SouthWest Sage The Voice of SouthWest Writers Vol. 37 No. 01 January 2021

Punctuated by renowned 1987 to 2019. The documents individuals, stellar events, a r c h iv e were scanned and placed in a and even a flood, the his- (computer) folder, by year,” Ptory of SouthWest Writers unearthedSW said Camille. With Rose re- deserves notice. t r e a s u r e s viewing the paper documents, Camille Singaraju joined Camille scanning and ReVaH SWW in June 2019 “to learn to W Loring, SWW Office Man- write.” In an email interview, ager, setting up the comput- Camille said that her writing goal er systems, the folders containing had been “to prove that our forefa- scanned documents have now been thers provided a vision that all peo- organized into an Excel directory. ple have inalienable rights and gave Once the paper documents were se- us the tools to implement them.” curely entered, most of them were Coming from the position of having shredded. “A few were saved and worked in healthcare professions for placed back in the file cabinet,” said more than 40 years, Camille knew SWW Historian Camille Singaraju, left, and volunteer Camille. “An Excel file that lists vol- what she wanted to write about. Heidi Marshall have been busy preserving the organi- unteers and their positions for each “This includes the right to health- zation’s historic records and photographs. year was also made.” care, clean air and water,” she said. Another Excel file keeps track of So, how did Camille end up as the SWW Historian, a the contents and storage locations of dozens of cassette position where she volunteers many hours each week to tape recordings of SWW speakers and conferences from the preservation of the organization’s history? For that, 1988 to 2002. she credits (or blames) SWW President Rose Marie Kern. In 2019, another member, Heidi Marshall, also volun- “Rose asked me to help with cataloging documents in the teered to help with the history project. “I removed about SWW office,” Camille said. 700 photo prints from albums and scanned them, at the That’s how an organizational tidying up began. It same time doing some basic cropping and adjustments,” soon turned into a massive archiving project. she said. “Most of the photos were of past SWW confer- “From August 2019, to December 18, 2020, I worked ences, and most of them were unidentified other than on scanning and cataloging the paper documents from cont’d. on page 9

Whether you’re a seasoned judge, the idea has Call For Writing Contest Judges never entered your mind, or you get sweaty palms Dan Wetmore, SWW Contest Chair for 2021, is at the mere thought, consider this unique opportu- revving up the writing contest engine, starting with nity to give back to your writing community. If your the call for judges. concerns haven’t been addressed and all fears allayed Judges are needed to evaluate submissions (of after the two hours of training, walk away with our 3,500 words or less) during April and May of 2021. thanks for your time and a toolkit of skills immedi- The only pre-requisite is that you must attend one ately applicable to your next critique group session of the free training sessions being offered in Febru- or the editing of your own work. ary or March via Zoom. No other qualifications re- To sign up, contact Jacqueline Loring and Su-Ellen quired! You don’t need experience as a judge and you Lierz at: [email protected] don’t have to have been published. Judges may enter the contest, but not in a category they are judging. CONTENTS

a r c h iv e unearthedSW t r e a s u r e s The SAGE starts a new month- W The Sage Writing ly series. See some of the ar- Challenge AND WWWinning! 1chived SWW treasures discovered by 2020 Historian 13 Members’ Writing Successes Camille Singaraju.

Stan Rhine Meet Your 202114 Board - of Directors 3 SouthWest Writers Loses a Friend 17 DEPARTMENTS 2021: Lineup of Speakers and Workshops You Won’t Want to Miss 6 PLUS - Set Your Own Membership Renewal Date President’s Corner ...... 3 Meetings/Workshops/Classes...... 4, 5 Contests and Opportunities...... 17, 18 What Writing Books Don’t Tell You Look Who Joined ...... 10 7by Kirt Hickman Minutes of the Board Meeting ...... 19 SouthWest Sage Published monthly by the Board of Directors of Do You Know What You Are Writing? SouthWest Writers, 11 by Rose Marie Kern a nonprofit, tax exempt 501 (c) (3) organization. Articles and stories are copyrighted by the author. Send- ing them to the Sage implies that the Sage has permission Church Ladies With Typewriters to print. Facts, views and opinions expressed are those of Examples of Writers Who Needed Editors the authors and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints 12 or opinions of the SouthWest Writers organization. SWW does not necessarily endorse the advertisers.

