The 2013 OWFI Conference – Part 3, The Sessions

May 9, 2013 at 9:09 pm (Writing)
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Despite the fact that some of the programs and scheduling had changed, I still kept pretty close to my intended schedule as listed on the OWFI website. I was looking for a balanced approach, one in which I could get as much of a variety of info as possible, trying to meet new people while reconnecting with folks I had met last year.

The opening session on Friday that I attended was the Small Publisher Panel. I was amazed at the passion for good writing that all five people exhibited. It really does seem that the small presses might be more willing to take a chance on a newer writer as long as the quality of writing is good. They seem to work directly with the writers and do not often have contacts with agents. This is a definite plus for those writers looking to break in somewhere. Later on in the conference, I kept crossing paths with Steve Semken of Ice Cube Press and Philip Martin of Crickhollow Books. They were completely accessible, friendly, and very entertaining.

Alex Miner’s discussion on The Supportive Critique Group reminded me of my time in Boston twenty years ago when Joe Gallo, Cathy Coley, and I had an informal critique group, only we didn’t call it that. Nevertheless, by whatever designation it is given, a small supportive group can pave the way toward making your craft better.

After lunch, I attended Lela Davidson’s discussion on The State of Social Media 2013. I had seen her last year and she is still as spunky and funny as before. On the serious side, I validated all of my current efforts by her suggestions.

The last session on Friday was The Hybrid Author: Self-Publishing with an Agent, presented by August McLaughlin. Conceptually, it was fascinating because it bridged two heretofore separate notions. It made me realize that there are enormous and dramatic changes in writing and publishing and that, to be successful, everything must be considered.

Marilyn Collins was a breath of fresh air on Saturday morning. Titled “Spin Your Writing into Magazine Articles for Special Interest Publications”, her presentation was similar to one I attended last year. It made me realize that I needed to stop procrastinating and find some freelance magazine writing work; it’s the surest way to garner bylines and increase your profile.

The session with Romney Nesbit, a creativity coach, was a change for me. I never considered a need for a creativity coach for myself, but when she answered the question of When to Say No, I took great heed to her comments.

The last session on Saturday was a disappointment. Out of respect for the gentleman, I will not provide his name. He was a book publicist who did not provide feedback on general ideas for publicity. Rather he “suggested” we opt for his fee of approximately $4000 (with other services a sum total of $20,000) for him to pass your name out to the numerous celebrities he knows from his many years. It was disingenuous for the man to make such a suggestion to writers looking for advice and feedback and are not full-time or professional as of yet. Many people left his session; I stayed for entertainment value.

Overall, with the one disappointment, it was highly informative all the way across the board and very worthwhile.

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The 2013 OWFI Conference – Part 2, The Poetry Slam

May 7, 2013 at 9:13 pm (Writing)
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It is rather unusual for a writer’s conference to have a poetry slam. After all, this is where agents and editors and publishers and writers of all levels come to network and socialize and learn to perfect their craft. It is not a place for a competition for performance poetry. This is one reason why the notion of the first ever poetry slam at the 45th OWFI conference intrigued me.

I had done slam poetry back in Boston for roughly four years from 1990 to 1994. I was unusual, doing rhymed and metered verse and competing against urban angst and social consciousness. But I figured back then that it was largely about performance so I had a shot. And I had a small degree of success. But it had been 19 years and I really don’t write poetry much nowadays, so I was living on faded glory. Here was my opportunity. Despite all the trepidation, I felt certain I would win.

Originally we were told that seven or eight people had signed up. Fine by me. It was being moderated by Mendy Knott, a poet and one of the speakers at the conference. She was going to select judges, instruct them in the finer points of what a poetry slam was and how to judge them, do a warm-up poem to give them the idea, and then let them do their thing. Of the original contestants, there was a young girl named Molly, who had just graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in creative writing and who had taken seminars with Danny Solis, a slam poet who I had the good fortune to know and watch and listen to back in Boston. Molly was well prepared in both good poetry and performance. The other person I became worried about was Amy Shojai. With her theater background, she was reading lyrics from a forthcoming musical and presenting beautifully.

I started with my signature piece, “A Special Kind of Love”, a Shakespearean-styled S&M poem. There are no bad words in it, only the implication of a different kind of fun and games. It’s the piece that earned me the nickname “The Bard of Boston.” But my scores were low: 25 out of 30. An elderly woman who read from the paper behind the podium and did not gesticulate got higher scores than me. So, I’m thinking it’s the subject matter. Because, after all, Oklahoma is not Boston.

photo (3)Photo courtesy of Mike Watson

Fortunately, the judges did not pay attention to the moderator to use decimal points in their judging. It was because of that a couple of us were tied with 25 points and I snuck into the next round. The next piece was also whimsical but far less troublesome. It was entitled “A Repentant Sinner Arrives in Heaven” but in the end it, too, was of questionable subject matter. The speaker decides that Heaven is not for him and “besides, they serve hors d’oeuvres and cocktails in Hell.” Well, that didn’t go over quite well either. I was beginning to notice that two of the three judges were elderly ladies and one was a lot hipper. If it weren’t for her, I would have been booted out of the entire conference.

