The General Problogue

Thus begins the blog of published writers' tales
Penned by some who do for free and some who do for sales.

Herein, you'll read their 31 tales, oh so true
And, think of how nice your writing journey shall be for you.

Enjoy the lessons, enjoy the passions, enjoy the variety.
Then, go forth along your pilgrimage, writing your own poetry,
Writing tales and emails and songs and blogs and plays.
Writing text notes to friends but also those dreaded English essays.

The sky is the limit for young writers true.
So, work hard, learn well, and practice too.

Keep all of your writing and return to it some day
Cuz, you never know what a part it can play
When you have a thought you need to say
And, there it'll be, just waiting to be used today.

Now, by this time, you must all be thinking
Ms. Love's poetry skills---they sure are stinking,
but it's the thought that counts in this General Problogue.
She's bad, she knows---but you're cog
in the future of phenomenal writing

and

she wants you to be the ONE all readers are citing.

So, read the wisdom these seasoned folks have to say,

and

Then, happily continue on your own publishing way!

Special Note: I'm opening this blog, as promised on this Monday morning, Nov. 12,2007, but it's still a work in progress, with a few more minor items to finish. I arrived home last night from the Young Authors' conference in St. Anthony, and I arrived home to a houseful of Border Collie puppies along with my own kids.

Needless to say, puppies have dominated life here at the Lovestead in Sandpoint. So, I'll get those items finished today or tomorrow. For now, enjoy what published authors have to say, and feel free to leave comments for any individuals on this list. Check back to see if they respond. I'll be letting all contributors know the blog address today, so they'll probably be reviewing it themselves in the next few days.

Again, check October and November archives to read information from all contributors. Thank you, young authors, your teachers and your parents, for two wonderful conferences in Moscow and St. Anthony. I had a delightful time at both; thank you for your gracious hospitality, hard work and contagious enthusiasm. Marianne

James W. Ramsey, author, longtime journalist

Name: James W. Ramsey

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: I think reading Mark Twain as a young person – Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer – was the first bait.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: Entered the county poetry contest in junior high and won first place for a poem about a ski jump competition.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? English in high school and a great literature teacher who loved Edgar Allan Poe. Later in college, a journalism professor who was a NY Times foreign correspondent.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? The editor/publisher of our local weekly newspaper (in Iowa) who came to speak at our career day in high school. He introduced the idea of a career in journalism. Later, an editor who worked with me for United Press International in Denver who taught me to write concisely.


Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: My first book recently published – for aviation followers and others. Having a news story appear on the front page of the New York Times, written when I was with UPI (United Press International) in Denver. I was assigned by the local bureau to cover the disappearance/murder of the heir to the Coors Brewery fortune who vanished on his way to work. Time, Newsweek and other major media had sent correspondents to cover the story. Because I knew some local police, I got a tip the other reporters didn't have. So the Times ran it with my byline on the front page. Coors was later found dead, and his murderer/attempted kidnapper was found across the border in Canada.

Your publications or venues for writing: The Buried Dot, my first book. Also, I continue to write articles for a monthly worldwide aviation magazine – Avionics.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: Consider journalism as a career – it pays your bills while you learn to write accurately and concisely. (Hemingway is a good example of a journalist who became a great writer).

Larry Gilstad, Visual Information Specialist, Miami VA Healthcare System

Name: Larry Gilstad ~~ (www.gilstadmedia.com)

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: I’ve never considered myself a writer in the literal sense (pun intended) since I’ve spent the bulk of my career in video production. I considered writing the scripts and narratives part of the creative process. Writing for print was and remains an agonizing process for me. There was no ‘eureka’ moment. However, when I was a junior in high school a speech class requirement was participation in a district declamation tournament. The teacher, Florine Dooley, suggested I compete in ‘Radio Announcing’. I won. Then I won the regional. Instant gratification, and my career plans changed.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: The high school newspaper, the Cedar Post in the fall of 1966 printed my two-inch story on the muddy student parking lot (I think) after the paper’s adviser, Mr. Hamilton, had drowned my copy in red-ink corrections. My first ‘commercial’ publication was for the Sandpoint Daily Bee. That three-inch story paid $4.50

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing?

1. Writing. Even though it was painful, the more I wrote the easier it became.
2. Reading. I started reading science fiction in first grade (Robert Heinlein’s Have Spacesuit Will Travel). It opened my mind to the concept that anything’s possible.
3. Required Courses. I took a course in communications law that confirmed I didn’t want to be a lawyer. A history of architecture course taught me to look at buildings in a new and delightful way. And, a dreaded graduate course in modern poetry that I actually enjoyed.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? Mr. Hamilton. He taught me how to write a decent lead sentence that, in broadcast journalism, is just about all the time you get to tell a story. Florine Dooley assumed I would do my best, so naturally I tried

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: ‘Unwed Mothers’ for Idaho Times, a weekly magazine-format program on KUID in 1980. It was a feature segment about the problems facing Sandpoint High School students with children of their own.

‘Common Ground’ for The Sunshine Network (Florida), a 1-hour documentary that followed a group of people learning how to become community activists through mentoring, an ‘Outward Bound’ experience (long before “Survivor”) and other fun challenges involving ‘ropes courses’ and more mosquitoes.

Your publications or venues for writing: When I was working for the University of Miami, a few of my video news releases made it to the networks along with regionally and nationally televised football ‘halftime spots’ between 1983 and 1999. The Hurricanes were winning bowl games and national championships on a regular basis back then. It was always a thrill to see my work and hear my voice on national TV.

I’ve written, produced, and directed freelance projects ranging from fundraising videos for a new medical school in Samoa to a ‘comeback’ video for Gabe Kaplan, to local commercials for car insurance and dental services.

I’m currently a visual information specialist at the Miami VA Healthcare System, a job I got as a result of a freelanced video my wife and I produced for them. It won a ‘Best in Florida’ film festival award, which probably helped. Most of my writing now involves video news stories for the Veterans’ Administration (VA) Knowledge Network, information and training videos, and award submission/acceptance segments. The hospital was just named the “Best in VA.”

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school:

Learn the basics. You’d be surprised at the number of people who have a problem with simple sentence structure and grammar. If you don’t have the tools, you can’t build the house.

