I received my Bulletin late, since I was not a member earlier this year. I have now read through it and found some interesting points. I am going to copy my notes here, both so I will have them and so that you will know that the membership provides multiple benefits.

William Kenower’s Fearless Writing reviewed by Pat Miller had several quotes from the book I liked.

“Writing is a deep form of self-acceptance.”

“Readers only care what it feels like when something is happening.” (emphasis mine)

“[T]he Intenional Arc, why you told the story” is the most important arc.

“Art Tips” by Alison Davis Lyne

“you are what you look at… Some “visual calories” can be good for you artistically…”

When you find an image you really like, stop. Analyze. “WHY are you so in love with that image”?

“Changing Course” by Anne Sibley O’Brien

Quoting another artist “I made the mistake of describing the subject rather than responding to it.”

“Reinventing Our Classics” by Goldie Alexander (author of 90 books!)

“…our classic literature gives us the opportunity to understand, analyze and evaluate language different from our own. Classic texts reveal age old literary techniques, devices, and messages…. children of all ages should be made aware of the wealth of literature from long ago.”

“Go Ahead. Take It Personally” by Stephanie Shaw

“People, writing and illustrating are very personal. Rejection hurts.”

“Keep sending that work out. Write and illustrate. Network and workshop. Dance in and out of your comfort zone. Create to your heart’s content.”

Joelle Anthony in “Isn’t That a Coincidence?” says you should only use it once in a novel. It should be used to get your character into trouble rather than out of it. And don’t, ever, ever write a coincidence “so big it’s impossible to believe it could actually happen.”

“Verbs Make All the Difference in Nonfiction” by Anthony D. Fredericks

Good nf depends “on the verbs used to convey that information.”

“[Verbs] may be the most important grammatical element you can employ…”

“Adding -ing to verbs frequently diminishes their intent.”

“A focus on verbs… will passionately draw readers into your subject, inject a healthy dose of interest into your writing, and enhance readers’ overall comprehension of a topic.”

Elizabeth Dulemba’s “The Artist’s Conference Checklist”

“Bring lots of takeaways to hand out to new friends and contacts–cards, postcards, bookmarks, stickers, buttons, whatever!”

“Get it in Writing!” by Jacqui Lipton

“An ongoing commission clause is pretty standard for agents…”

“[M]ost agency and publishing contracts include what’s called a “merger” or “integration” clause, which says that all the agreed terms are in the written contract, so any promises made outside the contract (say, in an email or phone call) aren’t part of the agreement. These clauses are legally enforceable, so if something is important to you, it should be in the contract…”

Susan Salzman’s “What Today’s Parents Want from the Store”

Millenial parents want events.

“Authors and illustrators can think about the kinds of events that they can engineer–since retailers are hungry for those ideas.”