No Wasted Ink Newsletter & Ramblecast - March 2025
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 from the City of Anaheim, California. This newsletter is not affiliated with the city. All views stated here are my own.
RAMBLE
Returning to Washington State is always a bit like stepping into an old dream. The trees are impossibly tall, the air thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the mist curls around the mountains as if the landscape itself is exhaling. But this time, it wasn’t just a visit, I was there for a writing retreat. And not just any retreat: I had landed a last-minute spot at Rain Forest Writers Village in Lake Quinault.
I had never been to a writing retreat before. I’d spent years in NaNoWriMo write-ins, sprinting toward word count goals in coffee shops and libraries, but I wasn’t sure how a retreat would suit a poet. Would it be too structured? Would I get anything done? Would I feel like an outsider in a sea of novelists hammering away at their laptops?
Armed with my A5 notebook, a few story outlines (just in case inspiration struck), and my new Mahjong A1 fountain pen, I flew into SeaTac airport, rented a car, and made my way toward the Olympic Peninsula. The drive was smooth, mostly freeway, and the weather a rare gift of early spring, sun for nearly the entire week. Only on my last day did the rain return, as if the forest had waited patiently before showing me its true nature.
The retreat was held at a rustic but comfortable mountain lodge. My room had a certain well-worn charm, and the owner, a hands-on sort of man, spent afternoons tending the campground and sharing stories about the local wildlife. The Salmon House restaurant, our primary writing hub, was staffed by friendly people. Through the restaurant’s enormous windows, I had a clear view of Lake Quinault. The water’s glassy surface reflecting the shifting sky. It was the kind of view that made you want to write something profound.
The retreat was dominated by novelists. They clustered around tables, fingers flying across keyboards, as we all hunkered down in silence to write in the restaurant’s lounge. Meanwhile, I sat with my notebook, fountain pen in hand, scrawling sonnets and haiku. No one judged me for my archaic methods, but I could sense the unspoken curiosity. A poet? Here? In the land of high-speed drafting?
Despite being fresh off a grueling round of judging for the IBPA Book Awards, I found myself energized by the retreat’s rhythm. Mornings started early, with writing before breakfast, and most of my day was spent contemplating the right words to fill my pages until the afternoon lectures. These sessions, taught by returning writers who volunteered their expertise, covered a range of topics, from POV to RPG Writing, and Indie Author practices. The attendees were mainly a mix of seasoned professionals, along with a few eager newcomers, all of them in the science fiction and fantasy genre. The shared sense of purpose was invigorating.
When I needed a break from words, I pulled out my watercolors and sketching kit. Sitting in view of the lake, I tried to capture the way the mountains reflected across the ripples, the way the trees seemed to breathe. Painting in such a setting was a different kind of meditation, a way to exist in the moment without the pressure of crafting a perfect line. The retreat wasn’t just about writing; it was about creative renewal, stepping outside the daily grind to remember why we create in the first place.
Disconnecting was easier than expected. While I had enough signal to check email and send the occasional message to my husband, I kept my phone largely silent. Some years, I was told, the WiFi had been nearly nonexistent, but this time, it was stable and sufficient. Not that it mattered much to me. I wasn’t there to stream movies or play games. I was there to write.
I left the retreat with a notebook full of poetry. Not enough for a chapbook, but certainly enough to fill several submission slots I had been neglecting. More than that, I left with a sense of accomplishment, of having spent my time well. The retreat was worth every bit of effort and expense. It wasn’t just about productivity. It was about stepping away from the noise, sinking into the rhythm of nature, and rediscovering the joy of the written word.
Would I do it again? Without question. Next time, maybe I’ll even bring a laptop, though I doubt I’ll use it.
yours in poetry,
Wendy
ESSAY
Slowing Down to Speed Up
In a world that moves at lightning speed, where notifications, deadlines, and digital distractions pull us in every direction, the idea of slowing down might seem counterproductive. But in writing, especially creative work, slowing down can actually help you speed up. Writing by hand in a paper journal, with the steady flow of a fountain pen, forces a shift in mindset. It’s a deliberate act, one that engages the body as much as the mind, leading to deeper thinking and richer ideas.