Know your audience. Write to and for them.

Define the goal of your writing. I’ve had more than one client ask me to write a ‘fund raising, promotional feel-good’ multi-purpose piece. Sure, it can be done. But is it effective?

Keith Lee Morris, award-winning literary writer and novelist

Name: Keith Lee Morris

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: It didn’t come until pretty late. Most writers I know say they knew they wanted to write when they were 13, 14, whatever. I didn’t really start reading literature seriously until I was around 19 or 20, and I think I was 21 when it started to dawn on me that I wanted to give fiction writing a try. It wasn’t a revelation or burst of inspiration or anything like that—just a slowly growing recognition that I wanted to try to contribute something myself to an art form that was in the process of changing my life and my thinking.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: Earliest writing experience—when I was in grade school, I wrote a fascinating play about the Civil War in which Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Ulysses S. Grant shot and killed one another in a church. The play was an astounding treatise on the horrors of war—it consisted of 4 entire hand-written pages. A masterpiece that should have achieved its aim—world peace—but somehow, tragically, didn’t. Publishing experience—my first published short story was a hefty two pages in length. I wrote it as a poem then decided it was a story—which meant I took out the line breaks. I had sent a much longer story to a magazine called Quarterly West, and they lost it--near as I can figure at some wild, drunken editing party (seriously). By way of an apology, they asked me to send the story again and told me to feel free to include something else for them to look at if I wanted—usually magazines will only consider one story at a time from a particular author. They didn’t like the story I’d sent originally, but chose to publish the shorter piece I submitted with it. So my first publication was a short story that I wrote in one sitting and thought was a poem and submitted to a magazine as the result of an accident. I was deceived into thinking it would always be that easy.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? That would have to be Marianne Love’s sophomore English class. But there were other helpful parts, too, and I suppose I should mention at least one, the MFA program at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. I was involved with a great group of people there, and I had as much time to write as I wanted—that doesn’t happen once you get out in the real world.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? Honestly I would have to say that writers like William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Cormac McCarthy, Willa Cather, Fyodor Dostoevsky, JD Salinger, TS Eliot—the list goes on and on—influenced my work more than any writers I actually know. But I do think that friends of mine who write fiction also influence me—we trade manuscripts back and forth and edit each other’s work, and that’s always very helpful. I would also have to say that my old friends back in Idaho, the ones who’ve stuck with me through thick and thin over the course of 20 or 30 years, have influenced me greatly. And I’ve had wonderful support from my family.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: Well, my first novel, The Greyhound God, might not be the best thing I’ve written, but it’s the one I’m most emotionally attached to. The main character, Luke Rivers, seems like a real person to me, someone I can go back and encounter from time to time.

Your publications or venues for writing: I’ve published in literary journals large and small, and my books have been with university presses, or, in the case of my new novel, The Dart League King, with a smaller commercial press, Tin House Books.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: Never quit. I’ve seen a lot of good writers fall by the wayside simply because they weren’t persistent enough. Develop a thick skin—don’t let rejections get you down, because there are bound to be a lot of them unless you’re extraordinarily lucky. Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Of the two, I’d say reading is probably more important in the early stages. Write things you care about—your writing is the statement you’re making to the world, and if you don’t believe in what you’re doing, you’re just wasting your time. Listen carefully to good editors and good readers, but never abandon your own vision for someone else’s. Always try to do something new, something you haven’t seen someone else do.

Connie Lloyd -- blogger

Name: Connie Lloyd

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: I have always expressed myself best through the written word, not the spoken. Many days, I would come home from school and write out my frustrations of the day. It was my way of releasing everything that had gone wrong that day, and once I wrote it down, I could let it go. I also had a great imagination as a kid, and loved to write stories about our life, and things we did, always with a bit more flare to them than what had really happened.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: The earliest I remember writing and being ‘published’ was in second grade. I won a local writing contest for elementary students and my piece was published in the local library in Lake Mills, Iowa. Shortly thereafter, we moved to Kootenai, Idaho, and I won a writing contest in Mrs. Libby’s class as well.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? I would say the encouragement of Mr. Ford, Mrs. Love, and Mrs. O’Donnell in my high school English classes is what helped me the most. They were honest, yet fair and encouraging, always willing to show me how to do things better.

It definitely would not have been in college, where my English teacher told me that my high school teachers were teaching an archaic way of writing. I told her writing was writing, how can it be archaic? Needless to say, I did not do well in her class.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? My aunt is a writer and she has always encouraged me to write.

Joy O’Donnell was a huge supporter of me in my writing, and she encouraged me to continue to write often. She took some extra time my senior year to help me improve my writing skills.

Marianne Love has encouraged and inspired me over the years as well, and I feel very humble when receiving a compliment from her on my writing.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: I’ve written a couple very personal things to my parents and grandma. Those would definitely be the most satisfying pieces, because I am very thankful to them for being such great parents, and to my grandma for her unending love and support.

Your publications or venues for writing: I journal a lot, just for me. I have a blog-(www.livelovelaughhope.blogspot.com) where I share my thoughts. I write some things for our middle school ministry at church, as well.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: It doesn’t have to be perfect! Never let anyone tell you that you can not write, just because it may not fit that person’s personality and what they think writing should be. If you enjoy it, just do it, even if you are your one and only reader.

Grab a pen and a journal and keep track of your thoughts, because writing is a wonderful way to express yourself, and to keep track of your deepest thoughts, concerns, joys, and desires. Have fun writing. If you enjoy it, have a great time with it, and if it becomes a chore, then you’ve made it much more difficult than it needs to be. Writing is an expression of who you are, so shine through your writing!!

Billie Jean Plaster, Sandpoint Magazine editor

Name: Billie Jean Plaster

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: At age 10, I gave up watching TV - but not by choice. We moved to a home without electricity (or running water). I had always been a reader, but then I started reading voraciously, and I started writing short stories and poems. It was about this time that I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: I signed up for journalism class as a junior and started writing “news briefs” for the Cedar Post, the high school’s weekly newspaper. At one point, I got up the courage to interview Mark Plaster, a popular jock in the school, about a project in Mr. Marker’s history class. That resulted in one of my first published news briefs. That occasion may have been the only time I talked to Mark during our high school career. A shy wallflower type, I carried on my secret crush. Later that year, I wrote my first real feature story, about a local disc jockey, Larry Pearson, who did the morning show on KPND at the time. Much later, about eight years, I married Mark Plaster. Was it a simple twist of fate?

