2005 Winter - Wisconsin Writers Association

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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 1 and 2: Wisconsin Regional Writers' Associa
Page 3 and 4: ContentsArticlesWhat Exactly Is a C
Page 5 and 6: Page 5WRWA Online Discussion Forum:
Page 7 and 8: Page 7Unpolished Gems Writer’s Gr
Page 9 and 10: Page 9Chapter One Waukesha Area: Be
Page 11 and 12: Page 11Western Wisconsin Christian
Page 13 and 14: Page 13Oshkosh Area Writers’ Club
Page 15 and 16: Page 15WFOP 2006 Muse Prize for Exc
Page 17 and 18: Page 17Meet the New WRWA President
Page 19 and 20: The WRWA Book ListPage 19Pathways T
Page 21 and 22: Page 21(Sherrie Avery-King, continu
Page 23: Page 23Flying Flowers by Susan Mae
Page 27 and 28: Page 27Reports on the WRWA Fall Con
Page 29 and 30: Page 29Peggy Rozga’s “Daily Doz
Page 31 and 32: Page 31More Pictures from the Fall

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