A newsletter for writers and editorsproduced by

The Writers� Circle of Durham Region

November/December 2006 Vol 12 No. 6

Inside• Editorial Eyes ...........................2• Board Message/Odds & Eds.......3• Free-for-all Writing Submission....7• WCDR’s Who’s Who...................9• Paeans/Workshops....................10

WORDWORDWEAVERWEAVERThe

Looking for Love in All the Wrong PlacesBy Deborah A. Rankine

This past summer, after a yearlong affairwith a large Canadian publisher, I receivedword that, although I was “no joke as a

writer,” they were passing on my novel. Being re-jected after months of waking dreams of booksignings, launch parties (I’d have several, surely),short-lists, honourable mentions, TV interviews,when I was “no joke as a writer,” gutted me. ForGod’s sake, what do they want? I’ve given themeverything! Do they want me to cry? Beg?

What I heard them say was my baby was uglyand no amount of literary cosmetic surgery wouldever make her more accepting to the public. Whatthey actually said was my story needed more con-flict and refocus of the main plot direction. Didthey not understand that my manuscript—thisonly child I’d proudly set upon the world— hadover 65,000 painstakingly chosen words, eachnoun, verb, phrase and nuance begetting theother? That my concise parcel of perfect prosewas unabridged? Undoubtedly my brilliant begin-ning, segueing middle, my heartbreaking endinghad escaped their notice. No ISBN. No eye-catch-ing cover. No dedication page. No professionallytaken serious-looking author photo on the backjacket flap.

Like a methadone patient in search of a quickfix, I Googled my name. I thought taking (in) acouple of hits would make me feel better; remindme that I still had game as a writer: Think AaronSorkin. The descending trip from getting high wasinstantaneous—I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’dread this listing of “Deborah A. Rankine” publish-ing credits several times before. Dejected, IGoogled “Deb Rankine.” To my delight, I cameacross a link to my name that was foreign to me.Had I submitted to their writing contest and for-gotten? Sent them a short story eons ago andskipped recording it in my little black book? Ilogged on to wordCave.com to find out how theyknew me. After reading about Canadian authors,viewing a full web page of Canadian writer orga-nizations and clicking to “Listen [to] CBCRadio,” I still couldn’t figure out our one degreeof separation. And though this site doesn’t statewhy it exists, it appeared to be a legitimate venue

to showcase Canadian voices. Long story short, Iclicked “The New York Literary Agency” linkwordCave.com provided because its ad read, “Lit-erary agency seeking new authors. No fees, fast,submit online.” I figured since it was linked fromwordCave.com it was a reputable site.

I pride myself with a keen sense of smellingsomething rotten in the state of Denmark, orCanada, and especially in New York City, but TheNew York Literary Agency (NYLA) had mehook, line and sinker. Their site was so well writ-ten, so convincing, not one bell, not one whistlewent off in my head. A “first” for me, I can assureyou. I was so taken with their willingness to readmy synopsis that I chose to overlook their onlineresponse to, “Why is there no phone number? Iwant to talk to someone...” (A) Quite frankly,we are deluged with submissions. It is our policyto provide a contact number later in the process,assuming we would like to proceed with you.And, “Where are you located?” (A) We maintainexecutive suites in New York, NY where we meetwith buyers. An executive suite is a shared officespace that allows us to keep our overhead expens-es down. Other than that, we travel and have thegood fortune to live in Florida and California de-pending on the time of year. Sometimes we thinkthat we live in airport lounges.

I know what you’re thinking; the poor thing wasdesperate. You’re right, I was, but it truly soundedlike the real deal. I even tried to share my greatfind with my writing buddy, Kevin Craig, who fi-nally set me straight. Under its umbrella compa-ny, The Literary Agency Group (LAG), TheNYLA—along with its other subsidiaries, Chil-dren’s Literary Agency, Christian LiteraryAgency, et al—is discussed ad nauseam aroundthe water cooler at www.absolutewrite.com, andis a front to lure aspiring writers into signing cri-tiquing contracts. I believe they have little or nointention of shopping one’s work. If their inten-tions were honourable, one would think theirwebsite would proudly “name” their publishedauthors. What they pass off as creditability, in-stead, is, “We just sold our 4th work and we areconfident of more success later this year. A 5th

deal is being readied as we speak.” To test the murky, scam-sucking waters, I made

up four separate e-mail accounts and sent one realand three bogus submissions—each offering get-ting more ridiculous. Not to my surprise, TheNYLA accepted all four stories. Their standard-issue response was, “Our review team believesthat your work has commercial potential and wewould like to proceed by offering to representyou. We feel that your concept and writing thusfar has potential and that if polished and presentedproperly, we can sell it. We are very concernedabout what we present to our buyers. At a mini-mum, they expect the mechanics of punctuation,grammar, spelling and format to meet or exceedindustry standards. I think you can agree that yourwork needs some level of polishing. This step isequal to an investor trusting a certified public ac-countant.” Blah, blah, blah.

You can imagine my fabricated elation whenThe NYLA asked for the first three chapters ofThe Boomerang Returns, my pseudo synopsisabout an “aging austrailian (note intentional non-capping of proper noun) movie star and petcrockadile (note intentional misspelling of croco-dile) go into out back (intentionally wrote outbackas two words) to find true love with a tribal girl hemet while on the set of a commercial for shrimp.”On August 27, 2006, I responded by sending TheNYLA a “blank” Word document containing onlythe title of my “novel” along with a covering e-mail stating, “Thank you SO much for replying tomy message. I am SO excited. Thank you SOmuch. You have made my DAY! I have attachedme first 3 chapters of my book. It is only half fin-ished but based on your instructions on your website I know you accept half done books. Thankyou again. I am looking foreward to your reply.”Then, on September 06, 2006, lo and behold, TheNYLA sent a positive response to my “blank”three-chapter submission expressing their will-ingness to work with me to polish my work to“meet or exceed industry standards.”

Big whoop!

2 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 THE WORD WEAVER

Editorial EyesBy Annette McLeod

There is no magic formula for writ-ing query letters that will get youwork, but with due diligence and alittle imagination, you can certain-ly increase your chances.

Do get the details right. When pitching an edi-tor, get his or her name right. Call the publica-tion to double-check; some places seem to gothrough editors more often than I change the catlitter, and make sure your own correct contactinformation is on there. Double- and triple-check for typographical and grammatical er-rors—if at all possible, have another personcheck it, too. Once you’ve read something acouple of hundred times, it’s easy to overlookerrors that, believe it or not, still lurk within.

Do make sure your idea is fresh and specific.Know the publication well and ensure youaren’t duplicating an idea that has already run.

Don’t say, “I have an idea for a story on Habi-tat for Humanity.” It’s too broad.

Don’t say, “I would love to write for your pub-lication.” So?

