July 18, 2006

Ryan Masters "Fear and Loathing in Monterey County:
Spinning Chaos into Story"

Poet and Monterey County Weekly journalist, Ryan Masters, filled the house at our July meeting. His candid and frank description of his flaming entry into the business had the capacity crowd laughing and wincing at the same time. Watch for Laura Harris' recap of the evening in our August Scribbles and on this page.

At left, Ryan spends time before the program with members and guests during the dinner/social hour.

Our door prize pot was overflowing at our July meeting. At right are the lucky recipients: From left: CCW Members Ken Jones, Harold Grice, Megan Lee, Pat Hanson, and Stephen Bloch.

Ryan Masters – Technicolor Adventures of an Alternative Writer

by Laura Emerson

I truly believe we all saw something different in Ryan Masters when he spoke to the Central Coast Writers on July 18th.  He revealed, in conscious honesty, a history of identities and adventures that were at once exciting and scary and heart-rendering and funny and sad and courageous and tender.  

There is Ryan, the Santa Cruz native who loves the outdoors, especially surfing. 

Continued... Please read on... click here

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June 20, 2006

Cara Black Murder in Montmartre

Cara Black continued to enchant our members and guests on June 20 as she again shared her love of Paris and some very personal experiences that led to the creation of her latest, Murder in Montmartre.

As an example of the level of research Cara puts into her work, at right, at our June meeting she displays a target she perforated during a trip to a police practice range in Paris while gathering details that would translate to Aimée's bag of tricks. Isn't Aimée lucky to have such powerful preparation for her adventures.     At left, Cara with CCW Programs Chair, Walter Gourlay.

Our lucky Door Prize recipients on June 20th were, from the left: Member Dick Guthrie of Pebble Beach who took home a $50 gift certificate from The Works bookstore and coffee house in Pacific Grove and a bag-o-books on writing, member Stephen Bloch of Carmel Valley who will enjoy his new CWC tote, member Harry Freiermuth of Salinas who won the grand prize, two hours of personal editing and consultation, a $250 value, from Fine Wordworking, a professional editing and proofreading firm run by CCW member Mari Lynch Dehmler, and CCW Treasurer, Carol Brown Kauffmann, who will be pouring a fine 2001 Blackstone Merlot. Congratulations all.

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May 16, 2006

Carol McKibben - "Beyond Cannery Row"

Members and guests had a rare and candid glimpse into the cultural history of Monterey as our guest, Carol McKibben, shared her experience and insights gained through her study of the role played by Sicilian women in defining life here from the early 1900s. It was a charming evening and a fresh look at the place we call home.

Carol Lynn McKibben is a public historian and independent scholar in Monterey California. She taught history and international policy studies for twelve years at The Monterey Institute of International Studies and is currently the director of the Monterey Regional Oral History and Immigration Project. She recently completed a study of Sicilian immigration based in part on one hundred fifty oral narratives: Beyond Cannery Row: Sicilian Women, Immigration, and Community in Monterey, California, 1915-1999 (University of Illinois Press, January, 2005). In the course of her work on Sicilian migration, she conducted oral interviews with several members of the Hispanic and Portuguese communities and began the process of analysis of these two groups. She also began the process of studying the Korean community in a paper she wrote for the June 8-10 2001 Asia-Pacific Conference at the Monterey Institute of International Studies entitled “Transnational Networks and Korean Migration in Monterey, 1970-1991”. Her new project in progress, Pledge Allegiance/Dual Allegiance is a comparative analysis of immigrant communities on the Monterey Peninsula with a focus on citizenship and transnational identity, and also based on comprehensive oral histories.

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April 18, 2006

Rae Monet - "Writing a Sensuous Romance"

Rae Monet treated members and guests at our April 18th meeting to a rare and entertaining glimpse into the world of Sensuous Romance writing. Rae's comparisons of the various divisions within her genre gave us all a better appreciation of the craft and form involved in her writing. In sensuous romance, like any good fiction, the story is the key. Thank you, Rae, for sharing your passion with us.