digging through dusty boxes of paper, photographs and What’s Inside? I saw it cassette tapes, Historian Camille Singaraju and Your new Board of Directors in the SAGE! volunteer Heidi Marshall have unearthed some of (pages 14-17) is not officially a that SWW history while also creating a reasonable working body until this month, but system for keeping track of future events as they they’re an eager bunch. They’ve already filled occur. The two of them shared several years of doc- up the 2021 calendar with an astounding array of meet- uments and photos with the SAGE, which we will ing and workshop speakers (page 6). No doubt, you’ll publish in a new feature throughout 2021. We start with recognize a few of the best-selling authors among them. some treasures from the year 1989 (article on page 1, The 2021 Writing Contest Committee is also already photos on pages 9 and 10). calling for volunteers to serve as judges (page 1). Without It’s likely that many of you knew Stan Rhine, and just enough judges, there won’t be much of a contest. Speak- as likely that you did not. Stan passed away suddenly in ing as a former judge myself, judging is pretty fun. This early December (page 3). He attended most all SWW year’s committee chair Dan Wetmore intends to make meetings, but, a quiet soul, Stan was not much for the sure that whoever volunteers as a judge, also recieves meet-and-greet. He was first introduced to me more some value-added training. Even if a volunteer decides than two years ago. He’d been a SAGE proofreader for along the way that being a judge isn’t for them, they get Rose Marie Kern, the previous editor, and agreed to to leave with a whole lot of useful information about the continue when I took over the job. As I write this, I’m way contests are judged. Once there are enough judges, still not sure how it will properly come together without the date can be set for the contest to open for entries. him, but I’m giving it my best shot, because Stan would Contests and conferences have played a large part expect nothing less. throughout the history of SWW. After more than a year of Kathy Louise Schuit -Editor 2 down all the things you’ve hated about 2020 and all the President’s Corner bad feelings it has caused. Then, that evening as the sun goes down, light a candle. Look at each one, remember- I think we need to bring more ing how it made you feel, burn it and drop the ashes into magic into the world. a bowl. The next day throw them all away, bury them, or Think about it. For nearly a year toss the ash into the wind. we have dealt with a crisis, which Now make some magic. We need to break out of the means we have had to be stoic, prac- rut of waking up, eating the same thing every morning, tical, and focused on doing all those doing the same things over and over until we forget that things, large and small, needed to keep us physically safe. there can be more than just cereal, computers and televi- But, in doing so, many of us find that being practical sion. Walk away—do something different at least once a 24/7 tends to make us feel boxed in and, well, mundane. week. Do things that change your surroundings and give In the movie The Martian, producers made a big your mind a different path to follow instead of wallowing point to show the extremely nutritious blocks of pro- in sameness. cessed foods that Matt Damon’s character is required to • Move your computer desk to another wall of the consume for years. No taste, but it keeps you alive. The room and re-arrange the space completely. rules we currently live by are like that. I don’t want to • Go through your wardrobe and send 10 percent fight those rules even though I really want to meet peo- to goodwill and maybe 10 percent to the rag bag. ple in person again, but I do want to suggest that while • Paint at least one wall of your home a different participating in the medical community/government’s color. policies of “social distancing” we need to use every re- • Put some seedlings in a south window or plan source at our command to reverse the feelings of help- your spring garden lessness and depression that come with it. We must live in this world but we can create our vi- People traditionally make New Year’s resolutions... sion of how it should be. May yours be magical. but I want you to do something more, at anytime during January. Take a lot of small pieces of paper and write Rose SouthWest Writers Loses a Friend With shock and sadness we announce the sudden passing of Stan Rhine, following an accident in his home. Stan was an active SWW member with many friends in the organization. He served as a longtime proofreader for the SAGE—a behind-the-scenes, volunteer postion for which he refused recogni- tion. He regularly responded and wrote for SAGE Challenges and contributed other articles on subjects he found helpful to writers. His humble and humorous approach to offering suggestion, critique and cor- rection made him an invaluable colleague and resource. Stan will be missed by all those who were fortunate to have known him. According to his wife, Sue Jimenez, Stan did not wish for a funeral or a me- morial service, and he will be cremated. To read Stan’s obituary or to make a donation in his memory go to: www.danielsfuneral.com/obituary/JStanley-Rhine J. Stanley Rhine New Mexico Authors Middle Grade & Young Adult Book Launch Party A panel of New Mexico MG and YA authors will share more about the authors and their experiences. Registra- their newly published books and discuss their processes, tion is required, but this is a FREE event. struggles, and successes: Catalina Claussen, Alexandra January 9, 2021, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Diaz, Chris Eboch, Kersten Hamilton, Kate Harrington, Registration: Find the event on the SCBWI NM website. RJ Mirabal, Kari Veenstra, Linda Wilson, Rosemary Zi- Scroll to the bottom of the page and fill out the registra- bart. tion form. Celebrate the launch of these great books and learn 3 Saturday, Jan. 2 at 10 a.m. LIVE MEETING! A NOVEL for the NEW YEAR with Jonathan Miller J o n a t h a n M il l e r ’s fi rst n o v e l, Rattlesnake Lawyer, w a s You didn’t finish your novel during National Novel published in 2000, and he has been involved with Writing Month, didn’t get past chapter two. You now SWW ever since. He’s written several novels since re - want to get a fresh start. This presentation will focus leasing his first, many of which have won national and on plotting, outlining, and character arcs. Inevitably, statewide acclaim. His novel Lu n a L a w was a co-win - viewers will ask questions about the legal aspects of ner of the 2017 Hillerman Award for fiction at the New writing. Mexico-Arizona Book Awards. His newest novel, T h e Shakespeare Incident, should be released from Artem - esia Publishing later in 2021. Mr. Miller’s day job is as a criminal defense attorney.

Information needed to join this live, ZOOM meeting is available on the SWW website: southwestwriters.com You may also contact the meetings coordinator [email protected], or call (505) 830-6034 Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. - noon.

Saturday, Jan. 2, 12:30 p.m. ONLINE WORKSHOP Starting Your Novel in 2021: Taking it Day by Day with Jonathan Miller Saturday, Jan. 2 Jonathan Miller will take a deep dive into the topics raised during his 10 a.m. 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. presentation, A Novel for the New Year, focusing on how to have your novel Platform: Zoom Live Meeting ready to go before you even start writing. He will listen to Zoom pitches and Members: $20, Non-Members $30 give personalized advice to writers starting their novels for the year. payment and login through www.southwestwriters.com T o R e g is t e r Call the SWW office, 505-830-6034 (Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–noon), or use the Online Registration Form. (Our online pay- ment portal utilizes PayPal, but you’ll be given an option to pay by credit card without signing into PayPal.) The Zoom invitation link and the password will be emailed to those who purchase this workshop. For more information, please contact the workshop coordinator at: [email protected] .

