There are some Chicagoans (probably millions) who have never been to the top of the Willis Tower. By the same token, there are some IWOC-ers (probably thousands?) who’ve never really explored IWOC’S website – never so much as taken a peek to see all the benefits and hidden jewels available.

I can jump to such an assumption because more than once, IWOC members have approached me in a panic, not knowing what to do in various circumstances. (“Oh no! I can’t make the meeting!” or “I’ve no idea how to write a contract!”) 

This has occurred often enough that it leaves me no recourse. Time to put on my Tour Guide hat and for the next few blog posts, show you around some not-to-be-missed IWOC attractions that exist on the “Member Resources” page of our website. My hope is that it will turn you into a regular visitor, a place you frequent often when looking for answers or inspiration. A place about which you can tell all your friends and fellow members. A place that in the professional sense, will make you proud enough to call IWOC “home.”  

So let us begin, shall we?

First stop:  Meeting Podcasts. Believe it or not, many members have no idea that we offer them. It’s one of the greatest benefits of being an IWOC member, because come rain or snow, flu or work overflow, the podcasts mean you never have to miss a meeting. All the information and any handouts or PowerPoint presentations are right there, to be listened to and viewed while staying in your jammies. (I can hear you “ooo-ing” and “ahh-ing” already!)  

Next stop: Contract Link. Or more specifically, the “Letter of Agreement” Link. As Samuel Goldwyn once said, “An oral contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.” So true. Coming to terms with clients when discussing the scope and cost of a project will go a lot smoother when you have it in writing. This Letter Of Agreement is ready for downloading, offering both you and your client a point of reference and peace of mind.

I’m going to let you off the bus now. Feel free to check out the above and maybe even make discoveries I might not be aware of. Share them in the comment section!

Meet you back here in a month or so, when I’ll show you some more “IWOC offers that???” highlights. 

Happy exploring!

-- Laura Stigler

In light of a recent suspicious email that circulated among IWOC members, I thought it might be appropriate to reprint a previous post of mine along with a few new thoughts. Never hurts to revisit tips we should all keep top of mind in order to make ourselves less vulnerable to hackers and scammers. I hope these help: 

In terms of privacy, the only thing that’s safe to say is that that nobody’s safe. If you so much as glance at a YouTube video, peek at a website, have a website, subscribe to anything online or even simply “like” something – boom! You’ve just given away a part of yourself. Your habits, your information – it’s all out there, and most aggravatingly, you’re now prone to be a victim of scams. Such as the one that was raised at our September, 2020 Roundtable meeting – which triggered other scam stories.

One member – let’s call him Brian -- confessed that he was contacted for what seemed like a fabulous writing assignment from Biogen -- a well-known biotechnology company. Problem was, the “assignment” wasn’t really from Biogen. After going through hoops filling out forms and providing some pretty private information, the red flags starting waving. It had to do with requesting that Brian deposit money in a bank account. Fortunately, Brian then ceased all communication and suffered no real harm – other than wasted time and remorse for having been so trusting. 

How did this all happen? Could have been that the member’s email was “scraped” – a process where spammers obtain email lists from other spammers. If your email is on the net, you’re vulnerable. Now think of all the places where you’ve entered your email, hm? Let’s just say, lots. So I’d like to offer a few security tips, some from personal experience, some from what I’ve heard. While they aren’t guaranteed to keep you scam-proof, hopefully they could help prevent such occurrences. 

1. Regarding the latest “job offer” scam that our members received on 1/11/22. Just like that one, watch out for those that offer general flattery and purport to offer jobs, but never tell you a dang thing about the supposed job being offered – and then ask you to click on a link and apply. A strong chance it’s phony. The 1/11/22 notice also told you to click on what looked like a very weird website that didn’t even relate to the sender’s (weird) email or the name of a company (which, by the way, wasn’t mentioned). All those are big red flags. Do. Not. Click. Ever.

2. When providing your email address, replace the @ with “at”.  So it looks like:  “Alice at gmail.com”  I’ve even seen: “Alice at gmail dot com”  Looks illiterate, but supposedly these obfuscations have some degree of success in foiling the scrapers. One drawback is that it may be annoying to business prospects. So this method is up to you. Click here to get more opinions on it.

3. As mentioned in #1, sender’s email address is weird. Whether it’s seemingly from a prospective client, your bank, credit card company or any company you may have dealt with, if the sender is telling you to click on a link, DON’T! DON’T CLICK ON ANY LINKS. Look at the sender’s email address. It’s not Kosher if the address is totally different from the company it claims it’s from. For instance...