So, I’m there in the final round. I’ve only got one piece left and fortunately it’s not comical. It’s a sober dissertation on megalomania entitled “The Last Diary Entry of G.A. Custer, dated June 24, 1876.” For this piece, there was an added bonus: I let my hair down. I was bold and brave and modulated my voice correctly for the greatest impact. I went third out of five. All three judges scored me in the 9+ range. After all, there was no sex and no religious defamation.

I was adding things up in my head as the last two went on and knew that my prediction had come true: I had won. I was the first ever OWFI Conference Poetry Slam Champion.

photo (2)Photo courtesy of Mike Watson

I’m not 100% sure they’ll ever have one again. I hope they do because this was an opportunity for poets to show their stuff.

After the slam, after some heartfelt congratulations and admiration for the other contestants, I headed down to the bar for a congratulatory martini. I walked alongside the two elderly ladies who described themselves as former poetry and English teachers and, in an almost apologetic manner, indicated that the first two pieces just weren’t to their taste. I respectfully accepted their comments. In spite of their personal preferences, I had won. It’s a testament to the obstacles that all writers face.

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The 2013 OWFI Conference – Part 1

May 5, 2013 at 4:21 pm (Writing)
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You go to a writer’s conference for three primary reasons: to learn, to network, or to socialize. If you are fortunate, all three things will happen.

This year’s OWFI Conference provided me with a new approach to possibly getting additional bylines by writing magazine articles; an opportunity to meet Chuck Sasser and Bob Avey, two experienced and successful writers who have Dan Case of AWOC.com as their publisher, just like me; and to hang around with dear friends from KWA and get to know them better as people as well as writers.

You can not help but come away with a rejuvenated feeling after such an event. As writers, we primarily work alone, sometimes in the dark with simply the glow of a computer screen to enlighten us. At some point, the work has to be presented to someone or several someones. Until that time, it is not real except on your hard drive and in your mind. Whereas it may not be “ready”, it needs to see the light of day in someone else’s eyes.

Writers together have an understanding and a bond. They also have a propensity for acting strange and getting into trouble. (Or that may just be me!) You make a comment about how some piece of dialogue didn’t sound real or how one scene is slowing you down but is nevertheless necessary. And the other writer knows what you’re talking about.

You can talk all you want about genre and how the gal that writes the western romance has nothing in common with the guy who deals in historical mystery. That’s not necessarily true. The notion of Craft comes up in the forefront of every conversation just as two chefs understand the same concepts, though one bake pastries and the other roasts meat. This is where the value of conferences is to be found. The slight details, the specialized knowledge, and the pat on the back are all exchanged in hopes of all becoming better writers.

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Time to Get Back to Writing

April 8, 2013 at 8:35 pm (Writing)
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For months, I’ve done little in terms of writing. You know, actually sitting down at a keyboard and constructing sentences out of words and paragraphs out of sentences and…Well, you get the point.

I’ve been a leader, an advocate, an administrator, a chair, a madman lunatic doing everything possible to put something together for others. Right or wrong, plus or minus, for better or for worse, this is what I’ve done. But I’m a writer and it is necessary to get back to the good old ritual of making stories and drawing characters and inventing places.

I’m currently re-working my procedural “The .9 mm Solution”, inspired by the ideas expounded by my brother-in-law with regard to the judicial and penal systems. (He would refer to them as ramblings but I’m able to find inspiration in anything.) It’s a perfect time to be finalizing this piece because there is another writer’s conference, OWFI, coming up in early May. Instead of being the guy running the show, I’ll get to be the guy running around in the show.

It is always special to be in the vast company of writers, regardless of genre or experience or level of competency. After all, the nature of what we do is similar. I didn’t get to do too much of that at the KWA Scene Conference because I had to be there for everyone. Except me, of course. Now I get a chance to take in the view, listen to something interesting, meet new writers.

But first, it’s time to get back to writing.

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After the Conference

March 17, 2013 at 3:28 pm (Writing)
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I said yesterday that the 2013 KWA Scene Conference was like a wedding: Nothing was perfect and everything was beautiful. In the end, you only remember the good things. It will be left to those of us on the KWA board to sort through things, analyze and evaluate.

I truly feel blessed to have had such wonderful and diverse speakers. Stan Finger’s presentation on his book, “Into the Deep”, was completely moving and inspirational. Esper’s discourse on YouTube as a viable platform opened many people’s eyes, almost as much as his work. Roy Wenzl gave sound advise for writers regarding focusing on story and NOT the author. We will look forward to his new book on Father Emil Kapaun. John Jenkinson showed that the author’s voice can be tinged with humor while making a statement.

