Western Writers Chat Newsletter June 2006
JUNE Vol. 10 No. 6
~~~ Part #1 ~~~
WESTERN WRITERS OF AMERICA
CONFERENCE IN CODY, WYOMING
JUNE 13 - 17, 2006
CONFERENCE PANELS
by Pat Decker Nipper
Cody was a good place to hold the WWA convention. The weather was mild and
that Buffalo Bill Historical Center is fabulous. A number of publishers and
editors were there and they seemed receptive to interviews. Nonfiction predominated,
as it did in Spokane.
The book sale was better than any I've attended. though it was *huge*. Maybe it was the way it was laid out, but there seemed to be hundreds of writers selling their books.
The panels were OK, though they focused on men in the West, with nothing much about women during this time period. Furthermore, there was seldom any time left over for questions, which can be the most memorable part of the presentations.
This is all just my opinion, of course. I had a good time and ate way too well. Loved the buffalo meat at the banquet!
Nonfiction Panel (larger than fiction panel)
1. University of Oklahoma Press: Chuck Rankin says they do a lot with Indian studies and the U.S. West. They will publish anything about Indians--the far north, east coast, Florida, etc. However, their other western books have to be west of the Mississippi. They also do military history.
2. U. New Mexico Press: Luther Wilson says they do pretty much what U. O. Press does except they prefer the southwest. He loves everyday life in the west, especially the 20th century west. Clark likes "critters and creeks." He prefers writers who write like journalists. They do a multi-cultural series for kids (such as Cherokee grandma stories). These are around 8 page picture books.
3. Hard Shell Books: doesn't do much nonfiction (don't know why this woman was on the panel). She did say that accept YA, around 20K to 25K words. Use vocabulary from the SAT tests.
4. La Frontera: Wants to emphasize that they keep sex and bad language to a minimum. They prefer 1830s to 1930s time period.
5. Montana Magazine: They are the press of the Montana History Association. They are looking for MT history and general history--something new, as in new slant or new subjects. Likes primary research. Has an extensive index on their web site. Wants 20 pages for large articles. They do peer reviews, with reports. Likes electronic submissions. They now do only 4 or 5 books a year.
6. University of North Texas Press: Ron Chrisman says they published their first book in 1989--Texas A&M assists. They print academic and popular books, which they put out in 9 to 12 months. Likes first time authors, natural history, western life.
7. Caxton Press: Wayne Cornell says they do entirely nonfiction, from the 19th to 20th century. No invented dialog. Likes email submissions and if you don't hear right away, call him.
8. True West: Meghan Saar says they like pictures and real stories about real people. They write events from the point of view of newspapers in the old west and it becomes fictionalized. (Hmm...I'm not sure what I meant by this!) She did say she wants stories from other states, not just Arizona.
9. High Plains Press: Nancy Curtis says the do mainly nonfiction, with "a Wyoming connection." Queries by email are OK with her.
10. South Dakota Society Press: They publish 6 to 8 titles a year and are a full royalty publisher. South Dakota must be in the book somewhere. Wants cowboy material in general and anything that needs preserving in S.D. Small biographies are OK (125 pages). Wants footnotes, thought they will be taken out before publication. Pays 5K for the short pieces. Does some kid lit.
Somebody asked the difference between nonfiction and fiction. The answer was: if it has invented dialog, it's fiction.
Fiction Writing--
1. Audio Books: Truck drivers are their best customers. They want a synopsis and 3 chapters. If they like what you send, they'll call and ask you to send the rest. They make their audio books from 4 CDs, around 50,000 words, or 12 CDs, around 500 MS pages. The easiest to market are their 6 CD audio books. The company is located in Spokane and 20% of their books are originals.
2. La Frontera Publishing, based in Cheyenne: This is their 2nd year in business. They look for "a good story." (Who doesn't?) They are also looking for a good series. Their first book is a reprint of Candy Moulton's 1st book. As a query they want 1 or 2 chapters in MS Word; prefers disk plus paper.
3. Five Star Press and Hard Shell Word Factory (the latter has 200 authors; book length fiction. Closed now for submission except for people at this conference. Sci-fi is big with them. They publish electronically the first month, then go into paperback.
They don't do much nonfiction. They are OK with email queries. Each editor has 15 minutes to boost a book to their marketing department, asking for a full read. Then they write a report. Suggest you study a publisher and see if they do your kind of book. Send in a synopsis.
4. University of New Mexico Press: Luther Wilson and Clark Whitehorn took turns explaining what their press does. Namely, they do general trade nonfiction and some fiction. Luther wants contemporary western books, while Clark likes juvenile books. Luther says they have to pitch your book in 200 words or less, hence an author should be able to do the same thing. He doesn't want email. They print 80% scholarly titles, 85 books a year. It can be broken down to 6 to 8 books a season. They look at the bottom line and need to at least break even on a book.
