Adventures at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop

Tulips in front of the Kennedy Union Building of the University of Dayton 

M's second standup comedy routine at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop was a hit! He had only five minutes, which we had carefully timed during rehearsals. But then, on the same day as the gig, everyone's time was reduced to 4 1/2 minutes. And the organizer of EBWW said he would be firm in using a hook to make sure everyone stuck to the time limit. (The "hook" turned out to be a 30-second warning of progressively louder music drowning out the performer.) M realized that his last joke would be cut off, so he stopped after his second-last joke, ending gracefully and with a big laugh. What a pro!

Another performer at the standup was the fabulously funny Debby Garfinkle! Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to say hi to her. I had to remain in position to videotape M's performance and no one knew when they would be called on stage.

On Friday and Saturday we attended classes on attracting readers to your blog, making money by being funny, using humour in travel writing and more. M attended a standup comedy bootcamp.

We learned lots, laughed lots, and had a great time.

The G.M. buildings in Detroit dominate its skyline.

A walk by the river in Windsor, looking at the Ambassador Bridge.

Tulips along the river's edge, in Windsor

More tulips!

By popular request, more purple tulip pics, and one of the red tulips. :-)

Tulips

We decided to go for quality over quantity this year. ;-)

To-Do List for EBWW 2012

My husband, M, and I are getting ready for the 2012 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop in April.

Here's my To-Do List:

1. Help M sort through his original humour files to find the funniest jokes for his standup comedy gig.

2. Be his audience while he rehearses.

3. Time his routine. We don't know how long his routine will be this year, so that's a problem. We're assuming it's the same as in 2010, three minutes.

4. Learn how to use the video camera component of my Blackberry to record his comic genius.

5. Lose  20 pounds. Buy new clothes.

6. Think funny.

7. Breathe.

Leash Dance!

Today he turns 11, but he still believes he's a puppy!

Dance with your leash, Echo! Your birthday present will arrive next week.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ECHO!

Fun and Inspiring Links

Some interesting links found here and there in the blogosphere: Kelly Barson, author of the upcoming YA novel, 45 Pounds, is featured on the Friday The Thirteeners blog today. Kelly is also a member of my critique group, the Feathered Pens.

She reveals her most embarrassing moment! It's okay, Kelly, we won't tell anyone...


Next, a big congrats to Donna Gephart, whose MG novel, Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen, was released today!


The inspiring story of how Kathryn Stockett, author of the bestselling novel, The Help (which was made into an Academy-Award-nominated movie), was rejected by 60 agents. Her 61st query letter netted her an agent, and her agent sold her novel and the film rights soon after.


*****


A story that I read, probably in "Writer's Digest" years ago, or perhaps in King's memoir, On Writing, that still inspires me when I need a morale boost: Stephen King, after hundreds of rejections, sold his novel, Carrie, to Doubleday. He answered the phone call from the editor on his neighbour's phone because he was too poor to have his own phone line. After signing the contract, the editor wanted to know whether King had any other novels to show him. King replied, "What about those other 17 novels you rejected?"*
* a rough paraphrase of what I remember reading.



Finally, a story about Margaret Atwood, which I may have read in The Red Shoes: Margaret Atwood Starting Out, a biography about her, or perhaps it was in "Writer's Digest." Atwood decided to self-publish her first book of poetry, The Circle Game, which went on to win The Governor General's Award. Later she received a phone call from Jack McClelland of McClelland & Stewart, at that time Canada's largest book publisher. He asked her whether she had written any novels for his consideration. She said something like, "What about that novel I sent you two years ago that never received a reply?"* *again, a paraphrase McClelland dug her manuscript of The Edible Woman out of the slush pile on the floor, read it, and published it, to much acclaim. It became a best seller and was the start of her astonishing career as a literary novelist.


Have a good day and happy writing!

Mercury Lament

Mercury Lament
by Barbara Etlin

When Mercury's in retrograde
it always foils me. It will raid
creativity and cause cascade
of brain. And all the plans I've made
to write will go askew. I wade

through computer repairs,
Blue Screen of Death.

My fancy new mouse doesn't roar
and I don't know what good it's for
(It sure won't move the cursor.)
I feel as though I'm slogging through
a prehistoric swamp of gore.
(I notice that my rhymes become
progressively worser.)

Though Skype is free I'd gladly trade
for working speakers that don't fade
when Mercury's in retrograde.

Copyright Barbara Etlin 2012, all rights reserved