the WisconsinBook Festival in Madison.Kris Rued-Clark writes featurearticles for 'boomers and Beyond, aquarterly publication available freein Stevens Point and elsewhere (seehttp://wiboomersandbeyond.com/).Kris has written about area poets/ artists Barbara Cranford,Lilas Smith, Sylvia Oberle, andGloria Federwitz.The next Final Friday Open Mikein Marshfield will be January 27.All poets are invited to attend.Readings are held at 7 p.m. on thelast Friday of the month, Januarythrough October, at ThimbleberryUsed and Unusual Books, 166 S.Central Avenue, Marshfield. TheMarshfield Area Poetry Society(MAPS) will also resume meeting inJanuary at the Marshfield PublicLibrary. #

Page 11Western Wisconsin Christian Writers’ Guild: Beth Ellie, Reporter bethelliewriter@yahoo.comFirst Report 1914 16th St., Eau Claire, WI 54703 715-836-9472nology to Boost Creativity.” Welearned how gadgets (no longer reservedfor nerds) can increase yourproductivity and protect your creativecapital. Tewalt teaches electronicsand computers at CVTC andspends part of his time researchingthe latest technology tools and howthey can be used to increase learning.On December 13 th , we will haveour annual Christmas celebration,“Joy to the World.” The celebrationwill feature holiday treats, great music,readings from our fall contestwinners, and loads of fun. Come andrejoice in the Savior’s birth!On January 10 th , Karen J. Olsonwill present “The Lie of Time Management:Playing the Game WithoutLosing Your Marbles.” Olson advisesthrowing out those traditionaltime management strategies thatstress you out! She has a better wayto get your ideas under control andyour paperwork shuffled so you canfind your desk. Byline, ChristianCommunicator, and Spirit LedWriter have featured Olson’s articleson the writing life and craft.Christian Parenting Today, Focuson the Family-Single Parent Family,and Lutheran Digest, among others,have published her work on parentingand families. She writes forChicken Soup for the Soul books,and various other anthologies, inaddition to other local, regional, andnational publications. Olson speaksThe Western Wisconsin ChristianWriters Guild was established in thefall of 2000. The Guild's purpose isto provide Christian fellowship, mutualsupport and encouragement,practical advice, networking, andtraining opportunities to writers andother artists seeking to honor Godwith their creative gifts. TheWWCWG meets the second Tuesdayof each month Septemberthrough May at Bethesda LutheranChurch, 123 W. Hamiliton Ave.,Eau Claire. All are welcome!On September 13 Guild PresidentMary Pierce kicked off the newseason with insights on what it takesto build a writing career. Pierce(www.laughlady.com) is a speakerand the author of When Did I StopBeing Barbie & Become Mrs. PotatoHead? and Confessions of aPrayer Wimp, both from Zondervan/HarperCollins. She’s a frequent contributorto Focus on the Family andother publications and has threemore books in the works.On October 11 th , Minneapolisbasedauthor, editor, and teacher,Joyce K. Ellis(www.joycekellis.com), addressedthe guild on taking your writing to ahigher level. Author of severalbooks, Ellis received a Higher GoalsAward from the Evangelical ChristianPublishers Association and isworking on a mystery series.On November 8 th , Tim Tewaltspoke on “Tech Talk: Using Techona variety of writing, parentingand women’s topics. She currentlywrites two columns, one on disabilityissues for Family Times, and onefor Quality of Life Times on life.On February 14 th , we’ll have aprogram titled “Sacred Romance.”There’s just no better way to celebrateValentine’s Day than by focusingon God’s lavish love! Join usfor an evening of reflection as groupmembers share their creative insightsinto the sacred romance ourheavenly Father desires with each ofus.On March 14 th , Rebecca Deingerwill speak on “This Pen for Hire:Creative Copyrighting for Clips andCash.” Learn the secrets for actuallyearning money as a freelancer.Becky Dienger has been freelancingsince 1994 and has written copy forlocal and national businesses andnon-profit organizations, includinglong-form video scripts, manuals,brochures, newsletters, annual reports,TV and radio commercials,billboards, display ads, and catalogs.Her feature writing has been publishedin the Chippewa Herald, theEau Claire Leader-Telegram, Impressions,Quality of Life Times,Home Front, Wisconsin West, ChippewaValley Business Report, Children'sDigest, and Byline; and hasappeared online at thewww.SpiritLedWriter.com andwww.WritingontheRun.com. #An Easy Way Around One of Microsoft Word’s Automatic FeaturesOne of the ways you may indicate a change of scenes within a chapter is to type a short line of asterisks inthe middle of the page.******But, when you hit Enter, MS Word assumes you want a whole line of them and automatically changes themto a line of asterisks across the entire page. The simple way to fix that is to hit the Enter key then the BackspaceKey. That cancels the automatic action and you are left with the short line of asterisks you want. The same trickworks with many of Word’s automatic functions, such as a line of hyphens or underlines. #

Page 12West Central News: Sandra Lindow, Reporter lindowleaf@yahoo.comCombines Chippewa Valley Writers and Eau Claire Writers at the Librarypated in the Olbrech GardensWFOP Invitational Poetry Marathonin Madison, July 17. She took partin a house-party poetry reading atthe home of Mel and Sally Sundby,8/14. Candace Hennekin has anagent for her novel manuscript,Something of a Farm. She has poemspublished in Free Verse andaccepted by Poetry Motel. PegLauber is completing work on herchapbook, New Orleans Suite.Marsh River Editions will publish itlater this year. Sandra Lindow hadtwo poems in Lady Churchill’sRosebud Wristlet, a poem and a recipefor Pandora’s Pancakes in theSanta Clara Review, and two poemsin the July and August Asimov’s.Lindow's poem, "Shoeless," wonsecond prize in the Free Verse"Chokes" contest. Steve Betchkal’spoem, “Riddle of the Seven Masks,”has been accepted for publication inFree Verse.September 17 Yvette Flaten,Sandra Lindow, and Dina St.Louis were involved in a reading tohonor the opening of Eau Claire’snew Phoenix Park and Labyrinthreading area.October 27-30 the Sixth AnnualChippewa Valley Book Festival washeld in Eau Claire. There were threedays of literary readings and workshops.Wisconsin Poet Laureate DeniseSweet was poet guest of honorPoetry sizzles in the late summerheat of the Chippewa Valley. TheMenomonie Area Chippewa ValleyWriters continue to meet the thirdWednesday of each month and havebeen doing so for about eight years.July 15 they participated in a writingworkshop led by Ellen Kort. TheEau Claire Writers’ Group at theLibrary has been meeting on thefirst Thursday of the month for 18years. July 20 local writers met atEau Claire’s Jade Garden for food,fun, and poetry. June 21 EvaMewes and Sue Thibado read poetryat the quarterly White Pine atthe Downsville Creamery Restaurant.Eva read from her new chapbook,Musings, that was publishedin April. White Pine meets at equinoxand solstice to celebrate thechanging seasons with songs, stories,and poetry. Sue also did a readingat the Menomonie School of theArts for an artist's opening show andparticipated in the Arts Walk indowntown Menomonie, where each4th Thursday of the summermonths, artists are asked to showcasetheir works in cooperation withlocal businesses. Her chapbook, AFifth Season, was recently published.July 2 Sandra Lindowhosted an open mike reading forspeculative poets at CONvergenceSF Convention in Bloomington,Minnesota. Dina St. Louis particiandgave a reading of her poetry onFriday, Oct. 28, with Dina St. Louisintroducing her. Sweet also led adiscussion of poetry as political action.She mentioned that poetry wasan essential part of every revolution.The festival culminated Sunday witha reading by the winners of the studentwriting contest.Peg Lauber’s new chapbook,New Orleans Suite, has gone topress at Linda Aschbrenner’sMarsh River Editions. In SeptemberCandace Hennekens read her poems"My '63 Plymouth Belvidere,""I Hear a Parade at 2 AM," "MyWatercolor Ways," and "MarriedLife." on WPR, Kathy Stahl's "ArtsWest" program. They will be airedin the months ahead.Jane Marie Bahr, CandaceHennekens, and Peg Lauber hadpoems published in Issue 82 of FreeVerse. Sandra Lindow won thirdprize in the WFOP Triad contest forher poem “At Copper Falls: Walkingto Water.” She had a poem and arecipe published in the Santa ClaraReview and two poems accepted byFrom the Asylum. “New From theGotterdammerung Shop” has appearedin their on-line ’zine. Lindow’spoem “Mama Story’s ButtonBox” will appear in the Spring 2006issue of Illumen, a new magazine. #Welcome 21 New WRWA MembersMolly Beecher Racine Jamilah Kolocotronis Milwaukee Ruth Smith MukwonagoJen Bero Neenah Linda Konichek Eagle Thomas Wendt Wild RoseRayna Delaney Siren Karla Kroeplin Salem Dave Wywial JanesvilleVirginia Dessart Manawa Lynn Kuhns WinneconneLisa Frost Neenah John M. Neuhauser PhillipsSusan Hady Medford Ruth Percey OshkoshKurt Holtz Rice Lake Libby Raymond Wisc. RapidsMary Kay Johnsen Gordon James Robar Fort AtkinsonEunice Kanne Grantsburg Frank Scotello Fond du Lac