The newest sub-genre of romance writing
by Laura Harris

For a very long time, readers associated erotic literature with pornography—the portrayal of maladaptive characters acting out their deviant behavior.  And only “underground” presses were accepting manuscripts.  Thanks in part to the immense popularity of “Sex and the City” erotic literature now enjoys a mainline following.  What was once NOT! NOT! NOT! is now very HOT! HOT! HOT!  Rae Monet, our speaker at the April 18th meeting, gave us a behind-the-scenes tour of what is now the newest sub-genre of romance writing.

Erotic literature is more like the naughty sister of romance novels.  Whereas, romance novels allude to what goes on between the couple through flowery prose and implied action, erotic/sensuous literature takes these encounters a few steps farther.  In comparing romance writing to sensuous writing, Rae explained that romance writing’s main focus is on the romantic aspect of the relationship, does not have to include sex, and must always have a happy ending.  Erotic/sensuous literature, on the other hand, does not require an established relationship, nor does it need a happy ending.  But, the sex has got to be great!

“Let’s face it,” Rae admitted, “sex sells.  And if you want to take a little side trip and have some money in your pocket, why not write a sensuous romance?”

But, to be successful, it is important to understand that the rules of fiction writing apply here as well.  Plot, setting, characterization, description, and dialogue are just as important.  The plot brings the couple together and facilitates the sexual tension that develops between them.  Arousal is gradually heightened through lots of foreplay, especially in a variety of settings where the couple find themselves enjoying each other’s pleasure.  Be sure these cozy niches are germane to the plot. 

While romance novel characters are typically more passive and demure, the adventuresome female characters in the gutsier sensuous novels are more assertive, more confident. “I love to write strong female characters, like Zena for example,” Rae offered. 

Sensuous descriptions that involve all the senses are key to the erotic action.  Rae read from one of her novels a very enticing description of the heroine’s reaction to a kiss that lasted for four full paragraphs, enabling us to fully grasp the impact of that kiss. 

Okay, so you’ve written that smoldering, sexy story and you’ve brought your characters to the dénouement of their foreplay.  How do you write that “final” scene? “Keep it light, playful and fun,” Rae advises.  “Fun sex enriches the story.”  Is this just a woman writer’s market?  “Absolutely not.” Rae responded.  “There are many men writing erotic literature who use a female pseudonym.”  Can you sex up a current novel?  “Yes,” she replied, “but it’s got to fit into the story; otherwise, it will look phony.”

In conclusion, Rae invited anyone wanting to take that little side trip and have some money in their pocket to join the Romance Writers of America, and start by first submitting your work to the small presses to gain a following.  See?  It’s just like fiction writing.

You can learn more about the fascinating work and world of Rae Monet, her writing and other resources by visiting her web site: www.raemonet.com.

Rae Monet writes sensual historical paranormal, contemporary and futuristic romance novels, for Liquid Silver Books. “I love to write strong female characters, lots of action, and hot romance.” Rae served in the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigation, where she was an advocate for abused and neglected children.  After leaving the military, she pursed and achieved a Master Degree in Business.  Rae joined the FBI after 9/11 and served for over two years as a Special Agent in the Violent Crimes Major Offenders squad and the Cyber squad.  Oh, and in case you’re still wondering about her credentials, Rae is also a licensed Private Investigator in the State of California!

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March 21, 2006

Fran Vardamis

Exploiting Experience: Truth, Tourism, and the Peripatetic Artist

Lies, Mistruths and Other Prevarications

by Laura Harris

Who among us has not been advised to write about we know?  Sure, the familiar provides a good stepping off point into the unknown if we just follow our omnipotent imaginations into the land of best-sellers. However, nobody has ever expressed that advice quite as “wickedly” as Fran Vardamis did at our March 21st meeting at the Bay Park Hotel.

Vardamis went so far as to encourage us to exploit, lie, take pictures, lie freely, eavesdrop, lie some more, and consider every person we know, every place we’ve been and every action—as material for our own fiction writing. Shocking!

According to Fran, no one has the right to complain that they don’t have anything to write about. Consider Jane Austen, she offered. Austen’s life was far from exciting, even by Victorian standards; yet she wrote five novels that have surpassed the test of time and a couple have made it to the big screen. What was Austen’s secret?

“Jane Austen,” Fran said, “was a good writer because she had an overactive imagination. She transformed everyone she knew into a character in her books.”