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? My education under Mr. Bob Hamilton and working on the Cedar Post for two years was probably a better education than four and a half years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I “double-majored” in journalism.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? Bob Hamilton; see answers above.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: Not sure.

Your publications or venues for writing: Sandpoint Magazine, The River Journal, Ruralite magazine

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: If you want to be a writer, use every opportunity you can find to write. Try to write every day, if possible, maybe even keeping a handwritten journal or a maintaining a blog. And read a lot.

Brendan Short, novelist, poet, short story writer

Name: Brendan Short

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: I’m not sure. There wasn’t really a big moment, more like a bunch of little moments that I pieced together in college. When I was in kindergarten or first grade, I wrote and illustrated a one-page story called “The Tuff Man.” When I was in fourth or fifth grade, I wrote my own “Choose Your Own Adventure” book. I wasn’t much of a reader, but I was always trying to do something creative – cartoons, animated films, songs with my sister. In college, a few teachers encouraged me, and I found myself putting my greatest effort into essays, stories, and other pieces of writing that gave me the freedom to be creative.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: In terms of writing, it was “The Tuff Man,” which is still in my room at my parents’ house. I really should hunt it down. In terms of publishing, it was a short story in my college literary journal; I was proud to see my name and story in the journal, even if they called me “Brenda Short” in the table of contents, and I still remember a guy from one of my classes coming up to me in the dining hall and complimenting my work. As far as fame goes, it wasn’t much, but it was flattering nonetheless.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? Oddly enough, I think it was math. In grade school and high school, I was always better at math than English (in part because of my aforementioned lack of interest in reading), and once I started enjoying and working at reading and writing and gave up on math, I realized that all writing relies on some sort of structure and logic, just like with equations and formulas. Even today, when I write a poem, story, novel, essay, or grant proposal, I try to think of the piece and its components as having structure, symmetry, and balance.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? My composition teacher freshman year in college was fairly disreputable in some ways (including sexual terminology in our weekly vocabulary lists, offering to extend a deadline for a dorm-mate of mine in exchange for a case of beer, etc.), but he took literature seriously, and he allowed us a lot of freedom with our writing assignments. His comments on my first few papers were encouraging, which meant a lot to me.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: My novel, even though the audience thus far has only been a handful of people. At almost every point along the way, writing a novel seemed impossible, but clearly it wasn’t.

Your publications or venues for writing: I write poems and stories, which I’ve been fortunate to publish in small literary magazines, but for the past six years or so, I’ve mostly worked on a novel, which I hope will one day have a bigger audience. I’ve also used my writing as a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations serving low-income people. It has been eye-opening to discover how good writing can bring in money for a company or organization. I’m not very talented to persuading people in speech, but in writing, I’m not too bad.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: Don’t be afraid to fail, and don’t give up. I think there is a lot of pressure on students to do things correctly, to find the right answer quickly, but writing (especially creative writing) almost requires you to look and/or feel foolish in order to produce anything worthwhile. Many of my old poems and stories embarrass me now, but I needed to write them to gain confidence and become a better writer—plus I didn’t need to show them to anyone if I didn’t want to.

Cindy Wooden, Senior Vatican correspondent, Catholic News Service

Name: Cindy Wooden

Getting started: I worked on a school paper in California when I was in the fifth grade. We called it Chalk Dust and managed to put out only one issue. I don’t even remember what my role in it was or if I had an article in it. But there were only four or five of us involved in the project! In junior high school in Sandpoint, we managed to publish more than one issue of the school paper, but definitely not more than one a month. I worked on the school papers in high school and in college as well.

Education: English classes and journalism classes obviously helped enormously, but there was and is no substitute for actually working on a paper. That’s how you learn to handle deadlines, style questions, space requirements and editors.

Advice: Writing is a discipline. While blogging or journaling can help you realize you actually can fill that blank page, it is even more important to realize that anything you write can be improved. That’s where editors come in. Sometimes they are wrong. Sometimes they ruin your pristine prose. But mostly, they make you look better and may even save your butt!

To write well, you must read EVERYTHING. For aspiring journalists, you must read newspapers. I try to find copies of the Pulitzer Prize winning news stories each year. Any time I read something that makes me think, “Wow,” I try to rewrite it as something normal and boring, then compare that to what made me say, “Wow.” It’s a fun exercise, and my writing seems to improve … at least for a few days!

Pam Eimers, food writer

Name: Pam Eimers

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: I never actually set out to be a writer, but as I look back I realize that I always wanted to gather facts and inform others in some way. At some point in high school (1968-1972) I thought I’d like to be Barbara Walters. I liked the idea of exploring a topic, interviewing people and then making that information available to others. And I was pretty good at writing news stories for the school newspaper (not so good with creative articles).

In college I got the idea that I’d like to write consumer information booklets – you know, the ones that come from the consumer center in Colorado. Everything you need to know about shoplifting, washing machines, avoiding car repair rip offs, or winterizing your home.

Later in college I visited the Campbell’s Soup Company. Standing in the photo studio surrounded by the distinctive kitchen ware featured in their print and TV advertising, with a view of the test kitchen in the background, I decided I wanted to write advertising copy.

Two years later I became a teacher.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: (I had a Thanksgiving poem published in the local newspaper when I was in the 5^th grade. “Today is our Thanksgiving time, the turkey in the stove is fine. The beans are in a pan to warm, while father husks our yellow corn…” Perhaps, Marianne, you’d like a copy?) As a high school senior I wrote for the school newspaper. Part of my assignment was to write a column for the weekly town paper describing for the readers what was going on around the school. To me it was just an assignment that I was always getting in just under the wire.

Later, I learned that one of my cousins serving in Vietnam always looked forward to receiving the hometown paper, and reading my name on that column brought him closer to home. It is perhaps that single experience that stays with me as an example of the power of the written word once it leaves your hands.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing?

