No Wasted Ink Newsletter & Ramblecast - October 2024
a newsletter and voiceover podcast by Poet Laureate Emerita Wendy Van Camp
Welcome to the monthly No Wasted Ink Newsletter. My name is Wendy Van Camp and I’m Poet Laureate Emerita for the City of Anaheim, California. This newsletter is not affiliated with the city. All views stated here are my own.
RAMBLE
Sometimes your plans go awry due to things out of your control. This was certainly my case this past September. At WorldCon in August, I took a wee slip down the stairs of a Scottish castle, landing head first on the stone courtyard. I managed to protect my head, but the blunt of the force was on my right knee and left hand.
I’ve been housebound and healing throughout the month. I have attended a scattering of online events, but if I worked at all, it was time spent writing essays for Indie Author Magazine and my newsletter. As a writer, it is important to look after your health and allow time for your mind and body to heal and rebalance. Not to mention, spending time with those you love.
I’m back on my feet this October and plan to resume my speaking engagements, but I also am more aware of my mobility and am trying to not tax myself. I’m mainly at my desk writing these days and hope to create and submit new poetry along with more essays during this down time.
yours in poetry,
Wendy
ESSAY
Finding Themes in Your Writing: What Do You Want to Say?
When I was putting together my first chapbook of poetry before I became a poet laureate, I had to face a challenge I hadn’t thought of before: finding a central theme in my poetry. I had dozens of poems published in many journals, but they felt scattered—each one exploring different emotions or moments, with no obvious connection. At first, I thought I could just group them by style or tone, but I quickly realized that wasn’t enough. I needed something deeper to tie them together, something that would give the collection a cohesive voice. That’s when I started reflecting on what truly mattered to me, the ideas and feelings that kept showing up in my writing. I looked back through my past work and noticed patterns I hadn’t noticed before. Then, I began to weave in recurring motifs to reinforce those themes. It was a process of discovery, but by the end, I had a chapbook which unified my ideas. In this essay, I want to share how you can use similar techniques to find themes in your writing.
Reflect on What Matters to You
Reflecting on what matters is one of the best ways to uncover the themes in your writing. Start by thinking about what issues or emotions move you. It could be love, loss, identity, or even science fiction!. Take a few minutes to journal or freewrite about these topics without worrying about structure. What ideas keep coming up? Are there experiences from your life that stick? Do you keep revisiting them in your thoughts? Chances are, the things you care deeply about will find their way into your stories and poems. It’s not always obvious, but by exploring these personal connections, you’ll start to see patterns in your words. The key is to trust your instincts. What’s meaningful to you is likely to resonate with others. Identify what matters most. You can shape your writing around these core themes, helping to make your work more authentic.
Analyze Your Past Work
Analyzing your past work can uncover recurring themes in your writing. Take time to go back through your stories, poems, or even unfinished drafts, and look for ideas or emotions that pop up again and again. Do certain topics keep resurfacing, like family relationships, identity struggles, or moments of transformation? Even if you didn’t plan for them to be there, these recurring elements often reveal themes you’re naturally drawn to. Make a list of what you notice. It might surprise you how much consistency you find. By identifying these patterns, you’ll gain a clearer sense of the bigger picture behind your work. This awareness allows you to develop those themes with intention. Plus, recognizing your personal themes can help you feel more connected to your work, making it more meaningful to both you and your readers.
Use Symbols and Motifs
Using symbols and motifs is a subtle way to reinforce the themes in your writing. Think of symbols as objects, images, or elements in your story that carry deeper meaning. Such as a tree representing growth or a recurring image of water symbolizing renewal. Motifs are slightly different, as they’re ideas that repeat throughout the work, like the constant mention of light and darkness to represent hope and despair. These elements help layer your theme without hitting readers over the head with it. The fun part is that symbols can be as obvious or as hidden as you want. They don’t always have to mean the same thing in every context. By weaving these into your narrative or poetry, you can amplify the themes in a way that feels organic.