Page 13Oshkosh Area Writers’ Club: Ruth Percey, Reporter oshkoshwriters@writeme.com900A Harney Ave, Oshkosh, WI 54901 920-231-6182The Oshkosh Area Writers meet on Saturdays in the lower level public meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library.Times vary. Check oshkoshwriters.blogspot.com for the latest information or call Ruth Percey at the abovenumber. #Wisconsin Rapids Area Writers: Anna M. Allison, Reporter 715-424-4175450 15th Ave. N., Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495Marge Hamm won 2 nd place award in The CatholicDaughters State Contest: Let Freedom Ring. HelenKroening is preparing her book, Cherished Family Tiesand Tales. Harold Hamm writes songs and wrote thelyrics for a recently released CD, Side by Side. CharlotteHouston writes poems and is writing a book abouther family. Marian Bergh writes short stories.Local writing groups in the Wisconsin Rapids areahosted 75 writers and speakers attending the WRWAFall Conference in Wisconsin Rapids and promoted theregion by distributing gift packs containing cranberryproducts and other goodies.The Wisconsin Rapids area Writers gather in a meetingroom at the Wisconsin Rapids Mall (east end, acrossfrom Paper City Bank) at 1 p.m. on the 4 th Monday ofeach month. #Members at Large: Please send your items to the Editor at bdsutton@centurytel.net or via mail at23059 Old 35, Siren, Wisconsin 54872 (715) 653-4376Art Schmitz made a presentation to a group of 25men and women on “Writing for Personal Enrichment”on August 1 st at the new Sherman Park Gathering Placein Milwaukee. The program was so well received thatArt is scheduled to give another talk on December 9 th ,an oral book review of The Private Life of Bees, by SueMonk Kidd.Jane-Marie Bahr, Menomonie, had her poem,“Escape,” published in Free Verse. Another poem,“Cocky,” is scheduled for publication soon.Ruth Wucherer, Milwaukee, had her review ofWriting and Publishing Personal Essays, by SheilaBender, published in the July/August edition of InkyTrail News, Shelby Township, Michigan. #Notes from the Group Coordinator: Earle Garber, groups@wrwa.net 715-421-0244483 Airport Ave., Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494We’re moving on and (note)we’re no longer “local.” It’s redundant.The Group mailing and SASEis working and only a few shy reportershave not answered. I knowrepetition helps. If you haven’t returnedthe information about thewriters in your group or if you needhelp, please ask. WRWA providesstandup posters for your library orbookstore.New groups (new to us) recentlyheard from include Plymouth, RiceLake, and Cambridge. JanesvilleArea Writers reporter, Edna Thorp,bless her, asked for help and help ison the way. She loved the promptsfrom Writers Magazine. She thoughtthey were a bit off the wall, but humorous.In Stevens Point life is beginningagain, some WRWA members,some not, writing fiction andnon-fiction.Welcome to a new group, the Jot& Title Bookheads in SheboyganFalls. Club Reporter Syl “Salty”Regan can be reached at W3276CTH V, Sheboygan Falls, WI53805-2927.Once more for groups; WRWAmembership is not required. It ismore important that your group islisted to help writers who ask forhelp. And, as Newsletter Editor,Boyd Sutton said on page 5, ClubReporters do not have to be WRWAmembers to report, nor do othermembers of the club need to bemembers to be included in the report.Our objective is to spread thenews about clubs and writing inWisconsin and to make it easy forpeople to find a club in their area tojoin. WRWA membership is, however,a sound investment. #

Page 14Al P. Nelson Feature Article ContestOpens January 1st and closes March 15th. Write a featurearticle of 400-1,200 words pertaining to people orplaces in Wisconsin, or at least with a link to Wisconsin.One entry per member. Entry fee of $6 (check madeout to WRWA, Inc.) must be included with submission.Mail submissions to Bill Nelson, 2365 Mary BethCourt, Brookfield, Wis. 53005-4968 Write to that addressor see www.wrwa.net for detailed rules. #Florence Lindemann Humor ContestContest opens January 15th and closes March 15th.Write a humorous article, story, or essay not to exceed800 words. One entry per member. Entry fee of $6(check made out to WRWA, Inc.) must be included withsubmission. Mail submissions to Barb Jensen, 410 WinnebagoAve., Portage, WI 53901. Write to that addressor see www.wrwa.net for detailed rules. #Ongoing ContestsResults from the contest announced in the summer newsletter are in and the top writersin each category are printed beginning on page 22. The contest announced in the fall newsletteris under way with winners to be published in the spring edition. Our abilty to printthe winners and other creative writing by WRWA members depends on the availability ofspace. Printing more than 20 pages is dependent on revenue from members’ advertisingand book listings. It’s a win-win proposition. Your advertising enables us to pay for thespace to add your writing. So please support your writing and your newsletter by advertisingyour books. #Summer ContestsPoetryFlash FictionMy club, the Northwest Regional Writers have volunteered to judge the poetry andflash fiction contests announced below in this edition of the newsletter. Please send entriesvia e-mail or letter to Boyd Sutton. bdsutton@centurytel.net or 23059 Old 35, Siren,WI 54872. Call me at 715-653-4376 if you have questions. E-mail entries should be sentas body text of the e-mail. Members may enter up to three items in each category. Thereis no entry fee. Manuscripts will not be returned. If we receive at least 12 entries in eachcategory, the best three in each category will be published in the summer edition. Thereare no prizes.Clubs willing to volunteer to judge these contests please contact the Editor. I hadto “volunteer” my own club for the second time because no other club stepped forward.You DO NOT have to be a WRWA member to judge or participate in thiscontest. #Write a poem of no more than 30 lines in any poetic form reflecting a child’s appreciationof summer. Deadline for submission is March 30th. #Write a short, fictional story of no more than 500 words on the theme of summer romance,but keep it clean. Deadline for submission is March 30th. #Find the ErrorI have left one deliberateerror. I will not deliberatelymisspell a person’sname or create an error inmaterial that was submittedby others.The first member to correctlyidentify this error bycalling, writing, or e-mailing the Editor will receivea certificate from theWRWA redeemable for one$6 entry fee for a WRWAsponsoredcontest.Congratulations to MiltNeuhauser of the PhillipsRegional Writers whofound the deliberate errorlast time. On page 2, I hadreported that the membershipapplication form wason page 18. Actually, it wason page 13.Good luck. #

Page 15WFOP 2006 Muse Prize for Excellence in PoetryThe Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets announces opening of the 2006 Muse Prize for Excellence in Poetry. The annualcompetition is open to all Wisconsin residents, 18 years of age or older. The contest opens Dec. 1, 2005, andcloses Feb. 1, 2006.A first place prize of $200 and the Muse Trophy will be awarded at the Fellowship Conference held on April 22,2006, in Egg Harbor. The second place winner receives $100 and third place $75.For rules and entry form, send a self-addressed stamped #10 business-sized envelope to WFOP Muse Prize, JudyKolosso, 4320 Cedar Creek Rd., Slinger, WI 53086 or download the information from the contest page atwww.wfop.org. Entry fee is $3 for WFOP members and $6 for non-members. #Annual Bo Carter Memorial Writing Contest 2006Sponsored by the Waukesha Writer’s WorkshopThe Annual Bo Carter Memorial Writing Contest deadline for submissions is April 17, 2006, 10:30 a.m. There arefour categories: non-fiction nostalgia, non-fiction essay/article, fiction short story, and fiction poetry. First, second,and third prizes will be awarded in each category. Winners will be announced in mid-May. The contest is open toanyone. People are welcome to enter as many categories as they wish but may enter only one manuscript per category.Reading fees are $5.00 for each category entered. Submissions must be unpublished, original works whichhave not been entered in a previous contest. For detailed rules and submission guidelines, contact Mickey Burgermeisterat 262-679-0862, or by mail at S68 W17349 Kirkwood Drive, Muskego, WI 53150, or Ramon Klitzke at262-547-3570.The contest honors J. Boatner (Bo) Carter, a prominent past member of the Waukesha Writer’s Workshop whodied in 1961 at the age of 70. [Editor’s Note: An article featuring Mr. Carter and the competition his memory stimulatedwill be in the spring edition.] #Just the FAQs by J.R. TurnerWhen should I use italics to indicate a character's internal thoughts or monologue? When should I underline italicizedpassages?When using a tag, don't italicize:Boy, this is really a great party, he thought.'He thought' is a tag, so you wouldn't italicize.When not using a tag, and the sentence is a direct thought, italicize:Lights flashed as the dancers went wild. I love this song. He grooved to the heavy tempo.*Hint: When writing in deep third person, and the sentence is written in first person, italicize. When the character isthe narrator, any indirect thoughts won't be italicized as they become part of the narrative:The party surged toward dawn with the power of a well-tuned stock car. How could they have so much energy afterso many hours? Every muscle and bone in his body craved a soft bed.When to Underline:Underlining is used to more easily find italicized words during the printing process. As technology evolves, underlininghas begun to fade out of fashion. Always check submission guidelines. Many editors don't have a preference and ingeneral, it won't make or break a manuscript to submit with simple italics. The most particular venues are contests andone should adhere carefully to their rules. As always, when in doubt, ask.Have a question for award winning author J.R. Turner? Send an email, subject heading to Just the FAQs, tojturner4@charter.net or snail mail J.R. Turner at 3135 Bush St. Stevens Point, WI 54481 We’d love to hear from you!