But there was no doubt that Jenna Blum, the keynote speaker, was our star. With great wit, she challenged those to work hard, as hard as she did through over 100 agent rejections, to bring your stories to life and see them through to being published.

There are so many things that a writing conference can be. There are only a few things that it should be. That is: entertaining, informative, and inspiring. I believe we accomplished that.

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KWA Scene Conference – The Complete Writer

February 14, 2013 at 10:12 pm (Writing)
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Well, here is another “commercial” for our forthcoming Kansas Writers Association Scene Conference.

Nobody told me you weren’t supposed to do videos for these things. We’ll see how much influence they have.

At the very least, enjoy the music by Kevin Macleod.

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How Pitchapalooza Led to a Book Deal

January 23, 2013 at 10:14 pm (Books, transgressive fiction, Writing)
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Pitchapalooza is a strange and unique event. Hosted by The Book Doctors, it offers the participants the opportunity for a one minute pitch. No more, no less, than one minute. After you have made your pitch, you are critiqued on it with the aim to help you make your pitch better. The winner gets a future meeting with an agent or publisher or editor uniquely qualified to assist.

You never know what it will lead to. This is my story.

SPOILER ALERT: I did NOT win.

It was at the KWA Scene Conference in 2012 that I participated. On this blog, I debated which of two pieces to pitch: a traditional neo-noir hardboiled mystery or an experimental piece of Transgressive fiction. I chose the latter. It was unique enough to stand out even though it might not be the most commercial piece to pitch.

I had looked up Pitchapalooza on YouTube and saw several examples. I wrote and re-wrote my pitch. I practiced. At the Friday night session, the twenty entrants were randomly drawn. I was confident going in. But as the participants came and went, I waited. And waited. And waited. Nerves were starting to settle in.

And then I was called. And, to be honest, I nailed it. I hit it out of the park. Pick your own analogy. But I did what I was supposed to do. I was ready for that cash bar.

At the end of the session, the five panelists excused themselves for a review/vote/consultation. They came back a short time later to announce that they had a winner AND an honorable mention. I knew from my research that was unheard of. They did not usually have Honorable Mentions. I was announced as that rare honoree. Initially I was disappointed but having been mentioned at all, to have been considered, WAS a victory.

One of the panelists was Dan Case of AWOC.COM Publishing who was quite taken with my pitch, my story, and me. I had a one-on-one session with him on Saturday as well as one with Arielle Eckstut, one of the Book Doctors.

Flash forward two months to the OWFI Conference. One of the sessions was on the Elevator Pitch. Again, my Transgressive work, having recently been perfected, was blurted out in a one sentence pitch. More applause and appreciation.

I run into Dan Case. He remembers me. He still wants to see what I’ve got up my sleeve. I send him both pieces that I pitched back at the KWA Scene Conference. We can flash forward some more. Because Dan Case decides to publish the neo-noir hardboiled mystery, “Swan Song”, currently available on Amazon Kindle and Paperback, Barnes and Noble Nook and Paperback, and Kobo e-books.

It’s really mind-boggling, amazing, fascinating, and fun, all at the same time. I keep thinking that Raymond Chandler published his first novel, “The Big Sleep”, when he was 51. I beat him by six months.

It’s only a start. I know that. I don’t know where it actually goes from here. But it all really started because of a crazy event called Pitchapalooza.

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The Evolution of a Novel – “Swan Song”

December 27, 2012 at 7:53 pm (Books, Writing)
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Why do writers write? It is the fascination and obsession with the Word. Their connection, their sound, their emotional weight. We are story tellers and we tell our stories with words.

This is the story of “Swan Song”, my debut novel published by Deadly Niche Press. {The Kindle Edition is available at Amazon.com; the print version will be available after the first of the year.}

In 2007, I won a prize in the Adult Poetry Division of the Kansas Writer’s Association’s yearly contest. At the presentation and corresponding reading at Watermark Books in Wichita, KS, I talked with Storme Maynard who told me about a strange thing called NaNoWriMo. All you had to do was write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. No problem, right?

The stress of the thing was palpable. Writing poetry in Boston in the mid 1990′s was a thought-provoking, emotional, and at times intellectual process. But we took our time until we got it right. This thing was literary insanity. But I finished it; I completed a “book”, such as it was. However, looking over my effort in December was out of the question. The holidays were approaching and I didn’t want my sloppy 50,000 words to depress.

I did work on it. Many times through several years. Eventually I came up with a piece of neo-noir hardboiled fiction that still captures my attention and creates striking images in my mind. Keep in mind that it is still nothing more than a manuscript at this time.