5. Avalon. (Actually I came in late so only got the question about language. They don't like profanity, though will allow hell and damn. They are good for YA and want paper submissions.
Editorial Purgatory and How to Avoid It
1. Elmer Kelton (Don Coldsmith was supposed to be in this place but was ill): You can't really avoid the fact that publishers go out of business. His agents saved him twice. His advice: stay up with the market. He also suggested diversifying (what? write something other than westerns?). Promote yourself, especially in libraries. Don't burn your bridges, like with some editor you don't like. You might run into them at another publishing house.
2. Mike Blakely: It's all a roller-coaster; don't stop pushing. Write magazine and newspaper articles as well as books. (This is probably what Elmer meant.) Don't be a cranky writer, and don't take things personally. Keep communicating and meet the deadlines. Tell the publisher whenever you do a book signing.
3. Luther Wilson (with the point of view of the editor): Don't assume the editor is in the office all the time. Publishing should be a partnership. They try to involve their authors at every juncture. They want the authors to promote their own material.
A question came up about agents (are they necessary)--Answer: Agents can
help because they know the market. Luther says agents are more important
for fiction. Also, they can handle any legal problems that arise.
That's about it. The conference was generally well done (naturally, since Candy was in charge).
Pat
P.S. And yes, Bill and I do plan on going to Missouri. Hope to see you ALL there!
Pat Nipper
Pat Decker Nipper
http://www.patdeckernipper.com/
WESTERN WRITERS OF AMERICA
CODY WYOMING PHOTO ALBUM
Many thanks to photographers,
Rod Timanus and Stephen Lodge
for sharing their great shots
1) Buffalo Bill Cody historical museum, 2) Hats Off... Rod Timanus poses with William Cody 3) One of the many instructional panels 4) Stephen Lodge, Johnny Boggs, Rod Timanus 5) Old trail town still in Cody 6) Successful book signing 7) The Good Old Boys in Cody, Thad Turner, Kirby Jonas, Rod Timanus 8)Thad Turner with son Wyatt, Thad received Spur for best Drama, Stephen Lodge, and Andrew J. Fenady, Wister Award Winner,
1) Holiday Inn, WWA Convention site in Cody 2) Rod Miller, Membership committee Chairman greating new members 3)The great Pow Wow dance 4) Kat Martin, Stephen Lodge, Past President, Rita Cleary 5) Welcome sign 6) Natlee Kenoyer from Windsor, California celebrating her 99th birthday 7) WWA Business meeting and lunch 8) Major Mitchell and Kirby Jonas entertaining 9) Mike Logan and his great poetry 10) Listening to Cowboy Mike
NAILED
by Frazer Williamson.
"Why me, Doc?" Marshal Clay asked. "Why not Sheriff Spriggs?" "I thought it had better be you, John," Doc Albrecht said.
Clay looked at the dead man on the bed heading for rigor mortis.
"Know him?"
"Signed in as Gabe McCluskey. Late last night," Ben said. Ben Routledge owned the Hotel. "Milly, the maid, discovered him when she came to tidy the room. Ben called me after that."
The death was not natural. McCluskey had been murdered. A six-inch nail had been driven through his heart. No sign of a struggle. Probably done while he slept, Clay thought.
There was blood on McCluskeys shirt that had welled up from around the nail.
McCluskey was in his forties. He was unshaven and judging by the trail dust he seemed to have been travelling hard and come a long way.
Hed taken off his boots and gun belt. There were holes in the toes and heels of both socks. Gun belt and Colt .45 hung around the knob at the head of the bed; against the wall hed placed his Winchester. Tired, he hadnt undressed further and had thrown himself on the top of the bed and slept.
Clay picked up his saddlebag and went through it, thinking Joshua Spriggs should be doing this. He should be out seeing Virginia Andrews in Joshua where she ran the school for black children. He had an engagement ring in his pocket and he was anxious to find out if she would say yes.
"Bounty hunter," he said, holding up three wanted notices.
"Hope one of them killed him," Doc said.
"Now why would you hope that, Doc?"
Doc didnt answer. Clay let his question ride. Hed noticed the key to the room on the washstand.
"Did Milly have to open the door with her key?"
"Thats what Ben said."
"So, why not Sheriff Spriggs?"
"Saw you having breadfast."
"Youre throwin suspicion onto Joshua Spriggs. You know that?"
Doc didnt say anything.
"OK," Clay said. "We'll leave it that way. Have the undertaker remove the body, and get me that nail."
