Last evening I had the privilege of being the
keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the Wisconsin Writers Association
Conference held in Neenah. The title of my talk was, “A few things I learned
from 50 years of writing.”
I mentioned
to the group that I first received payment for my writing when I began writing
weekly columns for several central Wisconsin weekly newspapers in 1966. (I
joined the Wisconsin Writers Association in 1967, when it was known as the
Wisconsin Rural Writers Association). Go
to https://wiwrite.org/ for more about the
organization.
Here is a little of what I shared with the group—what
I learned after a half-century of putting words to paper.
--Deadlines are important, keep them.
--Tell a story. People like stories, like to read
them, like to hear them told. (See my new book, TELLING YOUR STORY—go to my
website, www.jerryapps.com for more
information.)
--Use all your senses when writing, not just what
you see and hear.
--Rewriting and revision of what you write is
essential. I said that I spend more time
rewriting and revising than I go creating first drafts.
--The importance of writing within a niche. I write within the rural history, small town
and rural community niche.
--Write what you know, but also write what you don’t
know. I knew little about the details
for several of my books, especially RINGLINGVILE USA, the story of the Ringling
Brothers Circus, and BREWERIES OF WISCONSIN, the history of the brewing
industry in Wisconsin before I began researching and writing about them.
--Keep a journal.
I’ve kept one since the early 1960s.
In addition to keeping a more general journal, I keep a journal for each
book I write, including ideas, notes,
progress made, sources of research and other such. (See my new book, ROSHARA JOURNAL
as an example of what I write in my journal.—see more about the book on my
website, www.jerryapps.com)
--The importance of a good editor. Every writer
needs an editor. I’ve been blessed with having several really good ones over the years.
--As a book writer, I have responsibility for
sharing the marketing and promotion of my books. I do this through personal appearances, this
blog, Facebook, my website (www.jerryapps.com),
teaching creative writing workshops, television documentaries I do with Public Television,
radio programs, and twice monthly columns I write for the weekly newspaper, THE
COUNTRY TODAY.
I concluded my talk with these words:
Writing
is something I have to do. Writing :
--Helped
me to come out from behind myself, a shy farm kid recovering from Polio.
--Gave
me an added purpose to my life
--Caused
me to learn things I never thought I would learn, travel to places I never
thought I would visit, meet people I never thought I would meet, and pushed me
to doing things I thought I would never do.
--Taught
me to listen to the whispers and look in the shadows. Listen to the quiet sounds amidst a world of
shouting, look in the shadows where the bright light doesn’t shine.
--
Helped me learn how to accept rejection and move on
--
Taught me that there will always be writers that are better writers than I am. I I try to follow my father’s advice: Do the
best you can with what you’ve got.
Why do I continue to write full-time
?
--Because
of the many comments I get from my readers
--Because
I still can.
--Because
I’m trying to learn how to do it. When I
do I’ll probably quit.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Have you written your story?
Time to get started.
Workshop:
Writing From Your Life:
Offered at The Clearing, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on October 28. Call 920-854-4088 to learn more and to
register. A few openings remain. TELLING YOUR STORY book used as a textbook in
the workshop.
Upcoming
Events:
October
18, Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. Friends of Community Library Fundraiser Dinner. Twin Oaks Country Inn, 30807 114 Street,
Wilmot, WI. Whispers and Shadows and Roshara Journal.
October
26, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m, Carroll University, Community Conversation about Frac
Sand Mining in Wisconsin. Shattuck Music Center, 100 N. E. Avenue, Waukesha,
WI. Readings from THE GREAT SAND FRACAS
OF AMES COUNTRY. Open to the Public.
October 28, 9-4. Writing
from your life—writing workshop at the Clearing in Door County (see above for
details)
November 3, 6:30. Rock
Springs Public Library, 6:30.
November 5, 11:00 a.m. Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose,
Roshara Journal
November 10, 7:00 p.m. Menomonie Falls Public Library. One-Room
Schools
Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and
his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a
fundraiser for them):
The library now has available signed
copies of Jerry’s DVDs:
Emmy Winner, A Farm
Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season
book.)
Jerry Apps a Farm
Story (based on Rural Wit and
Wisdom and Old Farm books.)
The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows.)
Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including:
Jerry’s newest novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County.
and Wisconsin
Agriculture: A History.
Jerry’s newest books, Roshara Journal (with
photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guide book for those who
want to write their stories—are also available.
Contact
the library for prices and special package deals.
Patterson
Memorial Library
500 Division Street
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