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Writerly Lessons (Intern Final Report, Excerpts) Vanessa Everett, fall 2006
When I began this internship, I wanted it to benefit me as a creative writer. I wanted to leave the internship a better writer than I was when I began, and I wanted to have a better understanding of the publishing world. I believe this is being accomplished in three primary ways: researching and listening to the writers interviewed on New Letters on the Air, reading manuscripts and proofs for the magazine, and considering marketing methods for the magazine and the radio show. Listening to the various writers who visit New Letters on the Air gives me insight into the life of a writer and the work ethic that is required. That must be one of the most significant things I’ve noticed in the interviews – the patience and sheer dedication it takes to produce good writing, and then to get it published. . . . . I am encouraged, rather than disheartened, knowing that my writing difficulties are not new and that award-winning writers struggle for ideas and get distracted just as I do. It shows me that sometimes writing comes slowly and that it doesn’t always pour out with ease and fluency. It steels me for the labor to come and reminds me that writing is a job and a profession as much as it is an art. . . . . Some of the things authors say in their interviews with Angela Elam really make me think about where stories come from. “I’m not at a point yet where I can write about things I don’t know, and I sorta knew that place,” Lombardo says of his childhood home. “I didn’t pay attention to a lot of things I was supposed to pay attention to when I was a child, but I was quiet and I paid attention to people” (Lombardo). . . . These comments remind me that I don’t have to travel the world or go to war or experience extreme disaster or extreme joy to create interesting fiction. Like these writers, my source material is already near at hand. . . . . Over the course of this internship, I read 27 fiction submissions, 26 poetry submissions and four essay submissions for New Letters publication. Reading these manuscripts opened my eyes to the fact that I am in a pool of peers. Even though I could learn a lot from many these writers, I’m also every bit as good as many of them. I can join their ranks. I write this not to be arrogant but to vocalize a fact that buoys me as I enter the literary world. I once thought of getting published as a distant, future event that wouldn’t happen until I “get good.” But reading the manuscripts, and seeing the cover letters showing how many times these writers have been published, reminds me that getting published can easily happen while I’m getting good – that it’s part of getting good. In addition, reading these manuscripts and reading the proofs for the upcoming New Letters issues helps me identify good writing. I recognize quality writing with more ease, and I recognize the factors that make it good writing, which is a significant lesson. I take this back to my own writing and labor over it to be sure it has those factors. For example, a story that seems to have no direction or forward movement doesn’t hold my interest when I’m reading manuscripts, so I must make sure that my own writing has aim and momentum. Often, when I read manuscripts and proofs, I think to myself, “Where is this going?” Now, I have started asking myself that question while I’m writing to ensure that readers don’t ask it. A manuscript with characters who think or talk more than they act often prompts me to write “boring” on the comment sheet of the submission. Hence, I look more closely at my own characters to make sure they are dynamic and active. In an effort to write more lively characters, I have even started checking my outlines and scene synopses to see how many active verbs there are. Also, a story overloaded with social or thematic commentary reminds me to streamline my work to focus on one or two important themes and let the drama and the story make the commentary on its own. While I believe, unlike some, that fiction can have a message or even a lesson, I do see how it can be overly obvious, too easy or too unbelievable. My obligation is to present my arguments and themes in a way that challenges me and my readers. Another lesson of this internship was how to make writing and literature attractive. I staffed two promotional tables, wrote several press releases and a marketing letter, and created a promotional CD package about New Letters on the Air to distribute to radio stations. The promotional CD package is still in its rough stages and I’d like to help with its development even after the internship ends. These marketing efforts make me think about how non-writers view literature and talking about literature. This helps me think about which parts of a New Letters on the Air interview I would use as marketing material or which poets in New Letters to recommend to readers – those who might be more accessible than others. . . . Once again, it leads me to my own writing. I don’t want to write for a particular set of people. I don’t want only bookish types or only religious people to read my work. I would like my work to be accessible and enjoyable for a large number of people. This makes me want to try writing in different genres and different media. My way of thinking about writing might not be popular, but I want to give my writing the same qualities I strive to cultivate in my own personality – approachability, openness, friendliness and intelligence. I have been told many times that literary fiction should deal with the darkness of humanity, but I question whether that should always be the case. I recognize the existence of a black side, and I am not afraid to write about it, but I don’t want to be bound by that. Humanity contains light as well and I want my writing to reflect it. This internship has not only taught me about writing – the dedication it takes, the factors that make up good writing, and how to make it attractive to others – but it has also cemented for me the kind of writer I want to be. # # # |
Behind the Scenes (Intern Final Report, Excerpts) Matthew T. Merryman, fall 2006
Over the past four months I have learned a great deal about what goes on in running a literary operation from the New Letters and BkMk Press staff. During the internship for BkMk Press, Ben Furnish has delegated certain assignments and responsibilities that required work I had never previously been subjected to. These roles included aspects of media relations where I was to contact a variety of venues, such as bookstores, libraries, and other places conducive to holding reading events for authors being published by BkMk Press. At the time the authors included Kerry Neville Bakken, Gladys Swan, David Swanger, and Mbembe Milton Smith. As I assembled press packets, composed media releases and marketing letters I found an appreciation for all of the hard work that goes into the non-creative side of writing. The publishing aspect and the relationships formed between writer and publication staff provided an eye-opening experience, which proved the value of staying focused on a project, as well as the need to build up contacts in a professional manner. Upon the undertaking of such tasks I was usually asked to find specific information regarding the authors, including their interests, availability, and ability to travel. After I had gotten this information the assignment shifted to contacting different venues and arranging for the appropriate materials to be sent to them. These items included the press packets, media releases, marketing letters, and copies of the books. It became clear after a few hours on the phone with prospective places of interest that this duty was a time-consuming affair, but the promotional experience allowed me to understand how vast the literary world exists outside of the writer. . . . . Aside from the duties of the internship another asset provided for my future relied on the reading materials and resource information assigned and suggested during the course of the semester. The materials from New Letters, Elements of Style, On Writing Well, and other style manuals have heightened my awareness of the content, context, and grammatical elements pertaining to the art of writing. These materials proved to be timely and pertinent to the field and have changed the way I view the study of writing. Furthermore, I believe these different materials have been an important asset to my maturity as a writer. The practicum also provided opportunities outside of the University House setting. During the internship I ran a promotional table for Professor Sam Witt's reading at The Writers Pace. Being able to promote New Letters and sell Professor Witt's books made for an enjoyable engagement. I also participated in a radio interview at KKFI thanks to Stacey Tolbert. Getting to promote the Mbembe event and read his poetry on the air was a proud moment for me. At the Mbembe event I was given another opportunity to read. This time I read one of my own poems to the audience, and that experience was a honor in itself. I had never read in front of such a large audience before, and the confidence I gained from participating in the program was welcome. . . . . With the internship came responsibility to do work on a professional level requiring a degree of patience not experienced in most course work. The leadership and congenial attitude of the staff made the internship a gratifying affair. My ability to revise proficiently will still grow with further practice, but I now feel the mindset has been instilled and the tools put in place. The most important lesson I learned during this time has been to maintain a professional attitude in concerns to literature, and then to always revise, and then to revise again. This lesson will stay with me throughout my career. The publication practicum exceeded my expectations for an internship. I am grateful for the experience and knowledge the entire New Letters and BkMk Press staff has passed along to me. I have become more disciplined in this field, because I truly appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes. On closing, I have no suggestions on how to improve the practicum, and I can only say that the organization and requirements of the work seemed to be sufficient and fair. # # # |