WriteLine

Vol 28, No 1 JaNuary 2009

Formed in March, 1969affiliated with oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. Norman Galaxy of Writers

WEBSITE>> http://www.nonprofitpages.com/normangalaxy/

2008 CoNTEST WINNErSJaNuary 3rd MEETING

Contest Winners, cont. on page 3

2008 Galaxy Contest WinnersCategory 1: Nonfiction article

1st Place: Russell L. Long The Basis of the Crusades2nd Place: Judy Howard Modern Day Betsy Rosses Help Heal Wounded Soldiers3rd Place: Dorothy Brinker Golden Age Gets Tarnished

Category 2: Short Story - Fiction1st Place: Mark Hardick The Last Indian War2nd Place: Josephine Leslie Mary McQuirren Negotiates3rd Place: Russell L. Long Just Three Sentences

Category 3: Poetry rhymed1st Place: Russell L. Long March Lament2nd Place: Marie Johnson

Mark Hardick, winner of the Bonnie Speer Creme de la Creme Award, and Frances Searcey, 2008 Contest Chair and Friday Writers Coordinator.

Contest Winners to read their worksNorman Public library, room aBJanuary 3, 2009; 10 aM

A little change of plans. Its a New Year and we are flexible and adapt to change. Right!?

Christine Rimmer was scheduled to come back and finish her talk on tricks of the trade from November 1st. However, her 83-year old mother is having open heart surgery Jan. 5 and Christine must fly out to Cali-fornia Jan. 1st. Christine feels she will be able to speak at the February meeting. Lets hold her and her family in our prayers.

Therefore, January 3rd is a great time to let us hear the winners of the 2008 Contest read their works. If you don’t want to read, we do have some trained Drama Queens who would be happy to read for you! Be sure to bring your work to the meeting. Frances Searcey, contest chair, may have your submissions. (Home: 405-321-6404; E-mail: FSearcey@aol.com).

oWFI Conference, May 1-2Word by Word, the 41st annual Oklahoma Writ-

ers Federation Inc. Conference, will be held on May 1-2, 2009 right here at the new Norman Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center (www.embas-sysuitesnorman.com). Bestselling thriller writer Tess Gerritsen is the keynote speaker on Friday evening and will sign books afterward.

The conference kicks off Thursday evening, April 30, with a pre-conference session on self-editing. Full registration for Friday and Saturday includes all edu-cational seminars, two dinners plus keynote address, and plenty of opportunities for networking and having fun! Individual appointments with agents & editors available at no extra cost for early registrants. To register or learn more about the seminars and speakers, see the website at www.owfi.org or call Marcia Pres-ton, OWFI president, at 348.3325, e-mail marcia@marciapreston.com.

January 2009 WriteLine, Page 2

MarkETS By aNN ChaMPEau dECEMBEr luNChEoN By hElEN duChoN

New year of EmpowermentChristina Katz writes in the October , 2008 Writers

On the Rise newsletter, “We may wonder who do we think we are to choose a path like writing? We may feel that writing is selfish or self-indulgent. We may struggle with negative internalized voices that tell us our work stinks or our efforts and energy is a waste of time. We may feel like we can’t write because it’s not practical, profitable or likely that we will succeed. For anyone who has ever had any of this kind of stinkin’ thinkin.’

I’d offer this: Write anyway. Write because writ-ing can move you from immobilized by self-doubt into empowered by self-confidence. I should know. This is what writing has done for me. Empowerment comes from doing, even when you feel just the opposite of powerful—even when your own resistance bogs you down and threatens to drown you.”

(Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the book Deal; Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform, and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids, both Witer’s Di-gest Books. She teaches writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series and is publisher of several e-zines including Writers On the Rise. WWW.christinakatz.com.)

—Ann Champeau, Markets

dec. 13 luncheon highlightsWhat a fun time, Dec. 13, 2008, at McFarlin Church in

Room 209. We had lots of wonderful food and fellowship. Dave Klumpp, retired pastor, opened the luncheon with

a table prayer with careful use of prepositions: “LORD, we thank You for the food before us; the friends beside us; the love between us; and Your presence among us. Amen”

After loading up our plates with food, we had three speakers. Dave Klumpp read from The Magnificent Defeat by Frederick Beckner written from the Wise Men’s point of view of searching for Jesus’ birth. Stan Sollo-way read a short story, “The Blue Team” by Joshua Braff about a Jewish boy who plays out Hebrew history with toy figures. Stan nailed it with, “Chanukah and Christmas both celebrate truly brave Jews.” Kathleen Park recited the Baha’i Prayer for Unity

We thanked our officers for jobs well done. Helen Duchon gave certificates of appreciation to Mary Spauld-ing, president; Kathleen Park, VP-Program; Lynn Wendel-bo, Secretary and Vickey Kennedy, Treasurer. Helen also thanked those who contribute content to the WriteLine: Jill Brown, Kathleen Park and Ann Champeau.

