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Sunoasis X 2005 V2 Issue 11
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David Eide
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Dec 08, 2005 19:37 PST
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S U N O A S I S X 2 0 0 5
Volume 2 Issue 11
November/December 2005
"If you would be pungent, be brief; for it is as with words
as with sunbeams. The more they are condensed, the deeper
they burn."
-- Robert Southley
_____________________T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
1) [Professional Notes- Pungent Thoughts on the Act of
Writing]
2) [Resource Notes]
3) [C/Oasis- new stories and poems]
4) [New Forms of Publishing]
5) [Community]
6) [Etc/Etc/Etc]
http://www.sunoasis.com/sunoasisblog.html
Switch to the online version right now!
http://www.sunoasis.com/honor.html
I'm not charging for subscriptions but if the spirit
moves you please use the Amazon Honor System. Thanks.
Enjoy this issue! Forward any comments to:
eide-@earthlink.net
===========================================================
Can You Write A Simple Letter?
If yes, you could be in big demand, earning big money,
writing just a few hours a day from anywhere in the world
you choose to be. Here's how you can learn the secrets of
this little-known, lucrative business
Learn more: www.thewriterslife.com/ph/soc62
__________________P R O F E S S I O N A L N O T E S
When I sit down in front of a new piece of writing I always
ask myself, "am I a wild child or am I a professor who
doesn't want to make a mistake in front of his colleagues?"
Usually the wild child wins out because I've learned a
beautiful secret about writing. It's the perfect secret.
The best writing you will do is never seen by anyone.
One of the hidden treasures of "how to write" is the brief,
"The Golden Book on Writing" by David Lambuth and others.
Lambuth was an eccentric professor at Dartmouth and after
his death some of his papers were collected and published.
If you don't have time to plow through the writing advice
books pick this one up and cherish it. He says that writing
well is not about memorizing parts of speech but writing as
closely aligned to the natural speaking voice as one can get.
And then, after the deluge, comes revision and the rules of
grammar; rules, by the way, that came into being to simply
make the effort of reading clearer. For instance, there was
a time when there were no punctuation marks in copy. The
reader went along making it up as she went. It finally
dawned on some to represent the natural flow and stopping
of the natural mind/voice with oddities like periods,
commas, question marks and so on.
Lambuth instructs writers to read their writing out loud. "If
you find it hard to read your sentences aloud, you may be
quite sure your reader will find them unpleasant to read even
to himself."
Be direct. Tell the reader as quickly as possible what the
piece of writing is about.
* * * * *
"No matter how good a phrase or a simile he may have, if he
puts it in where it is not absolutely necessary and
irreplaceable he is spoiling his work for egotism,"
Hemingway once remarked.
Tearing down your first draft is the doorway to mastery. And
it's curious that many stop there. To complete mastery you
need to build up. There's an art to it that is hard to
negotiate since our egos are involved in the act of writing.
A writer's ego is always in the work. To rub away just enough
ego is also the writer's task.
Let the first draft of a piece sit for awhile and then look
at it after a few days, even a week. One writer suggested
letting a short piece of fiction lay around for a month or
more.
Always figure that something is not right about it. Make it
better each time you view it. I write columns on the net. I
write them, revise them, and then load them up to my server.
Each time I go and read those columns, I find I could write
them better.
Some tips:
*Develop check-lists for improving the piece of writing.
*Get rid of cliches.
*Sprinkle the narrative with anecdotes.
*Take out unnecessary words.
*Read for your readers.
http://www.psychwww.com/mtsite/mindmaps.html
The graphic use of "concept maps" will help the writer fully
explore the diverse nature of any piece of writing.
http://www.editavenue.com/writingtip.asp?cid=12420
These techniques for "raising your writing an extra notch,"
are useful. One of the better things the author says is
always be aware when you have to clarify a point. The writer
needs to objectify his own work to critique it. Most writing
that conveys information is "scanned" by readers who are
trying to pick out the salient aspects of the piece. It
may seem selfish that the reader is reading for himself and
doesn't take into consideration the work that went into it,
but that is the sad truth.
* * * * *
Your writing may be read by millions, thousands, or one.
Write for the one and give the one a face, a voice, and a
visual background that is not your own.
Make it fun.
* * * * *
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=93107
Narrative journalism is being called on to save the
beleaguered newspaper, if not journalism itself. It's a topic
always welcome to the literary type. It means ample use of
literary devices such as dialogue, scenes, and a focus on
characters. It was popular in the 60's and 70's because
novelists and journalists were entwined with each other. No
one could quite belief in fiction but they couldn't quite
believe the facts either.
Of course, story is implicated in every sentence. "A dramatic
necessity goes deep into the nature of the sentence," Robert
Frost wrote. If you keep this in mind you'll revise toward a
rich interplay in your writing.
* * * * *
Every writer has an obnoxious family member who asks at get-
togethers, "what good is writing?" Since the obnoxious one
will not read classic literature or essays in Atlantic
Monthly I suggest for them to read The Report of The National
Commission on Writing.