Page 162006 Board of Directors, Committees, and Other ContactsPresidentDonald Schambow18045 W. Crabtree LaneNew Berlin, WI 53146-2702(262) 782-5737president@WRWA.netVice-PresidentNate Scholze9708 Idell Ave.Sparta, WI 54656-4424(608) 269-8541vpresident@WRWA.netSecretary & MembershipChairRobin Butler1408 Columbus St.Manitowoc, WI 54220-5602(920) 682-1795secretary@WRWA.netmembership@wrwa.netTreasurerRev. Bill Heins2016 Leonard CourtEau Claire, WI 54703-9000(715) 874-6677treasurer@WRWA.netBoard MembersRoxanne Aehl500 Monroe St.Sauk City, WI 53583(608) 643-3229bookfair@WRWA.netClaudia AndersonN630 Howard RoadWhitewater, WI 53190-3020(262) 473-7764The_writing_unicorn@yahoo.comJohn P. Danish6400 W. Lakeland Dr., Apt. 3Milwaukee, WI 53219-4158(414) 545-5304johnpdanish@yahoo.comEarle W. Garber483 Airport Ave.Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494(715) 421-0244groups@WRWA.netBarb Jensen410 Winnebago Ave.Portage, WI 53901-1230(608) 742-6848lindemann@WRWA.netJack Magestro739 Winston WayHartland, WI 53029-2537(262) 367-5469magestro@earthlink.netDorothy Schwenkner543 S. Fremont StreetJanesville, WI 53545-4213(608) 754-5223Bette WilliamsP.O. Box 115Nashotah, WI 53058-0115(262) 966-3491publicity@WRWA.netImmediate Past PresidentKathleen McGwinN4549 County Road YMontello, WI 53949-9333(608) 297-9746mcgwin@verizon.netRound Robin ChairCredessa A. WilliamsN4849 Robinson RoadBlack River Falls, WI 54615(715) 284-5948WRWA HistorianLorraine Hawkinson3836 Rutland-Dunn RoadOregon, WI 53575-2409(608) 873-3129Nominating CommitteeOPENLifetime MembersJerold W. AppsDorothy CareyBetty EpsteinLorraine HawkinsonDarlene KronschnabelRalph “Bud” MasonKathleen McGwinMargaret NelsenLibbie NolanLocal Groups CoordinatorEarle W. Garbergroups@WRWA.netPublicityBette Williamspublicity@WRWA.netAmbassador of GoodwillRalph “Bud” Mason8526 W. Keefe AvenueMilwaukee, WI 53222-2821(414) 463-3652goodwill@WRWA.netInformation CoordinatorJoanne Johnson4938 Camilla RoadMadison, WI 53716-2306info@WRWA.netPoet Laureate RepresentativeCharles P. Ries5821 W. Trenton Pl.Milwaukee, WI 53213(414) 607-0183CReis@literati.netConference RegistrationJane OsypowskiW972 Birchwood DriveCampbellsport, WI 53063(920) 533-3044martyandjane@powerweb.netNewsletter EditorBoyd Sutton23059 Old 35Siren, WI 54872715-653-4376newsletter@WRWA.netbdsutton@centurytel.netWeb ServantRalph Sharpwebmaster@WRWA.netOnline Discussion ModeratorL. A. Van Veghel5557 S. Disch Ave.Cudahy, WI 53110-2603(414) 769-6846VanVeghelL@msn.comConference SitesBarb Jensen (chair)Spring Program ChairRoxanne AehlFall Program ChairOPENJade Ring Contest ChairCary Fellman303 E. Henry Clay St. #301Milwaukee, WI 53217-5553jadering@WRWA.net(414) 963-1514Al P. Nelson Contest ChairBill Nelson2365 Mary Beth Court,Brookfield, WI 530054968apnelson@WRWA.netFlorence Lindemann ContestChairBarb Jensenlindemann@WRWA.netWRWA Spring ConferenceMark your calendars for the Spring Conference. Saturday, May 6th, at the Radison Paper Valley Hotel, 333 WestCollege Ave., Appleton, WI 54912. (800) 242-3499. Board meeting and Writers’ Roundtable Friday evening.

Page 17Meet the New WRWA President and Board MembersDon retired in 2000 following a 30-year career as a Lutheran Minister. His last parish was ChristThe Victor Lutheran in New Berlin. He also worked for Sam's Club for ten years. Don and hiswife, Gail, now live in New Berlin. Don has been a member of WRWA since 2002 and a Boardmember since 2003. He likes to write poetry, essays, and memoirs. Don is active in several localorganizations and participates in a number of sports. He’s President of Greater Milwaukee SeniorSports Club, active in Senior Olympics, and plays softball, volleyball, lawn bowling, bowling,dartball, shuffleboard, and horseshoes. He works with the Restorative Justice Program and is involvedin a support group for inmates' families. He remains active in many church programs andstill preaches on occasion. #PresidentDon Schambow“I’ve been a member of WRWA for a couple of years and am elated to be accepted as Vice-President of the WRWA. I feel I can contribute to, as well as learn from, all the wonderful writersin our midst and will try to do the best I can for the association. I’ve spent the last four years learningthe “craft” (that’s writing, not witchcraft) and working—feverishly—on my first novel, includingits screenplay counterpart. I recently went back to college and completed the Creative Writingcourse I wanted to take 25 years ago. I’ve had seven articles published in a national trade publicationand have a lot of ideas yet to put down on paper. It’s just the beginning. I’m thrilled to beinvolved with all of you and look forward to growing together.” #Vice PresidentNate ScholzeClaudia is a native of the Chicago suburbs but found her home and writing voice in Wisconsinover 12 years ago. Her stint in Illinois included 13 years as an administrative assistant in a publicrelations department for a trade organization in downtown Chicago. Migrating to Wisconsin,Claudia put her writing talents to work as a bed and breakfast owner, designing news releases,brochures and advertising for the Hamilton House in Whitewater. She also wrote brochures andarticles for Jillianatural Day Spa and Wellness Center, also in Whitewater. A lifelong advocate ofwriting, Claudia views writing as therapy as well as entertainment. Always in awe of the writtenword, she hopes to use her board position to encourage writers of all ages to come out of thecloset and put their thoughts on paper. Happily married for 24 years, Claudia has two sons andone soon-to-be daughter-in-law. She is working on the "novel of the century," and is addingshort stories and poems into her ever-growing repertoire for good measure. #MemberClaudia AndersonJack spent his first career as a middle school teacher, college instructor, principal and schooladministrator. A 1975 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, he holds a Master'sDegree from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. His writing career began five years agoand he has authored three titles and writes a column for a Dane County newspaper. Since joiningthe WRWA several years ago, he has expanded his activities with publishing, promotional work,title acquisitions for a small publisher, and provides selected services to private clients. Havinggrown up in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, he landed in Hartland 15 years ago and shares a home withhis wife, Jill, and their dachshund, Belle. Four grown children have scattered around the UnitedStates and, of the three family members left at home, Jack has the least grey hair. #MemberJack MagestroCharles P. Ries Named WRWA Representative to Governor’s Poet Laureate Selection CommitteeBarbara Houghton’s term ended and Charles P. Ries, an accomplished poet, was named by outgoing WRWAPresident, Kathleen McGwin, to this prestigious position. His narrative poems, short stories, and poetry reviews haveappeared in over 90 print and electronic publications. For more information on this talented WRWA member, see hisweb site at http://www.literati.net/Ries/. #

Page 18Round Robin WritingGroupsAnyone wishing to do home study increative writing may apply to theRound Robin Writing Groups. Categoriesinclude poetry, adult and children’sshort story, novel, essay, andarticle. The program runs from Octoberthrough May. Please send SASEto:Credessa A. WilliamsN4849 Robinson RoadBlack River Falls, WI 54615715-284-5948 #Questions about conferencesor Contests?Go to www.wrwa.net and click onconferences or contests, or see theBoard of Directors, Committees, andOther Contacts list on page 16. Contactthe relevant chairperson. #Want help starting a writingclub?Contact Earl Garber atgroups@wrwa.net or at:Groups483 Airport AvenueWisconsin Rapids, WI 54494-6515715-421-0244We have several helpful resources forstarting up a club, including sampleArticles of Organization, tips onmanaging a club, and a form to helpWRWA keep track of affiliatedclubs. #Call for E-mail AddressesAll WRWA members who use e-mailplease send your e-mail addresses toRobin Butler, Membership Secretary,atlinrob@lsol.netIt will be used only to contact you onWRWA business and will not beshared outside of WRWA. #WRWA 2006 CalendarJanuary 1 Al P. Nelson Feature Article Contest OpensJanuary 13 Board Meeting at the Radisson in Appleton, 10 a.m.January 15 Florence Lindemann Humor Contest OpensFebruary 10 Lindemann and Nelson Contest Postcard Reminders MailedFebruary 15 Spring Newsletter Submission DeadlineMarch 7 Spring Conference Flyer MailedMarch 15 Lindemann and Nelson Contests CloseMarch 15 Jade Ring Contest OpensMay 5 Board Meeting at the Radisson in Appleton, 7 p.m.May 6 Spring Conference at the Radisson in AppletonMay 10 Jade Ring Contest Postcard Reminders MailedMay 15 Summer Newsletter Submission DeadlineJune 9 Board Meeting at the Ramada in Janesville, 10 a.m.June 15 Jade Ring Contest Closes (note date is June 15, NOT June 30)July 15 Fall Newsletter Submission DeadlineJuly 25 Fall Conference Flyer MailedSeptember 22 Board Meeting at Ramada in Janesville, 7 p.m.Sept. 23-24 Fall Conference at Ramada in JanesvilleNovember 15 Winter Newsletter Submission DeadlinePlease submit calendar items to Newsletter Editor for consideration. We’dlike to include contests sponsored by WRWA affiliated clubs that are opento all WRWA members, regional writing conferences sponsored by affiliatedclubs, and other events of broad interest to WRWA members. #Membership ApplicationWisconsin Regional Writers’ AssociationYour $25 membership includes a quarterly newsletter with information on activities of other writers,writing, and annual contests and, when space is available, selected writings by WRWA members.. _______ I wish to become a member of WRWA, Inc._______ I wish to renew my membership.(To check your renewal due date look at the top left corner of your newsletter mailing label.)_______I already belong to a local writing club_______ Please send me the name of the nearest writers’ club._______ I do NOT want my name shared with other writing resources.Name: ___________________________________________Telephone________________________________________Address___________________________________________City ____________________________________________State ___________________ zip code ________________Email __________________________________Did a WRWA member encourage you to join? Yes _____ No ______If yes, who was it? _____________________________________Do you belong to a writers’ group? Yes __________ No __________If so, what group? ____________________________________-( If you need financial assistance for membership, contact the membership chair. All inquiriesare kept confidential.)Make checks payable to Wisconsin Regional Writers’ Association Inc. and send to:Membership Chair, Robin Butler1408 Columbus St., Manitowoc, WI 54220-5602(920) 682-1795 #

