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Will Rogers Writers’ workshop
newsletter April 2008 ZASLOW TO BE IN THE
SPOTLIGHT WITH EXTRAORDINARY BOOK Jeffrey Zaslow is a familiar
figure to those who attended the 2007 Will Rogers Writers’ Workshop in Zaslow participated in two workshop sessions,
on feature writing and winning contests. Late last year he cut back his column
writing for The Wall Street Journal to work on a book to be titled The Girls From Ames. Then he wrote a column about a Hundreds of thousands read the online version
of Zaslow’s column, Pausch became famous overnight from his TV appearances, and Zaslow signed a lucrative publishing
deal to collaborate with Pausch on a book, The Last Lecture. He worked long days for three months to meet a tight deadline and the book is scheduled for release April
8 with a flood of publicity. PARADE magazine will feature a cover story with
excerpts from the book on Sunday, April 6. Diane Sawyer will host an ABC News
special airing on Wednesday, April 9. In book circles, the word is that The Last Lecture could be the next Tuesdays with Morrie, which has
sold around 14 million copies worldwide since 1997. Jeff Zaslow, winner of the first Will Rogers
Humanitarian Award in 2000, is about to reap some well deserved returns on his work. (For an interesting background piece with a local
angle, click on http://tinyurl.com/2uq8bz ) BRUCE CAMERON DOES VIDEO TO PROMOTE
It was a rather low-key announcement, considering
it came from the king of self-promotion, W. Bruce Cameron. “Well, I tried this video thing,”
he informed members of the NSNC Discussion Group. “Turns out I'm less funny
talking than writing, and less funny writing than when I pick out my own clothes.” What he was talking about, it turns out, is a
3-minute video on YouTube. It features Bruce, wearing an ill-fitting brown sweater,
addressing the question: Is the Man Your Daughter Is Marrying Really Good Enough For You?
The narration is interspersed with still photos and home movies of a supposedly real daughter, as well as some gag
shots (a baboon identified as a member of Congress). Oh, yes, there is an occasional
glimpse (roughly one every 36 seconds) of the cover of Bruce’s newest book, 8
Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter, which goes on sale in April. Within the first week the video had received
more than 300 views. If you would like to add to that number, see for yourself
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kgHPc1NsL0.
As further evidence that the 8 Simple Rules sequel is making its debut with a splash, the Hollywood
Reporter is in print with a story that the new book will be brought to the big screen by 26 Films and the producer of
“The Devil Wears Prada.” “Cameron is
adapting his semi-autobiographical tome into a comedy with co-writer Cathryn Michon, author of the ‘Grrl Genius Guide’
book series,” the newspaper stated. “It offers wry commentary in the same vein as his 2001 book ‘8 Simple
Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter,’ the basis of ABC's eponymous series starring the late John Ritter.” LESTER
Carol Mell of “Five years ago, I wrote a column about how poor For the full story of the
episode, including the Pell dog throwing up on the rug before the “Today” show crews’s arrival, visit Carol’s
Web site: http://www.newwest.net/main/article/lester_holt_in_my_living_room/ A video clip of the “Today”
show in COLUMNISTS OBSERVE SPECIAL Members
of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists will observe their own special day on April 18. National Columnists Day was
established in 1995 as a time "to reflect on the way newspaper columnists connect, educate, comfort, encourage, celebrate,
outrage and occasionally even amuse readers and a time to express appreciation for them for their hard work." The
day also honors Ernie Pyle, the courageous wartime correspondent whose frontline reporting cost him his life. He was killed
in the South Pacific on Over
the years National Columnists Day has been observed in many ways. Columnists write about Ernie Pyle and his focus on the soldier
rather than the general. They also take the occasion to tell readers what it means to be a columnist and how what they write
affects many lives. REGISTRATION OPENS FOR NSNC Registration is open for the 2008 annual conference
of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Conference Chair Smiley Anders, a member of the workshop faculty, said, “We have done our best to keep fees affordable for
columnists whose newspapers don’t cover their expenses.” The member rate is $275, but a $250 earlybird
rate is available for anyone who registers before May 1. Anyone who is
an NSNC member, that is. For non-members, it will cost $325 to attend the conference. That’s an incentive to join the NSNC for only $50 and get all the benefits. The guest fee is $150. To register, go to the NSNC Web site www.columnists.com and click on Conference. TWO PODCASTS OF INTEREST TO WRITERS AVAILABLE
Check out these two links to podcasts on the web site for Beyond
the Book, hosted by Christopher Kenneally of the
A podcast recorded on February 7 featured The Art of Column Writing, with NSNC's Suzette Martinez Standring and book contributors Ray Hanania (voted Best Ethnic Columnist), author and NSNC member Terry Marotta and Keith Woods of the Poynter Institute. http://beyondthebookcast.com/?p=84
Kenneally also posted an interview with literary agent Noah Lukeman for insights on transforming newspaper columns
into books. This podcast was excerpted from the Beyond the Book panel at the 30th annual NSNC conference in JIM CASTO TURNS SCRIPTWRITER FOR VIDEO DOCUMENTARY
Over the years, Jim Casto has been a number of things – a newspaper
reporter, editor and columnist; a freelance magazine writer; a public relations person, and an amateur historian with more
than a half dozen books to his credit. (Accompanied by his wife, Norma, Casto
attended the 2007 workshop and participated in the Books and Authors evening book sale.)
