Author Interview: Sylvia Ney

Sylvia Ney resides in southeast Texas. She is a published author who sometimes ghost writes for others. Her poetry, short stories, essays, articles and photography can be found in journals, anthologies, newspapers, and online. She keeps a regular blog: Writing in Wonderland. Sylvia taught both elementary and high school students over the last twelve years. She is currently a stay-at-home mom to two preschoolers and editor of GATOR TALK newsletter.

1) What are you reading now? I’m always reading several books at a time. Right Now - How to be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of your Life by Pat Williams with Jim Denney, Stephen King’s On Writing (again), Writer’s Digest: February issue, and Shadow Music by Julie Garwood.

2) Classic you’ve been meaning to read? War and Peace - I might cheat and watch the Audrey Hepburn movie version to get motivated.

3) The last book you finished in a single sitting? The Napping House by Audrey Wood – my daughters love this book.

4) Book you borrowed and never returned? Only heathens would do such a thing! ;-)

5) Favorite book from childhood? The Fire Cat by Esther Holden Averill and then the Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene.

6) Best thing you’ve read online recently? There are a number of blogs and sites I visit continually, but one of my favorites is Author, Jody Hedlund. She is a talented author who is never afraid to expose herself and share what she has learned. I’m always learning something and finding nuggets of inspiration on her blog.

7) What do you do when you have writer's block? Exercise, read a book, watch a good movie, listen to great music, travel – anything that gets me away from the work and relaxed. Then I can return with a fresh mind and renewed energy.

8) What is your writing process like? Certain hours that you find more productive, a routine, a set amount of time or a number of pages you make yourself write every day etc. I don’t have a set goal or defined process. I’m a stay-at-home mom to two preschoolers so I write when I have time or am inspired. When the children are in school, I hope to develop a more defined daily schedule.

9) When working on your current MS did you complete an outline first or did you just start writing? I never preplan. I always start out with an idea, scene or emotion and write until I can’t go anymore. When I run out of steam, I take a break and then write out an outline or sets of goals for the story and its characters.

10) Are there any tips you would like to share with new writers? Read and write every day. Read a variety of genres, read books on the craft, read blogs of other authors. There is a multitude of information and contradictory advice out there. Weed through and find what works for you. Our minds don’t work the same and we all have different interests and strengths. Be willing to learn and find your own process for success.

McNeese Leisure Learning for Writers

McNeese University is offering four leisure learning classes for writers. For more information or to register: here.



1) Journaling the Poetic Experience: A Beginner's Entry into Poetry Writing
    Instructor: Kevin Thomason
    Location: McNeese Library, Meeting Room A
    Date: Tues, Feb 28, Mar 6, 13, 20, 27
    Time: 6-7 pm
    Cost: $45/$49 after Feb 14

2) Memoir: Writing Your Life Story
    Instructor: J.D. Hibbits
    Location: McNeese Library, Meeting Room C
    Date: Thurs, Mar 8, 15, 22
    Time: 6:30-7:30 pm
    Cost: $39/$45 after Feb 23

3) Non-Fiction Boot Camp (Online)
    Instructor: Jessica Ferguson (info) This course covers the basics of nonfiction writing. You will learn by doing, discuss and research markets for your work and come away from this class with the fundamentals of being a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers.
   Location: Online
   Date: **Tuesdays** Feb 7, 14, 21, 28 and Mar 6, 13
   Time: 6 - 7 pm
   Cost: $69/$79 after Jan 24

4) The Short Story
    Instructor: J.D. Hibbits Do you enjoy reading and writing? Are you looking for something new and intellectually stimulating? This introductory course will examine short fiction through readings, class discussions, and creative writing exercises. You will learn some of the “tricks of the trade” to help you polish up a writing project or begin a new one. So bring your love of language and come prepared to experience a new approach to literature!
   Location: TBA
   Date: Thur, Jan 26, Feb 2, 9, 16, 23
   Time: 6:30-8 pm
   Cost: $59/$69 after Jan 17

Sidenote: This post was provided by Sylvia Ney.

Members Celebrate First Anniversary With Poetry Reading

January sixth was the first anniversary of the poetry reading at The Porch on Common St. BWG members celebrated with a repeat performance. Seven members read their poems this year.

Sherry Perkins started the evening with several striking poems from her collection. Beth Savoie read some delightfully funny short stories and Rebecca Stelly received many encores for her own work. Becky’s mother contributed an impressive poem Rebecca wrote as a child.

There was such a friendly and receptive group in attendance that one of the customers asked to read her poem as did one of the staff. 

The Porch hosts readings on the first friday of each month. February 3 will be a fiction reading. The time slots may all be full,  according to Erica McCreedy the coordinator from Arts & Humanities, but anyone can come listen. And you never know when a spot may become available. Readings will begin at approximately 7 pm.

Sherry Perkins, BWG President

Marcia Dutton

Beth Savoie

Rebecca Stelly

Luke Saucier

A special thank-you to Marcia Dutton for providing these pictures.