I received an email supposedly from my email provider, with their logo in the message area. Looked good! But uh-oh. They told me that my account “is about to be disconnected, so CLICK HERE TO REACTIVATE!!!” Their email address had nothing to do with my provider’s name. So I immediately marked it as spam and trashed it. (It also made no sense that my account was to be disconnected. I keep meticulous records and my auto-payments were in good standing.)

4. But even if the email does have the “correct” name, it often can include some nonsensical figures, such as in the Biogen email one member received, which was followed with a grouping of odd letters after the word “Biogen.” A dead giveaway. That being the case, trash it immediately or relegate it to “Junk.” You can also block suspicious emails. 

5. Check spelling. What if the email does look totally legit? Closely examine the message area. It might look like a genuine logo or banner. But there’s most ALWAYS a tell. Misspellings. Grammatical errors. Odd wording. Case in point: Normally I get alerts from USPS when a package is being delivered. The other day I got a so-called alert from tracking@usps.net. That email address sure looks like it was from USPS, no? But the legitimate alerts are always from “auto-reply@usps.com” (Note: not “.net”) Also, within the message, “USPS” was spelled “Usps” – upper and lowercase letters. Again, dead giveaway. Plus, the info in the message was unlike the usual messaging. Into “Junk” it went. 

6. Enter url separately in your browser. Say the email looks legit, company logo, graphics, etc. You’re directed to click on a link to “update your information” or credit card, etc. If there is a website listed in the email, and you’ve an account with that company (bank, email server, etc.), quit that email, go to your browser and enter the company's actual url separately. If you have anything to correct or update with your account, you’ll know it by going to your profile. Either you’ll have a message waiting, or you’ll see for yourself if any info needs updating. Still have questions? Call the company. If it’s legit – or not, they’ll tell you so. 

7. Google the company name or key word followed by the word “scam.” If Brian searched “Biogen scam,” he would have seen a list of reports of the scam that borrowed the name of this reputable company.  "Apraxia scam" also is infamous, and is one that keeps popping up in our emails.

8. How is the email signed in the signature area? If there's no name, that's a huge hint that something is off.

9. Call.  If there's a phone number, call them! This could tell you a lot about the legitimacy. Especially if you can get in a convo with them. Trust your instincts.

And finally...

10. Never open an email from the IRS. They never use email. They only send directly through USPS.

These are just a few of the warning signs that when not heeded, can open you up to computer viruses and worse.  Be vigilant. The best rule of thumb is: Don’t click on anything or respond to anything that looks the slightest bit suspicious. Trust your instincts. It’s safe to say, they’re usually spot on.

-- Laura Stigler

 P.S. Have more hints? Just click the 3 dots by the headline to comment.

“There are only two forces that can carry light to all the corners of the globe … the sun in the heavens and The Associated Press down here.” --Mark Twain

The above quote was published today by--wait for it--the Associated Press (AP). Well, I wonder how many people even know what the AP is. Journalism majors and others in the news business are familiar with it, but I imagine most folks have never heard of it, or its class of trade -- the wire service.

You can Google it -- but that's the point. Wire services were created shortly after the invention of the telegraph, in 1846 to be precise. It used the new technology to get the news out across the country, enabling information to travel at close to the speed of light from sea to shining sea.

Today, this seems trivial. You must remember this, though: before the invention of "the wire" as the telegraph was nicknamed, it could take months for news to travel across great distances via media such as the Pony Express. The speed of information was limited to the speed of physical travel, by horse or wind. Terrestrial news was like light from a distant galaxy. The concept of relativity comes to mind. To cite just one example of the often-tragic cost of the snail's pace of information dissemination, the Battle of New Orleans was fought after a treaty was signed to end the War of 1812.

Thus, "time makes ancient good uncouth." Huh? That was my reaction the first time I heard the quote. It was over 30 years ago. When my septuagenarian boss uttered those seemingly odd words, it was the first time, but not the last, I heard them. As time marched on, their insight resonated more and more powerfully.

Their source is a poem by James Russell Long: "The Present Crisis":

"New occasions teach new duties


Time makes ancient good uncouth"

So, when Twain praised the AP, he was right, but the AP using this ancient quote in the 21st Century is quite a stretch.