My ninth grade English teacher, Mrs. Higgins, came out of retirement to teach the overflow group of students in my exceptionally large class. The 15 of us trudged through the rain and snow every day (anyone remember the winter of ’68) to our makeshift classroom out in the bus garage. Mrs. Higgins was strict. We wrote every night. Not a lot, but enough to drill in the rules that still echo in my head whenever I’m writing.

Who influenced you most along your way and how?

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience:

My most satisfying pieces are some that I wrote the last two years as the Public Relations manager for our local hospice. I’ve had the opportunity to visit with patients and write their stories. A volunteer photographer accompanies me and snaps b/w photos. An exhibit of our photos and stories will open this spring at a local art gallery. People love to share their lives – especially as they near the end - and I’m honored to listen and commit it to paper as a legacy for their families. It’s amazingly satisfying to read their stories back to them, watch their smiles grow and know that this tiny window into their lives means so much to them because it will survive.

Your publications or venues for writing: Sunset magazine is the first publication I was paid to write for. Hired as a staff editor in the food department, my job was to develop article ideas and bring them to the pages of the magazine: develop the recipes, style the food for photographs, research and write the text and photo captions. It’s safe to say that I wasn’t hired for my writing ability, but that was the place I corralled my writing skills and became more focused.

Simply Seafood, Herb Quarterly, Publications International books and magazines, and Veggie Life – all magazines that hired me for my recipe development skills more than for my writing abilities, but along the way my writing skills developed, too.

Syringa General Hospital and Yolo Hospice – nonprofits for which I wrote newsletters, new releases, reports, newspaper and magazine columns and even a speech here and there, plus I edited other’s writing.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school:

Keep a journal. I’ve not done this, but I wish I had. Every now and then I sit down to hammer out a memory or some thoughts, and I would love to have the discipline to do this regularly. It doesn’t need to be perfect or even completed. Start the habit now, and you’ll be surprised how your writing develops. You will also have a place for all the thoughts, ideas and experiences that are the basis of most writers’ work.

Write letters. Pay attention to grammar, syntax, and spelling. It’s good practice and fun, AND most importantly, you are connecting with another who appreciates your attention. Life is about relationships. Build and nourish them. Writing is a fabulous vehicle for caring.

If only I’d take my own advice.

William Love III, assistant sports editor

Name: William Love III

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: A non fiction writing class my first year at Boise State. I wrote about an experience where I went with a friend to Canada for the day and was detained at the border by Canadian officials for about two hours.

It was fun recounting the story, but I remember reading it to the class and the response I got. I had all 20 people or so hanging on my every word. The story was meant to be humorous and all of my classmates (who I didn’t really know) were laughing and enjoying the story.

That was when I first realized the power of writing. During my three years of school at Boise State, I realized that I liked having that kind of power.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: I don’t really remember writing a lot as a child; I guess you can say I am just entering high school as far as writing goes because I am learning something new every day

My first published piece that really stands out to me is an article I wrote when I was a reporter for my high school newspaper. The story was about the student council approving a measure to put toilet seat covers in all of the school’s bathrooms. I interviewed a lady from the local health department about why toilet seat covers are a good thing to have. That is when I first learned about pubic lice and other dangers associated with sitting on a public toilet seat without some type of protection.

The story on toilet seats and their dangers wasn’t my first story published, but it is certainly the one I remember the most from my high school days.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? It would have to be getting bad grades. I wasn’t a very motivated student (you can just look at my grades) in high school and when I went to college at the University of Idaho. I eventually took a year off from school and transferred to Boise State. My first semester at BSU is when I took the non fiction writing class from Devan Cook and got hooked.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? Too many people to mention, but my mom, professors and other people I have met along the way. A lot can also be said about my colleagues in the sports writing profession or newspaper in general. I am always reading different journalist throughout the country to get new ideas.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: I don’t know if I have had a most satisfying piece yet. I am one who always re-reads what I have written and sees ways where it can be improved. I remember reading my story on my trip to Canada a few months after writing it and thinking to myself: “Wow, that needs a lot of work.” That is usually the case for all of writing. I have changed the responses for this several times already.

There are a couple of pieces that do stand out, however. An article I wrote on geocaching for Sandpoint Magazine I thought turned out well. I also received an award for a story I wrote on a drug raid in Pend Oreille County, Wash., that somebody seemed to like.

Your publications or venues for writing: The Cedar Post (high school paper), skits I did on a radio show in college, The Miner newspapers in Newport, Wash., The Idaho Press-Tribune in Nampa, Idaho, a blog on high school sports at the Web site (www.treasurevalleysports.com), a chapter in the book Lessons with Love.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school:

There will always be a need in the job market for people who can write well. Just look at me. I have a literature degree and took one journalism course in college, but when I graduated I knew the basics of writing. That ability got me my first job out of college at a weekly newspaper where I wrote news articles, features and columns. I was hired as a sports reporter when I moved back to the Treasure Valley and eventually became the assistant sports editor at one of the largest newspapers in the state.

Virginia de Leon, regional newspaper reporter

Name: Virginia de Leon

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: From the time I was in fourth grade, I loved words. I won nearly every spelling bee at school and almost went to Washington D.C. for the national spelling bee (I couldn’t spell “zaguan.”) I used to memorize the roots of words and their origins – ie. “phil” in Greek means love; “phyll” means plant or green; etc. Because I was such a word nerd, I figured I had to learn how to put them together in coherent sentences.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: My first publishing experience was a negative one, actually. I was in high school and the newspaper assigned me to write a story about the school’s dance club. So I did, but someone – an editor, I presume – rewrote the lede using some kind of dance cliché. I never wrote for my high school paper ever again.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? My English teacher in high school encouraged us to read a lot – not just the books for class, but other novels as well as articles in magazines. Reading taught me a lot about writing.

When I was a junior in high school, that same English teacher recommended that I send some of my essays to The Seattle Times for a high school journalism workshop. I got picked to go and had the time of my life. About a dozen other teens and I spent a week at the University of Washington where we stayed up late at night writing, editing and publishing our own newspaper. That’s how I got hooked.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? My mentors – teachers and other reporters – through their example and encouragement.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: A few years ago, I wrote a story about catastrophic loss and grief – kind of in an essay form after a very horrific accident involving a family with five young children. I interviewed parents who had lost their children and others who have suffered catastrophic loss. It was so hard to talk and ask people these questions, but there was something very therapeutic about writing the story. It was an unusual story to run on the front page of the newspaper, but I heard from many families and others, even people who had never lost children. I guess it was satisfying because instead of focusing on the gory details of the accident, I was able to write a story about grief and loss, which affects all of us in one way or another.