The WRWA Book ListPage 19Pathways Through Life - Writers & Artists from the Lowell Center, 2005, $15, lschill@lowellcenter.org or mail toLowell Center 220 Third Avenue South, Wisc.Rapids 54495; 34 short life stories, 15 paintings; their lives and skills.John Manesis, With All My Breath: Selected Poems, 2003, 109 pages, $13.00, or CD at $10, Jmanesis@earthlink.netPortraits and insightful treasures invite the reader on an alluring nostalgic trek with humor and poignancy.John J. Mutter, Jr., To Slay a Giant, 2000, 6 x 9 in., 176 pages, paperback, $20.20, www.burstonellc.com.The Fight to Protect the Wolf River From the Proposed Crandon Copper Mine. A lengthy battle, that we won!Burnette V. Mutter, The Hobo Poet, 2001, 6 x 9 in., 96 pages, paperback, $15.70, www.burstonellc.com.Poetry about the seasons, life, childhood fantasy, holidays, nostalgia. There's something for everyone.John Mutter, Jr., Out in the Country, 2005, 8 ½ x 11 in., 96 pages, paperback, $16.15, www.burstonellc.com.33 stories about nature and rural living, including 3 award winners. Animals, trees, and life experiences.Dan Ritter, a.k.a., God, 2005, 157 pages, $17.84, www.xlibris.com/ritterThe Old Testament is great literature; as religious premise it is counterproductive.Shirley J. Starck, Gabrielle’s Gamble, 2005, 95 pages, $12.00, shirlee@cvol.net - 12-year-old Gabrielle leaves parents and Germanybehind in 1860, seeks better life in Wisconsin, encounters challenges, finds adventure.Jean Willett, DEAR MOM, or Why Raising Four Boys Was Neither Boring nor Monotonous, 2005, 472 pages, $21.88, jwillett@chorus.net.Humorous with universal appeal to all generationsBillie Williams, Watch for the Raven, 2005, 151 pages, $12.95, www.billiewilliams.com1853 Colorado, Indian friend/enemy hauls 15-year-old hurt boy to Indian cap. Survival adventure begins.Billie Williams, Skull Music, 2005, 289 pages, $14.95 print, www.billiewilliams.comLove/obsession, Scientific experiment/medical breakthrough, insurance fraud/espionage; a bizarre mystery.Billie Williams, Purple Haze, 2005, 214 pages, $ 5.99 electronic only, www.billiewilliams.comCan twisted serial killer murders be solved before another dies? Only clues: feather, froth, and haze, all purple.Consider purchasing these books by WRWA authors or requesting them from your local library. Contact the authors if you do.A one-time listing costs $5, but $10 will get the book listed in every edition for a full year. Send your listings to the Editor via e-mail or letter. Make checks out to WRWA, Inc. Cost must include shipping. Contact may be a web site, your e-mail or regularmail address, or your phone number. Each line may be no more than 115 characters, including spaces and punctuation. #Book Review: DEAR MOM, or Why Raising Four Boys Was Neither BoringNor Monotonous, by Jean Willett, 2005.This book took 20 years to write—from November 1956 to June 1976—butat the time, Jean Willett didn’t know she was writing a book. She was simplywriting her Wednesday letters in response to her mother’s Sunday letters.Jean had once told her mother that she thought being a housewife must beboring and monotonous. In response, her mother had just smiled. Jean andDann were married in 1950, and eventually four boys rounded out their family.Fortunately, Jean Willett writes very good, very humorous, yet sensitiveletters. Fortunately, too, her mother saved all of them. The result is the storyof a family moving into an old house, remodeling, funny anecdotes, joys, sorrows,illnesses, and recovery—all the details that make up a lifetime. Boyshave a way of growing up.This book is not meant to be rushed through, but savored, letter by letter.This reviewer can easily relate to the stories, as she has three sons of her own.It all rings true. The author has self-edited, retaining what is pertinent to movethe story forward. She recognized that what she had was, indeed, the makingof a good book. When you read it, you will recognize it, too, recognizing Wisconsinplaces and events along the journey.Bernice Abrahamzon, Northwest Regional Writers #Finding Faith inYourself as a WriterBarbara Fitz Vroman's FallWRWA speechNow available on CDIncluding winning entries inthe Jade Ring contest, readby their authors.$6.99 plus postage and tax.(Half of all profits go toWRWA)Order from:Sales: N4721 9th Dr.Hancock, WI 54943

Page 20Writers’ Markets by Sylvia Bright-GreenGreenprintsP.O. Box 1355Fairview, NC 28730E-Mail Queries: NoGuidelines Online: http://www.greenprints.com/wguidelines.htmlAlso known as "The Weeder's Digest,"this literary journal is for avid gardeners.Publishing personal stories, essays, andpoetry, it fills its pages with anything andeverything pertaining the joys and frustrationsof gardening. Articles are up to2000 words in length. Accepts both fictionand nonfiction pieces. Query viastandard mail with SASE.Buys: First Rights; will consider reprintsPays: On acceptance, up to $200.**********Heritage Quest MagazineP.O. Box 540193North Salt Lake, UT. 84054E-Mail Queries: No, but there is a submissionsform on web site: http://www.heritagequestmagazine.comAmateur and professional genealogistsrely on this publication for research andtheories related to studying family histories.Articles include how-to pieces, personalexperience, history, genealogy,research techniques, and computer researches.Length runs 500-4000 words.Query via online form or standard mail.Buys: All rightsPays: On publication-- $75 per printedpage.**********Capper's Pays $2.50 per printed inch($5.00 more if printed on web site.)CAPPER'S useshistorical, inspirational,nostalgic,family-oriented,travel and humanintereststories; unusual accomplishments,collections, occupations, hobbies,etc.See the complete guidelines here: http://www.cappers.com/contributorsguidelines**********CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOULmagazine has announced its first write-incontest for the most heartwarming orfunny Chicken Soup-style story aboutgardening and the best photograph of avegetable or floral garden. Story submissionsshould be 500 to 800 words. Formore information and contest submissionrules, visit http://www.chickensoupmagazine.com...**********MotheringPAY: $200 - $500Our main objective is to be truly helpful,to provide information that empowersour readers to make changes and supportsthem in being their own experts.We like articles that have a strong pointof view and come from the heart, that arechallenging or evocative. We also takepride in publishing well-researched, extensivelydocumented articles. Whensubmitting this type of article, please useonly the most updated research, fromprimary sources. Our choice of articlesdepends on the other material we havepublished on the subject, how new thetopic is to us, and how unique the presentationis. It helps if you include photos.http://www.mothering.com/sections/submission_guidelines/submission_guidelines.html**********Creating KeepsakesPAY: $150 - $500Seeking both magazine article ideas forscrapbookers and book proposals. Submitmagazine queries to Marianne Madsenmailto:marianne.madsen@primedia.comPlease include the following informationin your query: 1. Submit a topic. Write aparagraph about WHY you think today'sscrapbookers would LOVE to read anarticle on this topic. Let us know whyyour approach is brand new and meritsan article in Creating Keepsakes. 2. Senda list of 3-5 points that you would like tomake in the article. 3. Send 2 visuals(scrapbook pages, accents and/or photographs)to illustrate your suggested topic.4. Send a paragraph about why YOU arethe perfect person to write about thistopic.http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/mag/your_work/[Editor’s Note: Sylvia and I would loveto hear from readers regarding the usefulnessof these marketing selections. Ifyou would like to see different types ofselections, please let us know. Also,please let us know if you try any of themout and have either success or specificproblems. Write to newsletter@wrwa.com.]#Ambassador of GoodwillAt the Spring ConferenceWhat is an Ambassador of Goodwill? His job is to see thateveryone who comes to the WRWA’s writing meetings mingle,have fun, and learn. At the next meeting, in Appleton, weare going to try something different.At the time you register, you’ll be given two numbers. Onewill be the number of a table at which you will sit during themorning session. The other will be with whom you will sit atlunch. In this way, you may be with a speaker, a magazinewriter, a publisher, someone who has written a novel or ashort story, or even a new writer. You may pick each other’smind. You are free to sit where you wish for the afternoonsession. But, for the morning session and lunch, you’ll meetnew people. I believe everyone will enjoy this format becauseyou won’t be alone or with already established friends. Makenew ones!You will know me by my black, stovepipe hat with the redand white band around it.I’ll be looking forward to seeing every one of you.Ralph “Bud” MasonAmbassador of Goodwill

