Friday, May 24, 2013

Entry # 150 - "Feedback: Reading the Work of Other Writers"

Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - Pacific Ocean - April 2013

June 5^th I am off to the 2013 Gettysburg Review Writers Conference again this year and looking forward to another class with Lee K. Abbott. Yesterday I received a packet of ten stories (20-25 pages for most) from writers, whose work (including my own) we will read and perhaps, reread before the workshop discussions. I will take notes about the strengths, as well as areas that might benefit from revision. As I do so – I will appreciate the hard work that was required to produce each story. Writing is hard work, but I love it.

I take my workshop reading responsibilities seriously. I read each story carefully once; then I wait a day or two, to let my inner writer think and process the heart of a story. After the second reading I write a brief (three sentence) summary of the “aboutness” of the story. Finally, I make a list of strong elements in the work itself, focusing upon the story, not the specific writer, and list areas where I (as a reader) need more clarity.

I always appreciate workshops in which participants take their reading responsibilities as a sacred opportunity to help other writers. I’ve learned a lot by noticing what writers do well and what they’re still working to improve. I’m there to get additional insights. And to share my own experiences with others, while also noticing that each writer brings different strengths, experiences and needs to the discussion process. Ideally we will all leave with new ways to improve our writing.

These talented writers came to their own stories with some type of inner vision as to the heart of their stories. In the end, each writer must decide what advice from other writers seems to ring true and which advice would ruin their story. Knowing what advice works and what advice to ignore is part of the process.

Writers go to these conferences with a good story that has the potential to be great. We go in search of an elusive bit of “feedback” that will help us make it better.

Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - Pacific Storm - April 2013

In her wonderful book, Toxic Feedback: Helping Writers Survive and Thrive, writer Joni B. Cole defines - feedback – n. (writing): any response to a writer or his (her) work that helps him (her) write more, write better, and be happier.

She says, “Doesn’t that make you want to race out and get some?”

About Jan Bowman

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award and a recent story was a finalist in the 2013 Phoebe Fiction Contest; another was a 2012 finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction publications in Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers. Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or visit blog: http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Entry # 149 - "Making A Life While Writing About It"

In Nancy Willard’s The Left-Handed Story: Writing and the Writer’s Life, Willard says that writers have a calling to live “on the interface of two worlds,” the one that gives us dreams, stories, and imagined worlds, and the one that gives us family, friends, community responsibilities, along with jobs, bank accounts, taxes, other responsibilities. Writers struggle to find a balance and not everyone we know understands what a person is really saying about their life when they say, “I’m a writer.” Most people don’t know how much dedication; practice and reflection time is required.

Writers make time for all these competing demands of the writing life, because all of these parts of a writer’s life are essential. Perhaps writing is a bit like a referee trying to keep a tennis match on track; it's as if each player has decided to play with different rules about boundaries. And just like people committed to their work in other professions, writers must try to balance it all. Making time in the face of living a full and rich life requires us to find ways to make time for all of it. Or as a friend of mine says, "Don't forget to enjoy the cake."

Over the past few weeks I have limited my usual blog postings and set aside much of my writing time for my family. Several regular readers sent emails to inquire about the absence of postings on my blog. And, yes. That’s a good thing. But – not to worry! I have returned after a three-week vacation to CA and HI and enjoyed every minute of it. It was – in fact – a honeymoon before my wedding. I used the time to read, reflect and spend time with my partner of 33 years. And on Saturday, May 11, 2013, my partner and I were able to marry. It was a tender and beautiful wedding celebration that formally united, our families and dear friends, as well as our community where we have lived for more than thirty years.

I hesitated about whether to address this deeply personal aspect of my life in my writer's blog, but it is a part of who I am, and while this is not all that I am, living as I have, has formed me in many ways. I am fortunate to live in Maryland where voters supported the Marriage Equity Law that enabled this celebration of life with my dear Jeanne. And I appreciate the dedication and work of all the people who supported equity.

[Special Thanks to our dear neighbor, Christina Malone for these early photos - the professional photographers should have theirs ready in a couple of weeks. But we couldn't wait to share.]