Your publications or venues for writing: Mostly newspapers, although I've had a few articles published in magazines and newsletters.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school:

- Read a lot – fiction, nonfiction, magazine articles, the newspaper, poetry.

- Write in your journal everyday.

- Find a mentor.

Trish Gannon, newspaper publisher

Name: Trish Gannon

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: I don’t actually remember a time when I wasn’t both a writer and a reader.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: I skipped second grade and in third grade I used to write stories for extra credit. I didn’t actually need the extra credit, as I was an A student, but I had to have something to do with all the extra time I had in class. I remember writing a story about cats that I was terribly unsatisfied with – I felt like I had just cobbled some research together and there was no real ‘original’ writing in the story. I got an A+ and a lot of recognition for that story, and I was amazed that people could think something so bad was so good. ;0)

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? Reading. And more reading.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? Oh wow. I’ve been influenced by everyone I ever met in ways both good and bad.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: Really too many to pick just one. But a favorite is a story I wrote back in ‘93 or ‘94, about Comp White Jr. Comp was a U.S. Congressman, born and raised right here in Clark Fork. His father was a U.S. Congressman before him. And he hated newspapers and journalists! I finally got Comp to meet with me, talk, and let me write his story. I not only got a good friend out of it, but loved to write about some of my favorite subjects – people, history, and this little town that’s become my home.

Your publications or venues for writing: The River Journal, Sandpoint Magazine, Internet…

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: When I talk with students and ask who in the audience is a writer, generally only one or two will raise their hands. But when I ask who in the audience is a talker, all hands go up. Yet if you can talk – if you can tell a story verbally – then you can write and probably write well. Unfortunately, people think they’re not writers and that blocks them when they try to write. I always advise students that if they have to, dictate their story into a tape recorder, then write down what they hear on playback. Reading, a good editor, and practice will teach you grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, how to limit what you write, etc… these are all concerns that stop people from writing. Yet the first secret to writing well is to find the voice in which you tell your stories – and if you listen to how you talk, you can figure that out.

Rule number two is practice – just like every other skill (volleyball, playing the piano, painting) the more you do it, the better you will do. I have watched almost every writer I’ve worked with on the River Journal (Marianne Love and Sandy Compton are glowing exceptions) grow in their writing ability throughout the years.

Susan Drinkard, freelance writer

Name: Susan Drinkard

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation:

I was very shy in school and had a huge crush on Mr. Rushmore, my junior high math teacher. I wrote an article for the school newspaper about how handsome and wonderful he was. I had attended 12 grade schools as a military kid and I didn’t ever have consistency in my math education. After I wrote that piece, I received special attention from him, and on some level I believe I understood there was power in the written word. I got attention, something I was starved for. Ultimately it bombed for me because I improved so much that they made me go to a higher-level math class with a teacher that was very fat and very mean and who told us most kids are born with tails, but they cut them off in the hospital.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: I heard you didn’t have to take regular English if you got on the newspaper staff at my school, Watson Junior High in Colorado Springs, Colorado. So I petitioned and was selected for the newspaper, which we called THE BIG RED MACHINE. After a few editions were published, we were forced to change the name of the newspaper to THE WATSON BEAT because the school’s administration thought THE BIG RED MACHINE sounded “too Commie.”

I don’t really remember what I wrote, but getting something published was truly a self-esteem builder for me, who didn’t have much of that during those years. I was part of a team and it made me feel a little important. Plus, I didn’t have to do grammar like the kids in the regular English classes.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing?

I believe reading and writing helped me keep my sanity when I was young and moving sometimes three times per year. When my dad went to Vietnam and then we were transferred to the Philippine Islands, I was one freaked out fifth grader. I was a fairly happy little cheerleader in Oklahoma with long hair. We moved to the Philippines and during the first couple days there a “beautician” bloodied my neck with a knife in a beauty shop as she cut my hair off while rats ran around my feet. There were geckos on my walls and glass sticking up on the fence around our yard to discourage burglars. I fortunately quickly found the public library on base and started to read a book a day. It helped me through the transition because it seemed normal. And reading helps you learn how to write, even though you don’t know it.

I had a high school teacher at my horrid high school in Texas who required that we write five pages of journals each week about anything we wanted; that was quite unusual for the 1970s when it was mostly “Read the text and do the questions at the end of the chapter,” and mimeographed worksheets. I still have that journal. It’s very boring. I wrote things like “Thurman said ‘Hi’ to me,” and I kept good records of what we had for dinner. We had a lot of orange cake.

I worked hard creating my church’s youth newsletter in high school in Texas and then writing and editing my college newspaper, The South Coloradan at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado.

Who influenced you most along your way and how?

Ted Nelson. He was the editor of my college newspaper. His writing proved so convincing that he got policies changed on our campus. He drilled me with his mantra: There is no job more interesting and exciting than being a reporter.

My crusty and brilliant editor of the Salida Mountain Mail, Ed Quillen, the only person I’ve ever met who types faster than me, taught me how to edit a newspaper, how to think in terms of story ideas, how to put a paper together in a morning.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: My grandfather was larger than life to all of us grandkids. He was a big hilarious bricklayer who wore those blue and white striped overalls every day with levels and Prince Albert Pipe Tobacco cans sticking out of his pockets, along with big pencils and string and measuring tapes and pipes. He was as strong as a draft horse even when he was old. With three pair of dime store glasses on his head, his big swollen fingers would untangle the tiny chains of my necklaces when I was a young girl. He was my hero. I wrote a column about him—“The Most Handsome Man I Ever Saw” when I was writing for the Daily Bee and sent it to him. I think it rocked his world. I’m glad I did that. When Grandpa died, we thought his picture should have been on the cover of Time.