Page 21(Sherrie Avery-King, continued)Sherrie was married to Jerold Sawyer with whom she hadher dear daughter Jessica Dawn.Her second born, but not second loved daughter JenniferSuzanne was brought to life with her second husband JohnLyden.Michael King gave her his name and his love, which shereturned until his death in 1999.The family from which Sherrie drew strength and towhich she gave her heart includes her two daughters JessicaWisdom, her husband John and son Alexander, JennyLincks and her husband Jason along with their dogsMcKunze and Shadowa, her sisters Joanne Johnson andPatricia Beaver, her brother Robin Avery and their spouses.She was deeply grateful for having found and connectedwith cousins from her mother’s family in recent years.Sherrie gave to this world much more than she took fromit. She organized and ran Your Sister’s Closet for 10 yearswhere low-income women entering the workforce could findprofessional styled clothing at no cost. She was the Presidentof the Watertown Arts Council for five years and served onthe Leadership Watertown Board of Directors. A foundingmember of Writers on the Rock in Watertown, Sherrie alsowas Vice President of the Wisconsin Regional Writers’ Association.She sat on the Board of Jefferson County Tourism,was President of the Watertown Historical PreservationCommission, and was a member of the Friends of the WatertownLibrary.She worked as a telephone operator for Wisconsin Belland Office Manager for Rolex Corporation. Most recentlyshe was the first Main Street Manager in Watertown.Sherrie held special friends Pat and Bob Miller close toher heart as well as her foster parents June and Joe York.Sherrie won first place in 1998 the WRWA Jade RingContest in Juvenile Short Story. She continued to write compellingshort stories and tender poems until her death.Lines from her poem Gone reflect the feelings of her familyand friends at this time.Missing youis an achelike the worst homesicknessI am homesickFor a placeThat has burned to the groundI can never go home againI ache for you.In lieu of a memorial service, Sherrie held a celebration oflife with friends and family gathered around her while shewas able to express her love for them and theirs for her.We all miss you, Sherrie!(Paula Delfeld, continued)Her research took her throughout Wisconsin includingFrederic, where she befriended Bernice Abrahamzon, whohelped her research archives in northwestern Wisconsin. Herbook was published in 1977, the same year she won a JadeRing for photojournalism.Paula knew all the famous early members of the WRWAincluding Robert Gard, Al Nelson (from whom she tookwriting courses), Jerry Apps, August Derleth, James Auer,Mel Ellis, and more.Lois Pflum, Fond du Lac, remembers Paula as “one speciallady who encouraged me many times when I first startedto write and sell my articles. The very first interview I everdid, Paula came to take the photos for me and wouldn’t takeany money from me. [She] always gave me encouragementand leads to submit stories where the pay was good and alwaysacknowledged when I sold an article—often sendingme a copy with ‘nice job,’ or ‘good article,’ or ‘keep it up.’She was a wonderful person who really believed in theWRWA.”Paula wrote a detailed history of the WRWA and many ofthe writing clubs around the state. She donated the originalmanuscript to the WRWA in the summer of this year,shortly before she passed away. Her real legacy, though, isthe support for her extended family and the many writers shementored over more than a half-century.[Based on Paula’s obituary in The Fond du Lac Reporter,August 17,2005, the artcle on Paula by Kathie McGwin inthe summer edition of The Wisconsin Regional Writer, andcorrespondence from Lois Pflum.] #Call for Manuscripts—At the LaundromatWanted for use in a paperback anthology:short stories (1500 word max)poems ( one page max)humorous essays (1500 word max) and short jokestrue anecdote (1000 word or less best chance)which take place at or involve a Laundromat. (For ourpurposes a Laundromat is a commercial establishment,apartment, or dormitory where you pay to do your ownlaundry.) Good taste, please.Each contributor will receive two copies of the book anda discount on additional copies.Deadline: January 1, 2006Send manuscripts via e-mail to: Wilda Morris atwem@ameritech.net with the word Laundromat in thesubject line or mail to Cathy Conger, 510 Bruce Lane,Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494. Include a brief bio. If yousend by regular mail, include a SASE if you want a response.#

Page 22Growing Old by Jane C. Ellis, New BerlinPoetry Winner, Summer ContestHealthy aging is knowingthe important word in growing old is growing,the right path through life is up, not over the hill,change is a basic reality and everything becomessomething else in time.Life, unlike the game of musical chairs, moves usthrough infancy, childhood, youth and maturityto a tune called the march of time.We can never stop at youth or return to it.Health is a reflection of habits, choices and behavior.If you eat too much cake at your centennial birthday party,it will not ruin your good health, but it could give youa bellyache.The Misstep by Pat Fitzgerald, RacineFlash Fiction Winner, Summer ContestI should never have gotten out of bed that morningbut the evergreens outside the window, bent horizontalfrom the roaring southwest wind, plus Ted shouting,"Tornado! Get in the basement now," necessitated swiftmovement.Sam, our German short hair, was presenting a challengefor Ted. The basement frightened Sam since hewas a big-footed pup. He'd watch with terror-filled eyeswhenever I'd carry a load of laundry into the unknowndenizens of a place surely filled with horrors no dogshould experience. Ted had attached a leash to Sam'scollar and was below him by several steps, enticing himwith a doggie biscuit, but Sam refused the bribe. Thefeet he'd now grown into were riveted to the top stairs.We heard the swack of wood ripped from our home.I swooped up Sam and hustled downward. The dog wastoo startled to do anything but remain motionless in myarms, but my mind wanted me to move faster than myown size nines carried me—and Sam. I stumbled overthe bottom two stairs. The next crack I heard didn'tcome from the wind deconstructing our house, but froma bone in my ankle. Sam and I had achieved safety inthe basement, but this time I'd be the one who neededcarrying. #Reflecting on Poetry’s Practical Applications at4:00 in the Morning by LaMoine MacLaughlinWriting muse-less?Worse than useless.Chasing Saturday NightPoems About Rural Wisconsinby Michael KrieselMarsh River EditionsM233 Marsh RoadMarshfield, WI 54449www.marshrivereditions.com“Michael Kriesel writes regional poetry of themost important kind, drawing on family andmemory and a deep sense of place to evoke theregion of rural Wisconsin, yes, also the region ofthe mind, the soul, and the heart. With a seeminglyeffortless lyricism and narrative energy,these poems explore thegifts the world gives us.”Ron Wallace“Michael Kriesel is poet ofeminent power and grace.He has an earthy appetitefor probing the depth andbreadth of the human spirit.Honest and wise, vivid andpassionate, his poems arebrave and wild-winged..Chasing Saturday Night isthoroughly satisfying, ashimmering gift not to bemissed.” Ellen Kort“The unforced sincerity of Michael Kriesel’s voice allowsthe complex components of his poems to combine into adeceptively simple authority. Spilled jam, the smell ofmatches, a sinister barn, an old man zipping up hispants—all these images are in the service of a largerscene and story, indeed a history which transcends thelocal, likable voice. These unpretentious, vivid poemshave larger and lasting resonances: they linger in thememory.” Rachael HadasMichael Kriesel won the 2004 Lorine Niedecker Awardsponsored by the Council for Wisconsin Writers and haswon prizes in poetry contests sponsored by the WisconsinAcademy Review, The Writer, Rosebud, Nerve Cowboy,Free Verse, and the Wisconsin Regional Writers’ Association.He has received two Pushcart Prize nominations andserves on the Wisconsin State Poet Laureate Commission.#

Page 23Flying Flowers by Susan Mae Peterson“I can catch the flower,” he shouts. Bare toes sprintacross garden dirt. A yellow butterfly lands on a broccolileaf. A squeal of delight tickles the air. The young explorercloses in on the flying flower. Yellow wings aretoo quick for tiny hands. With graceful ease the butterflyrises, does a dizzy dance above the pursuer’s head. Thebrief encounter is over. His two-year-old mind moves onto question the wonder of how tiny white flowers turninto blueberries.Grandma tucks the lesson presented to her into a quietcorner of her heart. She collects lessons like some peoplecollect coins. This Grandma is a writer. She is foreverchasing words. Grandma looks at a blank computerscreen, much like Grandpa looks at his garden soil inspring. She sees a promise of things to be. Grandmaopens packages of words and with care plants them inneat rows on the fertile blank screen.Words that grow into sweet-smelling blossoms orbear nourishing fruit are most enjoyable, but then comethe weeds. Adverbs, tautology, and redundancy multiplyacross the page. They sneer at Grandma Writer, dare herto pluck them from the garden and toss them aside. Participialphrases, gerunds, infinitives, and dreaded ellipticaladverb clauses dangle like spider webs. Theythreaten to confuse and ensnare Grandma, make herwriting ramble without sense.Grandma Writer does her best to use quotation marks,commas, periods, and paragraphs to keep the words inneat rows, but sometimes the process becomes too muchfor her. To comma, or not to comma, that is the question.Throw in hyphens, colons and semi-colons andGrandma runs from the clean screen with the suddenHomecoming by Boyd Sutton, SirenFlash Fiction Winner, Summer Contest"I should never have gotten out of bed that morning,"Max said bitterly to his wife. It was how he expressed theanger he felt at Jillian—and for his son, Mike. "Thatmorning" had been Friday the 13th of June, 1979, whenhe and Jillian had married. Calculated to hurt, it did, butJillian didn't let it show. If she hadn't made a habit of deflectingMax's angry comments, their marriage wouldhave dissolved long ago."Come on, Max," Jillian said. "Kyra and Mike will bearriving with Michelle this afternoon. We have a lot to do.I want the place looking nice. You can give up one Saturdayof golf." (Continued on page 24)onset of a migraine.Grandma has become so tangled in the process thatshe’s forgotten why she writes. It’s time to pull a memoryfrom a hidden corner of her heart. Grandma mustturn the wheel of time backwards and look at the worldthrough the eyes of a child. She smiles, then whips offher shoes to run barefoot across the blank screen garden.The screen welcomes her. “Thanks grandson,” she sayswith a laugh.Words, those flying flowers, dance above her head.Like magic, some of them turn into ripe raspberries andblueberries kissed by shimmering sunlight. The world isalive with life. Brilliant colors explode like fireworks asGrandma plants a bare foot on the fertile soil of theblank page. She’s become a barefoot gypsy dressed inbright billowing skirts. Adverbs and adjectives swirlaround her as she spins in circles of joy.“I’ll edit later,” she exclaims. “But for now there’smuch to discover. Remember my loved ones, THIS iswhy I write.” With a pop and a fizz, Grandma disappearsdeep into her imagination. #Deracinationby H. B. HuisingaISBN# 1-4137-5626-3$19.95www.hbhuisinga.comAlso available throughAmazon.com and Barnesandnoble.comH.B. Huisinga's debut novel is a tightly-woven,fast paced mystery thriller that showcases her naturaltalent as an author. In Deracination she has createdcharacters you'll love, and some you'll love tohate. Fans of forensic science, computer hacking,and Egyptian mythology will all find something tosink their teeth into in this page-turner.An important theme of the novel involves the maincharacter Monet's journey of self-realization andrecovery from sexual abuse. The reader will findHuisinga's approach to the subject challenging andthought-provoking; those with an interest in survivorissues will find themselves alternately cryingwith Monet—and cheering for her successes—asthe plot unfolds. Eva Sweeney, Madison, WI #