Time often makes ancient good uncouth. Many of the attitudes, notions, conventions, and traditions of my youth were good then but most uncouth now. Time marches on, crushing ancient wisdom. I keep a 1965 edition of the encyclopedia as a reminder of how wrong we were then. So, living in the past is a very poor choice. Citing old bromides can make an author look dated.

21st Century technology has been a mixed blessing for society. We live in an information age where bad news and rumor, fake news and misinformation still seem to win the race. When the AP was in its heyday, it was THE source for news. Today, everybody is their own wire service. The ubiquity of information technology has some terrible side effects.

However, one must not be a Luddite. Eschewing technological progress is the wrong answer. Instead, we must not only master technology but human nature. While Facebook and other social media are often blamed for the human condition, in fact they are just the latest information technology. The challenge is to teach folks to evaluate information better. While everyone is created equal in terms of human rights, everyone is capable of being a publisher these days, and everyone is entitled to their opinion, not everyone is an equally valuable or credible source.

The internet has disrupted the information marketplace in many ways. One of the most impactful is that it has made information valuation a much more challenging task. There are so many sources to choose from -- literally billions -- that it is more important than ever to entrust only trustworthy sources.

Terry Nugent is an IWOC Board member. President-Elect of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) GCAC, and Principal at Terryfic Writing, LLC.

The IWOC Winter Holiday Party 2021 came and went. And what a swell soirée it was! Everybody who is anybody was there -- as many as in pre-pandemic days, if not more! Nevertheless, there were many, many anybodies who were not there. Those sweet souls were sorely missed. Perhaps they’ll join us next time? Oh, darlings, let’s hope so!

The whole affair took place in the Rainbow Room at the Waldorf – oh, wait. Silly me. I’m thinking of something else. This one was at the exotic Star of Siam on Illinois Street, just east of that Great Street. En masse, in masks, we all descended into the restaurant’s lower level, entering a warmly lit room spacious enough should anyone have the wild idea of breaking into the Lambeth Walk.

The maître d' asked if we would like music piped in. I politely told him, “No thank you, our lively conversation and irreverent wit will be musical enough!” Truth be told, our dear Cole Porter had another engagement and when asked, Noël Coward refused on the grounds he will not play second fiddle – or as he so cleverly put it, second piano to anyone, let alone to Cole. So we went without music – but nothing else!

Did someone say, “food”?  I was just getting there! Would you like a grand tour of the buffet table? Come this way, darlings. I will point everything out – just stand back a bit, please. In case you dribble. 

First, there were the hors d’oeuvres, starting with the satays: Spears of grilled chicken and beef, to be dipped in peanut sauce. Yes, peanut sauce! Can you imagine??? There was most flavorful gyoza – chicken & veggie-filled dumplings wrapped in a delicate – what would you call it, noodle? Pasta? How should I know! I never touched a cooking pan in my life! There were rows upon rows of veggie spring rolls, cut in adorable bite-size morsels. And a refreshing cucumber salad steeped in a sweet-sour vinaigrette. Je ne regrette pas la vinaigrette! 

Let’s move on to the entrees, shall we? There was a bowl of Pad Thai piled high – a dish comprised of noodles and other sparks of deliciousness. There was cashew chicken! mixed with pineapples, pea pods, bell peppers, straw mushrooms and those devilish dried hot peppers (on which I specifically warned the chef to go lightly. Still, one poor gentleman found himself choking on an errant hot pepper hidden amongst the chicken. I offered him my flute of champagne. Crisis averted! Merriment resumed.) And then there was my personal favorite – slender slices of tender beef frolicking amongst the broccoli in an outrageously savory oyster sauce. If I could, I would bathe in it! Dessert: fresh, juicy slices of pineapple and papaya. Exquisite! Sadly, there was no tureen of mock turtle soup, due to the shortage of mock turtles. But we managed. 

Sated to the brim, everyone was in fine fettle. After my brief, incoherent “Welcome!” speech to the guests, I passed out wee boxes of Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels I procured from a charming castaway in Tahiti who went by the name of Trader Joe. He was hawking these decadent treats from a rather rundown straw hut. Feeling sorry for him, I bought out his entire stock and because of that, he is now retired comfortably in...where else? Tahiti!

Throughout the evening the banter and laughter flowed as easily as the prohibited beverages. In the end, the floor opened up, revealing a sparkling swimming pool beneath. We all joined hands and dove in, fully clothed, splashing around, gaily singing and screaming as top hats, tiaras, satin heels and sequined masks bobbed about us. 