Not so different from Vardamis’s own writing style, really. When you read Russian Doll, pay particular attention to whose brutal murder Police Captain Yannis Lavonis investigates. Norwegian woman? Beautiful natural blond? Husband, albeit it an ex, who was an American Diplomat?

“My writing style is to gather information about everything I see, then twist the reality,” she said. Fran shared some of the real-life drama that surrounded her and her family while they lived in Greece and how she used those situations to shape the plots and characters in her first three novels Russian Doll, Ancestral Voices and Pity the Children.

While Greece—with its close proximity to the Middle East—provided numerous volatile  political situations for Fran to draw from in her fiction writing, she also discovered political intrigue where most of us considered the “sleepy” state of Vermont. “Lots of things happen in rural Vermont that tourists never know about,” she confided. And it is during what he thought would be a respite vacation to Vermont that Yannis is caught up in modern-day American problems of immigration and terrorism in Vardamis’s fourth book Vermont Sea Glass.

While there are not a lot of illegal aliens posing as Austrian ski instructors on the Peninsula, Fran claims that—like every other tourist area—the Central Coast is overflowing with material for many a high drama. “If you look around you, you will see that the Peninsula sells dreams, not reality.”

And the ways in which we absorb those dreams into our fiction is through telling lies! But not just any lies; base them on fact: judge every person you meet at as potential fiction character; judge every place you visit as a potential setting; judge everything that happens as a potential plot; eavesdrop on the way people talk; take photographs; and take notes.

But, while Vardamis said that telling lies leads to great fiction writing, it is absolutely forbidden when writing a memoir or non-fiction piece.

Assisting Fran that evening was her equally vivacious husband, Alex, who skillfully (and sometimes humorously) displayed the photographs which enhanced her talk. These examples were very helpful in illustrating the points she was making regarding setting and character. With her photographs to remind her, Fran was able to construct entire action scenes for Yannis.

Thank you, Fran and Alex, for providing us with an enlightening and entertaining evening. And if either of you ever recognizes yourself in any of our fiction writing, it is pure coincidence.

Fran Vardamis is the author of the Yannis Lavonis series of detective novels published by Silk Label Publishing Co., a subsidiary of Royal Fireworks Printing Co. of Unionville, NY. The novels, Russian Doll, Ancestral Voices, and Pity the Children are set in modern Greece and deal with contemporary politics as well as crime. The fourth novel in the series, Vermont Sea Glass, follows Yannis Lavonis to the United States. The novel looks at the America through the eyes of a Greek visitor. Its themes are immigration and terrorism.

At Right: Our lucky door prize winners in March were: From left: Jonathan Shoemaker (Bottle of wine), Frances Rossi (CWC Tote), and Alex Vardamis (dinner for two at the California Pizza Kitchen)

At Left: CCW member Jane Parks-McKay has the right attitude when it comes to our door prizes. Here she's answering Hospitality Chair, Anita Alan's call for contributions.

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February 21, 2006 - Joyce Krieg, Author of the Shauna J. Bogart Talk Radio mystery series including: Murder Off Mike, Slip Cue, and Riding Gain.

Taking the Mystery out of Writing Fiction

Stories of crime and detection have been around for 150 years and are more popular than ever before. Other types of fiction wax and wane on the bestseller lists, but mysteries never go out of style. What is it about mysteries that make them so compelling, so irresistible, and so enduring? And more to the point – what secrets can you learn from a mystery writer to help you be a better fiction writer? Pacific Grove mystery author Joyce Krieg will share her thoughts on why we never outgrow our enthusiasm for stories featuring crooks and cops, and will offer tips on how to use the principles of crime fiction to add zest to your stories. Whether you’re writing historicals, science fiction, romance, or even mainstream literary fiction, today’s reader expects a strong foundation of dramatic tension on every page. Let a successful local mystery author show you how.

Joyce Krieg is the author of the Shauna J. Bogart Talk Radio Mystery series from St. Martin’s Minotaur. The first book in the series, Murder Off Mike (2003) was the winner of the St. Martin’s Press “best first traditional mystery” contest and was nominated for an Agatha. Shauna J.’s crime-fighting adventures continue in Slip Cue (2004) and Riding Gain (2005). Joyce spent many years working in news/talk radio in Sacramento and uses that experience as background for her novels. Joyce lives in Pacific Grove, where she is working on the fourth book in the series.