Page 24Mary Ellen Ryall, Minong, St. Croix WritersBy Valerie J. DownesMary Ellen Ryall is a member ofthe St Croix Writers' Group in SolonSprings. She is an award-winningwriter, photographer, Monarch butterflyadvocate, certified food safetyeducator, and popular speaker.Tribal College Journal, publishedby the American Indian Higher EducationConsortium, presented MaryEllen with a Creative WritingAward. Her winning article,"Conquering the Dream Killers,"was published in the Fall 2005 issue.In this creative non-fiction piece, theauthor tells of her conquest of fear,doubt, worry, and guilt in order tosuccessfully complete her goal ofearning a degree at Lac CourteOreilles Ojibwa Community College.However, before she could geton her road, she had to learn how todrive when she was 53 years old.The college published three of hernature articles illustrated with photosin an online anthology, Seeing BeyondOurselves.Her articles and photos concerningthe lives and activities of seniorcitizens have appeared in regionalnewspapers. Mary Ellen's interest inseniors was sparked when shemoved next door to the Senior CitizenCenter in Minong. She teachesTai chi, presents programs on hervarious interests, and uses her mastergardener knowledge.Using her expertise as a foodsafety educator, Mary Ellen has developedHappy Tonics(www.happytonics.org), an onlineorganization through which she promotesbiodiversity and educatesabout the dangers of genetically engineeredcrops and the plight of theMonarch butterfly. She offers programson food safety issues, plantidentification, and nutrition. Her specialconcern is building awareness ofthe importance of milkweed in preservationof the Monarch.As a young woman, Mary Ellenlived in Peru among the QuechuaIndians, becoming aware of discoveringethnobotany, which helpedform her life's work. Her passion ledto continued studies with indigenouspeople. She honed her writing skillsand developed her photographicskills so she could show as well aswrite about dangers to the naturalworld. Her struggles have lead to anintegrated exciting life promotingthe health of our planet. She is currentlywriting a hyperlink text courseon herbology using photographs toillustrate her points. #(Homecoming, continued)"Easy for you to say," Max shot back. "Today's thequalifying round for the tournament. If I miss today I'mout. Why'd they have to pick today to show up after allthis time?""Mike wants us to meet Kyra and our granddaughter.You know that. They only have the one night beforethey have to fly on.""They could have come last year, or the year beforethat, or Friday, or Sunday.""No, they couldn't, and you know it. They closed onthe sale of their house Friday and Mike has to be in Bostonfor the start of classes on Monday. You know theygave Mike a break, allowing him to show up late Monday.Why can't you give him a break? He's our onlyson." The edge in Jillian's voice showed."Why did he have to leave Wisconsin in the firstplace?" Max grumbled. "He hasn't been back once infour years, then getting married without letting us knowuntil it was done. I thought we were closer than that.""Let it go, Max. He's coming today. We'll finally meetKyra and Michelle. We have a granddaughter, Max.Imagine that."Max finished his second cup of coffee, slammed themug on the kitchen table, and went out to fire up theJohn Deere. There was a lot of grass to cut.Jillian rushed to greet them as they came out of the jetway. Max held back, scowling, arms crossed firmly.They could darn well come to him, he thought. Mikelooked uncertainly at his father. But Jillian and Kyrawere hugging and crying happy tears."Let me see my granddaughter," she said, taking asleepy Michelle from her mother, cooing and kissing thetiny baby.Mike walked slowly to Max and put his arms aroundhim. "It's been too long, Dad."Max relaxed a bit and returned the hug. "Don't make itso long next time.""I won't, Dad. I won't," Mike said softly.Later that night after Kyra and Mike had gone to bed,Max and Jillian stood together looking into the crib at asleeping Michelle."She's beautiful," Jillian whispered.Max tightened his arm around his wife. "I'm glad I gotout of bed that morning, Jillian, and I always will be."He didn't see the tear trickle down her smiling face. #

Page 25Midnight Musings by Bill Nelson10 Secrets of 60-Minute WritingYesterday I uncovered a cornerstone of a 10-page syllabusI had prepared for a Wisconsin writing class thatmet a decade ago. I found it in a dusty file stashed in abasement filing cabinet. As I browse through it now, Isee it’s still appropriate for writers struggling to gain afoothold in their avocation. “60-Minute Writing” is tailoredfor writers of feature articles, but can be adapted toother forms of writing.The advice is directed mainly to neophytes, but it’llalso help kick-start writing careers that may have fallenprey to inertia. We’ve addressed several of these pointsin earlier Musings, but repetition, they say, can do wondersin underscoring key points.Here are my 10 so-called “secrets”:1) Set up a place in your home for your computer,printer and other writing equipment and materials. Makesure this retreat is always available. Don’t be nomads,roaming from area to area. This tranquil spot is yourwriting headquarters!2) Begin a Marketing Notebook for promising outlets.List only those publications you feel comfortable reading.The notebook will be a good source of ideas whileprospecting for potential outlets for the piece you’reworking on.3) Zero in on potential articles you can write. Committhose ideas to paper, perhaps in a notebook or clippingfile. As part of the process, visit a library once a monthfor 60 minutes. Browse through books, magazines andnewspapers, always seeking ideas. Come away with oneor more with each visit—and write ’em down!4) For further ideas and inspiration, join a writers’club and get to know at least one other freelancer, toswap ideas and perhaps critique manuscripts. See if youcan’t guide, inspire, and motivate each other. Maybe a60-minute get-together now and then will be in order.5) Set up a display board for your finished work. Hangup each piece of written work and date its completion or,better yet, publication. (You’ll find it’s a great egobooster.)6) Create time each week(60 minutes?) for Prewriting[brainstorming a writing project, allowing both the consciousand subconscious mind to work] and ponderingMarketing outlets. The dual process can be done in atime of low-energy, as in the evening.7) Create a medium-energy time of day, or evening,for Research and Interviewing, and Revising and Editing.You’re gathering and selecting the material you’llneed to complete your writing project. This can be doneon a weekend day, a free evening, or perhaps evenlunchtime.8) Set aside a high-energy time for Writing. You’ll doyour best and most productive work only when you’relargely free of fatigue. Strive to do most of your writingwhen you’re feeling robust, when you have a sense thatanything is possible. No phase of writing requires moreenergy than the actual writing. It can be draining, so youneed strength and an upbeat attitude as you begin.9) Create a Reward System to treat yourself when youhave completed a writing project and mailed it to an editor.(No desk drawer writers here!) Mine is a trip to thebookstore and at least 60 minutes of perusing.10) For six months, or six years, try following thisregimen and working in short, 60-minute bursts. See ifyou can’t do this several times a week. Also, occasionallysandwich in a two-to three-hour session. [Yes, Iknow your lives are busy and you’re functioning onmany fronts. But you can still set aside wedges of timefor writing, if you choose.] The sustained effort is likelyto bring rewards. Who knows how good you might become?The Bonus: On the other hand, don’t expect instant success.Most anything worthwhile takes a while. It’s theundeniable law of sowing and reaping. A Welsh sayingputs it well: It takes much water to wear the stone. Butnever forget this truth: The diligent writer tends to improveever so slightly with each project. Success oftencomes like the hand-cranked water pump once found inparks. You would pump and pump with little to show forit, and then, suddenly, the water begins to gush and youtreat yourself to a deliciously cool drink. #What Exactly is a Cover Page? By Cary Fellman, Jade Ring Contest ChairI’ve noticed there is some confusion about the differencebetween a cover page and a cover letter and hopethe following will clear up any questions you may have.A cover page, the one necessary for our contest andmost others, is not a letter addressed to the chairperson(look for an article on the cover letter in the next edi-tion). The cover page needs only the contest informationrequested in the very specific contest rules and maydiffer from one contest to another. For our Jade Ringcontest, this means: your contact information (name,address, phone, email,) category entered and title of the(Continued on page 26)

Page 26(Cover Page, continued)work, number of words or, for poetry, the number oflines, amount of money enclosed (one check total for allcategories entered), your ring size, and the name andaddress of your local newspaper so a news release canbe sent should you be a winner. When more than onepoem is submitted in that category, send only one coverpage with all necessary information for the entire submission.The contest chairperson places a number on the coverpage of each submission and keeps that page. The samenumber is put on the first page of the submission. Yourname must not appear on any text page so the judgedoesn’t know the identity of the writer. But the title andpage number does need to appear at the top of p.2 andeach subsequent page. Make sure your pages are in thecorrect sequence. (Several were not in 2005.)This year I received more than 200 entries and I appreciatedthose who sent a correct cover page. Not followingthe specifics of contest rules could disqualifyyour submission. Please be kind to the contest chair andfollow the “rules.”Whether a contest entry or a submission for publication,it is best to mail your work in a flat envelope ratherthan folding it into a smaller envelope (unfolding afolded manuscript isn’t a favorite activity of judges, thecontest chairperson, or editors) and make sure you’veput on enough postage.Requirements for Jade Ring Contest Cover PageNameAddressPhone #E-mail address (if any)Category of entryTitle of entryAmount of money enclosed (only one check for all categories entered)Ring size (Jade Ring Contest only)Name and address of local newspaperFormat Guidelines for Text Pages for Jade Ring ContestMargins: 1.5” all the way aroundUse Times New Roman 12 pt. Type (don’t get fancy)Do not justify the right marginDouble-space text except for poetry. Poetry lines shouldbe single-spaced with double-space between stanzasFirst page of text begins with the title, centered andabout 1/3 way down the pageAll following pages should have the title or identifyingword(s) at the top left, followed by the page #Two lines below the last text line, indicate the end of thepiece with either the word “end” or ###Author’s name should not appear anywhere in themanuscript.It was a privilege to receive and read the entries for theJade Ring Contest. I thank all who entered these pasttwo years and look forward to the 2006 submissions.[Editor’s note: Although this article was written specificallyto help members craft the perfect cover page for the nextJade Ring contest, its provisions apply equally to the FlorenceLindemann and Al P. Nelson contests, which open inJanuary 2006. The only differences are that the Lindemannand Nelson contests allow only one entry, do not have multiplecategories, and do not require a ring size. Otherwise,the same rules apply for what should be on the cover page.]###Reports About the School of the Arts at RhinelanderFrank Konieska (Scholarship Recipient)When I received a scholarship to the School of the Arts atRhinelander I was very happy. I’ve been wanting to go for quite afew years but work and financial constraints had made it undoable.With the scholarship, half the problem disappeared and, since Iwas retiring on August 1st anyway, I grabbed it and ran all theway up to Rhinelander, not knowing what to expect.I signed up for the short story course with Bob Curry and oneof poetry with Ellen Kort. I was not disappointed. I took two 1-and-1/2-hour classes [which] gave me time to do all of the homeworkand still explore Rhinelander and the surrounding area.I had forgotten how nice it is to be with like-minded peopleuntil I got to class. The other students were more than willing tovoice opinions and help out, and the instructors were capable andprofessional. I had a wonderful five days with Ellen Kort andBob Curry. I am looking forward to next year and, although I amnot eligible for another scholarship, I think it will be worth it forme to go.Claudia Anderson (Scholarship Recipient)What I Learned in School (of the Arts in Rhinelander)- It’s not so much what you write as that you write;- Creativity sports beards and glasses, jeans and dresses; writeswith pencil, pen and laptops, and does not discriminate becauseof sex, age, experience or genre;- Encouraging fellow writers feels as good as getting a pat on theback myself;- The four stages of creative writing are immersion, incubation,illumination and verification, and that I bounce merrily betweenthem all;- I now can add words like trope, simile, coding, alliteration andsestina to my vocabulary, even though I’ll probably never rememberthem;- I need to use a lot less empty words like suddenly, very,seemed, would, and could in my stories;(Continued on page 30)