The Power of the Physical Act of Writing
There’s something about the physical act of writing that changes the way we think. When you sit down with a fountain pen and a blank page, your mind slows to match the movement of your hand. Each letter takes shape with purpose, each word a decision made in real time. Unlike typing, which allows you to dump thoughts onto the screen as quickly as they come, handwriting forces you to process ideas more deliberately. You can’t rush ink.
For authors and poets, this slower pace can be a creative advantage. It gives your thoughts room to breathe, making it easier to find the right phrasing instead of settling for the first words that come to mind. The act of forming letters engages fine motor skills, activating different parts of the brain than typing does. Studies have shown that handwriting strengthens memory and improves idea retention. When you write a line of poetry or outline a scene in your journal, you’re not recording it. You’re absorbing it.
Disconnecting from Instant Distractions
When you write by hand, there are no blinking notifications or tempting tabs. Instead, you experience the steady movement of ink across the page. Without the convenience of a backspace or autocorrect, you’re forced to commit to your words as they come. This might be uncomfortable at first, but it’s a gift. Instead of second-guessing every sentence or polishing a line before it’s fully formed, you allow ideas to flow naturally. Writing by hand encourages creative momentum rather than perfectionism.
For poets, this means capturing raw emotion before over analyzing it. For fiction writers, it allows scenes to unfold without interruption. By stepping away from screens and embracing the steady rhythm of pen and paper, you create a space where ideas can fully develop without the noise of the digital world pulling you away.
Revisiting and Refining Ideas Over Time
A handwritten journal is more than a place to capture fleeting thoughts. It’s a creative archive. Unlike digital documents, where drafts disappear under endless revisions, a paper journal preserves every idea, no matter how rough. For writers and poets, this can be invaluable. A line of poetry you scribbled months ago, a half-formed character sketch, or a story idea that didn’t quite work at the time might spark something new when revisited later.
Handwriting slows you down, but it also leaves a visible trail of your creative process. Crossed-out words, margin notes, and ink smudges all tell a story of how your thoughts evolved. This record of revision can be inspiring, reminding you that no idea is lost.
There’s also a certain magic in returning to old words with fresh eyes. A passage which felt incomplete may reveal its missing piece, or a forgotten phrase might become the heart of a new poem. The act of flipping through pages, without the temptation to delete, allows for natural growth. In a world that prioritizes speed, a handwritten journal offers something far more valuable: the ability to reflect, refine, and rediscover ideas at the right time.
Writing by hand with a fountain pen isn’t only a nostalgic practice. It’s a tool for deeper creativity. The physical act of writing forces you to slow down, allowing ideas to take shape with more intention. Without the distractions of digital devices, your focus sharpens, and your words flow more freely, unfiltered by the constant pressure to edit as you go. And perhaps most importantly, a handwritten journal becomes a living record of your creative journey. Unlike a blinking cursor that erases missteps, ink preserves them, offering a chance to revisit and refine ideas over time.
For authors and poets, this process is invaluable. Slowing down to write by hand doesn’t hinder creativity, it strengthens it. The deliberate pace encourages clarity, the absence of distractions nurtures genuine expression, and the permanence of ink allows for growth and discovery. Each page becomes a space where half-formed thoughts can mature, where raw emotion can be captured before self-doubt intervenes, and where past ideas can spark future inspiration.
In an age that prioritizes speed, embracing the slow, intentional nature of fountain pen journaling can be a quiet rebellion. The way to reclaim creative focus and let your words unfold at their own perfect pace.
SCIFAIKU
science holy grail to make sentient AI but who profits first?
This scifaiku is part of a series about a gemstone that make quantum computers possible. This is the last segment about the unique properties of this single source stone. The poem was published in Eccentric Orbits 4.