I want to acknowledge this joyful moment that helps me value the positive effects of making time for loved ones, friends and community, in order to have a richer more balanced life. I am a better person and writer for having all these loving and supportive connections in my life. It seems to me that the truest writing comes from living fully, loving joyfully, and giving time for life’s immediate experiences. And while I write not only from what I know, I must also write beyond that place, while acknowledging the importance of finding a balance for a well-lived life.

Brief Bio

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Another story won the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, and her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, Pen/O’Henry Awards and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection.
Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or visit blog: http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Entry # 148 - "The Truth About Water"

Scotland - May 2012 - Jan Bowman Photo

Most people take the idea of having fresh water always available as a "given" in their lives. We turn on the tap and have an abundance of safe water. But my dear old friend, Dr. Mary Bowman-Kruhm has been working on a project to bring fresh water to a village in Kenya that she visited a few years ago. As a result, I have thought about how we take our clean water supply for granted. So I wrote a short creative nonfiction piece about it last year.

The Truth About Water

by Jan Bowman - October 2012

Drink up. Water is wealth. Water heals. Mends the cells and flushes toxins.

Scotland - May 2012 - Jan Bowman photo

Drink water from plastic bottles bound for recycling or landfills. Reclaimed water flows into sinks, bathtubs and showers. We stand over cleansing basins of recycled water, flushed with complex chemicals. We drink deeply. Wash vital organs clear of toxins with water taken from bottles and tidy faucets. Faucets quench thirst, but bottles travel better.

Drink water. We have so much. But do we think about it at all? Water holds it all together. The great Earth’s land masses press, just as we do, against oceans, rivers, tides. Think of areas in China, Kenya, India or the Sudan. Among the Earth’s poorest people, water is valued more than riches. Water is wealth. Whether woman or child, she who bends her back and kneels to touch the shallow stream or river with dry, cracked lips will live, unless the water brings disease, or toxins do their work. Or if no rains come, famine will.

Drink water. But how much? It depends. Where do you live? How old are you? How healthy or wealthy? How much is enough? Perhaps eight or nine cups are enough, unless you’re thirsty, or tired, or your urine’s darker than light yellow. Or unless it’s early in the morning, or you’ve just swallowed a handful of vitamins, or you’re terribly ill. Then you might need more or less.

Drink more water. Lose weight. Flush out those toxins destined for the rivers of reclaimed water flowing into glasses and tubs. Don’t worry that you’ve taken too much. Water your lawn. Wash your car. Flush and flush, because you can. Not everyone can. But you'll not think of that today. For that is our truth about water. We don't know what life is like without it.

Drink up. Water is wealth. Water heals. Mends the cells and flushes toxins. Or some say,"Drink wine. You’ll live longer." Of course, it takes water to make wine.

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My friend, Dr. Mary Bowman-Kruhm, has been working with this project to dig wells which will provide fresh water in Oltorotua, Kenya. I interviewed her on my blog site (Entry # 68) last year about her writing career and her work with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick, Maryland - in conjunction with the Rotary Clubs in Maryland and Kenya. Here are some links for more information and I have cut and pasted this recent posting from the website about the work they are doing. Go to my blog site - Entry # 68 - Posted last June 5, 2012, for my complete interview with Mary about her writing and her work on this project.

Consider the good that you might do with a small donation to this worthy project.

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The Maasai, the Mara, Musings, and a fresh water well for Oltorotua, Kenya

Dig This Well! is a site dedicated to the establishment of a fresh water well for Oltorotua, Kenya. A group of congregants from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick (Maryland), are working with Rotary Clubs in Maryland and Kenya to meet this goal.

To read Blog Posts Click Here: “Why Dig This Well” .

The Oltorotua Clean Water and Sanitation Project

Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick, MD and Rotary Clubs of Leonardtown, Fredericktowne, Lexington Park & Prince Frederick, MD USA

On the Kenyan plains

• Water is very difficult to find and not safe to drink.
• No sanitary way to dispose of human waste threatens the environment and the health of the people.
• Fetching water can be dangerous because of the presence of many large wild animals, including lions and other cats, elephants, and African buffalo.
• Because of the long distance, fetching water consumes much of the day for the women of Oltorotua, whose skills are now untapped.

