No Wasted Ink Newsletter & Ramblecast - September 2023

a newsletter and voiceover podcast by Poet Laureate Wendy Van Camp

Welcome to the monthly No Wasted Ink Newsletter and Ramblecast My name is Wendy Van Camp and I’m the Poet Laureate for the City of Anaheim, California. This newsletter and ramblecast is not affiliated with the city and is my own personal newsletter. All views stated here are my own.

RAMBLE

Personal appearances are the heart blood of any poet. Learning to read your work in front of an audience is a skill which takes practice and developing a sense of confidence in your work. I have learned to read over countless years of performances, but I also took a workshop with Slam Poet Taylor Malik. His workshop gave me additional tips I find useful and I recommend his class.

I attended four appearances this past month. The largest was at a local Anaheim museum known as “The Muzeo”. I did an hour’s presentation and reading. I started off with my “Every Word Matters” paper which includes much of my personal journey as a poet and then read a section of my poems. The presentation went well and I enjoyed the chat with attendees afterward.

I had an autograph session after the event and engaged a local bookstore to host my signing. I used to never use booksellers in the past, preferring to handle my own sales, but I’m finding value in using a seller these days. Both at readings and when I speak at conventions and conferences. It means I don’t need to apply for seller permits, the state sale taxes are taken care of, and I’m free to engage with the audience without having to worry about a table. To me, it is worth the cut to the bookseller.

My other three appearances were more humble. As always, I sponsor the Anaheim Open-Mic at the Central library once a month. I do not organize the event, it is run by a pair of librarians. The open-mic is a mix of musicians, essayists, and poets. The readings start early since we need to finish by library close. This means we don’t get many of the “professional” poets in our area, but it is a group of community regulars and I feel we have a sense of family.

I also attended an open-mic at a local bookstore and one at a local coffeehouse. I enjoyed hearing the more well written poets of our area. There were no expectations at either event, no sales to have to worry about, no organization duties. It was quite pleasant for me to sit in the audience as a fellow poet along with the others.

I recommend attending open-mics if you are a poet. I realize standing up in front of a group of people and reading your words can be scary when you are new, but it is part of the process and the joy of this thing we call poetry. Join your local poetry community and be present.

yours in poetry,

Wendy

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ESSAY

Show, Don't Tell: How to Use Descriptive Writing to Bring Your Story to Life

As authors, we are the sorcerers who weave tales, the architects of imaginary worlds. Our mission is to transport readers to distant lands, to make them see and experience the story as if they were living it. But how do we accomplish this feat? How do we bring our stories to life in vivid technicolor?

Our starting point will be a sensory extravaganza. Descriptive writing is not just about painting a picture with words; it’s about creating a multisensory experience that engulfs readers in your fictional world. Transport them to a bustling marketplace, where the air is thick with the aroma of spices, vibrant colors assault their eyes, and the chatter of voices surrounds them as a symphony. By engaging their senses, you create a connection, making your story come alive in their imagination.

Let's discuss the potency of language. To unlock descriptive writing's full potential, being precise is the key. Don’t settle for generic terms; instead, choose words that evoke vivid imagery and capture the essence of what you’re describing. Don’t say “the forest is green”, conjure an image of a cathedral of towering emerald pillars, where sunlight filters through the canopy of leaves, dappling the ground with ethereal patterns. Using evocative language helps your story to come to life and become more engaging to the reader.

The timeless adage of "show, don't tell" is still valid. Instead of simply telling readers what something looks like, show it through actions and observations. Let your characters bring the descriptions to life. Show their emotions via body language, their expressions, and their reactions to the world around them. Rather than saying a character was sad, show the tear that trickles down their cheek, the slump of their shoulders, or the gaze that lingers on a distant horizon. By doing this, you create a more immersive experience, allowing readers to witness the story firsthand.

Descriptive writing is the gateway to a reader’s imagination. It is the brush that paints vivid landscapes, a symphony to fill their senses, a portal that transports the reader into your story. Through sensory detail, evocative language, and the art of showing, not telling, you can breathe life into your story, making it engaging and unforgettable.

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SCIFAIKU

This science fiction haiku poem first appeared in a magazine called “Far Horizons” in 2015. It is entitled “Synthetic Skin” and was one of the first scifaiku I ever published. It is about using bio-printing in healing, with a science fiction spin. Poem is by Wendy Van Camp.

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UPCOMING APPEARANCES

September 7th - Anaheim Open-Mic at Anaheim Central Library 5pm (reader)

September 9th - Reading with Casketeria at Frey’s Hermetic Supplies, Huntington Beach, CA 4pm

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PODCASTS

Con-Tinual: Fandom - Farscape
https://www.facebook.com/687769638/videos/220457827600509/

Con-Tinual: Fandom - Classic SciFi
https://www.facebook.com/james.nettles/videos/1502826123856829/

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LINKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA

Portfolio - http://wendyvancamp.com
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/author/wendyvancamp
Medium - https://medium.com/@wvancamp
Twitter - https://twitter.com/wvancamp
Instagram - https://instagram.com/nowastedink
Mastodon - https://me.dm/@wvancamp

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BOOKS

The Planets: a scifaiku poetry collection - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z8HMPF2

The Curate’s Brother: A Jane Austen Variation of Persuasion - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OU1V45A

ANTHOLOGIES

Eccentric Orbits: An Anthology of Science Fiction Poetry
Volumes 1 - 4
Editor
https://dimensionfold.com

Anaheim Poetry Review 2023
Editor
Free to Read: https://anaheimpoetry.com

Eye To The Telescope: Quests #46 - Fall 2022
Guest Editor
https://eyetothetelescope.com/archives/046issue.html

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