It was an affair to remember.

Happy 192 – I mean, Happy 2022, everyone! Cheers! 

-- Laura Stigler

Editor's Note: Post was edited for Stet. To read Audrey Wilson's full article published on her blog, click here.

You’ve done it. You’ve finished your book. You’ve edited it to perfection. You’re ready to show it to the world. Which means you’re ready for your window to that world; the Query Letter.

I queried my debut thriller Wrong Girl Gone for nearly five years before receiving a publishing offer, and I learned a lot along the way. For example, your manuscript might be great. Your idea might be pure gold. But a major aspect of publishing is marketing, and if you can’t sell your book with an A+ pitch, how can you expect a publisher to? If you’re ready to take the next step on your journey to becoming a published author, consider the following when writing your query letter.

1. Personalize Your Introduction - Many agents receive hundreds of impersonal query letters a week. Finding an agent or publisher that’s a good fit for your manuscript takes time and patience. After all, you wouldn’t want to submit your YA Fantasy Romance to an agent who only reps Literary Fiction. Show the person you’re querying that you took that extra twenty minutes to learn about what they’re looking for in a manuscript.

2. Perfect Your Logline - Essentially, you’re narrowing your story down to three key points: Your protagonist, the setting, and the main conflict. Once you’ve identified those, arrange them into an interesting sentence that tells the agent what’s unique about your book and why they should want to read it. We’ve included an example below, but for more examples, scroll through your Netflix queue.

Example: Aerial’s life in her small hometown is threatened when a mysterious stranger from an alien planet not only captures the watchful eye of the townspeople, but also captures Aerial’s heart.

3. Summarize Your Book in One Paragraph - A synopsis is typically a treatment or full description of what happens in your book from beginning to end, while a summary is a back-cover-style blurb that focuses only on the main plot and leaves the reader wanting more. Agents may request one or both of these. For marketable examples of summary, skim the latest bestsellers on your e-reader or at your local library.

4. Define Your Genre and Know Your Audience - Agents will want to know your book’s genre and demographic. Who will want to read your book? Is it a domestic thriller or a mystery romance? Is it geared towards men or women? What age group does it appeal to? Defining these things doesn’t exclude readers from different groups, but gives the agent an idea of how they might be able to market your book.

Example: My Book is an LGBTQ heroine-driven sci-fi romance that will appeal primarily to women, ages 18 to 34, who have an affinity for classic sci-fi films of the 1950s.

5. Choose Your Comp Titles Wisely - Comp titles can be used to describe a variety of elements in your book, from the narrative style to the underlying themes. While it’s good to make sure that one of your comp titles is a book, film and TV show comp titles can be particularly helpful when trying to describe a visual element to your book.

Example: My Book blends the raw narrative of Catcher in the Rye with the setting and style of Planet of the Apes.

6. Give Your Background - This is your chance to tell the agent or publisher a little bit about your writing background, experience, and accomplishments. Won an award for that poem you wrote last year? Tell them about it. Have another book in progress? Let them know! Share the top highlights of your accomplishments. (It’s okay to brag!)

7. Thank the Agent and Keep the Door Open - If the agent requested that you submit the first ten pages of your manuscript, include that, and let them know you’d be happy to send the full manuscript. End your query with a simple thanks, and let them know that you look forward to hearing from them. The key is to stay attentive and interested without appearing too eager.

- Audrey Wilson

About the Author

Audrey Wilson is an award-winning writer, screenwriter, and video producer with a BA in Television Writing and Producing from Columbia College Chicago. Her passion for writing has led her to the publication of her debut novel, Wrong Girl Gone.

As I sit here in lotus position upon my mountain top (remind me to bring a pillow next time), I’ve come to contemplate something no great philosopher has ever thought of before: The Secret to Happiness. What brings happiness? Living in a country where each is free to pursue their own, it’s no doubt different for everyone. For me, it’s being productive – especially when it has to do with creation. Whether it’s a project I just finished for a client, or having written a song – that’s the absolute best. Where I get most of my “highs.” It can also come from being productive in other ways. Making a particularly succulent beef bourguignon, for instance. (Ask me for the recipe.) Or finally cleaning up my office. (I can breathe better!) Anything, big or small, that I can accomplish to my own personal satisfaction makes me happy. Temporarily, at least. And that’s the catch.