Once when I was reporting for the Sandpoint Daily Bee, I interviewed several mothers who’d had their children stolen by their ex-husbands. It was as though their hearts were torn out. One’s ex had taken their son to Saudi and she hadn’t seen him for two years. Tim Tucker, an Idaho legislator at the time, read the piece and worked to get a custodial interference law passed in Idaho. He told me my story had influenced that, and it may have helped a few kids have better lives. I like to think so.

Writing a Q and A piece with Putlitzer Prize-winning author Marilynne Robinson last year for the Sandpoint Magazine was important to me personally. I savored her book, Gilead, and for me writing about it clarified many questions about church doctrine and spirituality. It made me feel better about my own spirituality and answered some deeply puzzling questions about theology.

Your publications or venues for writing:

I do long billing notes for my job. For every hour I spend with a client, I write about it for 15 or 20 minutes. If I couldn’t write well, I couldn’t do my work helping the mentally ill in Sandpoint because what I write gets me the paycheck. Sandpoint Magazine, e-mails.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school:

Turn off the video games and television; they are making your brain mush.

Read. Read. Read.

Patrick F. McManus, best-selling author/humorist

Name: Patrick F. McManus

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: I wanted to become a writer as soon as I found out what a freelance writer is. “This is for me,” I said. I was a freshman at Washington State University. I was absolutely thrilled with all the possibilities. It was if a great light had been turned on inside of me, a distinctly physical thing.

Earliest remembered writing or publishing experience: My first published piece was in the student newspaper at WSU. I had just discovered Hemingway and obviously was already under his influence. The story was about an expedition the hiking club took to Chimney Rock in Idaho.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? My freshman comp teacher at WSU gave me all Fs on my first half dozen essays, but suddenly I becamed inflamed with the desire to be a writer and by the end of the semester he recommended me for honors English.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? My girlfriend and later my wife. She tells me if my humor is funny or not, and has always been supportive even when the humor wasn't funny. Every writer needs that kind of spouse.

Most satisfying piece(s) you've ever written---audience: I can't recall my most satisfying piece. Every piece is written with fear and pain and doubt, and when it is published and readers like it, there is an explosion of satisfaction.

Your publications or venues for writing: I have written 18 books and hundreds of magazine articles and stories. More than 20 stories have been published by Readers Digest, where I learned you don't get rich from their rates but the world-wide display of your work is fabulous. Other publications include Sports Illustrated, TV Guide, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Saturday Evening Post, New York Times, and endless others. Books have been published by Simon & Schuster and Henry Holt Co.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: My one regret as a writer is that I didn't start when I was in middle school. If you want to be a writer, that is a wonderful age to get started.

Rev. Dr. Nancy Copeland-Payton, minister

Name: Nancy Copeland-Payton

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: Actually, becoming a sometimes writer was more like backing through the back door. In high school, writing was “fun”, an imaginative creative break from calculus and physics. On a lark, I entered and won an essay contest while in high school. One of the judges said, “Well, it’s obvious you’re going to be a writer as an adult.” I thought I was going to be a scientist.

After practicing medicine as a physician for about 20 years, I started writing again as a creative break from medicine. Eventually, I changed careers and writing is a part of my vocation. It’s interesting how insights into who we are may appear early in life. We may put these insights and feeling pulled toward an area in a “back pocket” while pursuing other interests. But eventually, if we pay attention to our inner urges and in the fullness of time and our lives, they resurface.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: That lark of a high school essay that was published.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? While formal education is certainly helpful, it’s the informal education of daily living. It’s the rubs and tensions, the wonder and joy, the playfulness and surprises, the profound times of sorrow that taught me so much. It’s also in the paying attention – the being acutely aware of what is happening inside me and outside me in every situation. And then taking the time to ponder, and explore those inner and outer landscapes.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? The spirituality of living, of taking the time to know myself and others and creation, of looking beneath the obvious at the mystery of all the layers underneath.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: A recent piece for a publication on spirituality – telling story while exploring the paradoxical blessing of lonely places, of loss and grief.

Your publications or venues for writing: Every Sunday sermon, church and spirituality publications.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: Pay attention to what brings you joy – there are deep insights there for your adult life. And be patient – it may take a lifetime for it all to come full circle.

Mindy Cameron, former Seattle Times editorial page editor

Name: Mindy Cameron

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation:

I was a junior in high school. My literature teacher was very inspiring. One time, in front of the class, she singled out a paper I had written and said it was well done. She said I definitely had a writing “style.” From that day I have thought of myself as a writer, and writer with a style!

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: High school newspaper. I wrote about serious issues -- school district budgets and school board matters. I have always been drawn to issues and ideas more than breaking news such as disasters, crime, etc.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? Any class that required writing, whether journalism courses, English, literature, history, etc. Teachers who took the time to read my work and critique it were essential to my learning.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? Shirley Malcolm, that high school teacher. She later moved to the college I was attending and I took a linguistic course from her there. She was a wonderful teacher.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: I think I wrote some very good columns for the Seattle Times editorial page when I was the editor of the page. I didn’t hit a home run every week, certainly, but every now and then selected a topic from the news, or from my life experience, and, based on reader feedback, touched many people. I came to realize the importance of writing about people or even personal experience as a way to illuminate public policy issues. For example, I wrote about having had an abortion many years earlier, using that experience as a vehicle for cutting through the political rhetoric surrounding the issue. I had a huge response (mostly hand-written notes; we didn’t have e-mail in the early ‘90s.)

Your publications or venues for writing: Mostly newspapers, first as a reporter, then as a columnist. I have also written for television newscasts and documentaries. After retiring from the newspaper I researched for a longer piece on the history (1950-2000) of the Seattle Public School District, which was published in pamphlet form in 2003.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: Write, write, write. Read, read, read. You cannot be a good writer if you are not an avid reader. Have something to say. Write it, then rewrite and revise until it is the best you can make it. Aim for clarity. Read it aloud. Use short sentences and active verbs. Apply critical thinking skills – to your own work and everything you read.

Kelsi Camp, independent writer

Name: Kelsi Camp

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: In high school I realized that I could easily imitate writing styles. I wrote a review of the Little Mermaid for (ahem) my sophomore English class. I still have it – it’s terrible (I was trying too hard to be funny) -- but at the time I liked it, and my teacher liked it too.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: In third grade I would load a clipboard with notebook paper and write Ramona stories (you know all those Ramona books by Beverly Cleary?) starring me as Ramona and my sisters as the antagonists.

