The really important stuff

For easy reference, here's the sign-up list for bevs and snacks. Note that we still need a bev volunteer for March 15, please.

Jan. 25 snack Sarah

bev Renata

Feb. 1 snack Samantha

bev Denise

Feb. 8 snack Anna

bev Amanda

Feb. 22 snacks JoAnne

bevs Heidi

Mar. 1 snack Linda

bev Laura

Mar. 8 snack Steve A.

bev Catherine

Mar. 15 snack Aleta

bev ?

January 25 guest speaker

Our guest speaker for next week's class will be Diane Mapes, who will talk about voice, humor, and establishing a platform as a writer. Her specialties are modern lifestyle and especially the travails of single women; she wrote a book irresistibly titled How to Date in a Post-Dating World. Here's her website: http://www.howtodatebook.com/

Before Jan. 25 please read these two of Diane's pieces, which she'll talk about. It might be helpful to make prints to refer to, or bring your laptop.

Single Shot: Dogs are men

http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/331249_singles13.html

Holy water on dog food? Pet-sitters face odd requests

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38282753/ns/health-pet_health/

July 20, 2010

Author's strategy on "Shitdiggers"

Here's an interview Bill Roorbach gave on how he got the "worm men" to talk with him (or at least put up with him):

http://www.creativenonfiction.org/thejournal/articles/issue09/09roorbach_ai.htm#top

My story in NY Times

For those who are interested, here's my Sunday story in The New York Times. (It's not required reading!)

If you've read any of my other writing—architecture reviews for the P-I or Crosscut.com, or The Year of the Boat, you'll instantly see that the voice here is very different. In keeping with the tone of the Times, it's pretty formal. Okay, stiff. Not my natural or preferred voice, for sure. But freelance writers have to learn to shift among different voices without feeling constrained or oppressed, because different assignments require it. Think of it as dressing differently, depending on whether you're hiking in the Cascades or going to a business meeting.

My first piece for the Times, a year ago, was an essay instead of a news story, and they let me use something closer to my natural voice. But I used the phrase "...for damn sure..." which was just too much for them; the copy editor took it out. Such strong language!

If you read today's piece, note that I use an anecdote from one of the architects to get into the story. If you're writing about an issue or a trend like this, use a person (or people) as an avenue into the story. Readers identify with a person's experience or feelings much more closely than with the broad outline of a trend.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/business/16build.html?hp

StoryCorps questions

Samantha came across this list of interview questions and wanted to share it with the class. Many of them are good, provocative questions. But if you're interviewing someone who's reticent or vague, I suggest reshaping questions like "Do you have any regrets?" The answer will be no, which doesn't add much to your picture of the person. Instead, ask it more pointedly: "What's your greatest regret?" Your interviewee will be less likely to duck it.

http://storycorps.org/record-your-story/question-generator/list/

Seattle Times reports startling new development in physics

Actual sentence in the Seattle Times, in a story about Seahawks vendors selling 16-ounce and 20-ounce beers for the same price:

“The team says the smaller 16-ounce cups actually contained 20 ounces of beer.”

Snow problem?

I apologize for not checking on how the snow was accumulating Tuesday night. I was foolishly counting on the accuracy of the temperature forecast, which predicted temperatures would stay above the freezing point. That was wrong. I hope you all made it home safely. I spent the night in a motel in Seattle, as I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make it down/up the slopes to and from the Whidbey ferry.

If we have another snowy evening, we'll watch it more carefully and leave early if it seems prudent.