Don’t say, “My mother or my college prof orwhomever thinks I’m a great writer.” Editorslike to make up their own minds about stuff likethat.

Don’t say, “I have never been published” or“This would be my first freelance assignment.”Even if it’s true, don’t say it. Unpublished writ-ers today have an advantage those just a fewyears ago didn’t have—the Web. It’s cheap(even free) and easy to set up a blog-style web-page for yourself where you can upload yourunpublished writing for an editor to peruse. Di-rect the editor to your website instead of ’fess-ing up to your inexperience right away. Don’t lieabout it—if the editor asks, by all means say thiswould be your first assignment, but impressthem with your query and your writing first.

Do keep it short. No more than a page is ideal.Generally speaking, your letter need be only afew paragraphs long: one to encapsulate the

idea; one to outline the experts to whom you’llspeak and/or your proposed methodology; oneto say why it’s appropriate/important for thatparticular publication; one about who you areand why you’re the one to write the article; oneto propose a follow-up and thank the editor forhis or her time. (By the way, no ethical editorwill love your idea and not give you a crack atwriting it up; idea-theft is rare. But that isn’t tosay there aren’t unethical editors out there, sokeep good records of where and when you sentyour letters. You can’t copyright an idea, butyou can let a publisher know what you think ofits editor’s practices—in a professional manner,of course.)

Do use the query method preferred by thatpublication, whether it’s e-mail, snail mail or aphone call.

(Incidentally, an article on do’s and don’ts forwriting a query about a work of fiction to anagent or publisher wouldn’t be terribly different.In the first paragraph, tell them what your workis about, how long it is and whether it’s com-plete. If this is your first kick at the can, you willwant to have a completed work to sell, if only toprove you are capable of finishing something.Then, give him or her a brief “why I wrote this”paragraph, then your brief bio, then a politewrap-up. The major difference is that you’re try-ing to sell something that’s already writtenrather than pitching an idea, and, of course,there aren’t any experts to contact.)

Just in case all your diligence doesn’t pay offright away, here are a few stories about now fa-mous and revered writers who didn’t do so welloff their first queries either. I can’t vouch fortheir veracity, but it sure does make a personfeel better!

“Shakespeare’s name, you may depend on it,stands absurdly too high and will go down. Hehad no invention as to stories, none whatever.He took all his plots from old novels, and threwtheir stories into a dramatic shape, at as little ex-

pense of thought as you or I could turn his playsback again into prose tales.” The source of theseinsights was reportedly Lord Byron himself, inthe early 1800s.

George Orwell was famously told in responseto his Animal Farm novel that animal storieswere impossible to sell in the US.

An editor at the San Franciso Examiner toldone Rudyard Kipling, “I’m sorry, Mr. Kipling,but you just don’t know how to use the Englishlanguage.”

“We found the heroine as boring as her hus-band did,” was one response Mary HigginsClark got to her manuscript for Journey Back toLove in the early ’60s.On The Diary of Anne Frank, one editor whoreceived a shot at its publication said, “The girldoesn’t, it seems to me, have a special percep-tion or feeling which would lift that book abovethe ‘curiosity’ level.”

Irving Stone’s Lust for Life was called a “long,dull novel about anartist.”

Ayn Rand’sAtlas Shruggedwas called“unsaleableand unpub-lishable.”

And mypersonalfavourite,to SamuelJohnson:“Yourmanu-script isboth goodand original;but the part thatis good is notoriginal, and the part that is original isnot good.”

In a Nutshell: Query Letters 101

TO:Ms.

PeasaTakeme, editor

My novel, XXX, isa coming-of-age

story set in Torontoin the summer of1965. It follows a

group of awkwardadolescents through

a summer when almost everything

known to be socially/tacitly

accepted is challenged.

We see the brightness of a new page where everything yet can happen. Rainer Maria Rilke—Book of Hours

At our last board meeting WCDR’sevents co-ordinator, Jessica Out-ram, suggested we shake thingsup a bit at the October breakfastmeeting. Her plan? To separate

the tables by writing genre and encourage atten-dees to sit with others who shared their writingstyle. The suggestion was met with enthusiasmby the board, and vice-president, Barbara Hunt,busied herself with the task of categorizing allthe writing styles.

I am going to be honest with you, the idea ter-rified me. Even though I have only been break-fast co-ordinator since this past September,there’s one thing I noticed immediately; manybreakfast regulars are quite territorial with re-spect to seating and generally arrive early toclaim their spots. I’m not sure what the criteria

is for a “good seat,” but I do know the thoughtof getting in between writers (before their firstcup of coffee) and their chosen spot is incredi-bly intimidating.

Not one to back away from a challenge, Istood in front of the registration table—com-forted by the thought that, in a pinch, Thelmaand Rose would save me—and handed outbright orange slips of paper that “told the writ-ers where to go.”

While most appeared slightly bewildered bythe prospect of sitting somewhere new, thechange of view ended up being a resoundingsuccess. Instead of madly rushing to find a seat,people hesitated a little and found themselvescatching up with old acquaintances or meetingsomeone new. Although the concept of definingoneself by a particular style of writing proved tobe a difficult task for some, the thought processwas a definite conversation starter.

The poets appeared to have a great time dis-cussing the joys of being poets and were abuzzwith excitement for the upcoming ChapbookFair. Editors, who found themselves at a tablewith writers, couldn’t help themselves and

changed their sign to read “Editors and Others”because the inaccuracy was driving them crazy.

As for myself, I sat across from Bruce Tuck atthe non-fiction table. While we never did getaround to talking about our craft, Bruce told meabout his incredible trip down East this pastSeptember and I learned that I am not the onlyperson who relies on orange juice, not coffee, tostart her day.

On behalf of the board, I would like to thankeveryone for being so receptive to this smallchange of pace. You can expect more surprisesin the coming months so don’t get too comfort-able; you never know what the next breakfast

has in store!

3 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 THE WORD WEAVER

BOARDA Message from

THE

By Janet Boccone

A Year in Review

My editorship of The WordWeaver is, for me, a tuition-freecon-ed creative writing pro-gram. Over this past year, I’vehad the privilege of wording

with world-renowned writers. Wordmeisters likeTed Barris, a much-loved perennial favourite onCBC Radio, TVO, and in the pages of numerousnational newspapers and magazines; JennaGlatzer, editor-in-chief atwww.absolutewrite.com, author of several writ-ers’ craft how-to books and Celine Dion’s biogra-pher; and internationally published poet andwriter, and pay-it-forward mentor, Ms. Ruth Walk-er, who never ceases to amaze.