Jackson Liaram

is a junior elder of Oltorotua village and a silver-level safari guide. He and his wife Susan have 2 children. But no electricity, no toilets … and Susan walks several miles a day for water. Jackson is dedicated to protecting his people and the environment. He wants to find a way to safely dispose of wastewater. He wants to help his people build a safe and reliable clean water supply. A hydrogeological survey shows water is under the village and the village elders have formed a water committee to build for sustainability and water equity and to address hygiene training. The Nakuru-Great Rift Valley Rotary Club is providing local oversight to assure all contributions are wisely used.

With your help we can make a difference by:

• Drilling 3 new boreholes—deep wells—adequate to supply the village’s needs.
• Helping the villagers construct 100 new sanitary latrines.

Safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life and other human rights.”

Declaration of the General Assembly, United Nations, 28 July 2010

Download Dig Well flyer

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Brief Bio

visit blog: http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Entry # 147 - "Websites for Writers"

Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - April 17, 2013

Check out the May/June 2013 – “Writer’s Digest for The 15^th Annual “101 Best Websites for Writers.” Tiffany Luckey, with Ophelia Thomas compiled the selections. Here are my personal top six favorites from the list. But depending upon your writing needs there are many to explore.

-- Jane Friedman’s website – janefriedman.com

Examines writing and publishing in the digital age.

-- Preditors & Editors – pred-ed.com

Looks at scams, fraud, & “slicky-icky” creeps preying on writers.

-- Writer Unboxed website – writerunboxed.com

Gives craft & business advice.

-- C.Hope Clark’s website –fundsforwriters.com

Gives information on writers markets that pay.

-- The Review Review – thereviewreview.com

Gives comprehensive guide to latest issues & needs of lots of publications.

-- Jeff Goins, Writer -- goinswriter.com

Gives positive inspiration to writers on craft & living as a writer.

For details on these and other sites useful to writers go to the Writer’s Digest website found at WritersDigest.com

This is a reading week for me, as well as a week for exploration, while I refresh my experience banks for future writing projects. I am on vacation from my regular writing projects. And it is sunny and lovely here in Hawaii.

Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - April 17, 2013

Brief Bio

visit blog: http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com

Friday, April 12, 2013

Entry # 146 - "More Thoughts on ReReading Alice Munro's Selected Stories"

-->More Thoughts on Alice Munro’s Selected Stories

Munro says in this introduction and numerous essays that she doesn’t necessary start writing or reading a story from beginning to end. She says that she often starts anywhere and might read or write a story either backward or forward in an effort to see the full experience from different perspectives. And while this might sound odd to some readers and writers, I understand this search for perspective.

I had an “Aha” moment when I first read this, because I do that too. I’ve thought about it often and recently, I mentioned to a writer friend, that I don’t necessarily start a story and work chronologically, whether I’m reading it or writing it. I find the beginning, middle, and ending as the story unfolds in multiple readings and revisions. The center of a story burns like a white hot rock in my consciousness. I know that a story is there - just a bit out of direct sight, but I know that a story can be elusive, until I begin to put it on the page. I read that Flannery O'Connor said that she didn't know what she had to say until she saw it on the page.

One of My Favorites.

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Alice Ann Munro is a Canadian short-story writer, the winner of the 2009 Man Booker International Prize for her lifetime body of work, a three-time winner of Canada's Governor General's Award for fiction.

About Jan Bowman

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, and her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, Pen/O’Henry Awards and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. Another story was a recent finalist (April 2013) in the Annual Phoebe Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or

visit blog: http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Entry # 145 - "Alice Munro's Selected Stories"

In Alice Munro’s Introduction to her Selected Stories, published in 1997 by Vintage International, Munro says, “a story is not like a road to follow; it’s more like a house.” She says “you go inside stories and stay there for a while, wandering back and forth and settling where you like, discovering how the rooms, windows, and corridors relate to each other, how the world outside is altered by being viewed from these windows.” She goes on to say that readers and writers can return to the house or story and always find more than they saw last time.