W o r k s h o p a n d C l a s s R e f u n d P o l ic y If you cancel one week before the beginning date of the workshop or class, you will receive a full refund. Cancellations after one week prior, up to 24 hours prior to the beginning of the workshop or class will receive credit only, to be applied toward a future workshop or class of your choice. If you do not cancel or don’t show up for the workshop or class you will receive no refund and no credit. For multi-session classes, if you miss a class, you receive no refund. Instructors receive payment based on how many students enroll. You must cancel as detailed above to be removed from the class roll count. 4 Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m. ONLINE MEETING Podcast Marketing For Authors presented by Marcia Rosen For nearly 20 years, M a r c ia R o s e n has facilitated numerous writing Millions of people are listening to programs and workshops at col- podcasts. Online surveys have re- lege continuing education classes, vealed over 70 million Americans libraries, bookstores, community listen to podcasts each month on and senior centers, and organiza - tablets, smartphones, home com- tion meetings. Also for 25 years, puters, and other listening devices. she was an owner of a successful Online statistics assert, “beyond any national marketing agency. Rosen doubt, podcasts are a potential gold- is an author of 10 books including mine for promoting your book(s).” The Senior Sleuths a n d Dying To Be During this presentation Marcia Beautiful Mystery Series a n d T h e will review details of booking an ap- Gourmet Gangster, Mysteries and pearance as a podcast guest, being a M e n u s (with her son Jory Rosen), successful guest, a list of best pod- published by Level Best Books. She casts for authors, and a great article is also the author of The Woman’s about the value of podcasts. Business Therapist: Eliminate the MindBlocks and Roadblocks to Suc - Information needed to join this live, ZOOM meeting is available on c e ss and the award-winning M y the SWW website: southwestwriters.com Memoir Workbook . Visit her website You may also contact the meetings coordinator [email protected], TheSeniorSleuths.com or call (505) 830-6034, Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. - noon.

ATTEND SouthWest Writers MEETINGS ONLINE

YOUR SOUTHWEST WRITERS FRIENDS AND CONTACTS ARE STILL HERE!

SouthWest Writers members, “Writers Helping Writers,” are still meeting the first Saturday and the third Tuesday of each month. Meetings are online via ZOOM and continue to include information, education and networking opportunities for writers. Visitors are welcome.

So much has CHANGED. So much has STAYED THE SAME!

5 at SWW, 2021 is shaping up to be a Speakers And Workshops You Won’t Want To Miss in a G OOO D w Members of your new SWW Collegium Committee have mined their DO Zay Y! motherlode of contacts to strike gold for SouthWest Writers meetings and workshops for 2021. Get the next five months of speakers on your calendar now:

FEBRUARY MAY Saturday, February 6 Saturday, May 1 Meeting: David Morrell Meeting: Dean Wesley Smith A Conversation With David Morrell Topic TBD Thoughts and Lessons From 48 Years As a Published Novelist FREE Workshop: Rose Marie Kern Workshop: Mariam Sagan Finding Your Niche Market Writing With Short Forms Tuesday , May 18 Tuesday, February 16 Debra Englander Natalie Goldberg Meeting: Do You Need a Book Coach? Topic TBD JUNE MARCH Saturday, June 5 Saturday, March 6 Meeting: Screen Writing Meeting: Susan Elizabeth Phillips The Writing Life: Craft, Characters, Creativity, and Career Workshop: Jacqueline Murray Loring Elizabeth Layton Workshop: Romance: Genre and Subgenres Screen Writing Tuesday, March 16 Meeting: Darynda Jones Tuesday, June 15 Humor And Heat: Je ff re y C a n d e la ria How To Write Funny Without Sacrificing Sexual Tension Artists, Writers and a Business Mentality

APRIL SWW meetings and workshops are currently held via Saturday, April 3 Zoom. If you have not used Zoom before, we suggest giv- Meeting: David L. Robbins ing yourself 10 minutes prior to the meeting to get signed The Art and Craft of the Narrative in. Although using a computer is the best way to join a Zoom meeting, you can sign in to Zoom on your cell- Workshop: Pamela Nowak phone by calling this meeting phone number: Finding the Story in History 669-900-6833. Tuesday, April 20 When calling in you will only be able to listen to the meet- Meeting: R a ffi A n d o n ia n ing. You can also download the Zoom App on your cell phone for all of the Zoom tools (video and audio). Controversial Historical Sites u

u set your MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL for any date you choose Have you ever thought that a certain date, like January 1, for example, would work better as your membership renewal date than the one you have now? If your answer is YES, here’s what you do: 1) call the SWW office and tell ReVaH you want to change your renewal date, 2) pay whatever portion of the total fee makes up the difference – in the case of January 1, if the current renewal is June, then pay $40, for the second half of the year (June-Dec.) to set your next renewal for January. 3) Start renewing every year on January 1! 6 What Writing Books Don’t Tell You by Kirt Hickman W Some days I shamelessly sat in I do a lot of critiques, and I see similar mistakes in sub- front of the picture and admired mission after submission. Eventually, I began to realize its beauty for hours. that the problems I see most often are those that I didn't learn from writing books. For whatever reason, these Here, the phrase "some days" indi- key pieces of advice have managed to slip through the cates that this happened repeated- cracks. Writing books don't discuss them, or the books ly, yet now it comes across as a set contradict one another, leaving writers floundering for of specific events rather than as a the correct answer. vague generalization.