He took the guns and the saddlebag with him and went down into the lobby of the hotel and questioned Ben. After that he went to the Sheriffs office where he told Josiah Spriggs that a bounty hunter named Gabe McCluskey had been murdered in his sleep during the night.
"Know anything about this, Josiah?"
"Not until now. Who let you know?"
"Doc Albrecht."
"Ah," Spriggs said.
"Ah, what?"
"Docs not certain I didnt do it. He knows I used to kill people when I was sober which was why I was always drunk."
"You still killin' people, Josiah?"
"Only in the line of duty. Doc cured me. This job lets me kill the right people. You want to know where I was during the night. Home alone, sleepin', no witnesses."
Clay showed him the wanted notices.
"Seen any of these men here, recently?"
Spriggs went over the notices.
"Yeah, this one."
James Joyce, the poster said. Nineteen years. Wanted for murder in West Virginia. Reward $500. Dead or Alive.
"Whered you see him?"
"Hes swampin' at the Wild Rover Saloon."
They brought Joyce in without trouble, put him in a cell and questioned him.
"Who's Gabe McCluskey?" Spriggs asked.
"Never heard of him."
"Bounty hunter," Clay supplied. "Youre worth $500 to him." He showed Joyce the poster.
Joyce's big Adams apple bobbed up and down.
"Whod you murder?" Spriggs said.
"Cousin of mine, and Im right sorry about it now."
"Whered you go after the saloon closed last night?"
"Mrs. Bells boardin house. Where I live."
"Stay there all night?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Could you prove that?"
"Yeah, I could prove it."
"So, prove it."
"Why?"
"We think you killed McCluskey at the hotel last night."
"Dont know McCluskey. Wasnt at the hotel."
"So, prove it."
"I can but I aint goin to."
"Sheriff? You here?" came a call from the front.
"Mary," Joyce called back. "You go home now. Aint no call for you to be here."
* * *
Later, Clay said. "Joyce didnt do it."
"Mary Bell took it real bad about him bein a wanted man," Spriggs said.
"You sure you didnt know McCluskey at any time, Josiah?"
"You want to chew this thing through?"
"You got some ideas?"
"What I got is a logical mind."
The six-inch nail lay on the desk between them.
"McCluskey," said Spriggs, "locks his room, takes off his boots his gun belt and then falls on his bed and sleeps. After that some unknown nails him.
"When Milly opens the door with her key its comin up to ten in the mornin."
"Key was on the washstand," Clay said.
"Somebody with another key came in and did for McCluskey. Milly has a key and so, probably, does Ben Routledge," Spriggs said. "Keys are kept hanging on the key rack at the back of reception."
"Lets try find the hammer," Clay said. "The murderer must have got some blood on his clothes. It would have splashed up when he hit that nail a final blow."
They went to the alley behind the Hotel and went through all the junk and food slops that was there, but found neither hammer nor bloodstained clothes.
Nearby a fire was in the stage of burning down. They threw water on it then combed through the ashy mess and came up with charred pieces of calico.
They went into the Hotel to see Ben who told them hed seen Milly burning rubbish earlier.
"Wheres Milly now?" Spriggs asked.
"Im right here, Sheriff."
They turned round and saw Milly. She was pale but calm.
"What did you do with the hammer, Milly?" Clay asked.
"Its back in Bens tool box."
"Whyd you do it, Milly?"
"When I was ten I saw the man who killed my father. I never forgot his face. Saw him again when he checked in last night. Always swore Id nail him."
A GLANCE INTO WILL HENRYS LOOKING GLASS
by Chuck Lewis
Much of what we read in many fictional shoot-em-ups and what we see in the movies is so obviously exaggerated and inaccurate that we seldom have much faith in them for learning any real history. Readers should be aware, however, that an increasing number of todays writers of western novels are becoming more demanding of themselves and others in trying to present solid, well researched foundations for their stories. More and more history is creeping into the fiction, and the western genre is gaining more credibility.
Many such books merely tell their story against an incidental historical background. The characters and their involvement and relationship to the plot are portrayed as only playing their roles while living in actual locales or eras that provide color and interest to the storyline. These books are not written to emphasize the background history of the tale, therefore they do not dwell on playing up any actual events that take place around the characters. The authors simply make (or should make) an effort for all incidental references to be valid.
Other novels, however, have their characters truly participating in historical events, whether its being at the last days of the Alamo, at the Little Big Horn, or trailing along with Lewis and Clark. The authors, therefore, must do more extensive research, present it to us in a believable way, and give us such a feeling of confidence that we can accept the stories theyre providing us. This is, after all, an entertaining way to absorb some history. But, whom do we trust to do that?