That is until I met Dan Case of AWOC.com. He was a speaker at the KWA Scene Conference in 2012 and a panelist for Pitchapalooza, sponsored by The Book Doctors, David Henry Sterry and Arielle Eckstut. In a what-the-heck kind of moment I decided to pitch my Transgressive novel, Weekend Getaways, or Adventures in Contract Killing. I got an honorable mention for my pitch and some additional people looking in my direction, one of whom was Dan Case.

I ran into him at the OWFI Conference in May. We talked; he said he was interested and so was I. I sent him the manuscript for both. Knowing that the Transgressive piece might be a harder sell, he opted to start with “Swan Song” which has just been released as an e-book.

I am thrilled and pleased and know that the work has just begun. But consider the evolution: writing contest to casual conversation to online writing event to writer’s conference to pitch session to another writer’s conference…

There are those who say that NaNoWriMo is silly and it’s not really about the art and craft of writing. There are those who say that writing conferences are a venue for published novelists to garner attention. There are those who think that an e-book is somehow not a “real” book.

Whoever those people are, I do not agree with them.

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Putting Together a Writing Conference

October 2, 2012 at 8:01 pm (Writing)
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As President of the KWA (Kansas Writer’s Association), it is incumbent upon me to oversee the organizational aspects of our yearly writer’s conference. Just between you and me, I’ve never done anything like this before.

But I have been to conferences both big and small. Two day conferences with multiple tracks. One day seminars with one speaker. They are not all the same and one is not better than the other. That being said, I figured I would just come up with a theme, figure out who I knew (or who I knew who knew someone) and create a string.

It seems to be working. I have six varied speakers, all from different backgrounds, all presenting something more personal to them who I know will engage our attendees. No, this is not an advertisement. Not yet, anyway. It is simply a way of reminding myself that there is a human aspect to all the “necessary details” (venue, food, advertising and marketing, etc.). That human aspect is the speakers.

At some point, I plan to meet with each of them individually. That is something I am really looking forward to. It will be a sneak preview, if you will, of the conference itself. More importantly, it will be a chance to meet with, on a human level, a variety of writers far different from myself, who are at different stages of their careers, and who bring something rather unique to the table.

I am surprising myself at the balance between my organizational and creative sides and pleased to know that they co-exist in harmony. The end result, I believe, will be an intriguing conference that people will appreciate. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

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I Write Transgressive Fiction; Does That Make Me a Bad Guy?

August 14, 2012 at 9:48 pm (Personal, transgressive fiction, Writing)
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I got a Tweet from David Henry Sterry, one half of The Book Doctors. I had met him and his wife, Arielle Eckstut, at the KWA Scene Conference in March of this year while competing in Pitchapalooza. I pitched my dark comic Transgressive novel Weekend Getaways, or Adventures in Contract Killing and was well received.

The Tweet from David was “what exactly is transgressive fiction?” I responded “Main characters who feel confined by the norms of society. Think Fight Club & American Psycho. (was this a test?)” He came back with “not a test. just curious. is curious george transgressive character? cat in the hat? certainly max from wild things, right? ” Interesting. I hadn’t thought about it from that perspective. I clarified: “Got to add drugs, sex, violence and other taboo subjects into the mix. For the characters, THAT’S normal.” Sometimes the Socratic method does work best.

For my own interests, I looked researched on Wikipedia and found this definition by LA Times literary critic, Michael Silverblatt:

“A literary genre that graphically explores such topics as incest and other aberrant sexual practices, mutilation, the sprouting of sexual organs in various places on the human body, urban violence and violence against women, drug use, and highly dysfunctional family relationships, and that is based on the premise that knowledge is to be found at the edge of experience and that the body is the site for gaining knowledge.”

I looked back at my novel and the other collection I put together, Unemployed and Dangerous: A Trilogy of Transgressive Novellas. Was my work really like this? It was true that I explored very dark themes. The approach was offbeat, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, somewhat lyrical. There was an off-handedness to the extreme behavior, as though it were all just normal.

I have worked in customer service or retail for the better part of thirty years. I am certain that my life experience has informed my writing. I have always enjoyed film noir from the 40′s and 50′s, especially with the deep and dark psychological undertones. There is more than just crime in good crime fiction.

I had to go very deep within myself for that collection of novellas, scaring me at times and my wife just enough, before we both realized that I was lowering myself into a well but also pulling myself back up. And yet I know it’s there.

So, I conclude that I am NOT a bad guy but one who recognizes the possibility of badness, madness, degradation, and despair. Just as it is within all of us. And it is daring and scary to dive into those waters for the sake of a piece of writing and it is a dangerous journey to come back to stable ground. It creates an understanding of duality. It forces self-examination, which is necessary on both a personal and artistic level. It broadens the scope of character and literary skill.

I choose to go there knowing that I have the strength of will and the love of my wife to get back. I would not be satisfied any other way.

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