Since January, I have learned how to channelW.O. Mitchell, refit my writer’s toolbox withflowers and trees and voices and birds—“PictureNarnia without the bulky wardrobe,” says KevinCraig. I’ve helped celebrate 10 years of TheWCDR with people with whom I would most liketo be stranded in an elevator. I’ve been schooledby Annette McLeod—a seasoned veteran at theToronto Sun who seldom sweats a deadline—inthe artful technique of deep breathing. I’ve discov-ered the joy of joywriting.forumup.org, “Vogon-

style” poetry, the art of the interview, The GreatCanadian Novel Marathon. I should be exhaustedfrom all this learning but, instead, I’m exhilarated:My writing has improved tenfold from exposureto these kinds of push-the-envelope creativethinkers.

I now understand the pros and cons of penningauthorized and unauthorized biographies, the se-cret pleasures of Dragon NaturallySpeaking voicerecognition software and, thanks to supporter ofall things WCDR, Dorothea Helms, I now knowwhat “funeral potatoes” are.

Words like “unguent” and “sotto voce” and “sul-cus” have become part of my vernacular. (Okay,“sulcus” is a made-up Vogon word, but it’s such acool one how could anybody doubt its validity?—Think The Da Vinci Code.)

The most important skill set I’ve gleaned thisyear continues to come from the gentle coachingof our hard-working president and Word Weavercopy editor, Sherry Hinman. Through her eyes,I’ve strived for 20/20 vision. (I think) Sherry’s ed-itor’s marks have decreased proportionally to my(finally) seeing unnecessary double spacing,comma splices, split infinitives and the (now) oc-casional lack of smart quotes. So unassuming isour wonderful Ms. Hinman that I can clearly seeher blushing as she edits this copy.

As with year’s ending and a new year’s begin-ning, so it is that changes, however hard, are in-evitable. It is with heartfelt thanks that I say to An-nette McLeod on behalf of the readership,BRAVO, for three wonderful years of terrific 90-degree-learning-curve columns. Your “Grammar-Puss” and “Editorial Eyes” features in WordWeaver have surely touched every writer and edi-

tor who’s had the pleasure of reading them. Yourinfectious sense of humour transcends the intrica-cies of grammar and punctuation. Your insightfultricks-of-the-trade tips on the art of interviewingand novel building, screenplay and teleplay writ-ing—to name but a few— have made learning ablast. Best of luck as you pursue your fiction-writ-ing destiny. Should you, however, find yourselfpining to pen non-fiction “just for fun,” pleasepromise us you’ll cross the tracks back over to TheWord Weaver; we’d love to have you, even if it’sonly for a short stay.

Beginning with the first issue of 2007, The WordWeaver will proudly feature two new columnists:Fred Ford—who pitched me a thought-provokingquestion over the summer: How can we help re-mote WCDR members feel like they’re part of ourmonthly breakfast meetings?—has agreed to pen“Breakfast Reloaded,” an ongoing profile of guestspeakers and WCDR member guest readers fromeach meeting. And Kevin Craig, our new rovingsuper sleuth, will be conducting “search and de-stroy” missions, bringing to light scum suckingscam artists who prey on unsuspecting (and, not sounsuspecting; read this month’s cover article)writing hopefuls seeking legitimate venues inwhich to showcase their work. The pen is mightierthan the sword indeed!

Lastly, Word Weaver is forever on the prowl fornew voices to grace its pages. Never be shy topitch your ideas, share your insights, or to com-ment on any and all things writerly.

As always, it is my honour and privilege to readyour words.

Humbly yours,Deb Rankine.

Odds & EdsBy Deborah A. Rankine,

Word Weaver Editor

4 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 THE WORD WEAVER

November/December “Themed” Writing Challenge Submissions

Sensory Deprivation

Sensory DeprivationBy Janet Boccone

The loss occurs almost instantly.After just one session ofchemotherapy, nothing tastes quitethe same. That piece of chocolateyou waited all day for, the home-

made gnocchi your mother-in-law made withsuch love, even your morning glass of orangejuice doesn’t taste the way it’s supposed to.

But it is as a result of having cancer and under-going months of treatment that I am able to easi-ly choose which of the five senses I would giveup.

When faced with a life-threatening illness,everything in your world comes into focus. Allthe old cliches ring true. You quickly realizewhat real friendship and support is and that fam-ily truly does come above all else. Prioritieschange and your life becomes about living fortoday and not for when you have more time ormore money.

So, if forced to choose, which sense would Igive up?

Well, it definitely would not be my sight. Not achance. Without sight, I would miss the gleam inmy daughters’ eyes when they come home fromschool and tell me about their day. Not seeingthem grow into young women, with new curvessprouting almost daily, would be a form of tor-ture. I could not bear to miss my husband’s in-fectious smile or loving gaze, reminding me timeand again why I fell in love with him in the firstplace. And without sight, I would yearn for thevibrant reds and yellows of my favourite of allseasons, autumn.

Autumn brings with it such fantastic smells.Why is it that the first day of school smells dif-ferent than any other day? Is it simply the slightdrop in temperature or could it be the scent ofhope and new beginnings? To me, Halloweenalso has its own unique aroma. Fun, foolishnessand freedom mixed with pumpkins and cold,crisp air. No, I could not do without a sense ofsmell, either.

Halloween makes me think of tiny voiceswhispering “Trick or Treat” and the crunch,crunch, crunch of the leaves as you run fromhouse to house. It’s the sound of my two daugh-ters discussing next year’s costumes while sort-ing through this year’s loot. Giggles, silly songs,laughter. To not hear these memories in the mak-ing would simply break my heart.

Lucky in love that I am, my husband stillgreets me with a kiss and a hug at the end of hiswork day. My children are young enough, bare-ly, that they don’t mind kissing me good-bye infront of their friends or holding my hand on theirway to school. Without the sense of touch, theserituals would be signs of love without the plea-sure of the interaction. The actions would existbut the connection would be lost. Yes, I believetouch might be the toughest of all the senses togive up.

But without taste, I can still hear the joy in mydaughters’ laughter and see the truth in their eyesas they try to convince me that nothing’s wrong.I can inhale my husband’s after shave at the endof a long day’s work and feel the softness of hiscaress as he reaches across to touch my facewhen he drives.

For taste is the most selfish of the senses.Rolling a treasured Shiraz along my tongue ismeaningless if I can’t do it while looking intomy love’s deep, hazel eyes. If I am to be com-pletely honest with myself, making my mouth-watering, oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies hasbecome more about hearing my children’ssqueals of delight upon discovery than eating thecookie dough.

Five years ago, I would have struggled withthis exercise — each sense taking equal prece-dence. But I know better now. Having cancer hasshown me what I need to survive. It has alsogiven me a clear picture of what I do not need.

During those first few days and sleeplessnights after diagnosis, when my mind played ahighlight reel of the past and a future that did notinclude me, I worried not about taste. Instead, Iwas consumed with the sights, smells andsounds of the people who had touched my life.