Now, Casto has added another title to that list – scriptwriter.
He has researched and written the script for “A Moving Monument,” a new one-hour video documentary that
traces the history of the West Virginia State Capitol. The documentary, which debuted on West Virginia Public Television on
March 13, was produced by MotionMasters, a film, video and multimedia production company located in
Copies of the documentary are to be distributed to schools and libraries in
More about the documentary, including information on purchasing copies, can be found at its web site, www.movingmonument.org. Casto’s web site is www.jimcasto.com and his e-mail address is jimmycasto@aol.com. AN ELECTION YEAR BOOK FOR POLITICAL JUNKIES EVERYWHERE The POTUS Chronicles: Bubba
Between the Bushes, the latest literary
achievement by Robert L. Haught, is a merry romp through some of the most eventful times in the nation’s political history. It’s a sometimes-bumpy roller coaster ride, “prudently recreating” with George H. W.
Bush, wondering what’s next for “Bubba” Bill Clinton and his co-president wife, and “misunderestimating”
George “Dubya” Bush.
Haught, a former UPI correspondent, drew on his experience as a U.S. Senate aide to write the political humor column
“Potomac Junction” for 18 years, chronicling the exploits of three presidents and other
Published by iUniverse, the 320-page book is available from the bookstore at www.iuniverse.com and soon may be purchased at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
“It’s the election year book for political junkies everywhere.” ******* March 2008 PLATFORMS AREN’T
JUST FOR CANDIDATES If you’re considering doing a non-fiction
book, you need to think about your platform. That’s the advice of workshop
speaker Kelly James-Enger. She discusses the subject in her
March newsletter. “Your platform is what you bring to the
book project in terms of not only your expertise but your ability to help sell the title once it comes out,” she says.
“Are you recognized as an expert in your field? Have you published articles
about the subject already? Do you teach? Have you been interviewed about the subject or appeared on radio or television programs?
“These kinds of expertise and media exposure
make up your platform. Forget how good your idea is. Publishers want to know how you're going to help sell your book –
and the broader and bigger your platform is, the better.” Get more guidance from this authority on freelance
writing and selling by going to http://www.becomebodywise.com/mwsubscribe/index.php?what=subscribe. At her Web site, you’ll also find information
about how to order the second, updated and expanded version of Ready, Aim, Specialize!
Create your own Writing Specialty and Make More Money, as well as her popular CDs on freelancing. FREE NEWSLETTERS AVAILABLE FOR THE ASKING Besides Kelly’s monthly publication, there are many other free newsletters
that writers might want to receive. Here is a sample listing: Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop - http://homestead.sitetoolbox.com/app/newsltr/subscribe.html?no=255 Totally Skewed by
On the Waters Front by Finally, this
plea from workshop speaker W. Bruce Cameron: “Have you ever accidentally
given somebody the flu virus? Well then, if you were willing to do that, why not get somebody to subscribe to the Cameron
column? “But if you do have
friends who might like the column, now would be a great time to sign them up! That way, they are "in the know" about it so
when my new book comes out, they'll already feel popular. RAY HANANIA HAS NEW ONLINE TV SHOW Hanania, best known to workshop attendees as
the emcee for the closing night stand-up performances, has been doing online interviews for about two years. His new show is called “Point to Point: Online Interviews With No Boundaries.” He explained that by using a video camera and
an audio headset, “I can interview anyone anywhere.” All the guest
needs is a camera and a headset. Hanania told Editor & Publisher magazine: “Right now I’m working with an online host, “YallaTunes.com,
to produce interviews focused on “With the journalism
market in a ‘recession’ like the rest of the economy, you have to be on the cutting edge to stay afloat,”
said Hanania, who also is a co-founder of the 2007-launched Arab Writers Group Syndicate. TWO PODCASTS OF INTEREST TO WRITERS Writers might be interested in these two links to podcasts on the Web site for Beyond the Book, hosted
by Christopher Kenneally of One podcast featured Suzette Martinez
Standring’s book, The
Art of Column Writing, with Standring and book contributors Ray Hanania (voted Best Ethnic Columnist), author Terry Marotta
and Keith Woods of the Poynter Institute. The podcast was recorded on COLUMN
WRITING CONTEST DEADLINE NEARS You could win a prize of
$100, $200 or $300 for general interest, humor, notes/items or online columns written in 2007.
