Newsletter November 2006 Guild Gram Newsletter: PALM SPRINGS WRITERS GUILD Newsletter serving writers of the Coachella Valley November 2006 The 2006 Short Story Writing Contest Are You the Winner? MEETING TIME: Sunday, Nov. 5th, 2006, 2-4 P.M. Palm Desert Library 73300 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert, CA Come to the November 5th meeting of the Guild to find out if you are one of the lucky contestants to catch the judges' eye! The prize money this year was enticing --$500 for the grand prize, $250 and $100 for the runners-up. You'll enjoy hearing the winning entries. Not only will they be excellent stories but it will be interesting to learn what determined their choice. The Guild is in debt to the judges, Dodie Cross; Jack Stillerman, Harf Windsor, Mavis Clark, Jenny Gumpertz, Dee Windsor, and Esther Segal for their efforts. And a fusillade of thanks goes to the Chairs, Jack and Marci Stillerman, for their conscientious and painstaking leadership. DON'T MISS THIS MEETING! Be there to give (or receive) a hearty hand of congratulations for a job well done! PROGRAM SCHEDULE for 2006-7 by Phyllis Costello Nov 5 Writing Contest Awards! Dec. 3 Annual Holiday Party: Board provides entertainment; food catered Jan 8 Dr. Edward Gordon speaks about the business Feb 4 Ray Strait, author, biographer 27 books; his experiences; how to find your way in the maze of publishing, selling, and the entertainment business Mar 4 Julie Gorges and John Hacker, father/daughter team; she writes for young people and he writes on humor about aging April 1 Judy Weigle, "My Office is a 3-Ring Circus"; self-publishing promotion May 6 Steve Peterson, author, poet, singer, performer; relates a new author's adventures into publishing a first novel. Election of officers. June 3 Ice cream social; new officers installed; writers' open readings. PRESIDENT'S LETTER by Dawn Huntley Spitz Outstanding! That was the word used to describe our first meeting of the season where our speaker, agent Sally van Haitsma, attracted a large turnout. She gave many excellent tips on how (and how not) to get an agent. After her talk, she offered personal advice to several of our members, encouraging a lucky few to actually send her proposals on their work! Eighty-eight people attended the meeting, of whom thirty-three were guests. Obviously the word about the Guild's exceptional programs for writers is getting around. Our goal is to see that all writers in the Coachella Valley learn about what the Guild has to offer. Our thanks go to Chairs Jack and Marci Stillerman and all the readers who helped judge the stories in our writing contest. It is one of the Guild's most important events and we are grateful to all involved for their part in making it a success. We continue to encourage you to send in articles of not more than 500 words on some aspect of your experience as a writer. Your contributions not only make interesting reading, but help to keep us connected. Be sure to put Saturday, November 18 on your calendars, when our first workshop of the season will be presented by veteran writer Bob Hurlbert on the subject of writing for the cinema. It is guaranteed to be lively and informative. The Board is working hard to keep the Guild growing. But we need your help. As the Guild increases in numbers and influence in the community, we all benefit. Stay active, volunteer your skills and talents, and spread the word! Cyndi Muscatel who was scheduled for the November program will be teaching a workshop on writing memoirs later this year. I Was a 90 Pound Weakling Then I joined a Writers Guild critique group. I'm still a 90 pound weakling, but my writing is really showing some muscle. Strengthen your writing skills. Join a critique group. To inquire about meeting times and openings, call Gordon Gumpertz at 346-3429 or email: pscritgp@yahoo.com Prospective New Critique Groups If interested in a group that meets weekends or evenings, please contact Coordinator Gordon Gumpertz at pscritgp@yahoo.com or 346-3429. Also, anyone wanting to be in a group for members living in Yucca Valley, Morongo Valley, Landers, Joshua Tree, and the general Morongo Basin area, please contact member Karely Brown at 760-369-2819. Guest Column by Kurt Sipolsky Recently I had the opportunity to study writing at the National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped (NTWH.org) in Belfast, Maine. As the song goes, "I must have done something awfully good" because I attended on a scholarship for the month of July, and I heard what a miserable month it was here. The class was profound and I will remember it forever. To work with disabled Afghan and Iraqi vets, all young, one with no eyes, one with terrible scars, one with MS from Sarin nerve gas, etc. and to see their courage as they rehearsed their original monologues for days, and performed to Cole Porter on the final night moved me so much. I encourage anyone who is handicapped with an interest in acting or writing to look into the program offered every summer. The Desert Sun printed my editorial, "Second-Hand Soldier" and it can be read online for those wanting more information. GUILD POSTS: Tony O'Doherty was kind enough to step in for Mel Harter as Treasurer; Martin Goldberg stepped in for Bruce Singer as Executive Vice President and Bob Hurlbert is now our Communications Chairman. Thanks to all! GUEST WRITER WHY I WRITE By Dr. Mel Harter I find everything on earth symmetrical and steadfast, standardized