2005 Winter - Wisconsin Writers Association

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. #