Here are a few such problems. Questions in Your Character's Thoughts: Prepositional Phrases: Minimize the number of questions Many books will tell you to omit any word that's not that appear in your character's absolutely necessary, and that's good advice. What they thoughts. Similar to telling, questions in a character's don't point out is that those unnecessary words often thoughts do your reader's work for her. They tell her appear as prepositional phrases. Examine every prep- what to wonder. Let the reader come up with her own ositional phrase in your manuscript. Does it provide questions. information that's both new and necessary? Consider this example: Consider the following passage from a critique submis- sion, in which Luke has ventured into a sugarcane field Chase stood among the clues in the cockpit and let that has always frightened him. There, he meets a boy them tell their story. named Antonio.

If the reader already knows Chase is in the cockpit, The dark-haired Mexican kid was standing be- write this as: hind him, with a finger over his lips. Luke frowned and opened his mouth. Chase stood among the clues and let them tell their The boy shook his head and made a waving motion. story. He wants me to go away? That's what I'm trying to do. Why did he stop me? Luke studied Antonio. Depending on the context, you may only need: He's trying to hide something. But what? Himself? This kid is confused, Luke thought. Antonio must be Chase let the clues tell their story. an illegal. What else could he be hiding?

Now you're writing a tight narrative. The last paragraph puts several direct questions into Luke's thoughts. There's almost always a more effective Would: way to show what questions your character faces without The word would, when used to describe past events or posing them so blatantly. actions, often becomes a harmful form of generalization. As in: The dark-haired Mexican kid stood behind him with a finger over his lips. Some days I would shamelessly sit in front of the pic- Luke frowned and opened his mouth. ture and admire its beauty for hours. The boy shook his head and made a waving motion to shoo Luke away. When you use would to generalize about the past, the All Luke wanted to do was run, to get as far passage loses its specific, concrete feel. In this case, it’s from this creepy cane field as possible by the time better to delete the word would and change the verb(s) the dying sun faded from the horizon. Yet he stud- to past tense. ied Antonio. Nobody would enter the sugarcane, 7 especially at night, unless he was hiding something. La Roche took of his glasses, wiped his eyes on He must be an illegal. his sleeve and replaced his glasses.

The reader still knows what questions Luke has. Now, In this case, however, it seemed awkward to repeat "his however, the reasons for them are clear as well. glasses" in the same sentence, so I settled on the following revision: Pronoun Antecedents: Every pronoun must refer to a preceding noun, called La Roche took off his glasses and wiped his eyes its antecedent. Grammatically, the antecedent is the with his sleeve. noun most recently mentioned in the text that match- es the pronoun in gender (if applicable) and number He puts his glasses back on a few paragraphs later. (singular or plural). This example illustrates the importance of having a cri- The following passage is from an early draft of Worlds tiquer to catch the things that you'll miss in your own Asunder: writing—another bit of advice that writing books don’t tell you. Chase handed Michelle a crate. She eyed both him and the box with apprehen- Widow/Orphan Control: sion. "What is it?" Widow/Orphan control is a function in MS Word that "Samples. I'd like you to take them to the materi- tries to prevent a single line of a paragraph from appear- al's lab and work with the techs. They're all labeled." ing at the top or bottom of a page. When this function is turned on, it creates a variation in the number of lines In the last sentence, what are labeled? The samples or from page to page. It looks sloppy. Turn this function the techs? I meant the samples, but grammatically, the off in the "Format Paragraph" menu, under the "Line antecedent of they is the techs. As such, I rearranged the and Page Breaks" tab. passage to place the pronoun closer to its antecedent.

"Samples. They're all labeled. Take them to the materials lab and work with the techs. . ." Get Your Copy Now yo u ’l l b u y m o r e t h a n a b o o k : Failure to attend to pronoun antecedents can produce laughable results. An early draft of Venus Rain con- • A good read tained the sentence: • A great gift • A boon to SouthWest Writers La Roche took off his glasses, wiped his eyes on his sleeve and replaced them.

To this, David J. Corwell, one of my critiquers, rightfully commented:

Them refers back to eyes, which gave me the crazy image of La Roche popping out his eyes and sticking new ones in.

Obviously, this isn't the image I had in mind. It's not the one I got when I read the passage, because I knew what I was trying to say.

Often, the passage can be corrected by replacing the pronoun with the noun it refers to:

8 SWW UNEARTHED , cont’d from page 1 In September of 1989, SouthWest Writers the year of the conference. I added produced a conference names when I recognized someone, packed with speakers or was able to read the name [tag]. of unprecedented re- “I organized the pictures into nown. The conference two main folders and subfolders. brochure lists more than thirty authors, editors It’s now possible to search for all the and agents as present- photos of an author, if identified.” ers. These included the Few people could have been a bet- locally famous—Mary ter fit for this part of the project than Lynn, Georgia McKinney, Heidi, who describes herself as an “on- and Emily Drabanski— and-off” SWW member since 1989. as well as international powerhouses—Tony “I worked for the City of Albu- Hillerman, Norman querque for 21 years in various ca- Zollinger, and Parris Af- pacities, some of them being ABQ ton Bonds. This event staff to the Urban Enhancement set the tone for the Trust Fund, Balloon Museum, and quality of SWW confer- Explora Science Center committees. 1 9 8 9 ences for many years to come. I also devel- oped databases to streamline a r c h iv e the process and access in- unearthedSW formation for t r e a s u r e s Public Art and photographed W many of the artworks. After retire- ment, I volunteered for an ABQ Senior Activities center, developing databases of activities and volunteers and photographing events,” she said. As new pictures are taken for SWW historical preservation, Heidi suggests that selected ones could be identified in a predetermined, con- Norman “Norm” Zollinger, RIGHT, was known by many SWW members sistent way and placed in a similar as the owner (1971-2000) of the Little Professor Book Center in Albu- organizer—it would make an easy- querque. Recognized by Western Writers of America for his lifetime to-find photo library of activities and of contributions to Western writing, Zollinger, a WWII veteran, led workshops for physically challenged service members. He was an participants. Also, she says, when SWW fiction award-winner and Parris Award recipient. He passed taking photographs of a person, con- away in 2000. sider taking an extra one that clearly shows the person’s name tag, or oth- erwise identify the photo. Camille will be leaving her posi- tion as SWW Historian in 2021, but she had at least one more idea, which she shared with SWW board mem- bers at their December meeting. “You’re writers and you have a great story here,” she said. by Kathy Louise Schuit 9 Paula Paul, left, and Karen McCue meet with Harlequin agent Sue Stone, right.

ABOVE: Tony Hillerman and Peggy Van Holsteyn, right, enjoy a conversa- tion with a third, uniden- tified, attendee. Do you know this person? Help us connect the names Sci/Fi speaker panel, left to right: Roger Zelazny (six-time Hugo award-winner for Science Fiction with the faces. Call or Achievement, three-time Nebula winner, two-time Balrog winner, and a Locus Award), Melinda email the SWW office: Snodgrass (author of novels and teleplays and Executive Script Consultant for Star Trek: The Next Do you remember this SWW logo? We’d love G enera tio n), Doug Walter (no information), Walter Jon Williams (Science Fiction and Adventure (505) 830-6034 to record the artist’s name and the years novelist), Ginger Buchanan (Senior Editor with Ace Science Fiction). when it was used. If you know, contact the [email protected] SWW office. (505) 830-6034 1 9 8 9 unearthed [email protected] Special Thanks Donations are accepted at r a n d r s o e r o w n M . M . J B the SWW office, 3200 Carl- Léonie Rosenstiel isle Blvd. NE, Suite 114, Al- P e n e l o p e M a in z buquerque, NM 87110, or online through the South- M a r ie P a r k s West Writers website: a n d a l l a n o n y m o u s d o n o r s www.southwestwriters.com (click the donation tab and yo u r d o n at io n s M a k e A fill out the form to process your donation). d iFF e r e n c e MAKE A DONATION!

Look Who JOINED We’ll Be Looking to Give SWW in November You a Wave At The Next M a r ie P a r k s Zoom Meeting. L in d a D u r h a m M a r c ia R o s e n WAVE BACK! J o h n W in s o r

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Biography Tragicom-

Do You Know What You Are Writing? edyJournalism Romance Magi- by Rose Marie Kern Memoir Fantasy DMany of us have a general idea of the type of writing to literary style and technique. Ultimately, the primary we engage in the most, but it is surprising that many goal of the creative nonfiction writer is to communicate people don’t really understand the differences between information, just like a reporter, but to shape it in a way genres. For instance, how do you classify something that reads like fiction. where some of your characters are supernatural? How does fantasy differ from epic? Tragicomedy is a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragic and comic forms. Most often seen in dra- High Fantasy, or Epic Fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy, matic literature, the term can describe either a tragic defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic play which contains enough comic elements to lighten stature of its characters, themes, or plot. the overall mood or a serious play with a happy ending.

An Epic Poem is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily Literary Nonsense (or nonsense literature) is a broad involving a time beyond living memory in which oc- categorization of literature that balances elements that curred the extraordinary doings of the extraordinary make sense with some that do not, with the effect of men and women who, in dealings with the gods or subverting language conventions or logical reason- other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal uni- ing. Even though the most well-known form of liter- verse for their descendants, the poet and his audience, ary nonsense is nonsense verse, the genre is present in to understand themselves as a people or nation. many forms of literature.

Mythopoeia (also mythopoesis “myth-making”) is a Rogue literature is a literary genre that tells stories narrative genre in modern literature and film where a from the world of thieves and other criminals that was fictional or artificial mythology is created by the writ- popular in England in the 16th and 17th centuries. The er of prose or other fiction. This meaning of the word stories were mostly in a confessional form and full of mythopoeia follows its use by J. R. R. Tolkien in the vivid descriptions. In literature, confessional writing is 1930s. The authors in this genre integrate traditional a first-person style that is often presented as an ongoing mythological themes and archetypes into fiction. diary or letters, distinguished by revelations of a per- son’s deeper or darker motivations. I’ve often wondered what is the difference between an essay and a scholarly treatise. Wikipedia says Essays An Adventure is an event or series of events that hap- are commonly used as literary criticism, political man- pens outside the course of the protagonist’s ordinary life, ifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, usually accompanied by danger, often by physical action. recollections, and reflections of the author. Whereas a Adventure stories almost always move quickly, and the treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on pace of the plot is at least as important as characteriza- some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater tion, setting and other elements of a creative work. depth than an essay. Magazines, writing contests, and book publishers all Did you know that memoirs, diaries, and biographies define what they want and need from submissions, and are classified as Creative Non-Fiction? So are travel your work will be judged against the required stan- writing, personal essays, chronicles and literary jour- dards. Knowing how your writing is defined can help nalism. For a text to be considered creative nonfiction, you determine your audience and eventually the mar- it must be factually accurate, and written with attention ket for your work.

