When I first dreamed of writing a novel, in those early days before I understood the enormity of the task, I attended a small writers’ conference. My first. It was an all-day event at a local university. The focus of workshops ran the spectrum from literary writing to genre, from non-fiction to poetry. Topics, too, varied broadly but I only remember one with any degree of detail.
Our speaker on editing was a freelance writer who mainly sold articles to a highly popular food magazine. 
After a brief introduction, she placed a transparency on the glass plate of the overhead and projected it on to the screen. The typewritten article, one she had sold for a nice sum, was about cooking trout.
We sat in a large, sunny room in seats too far from the blurry screen. Timidly, I sat in the last row, so far back that I couldn’t see the words. But I saw the format. It was the closest I’d been to a behind-the-scenes look at an article for publication and my blood raced.
The writer read a few lines aloud then talked about her opening. I can still hear her jittery voice. Obviously, she was more comfortable at her desk tapping typewriter keys than in front of fifty or so aspiring writers. Still, with a great deal of grit, she guided us through the article.
She wasn’t happy with her preliminary opening, she said. It didn’t have the strength, the power she wanted. She put up another transparency. I squinted. Dark lines slashed through many of the words of her original version. “Weak words,’ she said, and replaced them.
Over the next hour, she dissected the first then the second draft of her article, showing just how she edited, explaining every change made, and why.
Perhaps, with all that article dissection, I should have learned how to cook trout. Instead, I learned to cook words and to understand the meaning of edit.
A well-written story, fiction or non, isn’t just written. Words must often be hand-picked and their placement well-planned. The writer must carefully craft the story so that it leads the reader on a journey. The journey may lead to a place of happily ever after, or to a plate of succulent trout.
It was a strong realization for one aspiring writer. ∞
I smell sultry summer roses then, in a blink, I bask in the golden glory of autumn. I feel the heavy frost of winter approach. One season is scarcely born before nature grows pregnant with the next.
Droplets gather and fall. The acorns are plentiful this year, more than any other since we first planted the tree some 16 years ago. I don’t know if it’s because of the oak’s age, because it’s been a favorable summer, or if the acorn abundance is simply a harbinger of a tough winter ahead.
Thursday, 8 pm. The Kiss of Death/Mystery & Romantic Suspense Chapter held their annual DEATH BY CHOCOLATE Party & Awards Ceremony. Members were treated to tables of delicious chocolate and other desserts. The awards ceremony for the Daphne DuMaurier Awards ceremony followed, coordinated by 
the National Cathedral is stunning at sunset! We hope to visit it sometime before returning home.
The next three hours we learned about diplomats, foreign service, and counter-terroism. Director of the Foreign Press Center, Gordon Duguid, gave a great Overview of the Department Mission and Function. Michelle Bernier-Toth, Director of Overseas Citizen Services and Crisis Management presented a lively discussion about Overseas Citizen Servies. The Deputy Coordinator for Programs and Policy, Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, concluded with a terrific talk on U.S. Counterterroism Efforts. They all highlighted the morning with lively anecdotes while answering many of KOD’s authors’ questions.
We were met at the door and ushered in like honored guests. A team of at least twelve Postal Inspectors greeted us with agendas, personalized name tags, and cold drinks. An enthusiastic introduction was followed by a dynamic presentation by the Team Leader on the Anthrax Investigation. After catching our breath, our large group was broken up into groups of 12 or so and rotated through five breakout sessions on topics that included Mail Fraud, Mail Theft, and Child Exploitation, among others. I was awed not only by the Inspectors’ excitement in their jobs, but also the breadth of their knowledge. They seemed genuinely excited to share their passion with us. Lots of heroes in that group! 
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It’s changed some since I first looked. Hotter, more rain than originally called for. Bring your umbrella! Tuesday should be warm and pleasant – 87°F and mostly sunny. Tuesday is the all-day 
Our most recent trip was a long weekend in 2007, just after Cherry Blossom time. Along with a sensational day trip to 
the street from the Marriott-Wardman conference hotel. I expect a fair number of conference attendees will wander over there. I plan to. Other places on our list to visit this year are the 
I want my stories to be bound into books, to be read and enjoyed. I believe I have it in me to succeed. Yet, like an actor who fears the stage, just when I’m close I step away. Is it fear? Fear of the bogeymen that hide in the forest of publishing? Am I afraid of the doorway I must enter?
as agents and editors revealed market trends and what they, as publishing professionals, were looking for from authors. The workshop was part of the grand celebration of 
A special rose was given to WisRWA’s Golden Heart finalist 
I remember a well-tended lawn with shrubs in front, all neatly trimmed. An affordable residence for two young women on their own.