Page 27Reports on the WRWA Fall Conference SpeakersFinding Faith in Yourself as a Writer—Barbara Fitz Vroman by Barb Jensen, PortageThe first speaker at the 2005WRWA Fall Conference was one ofour own members, noted Wisconsinauthor and writing instructor, BarbaraFitz Vroman. Barbara began bytelling about her past. Years ago as ayoung woman, married and living ona farm, she loved to write. She struggledto get the lawnmower startedand the grass mowed, and there werealways weeds in her garden. On abeautiful summer day, a neighborlady stopped in and said, “Barbara,what are you doing behind a typewriterwhen there are weeds in yourgarden?”Fortunately, Vroman joined theWisconsin Regional Writers’ Association,took classes at the RhinelanderSchool of the Arts, and realizedthat “Instead of a misfit, I was aswan. I could do something beautiful.When it comes to writing, if wedon’t believe in ourselves, we fail.Time is not wasted writing.”Vroman believes that writing is anact of faith. “As writer Norbert Bleisaid, ‘Writing is all about doubt. It’sharder than most people realize.’ Weneed courage to put words on paper,”Vroman said. “Some peoplewill hate my writing,” she said, “butthat’s okay. It will force critics tothink.”Years ago, Vroman allowed herchildren to interrupt her when writing.Now she believes mothersshould tell their children, “Don’tcome near me unless you are bleeding.”Vroman said, “By doing this,you are teaching your children thatthey need to honor their gifts just asyou need to honor yours.”Vroman cited Rick Jarow's analogyof a writer's relationship to hisor her muse to Greek mythology, theGreek God Eros (the Archer ofLove). Every night Eros came to thisking’s beautiful daughter, Psyche,whom he loved. He had requestedthat it be dark each time they met.Psyche’s three sisters insisted thatshe light a candle the next time hecame. She did and poof, he wasgone. Just like Psyche, we need tokeep an agreement to make time forand respect our writing muse. “Youcan’t write during commercials,”Vroman said.Vroman’s books are published bysmall presses or self-published. Nevertheless,two of her novels Tomorrowis a River (co-authored withPeggy Hansen Dopp) and Sons ofThunder, received The MilwaukeeJournal Leslie Cross Award for bestnovel by a Wisconsin writer in theyears they were published. She remindedwriters that many of ourmost famous authors, like MarkTwain and William Faulkner, werepublished first by their friends orself-published. Writers interested inself-publishing should check outprint-on-demand publishing. “It’sthe way to go,” Vroman said.“Instead of investing $8,000, like Idid for Sons of Thunder, the cost isonly $495. Plus I don’t have allthose boxes of books to deal with.The best part is that there is no bookkeeping.The company keeps recordsfor you.”Vroman talked about her new se-ries ofbooks, SmallCelebrations.Afriend toldher that shewas usingthose booksto read tohospice patients.At arecent class reunion, a minister usedone of her stories in his invocation.“We never know how far our wordswill go,” she added.Vroman is now collecting storiesfor a radio program she will be doingon WNRB 93.3, Wausau, where shehas been asked to read from her newbooks, Small Celebrations. Anyonewith stories about birds and animals,unexpected gifts, marriage, or nighthours is asked to send them to her atpearlwin@uniontel.net. She will beposting new themes on her web siteat www.barbarafitzvroman.comsoon.Vroman concluded with a complimentfor WRWA: “I was marriedright out of high school. The WisconsinRegional Writer’s Associationwas my college and tutor. Weneed to thank Robert Gard whofounded the organization. And alsothe dedicated people who have keptit alive through the years.”[Editor’s Note: Barbara’s speech andsome of this year’s Jade Ring winners(read by the authors) are available onCD. See Barbara’s ad on page 19.] #

Page 28Inspired by Northern Lights—Jennifer Brantley by Don Schambow, New BerlinInspired by Northern Lights, Dr.Jennifer “Jenny” Brantley enlightenedus with her presentation stressingsome of the essentials of writingand presenting our work for publication.She reminded us of the powerof language and writing. They havestarted revolutions.She presented several practicalsuggestions, including the following.(1) Time is the most essential thingin writing. Make time for your writing.Don’t feel guilty about it. Youdeserve it. Provide yourself withtime to allow ideas to collide andbounce off each other.(2) If you suffer writer’s block,lower your standards or expectationsto get yourself started again.(3) When submitting to magazines,reading is as essential as writing.Read new stuff as well as the classics.There needs to be a balancebetween the past and now. Readwhat is being written now.(4) Don’t dwell on rejection. Don’tlet rejection slips impede you.Throw them away. Resubmit.(5) Include cover letters. Failure todo so demonstrates distain for theeditor. Make them short and sweet.Introduce the writer and the work.Never try to explain the story or thepoem. Let it speak for itself. Don’trefer to submissions to other magazinesor previous rejections. Includecitations of previously publishedwork and your involvement ingroups, school, and WRWA.(6) Writing should make us feel alittle out of balance, uncomfortable,allow us to see things in a new light,and upset thestatus quo.(7) Write andthen revise.Draft “fat”—write morethan youneed. It isn’tnecessary toget it correct the first time. Let yourcreative juices flow. When finished,revise, check for correct spelling andproper grammar. Keep your drafts asyou revise. You may want to referback to them.Jenny’s practical suggestions canenable all of us to be more successfulas we submit our work for publication.#“Mad About Memoir,” with Judith Strasser by Jan K. Jenson, WascottMany of us feel that we “know”Judith through her nationallydistributedpublic radio program,“To the Best of our Knowledge.”Recently retired as senior producerand interviewer for that program, sheshared a different side of her life withus in a dynamic presentation.Now a freelance writer who alsoconducts poetry and memoir-writingworkshops, Judith has published anumber of books including a memoirentitled Black Eye: Escaping a Marriage,Writing a Life. Based uponentries from a journal she kept in1985-1986—the year that she madean agonizing decision to leave anabusive marriage of 17 years—BlackEye weaves these passages into a richtapestry of flashbacks and dreams,past, present, and future. It tells thestory of a strong, successful, and intelligentwoman who is also a victimof abuse; and of the awakening ofher creativity once she made the decisionto escape.Judith effectively blended personalexcerpts from this book into her presentationas she relayed issues thatshe, and other memoir writers, frequentlystruggle with. Key questions,and her responses, included:What do you put in or leave out?Leave out anything that is not relatedto the theme. Memoirs are notautobiographies that tell one’s entirelife in chronological order. A memoiris “creative non-fiction.” It binds keymemories together into a theme designedto “tell the emotional truth.”As you seek to write that truth fromyour perspective, a journal can behelpful in validating that truth.What about telling other people’ssecrets?Use discretion! Relate what needsto be told in order to tell your story.You may want to change the namesof family members and friends aswell as some insignificant details toprotect their privacy and your ownliability!Memoirwriting canbe a therapeuticexperienceaccording toJudith. Itcan alsoleave an important legacy for yourheirs. Memoirs are becoming increasinglypopular, no longer confinedto the realm of the rich and famous.To get started, she recommendsa writing retreat or residencyto provide solitude and time to reflect,organize your memories, anddevelop a format that works for you.Judith’s presentation was inspirationaland well received. The onlyregret that some of us had was thatshe did not have copies of her memoirfor sale. Black Eye is available atAmazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, and through your friendlyneighborhood bookstore. #

