President’s Page
OUR PREVIOUS/MOST RECENT MEETING
Information about our most recent
meetings is available via a link on the “Welcome” page. (To the left)
Visit the “Programs” page (to the left) to
learn about our next meeting and other writer related events.
FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Spring has
sprung. I can tell by how big the garlic and crocus'
are and the fact that all the snow is gone. Spring is when the earth renews itself with
bright colors, fresh air and
promise.
I hope it also
brings new life and fresh ideas to the vibrant minds of our SASP members. Speaking of which...we have stories to tell
this Friday the 12th and Saturday the 20th. I am so
looking forward to hearing all of them.
I have heard that
a few writers have heard only crickets when sitting down to write their
stories. So Jimminy Crickets, write about crickets! Also, at this meeting we will be voting on
where we want to move to for our Friday meetings. Currently we have two options, and I may have
a third by the time we meet. Let's face
it, we have outgrown the room we're in. Yaaaaaaaaay! We're
growing! See you all on Friday.
Carl/Nathaniel
The
Prez.
Author
of The Ant Doctor
and
three other books that will be out soon.
FROM OUR VICE-PRESIDENT
I have been
thinking about the Events Calendar for this Summer and Fall. I know there are many events around the
Spokane and North Idaho area that provide opportunities for us to show our
writing talents and sell our products, books. If we don’t take advantage of these
opportunities, then I would assume we don’t care. I don’t believe that. As I look around the room at our meetings on
Friday and our extra meeting at St. Francis on Saturdays. I see writers that
are interested in getting their books out and into the readers
hands. I suggest each of us who knows
about an event opportunity for book selling, take a few minutes and write them
down or send the information to Dave for inclusion in the Newsletter via an
attachment. I know this puts more ‘to
do’ on Dave to keep the event calendar updated. But it is up to each of us to provide the
information. The Event Calendar is an invaluable tool for us. Hopefully, it will also bring us closer
together in writing, publishing, and selling out
products.
As an added proposal, I would like to hear from you. If you have an idea, let Carl or me know. Bring your idea to our meeting and present it.
There are very smart members with
innovative minds, let’s hear from you.
Aunt SASP wants you! So Speak Up!
Bob Manion Vice-President
FROM YOUR EDITOR, WEB-MASTER, TREASURER
No doubt you have noticed a change to
the front cover of the newsletter. I
figured it was time to incorporate the new logo, and in doing so some changes
in arrangement came about. As always,
it’s subject to change. And sometimes
the overall layout depends on who many books the author who
is featured on the cover has.
If
you look closely at the roster that should accompany this issue of SPOKANE
AUTHORS GAZETTE, you may notice that it is a little shorter. I’ve taken everyone off who last paid dues in
2021. Additionally, any books they had
published are no longer listed on our list of books available on Amazon. (They are still listed on the AUTHORS BOOKS
page of our web site, which is now for past members’ books. In addition, the MEMBERS page on our website now
lists only those paid for this year.
Again, it isn’t about the money, but paying dues does indicate an
interest in or organization. At the same time, we do have expenses and the
dues help pay for them. It isn’t fair to
those who pay their dues regularly for those who don’t to have the same
benefits. That is why, if a person
hasn’t paid for the current year, they are not listed on the MEMBERS page and
why there is no link to their MEMBER WEB Page.
As we move forward, I hope to provide
a more comprehensive “Upcoming Events” section in the newsletter. Ideally it will be parallel to the PROGRAMS
page on the website, although it won’t extend out as far. Ideally it should list or show events for the
next two months. Of course, that means I
need to know about the events, and I need to know in time to get them listed
and published, both in the newsletter and on the website. I would also like to include writer-related
events from the local writing community, even if they do not directly involve
our members. So, if you know of a writer
somewhere having a signing or a book release, let me know and I’ll try to get
it listed.
You may also notice that the write-up
for last month’s meetings is somewhat longer than usual. I don’t know if that is a sign of our
changing approach to how we operate or if I just took a more detailed set of
notes. Assuming it is because of our new
practices, I expect that portion of the newsletter will me
longer. If the “Coming Events” section
grows, we will have less space for reviews.
While we only send out a handful of hard copies or printed editions of
the newsletter, I limit the length to what can go for a single postage stamp. Typically, that is five sheets of paper, or a
cover and eight pages. Just remember,
you can find the reviews published here on the REVIEWS page on the website.
FROM OUR PRESIDENT (Previous)
Greetings to All,
As we March into
spring. I have some good news, maybe, sorta. I have some new leads on other possible
places we can meet. I will be checking
out some of them just before our meeting and hope to have a report for you
then, and maybe a selection to talk about.
I am looking
forward to hearing about any new projects or ones that are nearing
completion. I am also excited for our
guest this month. He tells me he has some fun stuff to share. Sorry no spoilers!