In fifth grade my friend Maria and I decided to start a newsletter. For some reason, I was the only one who wrote any stories for the first issue, so I was listed as the sole author. Maria made photocopies on her dad’s office equipment, and we distributed them to everyone in the fifth grade. The plan was that she’d write the next issue, but that never happened. I was embarrassed.

And my family got a computer when I was in ninth grade and I started writing stream-of-consciousness stories and parodies of books I read, for fun, just to type. I liked typing.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? Since I'm not technically a writer, or at least have no employment as such, I don't think I can claim to have had any “path.” I don’t know, English classes?

Who influenced you most along your way and how? Ha.

Most satisfying piece(s) you've ever written----its audience: I’ve written many brilliant pieces but I have no audience. I should say my thesis... the PDF version is available to a worldwide audience.

Your publications or venues for writing: I read something the other day about the “democratization of writing” that has happened with the Internet. Traditional venues for publication can be hard to get into, but online venues are readily available and easily accessible. I have a hundred (give or take a few) online journals or blogs (or blahgs) of different persuasions, some for fiction, some for everyday journaling, some more “artistic” than others.

There’s also National Novel Writing Month () every November, which I’ve been able to actually participate in only once but have signed up for every year for the past five years. (I plan to participate this year unless something terrible happens like getting a full-time job). It’s not really a venue but it’s an excuse for writing something, at least, and, if you’re interested in interacting with other aspiring writers, there are discussion boards.

Back when I was gainfully employed, I started writing a limited-distribution fake weekly email newsletter, which was a hoot and a half. Still, despite all the technology, my main venues are notebooks, which is to say, nowhere. But I recently got a real gig – I’m supposed to be writing an article for the local running club’s newsletter. Deadline: 9 days. Haven’t started yet.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: Read. Write.

Jeff "JT" Bock, sreenwriter, box office analyst

Name: Jeff Bock

First clue you wanted to be a writer; tell the situation:

Well, I was walking down the street…with a ham in my hand…Actually, I’m not sure I ever wanted to be a writer…but definitely an entertainer, a storyteller. And with today’s media outlets, there’s more opportunity than ever to find your niche. Initially, I think the positive reaction I received from my “Eggman” short films gave me my first real inkling that I might want to “entertain” with words and images. God it was scary though, reading your work, or showing it in front of an audience was like baring your soul, your true self. But as difficult as it is to do, it is also the most fulfilling experience.

As a writer, I think exploring sports in our high school newspaper, in the first person, was a precursor to everything I do no. Screenwriting, for me, is a quest really, to uncover the spine of a particular character(s)…and I’ve always felt I had to walk in those character’s shoes, to truly do justice to them.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience:

Ah, well, The Bonner County Historical Society book. A first for many of us, I’m sure. But there’s something very important and indeed historic about seeing your name and your thoughts published for the first time. It definitely fueled the fire.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing?

The encouragement of teachers. Without a doubt, this has been the single most important aspect of me continuing along the path.

Who influenced you most along your way and how?

Marianne Love. One of my biggest supporters!! I truly thank her (you) for that. She was constantly on my case (and on my list), which I needed, and ultimately forced me to challenge myself and set deadlines…a must for any writer.

Other writers-- Roald Dahl. Stephen King. Dave Eggers (with a name like that, who would’ve guessed), Cormac McCarthy. Chris Columbus (screenwriter “The Goonies” “Gremlins”) Judd Apatow (“Freaks & Geeks” “Knocked Up”) Tim Burton.

Students. Having your peers thoughtfully critique your work is essential. Join or create a weekly/monthly writer’s group. Share your favorite authors, etc.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written-----audience:

A TV series entitled “Time Tots,” which is actually written for tweens. Also, a short story about my days working at the lumber mill, called “The Green Chain” and most recently a screenplay about life in Sandpoint, circa the early 1930’s, entitled “The Mighty Riverpigs.”

Your publications or venues for writing:

Screenplays. Short stories. Documentary: Jenny’s Journal. I'm a Box Office Analyst for a company called Exhibitor Relations, Co. I analyze box office numbers and distribute grosses to various media organizations: CNN, E!, Bloomberg News, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Etc.

My column, appropriately enough, is called BOCK'S OFFICE, which I update every Sunday in our newsletter that goes out to various film studios and media entities. I discuss how various films performed (or underperformed) and the consequences that follow in an informative and entertaining manner. Basically, I opine in that traditional first-person narrative that has always been my signature. It will also be online when our new website goes live this holiday season.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school:

Read. Read. Read some more. No matter what outlet you’re striving for, know the trailblazers. Those that have come and gone before us, still have the power to reach out, grab us, and shake us with incredible force…all from mere words on a page. That’s something to strive for, knowing that the way you arrange your words and experiences can jolt a generation. That’s true power. That’s the secret to immortality. Write what you know, from your own specific voice; the audience will gravitate toward you. Don’t make the mistake of writing for an audience, write to yourself. If you’re entertained, the audience will be, too.

Visit coffee shops frequently. Listen and translate conversations between people that you overhear, as these could be the beginning of a great story. It’s also a superb place to find the individual rhythms of your characters…and that’s what makes a character not only believable, but interesting and unique.

Kathy Osborne, newspaper editor, columnist

Name: Kathy Osborne

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: I knew I wanted to write in tenth grade, but the Creative Writing teacher told me I had no talent for it, which soured me for many years. I continued to journal. When I got to North Idaho College a couple years after graduation, an English teacher there gave me the confidence I needed to move on. That was when my love for writing really began.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: I was first published as a Guest Opinion writer on the Op page of the Daily Bee many years ago. I got a lot of good comments on the writing of that piece.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing?

Frankly, it was the experience I received at North Idaho College and the English department there which helped the most.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? Local writers I have been influenced by include Sandy Compton and Trish Gannon. Trish gave me the opportunity to write a regular column for River Journal. That has helped me a great deal.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience:

“Longbridgitis” for the CO-OP Round up. Audience: newcomers to the area.