UPCOMING APPEARANCES
Scifaiku: A Speculative Poetry Workshop
March 22nd at 2pm
Point Loma Library
San Diego, CA
Scifaiku is science fiction themed haiku poetry. The form follows similar rules to creating English language haiku, but with a speculative twist. In this workshop, Anaheim Poet Laureate Emerita Wendy Van Camp will explain the essential parts needed to compose and structure this specialized poetry form during this free poetry workshop session. Brainstorm your way to creating your own speculative poetry.
The Writer’s Workout Conference (Virtual)
Thursday, March 20th at 3pm EST
www.writersworkout.net
register to view featured speakers
Every Word Matters: using poetry techniques to enhance your prose
Poet Laureate Emerita Wendy Van Camp explores the use of poetry writing concepts to enhance science fiction novel writing. She emphasizes the importance of language in effective storytelling and her own personal journey as a poet, plus six poetry concepts that can help writers infuse their prose with deeper meaning, voice, tone, rhythm and meter, sound devices and word choice. While the talk is themed to science fiction, these tips can apply to any form of prose writing.
SFWA Quarterly Poetry Open-Mic (Virtual)
Host: Wendy Van Camp
Featured Poet: Sultana Raza
March 29th at 11am
https://events.sfwa.org/upcoming-events/
Members and Nebula attendees, please join us for the Open Mic Speculative Poetry series sponsored by the SFWA Poetry Committee. To join, go to the events page on the SFWA website and click on the link there. You will be linked to our zoom room to join the open mic, hear our featured speakers, and then stay for social networking with your fellow poets afterward.
Of Indian origin, Sultana Raza’s poems/fiction/CNF have appeared in numerous journals. SFF work in: Abyss & Apex, Columbia Journal, Star*line, Silver Blade, Penumbric, Bewildering Stories, Focus & Vector (British Science Fiction Association), Blaze Vox, Antipodean SF. Anthologies: Musing on Muses (Birgid Gate’s Press), Nephilim (Iron Faerie) Her short story, Veiled Stratagems will be published in the Achilles Anthology by Flame Tree Publishing in 2025. Her fiction received an Honorable Mention in Glimmer Train Review. CNF in Literary Ladies Guide, Literary Yard, Litro, Dream Pop Journal etc. She has read her fiction/poems in Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, England, Ireland, and the USA. An independent scholar, she’s presented papers on Romanticism (Keats) and Fantasy (Tolkien) in international conferences.
PUBLICATIONS
Rhysling Short Form Poetry Nomination
for “Dragonette”
Published in “Eccentric Orbits 5”
San Diego Poetry Annual
March 2025
https://sandiegopoetryannual.com/
Wendy Van Camp is published in the 2025 annual.
a haiku poem: [moonlight and notebook]
SFWA Presents: Get to Know…Our New Comics and Poetry Nebula Awards
by the SFWA Publications Crew in conversation with Jessica Maison,
Holly Lyn Walrath, and Wendy Van Camp
I’m honored to be included in this article about the creation of the new Nebula Awards for Poetry and Comic Books at the SFWA.
The SFWA Blog: https://www.sfwa.org/2025/02/18/sfwa-presents-get-to-knowthe-road-to-sfwas-new-comics-and-poetry-nebula-awards/
PODCASTS
ConTinual Fandom
Bridgerton Seasons 2 & 3
https://www.facebook.com/nancy.northcott.1/videos/587680714048577?idorvanity=563373290941914
Shonda Rhimes's adaptation of Bridgerton captured Regency romance fans across the world. Join host Nancy Norcott, Jeanne Adams, Ariel Dawn, Barbara V. Evers, and Wendy Van Camp as we revisit seasons 2 and 3 of the Netflix series.
Writing Coach Services
with Poet Laureate Emerita Wendy Van Camp
I’m pleased to announce I have opened my consultation service at Indigoskye Press. I offer single hour coaching via Skype. 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. If you need help with a long project, let me be your guide.
You can also order a block of three sessions at a discount.
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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