by rules of nature and regulations of nations. It is as bland and boring as an unpolished toenail. Median, mean and mediocre are extolled. Most people seem to blend into their landscape like daffodils on yellow wallpaper. Most don't complain. If not happy, they seem content. But me, I just don't fit. When I came into the world in spite of birthing difficulties the doctor wrung his hands and said, "If he doesn't fit any better into what's ahead, he'll have problems." That was my first warning. The doctor was so right! I just don't seem to fit. I'm dyslexic, hyperactive and compulsive. Short on grace and rhythm, I'm long on obnoxious opinion and I talk too much. In spite of good upbringing, religious education, post-graduate training and stints in both the military and the Boy Scouts, I still don't fit. Thank goodness, I found a way out. I found the door to the rabbit hole. I unlock it with my pen. I write. I leave the monotony and discomfort of here to go the excitement and joy of there. At my whim, the sky is purple or green, the sun orange or brown. I inflate molehills and flatten mountains. I find peace and love, valor and courage, intrigue and treachery. There I am a sleuth, a hero or a victim. I'm a hunchback haunted by hell or a hunk harassed by hotties. I live plots where every climax is better than the one before it, every resolution more rewarding. And if, in my world of the written word, what works for me today doesn't work tomorrow, I'll edit and rewrite it. Here, I'm a perfect fit. The pen is mightier than the Prozac! The Crow's Nest by Dodie Cross I thought some of you might be interested in hearing what our current guild celebrities are doing now. As the saying goes, once your manuscript is finished, the real work begins. Sherry Halperin tells me she's trying to get into her latest novel, Just Call Me Lady, but having trouble finding the time to write. She's working on a TV pilot called Live From Borders Books in Rancho Mirage - it's all about books and everyone is invited to drop by and watch the taping on Oct. 29th between 9 AM and 2 PM. Some bystanders may even be used and asked about their writing. She is also in the selection mode for the perfect script writer for Rescue Me, He's Wearing A Moose Hat, slated for production in 2009 - yes, that's right! It takes that long to get a film done. She's also optioned a script called Ronnie Finkelhoff, Superstar and also working on getting a film and television deal on that project. She's just completed a radio interview on the new Greenstone Media Network that Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem and Rosie O'Donnell started, and will be going to Scottsdale in a few weeks to be the keynote speaker at a book conference. Other than that, she says, "I'm watching the grass grow and looking for a date." I'll keep an eye out for you, Sherry. HOT WATER goes international! Kathryn Jordan tells me she recently sold the world Spanish language rights for HOT WATER to a publisher, Editorial ViaManga, in Spain. She is also busy writing a sequel to her book called STEAM, which takes up right where HOT WATER left off. She is also busy researching and writing another novel based on the true story of silent screen star, Gladys Walton, who was Al Capone's girlfriend. The title will be GLADYS AND CAPONE. The two met on the set of her 1923 movie, "The Untamable," when Gladys was 20 and Capone was 24, partied at Two Bunch Palms with such Roaring Twenties stars as Charlie Chaplin, Valentino, and Gloria Swanson. Got a match, Kathryn? Jack and Marci Stillerman picked AuthorHouse as their publisher of choice for their new books. Jack's book is titled YANKEE DOODLE BOYCHIK GROWS UP and is due out around January. The book covers his memories of growing up in1928, through the prosperity of Coolidge, the Great Depression of Hoover and the New Deal of FDR, ending with the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. Marci has put together a collection of her wonderful short stories in SWIMMING LESSONS, many of which are reprints that have been published over the years. Got something to Crow about? Inspire others: email me at dodiecross@dc.rr.com SCREENWRITING SEMINAR RETURNS! Bob Hurlbert will conduct a free screenwriting seminar at Cathedral City Library Community Room, Saturday, November 18th, 2006 between 1-4 P.M. In this seminar he will discuss aspects of writing that are important to tell a story for the screen and televison. As before, the program will include the analysis and discussion of at least two well-known screenplays. This session is designed to help novice and intermediate screenwriters tell their story. If you are bringing a friend or associate, include that person's information as well. Due to limited time and printing costs, handouts will be distributed during the seminar only to those who respond not later than 5 P.M. November 13, 2006. If you plan to attend, please send an email with "Screenwriting" in the subject line, and include your name, address, phone number in the body of a message to: pswgmembers@hotmail.com. Or you can mail your name, address, and phone number to: Screenwriting Palm Springs Writers Guild P.O. Box 947 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 The Palm Springs Writers Guild became a non-profit corporation Dec. 6, 2005. The next step was to file for tax exempt status. Data was collected and prepared; new by-laws adopted; the board restructured; financial statements readied, a