“Empty Nest Is for the Birds” Audience; emptynesters

Your publications or venues for writing: The CO-OP Country Round Up, The River Journal

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: If you love to write don’t let anyone, not even a teacher, tell you that you can’t do it. No one knows what is in your heart or the stories you have to tell. You and your voice are a valuable part of the broader community. Someone needs to hear what you have to share, so allow other lovers of the written word to help you learn to write your story well.

Jenny Meyer, blogger

Name: Jenny Meyer

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation: I wouldn’t say that I’m a writer. I happened to discover the world of blogging. Now, it started out with posting pictures for family and friends, but later turned into an outlet for providing hope and joy in the lives of those who know me. I simply was finding my purpose in life and a purpose in battling terminal cancer.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: Your [Mrs. Love’s] class as a sophomore. The Bonner County History project and the story of my amazing grandfather.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing? I would have to say that I learned a lot in your class. In anything you want to accomplish in life, you must have the basic fundamentals in order to build on them in the future. You can’t become good at anything you do unless you have the basics mastered.

Who influenced you most along your way and how? You [Mrs. Love] were definitely a powerful influence in the early years and have continued to foster my confidence as a blogger. Other people have started to notice what I am capable of and push me to continue to spread the word of hope and faith through my writing. This includes family, friends, and complete strangers.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: I have to say that my blog is something I’m very proud of…especially when I hear that what I write about has a profound impact on someone’s life.

Your publications or venues for writing: www.mangymooseacres.blogspot.com

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school: Listen to your teachers. Get the basic skills mastered so you that you’re ready when you finally discover the true purpose in your life. You may not set out to be a writer, but you can bet you’ll find a passion that needs words expressed from your heart.

Helen Newton, Sandpoint City Council

Name: Helen Method Newton

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation:

I loved doing book reports in school. I have just always had a love of language –initially through reading. The written word – what exceeds that????? I entered a writing contest at SHS sponsored by the state to write a short story about hiring handicapped workers. I won 3^rd prize. I was encouraged to enter by Mary Parker and Ruby Phelps. They must have recognized some talent.

I went to work the day after high school graduation at the Moon Mortuary. One of my assignments was to write obituaries for the newspaper and KSPT (yes – they ran full obituaries on the morning news every day)! I remember a reporter at the News Bulletin asking me one day who wrote the obits. When I told him I did (I was 17), he commended my skills and suggested I do more “newspaper” writing.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience:

I suppose those obituaries were my first published writings. When our younger daughter was born, I stopped working at the funeral home. Our neighbor across the street, Gertrude Racicot, had written for the Spokane Chronicle for years. She was looking for someone to take over. She offered it to me so for 3 years I stayed home and worked from home, meeting the 4:00 train to Spokane every day with my stories.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing?

Every English and literature class contributed together with the teachers who loved teaching those subjects. (One can definitely discern the difference among teachers who actually love what they are teaching and those for whom it is just a job!)

Who influenced you most along your way and how?

All of those who taught English or literature or who insisted on grammar and spelling and punctuation no matter the class.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: Interestingly, it was a speech I wrote as city clerk for Mayor Ron Chaney. He was addressing the survivors of the Bataan March. I drew on his memories of his brother going off to World War II and did some research and put together a 5 minute speech for him that he said brought tears to every person in the room! The greatest generation indeed!!!!

Your publications or venues for writing: Newspapers

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school:

1. Language IS important! Never forget it! Insist on proper language – always!

Example from Oxford’s Unabridged (read that 1,300 pages) dictionary:

Byway: a secluded, private or obscure road.

Bypass: a road enabling motorists to avoid a city or other heavy traffic points or to drive around an obstruction.

2. Writing the truth may not be possible if one is always concerned about being “politically correct.”

Editor’s Note: The Bypass/Byway issue has been a controversial issue in Sandpoint, Idaho, for more than 50 years.

Diane Rice, editor of Appaloosa Journal magazine

Name: Diane Rice

First clue you wanted to be a writer; tell the situation: Fourteen years ago, I was a recently-separated mom of five girls ages 3-14 with the goal of going to veterinary school. With no income, steadily mounting student loans and no nearby family support system, I realized that goal was just out of the question. So I decided to capitalize on what had always come easily for me: English/writing. I changed my major to agricultural journalism and haven’t looked back since. I was able to marry my passion for animals—horses in particular—with writing. It was perfect for me.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience: My job here at Appaloosa Journal, as assistant editor. I was SO fortunate to be hired into that position right out of college!

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing?

Not to make light of the actual writing skills I was taught, I think the main thing college taught me was time management. Handling five kids and going to school full time made me utilize every minute and triage all the demands on my time. Those skills are exactly what I do now as an editor!

Who influenced you most along your way and how?

I think Robin [Hirzel-Hendrickson, previous editor] has. I have a tremendous respect for what she accomplished at a young age. She started here as circulation director right out of college and was editor before she knew what happened to her. J She has an incredible talent for magazine editing and writing, and has also taught me—pretty much an introvert—tons about relationships, both personal and professional.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written-----audience:

Horse, of course! I think that would be the article I wrote about Linda McCartney’s memorial service in New York City at which an Appaloosa performed the Spanish walk. Having been a total Beatles fan with a huge crush on Paul McCartney in my early teens, I felt a real connection to that piece. And receiving a thank-you letter from him following the article’s publication was the highlight of my writing career so far. It’s framed in my office with a photo of the horse and rider who performed.

Your publications or venues for writing:

I write for Appaloosa Journal, of course, and have also written for several other equine magazines and a web site called meridianmagazine.com. I’m currently working on some freelance pieces for a new regional magazine about the Palouse that’s being launched soon by one of our former graphic designers who now lives in Sandpoint and works for Coldwater Creek. I’ve also submitted a children’s book for consideration.

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school:

• Write about what you know and love. Passion will make your writing much more vibrant and interesting.
• Nurture your relationships by treating people with kindness, respect and consideration. Networking will bring you opportunities that you never expected if you maintain friendships with people you work with in any capacity.
• Read good writing. My favorite magazine is Oprah, and I treat myself to a copy whenever I travel, to read on the plane. There are many more great magazines and books out there, and you can learn so much from devouring them and figuring out what makes them great.