Page 29Peggy Rozga’s “Daily Dozens,” by Jane Osypowski, Campbellsport“To think of yourself as a writer,you must be writing.” Not news toany of us, but Peggy Rozga gavedaily journaling a new twist in herpresentation, “The Daily Dozens.”Why do we journal? Peggy notedmany reasons but stressed that, nomatter why, there are two importantconsiderations. First, we need to“keep up the daily-ness.” It is best towrite at the same time and placeeach day, “so that our muse willknow when and where to find us.”Second, we have to be careful not tofall into, “oatmeal for breakfast today.”You know, those daily entrieswhere nothing special is happeningin our life, so we just list the mundanefor the sake of journaling, leavingno room whatsoever for inspiration.This is where the Daily Dozenscome into play. Instead of lookinginside, look outside and steer clear ofusing the “I” in entries.The basic process is to numberone through twelve in the left columnof the journal and to start writing.The list will be based uponwhatever we choose and will writeitself as things come to mind by associationor within the theme. Forinstance, in a writing exercise, weeach noted an item in the conferenceroom and compiled a list from there.My first entry was “the noisy airconditioner” and my last was “morepeople to visit—obligations” (innursing homes, from the previousentry). Through the dozen entries,my thoughts moved in a direction Icould not have anticipated.Peggy suggested that our journalentries be based upon sensory appeal—alist of twelve sights we seefrom our window, smells as we stepoutside, sounds or tastes or feelings.As we write, we should break freefrom sentences. At the same time,most entriesshould containmore than oneor two words.Strive to keepthem descriptiveand try toavoid abstractnouns.The list could be based on atheme. What about a sense of actionor the way words sound? From theDaily Dozens, we might discover anidea for a poem or a different way oflooking at something. Peggy saidthat writer’s block could become athing of the past. She reminded us to“Be a practical observer and you’llcome up with great descriptions,”and that each of us will “develop aprecision in what (we) see, hear,smell, taste, and touch.” We will allbecome better writers. #Pulitzer Prize? It’s All In Your Genes by Katherine Steffen, Lone RockWhat’s your purpose? What wereyou born to do? What can you dobetter than anything else? What canyou do brilliantly? What hidden talentsdo you possess?According to Donald Seymour,it’s all in your genes. All you have todo is listen to what they tell you.Donald urged a roomful of writerson a rainy Sunday morning duringthe WRWA Fall Conference to listen,follow, and find your talent.Then use it.Donald Seymour found his. Hisincredible life has allowed him torealize all of his dreams. Amongother accomplishments, Donald isthe retired CEO of Applied Biochemistsand the former Director ofCareer Guidance at Concordia University.He has done everything heset out to do: traveled the world firstclass, met foreign dignitaries, developedgroundbreaking software, andfell in love with and married Wisconsin’sMiss Congeniality. He andhis wife, Donna, founded the nonprofitVocational Guidance Instituteto research human capability.Author of The Key to Your UnknownTalent: A new discoveryabout you! Donald eagerly shares theanswers he’s found in over thirtyyears of research and now focuseshis life on helping others discovertheir natural inborn talent. Donaldreminds us that each of us is aunique individual, like no other inthe world. Or universe. No one elsehas your genes in your combination.One way to discover your innertalent? Donald suggests going to thelibrary and looking through the indexin the Dictionary of OccupationalTitles. The book lists everyoccupation. Something will jumpout, call you. Follow that. Listen.And make your own list.Your list willhelp with yourwriting in severalways. Donaldtells us it will,“inspire, removewriting blocks,enhance your creative intelligenceand problem solving capability, andmake subject research more fun.”Another added benefit of the list?What a wonderful resource for developingcharacters and inspirationfor new ideas.So hear that voice inside you, theone urging you toward what you areinterested in, what you love, yourpassion. Your dreams. Your purpose.Donald Seymour assures us thatsomething wonderful is waiting. Allwe have to do is listen. “Your life,”he says, “is what you make it.”So go out, grab hold, and make itgreat! #

Page 30Galloping Grammarian, Don Schambow by Mary Jacobsen, WebsterDon Schambow, retired pastor andnew WRWA President, introducedhis topic, “Galloping Grammar,” byreferring to an address by Dr. GradyDavis, Professor at Lutheran Schoolof Theology in Chicago. Dr. Davistold his students that their missionwhen they preach was not to saythings so people can understand, butto say them so people can’t possiblymisunderstand. This could be a missionstatement for writers as well.Don then stressed the importanceof learning the precise meaning ofwords and the fundamentals ofgrammar and punctuation in order toprevent misunderstanding. He emphasizedthe need to surround ourselveswith useful resources, such asa dictionary, a grammar book, and athesaurus. He illustrated a problemcaused by a word with more thanone meaning by citing an anecdoteabout the word “lousy” used to referto something bad when his listenersunderstood the word to mean“infested with lice.” That’s the timeto consult a thesaurus for a substituteword.Don reminded us that editors havespecific requirements regardingpunctuation and grammar. In submittingmanuscripts for publication weneed to know what a particular editorexpects of us. Over the years, punctuationrequirements change andmay differ among various publications.Some of us felt a bit smug inthinking we already knew it all whenwe glanced over the first page ofDon’s handout of forty-four sentenceswith grammar, punctuation,and structure to correct or improve.As we worked on the sentences,however, many of us discovered thatwe didn’t know it all. For example,consider correcting the followingsentence: Have you ever asked yourself,“Where will I be 10 years fromnow”? Since the entire sentence is aquestion, where would you put thequestion mark?Anyone who doesn’t believe thatcommas, parentheses, semi-colons,and ellipses can evoke passion, wasn’tthere.Following this final session of theconference, we headed home inspiredto write so we can’t possiblybe misunderstood. #(Rhinelander, continued from page 26)Everyone else is as nervous in sharing their writing as I am;- The love of writing is contagious;- I need to learn to come out from behind myself;- I am so lucky to be surrounded by those who have been there,done that – and want to do it again and again;- Creative art not only includes writing, but yodeling, photography,playing a guitar or a dulcimer, making stained glass creationsand five-foot puppets, and improv comedy;- Making new friends is just as important as holding onto the oldones;- With study and discipline I can become a better writer than I amtoday;- Next time I will bring a whole lot more WRWA brochures!I have to tell you that it was incredible to have so many creativepeople around me for a whole week. Not only writers, butpeople wanting to learn improve comedy, photography, puppeteering,stained glass..it was something else.I was impressed with two of the three classes I took: Writingthe Feature Article and A Sense of Place in Fiction. The third,Creative Non-fiction, was alright, but not quite what I expected. Ilearned a number of direct (and indirect) ways to tighten up mywriting, markets to explore, and just how to have confidence inwhat I write.. The people were energetic and fun.Jane Osypowski (attendee)Besides the opportunity to network with incredibly talentedpeople, I did learn some things. For one, I learned that I am notinterested in writing feature articles. Darlene Kranschnabelshared a wealth of information from her years in the field. But, Idecided that my time is better spent writing poetry than researching.Marshall Cook has a wonderful reputation as a writing teacherand now I understand why. He has a comfortable familiarity withall of his students and puts everyone at ease. He taught our"Sense of Place in Fiction and Nonfiction" class.My favorite was Ellen Kort's "Poetry Within" class. I've hadclasses with Ellen before and always come out with fresh enthusiasmfor my poetry. I'd forgotten about the useful practice of“spilling”—just writing about something and going back later toform it into a poem. What fun that was! I will spill more often.By the end of the week, I had two spillings that will make greatfinished poems and a list of prompts to work with.Roxanne Aehl (SOAR Scholarship Chair)I was happy to see that Frank and Claudia enjoyed themselvesand would encourage WRWA members who feel even a slightdesire to travel to the northwoods to apply for one of the two$250 scholarships next spring. I was impressed and felt WRWApride at seeing Frank read a poem on stage in front of the wholeschool and watching Claudia try her hand at modeling. I finishedmy fifth consecutive year at SOAR and already can't wait for nextyear. The teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects and howto teach them and the classmates turn into friends by the end ofthe week. Please feel free to seek out this year’s scholarship recipientsor our other two attendees, Jane Osypowski and me, todiscuss applying for one of the scholarships or just attending thiswonderful week next year. #

Page 31More Pictures from the Fall ConferenceAfter a Writers’ Conferenceby Jane OsypowskiThis day after a writers’ conference,enthusiasm and inspirationfill my cruet to the brim.I want to seal in these feelings,keeping them fresh,making them last until next time.Each day, I would lift the stopper and sip,inviting the flavor to permeate my being,allowing elusive words to bubble to the surface,so I could reach outand capture them in my poetry.Instead, I will resist the selfish urge to hoard.The precious container shall remain open,allowing the muse’s power to double, then triple in sizelike sourdough yeast treasured by pioneers,providing an endless supply of creative nourishmentfor all hungry souls.

Wisconsin Regional Writers’ Association2016 Leonard Ct.Eau Claire, WI 54703-9000For and About Wisconsin WritersSherrie Avery-King by Kathleen McGwinherrie LeeS Avery King isgone to us on thisearth but ever presentin our hearts andthoughts. She becamemerely light on Sunday,September 25,2005.Sherrie was bornon August 11,1949, in St.Joseph MissouritoImogene Umberand JosephRaymond.Herhomes includedGlidden,Wisconsinwhere shewas raised,Crockett,California, and Watertown.(Continued on page 21)Paula Delfeld by Boyd SuttonPaula A. Hoffmann Delfeldpassed away on August 15 at theFond du Lac Lutheran Home. Shewas 98-years-old. Born in Campbellsport,Wisconsin in 1907 to Dr.Matthias and Beatrice Hoffmann,she married Jerome Delfeld in Milwaukeein 1927.She was employed at Kirby-Kogeshall Co. until shemarried and moved to the Delfeld Homestead Farm inBrownsville with her husband. A member of St. Mary’sParish, she sang in the St. Mary’s choir for 50 years.After raising her family, Paula attended writing coursesat Fond du Lac Vocational School, UW-Fond du Lac, andthe Rhinelander School of the Arts, and began a writingcareer. She joined WRWA in 1957 and was on the association’sBoard of Directors for 10 years. She was a memberof the Fond du Lac Writers’ Workshop; the WisconsinHistorical Society; the Wisconsin, Fond du Lac, and MilwaukeeGenealogical Societies; the National Writers’Club; the Associated Writers of America; and the WisconsinAcademy of Arts, Sciences, and Letters.Paula became a freelance photojournalist in 1956 andauthored The Indian Priest: Father Philip B. Gordon, ahistory of the first Native American to become a priest,(Continued on page 21)