Complete information and entry forms may be found at www.columnists.com. The entry deadline is March 14, so don’t delay. Nominations also are being
accepted for the Will Rogers Humanitarian Award, presented annually to a columnist whose work has positively affected readers’
lives and produced tangible benefits for the community served by the columnist’s newspaper. See the above link for details. WESTERN WRITERS TO MEET IN
The Western Writers of America will hold its 2009 national
convention in The organization, with
members in 46 states, CHEROKEE AUTHOR HAS NEW BOOK
Robert
J. Conley, a featured speaker at the 2007 Will Rogers Writers’
Workshop, is the author of a new book, A Cherokee Encyclopedia, published by the
The volume is a quick reference guide for many of the people, places, and things connected to the United Keetoowah
Band of Cherokees, as well as for the other officially recognized Cherokee groups, the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band
of Cherokees.
Conley, who has written more than 70 books, is an enrolled member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees. He has won numerous Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. NEWHART
TO JUDGE BENCHLEY COMPETITION Comedic genus Bob Newhart
will serve as finalist judge for the 2008 Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor competition. Entries of up to 500 words
will be accepted through FRIENDS OF WILL ROGERS WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS Join Friends of Will Rogers
and help share the legend of an Indian Territory Cherokee, who grew up to be recognized worldwide for his wit and wisdom. Membership in Friends of
Will Rogers through Will Rogers Heritage, Inc., will help support educational and cultural contributions which the Learn more at: http://www.willrogers.com/new/articles/Friends_Will_Rogers/launch/launch.html February 2008
“Because space is always limited in newspapers, sometimes columnists like me don't get to share everything they'd like
to in print. The Internet has begun to solve that problem with the creation of
blogs, or Web logs, those now widely used journals of thought (and sometimes nonsense).” * Post consistently
at the same time each day or each week or at whatever schedule you choose. I set my daily posts to publish at * Use all
the links you can. If real estate is about location, location, location, blogging is about links, links, links. * Use graphics.
Lots of clip art and free stuff is out there. Typepad, which I use, makes it easy to insert art in the text. * Develop
a consistent voice by being you. * Let readers
have their say in the comments section. I only rarely invade that area (though recently
I had to shut it down for a few days because of abuse and spamming by a reader) with my
own comment. My space is the daily posting. The comments area is for readers. * Try to limit
the length of your postings (and encourage commenters to do the same). The most easily digestible run about 300 words. * Find a format
for the look of your page that you like and stay with it. People like consistency -- with some occasional flare. * E-mail your
whole e-mail list to advise them that you've got a blog they should read. * Get a link
to your blog on as many other sites as possible. Links on other sites drive traffic to
your site. The more the better. And if you work for a paper, make sure the paper promotes your site on its opening page. Read Bill’s
blog at http://billtammeus.typepad.com. If you want
to catch up on the current buzz about blogging, join the NSNC Discussion Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsncdiscussions and find the “Who Here Blogs?” series of posts beginning on January 24. AT INCOME
TAX TIME, DON’T OVERLOOK DEDUCTIBLE EXPENSES If you attended the 2007 Will Rogers Writers’ Workshop you might be entitled
to claim some deductible expenses on your Workshop speaker Kelly James-Enger has told freelancers and other writers: “If you’re
operating your writing as a business, instead of a hobby, you can deduct legitimate business deductions from that income …
those expenses would include … trip to attend a writing conference.” Conference fees, hotel
and travel expenses, including car mileage, are all deductible expenses even for unpublished writers. BOOK PUBLISHER iUNIVERSE MOVING OPERATIONS TO Susan Driscoll, president and CEO of the iUniverse book publishing company, has announced the relocation of operations
from Driscoll, who made a breakfast
presentation on self-publishing at the Will Rogers Writers’ Workshop, said, “We’re rolling up our sleeves
to maintain iUniverse service and standards during the transition.” With the relocation, effective
For other information,
see http://www.authorsolutions.com. WILL
The famed cowboy humorist
did much of his writing in a second-floor study of the 31-room ranch house and played polo with Over the years, the house