Since the member of the family won't go through the
44-page report you can offer this summary:
http://www.writingcommission.org/pr/writing_for_employ.html
"Writing can be a ticket to professional jobs..." Emphasize
"professional jobs," not simply run-of-the-mill jobs! That
should get the obnoxious member to buy books for his or her
kids.
* * * * *
The beauty of clear communication is that it is rare. So,
those who can do it will always be employed. If you combine
that with a wild imagination and playful use of words, with
a desire to use old words in new, meaningful ways, so much
the better.
Even in an age of "scanning," the clearer the text the easier
it is for people to pick out what they want from a piece
of writing.
"Readers" exist in abundance and for them reading is a
pleasure and the writer must strive to produce a good and
stimulating feeling in the reader. He or she owes it to
those who keep the art of writing and reading alive.
* * * * *
Have a great Holidays! I thank all the people who have been
on the list over the years. Whatever happens I will always
have happy memories of this period of time. Thanks!
______________________________R E S O U R C E N O T E S
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Freelance rates have declined the last several decades so
writers are turning to self-publishing. Is it paying off?
Readers care about quality, accuracy, and readability.
http://www.associatedcontent.com
Do you want to upload articles to a site where others can
download them? Good place to start getting clips.
http://nm.essortment.com/marketingtipsf_rekh.htm
Marketing tips for freelance writers.
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_________________B U S I N E S S O F W R I T I N G
http://tinyurl.com/73eop
Will authors gain from digitization?
http://tinyurl.com/b9f5d
An interview with three publicists from literary houses. It
contains a lot of insight into the world of publishing and
publicity.
http://tinyurl.com/agul8
Advice for setting up a writer's business plan.
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=80420
Writing tools: How to improve your writing with these 50
ideas.
______________W R I T I N G O R G A N I Z A T I O N S
http://reporters.net/cjj/index.html
Criminal Justice Journalists
http://www.rwanational.org/
Romance Writers of America
http://bcwriters.com/
Federation of British Columbia Writers
http://www.marylandwriters.org/
Maryland Writers' Association
http://www.ncwriters.org/
North Carolina Writers' Network
http://www.penandbrush.org/
Pen and Brush, Inc. of New York City
http://www.riwriterssociety.org/
The Rhode Island Writers and Journalists Society
http://www.southbaywriters.com/
South Bay Writers of San Francisco Bay Area
http://www.willamettewriters.com/
Willamette Writers of Oregon
http://www.winewriters.org/
Circle of Wine Writers
There are many more links to writing organizations here:
http://www.sunoasis.com/newmanna.html
______________________________P U B L I S H I N G
https://www.lightningsource.com/ResourcesBookDesigner.htm
We talk about self-publishing and print-on-demand quite a bit.
The more information you have the better off you'll be. I'm
on mailing lists that demonstrate to my satisfaction that
do-it-yourself publishing is a tricky sea to negotiate. Don't
be fooled by the seeming ease of it. This link will take you
to a favored printer, Lightning Source, and how to prepare
a book for publication.
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/003021.php
An amusing top-ten list of reasons to read a newspaper.
http://tinyurl.com/bm7dw
A tale of two women who collaborated to produce a self-
published book on surfing.
http://tinyurl.com/chg7y
Book distributor Baker & Taylor may be up for sale.
_________________________M A R K E T S A N D L E A D S
Editor
Valley Forge, PA
Vanguard, one of the world's leading investment management
companies, has an opening for a strong communications
professional to edit and proofread copy created for
Vanguard's website, Vanguard.com, and to adapt for online
use materials created in other media.
For more information on this ad go to:
http://www.sunoasis.com/vanguard7.html
____________________________________________________________
REPORTER- TAXES
Falls Church, VA
Tax Analysts, a multimedia legal tax publisher, has an
opening for a reporter to cover tax and accounting-related
issues. Beat includes coverage of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, Congress, the
IRS, Treasury, the courts, and publicly-held companies.
We strive to stir up great tax policy debate -- and fuel it
with the best news and commentary around. Because our
publication has no advertising, no holds are barred in the
aggressive pursuit of all angles of a given story -- an
advantage that few other periodicals can offer.
For more information on this ad go to:
http://www.sunoasis.com/tax.html
____________________________________________________________
DOCUMENTATION WRITER
Omaha, NE
This person is responsible for composing concise and easy-
to-read communications from product developers for users of
our products. The documentation writer is responsible for
the publication process including graphics, layout, and
document design. The writer will create user guides, product
instructions, reference and maintenance manuals, project
proposals, training materials, online documentation and
help systems.
For more information on this ad go to:
http://www.sunoasis.com/dtn.html
____________________________________________________________
Writer - Human Resource Communications
Location: Valley Forge, PA
Vanguard, one of the world's leading investment management
companies, needs a creative, talented writer to research and
write human resource communications. Your work should be
engaging and accurate, educate your readers, meet business
objectives, and be delivered on time. This position is
available part-time (25 hours per week) or full-time.