And such is the case for this collection of selected stories compiled from previously published collections that included – Dance of the Happy Shades (1968), Something I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You (1974), The Beggar Maid (1977), The Moons of Jupiter (1977-1982), The Progress of Love (1985-1986), Friend of My Youth (1990), and Open Secrets (1994).

The stories from these earlier collections are even better upon rereading them. These are classic Munro stories and are among my favorites – for example: Walker Brothers Cowboy, Dance of the Happy Shades, Material, Royal Beatings, Miles City, Montana, and Vandals. All of these excellent stories are like an interesting house that leaves you with new impressions every time you visit it. Monro’s stories are complex, layered with the lightest touch, and as rich and satisfying as a novel. Perhaps if you’re looking for a good “reread” this collection is worth the time and a second or third look.

For me a great story gets better - like an interesting house - every time you visit it. A story deserves, even requires, multiple reading to obtain its richness. Some readers and writers - like me - tend to be interested not only in what happened but also - how it happened.

Munro says that a house (like a story) has a “sturdy sense of itself, of being built out of its own necessity, not just to shelter or beguile you. To deliver a story like that, one that is durable and freestanding, is what I’m always hoping for.” That seems to me to be a worthy goal whether you are a reader or writer, or one who must of necessity do both in order to live well.

About Jan Bowman

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. Another new story was a finalist (April 2013) in the Annual Phoebe Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction work pending publication in Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers. Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or

visit blog: http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com

Special Note: Some postings will occur only once per week during April 2013 due to Jan's busy schedule, family visits, two major reading & writing projects, and some travel plans. She may be out of Wi-Fi contact at intervals. And she might not deal with email at that time. "GASP!" She said.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Entry # 144 - "Cover Me! - Submission Letters"

Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - May 2012

Muriel Rukeyser is reported to have said something like, “A writer should never submit to anyone! So I don’t submit. I offer.”

So - what should be included in a good cover letter when you “offer” your work to a literary journal? Your cover letter is your introduction to a journal editor. Most editors say, "Keep your submission cover letter simple." Send a short single page letter consisting of no more than two-paragraphs. Tell them the title, word count, type of work (fiction or non-fiction or poetry), include your name and how to contact you. You can write a brief bio of a couple of sentences at the bottom of the letter that lists prior publications, if it’s relevant. But avoid telling about papers you wrote for college or grad school - and please don't tell them your personal life story. That's guaranteed to get your story or essay rejected rather than read. And don’t summarize what you’ve sent them. They’ll figure it out. It’s what they do! They read, and decide if your work is ready and suitable for their particular journal, and whether they have space for it.

When sending out work that seems ready for publication, it helps to remember that as a writer, you should read a range of literary journals. Think about how your work fits the genre, style, setting, narrative style, length, or theme of a particular journal.

Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - May 2012

Send your work to publications you enjoy reading. Many good publication samples can be found at your local library, book store or online. Subscribe to 2-4 of your favorites and develop a target list of 5-10 markets that you’ll send your work. Send your work out to those markets first to see if you are a good fit. Your goal is to have your work published in one or more of them in a set period of time of - perhaps one-to-two years.

In addition, various Writers’ Market Books provide lists of magazines that you never imagined existed. Check deadlines and guidelines. Editors will say that they’re looking for a reason to say no, because they get thousands of manuscripts each year. So be sure to follow guidelines. If they set a 5-page limit, don’t send 10 pages - they won’t read it. If you use font sizes of less than 12 - they won’t read it. So pay close attention to posted guidelines, as well as the “needs” and “advice” sections in these listings. Send your work to the appropriate editor and make sure they still work there. Colleges and universities have regular staff turnover.
Send a brief cover letter. Good luck!

Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - May 2012

About Jan Bowman

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction work pending publication in Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers. Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or

visit blog: http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com