Janet Boccone is a freelance writer living inPickering with her husband and two daughters.After her breast cancer diagnosis in 2004 andthe death of her father (from breast cancer) ayear later, Janet now focuses her energy on theactivities and the people she enjoys most.

I would yearn for the vibrant reds and

yellows of myfavourite of all

seasons, autumn.

A War m

WCDR Welcome

to Our NewestMember s

Deborah HarknessDebbie WakerNancy HirdDeborah Elsmore

Lisa LiscoumbFrance LacroixValerie BeanTony Valuch

Losing My SensesBy Myrna Marcelline

Iwill not, by a stroke of my own pen, giveup a single one of my senses.It is throughall my senses—hearing, seeing, listening,touching and tasting, that I define, refineand articulate my real world and, equally

important, that of my creative imagination. Theyare more than catalysts in the crucible of my writ-ing life, much more. Collectively, my senses arethe Alpha and Omega of my existence.Withoutany one of them I believe my ability to hone mycreativity would be diminished.

John Milton, the famous English poet, in hisblindness penned Paradise Lost, 12 books of poet-ry depicting the Fall of man. But such fortitudeand scholarship without one’s vision is rare. Myeyes are my window on the world and, as a writer,I want to be a full-fledged witness to the beautyand wonder of it. I want to read the words I write. Iwant to feel and touch scores of books—both oldand contemporary—about characters and themes,settings and plots that would fire my own imagina-tion. I want to listen to and watch actors strutthemselves on stage as they create worlds thattranscend the visible mundaneness of my own. Iwant to follow the tiny cursor on my computerscreen as it weaves its way through my writinguntil I have completed a poem, an essay or a pieceof short fiction.

I cannot be a Milton. I cannot imagine my world without the fragrance

of roses in my summer garden or the hauntingnight smell of my neighbour’s overgrown lilac

bushes that bend gently and kindly over my back-yard fence, or the aroma of garden-fresh rosemaryand thyme sprinkled over succulent, poachedsalmon steaks and steaming hot-buttered rice. Ilove to nestle my nose under the tiny chin of mynewborn grandson and inhale the fresh, rejuvenat-ing smell of talcum lodged in the folds of his neck.I can still recall the pungent wisps of incense ris-ing up in the little church I attended as a child andthe mystery of religion it conjured in my mind andsoul. My sense of smell allows me to access a vari-ety of stimuli in a unique way.

I love the fluttering sound of a powdery, varie-gated monarch butterfly as it lights on my scarletred zinnias and the frightening buzz as a bee zingsthe butterfly away and draws the nectar for its ownstorehouse. Why would I give up the chance to lis-ten to the music I love—contemporary worldmusic, Gregorian chants that fill my soul with thepeace it craves, or the lively calypso and steel bandrhythms which keep me grounded to my culturalroots? I would not want to miss the spiritualawakening that Handel’s Messiah brings each timeI hear it, or the pleasure of listening to EleanorWachtel as she entrances me with lucid commen-taries and joyful discussions of books. To give upmy sense of hearing would be to close the windowon experiences that turn the wheels of my creativi-ty.

My tactile sense is a source of endless delightand inspiration. The caress of the ocean as I diveinto its embrace. The gritty feeling of warm sandburrowing my toes on the beach when the rollingwaves have pushed me gently ashore are sensa-tions that stimulate my entire being. MichaelVaughn, in an essay entitled, “Creative Lollygag-

ging,” encourages writers to stimulate their tactilesense in order to jump-start their creativity. Hesays that writer’s block could be challenged by thepower inherent in touching objects which can be-come the nucleus for a story or novel.

I am thankful that the Creator has given me thesepowerful faculties of hearing, seeing, tasting,touching and listening. Each of them enhances myability to shape, reshape and creatively define myworld. Each enriches my life and, hopefully, inmy capacity as a writer, the lives of others withwhom I share this planet.

5 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 THE WORD WEAVER

Whitby, Ontario, writer Myrna Marcelline is a formerEnglish teacher and active WCDR member. Her workhas being featured in the pages of The Word Weaver.Some of Marcelline’s poems and short stories will bepublished shortly.

BreakfastInfo�Nov 11…Vicki Delany

Vicki Delany hails from Oakville, Ontario,though her first love is the Canadian wilder-ness; the setting for her stories. Delany’snovels of psychological suspense, Scare theLight Away and Burden of Memory werepublished by Poisoned Pen Press. She hasbeen called “…one of Canada’s mostpromising new practitioners of the crimegenre,” by Dick Adler of the Chicago Tri-bune.

Delany will be sharing her experiencesfrom her writing life and talking about herpublishing struggles.

Dec 9…Aengus Finnan

Irish-born singer/songwriter AengusFinnan,has been awarded the “CommemorativeMedal in Honour of the Golden Jubilee of HerMajesty Queen Elizabeth II” for his culturaland humanitarian contributions to Canada.

Raised in Shelter Valley, Ontario, Finnan hasperformed from Baffin Island to the KennedyCentre, and from local theatres and festivals tothe stages of Japan and Australia.

A storyteller at heart, he has been described as“disarmingly artful” by the Toronto Star and “atraveling archivist” by Saturday Night Maga-zine. Finnan has released two acclaimed al-bums, joined Blue Rodeo and Bruce Cockburnto pay tribute to Gordon Lightfoot, and wasawarded the prestigious “New Folk Songwrit-ing Award” at the Kerrville Folk Festival inTexas, presented by Peter Yarrow, of Peter,Paul & Mary fame. Visit Finnan at his website,www.aengusfinnan.com.

Y U

MM

YYUMMYTATER

TO

T

S, WELOVE

EM

LOTS

6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 THE WORD WEAVER

What would prompt ourfavourite fairy to slip intonew gold slippers, fine,silky threads and break outthe travelling wand? Her

first evening of readings entitled “The WritingFairy Presents!,” that’s what. DorotheaHelms, a.k.a. “The Writing Fairy,” did exact-ly that at the Foster Memorial in UxbridgeTownship, Ontario, on Friday, September 22nd.

The location was as breathtaking as the mater-ial. This Taj Mahal replica was built by the for-mer Mayor of Toronto, Thomas Foster, as acrypt for himself, his wife and daughter in1935-6, at a cost of a quarter of a million dol-lars. The Byzantine architecture, designed byJ.H. Craig and partner H.H. Madill (architects),is replete with solid bronze doors and handpainted stained glass. It is a jewel from the ter-razzo and marble mosaics on the floor to thedomed solid copper roof pierced with a dozenleaded glass windows.