You'll regularly brainstorm with clients, colleagues, and
senior management to develop creative concepts for Web,
e-mail, and print delivery.
For Full Ad go here:
http://www.sunoasis.com/vanguard6.html
____________________________________________________________
MARKETS:
LAW MAGAZINES: Make sure you locate the
editor of a magazine, contact her and request a sample copy
and writer guidelines. If you think you have a story for
her, send an excellent query. Search back issues and try
to understand the type of articles the editor looks for.
We provide the guidelines or mail addresses and phone
number of the publications when available.
http://www.abanet.org/journal/guide.html
ABA Journal
Pays: $400-$2,000 for assigned articles
www.dailyjournal.com
California Lawyer
Pays: $50- $2,000 for articles
http://www.insidecounsel.com/contact/
Corporate Legal Times
Pays: $500- $2,000 for articles
http://tinyurl.com/e2z8b
Law Office Computing
Pays: Varied
http://www.legalassistanttoday.com/editorial_guide.htm
Legal Assistant Today
Pays: Up to $100 for articles
http://www.abanet.org/lsd/studentlawyer/writers.html
Student Lawyer
Pays: $500- $1,200 for articles
Don't hesitate to tell us what you are looking for:
http://www.sunoasis.com/oasisfeedback.html
There is an index of writer guidelines here:
http://www.sunoasis.com/sunoasismarkets.html
___________________________________________C / O A S I S
http://www.sunoasis.com/kathmstory.html
Adyna and her Notebooks By Kathryn Magendie.
"Adyna did not like people, dogs, cats, the sun, moon, and
she especially did not like surprises.
Adyna just did not like. She kept her condominium clean,
organized, and free of imagination.
She distrusted self-reflection, so there were no mirrors
in her six rooms, the counters were
never shined, and fixtures were scrubbed to a
matte finish..."
___________________________________________________________
http://www.sunoasis.com/strangeland8.html
Strange Lands and Peoples, Chapter 7 by Martha Nemes Fried.
"It was our custom to listen to the news on the radio
before we had breakfast. On the morning of November 24,
1963, Mort and I were in a hurry and could not spare the
time..."
___________________________________________________________
http://www.sunoasis.com/palmerpoems.html
Three poems by Lamont Palmer.
Reflections on Possible Waywardness
A Tilghman Island Tale
Picnic
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http://tinyurl.com/8cnnj
A thought provoking article by David Weinberger about the
future of the book or, really, the classifying of information
and the ability of readers to connect with each other. If
I'm a writer what motivation do I have to produce work for a
system that will gleefully deconstruct it?
http://tinyurl.com/b68sx
Almost 50% of bloggers are under 30 years of age. And only
40% of bloggers have college degrees. Hmm, that explains a
lot.
http://tinyurl.com/ddsw3
This writer elaborates on something I predicted a few issues
ago at The Digital Writer. "What happens if the old media
dies before the new media learns to walk...?"
http://tinyurl.com/alv4j
A sound analysis of how newspaper journalists can adapt the
hyperlinking aspect of the internet to improve stories.
http://www.publish.com/article2/0,1895,1893676,00.asp
Another sound view of the journalism model being created out
of "community." Anything should be tried, especially with
this medium. And the stimulus of the new should be a good
kick in the rear to the establishment. Why is the community
more trustworthy than a trained editor? When does community
become cult? After all, if I express an opinion that upsets
members of the community I will move on to one that is more
accommodating. I have more thoughts on this in The Digital
Writer.
http://www.sunoasis.com/digitalwriter.html
http://tinyurl.com/9s5rg
Then again there are the impassioned arguments for
de-emphasizing print publishing and heading out to the new
and more vital digital system. We are for it but believe
talent should be there not simply emotion or empty fantasies.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10355107/
The teen-agers are fusing themselves with all these new
communications technology. By the time they mature as a
generation they will change the communications landscape by
imposing their habits on everything. What did Goethe write,
"transform or die?"
_______________________________________C O M M U N I T Y
Modern Language Association Annual Convention
Washington, DC
27-30 December 2005
http://www.mla.org/convention
"Expanding Your Writerly Horizons: Contests,
Conferences, and Low-Residency Programs"
Cambridge Center for Adult Education
Cambridge, MA
21 January 2005
http://tinyurl.com/axywa
See the Tips Page for more information:
http://www.sunoasis.com/tips.html
Thanks to Steven Evans for his generous contribution.
Thanks Steven! He is an editor and has a splendid
website here:
http://www.the-freelance-editor.com
http://writing.shawguides.com/search?t=December
Shaw Guide for Writing Conferences
_______________________________________E T C/ E T C/ E T C
Editor/Publisher: David Eide
E-Mail: <mailto:eide-@earthlink.net>
Sunoasis X 2005 is fully protected by copyright.
Please ask permission if you are going to use any or
all of this publication.
Reprint rights belong to the authors.
Contact them if you wish to use their material.
Unauthorized use of any material is strictly
forbidden.
Our hope is that we can help and enhance the world
of writing, publishing, and editing.
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