When it comes to finding themes in your writing, it’s really about tapping into what resonates with you and letting that guide the work. Whether you’re reflecting on what matters most to you, analyzing past pieces, or playing with symbols and motifs, the key is to stay open to the patterns that emerge. Themes often reveal themselves as you explore your thoughts and experiences through writing. Once you’re aware of what themes are meaningful to you, it becomes easier to shape your work around them. Readers pick up on these layers, even if they don’t consciously recognize them, and it’s that deeper connection that makes writing powerful. So don’t be afraid to trust your instincts, explore recurring ideas, and let those themes develop over time—they’re what make your work uniquely yours.
SCIFAIKU
for sale on ebay lost in the listings a gem limited supply
This scifaiku is part of a series about a gemstone that make quantum computers possible. This is the first segment about how the scientists in need of the stone couldn’t find it with their regular suppliers, but did find it on ebay! The poem was published in Eccentric Orbits 4 and is by Wendy Van Camp.
UPCOMING APPEARANCES
Casketeria Reading
October 5th, 7:30pm
The Dragon & The Rose
Santa Ana, CA
Gothic and Speculative poets read ghoulish poetry at a new age bookstore. I am joining them as a reader.
EagleCon
October 16th
California State University at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Myself and my group of speculative poets will be reading and discussing speculative poetry for the university poetry and creative writing classes at this university based science fiction conference. Free for students and faculty.
Speculative Fiction Across Media Conference
October 17th – 19th
Courtyard Los Angeles Monterey Park
Los Angeles, CA
This is the debut of a new speculative literary conference with a focus on film and media. I am honored to be included as one of the speakers and panelists.
Presentation: Every Word Matters: Using Poetry Concepts To Enrich Your Prose
October 18th, 8am PDT
Panel: Biology and Women: Avatar, Dune, and Black Panther
October 18th, 10:30am PDT
SFWA Quarterly Poetry Open-Mic (Virtual)
October 26th, 11am PDT
https://events.sfwa.org/upcoming-events/
This is the debut of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association Quarterly Poetry Open-Mic. I will be its host and coordinator. Our featured reader will be award winning horror poet Sumiko Saulson. The reading is open to all SFWA members and participants of the Nebula Conference. Costumes are encouraged, but optional. The reading will be via Zoom. Go to the events page on the SFWA website and a link to the zoom will be provided.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Indie Author Magazine
October 2024 Issue
https://indieauthormagazine.com
Wendy Van Camp has two essays in this issue. Both are reviews of conventions she attended this summer. ReaderCon was in Quincy, Massachusetts. WorldCon was in Glasgow, Scotland.
Readercon 33: "An Intimate Escape from Typical Sci-Fi Conventions" – A look at this year's sci-fi convention that focused more on literature and writing craft than fanfare.
Worldcon 2024: "Immerses Attendees in Science, Scottish Culture, and a Celebration of Speculative Fiction" – Dive into a literary and cultural feast in Scotland.
IAM offers both a print version or an ebook/pdf version on their website.
Writing Coach Services Open!
I’m pleased to announce I have opened my consultation service at Indigoskye Press. I offer single hour coaching via google meet or in the lobby of my Second Life Store via avatar, your choice. I can help you navigate through the complex process of organizing a poetry chapbook, to either publish Indie or to prepare to entice a small press to pick up your book. I can explain how to Indie Publish your novel. I can also help on board potential science fiction authors and poets into the convention scene.
Please visit my shop via the link at the top of my portfolio website or go there direct: https://indigoskye.com
LINKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA
Portfolio - http://wendyvancamp.com
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/author/wendyvancamp
Medium - https://medium.com/@wvancamp
Indigoskye Press - https://indigoskye.com
X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/wvancamp
Instagram - https://instagram.com/nowastedink
Mastodon - https://me.dm/@wvancamp
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/indigoskye.bsky.social
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 - 5
Editor
Available for purchase: https://dimensionfold.com
Anaheim Poetry Review 2023
Volumes 1 - 2
Editor
Free to Read: https://anaheimpoetry.com
Eye To The Telescope: Quests #46 - Fall 2022
Guest Editor
Free to Read: https://eyetothetelescope.com/archives/046issue.html
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