Not much to add
other than looking forward to seeing a full house of smiling faces this
Friday. Shout outs to our newer members
and missing some we haven't seen for a while.
All for now.
unless I think of something else.
Carl
Northrup/Nathaniel Bennett President
Author
of:
The Ant
Doctor and A Penny for Your Thoughts
FROM OUR VICE-PRESIDENT (Previous)
COMMUNICATONS:
On many occasions
we assume we and the other guy are on the same page in understanding, and we
aren’t. Have you ever experienced that?
You both say you understand, but in actuality you are
on different pages.
It just happened
to me in my attempt to set up a book signing and adding two more writers to the
event. After meeting with the store
manager responsible for book signings, we still hadn’t had a meeting of our
minds. I didn’t realize an email was
required. I had already set up a signing
of my own and had verbal permission to add writers to the signing. I was wrong.
Notification not just verbal, but in writing, via email. I have since worked through that particular event and hope there isn’t anything hiding in the
shadows.
Communication:
having been in the communication end of events both as a manager within a
Fortune 100 company, and in the military, I should have made a TO DO LIST. I didn’t even think about the SOP (Standard
Operating Procedures) of the store. I
relied on the store manager helping me to do what she
expected of me. I could have avoided a
mix-up simply by using my head and asked if there was anything I needed to do
to add the writers for an event. Therefore,
the big thing was to use my head. A
couple of questions would have eliminated the problem.
Verbal
communications can easily lead to confusion.
Listen to that little voice that has a question. Remember the KISS formula, “Keep It Simple
Stupid!!” Got a question and don’t
understand, ask. I use, “So What?” and “What If?” a lot. I should have done that here. Think of communications and what it means to
you and to the person you are communicating with.
It can also apply
to your writing: the “So Whats” and the “What
Ifs.” They will make your writing
stronger! Listen more, talk less! Think and ask if you don’t fully understand,
have a doubt, or have a question or a point of confusion. I learned something, so my day wasn’t
wasted.
Bob Manion Vice-President
FROM YOUR EDITOR, WEB-MASTER, TREASURER (Previous)
Every now and then I get word from
someone who wants to send in their dues and needs the organization’s mailing
address. I am always glad to provide it
to them, but it also surprises me they would ask, because the address is
available in several places. First of all, it is on the front page of each and every copy
of the newsletter, whether mailed, e-mailed or posted to the website. There is also a chance it may be included
elsewhere in the newsletter as well.
Additionally, it can be found near the bottom of the website’s Welcome
Page and on the Membership Forms Page.
Finally, it’s now included on the bottom of the roster which is also
sent out monthly. And just so you know,
that is the only address we have. We
don’t have different mailing addresses for different functions like many big
corporations do. So, if you need the
address, I hope the preceding will help you find it. As always, if you do need it and can’t find
it, ask and I’ll send it to you.
I’ve contacted our officers and
advisory board to find out if we want to change over to the new, proposed
logo. Depending on what they decide, we
may put it up for a membership vote. Or
we might just go ahead and make the change if we don’t have a lot of objection. You are
certainly welcome to let me or any board member know
your opinion on the matter.
I’ve been referring to this newsletter
as SASP NEWS for some time now, but perhaps if the logo changes and we
deemphasize the “self-publishers” part, a new name would be applicable. I’m thinking of something like SPOKANE
AUTHORS GAZETTE. I’d welcome any
suggestions.
Dave McChesney
FROM OUR MEMBERS (Previous)
A bit of a revelation from me:
I employ Beta Readers,
a cabal of about 45 individuals of widely varying back-
ground, experience, and education. These kind people are my
revered Betas that read ALL my work well before I consider
publication. They catch plot missteps, grammer,
punctuation, and a lot more. A lot more.
I rely on the
Betas to comment freely, and at length if needed, to set the course of the
paragraph, chapter, and entire book on the right path.
Betas, don't write without them.
Russ Ford
(Editor’s
note: Other than changing font and font
size, I tried to leave this just as received.
You may notice an error or two, and to me they serve as a good example
of why we should aways have someone, Betas, perhaps, go over our work.)
A Recent Note from Cindy Silliman
I was just talking to a neighbor
lady today and she said that she's writing a play. She says she's kind of to
the point where she needs some advice and some help etc. and I was telling her
about our group, and I told her that I would ask you if please or something
that she could come and get some pointers on or whatever. So let me know if
that's something that would work. Or if there's a specific group of people for
something like that.
Thank you,
Cindy
My (Our) Reply
I don't know of anyone in the group
that's into writing plays, etc., but there might be someone who knows someone,
or knows of a group that focuses more on that than we do. I'll keep a
lookout for such, and certainly your neighbor is always welcome to come and
check us out...
Dave
If anyone knows of anyone or any group
that focuses on writing plays or screenwriting, let Cindy know.
Spokane
Authors
Page revised 04/06/2024
DAM
©2005 www.spokaneauthors.org