Crime/Detective Mythology Epic Biography Tragicomedy Memoir Fantasy Mythopoeia Romance Journalism Magical Realism Western Theological Fiction Biography Tragicomedy Romance Western Journalism Memoir Fantasy Mythopoeia Magical Realism Epic Fantasy Crime/Detective Mythology Epic 1 1 Church Ladies With Typewriters A Humorous Reminder Of Why Writers Need Editors These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced at church services: x The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals. x Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children. x The sermon this morning: Jesus Walks on the Water. The sermon tonight: Searching for Jesus. x Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands. x Don’t let worry kill you off - let the Church help. x Miss Charlene Mason sang I Will Not Pass This Way Again, giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. x For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs. x Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days. x A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow. x At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be What Is Hell? Come early and listen to our choir practice. x Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones. x Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered. x The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility. x Pot-luck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow. x The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pan- cake breakfast next Sunday. x Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door. x The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy. x Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance. x And that just about sums it up.

1 2 SAGE CHALLENGE AND ARTICLE SUBMISSION The Sage Writing GUIDELINES Challenge • Payment is in bylines and clips. • Deadline is the 15th of the month prior to the next FEBRUARY issue. • Standard article lengths are from 300-800 words; certain Sage Challenges may set more specific word In 800 words or less, tell a story count requirements (see the Challenge description that hinges on an box, left). Submissions may be edited for accuracy, readability and length. Submissions must be tasteful; aroma, scent, or smell. free from profanity, explicit sex or violence, political commentary, etc. • Send all submissions as either standard text in an email or in a Word document in 12 pt. size. Sin- SouthWest SAGE gle spaced. Do not get fancy with formatting or The SouthWest SAGE newsletter is the professional fonts. To ensure proper author credit, your name publication of SouthWest Writers. Submissions focusing or pen name must appear within the document on all aspects of research, writing, and publishing in any you submit. Submissions with no name will not genre are welcome. To familiarize yourself with the types be considered. of articles published in the SouthWest SAGE, read past is- • Polish your work. Submissions should be profes- sues at southwestwriters.com. sional in appearance and quality of writing, fully edited and ready for publication. Here are four ways you may be included: • Accompanying art/photographs are appreciated but proper attribution and permission is required. • Write an article for the SAGE related to the craft of • Inclusion in the SAGE is subject to the discretion writing, getting published, etc. of the editor. • Enter stories, poems, or articles inspired by the monthly writing challenge announced in each SAGE. Send questions or submissions to: • Send in a short story/poem/essay of your own—on Kathy Schuit any topic (inclusion in the SAGE is subject to the dis- SouthWest SAGE Editor [email protected] cretion of the editor). • Enter artwork/photographs related to writing in gen- eral or accompanying your stories. Be sure to read, understand and follow the guidelines for submission, above right. Submissions that do not comply with the guidelines will not be considered.

Kaleidoscope WoJoTM has announced that SWW mem- ber Annette Thies was Runner Up in the What Is Your WWWinning! Happy Place? writing contest. Annette, a retired swim coach, won the award with her memoir The Mermaid Members’ Writing Successes Affair. See all the winners and find additional Kaleido- scope WoJoTM contests HERE.

Neill McKee’s latest book, Guns and Gods in My Genes: A 15,000- Mile North American Search Through Four Centuries of History, to the Mayflower, is now available in paperback and ebook through multiple channels. It is a travel memoir full of entertaining stories, historical accounts, vivid descriptions, lyrical prose, old uncov- ered poems, and 116 photos and illustrations. For a brief descrip- tion and links to places to buy, as well as a number of prepublica- KALEIDOSCOPE WOJO™ www.kaleidoscopewojo.com tion reviews CLICK HERE. Also available through Organic Books and Bookworks. 1 3 INTRODUCING Your SouthWest Writers Board of Directors for 2021

Retired air traffic control specialist, Rose Marie Kern is an award-winning author and a conference speaker. With more than 1,000 articles and four books published, Rose Ma- rie Kern thinks of herself primarily as a teacher. Though president most of her work has been connected with aviation, she also writes about gardening, solar energy, and sus- Rose Marie Kern tainable living practices. In addition to her own work, she has helped dozens of SWW members through the intricacies of self-publishing and is the editor of numer- ous SWW pulications.

Brenda Cole won her first writing contest at 13. Over the years she has become an award-winning author in nonfiction VICE short stories. Brenda has been an educator for children from PRESIDENT preschool through high school. Her multiple life sciences de- grees led to teaching Biology and Western Medicine at three Brenda Cole different institutions. Currently she splits her time between writing, art projects and genealogy.

Patricia Walkow is an award-winning author. Her work was honored in the 2016 William Faulkner Literary Com- petition. A full-length biography, The War Within, the Story of Josef, won first-place awards in national and international SECRETARY competitions. She writes short stories and essays and has con- Patricia Walkow tributed to both online and in-print anthologies, newspapers, and magazines. Ms. Walkow is a former systems manager in a Fortune 200 company and is a member of the Corrales Writ- ing Group. She lives in Corrales with her husband, cats, and one very spoiled dog.