and grounds fell into disrepair. In 2003 the state began a $5 million restoration
that culminated in a rededication of the park in March of 2006, with Schwarzenegger participating in the ceremonies. Jennifer Rogers-Etcheverry,
speaking for her father, Kem Rogers and other family members, told the Los Angeles
Times they were shocked by the news that the park was on a list of 48 facilities scheduled for closure. She said the family had no intention of selling the property for development. “We’re not fighting to take it back; we’re fighting to keep it open,” she said. The Will Rogers Ranch Foundation,
a non-profit group formed to raise funds to help maintain and operate the park, is far short of resources to run the park
on its own, Rogers-Etcheverry said. State officials said no
closures would come about before the next fiscal year begins on July 1. The family
remains hopeful that the budget proposal might be altered and the LUCKY CHARMS: WRITING AID OR SILLY SUPERSTITION? (Reprinted from the January-February issue of e-Columnist,
newsletter of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists) Self-syndicated Columnist Director, Will Rogers Writers' Workshop When I decided to retire a column I had been writing for 18 years, I was faced with another important decision: should
I also hang up my lucky pants? For the past several years, when a column was due I pulled on a pair of wine-colored Docker jeans with a rip in the
left knee before I sat down to write. Maybe it was just my imagination, but wearing those disreputable trousers seemed to
bring me luck. As a Washington-based political humor columnist, I was never at a loss for subject matter. Finding the right words
and phrases to develop an idea was something else. Somehow they came relatively
easy when I wore my lucky pants. Whether the inspiration came from staring at a knee patch that came loose or pondering whether my wife was correct
in identifying the color of the garment as plum, not wine - I can't say. (I suppose
today it would be aubergine, which I understand is this season's hot fashion color.) All I know is that when she bought those jeans on sale sometime in the early '90s, it definitely had a positive effect
on my career as a columnist. At least I think so. And in the words of Still, you have to wonder if wearing a shamrock, carrying a rabbit's foot or dressing a special way aren't just silly
superstitions. Music helps connect with readers One noted authority on writing, Dr. Roy Peter Clark of the Poynter Institute, makes a convincing case that music not
only has charms to "soothe the savage breast" but also to help writers connect with readers. "You can listen to music in preparation for writing, while writing, and after writing as a kind of reward," said Clark,
an accomplished pianist, in a memorable musical presentation at the 2004 NSNC Conference in "We usually appeal to readers through the eyes," he observed. "We need
to appeal to readers through the ears." In my first public confession of my secret obsession (I hear a rhythm, too), I posted an
inquiry to members of the NSNC Internet Discussion Group about "lucky charms." (And
here I'm not referring to the breakfast cereal or the Kansas City Irish band of the same name.) Rick Horowitz responded right away: "No superstitions quite as charming as yours, but I've always found credit card
bills pretty inspiring." I suspect Rick's earnings from his work as a syndicated columnist, TV commentator, writing coach and public speaker will keep the wolf away
from his door. www.yesrick.com Ben's Orange Stick
"I turn on my lava lamp, and
my lava lamp turns me on," said Danny Gallagher of From NSNC Secretary
Ben Pollock of Fayetteville, Ark., volunteered a fascinating revelation about his "Orange Stick," which he wants us to know
he's had since he was a kid. "The original Orange Stick came
from a wooden block set," he said. "It was a one-inch dowel eight to 10 inches long. "I imagined my Orange Stick into a motorcycle
handlebar, a race car steering wheel or an airplane throttle. More practically, it held kite string and could dig small holes.
George the terrier fetched it. "The Orange Stick also could
be a dagger, spear or pistol, needed for Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, and Army."
Now, that's a serious all-purpose Lucky Charm. When Ben was in the fifth grade,
he was flying a kite one day and the wind grabbed it and pulled the Orange Stick high into a tree. "After a few years, I couldn't see it anymore." But in the summer of 1998, he
made two replicas from a hardware store dowel and a pint of paint. "One Orange Stick stays on my writing desk," he said. "I
probably get by with carrying the other one everywhere because I shun the temptation of running through the newsroom or airports
steering a pretend-Harley." Cameron's
ugly pillow Cameron Sullivan does something
with her lucky charm that Ben probably wouldn't want to do. She sits on it | ||||