New officers were introduced: President, Madelaine Culp (in rehab for knee surgery was not there); Sherry Bynum, VP for Program; Lynn Wendelbo moving from secretary to Treasurer; and recently married, new bride Dion Mayes Burnett will be Secretary.

2008 Writers ContestFrances Searcey gave out the certificates (with checks

attached) to winners of the 2008 Writers Contest. New member, Mark Hardick had two 1st Place wins and was the Bonnie Speer Creme de la Creme winner.

Frances said that eleven Galaxy members entered the 2008 Contest with 56 submissions.

JudgesNonfiction Article: Jenifer Nipps, Ada, OK, currently

writes website reviews for the OWFI Report. Her websit-ers are www.jenifernipps.com and www.theideapocket.com.

Short Story: Lance Hawvermale writes mystery, scifi, fantasy and romance. He has written three novels: Fugitive Shoes & Seeing Pink, using the pseudo name, Erin O’Roark and The Tongue Merchant.

Poetry Rhymed: Barbara Shepherd has won more than 180 writing awards and named a Readers’ Choice Author, ACW Writer of the Year, & Woody Guthrie Poet.Poetry Unrhymed: Nathan Brown travelled a long road through music, songwriting, tour bands, higher education and finally a Ph.D. to eventually find his bliss: poetry.

Nostalgia: Darlena Eichman (no bio).Children’s Fiction: Doris Wheelus won Best Juvenile

Book at OWFI 2008 for Manatee Girl. Helen Duchon, WriteLine Editor

2008 Officers: Mary Spaulding, Pres; Kathleen Park, VP; Lynn Wendelbo, Sec.’ and Vickey Malone Kennedy, Treas.

2009: Lynn W, Treas; Dion Burnett, Sec.; Sherry Bynum, VP-Program; (Madelaine Culp Havey, Pres. not shown.)

January 2009 WriteLine, Page 3

BraG ShEET

Sales and acceptancesRUSS LONG: BOOK REVIEW: published in The Oklahoman (12/14/08) titled “War story told in ‘Jack’s 45th.” Drew Neville, son of Jack Neville tells his father’s biography in a detailed history of the 45th Division in “Jack’s 45th” (Oklahoma HorizonSeries, $29.95 hard back). This is a record of World War II which should be read by every person who has grown up since that action, and will be enjoyed by all.GORDON GREENE: PLAY: My Readers’ The-atre play, “The Scopes Monkey Trial: What Really Happened,” which premiered in OKC in February, received its west coast premiere in October 2008. I was quite pleased with both productions. Now I’m seeking other producers in educational, community and professional theatre who may be interested in do-ing an inexpensive, thought-provoking production that ties into the Charles Darwin bicentennial in 2009.STAN SOLLOWAY: COLUMNS: Silliman on Sports for Nov. MIKE KRAWCZYK: CARTOONS: 12/2 Re-Cast the Heisman Change the trophy to be more quarterback appropriate See at www.sil-limanonsports.com/Recast_Heisman.html12/8 Banner Wars Fans running Aerial Banners over football games See at www.sillimanonsports.com/BannerWars.html12/15 Latest T.O. Controversy From the “All My Cowboys” soap opera See at www.sillimanonsports.com/LatestT.O.Controversy.html

Professional activitiesVICKEY MALONE KENNEDY is writing movie reviews and a nursing column for an online magazine www.nonzine.comSTAN SOLLOWAY: Presented the Hannukah read-ing at our December meeting. It was a short story by Joshua Braff entitled “THE BLUE TEAM” This came from a book collection of Hannukah stories entitled How to Spell Chanukah and Other Stories compiled by Emily Franklin

Club NewsBoth writers doing the Grammar Column on page 4 are leaving Norman: JILL BROWN and her husband are moving to Colorado in June; KATHLEEN PARK will be working on a project in Oregon for six months. They have done a wonderful job and I’ve asked if they can still email a column but is there someone staying in Norman who would like to try solving grammar questions for us? Please contact WriteLine editor, Helen Duchon, 329-2485 or hduchon@cox.net.

2008 CoNTEST WINNErS

The Story of the Centurion3rd Place: Marie Johnson Autumn LightHonorable Mention: Mark Robinson The Old Fishin Hole

Category 4: Poetry unrhymed1st Place: Mark Hardick The Lawn2nd Place: Marie Johnson Blue Spring3rd Place: Gary King A Game of GolfHonorable Mention: Russell L. Long Embarrassment

Category 5: Nostalgic Essay (Personal)1st Place: Judy Howard Abandoned and Penniless in Alaska2nd Place: Keith Eaton My First Haircut3rd Place: Russell L. Long And a Little Child Shall Lead YouHonorable Mention: Mark Robinson An Unexpected Guest

Category 6: Children’s Fiction1st Place: Josephine Leslie Dell’s Dilemma2nd Place: Russell L. Long On the “Cry and Smile” Bench3rd Place: Russell L. Long With Murder on His Mind