Jennifer Black joined Southwest Writers in 2017. Answer- ing a 2018 call to volunteer, she offered to help out at the business table, which led to an invitation to join the board in TREASURER 2019. She says her list of writing accomplishments is short: an article published in the SAGE Anthology and First Place in Jennifer Black the David Morrell Prize for Fiction through the Albuquerque Museum’s 2018 Author Festival. She has been self-employed for 12 years and lives west of Rio Rancho with her husband. 1 4 Sarah H. Baker, author of more than 20 published novels, ZOOM Host a dozen novellas, and several short stories, writes fiction as coordinator Sarah Storme, Lydia Parks, S. H. Baker, and under her own name. Sarah, a Parris award recipient, has served on the Sarah H. Baker SouthWest Writers’ board and as the SWW President.

Roger Floyd received his BA degree in Biology from Trinity University in 1963, and his PhD degree in Virology from Bay- lor College of Medicine in 1971. He has performed virology research at Baylor College of Medicine and Methodist Hospi- Bylaws & tal in Houston, at Duke University, at The University of North Signage Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has worked in clinical virology and clinical immunology at The University of Cincinnati. Most Roger Floyd recently he performed bio-terrorism research for Clean Earth Technologies in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In addition to numerous scientific papers, he has written three science cont’d. on page 17

Throughout her professional career, Cornelia Gamlem was always writing on some level, most often white papers and ar- ticles. Then in 2011, she was approached by a colleague to Marketing, co-author The Big Book of HR. Putting their HR and busi- ness knowledge and experience to work, a writing partner- PR ship formed and a new chapter in each of their lives began. Cornelia Gamlem While still working in their respective consulting practices, they went on to co-author three more books for the same cont’d. on page 17

Robert D. Kidera is the author of the award-winning Gabe McKenna Mystery Series. His debut novel Red Gold won the Tony Hillerman Award as the Best Work of Fiction at the New At Large Mexico-Arizona Book Awards. His most recent entry in the series, Midnight Blues, earned a Gold Medal in the national Robert Kidera Military Writers Awards. He is currently working on Hellship, a novel about a young New Mexican soldier who suffered as a Japanese POW in World War II. Robert lives in Albuquerque.

Dr. Kathy Kitts, a former geology professor and SWW President, served as a science team member on the NASA Fundraising Genesis Discovery Mission. Her latest short fiction has - ap Dr. Kathy Kitts peared in Amazing Stories, James Gunn’s Ad Astra, and Mad Scientist Journal. Her latest collection Getting What You Need is available on Amazon.

1 5 Jacqueline Murray Loring works as a book and script con- sultant. She has edited eleven published books. In 2012, she won the Doire Press Irish International Poetry Prize for her collec- Membership tion The History of Bearing Children published in Galway. Since her move to Albuquerque, in 2012, she has written/ Jacqueline co-written, produced and/or directed nine short films includ- Murray Loring ing The House on Normal Street, Trains, Tracks & Aliens, and The Importance of Being. In 2018, she was a top finalist in New Mexico Film Foundation’s Let’s Make a Western contest for her cont’d. on page 17

Sam Moorman has published poems and stories in various Facilities anthologies. He prints an annual newsletter called Hollyday Times, and is working on a short story collection called Be- Manager ginnings. He has a Creative Writing M.A. from San Francisco Sam Moorman State.

Léonie Rosenstiel has been a freelance writer, for decades, working in many different genres, from record liner notes, Media to translations from French and Spanish, to a college-level textbook for Schirmer Books, a division of Macmillan. She Relations was Special Projects Editor for Current Musicology, then re- Léonie Rosenstiel ceived grants from the American Council of Learned Societ- ies as well as the Rockefeller Foundation to do research for her 1982 biography, Nadia Boulanger: A Life in Music. She cont’d. on page 17

Kathy Schuit finds bliss in the creative combining of words and pictures in various art and practical forms. Under her de- sign and editing expertise, the SAGE newsletter was awarded Sage Editor first place in the 2020 NMPW Communications Contest and third place in it’s NFPW national counterpart contest. Her Kathy Schuit overlapping past careers include award-winning journalism, magazine editing, restaurant ownership, and innkeeping. She also serves as Recording Secretary for the Yucca Branch of the National League of American Pen Women.

Kathy Wagoner Kathy Wagoner has been a member of SouthWest Writers since 2006. She is a previous SAGE editor Website and the current webmaster of SWW’s award-winning website where she posts monthly interviews with SWW members. Manager Though sci fi and fantasy are her favorite writing genres, she Kathy Wagoner took on the pen name of Cate Macabe and authored This New Mountain (Casa de Snapdragon Publishing, 2012), the memoir of private investigator and grandmother AJ Jackson.

1 6 Dan Wetmore is a North Carolina transplant who landed in New Mexico after 20 years’ peripatations with the U.S. military, during which he performed tours of duty in a nu- Writing clear missile silo as an ICBM launch officer, as an Instructor of Ethics and Logic at the US Air Force Academy, launching Contest satellites aboard decommissioned ICBMs, and overseeing a communications post in southern Turkey. His enduring and Chair endearing wife, two mischievous sons, one semi-comatose Dan Wetmore cat and a taciturn, slightly menacing turtle keep Dan ground- ed, challenged and grateful. He is the author of My Mother’s Gentle Unbecoming: The Absenting of Alzheimer’s—Lines from the Sidelines, his first published book of poetry.