Creativity. Productivity. As with anything in life that isn’t permanent, it ebbs and flows, often influencing my moods. So what can sustain us in between? Keep us buoyed during the down times? Or all the time? In light of all this heavy pondering, I’d like to share the lyrics of a song I wrote recently that might provide at least one answer. 

Picture it being sung by a guy. A real character with a twinkle in his eye. Not a spring chicken, he’s been around the block several times and after experiencing life’s ups and downs and witnessing much, has gained this bit of wisdom...

THANKS TO GRATITUDE

Written by Laura Stigler-Marier

Well I may never get to Easy Street

But I walk to town with shoes on my feet

No, that ain’t my McMansion on the hill

But my four walls keep out the evening chill

And my job may not be what dreams are made of

But at least...I ain’t been laid off

Yeah, compared to most my troubles are few

And the ones I got 

With the help of God 

I manage to get through

Yeah happiness ain’t nothing but an attitude

And I am one

Happy son-of-a-gun

Thanks to gratitude

Ya know, Easy Street has got its share of potholes

And what’s behind them mansion doors, God knows

As perfect as that other side may seem

Up close, the grass ain’t always all that green

Rich or poor, we all got our problems

If you’re alive...you got ‘em

Ah, but compared to most my troubles are few

And the ones I got 

With the help of God 

I manage to get through

Yeah happiness ain’t nothing but an attitude

And I am one

Happy son-of-a-gun

Thanks to gratitude

Thankful for my friends

For my simple life

And thank you Lord for sending me

My saint of a wife

Ohhh, happiness ain’t nothing but an attitude

And I am one 

Happy son-of-a gun

Yeah I am one 

Lucky son-of-a-gun

Thanks to gratitude

It’s all about gratitude

Thank you, gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

--Laura Stigler

P.S. If you would like to hear the melody, contact me and I could send the scratch track. Trigger warning: I’m singing it acapella. 

“Thanks to Gratitude” c2021 Laura Stigler-Marier & Ken Marier

The honeymoon phase of the 6^th term of my Presidency isn’t even over, and already I’ve broken my first promise. 

Earlier this month we took a survey of IWOC members and IWOC subscribers (non-members) to see how many would prefer to resume IWOC’s monthly programs in person, or to continue them on Zoom, starting in October. Personally, I'm chomping at the bit to resume in person. I, like so many others, are eager to get back to the back-slapping, the light and heavy conversations, the laughing and exchanging of advice and ideas that our pre-program networking hour and post-program dinners have always allowed us. And quite frankly, I’ve a couple of new outfits that I would like to wear to places other than trips to Mariano’s and walking my dog, Chip. 

Putting my own motives aside, we (the Board of Directors and myself) have decided to heed the Voice of the People. Here is how it all panned out:

Of the 1,089 surveyed (66 IWOC members and 1,023 IWOC subscribers), we received 53 responses. Breaking it down...

23 voted for in-person. (16 members, 7 non-members); 30 voted for Zoom (14 members, 16 non-members)

Reasons given for not attending in person: 

a.      17 COVID (7 members, 10 non-members)

b.      4 COVID + location (3 members, 1 non)

c.       1 COVID + schedule conflict (1 non)

d.      1 COVID + city crime (1 member)

e.      3 location  -- too far (2 members, 1 non)

f.       1 schedule conflict (1 member)

g.      1 never attended any meetings (1 non)

h.      2 no reason given (2 non)

While it is tempting to prioritize IWOC members in our decision making, who as you can see, favored in-person by a narrow margin, we couldn’t ignore how the majority had voted overall. Plus, feeling the weight of responsibility in these matters, the Board also had to take its own concerns into consideration. Even though several of us would have preferred to meet in person, we thought at this juncture, given that the Delta variant is still hanging around, it’s best to err on the side of caution. Therefore, despite my declaration in last month’s President’s Post that the October program will be held in person, the Board has decided it will take place on Zoom. We will reconvene and determine how to proceed for November. 

We know this is disappointing to many of you who are eager to return to normalcy and be able to talk without having to unmute yourselves, but here is the good news: For those who yearn to get together, we will be starting the IWOC Supper Club, where once each month – or every other month, we can meet and socialize at various restaurants around the city and ‘burbs. Don’t get too excited yet. We are still in the planning stages. But we hope that the idea is enough to get the hearts of all you social butterflies a-fluttering. And then, of course, there will be our annual Holiday Party in December – which, if it’s anything like our recent IWOCFest, should be one heckuva well-attended lively event. 