Did Someone Say Writing is Relaxing? by Marcia Dutton

It’s been another one of those nights when I awakened after only four hours sleep as countless thoughts began flitting around like moonbeams.  If I could only harness them into a web and gather them into one thought, possibly I would go back to sleep.  The easy solution would be to read until I get sleepy, but I would rather write, ridding myself of thoughts in that manner.

My step-grandson Jonathon visited us when he was the age of six. I was impressed with how much knowledge this kid had. Sometime later, when his mouth was running at top speed, an elder said “Johnathan, hush for awhile, you talk too much.”

 “But” he replied, “I am a smart boy and I have a lot to say.” Well, I have a lot to say also. Not that I am all that smart, but because, at an advanced age, I have traveled, seen a lot and experienced much.

 Mankind has always wanted to communicate with others what they desire to say, whether it be with smoke signals, drums, morse code or by word of mouth.  I am not good at verbally expressing myself, often not able to find the right word, substituting the wrong one, badly pronounced as well, and jerkily wandering off into tangents.  I find it easier to collect my thoughts in writing.  Thinking at a slower pace and using a dictionary or Google suits me much better. 

When asked recently by another woman,” what do you do with your time?” I replied “I write and sometimes paint.”  “Oh” she said, “You must find writing relaxing.”

Relaxing my foot!  Writing is hard work, especially when you have just recently been introduced to it. Trying to get the grammar, punctuation and spelling right is of the first order.  There is the research of that and the information one wishes to impart.  Organizing the prose, trying to make it flow, have rhythm, getting a first paragraph of strong impact and a satisfying ending to match, is only a small portion of of the writing skills I am trying to learn and execute. I presume this will always be a challenge. Good for the mind though.

Physically, there is the arthritis in one’s back and the requirement to keep the legs elevated which make sitting at the computer painful at times.  The eyesight starts to get blury too, but the passion to get it  on paper forces one to continue regardless.  If the outcome is what I wanted to share after many revisions, then it is all worth it.  Hopefully someone, somewhere, will read what I wrote and find it informative, enjoyable or at least worthwhile.  And I will have communicated. With this off my chest, I’m going back to bed.

Award-winning artist Marcia Dutton has published letters to the editor in the American Press and the only English newspaper in Saudi Arabia. She was a newsletter editor in Saudi Arabia and sent numerous letters home to family members about life in the various countries she lived in. Marcia is writing a book of memoirs about her days in the U.S. Navy and her many adventures abroad.

Blog Tour with Pamela Thibodeaux

BWG is excited to celebrate the release of The Visionary by Pam Thibodeaux.

Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”



You can keep up with Pam at her website, her blog and through the Bayou Writers’ Group.

 

ABOUT THE VISIONARY:

A visionary is someone who sees into the future Taylor Forrestier sees into the past but only as it pertains to her work. Hailed by her peers as “a visionary with an instinct for beauty and an eye for the unique” Taylor is undoubtedly a brilliant architect and gifted designer. But she and twin brother Trevor, share more than a successful business. The two share a childhood wrought with lies and deceit and the kind of abuse that’s disturbingly prevalent in today’s society.  Can the love of God and the awesome healing power of His grace and mercy free the twins from their past and open their hearts to the good plan and the future He has for their lives?  Find out in…The Visionary ~ Where the power of God's love heals the most wounded of souls.

EXCERPT:

            Pam took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. “I love you, Trevor. Why won’t you talk to me? Tell me what’s wrong.”

            “You have no idea what love is.” He hissed through teeth clenched as tightly as the fists by his side. “Most people have no inkling as to what true love is. True love is sticking together when your whole world is falling apart, trusting each other when you can’t depend on another living soul, and being willing to die or kill for each other.”

You can purchase The Visionary at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

For everyone out there who needs and extra shot of encouragement, here’s what Pam says when asked: When do you feel like it all began to come together for you as a writer—was there a particular moment?

Answer: After years as a closet writer, penning stories in 5-subject notebooks, I'd have to say when I purchased my first, USED word processor and started typing in all those handwritten manuscripts I really began to feel like a writer.


Congratulations, Pam! The Visionary is a keeper.

BWG Conference - 2011

Saturday, November 12, 2011, is a day I won't soon forget. It was one of our better writers' conferences, the annual Bridge to Publication sponsored by the Bayou Writers' Group, Inc. Really, I can't think of a Bridge to Publication conference I've attended that was bad. Plus, good food, schmoozing with other writers, and spending a whole day away from the computer screen. What more do you want?

Okay, actually, you want quite a bit more. You want speakers worth hearing and information that'll help you be a better writer, help you get published and understand things about writing and publishing you didn't get before. If you have a finished book, you want an agent or editor willing to hear about it. All this and more happened for me at Saturday's conference.