Bonnie Speer Creme de la Creme award Winner: Mark Hardick Short Story Fiction: The Last Indian War

Contest Winners, cont. Page 1

TrEaSurEr’S rEPorT - VICkEy kENNEdy

BEGINNING BALANCE: 11/1/08 $ 1625.19EXPENSES Christine Rimmer, Nov. Speaker $ 25.00 Helen Duchon, Nov. WriteLine 16.84

Marilyn Fleer, Snacks 5.00 OWFI Dues 430.00 Stamps 11.00 Contest Awards 205.00 McFarlin church 50.00 Helen Duchon, Dec. WriteLine 17.33 TOTAL EXPENSES $ 760.17DEPOSITS Dues, 15 NGW & 10 OWFI $385.00CURRENT BALANCE: 12/13/08 $ 1250.02

WElCoME our NEW MEMBErS

GREENE, Gordon 2009 Galaxy 2009 OWFI109 W. Kerr Dr.; Midwest City, OK 73110732-1207 E-mail: gordongreene@cox.netHARDICK, Mark 2009 Galaxy3124 Woodsboro Ct.; Norman, OK 73072329-6602 E-mail: markh81@cox.net

January 2009 WriteLine, Page 4

Helen Duchon, Editor, 405-329-2485747 Nancy Lynn Terrace, Norman, OK 73069E-MAIL: hduchon@cox.net

ChaNGES IN addrESS rEQuESTEd

President Madelaine Culp 405-872-8973VP-Programs Sherry Byum 405-364-7818Secretary Dion Mayes 405-321-4506Treasurer Lynn Wendelbo 405-364-7383Editor Helen Duchon 405-329-2485Cheer/Members Ann Champeau 405-364-0232Friday Writers Frances Searcey 405-321-6404Markets Ann Champeau 405-364-0232Publicity Marilyn Fleer 405-321-8834Grammarian Jill Case Brown 405-447-0577Grammarian Kathleen Park 405-310-6512NAC Roundtable Helen Duchon 405-329-2485OWFI Delegate Dion Mayes 405-321-4506OWFI Delegate Ann Champeau 405-364-0232OWFI Delegate Judith Evans 405-329-4138OWFI Treas. Linda Basinger 405-366-0123

WriteLine Norman Galaxy of Writers

© Norman Galaxy of Writers, 2008

2009 dues for Galaxy are $152009 dues for oWFI are $20Mail to Lynn Wendelbo, Treasurer4103 Northhampton Dr.Norman, OK 73072

Jan. 3, 2009 10:00 aMNorman Public library, room a-B

Contest Winners read their WritingsPlease bring your manuscripts with you

GraMMar By JIll CaSE BroWN

a Few Matters of FormStrunk & White’s The Elements of Style is a small

but useful book on writing. This month’s column comes out of the chapter titled “A Few Matters of Form,” with some skipping, condensing, and tweaking.

Colloquialisms. If you use a colloquialism or a slang word or phrase, just use it. Don’t draw attention to it by putting it in quotation marks.

Exclamations. Don’t try to emphasize simple statements by using an exclamation mark: It was a wonderful show! Save it for true exclamations: What a wonderful show! Or commands: Halt!

Hyphen. When you combine two or more words to form a compound adjective, use a hyphen: He belonged to the leisure class and enjoyed leisure-class pursuits.

Numerals. Don’t spell out dates or other serial num-bers. Write them in figures: August 9, 1988; Rule 3; 352nd Infantry. The exception is in dialogue, when most dates and numbers are best spelled out: “I arrived home on August ninth.” “In the year 1990, I turned twenty-one.” “Read Chapter Twelve.”

Parentheses. A sentence containing an expression in parentheses is punctuated outside the last mark of parenthesis, exactly as if the parenthetical expression

weren’t there: I went to her house yesterday (my third at-tempt to see her), but she had left town. The expression inside the marks is punctuated as if it stood by itself, except that the final stop is omitted unless it’s a question mark or an exclamation point. He declares (and why should we doubt his good faith?) that he is now certain of success.

(When a wholly detached expression or sentence is parenthesized, the final stop comes before the last mark of parenthesis.)

Quotations. With a series of objects in quotation marks, the comma falls inside: “The Fish,” “Poetry,” and “The Monkeys” are in Marianne Moore’s Selected Poems.

When you quote an entire line, or more, of verse or prose, begin on a fresh line and indent. Don’t use quotation marks unless they appear in the original, as in dialogue:

Wordsworth’s enthusiasm for the French Revolution was at first unbounded:

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, But to be young was very heaven!Titles. For the titles of literary works, use italics un-

less you’re writing for a periodical that follows a different practice. If the first word is A or The, omit it from the title when you place the possessive before it: A Tale of Two Cities; Dickens’s Tale of Two Cities. The Age of Innocence; Wharton’s Age of Innocence.

—Jill Case Brown, Grammarian