Until then, stay safe, stay healthy. The best is yet to come. I promise.

-- Laura Stigler

After the cancelled 2020 event, Lit Fest 2021 came back this September 11th and 12th much the same as in past years. The same sections of Dearborn and Polk streets were blocked off — to be filled with tents and tables for exhibitors. And IWOC sublet a portion of a tent from the Illinois Woman’s Press Association (IWPA) as in the past several years.

What was different this year was our space. Instead of crowding IWOC authors' books and IWOC promotional material onto one-half of an eight-foot table, we had an entire table. This ensured plenty of room for both of our activities. It also provided a comfortable space for the authors and volunteers staffing our exhibit.

Four IWOC authors (Cindy Bertram, Adela Durkee, Anna Marie Kukec Tomczyk, Joseph Wycoff) displayed their books and were all successful in making sales. They also covered a number of volunteer slots over the two days, supplementing the other IWOC member volunteers.

A great big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support IWOC.

The Lit Fest attendee turnout for the event was less than in the most recent few years but was sufficient to make the effort worthwhile. That was reflected in the 39 sign-ups for our email list as compared to 50 or 60 in the last few years. But those who stopped at our exhibit seemed more interested in our presentations. In all, it was a successful two days in the Printers Row neighborhood of Chicago.

- George Becht

“What day is it? Is there an end in sight? And where the heck did I put my phone?” Those were pretty much the questions we all were asking, over and over, during these past 12 months. Every day seemed like Groundhog Day as we tried to create some semblance of normalcy in what was definitely an abnormal year. Having had to shelter in place for much of it, a trip to CVS became my idea of a good time. And dining in an igloo in 20º weather was an experience I won’t soon forget. Lost in the maelstrom of masks, vaccines and confusing mandates, at least there have been some things that served as a calm within. An anchor. A North Star, if you will. One of those things was IWOC.

Looking back on 2020-2021...

No lockdown was going to keep us down.

No way. While some organizations seemed to have lost their way, IWOC carried on seamlessly, transitioning our in-person meetings to Zoom. At 6:00pm on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, we all had a specific destination, and knew when we got there, we could escape for one hour and immerse ourselves in information and amiable discourse that would help make us wiser business people, savvier self-marketers, unleash our full creative potential and even flick on a few light bulbs about career options for writers we might never have thought of otherwise.

2020-21 IWOC Programs

Having assembled a year’s-worth of programs was Program Chair Jeff Steele and his stellar Program Committee members Vladimire Herard, Betsy Storm and Scott Winterroth. Members who missed any can download the podcasts on our website’s Member Resources page and relive such info- and advice-packed gems as the following, listed in chronological order:

• Twitter for Writers (presented by IWOC member / Ghostwriter Alicia Dale)
• Current Legal Issues (by Lawyers for the Creative Arts)
• Make 2021 Your Most Creative Year Ever! (Global panel hosted by IWOC member / Blogging Instructor and co-founder of Content Academy, Scott Winterroth)
• How Audiobooks can Increase Your Book Sales (Audiobook expert and founder of Fort Raphael Publishing Company, Kevin Theis)
• Building Your Website: Hire a Designer or DIY? (Dawn Verbrigghe, CEO of Jottful Website Design and Dorka Kardos-Latif, Online Marketing Manager of Copyfolio, a DIY website builder)
• Writing for Trade Magazines (Editors Lisa White, Craig Barner and IWOC Member / Journalist Jeff Steele)
• Unleashing Your Story (Written Legacy Coach Danielle Perlin-Good)
• Promoting Your Writing with Video (Video Producer Reno Lovison)
• How Public Speaking can Grow Your Writing Business (Award-winning international keynote Speaker/Trainer Clinton Young)
• Build Your Professional Brand(Marketing/Communications strategist, speaker, adjunct instructor Susan Caplan

IWOSC Programs

IWOC members also attended, free of charge, several of the programs offered by our West Coast sister organization, Independent Writers of Southern California. Over the course of the year, they were treated to:

• What Writers Must Know About Finding & Working with Representation Today (IWOSC’S Annual Literary Agents Panel)
• “Drama Pajama” Virtual Conference for Playwrights (Alliance of L.A. Playwrights)
• How to Write Funny (panel of award-winning film and TV comedy writers)
• New Film & TV Writing Opportunities in 2021 (panel of distinguished producers, screenwriters)
• Write More in 2021 (bestselling author and personal coach, Dr. Marty Nemko)
• Writing Successfully for Children in Today’s Complex Time (panel of Children’s writers)
• Writing What You Don’t Know. Yet. (journalist-turned-novelist Christina Hoag)
• Taking Great Photography for Fun & Profit (National Geographic photographer Erika Fabian)
• Conversation with bestselling author T.C. Boyle

