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November 7, 2008
Ever dream of being an author?
Upcoming JCC Jewish Book Festival offerings include writing and publishing workshops.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
Being a newspaper writer provides clear guidelines for content – an article generally covers the who, what, why, when and how of an event, for example. It also allows for a very limited word count, so you hardly ever have to worry about whether you have enough to say. And, finally, there's an editor who will cut down what rambles and who will fix all those awkward sentences. When it comes to writing a book, however, the rules seem to change. Thinking up a story from scratch, for starters. Then there's the hesitancy to show other people your work – is it really any good? And, if you can get by all that, who's going to want to publish your masterpiece? The upcoming Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival, which runs from Nov. 22-27 at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, is holding four different workshops that should help aspiring writers with these and many other questions.
All of the workshops take place on Sunday, Nov. 23, starting with Self-Publishing at 10:30 a.m., led by Jo Blackmore, who founded Granville Island Publishing in 1998.
Writers are "self-publishers if they pay for the publishing. If they do everything themselves, for better or for worse, they are really self-publishers!" explained Blackmore in an e-mail interview. "With Granville Island Publishing, the authors receive a great deal of help: rigorous editing, proofreading, text design, cover design, discussions and polling on the title and the cover. They are introduced to a publicist and there are marketing meetings."
Often a book that is self-published won't be taken as seriously or get as much attention as other published works. Blackmore noted that this can be the case if a book "looks 'self-published,' with spelling errors, a bad design. It can be hard to get it into distribution if it is self-published and on its own.
"However," she continued, "there are many self-published books that have done very well, even making the New York Times book list." She gave the examples of The Celestine Prophecy and The Wealthy Barber, as well as titles published by Granville Island Publishing that have done well in terms of quantity sold: Hockey Play-by-Play, The Stark Reality of Stretching and several that have gone into second edition, including Sally Rogow's Faces of Courage: Young Heroes of World War II.
As for when in the creative process a writer should start thinking about securing a publisher, Blackmore said, "You could, I believe, approach publishers with a really fleshed-out outline of a non-fiction book, but it is extremely hard to find a publisher if it is a first-time author. With fiction, I think you'd need the whole book."
Blackmore stressed "the importance of having a good title, a good cover, thinking about your market. Who is going to buy your book? What makes it unique? How much will it cost to do it yourself? What can you expect as a return?"
Portland, Ore., writer Robert Freedman will tackle at least one of these questions as well – what could make your work unique – in his Memoir Writing workshop at noon. Freedman has been a published writer for more than 25 years and he teaches creative writing workshops at Write Around Portland, a nonprofit organization with the goal of transforming lives and building community through writing.
Of course, everyone's life story is unique and your experiences could offer engaging source material, but how good of a writer do you need to be to write a memoir? Freedman told the Independent, "All writing should be as good as it can possibly be. This doesn't mean, however, that all writing needs to be 'fine' or 'literary' and it certainly shouldn't dissuade anyone from attempting to tell their own story. Good writing simply means that the writing is clear, forceful and honest. And, there are no rules against enlisting editors and proofreaders."
In his workshops, Freedman said he tries "to give people prompts to jump start their memories, to zero in on those moments that are both rich and significant. Writers will be asked to write quickly, without pre-planning, about moments in time, both lovely and traumatic."
Given the personal nature of a memoir, there may be concerns about the accuracy of memory or about including other people in your stories, who may be offended by what you write
"As to the accuracy of memory, I don't believe any memoirist can claim absolute accuracy," assured Freedman. "What we strive for is an accurate feel. When recalling conversations from many years ago, of course the literal truth is not possible. But the dialogue the writer chooses to use can accurately reflect who the characters are and what they want.
"This is one of the differences between straight autobiography and memoir," he continued. "Memoir allows more latitude, but no less truth."
Freedman acknowledged that there are valid reasons to worry that people might be offended or hurt by what someone writes in a memoir and that this is something with which many writers struggle.
"I could not, or would not, have published my current book until my parents had passed away," he said. "No way they would have understood that I was only trying to tell my own truth, and not wanting to hurt them. It is a very slippery slope. What I would say is that writing a memoir requires a level of bravery and, I believe, in the best of all worlds, that revealing one's story, one's truth, can be an opening for discussion and healing. Those who are offended are always free to write their own stories."
Freedman said that the workshop is not just for those who have already begun a memoir or who have previous writing experience. "I hope that people will attend who may only have a glimmer of an idea or a sense that they might just like to share their story," he said. "I've found in the workshops that I conduct, often times, the shyest and most hesitant of the participants are the ones that ultimately have the most to contribute."
Cori Howard's Writing for Moms workshop at 4 p.m. is also for writers of all levels – though only for moms: new moms, grandmas, step-moms or adoptive moms.
"I think many moms want to write to remember," said Howard. "Life with babies and small children goes by so fast and we are so busy feeding, cleaning, cooking and worrying that it's hard to take the time to write down what we are feeling and experiencing. And yet, so many of us crave that time to write it all down, not only so we can remember the first smile, the first kiss, the first steps, the first day at preschool, but also to write our way out of our struggles.
"There are so many things mothers struggle with: identity, ambition, friendships, marriage, spirituality," she continued. "Motherhood changes everything and, often, writing can really help ease us into a new place of acceptance and surrender to our new life experience. It's good therapy."
Common advice that Howard gives to prospective writers is to read.
"In the last 10 years, there's been an explosion of great literature, fiction and non-fiction, about motherhood," she said. "Reading helps us know what has been covered and how, but it also gives us ideas and inspiration. Other than that, I find mothers have a hard time getting started because there just isn't enough time in a day. That's why my Writing for Moms classes are helpful (www.themomoirproject.com). They offer a group environment in which women are given the encouragement and skills to start writing and to get feedback from each other on their progress."
Howard's workshop will give women a taste of what her regular classes are like, she said. At the book festival event, she said participants should be prepared to do some reading and writing and to share their stories.
Also holding a workshop at the festival that Sunday will be author Karen X. Tulchinsky, at 2 p.m. Tulchinsky, who also teaches at Langara College's creative and applied arts department, will be offering participants a hands-on creative writing workshop that will give them the tools to improve their writing skills.
All of the workshops cost $18 in advance or $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at www.jccgv.com or by phone at 604-257-5111.
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