Ive concluded that one has to gain a feel for the veracity of novels by weighing their contents against either our own personal experiences or by our knowledge of the subject gained from reading thousands of books by thousands of writers, and acquiring an instinct for truth and reality. Sometimes even the latest, genuine, true, documented, photo-laden, latest-researched, new evidence, authenticated, non-fiction, history books present contradictory material regarding any given subject. Thats usually because nobody really has had the opportunity to acquire any first-hand knowledge or feedback from their material to substantiate what theyve written. I have had one personal round-about experience in that regard, however, and it gives honor and credibility to one of the best western novelists of all.
Henry Wilson Allen (1912-1991), wrote his novels using two popular pseudonyms, being Will Henry and Clay Fisher. Most were written under the former name, and as such in 1960 released From Where the Sun Now Stands, certainly one of his all-time best. Its the story of Chief Joseph and his ally, Looking Glass 1, and the battle-ridden Nez Perce flight to Canada in 1877.
I read this book when it first came out in 1960. I was working at the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in Phoenix at the time, and I found the book exceptionally good. Although I seldom save fiction, I did keep this one and others, and still have a dozen novels by Will Henry/Clay Fisher stashed away at home because I thought they all did have a certain ring of authenticity to them.
An incidental remark during a social conversation just a few years ago in 2002 nudged a faint memory which later made me dig out my copy of the aforementioned book. Sure enough, a paper fell out from the back cover. Ive always had the habit of writing notes to myself regarding anything and everything to do with all subjects, then sticking them away in an appropriate book, and this was one of them. This old note of mine, in fact, is what prompted me to write this article and to share its message with other authors. It reads exactly as follows:
"Note: Male descendancy from the chief, Looking Glass, as well as the continuity of the Looking Glass name, ended in the very late 1930s or early 1940s. In 1963, while I was working at the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in Phoenix, Arizona, I became acquainted with a young Nez Perce woman named Andrea Bonney, from Idaho. She told me that her mothers first husband had been the last of the male Looking Glasses. Before his early death he had fathered only one living child, a daughter. After he died his widow remarried and she and her second husband were Andreas parents. Therefore, Andreas older half-sister carried on the genetic descent, but not the name. Thus the Looking Glass name has disappeared from the Nez Perce culture.
"Andrea also told me that both she and her mother had recently read Will Henrys book, From Where the Sun Now Stands, and thought it to be well written, amazingly accurate, and impressive in its presentation of Nez Perce life. Even the Nez Perce language used in the book was accurate. Altogether, they thought the book was a fair and legitimate offering in its work as novelized history, and the best of its kind they had read." (The note was dated in 1963 and signed by me).
Such praise for a novel from individuals who are historically and personally familiar with its subject should be encouraging to all writers who take those special efforts to present the truest picture of their product possible. There are people out there who care, who recognize it, and appreciate it.
I had retired from government service as a branch chief back in 1991, but I wanted to follow-up on this briefly renewed 2002 interest in the old note and to substantiate its premise. I telephoned the Nez Perce tribal council headquarters at Lapwai, Idaho, on July 17, 2002, hoping for more detailed information. By an astounding coincidence the person who answered the phone at their office was Della Cree, niece of the above noted Andrea Bonney. She did verify that Andreas mother had been married first to David Looking Glass, and had had a son and a couple of daughters by him. The son, however, died almost right away in infancy at about the same time as the fathers early death, and the mother did remarry and she and the second husband were Andreas parents. Ms. Cree confirmed that Andrea had been correct, and, indeed, that had been the end of the Looking Glass name among their people.
I wonder if Will Henry would have liked to have known all that. Somehow it wouldnt surprise me if he already had.
1 Looking Glass (ca. 1832-1877), is often referred to as having been Josephs war chief, but that does not seem to have been the case, thus I refer to him here as "ally." He was a chief in his own right, being the leader of the band of Nez Perce in his ancestral home on the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River. Although of an aggressive nature and resentful of white encroachment, he did not wholly support war against the United States until his own village was attacked, whereupon he reluctantly joined Joseph in the retreat to Canada. Chief Looking Glass had been a diplomat and negotiator more than anything else, but Joseph, being more renown and chief of the Wallowa band, was considered to have been the real war chief of the campaign, as well as primary leader of his people. Although the role of each has long been debated, in actuality military tactics and actions were mostly always decided by a council of several chiefs. Looking Glass was killed on the first day of the Bear Paws battle, October 1, 1877, that being the last stand of the Nez Perce and scene, four days later, of Chief Josephs poignant declaration of surrender.
There's more to come, Pards
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