Hoffman Center Blog

Local writers get creative with Susan Wooldridge

When it comes to getting creative, there are few writers that haven’t picked up an exercise or two from Susan Wooldridge’s book poemcrazy.  There’s at least one writing group in town that regularly uses that resource in its weekly writing sessions.  But, just ask anyone who was in the workshop on Sunday, November 8, and they’ll each say having the author lead the exercises was even better.

“The impact was so much bigger than just reading the book,” said Kathie Hightower, co-founder of the Manzanita Writers’ Series.

In addition to creating a group ‘word pool’,  doling out her famous ‘word tickets’ , pages from an old dictionary, and books by other poets, Susan also passed around postcards of paintings and paint chips from a hardware store to inspire participants and trigger new ways of expressing themselves.

“I want you to steal words,” she exclaimed.  ”Be a thief!”  And that’s just one way she gets writers to get off their regular track.  She also exhorted participants to lie.  ”Lie to tell the truth,” is how she puts it, again to encourage writers to stretch beyond their usual writing habits. Along with the writing, Susan had the group laughing and dancing.

If you don’t already have poemcrazy, there are still some signed copies at Cloud & Leaf Bookstore in Manzanita.  Plus, Susan’s new book Foolsgold:  Making Something from Nothing (and freeing your creative process) is also available.

Local writers Garry Gitzen, Judy Crandall, and Marko Smith at the Self-Publishing Workshop

Local writers got an in-depth look at all the options available for publishing their work.  Print-on-demand technology has opened the door for a lot of writers who might otherwise not get their work in print.  According to Helen Gallagher, author of Release Your Writing, there are many writing projects that lend themselves very well to the self-publishing model.  If you have a very specialized topic that’s aimed at a narrow audience, need the book to establish your professional credentials, have a collection of essays or articles, or want to release a book that has gone out of print, you’ll be well-served to explore your options.

In the past, self-publishing meant you had to contract with a printer on your own and then ended up with a garage full of books to sell.  That’s still an option–especially for books where the paper quality or images are especially important.  However, now you can upload your book to a variety of print-on-demand publishers and order books just as they’re needed.  Several will also make your book available at online retailers and in the databases regular retailers use to order books.

Just because you can easily get your book into print, though, doesn’t mean you can forego important key elements.  The cover has to be well-designed and compelling, and solid editing is mandatory.  And once your book is available online, it’s all the more important to focus on marketing it.

For more information and resources, go to Helen’s web site www.releaseyourwriting.com, or pick up her book at Ekahni Books in Manzanita.

You'll always meet interesting people at the Hoffman Center!

A colorful crowd gathered for the first movie in what we hope becomes an ongoing Film Series.  It was Halloween Night after all, and we screened the 1922 silent film classic Nosferatu.  Film afficionados, Craig Nern and Terri Desaro organized the event.  Craig introduced the film with interesting facts about the movie’s inception.  It was in effect an unauthorized interpretation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.  Only a few names were changed, but otherwise the story was basically the same.

An excellent example of the Expressionist movement in film, Nosferatu has a dark and moody atmosphere — perfect for Halloween — and Max Schreck (whose last name in German means ‘fright’), played his role to perfection.  A creepier vampire would be hard to find (even Klaus Kinski couldn’t do it better, in the 1979 remake Nosferatu, the Vampyre).

Who is that lady with the Fez?

Right now we’re looking for volunteers to further develop the Hoffman Center Film Series.  We’re lucky enough to have received start-up funds for the movie licensing fees for several more shows, as well as promotional activities.   If you love movies and maybe have even dreamed of running your own cinema or film festival, here’s a splendid opportunity to go for it.  If you’re interested, email us at hoffmancenter@nehalemtel.net.