Events of Interest

IWOC and IWOSC were not the only ones who put on outstanding programs. We also informed IWOC members about these world class events:

• "Craft Your Story for Success" Workshop (Lynn Sanders, founder of Difference Makers Media)
• Chicago Quarterly Review: Anthology of Black American Literature Group Reading
• What to Consider when Starting a Podcast with Word Press (hosted by Chicago WordPress Community Meetup)
• “Make This Your Most Creative Year Ever!” (Scott Winterroth’s proprietary Global Virtual Weekend Summit)
• Attaining the Ever-Elusive Work/Life Balance as a Freelancer (Upwork Expert Talk)
• How the Publishing Industry has Evolved in 2020 (Chicago Women in Publishing)
• So You Want to Write a Novel (best-selling author Kayla Ancrum) 
• Bestseller Book Marketing Copy Secrets (webinar hosted by author/book publishing consultant Judith Briles, featuring award-winning Copywriter & Consultant Casey Demchak).
• C3 Word Games (IWOC Member/Ghostwriter Alicia Dale)

Promoting our members

Proud of their breaking news and accomplishments, horns were tooted for...

• Scott Winterroth’s hosting of his proprietary “Make this Your Most Creative Year Ever!” Global Virtual Weekend Summit
• Jeff Steele’s guest appearance on 1070am radio show, “Multifamily Matters” out of Houston, TX
• Roger Rueff's webinar based on his book, Discovering the Soul of Your Story
• Anna Marie Kukec Tomczyk’s publication of her first book, We Are Eagles: Inspiring Stories of Immigrant Women Who Took Bold Steps in Life through Literacy
• Terry Nugent’s launch of his newly-branded business, Terryfic Writing, LLC.
• Alicia Dale’s launching of her “First Draft Group” Writing Workshop and “Nonfiction Notes” Newsletter 
• Francine Friedman’s recently published novel, Beyond the Green
• Tina Jenkins Bell’s review of Chicago Quarterly Review’s new Anthology of Black American Literature, published in the South Side Weekly

Speaking of speakers...

We’ve added a "Be a Guest Speaker" page to our website where experts on any number of topics relevant to writing or the business thereof can request to be a guest speaker at one of our monthly programs. Voilà! We’re attracting requests from across the country. Speaking of which, that’s how we nabbed our October speaker, who will be Zooming in from San Francisco. Keep an eye out for the details. It’s gonna be a good one. 

By the way, if you happen to know or have a suggestion for a speaker whom you think would appeal to IWOC members, tell us – or if it’s someone you know, encourage them to fill out the form on our Be a Guest Speaker page (under the Calendar tab at www.iwoc.org) Perhaps you, yourself, would like to speak on a topic dear to your writerly heart – or business-minded head? Fill out the form! IWOC’ers love hearing from experts who are one of their own.

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! And, oh yes, Jobs!

Another addition to the IWOC website is a page that's chockfull of links to the hottest Job Sites for Writers. As of this writing, 50 are listed. And ever growing. Accessible to members only, any one of these links can lead to your next profitable gig or long-term client relationship. If you haven’t already, start exploring!

Perk alert

The idea that bubbled up last year is now a reality: it’s the Member Referral Awards, where you will get 10% off your next membership renewal fee if you’ve referred a new member. But wait, there’s more! Get 20% if you’ve referred two that same year! Etc. The process is simple. Contact Membership Chair Jeff Steele when it’s time to renew your membership. Let him know who the new members are that you referred, and we’ll create a special coupon code that you’ll enter when paying your renewal fee. 

Finding ourselves back on track

At last, like Groundhog Day’s Punxsutawney Phil, we’re emerging from our mandated hibernation. Yes, there’s the shadow of the Delta variant that may have us scampering back into lockdown, but we are more optimistic. So much so that we’re planning our first in-person meeting for October. The only one on Zoom will be the aforementioned guest speaker, who will be displayed on the big beautiful flat screen for all meeting attendees to see and with whom we’ll be able to exchange Q&A. 