Roger Floyd fiction novels, several short stories and a couple novelettes. He has lived in Albuquerque since retiring from scientific research in 2010, and continues to work on science fiction novels and stories. Cornelia Gamlem publisher, The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook, The Conflict Resolution Phrase Book, and the award-winning The Manager’s Answer Book. Throughout this time, they began to slowly wade into a bios new genre, creative nonfiction, by collecting stories of workplace antics and studying the craft of writ- continued ing stories. In December 2020, they self-published They Did What? Unbelievable Tales from the Work- place, which is not your typical business book. from previous pages Jacqueline Murray Loring Billy the Kid original film idea and treatment. Two of her books were published in 2019:KiMo Theatre: Fact & Folklore was published by SouthWest Writers, Vietnam Veterans Unbroken: Conversations on Trauma and Resiliency was published by McFarland & Co. Publishers. She is presently under contract to ghost write a memoir. Loring is the 2020 recipient of the Parris Award, SouthWest Writers’ highest honor. She holds a master’s degree in Management from Cambridge College, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Léonie Rosenstiel and her late husband ran a small publishing house that produced the reference book Literary Agents of North America. Several of her short stories and nonfiction pieces have been published in the SAGE. She has won prizes for fiction and non-fiction. Her multi-volume nonfiction book Family Stories is scheduled for publication in 2021.

OPPORTUNITIES Our faculty have chosen the first oir, nonfiction, poetry or screenplay, two books: Lauren Groff’s Florida, whether set in the present moment FOR WRITERS and Christina Baker Kline’s The Ex- or not, everything we write now is iles. We will invite all Kauai Book touched by the current drama. KWC’s KAUAI BOOK CLUB Club members to propose subse- online program for writers offers a Kauai Writers Conference announces quent books. The final decision on chance to connect with a diversity of a series of weekly online Zoom ses- each book will be made by the fac- great writers and learn how they are sions, co-sponsored by Poets & Writ- ulty. Some books will be New York faring in this time. There will be talks, ers, led by many of today’s foremost Times bestsellers, some will be win- workshops, conversations and master writers. There will be two tracks: one ners of major prizes, and some may classes, with a session every Sunday. for writers and one for readers. You be lesser known works. All sessions will be recorded so if you may participate in either or both. For Writers miss a live broadcast you can watch it For Readers This year is shaping up as the most at your convenience. Welcome to the Kauai Book Club. dramatic of our lifetimes. Much of How to Register One Sunday each month, an author the world’s great literature has been This is not a free program. To view of a much-loved book will lead a inspired by hard times and social schedules, fees, and other informa- live discussion of their work. upheaval. Whether fiction, mem- tion CLICK HERE. 1 7 Writing Contests You Can Enter NOW

Each year Black Lawrence Press awards The Big Moose Prize for an unpublished novel. The prize is open to new, emerging, and estab- lished writers. PRIZE: Book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and 10 copies of the book. Prizes will be awarded on publication. Open to traditional novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel. Deadline: January 31, submissions are now open.

Communications Contest Open For Entries can join NFPW once they learn of The year 2020 mat during the 2020 calendar year. their winning status. The deadline has been a year The NFPW professional contest is to join to compete in the national of constant a two-tiered contest. Entrants first contest is March 15, 2021. Details, changes, sur- enter a state level contest in the information and entry at nfpw.org or prises and the state they live in or in which they newmexicopresswomen.org. unexpected. Many of our members are a member. have been documenting this year via NMPW has created a YouTube vid- methods including the written word, First-place winners in the state-lev- eo with details of how to register for photographs, books, campaigns and el contest are eligible to move to the contest. CLICK HERE presentations. Now is the time to the national level of judging. To be recognize some of those efforts by eligible to compete in the national For questions and issues relating to entering the NFPW communications level, the entrant must be a member submitting entries, password issues, contest. in good standing with the National etc. contact Cate or Jennifer at: Federation of Press Women. Unless [email protected]. Entries for the 2021 contest must be the affiliate contest requires - mem published or broadcast in some for- bership to participate, the entrants 1 8 SWW Board Meeting Summarized December 2020 1. The board discussed the proposed 2021 budget and Board of Directors approved it. 2. Speakers and workshop presenters for Saturday Rose Marie Kern, P re sid e n t and Tuesday meetings are scheduled well into 2021, Brenda Cole, Vice President and many speakers for the Collegium program are Jennifer Black, Tre a su re r also booked. S e c re ta r y 3. Fundraising ideas were discussed. Patricia Walkow, 4. Members Patricia Walkow and Joe Brown will rep- resent SouthWest Writers on the KCHF TV show, Sarah Baker, Zoom Coordinator Issues and Answers. They will post airing dates on Roger Floyd, Bylaws/Signage the SWW Facebook Page. Cornelia Gamlem, Marketing/PR 5. Robert Speake is chairing the Critique Group Member At Large project. It will present its recommendations to the Robert Kidera, board in February. Dr. Kathy Kitts, Fundraising 6. Adding value to SWW membership – several op- Jacqueline Murray Loring, M e m b e rsh ip tions were discussed to make SouthWest Writers Sam Moorman, Facilities Manager membership even more valuable. Each requires Léonie Rosenstiel, Media/Public Relations more research. Sage Editor 7. REMINDER – all events will be conducted via Kathy Schuit, ZOOM until further notice. Kathy Wagoner, W e b site Dan Wetmore, Writing Contest The SWW Board of Directors meets on the first Tuesday of each month from 6 - 8 p.m. Currently, meetings are conducted via Zoom.

SWW Office: 3200 Carlisle Blvd NE, Suite 114 Albuquerque, NM 87110 phone (505) 830-6034 email: [email protected] website: www.southwestwriters.com SW

Digital brush painting by KLS W 1 9