“I’ve stood in the spotlight a lot over the yearsand decided to launch ‘The Writing Fairy Pre-sents!’ to shine that light on past students ofmine who have been actively entering contestsand pursuing publishing opportunities,” saysDorothea. In this case, the glow was a combina-

tion of candlelight from several huge cande-labras and Dorothea’s warm introductions.Lana Cutrara, Connie Jamieson, Bette Hodginsand I read short stories, published works fromthe Globe & Mail and Metroland papers, aswell as award-winning poetry and personal es-says.

An appreciative audience braved the dampweather to enjoy a different sort of FosterMemorial presentation. “This area is rich withartistic talent. Music, theatre and the visual artsare showcased often. I would like to bring ourwriters to the attention of this community moreoften, and this is one vehicle by which I canmake that happen,” explained Dorothea.

The WCDR’s webmaster, Rich Helms, servedas technical advisor and used the opportunity toattempt his first-ever open-environment record-ing session. Checkwww.thewritingfairy.com to listen tothe recorded presentations. Thegroup of readers and Rich werechallenged by the overlyample acoustics of the loftedceiling and cloistered al-coves. Although a soundsystem was used, anyoneuttering a word needed tomaster a tight control ofvolume, pacing and enun-ciation. This was the greatlesson of the event.

With the success of this newventure, Dorothea will undoubt-edly make writerly evenings a partof her repertoire. “Call it mentoring,”she says, “but I learn as much as the stu-dents from both teaching and ‘The WritingFairy Presents!’.”

The WritingFairy™

Presents!By Barbara Hunt

MarketingYourWork� LocallyBy Brian Peters

What do youthink isthe hard-est part ofwriting?

Is it the writing itself? Sure,there may be times whenwriter's block sneaks up onyou and robs you of your cre-ativity.

Is it getting published? Pos-sibly, and I can concur withevery other writer that gettingpublished will happen forthose that persevere. But inmy opinion, the hardest part ofwriting is marketing your

work to the reading public.And that brings me to an op-

portunity that has been ex-tended to members of WCDRfrom the Pickering Markets�the largest covered trade cen-tre in Canada, with over 500vendors sharing a single floorand showcasing so many dif-ferent suppliers, there�s sureto be something for everyone.

The WCDR has a booth atthe Pickering Markets untilJanuary 2007. This 10�x10�space is located on a corner(more traffic!) and has beenrunning since early Septem-ber. If you have a published

work, chapbook, novel, poetry,CD, what have you, you can market it from the booth. Thebooth is open every Saturdayand Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. You can share the boothwith another writer for a halfday or a full day or, if youwish, fly solo.

For more information or toreserve your times, contactme, Brian Peters, at 905-263-4584 or via e-mail at:brianpeters99@hotmail.com. With the holidays fast ap-

proaching, this venue is theperfect opportunity to offer thegift of your words to others.

7 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 THE WORD WEAVER

November/December’sFree-for-all

Writing Challenge Submission…Your Weirdest Gift.

My All-timeWorst PresentBy Ruth-Anne Mullan

Iwas excited. Itwas my birth-day. I’d thrownhints aroundthat I thoughteven he could-n’t miss. It

wasn’t just any birthday, itwas my 50th. Surely myhusband must haveknown how important itwas to me. Surely he musthave bought me the onlything I truly coveted.

In anticipation of thegift, I had bought everykind of topping imagin-able. I had marshmallow,strawberry, chocolate,butterscotch, caramel andcherry sauce. There weremaraschinos, bananas, co-conut and nuts—thecrowning touches. I hadthe recipes, the cream; Iwas ready to go.

Oh, the plans I had forthat ice cream maker! Andhaving one of my veryown would allow me tomake lower calorie frozenconcoctions and eat themto my heart’s content.

With my family cheer-ing me on, I imaginedwhipping up a batch ofrich vanilla ice cream tohave with the birthdaycake. I pictured present-ing all the toppings andletting everyone dive in.They’d be surprised howquickly my new machinefashioned pint after pint. Icould practically hear theoohs and aahs.

So sure my special pre-sent was well in hand, I’dalready read the user’s

manual while browsingaround in a kitchenwarestore. I could have boughtit for myself, I know, butit seemed such a luxurythat I chose, instead, towait patiently to receive itas a gift.

On the day of the cele-bration, everyone gath-ered around me. To mysurprise, I found myselfslightly embarrassed asthe chorus of HappyBirthday rang out. I blewout the myriad of candleswith two puffs and every-one clapped.

“I’m stuffed! Can weopen the presents first,and have dessert later?” Iasked hopefully. I reallywanted to surprise themwith homemade ice creamto accompany the birth-day cake. And, to my joy,they all agreed.

Eyeing “the big one” atthe back of the pile, I po-litely opened the othergifts first. Little faceswatched eagerly to gaugemy reaction as I openedtheir present; I cooed andexclaimed over each trea-sure. There were papercutouts, paper necklaces,bracelets of beads, all ofthem, surely, painstaking-ly crafted. There was a setof jewelry from mydaughter that matched mynew dress perfectly. She’salways had a wonderfulsense of my taste and Iloved it. One of my sonsproudly led me out to thegarden to see a rosebushhe’d planted for me—abudding perennial that al-ready boasted a long-stemmed mauve rose. In abarren spot where evendandelions refused to

flourish, my other son hadplaced a beautiful piece ofdriftwood that resembleda huge bird with out-stretched wings and it fitflawlessly.

Now for the big one! Itore off the wrapping andrevealed—not my icecream machine.

I tried to look happy. Ismiled my thanks and Ithink I almost succeededin convincing everyonethat a new vacuum clean-er was exactly what I’dwanted. But it lookedclumsy and I hated it onsight. I knew it had costmy husband a small for-tune. He looked sopleased at buying it forme that I tried my hardestnot to spoil his moment.

“This’ll make your lifeeasier, honey,” my hubbyexuded. “The salesmanshowed me how powerfulit is. It even cleans the airin the room! I know you’lllove using it. The guyeven took your old one asa trade in!”

“Excuse me. I’ll be rightback,” I said, heading forthe washroom. If I wasgoing to cry, I didn’t wantan audience.

The next day I boughtmyself an ice creammaker.

By the way, I’m stillusing that ugly, ponderousvacuum.

Get your fill of virtual tater tots in

Fred Ford�s

�Breakfast Reloaded�beginning with The Word Weaver�s

January/February 2007 issue

January/February

Free-for-allWriting Challenge

Plotting your escape…

It’s February 14th,

you’re hosting an intimate

“A” list dinner party

in five minutes

and you get trapped

in your own bathroom.

Maximum word count: 700

Deadline: December 20, 2006

Send your submission to:

wordweaver@wcdr.org

8 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 THE WORD WEAVER

Writers’ CirclesTo join one of the circles below, please call the contact directly.