I've been to a few big conferences, including the Santa Fe Writers' Conference and the one at Sewanee, Tennessee. Big names at both, several days of seminars, readings, conferences, and writerly fellowship. Enjoyed myself no end. I'm willing to say I enjoyed this Bridge to Publication Conference as much as I enjoyed either of the big ones. Anita Mumm (the Nelson Literary Agency), D. B. Grady, and Mark Harris were three of the most interesting and generous speakers I've ever heard. They gave their all in their talks and took every question seriously, pausing to ponder sometimes and make sure every one got a thorough answer.

Mark Harris gave a disclaimer that he wasn't used to speaking at such events, and then went on to give a riveting talk about his take on writing in general and writing about pop culture in particular. When asked to define pop culture, he said it's the thing we all share, the movies and TV shows we've seen, books we've read, music we've loved, as opposed to the fine arts, like opera and ballet. When I told him he was a great speaker and should do it more often, he laughed and said, "Maybe not."

Anita Mumm put a human face on what often comes across as an anonymous and indifferent industry:  literary agency. She said how eager most agents are to see new work by new writers; at the same time, nearly one hundred percent of the work they're pitched is rejected. It's not personal and is in the writer's interest as well as the agency's. Agents aren't gatekeepers, Mumm emphasized. No one can sell your work if they don't have the contacts to pitch it to or if they don't like the work. We writers put down books we don't like all the time. We must allow agents to do the same, no matter how much someone else might admire it. An agent who rejects your work isn't pushing you away but moving you along to someone better suited to your needs.

D. B. Grady's disarming humility and charm didn't mask the keen, observing mind behind it. He's a conference-goer's hero. His first conference was a Bridge to Publication several years ago. He followed every bit of advice he heard and is now a published, prize-winning author and correspondent for The Atlantic. If we all followed his example, we'd be running the publishing industry. BWG is so proud of David, we're bursting.

I don't know what BWG will or can do to top the quality of 2011's conference, but I can't wait to find out.

Jan Rider Newman is a published, prize-winning writer of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction, currently writing a fantasy novel. She co-edits and publishes Swamp Lily Review, An Online Journal of Louisiana Literature & Arts (http://swamplily.com); contributes articles and book reviews to LitStack (http://litstack.com); edits the Gator Talk newsletter for the Bayou Writers' Group; and is the group's current webmaster.

More Than Just Writing by Sherry Perkins

 Although I love to write, it’s more than that.  I want to  share how a love of writing and reading continually enriches my life. 

 

My involvement with Bayou Writers’ Group has given me such mind-blowing experiences.  I’ve heard great insight from experts such as Bill Sherman, Brett Downer, and Linda Yezak to name a few.  Along with Jan, I helped judge a student poetry competition.  My husband even drove three hours to Biloxi, Mississippi, so I could speak to the Gulf Coast Writers’ Association.  Just last month as a volunteer at the Louisiana Book Festival, I added a few more experiences in my bag. 

I met Edwin Edwards and the writer of the prior governor’s story, Leo Honeycutt.  I met Mr. Edwards’ book publisher, former Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Brown.  I met ABC Political Analyst Cokie Roberts, and heard her speak. She is funny! I even introduced George Rodrigue, the famous blue dog painter.  Yet, as the day wore on the ultimate experience awaited me.

My mom and I perused the books inside the Barnes and Noble tent.  Since my maiden name is Taylor, when I saw Taylor on the cover of a book alongside a football player, I said to my mom, “Look, this guy played professional football.”  A well-dressed lady stood near.  She overheard my comment and said, “If you want to meet Jim Taylor, he’s right over there,” she pointed.  We jumped on the chance and followed her.  As his wife, she introduced us to the famed LSU football player and subsequent Green Bay Packers player.  Then, she did the wildest thing!

She took her husband’s right hand and removed the largest ring I have ever seen.  Grinning, she held it up and asked, “Would you like to hold a Super Bowl ring?”  My jaw hit the floor.  My eyes bulged out.  I didn’t know what to do except hold my hand out.  Then, she placed the ring in my hand!  Taking up a third of the palm of my hand was a 1966 Green Bay Packer’s Super Bowl ring.  She added, “It’s from the very first Super Bowl.”  Like two star-struck idiots, we had our pictures made with Mr. Jim Taylor, said our “thank yous” and grinned for the rest of the day.

You see, our love of reading and writing spans more than just physical writing or curling up with a good book.  Both my parents loved to read.  Like me, my mom reads vigorously.  My dad also loved to read.  Their love of reading passed to me.  It’s a gift I’m most thankful for.  But, my love spans more than reading and writing.  Being around others who share the same interest lifts my spirit.  I visited with Curt, Colleen, and Rodney at their respective booths, and bought a book from each. 

 My hope is you get to the place in your life where it’s more than just reading and writing.  It’s enjoying others and experiencing new things.  It’s living!

Sherry Perkins has been published in magazines and newspapers across the state of Louisiana. She loves speaking to people, organizing, being supportive of others, and working hard. Sherry is the 2011 President of Bayou Writers Group and conference coordinator for the November conference--A Bridge to Publication.