scholarship program launched, etc. Tax exempt applications went to the state and federal levels in June 2006 for a 501(c)(3) classification. The application is under assessment now with a federal Exempt Organizations Specialist. The state generally follows the federal government's determination. In the event we are denied a 501(c)(3) at this time while our program grows in its intent, we will seek a 501(c)(7) classification. This gives us tax exempt status as a writers' club with charitable, educational, and literary emphasis. by Carol Mann The posts of chairs for the 2007 Short Story Contest are open. Volunteers NEEDED! Anyone wishing to be a part of the Publicity Department, we would welcome your participation in any regard or capacity. Thanks! Renew Membership for 2007 or become a Member for 2007 - click here ON WRITING LIMERICKS; We have received some very clever limericks, although they have not met the requirements. The limerick must deal with some aspect of WRITING. Not so easy. For the uninitiated, a limerick has a specific rhythm and rhyme scheme. The first, second and last lines must rhyme and the third and fourth must rhyme. The first, second and last lines have a rhythm of two triplets (one-two-three) preceded and/or followed by one or two syllables. The next two lines have one triplet, followed by one or two syllables, depending on how it fits into the verse. Got it? Now get to work. Meanwhile, I've written another to give you an example. Dawn Huntley Spitz Contributors Welcome! LIMERICK CORNER There once was a writer named Morrow Who chose someone's idea to borrow But the fellow who coined it Learned who had purloined it And sued Morrow, much to his sorrow. Writers Guild Board and Committee Members - click here Palm Springs Writers Guild P.O. Box 947 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 PalmSpringsWritersGuild.org ^ posted by Webmaster @ 10/29/2006 09:00:00 AM Pacific Time November Events: November 5, Sunday -- The Palm Springs Writers Guild meets 2-4 p.m. at Palm Desert Library -- Community Room -- 73300 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA, free to members, guests, and public. During the program, the winners of the PSWG 2006 Short Story Contest will be announced. The top three stories will be read, and the judging process will be explained. This is certain to be exciting as well as entertaining. Members who would like to make announcements at the meetings, please send or give your notices to President Dawn Spitz who will read them. Limerick writers are still encouraged to send in their work. Remember the subject must have something to do with writing. We continue to welcome brief articles by members about their writing experience. Visitors/Guests must SIGN IN at the Hospitality table. Visitors/Guests are encouraged to apply for membership in the Guild at the meeting, or visit www.palmspringswritersguild.org to download a Membership Application for mail-in. Members CHECK IN at the Hospitality table. Renewal is due on January 1, 2007. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OTHER DATES IN NOVEMBER, RELATED TO OUR WRITING: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mark your calendar: NOVEMBER 4, Saturday Join us at the free BlogFest, beginning at 8 p.m., on November 4, Saturday, at Borders Books and Music at The River in Rancho Mirage. Blogger/Writers will read 5-8 minutes of their own material. Guaranteed to stimulate the listeners. Check www.BlogFest.org for last-minute updates. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mark your calendar: NOVEMBER 14, Tuesday Lynn Price from Behler Publications in Orange County will give a talk at Border's on Tuesday, November 14 7-9 P.M. on "What Every Writer Should Know Before Querying and Submitting a Manuscript." She'll also be signing her new book, "Donovan's Paradigm." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mark your calendar: NOVEMBER 18, Saturday, SPONSORED BY PSWG -- Bob Hurlbert will conduct a free screenwriting seminar at Cathedral City Library Community Room, 1-4 pm. on Saturday, November 18. In this seminar, we will discuss aspects of writing that are important to tell a story for screen and television. As before, the program will include some analysis and discussion of at least two well-known screenplays. This session is designed to help novice and intermediate screenwriters tell their story. If you wish to attend, it is preferred that you send an e-mail to pswgmembers@hotmail.com with "Screenwriting" in the Subject line -- AND -- Include your name, address, phone number in the body of your message OR Mail your name, address, phone number to: Screenwriting Palm Springs Writers Guild P.O. Box 947 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 If you are bringing a friend or associate, include that person's information, as well. Sign-up DEADLINE is 5 p.m, November 13, 2006. The seminar is free, but attendees must meet this deadline in order to receive handout material at the workshop. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Reminder: You can save $50 for Robert McKee's STORY seminar, January 19-21, 2007, if you register at UCR, Palm Desert Campus, before November 1, 2006. This event is not affiliated in any way with the Palm Springs Writers Guild. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 'Writing Memoirs' by Cyndi Muscatel will be a later workshop. ^ posted by Webmaster @ 10/28/2006 07:00:00 AM Pacific Time Powered by Blogger. |