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January 17, 2006 - James Dalessandro, Author of 1906

They Are Out There
by Laura Harris

James Dalessandro has been teaching Screenwriting at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco for 13 years.  He has also written several notable screenplays, including a “translation” of his novel 1906 into a Hollywood movie.  Asked at the January 17th meeting of the Central Coast Writers if, while writing the novel 1906, he envisioned each scene unfolding onto the big screen, James’s subtle and profound response was, “No, I don’t think about a screenplay.  I think about poetry.”

James’s expression of poetry began when he was 23—as a co-creator of the Santa Cruz Poetry Festival.  From 1973 to 1976, it was the largest literary event in the country.  Lawrence Ferlinghetti (co-founder of City Lights and San Francisco's first Poet Laureate) said that the festival "gave a rebirth to American poetry."  The youngest reader, James received tremendous ovations for his work.  “It was that moment,” he said, “that forged my career, my belief I could do this work.  I don't write poetry much anymore not in that form.  Learning the strength and power of language has influenced everything I have written since that time: fiction, non-fiction, and screenplays.  Poetry influences the way I talk and see the world.”

“I would like to think I use strong, poetic images in both my films and fiction.  Using the language to elevate and animate is still a strong part of my life.  I read poetry: re-reading Leaves of Grass right now and I spend time with my pals Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Michael McClure.  I also talk to a lot of young poets.”

On October 7, 2005—to a packed house at the War Memorial Auditorium in San Francisco, Howl Redux, was presented.  Created and emceed by James through his affiliation with Litquake (a San Francisco literary festival “with heart, guts and a taste for the wilder side of the literary world”), it was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the debut Allen Ginsberg’s epic Beat poem "Howl.”  As one of the author/celebrity pairings that evening James read from John Steinbeck’s works. 

“Look at what a great writer he was,” James said. “Look what he did with Cannery Row.  He saw the great stories in the daily lives of common people, the infinite in the infinitesimal.”  James admitted that being in Steinbeck country was like a religious experience and he hoped he could return. 

Like Steinbeck, James writes about anything that addresses and challenges the human condition, creating characters who understand his/her place in history (personal or otherwise), who have a political opinion, a view of the world and a devastating sense of humor, self-deprecating at the forefront. He likes to challenge his characters’ morals and ethics: confront them with decisions they thought would be easy if they ever faced them in real life.

James admitted that evening that there are about a thousand stories inside him—where they spin, marinate and grow before he gets to them.  His explanation of how he “stumbled” onto the plot for 1906 was fascinating, as was the story behind his nonfiction book, Citizen Jane.  “Do you have any idea,” he asked us, “how many wonderful stories are out there that have not been told?  Successful writers aren’t wanna-be’s, they’re gotta be’s.  They have to write—to tell the truth—with passion and haste.”

While James has written over twenty screenplays, he insisted that screenwriting is the most difficult form of writing.  Most writers have a better chance of writing a book that becomes a screenplay than selling a straight screenplay.   While 1906 began as a novel, it was set aside to write the screenplay when, at the suggestion of his manager, he submitted the six chapters he’d written and an outline to a Hollywood studio who bought the idea in 24-hours.

James insisted that all good screenwriters first create an outline—one paragraph per scene.  “You always know where you are,” he assured, “and where you're going.”  The outline for 1906 was 32 pages.

Many of the students in his screenwriting class have won awards for their scripts.  “The purpose of [the screenwriting] class,” James writes on his website, “is to help you apply professional standards and effort to your work.  If you can’t devote a few hours per week, outside of class, to your writing, then nothing I teach you will be of any help. This is not to say this class will take over your life. It merely says that if writing is less important than watching Frasier or surfing the Internet, you may not be right for this profession.”

When James mentioned that he’d like to come back to “Steinbeck country” and asked if we’d be interested in his teaching a screenwriting class, the audience response was unanimously positive.  A one-day workshop, “Writing for the Screen” is scheduled for August 26, 2006. 

The door prize, dinner for 2 and a one-night stay in a Post Ranch Inn tree house, went to Carol Kauffmann, shown at right being congratulated by CCW Hospitality Chair, Anita Alan. 

At left, CCW President, Ken Jones, James Dalessandro, and CCW Programs Chair, Walter Gourlay.

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