Christians Who WriteThe second Saturday of each month following theWCDR breakfast meeting. call for locationSherry Loeffler, 905-640-6315authorsherry@rogers.com

Circle for Children’s WritersFirst Wednesday of each month7 to 9 p.m.Oshawa Public LibraryNorthview Branch250 Beatrice St. E., OshawaMike Wardwardswords@hotmail.com

Durham Write-OnTuesdays, every other week7 to 9 p.m.Call for locationCynthia Greencynwriter@rogers.com

Markham Village Writers’ GroupMonthlyDonna Marrindonna.marrin@staples.ca

Northword EditionTuesdays, every two weeks7 to 9 p.m.Uxbridge Public LibraryDorothea Helms, 905-852-9294

Richard Ferrier Writers’ GroupFormerly Volume TwoThird Tuesday of each month2 to 4 p.m.History Room at Pickering Central LibraryTina Ivany, 905-427-1270or tdivany@sympatico.caRon Dixon, 416-284-5673or retro@pathcom.com

Write in WhitbySecond and fourth Tuesday of each month7 to 9 p.m.Whitby Public LibraryLloyd Blair, 905-430-0075

Word PlayersMeets at St Stephen’s United Church (on the cornerof Simcoe and Taunton in Oshawa) on alternateMondays for critiques of member’s writings fol-lowed by friendly conversation. Currently open tonew members.David William McKaydwmckay@sympatico.ca

Write NowA group for on-the-spot writingEvery second Thursday7 to 9 p.m.Uxbridge Public LibraryVicki Pinkerton, 905-473-1284

Writers’ and Editors’ NetworkBreakfast meetingThird Saturday of each month9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.Canadiana Restaurant and Banquet Hall5230 Dundas St. W.Six Points Plaza, TorontoMickey Turnbull, 905-824-5035 ormickeytc@ica.net

The Wordsmiths of Ajax/PickeringThird Tuesday of every month, 7 to 9 p.m. Free-fall writing exercises and critiquing. Meetings at Papps Restaurant, PickeringPatricia Smith the.wordsmith@sympatico.ca

Ink WellFirst Tuesday of the month from 7 to 9 p.m.Clarington Public Library, Bowmanville Branch.Freefall writing, critiquing and just plain having agreat time encouraging each other to write. Oh yes,and a little accountability. We'll ask if you did whatyou said you would do.Contact Lynda Allison 905-623-0365lallison@durham.net

Ink Well Write-inEvery other Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to noonClarington Public Library, Bowmanville Branch.Grab a cup of coffee at Dewey’s Café (open at 10a.m.) and join a small group of people who enjoygetting together to write.Contact Lynda Allison 905-623-0365lallison@durham.net

The Tale Spinners The Tale Spinners are aged 55+ and meet everyThursday in Oshawa to write memoirs, fiction andpoetry. Barkley Fletcher, 905-571-1348

Writes of Passage Group serves Whitby/Brooklin area. Focus in-cludes writing exercises, feedback, and Q & A’s regarding writing life. Group meets second Mon-day of each month. Everyone welcome. Jan Seppala jseppala@rogers.com

Senior Scribes of UxbridgeSecond and fourth Friday of each month1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.Township Hall, UxbridgeMarion Owen, 905-852-3204

Oshawa ScribesFirst and third Tuesday of each month1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.Oshawa Library, Northview Branch250 Beatrice St. E., OshawaGrace Stevenson, 905-725-0760

Oshawa Young Writers(Ages 13 –19)Oshawa Library, McLaughlin Branch65 Bagot Street, OshawaCall/e-mail for dates and timesNicole Patterson, 905-579-6111, ext #221npatterson@oshawalibrary.on.ca

InkspotOn-the-spot-writing and writing exercisesEvery second Thursday7 to 9 p.m. Golden Griddle in the Oshawa CentreCarole Enahoro cenahoro@sympatico.ca

Note to Circle Leaders: Please send your circle updates to:wordweaver@wcdr.org.

9 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 THE WORD WEAVER

Dylan Robertson, WCDR’syoungest member, may only be15, but his writing style andideas are so mature that DurhamParent offered him a regular gigwriting a column on teen-parent

relationships. In fact, when Dylan sent them aquery letter (his first) their response was “Whatare your rates?” Says Dylan, “I didn’t even haverates. I was shocked because I never thoughtabout being paid.” To his delight, they paid himmore than he asked for. But he isn’t in the writingbusiness just for the money.

WORDWEAVER: When did you joinWCDR?

DYLAN ROBERTSON: In October2004. My mother was involved with WCDR backwhen it started. Then my sister and I happened,and she didn’t have a chance to write much. Shetook me to a reading at the Durham West ArtsCentre and I met Dorothea Helms. She encour-aged us to go to a breakfast meeting and after thatI decided I’d like to join.

WW: As WCDR’s youngest member, is yourexperience different?

DR: I find that most writers are able to go be-yond age, gender and race to relate with thosewho share the same passion for writing. I don’tthink my experience has been much different thanother members because of my age. The only timeit’s been awkward is when Joy Fielding read a“mature” part out of her novel. My mom hasnever seen me so red before!

WW: What are your current writing projects?DR: At the moment I’m doing various works

of freelance writing, along with the Durham Par-ent column. I’m considering putting a memoir to-gether about family events. I’ve written a few sto-

ries, but I’m not quite sure if my family would becomfortable with it. Besides, I don’t have a dri-ver’s license yet and I need someone to drive meplaces!WW: How did you get into journalism? DR: I was first published at age 11 in the

Toronto Star. It’s always fun being able to say youstarted there. I submitted a book review to the“For Youth, By Youth” section in Brand NewPlanet. Later, I was accepted by the Catholic Reg-ister for Youth Speak News, a one year journalismtraining program for high school and universitystudents. This gave me a lot of help in having mywork critiqued and learning about professionaljournalism. I love writing articles and I’ve recent-ly discovered that I have a talent for humorousnon-fiction.WW: Describe your writing space.DR: I actually write best in front of a computer.