Actually, we already did an in-person “test run” in August when we celebrated IWOCFest at Athena Restaurant, where 20 members – some masked, most not – got together for the much-needed camaraderie and indulgence in a multi-coursed meal worthy of the Greek Gods. It was glorious seeing everyone laughing, talking and knock wood, in good health. 

But great as the year was (in IWOC terms), let’s close the book on this one and look forward to the next, when we can hopefully find ourselves back to normal at last. 

A votre santé!

-- Laura Stigler

For his 79th birthday, my father requested Ghost Soldiers, a nonfiction book about U.S. Army Rangers rescuing 500 American POWs at a Philippines prison camp during World War II.

My father served in the United States Army during WWII, in the Pacific Theater, but didn’t talk about his own service until he finished that book. Then he spread his artifacts on the dining room table for us. A black and white photo of him, looking young and slim in his army uniform. An edition of Yank - The Army Weekly. A cloth badge from his unit with the Amphibious Engineers. A hand-written postcard he’d mailed to his sister from Kamakura, Japan.

In 1943, my father was sent to West Virginia University, to study engineering in an army cadet leadership program called the Army Services Training Program (ASTP). He was 20 years old. The U.S. expected a long war, and wanted future officers who were college graduates. But in 1944, the program suddenly shut down, and sent enrollees to load ships in New Orleans, then work at a cannery in California before being shipped to the Pacific.

Now, my father opened up maps of the Philippines and Japan, and traced his finger along the paths his unit followed during the war. He shared sad stories, humorous stories. He requested other historical nonfiction books for his birthday and the holidays. We gave him Citizen Soldiers, Lost in Shangri-La, Flags of Our Fathers, With Wings Like Eagles, Shadows in the Jungle, The Girls of Atomic City. I bought him a WWII Vet cap, which he proudly wore when we took him to Veterans Day celebrations, military concerts, and the 75th anniversary of D-Day held at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL.

Tom Brokaw’s book of personal stories told by World War II vets, called The Greatest Generation Speaks: Letters and Reflections, appealed to my father. “I’ve been waiting for someone to say this happened!” he said, after reading one vet’s account of one thousand U.S. planes and bombers filling the sky when the Japanese surrendered on the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945. My father had witnessed the surrender and airpower flyover from the shore. But surrender didn’t mean he sailed right home -- my father was assigned to stay on in Japan for the U.S. occupation.

He was deeply moved by Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken, about the survival and resilience of WWII airman Louis Zamperini. I'd bought him the author’s previous book, Seabiscuit, about a racehorse that electrified the sports world in 1938. He passed the book on to me after finishing it. It’s fun to think about how my family watched another amazing horse named Secretariat win the Kentucky Derby in 1973 -- and then go on to win the Triple Crown. My father was as thrilled as his children, and talked about that horse often.

My father eschewed novels, mysteries, science fiction. He preferred nonfiction books with a historical bent (some of which read like thrillers). An employee at Women and Children First bookstore in Chicago raved about The River of Doubt, which covered Theodore Roosevelt’s harrowing adventure in the Brazilian rainforest. I gave that to my father, then bought him Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten City, which is also set in the Amazon.

Since he had an interest in how things worked (he could build, fix or repair anything), I gifted my father The Path Between the Seas, which was about the building of the Panama Canal, then The Wright Brothers, both books by David McCullough.

When he worked as a patent attorney, my father read and wrote about inventions. Plus, his father (my grandfather) was a printer at the Chicago Tribune. So I bought Paper, a fascinating book about paper and printmaking, following author Mark Kurlansky’s book discussion at the 2016 Printers Row Book Fair.

For Father’s Day 2017, I gave him Implacable Foes: War in the Pacific 1944-1945. My father treasured the book. He filled it with bookmarks, wrote in the margins, talked of favorite passages, shared even more memories with us.

Over a year later, it became hard for him to read due to eye problems and cognitive issues, and he thought it best that we stop giving him books. That was hard for me to accept.

September 1 marks one year since my father died, at age 97. Losing him has meant struggling with a huge hole in my life. There are overarching feelings of sadness, and a tremendous sense of loss. I find myself in a wrestling match, trying to ensure happy moments can rise above unrelenting pain.

I take comfort in knowing these books enlarged him, enlightened him, and informed his life. I’m grateful for the sacrifices he made. I feel we can never thank him enough. And I’m glad that many of these books helped my father process the emotions that he’d shut down related to WWII.

Stacks of books. Peace and pain. A jumble of memories, a lifetime of love.

-- Sarah Klose