I tend to look things up a lot, whether it’s statisticsfor an article or facts to include in a story, so it’shelpful to be connected to the Internet. I also liketo write in busy, crowded spaces, like a train sta-tion, because there’s a lot of people-watching thatyou can do and no one is judging your writing.WW: Describe a favourite writing ritual.DR: I’m waiting on a bench to be picked up. Isee a woman in a beige coat across the street.Grabbing a pen and some paper out of my bag, Iwrite about who she is escaping from and why.This story can be funny, sad or even morbid. Icontinue until a car shows up.WW: How about a writing superstition?DR: Switching ink colours will change yourcharacters. Trust me, it will. Maybe it’s the wholepsychology of colour.WW: What irritates you most when you’re writ-ing?DR: “What are you writing about?” Honestly,can you think of a more intrusive question thanthat?WW: Teens are sometimes described as writingin an emotional or “apocalyptic” style, focusingon themes of love, death, hate, etc. What do youthink?DR: I find this is true, to an extent. As writers,we (teens) write when we are faced with prob-lems. It’s our escape, and it helps us deal with ourinner conflicts. When you’re a teen, you deal witha lot of emotional issues, and I think the ones who

write tend to have a lot more emotional signifi-cance in their writing than other age groups.WW: How can we attract more young writers toWCDR?DR: Perhaps by hosting some teen-aged events.I like how many of the events are all ages, but it’sdifficult to tailor events to more than one agegroup. If there were writing contests sponsored byWCDR for younger writers only, maybe the wordwould get out to the youth.WW: What are you reading right now?DR: Everything! I have five books on the go,each for a different mood. I have a pile of newspa-pers I accumulated last week that I still have to gothrough and a couple of magazines. I tend to havea lot “in process.”WW: Share a useful writing tip with us.DR: Don’t cancel out your own ideas. Neverstop because the story is getting stupid, or thecharacters aren’t flowing. If your hand is flowingacross the page, the big details are getting acrossand the rest can be fixed later.WW: A writing rule you would change?DR: Fragments. I don’t care what the stupid pa-perclip spell checker has to say, sometimesthoughts are best expressed without a verb or sub-ject.WW: Complete this phrase: “Writers shouldnever…”DR: ...doubt themselves. Who really cares if yousucceed or fail at getting something published?When you write you are using your gifts to ex-press yourself, and you should never be ashamedof that.

WCDR�s

Who�s W h oFeaturing�

Dylan RobertsonBy Nancy Del Col

January/February’s “Themed” Writing ChallengeNew Found Poetry:

A “found poem” is created from words or short phrases found in published pieces of writing.

Deadline: December 20, 2006 Send submissions to: wordweaver@wcdr.org

10 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 THE WORD WEAVER

WCDR member, Thomas Moss,was pleased to announce that hishumorous piece, “The choice wasObvious,” which journals his effortsto catch and dispatch a mouse thattook up residence in his kitchen, wasselected for publication on the “Facts& Arguments” page of the Globe andMail.

StoneCircle Theatre is producingan exciting new play, Once Upon aRocking Chair, penned by WCDR’svery own resident events co-ordina-tor, Jessica Outram, for their newplay development evenings.

Kevin Craig was thrilled to an-nounce that he’d won first place outof 120 entries in the Poetic Idol con-test at Artella Words & Arts. Hispoem, “Wild White – A Journey,” willbe published by Artella. This isKevin’s second time placing in Artel-la’s quarterly Poetic Idol contest. To

find out more about entering, visit:www.artellawordsandart.com/poet-ry-portal.html.

Still reeling from his Artella news,Kevin Craig announced the upcom-ing publication of a short story at TheDeepening(www.thedeepening.com), a glossyonline fiction magazine dedicated toshort stories and novels. Kevin’sstory, “Losing Martin,” will appear ina future issue of the magazine.

WCDR member and past-presi-dent Ruth E. Walker received wordthat three poems inspired by thepublished journal of her great-great-great-grandfather were accepted byChapman, Scotland’s quality literarymagazine. Bravo, Ruth!

Skyla Dawn Cameron was de-lighted/thrilled/bouncing up anddown announcing she’d signed acontract with Mundania Press for hersecond novel, a vampire thrillercalled Bloodlines, and is looking at alate 2007 release date.

J. Graham Ducker’s short story“Lakeside Departure” was selectedfor inclusion in the CAA TorontoBranch’s Short Fiction Anthology,Stumbling Through Darkness, to bepublished by Wingate Press. And, asif he’s not busy enough, Graham’sstory “The Shiny Pop Can” has beenselected for www.worldsgreatest-

novel.com’s shortlist!Merle Amodeo was pleased to

learn that her poem “To a MourningDove” was included in Ascent Aspi-rations third anthology, Aqua Terra.

Barbara Hunt was elated to havebeen selected to participate in As-cent Magazine’s third edition,Aguaterra with her poem “Tapestry.”

Devorah Garland was thrilled toannounce that, starting September23rd, 2006, the National Post wasrunning a series of community pro-files in Post Homes with her byline.

WCDR’s youngest member, DylanRobertson, is now writing a monthlycolumn aimed at helping parents tobetter relate to their teens forMetroland’s Durham Parent.

PaeansWCDR Writers are

on a roll!

CONGRATS!

RESOLVEto

minethosescum-

sucking

scammers.

Check it outin TheWord

Weaver’s2007NewYearissue

2006 Professional Development Workshops

Freefall Workshop

Barbara Turner-Vesselago, world-renowned writer and instructor will be conductingher Port Perry freefall workshop again this fall onWednesday nights (7 to 9:30 p.m.), November15th until December 20th.

A sustained introduction to the process offreefall: Six weeks of writing seminars. Every-thing you hand in will be read and returned withwritten comments; selected passages discussed(anonymously) in group sessions.

Location: 369 Rosa Street, Port Perry (1 hr fromToronto; ¾ hr from Newmarket)

Cost: $315 CDN tuition (minus $20 discount forWCDR members)

Register: www.freefallwriting.com

Novel Workshop: “Tackling The Long Haul”

On Saturday, November 25, 2006, from 11a.m. to 4 p.m., multiple Governor General’sAward nominee and poetry acquisitions editorwith Brick Books, Barry Dempster will be shar-ing from his vast experience as a novelist, shortstory writer and poet. In this workshop Demp-ster will tackle “the long haul”—dealing withthat great beast called the novel: How to sus-tain voice and ambition. How small detailscan lead to big results. Writing what youknow versus research and imagination. Howto make characters not only real, but unforget-table.

Location: 369 Rosa Street, Port Perry

Cost: $75 payable to The Writers’ Circle of

Durham Region either by cheque or PayPalRegister: 905-985-4409 or e-mailhipoint.manor@sympatico.ca

11 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 THE WORD WEAVER

Save your fork, there’s pie!

Okay, not exactly, but there is Caprese salad

pasta penne arrabbiata and

Grand Marnier truffle torte—which is most definately

not your mother’s apple pie!

Created right before your very eyesat WCDR’s first-ever

“EAT THEIR WORDS” cooking class and dinner event

hosted by perennial favourite chefCorrado Tomarchio

fromAl Dente Italian Restaurant,

January, 15, 2007, upstairs atThe Real Canadian Superstore

cooking school inWhitby, Ontario.

Tickets, $35 per person,available at WCDR’s

November/December ’06breakfast meetings

and online atwww.wcdr.org

via PayPal.

All proceeds to benefitenhancements toThe Word Weaver

The perfect present for that hard-to-buy-for

person on your holiday gift list!

The WCDR�sFirst AnnualChapbookFair RevisitedBy Sherry Hinman

Saturday, October 14th,marked the first everWCDR Chapbook Fair

and, judging by the feedbackwe received, it won’t be thelast!

The fair, which took place atthe Ajax Public Library, was aresounding success. Our pur-pose was to give writers an op-portunity to publish and selltheir work at minimal cost andwithout having to first sell apublisher on their work. Thereis nothing quite like being pre-sent for the entire process ofyour book, from writing toprinting to production to plac-ing the book directly into thehands of your reader, not tomention being asked to in-scribe it!

There was no entry fee forthe fair and both members andguests were welcome. We lostcount but at least 75 peopledropped by. As they walked in,visitors were greeted at theWCDR table by volunteersfrom the board and chapbookcommittee (Rose Cronin, Bar-bara Hunt, Annette McLeod,Rich Helms, Thelma David-son, Grace Colella and me).They received a door prizeticket and were invited tobrowse various WCDR itemsfor sale, including The WCDRChapbook Chapbook, withstep-by-step instructions onhow to make your own chap-book (a steal at $3!) and chap-book cloth bags illustratedwith our delightful mascot,“Chappy.”

Just inside the room was ourWCDR membership table,where Lana Cutrara and Jessi-ca Outram sold 50/50 tickets,and encouraged guests to signup to become a member ofWCDR and receive one of ournifty new WCDR membershippackages.

There were various tables setup around the room to allowvisitors to try out every stage

of chapbook creation. Produc-tion designer, Lauren Reid-Sachs, that morning’s WCDRbreakfast speaker, set up atable with a laptop and provid-ed free consultations on lay-out, production and design. Atthe artist’s table, GordonMcLeod (Annette’s dad!) drewcover art for a toonie. Morethan a few happy recipients ofhis artwork showed off theirfuture chapbook covers.

There was a craft table—whyshould kids have all the fun?—where you could decorate yourchapbook with sparkles, rib-bons, feathers and anythingelse that tickled your fancy.Several visitors also designedspecial bookmarks. Therewere long-armed staplers soyou could put together yourchapbook pages. There wereplenty of refreshments. AndBlue Heron Books also set upa table to sell books.

The display table had sam-ples of all the chapbooks forsale, with 36 different booksby WCDR members, witheverything from short fictionto poetry to how-to books onhow to market your writing orhow to live with a writer. Pur-chasers checked off theirchoices on a pick list andbrought it to the warehouse forpurchase.

Booksellers Judy Bagshaw,Glady Farquharson, JamesDewar, Kenza Warburton,Dorothea Helms, Elise Kub-sch, Barb Belliveau, SherryLoeffler, Ruth-Anne Mullan,Sue Reynolds, SuzanneRobinson, Dororthy Sjoholm,Tony Valuch and GrahamDucker volunteered at thesample table or warehouse andeverything sailed along asthough we’d been doing thisfor years! (Other booksellersvolunteered elsewhere at thefair: Skyla Dawn Cameron,Rose Cronin, Stella Ducker,Barbara Hunt, AnnetteMcLeod, Adele Simmons andI.)

Throughout the afternoon,Stuart Ross, our chapbookmentor, entertained us with hischapbook experiences, howand why he got started andwhere he thought we could go

next. In fact, it was Stuart’sWCDR breakfast talk aboutchapbooks a year or so ago,that inspired this fair.

This event was the outcomeof a discussion by last year’sboard about creating a funevent for the members. FormerWCDR president AnnetteMcLeod was inspired by theidea of a chapbook fair and sheled a team of volunteers over aseven-month planning periodthat culminated in this suc-cessful afternoon.

None of this would have hap-pened without the tremendousefforts of the Chapbook Faircommittee, led by Annette.She, along with Skyla DawnCameron, Rose Cronin, AdeleSimmons, Stella Ducker (and Ijoined in when I could), put inhours and hours of volunteertime and creative effort mak-ing sure all the details werecovered, lovingly creating theChapbook Chapbook, design-ing and distributing promo-tional materials, appearing ontelevision, putting togetherbudgets, purchasing supplies,food, badges, etc., arrangingspeakers and much more. Spe-cial thanks to those whohauled in their significant oth-ers: Annette’s dad Gordon andSkyla’s fiancé Justin, who ranthe warehouse all afternoon.

Thanks to all for months ofhard work. Goes to show:there is nothing a group of en-thusiastic, innovative andcommitted writers can’t do.Now. Stuart did say he alwaysdreamed of opening a chap-book bookstore...

Does anal retentive have a hyphen? Seen on a t-shirt

12 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 THE WORD WEAVER

2 0 0 6 / 2 0 0 7 W C D R B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s

The Word WeaverThe Word Weaver is published by the Writers’ Circle of Durham Region as a service to its membersand other interested parties. No one should act upon advice given without considering the facts ofspecific situations and/or consulting appropriate professional advisors. Publications are invited toquote from the Word Weaver upon obtaining written permission from the President, The Writers’ Cir-cle of Durham Region, Bayly Postal Outlet, Health Rite Pharmacy, P.O. Box 14558, 75 Bayly StreetWest, Ajax, ON L1S 7K7. Phone 905-686-0211. Web address: www.wcdr.orgWord Weaver subscription: $20/year (six issues)We reserve the right to edit or reject submissions at our discretion.

Editor/Desktop PublishingDeborah A. Rankine

Copy EditorSherry Hinman

We welcome your input!Send comments to

wordweaver@wcdr.orgor

The Word Weaver, c/o WCDRBayly Postal Outlet, Health Rite Pharmacy

P.O. Box 14558, 75 Bayly Street WestAjax, ON L1S 7K7

Sherry HinmanPresident

president@wcdr.org

Sue ReynoldsPublic Relations Co-ordinator

pr@wcdr.org

Barbara HuntVice-President/Speaker Liaison

vp@wcdr.orgspeaker@wcdr.org

Grace ColellaSecretary

secretary@wcdr.org

Thelma DavidsonTreasurer

treasurer@wcdr.org

Rich HelmsWeb Liaison

webmaster@wcdr.org

Lana CutraraMembership Co-ordinator

membership@wcdr.org

Janet BocconeBreakfast/Workshop Co-ordinatorbreakfast2006@wcdr.org

workshop@wcdr.org

Jessica OutramEvents Co-ordinator

events@wcdr.org

For complete board bios log on to www.wcdr.org.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

WCDR’s “Eat Their Words” cooking class and dinner fundraising event.See page 11 of this issue for complete details.

Feb 15, 2007 –The Dan Sullivan Memorial Poetry Contest2007 contest details:

Categories: CHILDREN (under age 12); YOUTH (under age 18); ADULTSOpen to: Writers from all countries (English poems only)

Prizes: ADULT - $300, 200, 100 - CHILDREN/YOUTH - $45, 35, 25Complete details online at www.wcdr.org and in the upcoming January/February 2007 issue of The Word Weaver.