On A Few Useful Memories

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By Anne K. Kaler, PhD

“Writers waste lots of paper but few useful memories.”

Is that a provocative sentence for a writer? Tony Hillerman uses it to end a paragraph describing how he uses a memory of an actual helicopter ride deep into a canyon as a major action in his mystery Hunting Badger.

Anne Kaler Head Shot
Anne Kaler

If a novelist as skilled as Hillerman can use his memory, why can’t we as writers use our memories – good and bad alike – to flesh out our fictions? Well, we can and we do.  Pearl Buck herself employed familiar touches in her writings to enhance the scenes.  Her children have even recognized several of them and treasured them.

In a way, we as writers inhabit many worlds, some of which are real. One of those worlds lies in our memory bank, just waiting to be withdrawn and put to use in another of our worlds, that of our writing. Of course, once the memory is withdrawn and staring us in the face, it must be transformed to fit the place it will be deposited into our story. That means that we have to revisit just how the memory affected us then and how it affects us now. Continue reading “On A Few Useful Memories” →

How to Write a Book Synopsis

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By Anne K. Kaler, PhD

“Send me a synopsis,” says your literary agent or editor.

Anne Kaler Head Shot
Anne K. Kaler

“Synopsis,” you say, “Sure. I’ll get mine in the mail to you.”

“Just as soon as I figure out just what it is,” you add under your breath as panic scrambles the few brain cells you have left.

And you thought writing was easy?

Do you run to the dictionary to check the meaning of the word?  Do you Google it? Do you call up a writing partner to advise you? Or do you give up in despair because you know that you are going to have to venture into the major leagues of the craft of writing without a bat, ball, or glove. Continue reading “How to Write a Book Synopsis” →

New resources for writers

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To augment our blog posts on events, our Literary Journal and the craft of writing, we are launching a new category called Resources. Here we will list specific advice, reference books, and websites for writers.

penWe begin with four outstanding topics graciously supplied by our popular workshop leader and published author, Anita Nolan. Click the links that follow:

Check back often for more articles and expand their selection. Share topics you’d like us to add.

May Writers Guild Meeting Recap

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By Linda Donaldson

The turnout of 15 members this month yielded several new members and an abundance of work to discuss – six excerpts were shared!

We introduced new two-sided tent card name signs printed in a large font. Placed on the tables in front of each member, they work better than small name tags in allowing us to all get to know each other better. Your name signs are ready and waiting for the June 19th meeting.

Members were encouraged to register on our blog http://www.psbwritingcenter.org and become a follower in order to be sure to be notified when new posts are added. It only requires creating a free Word Press login with a unique user name and password. Then you won’t miss any of our great content.

Anne Kaler shared information about the books we have shepherded through CreateSpace under the mantle of Writing Center Press. Examples of the four publications that were handed around spanned several genres: essays, memoir, non-fiction and a novel. Continue reading “May Writers Guild Meeting Recap” →

Mothers and Quilts in Romance Novels

Published on by Pearl S. Buck Writing Center3 Comments

By Anne K. Kaler, PhD

Cinderella is to blame.

The romance genre started with the Cinderella story where the innocence and loneliness of the heroine, as well as her lack of a satisfactory mother or a female support group, hindered her success in life. That meant that the early heroine had to be rescued by the rich nobleman who knew what was best for her.

Still it is not all Cinderella’s fault entirely because she was deprived of a suitable mother-figure to mold her perception of herself.  Mothers, you see, are necessary mentors for the female hero. The irony of this is that Hera, the queen of the Greek Gods, gave her name to the original hero Hercules whose name means “one who does great deeds in the name of Hera.” The word “heroine” is a weakened form of “hero” suggesting something smaller and of less value. Take, for example, the difference between the words “actor” and “actress”, “waiter” and “waitress”, and “poet” and “poetess”. The feminine form of each word suggests lesser ability even though the work accomplished is the same (and for 25% less pay.) Continue reading “Mothers and Quilts in Romance Novels” →

A Moment in Time

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By Susan E. Wagner, BA, ABD

            Late on my second day in the hospital last winter, an elderly woman arrived and took the bed next to me. She slept through that night. The next morning she woke to a foreign environment.

She shouted, “Help me. Help me,” over and over. A nurse rushed in and tried to explain to the woman where she was. The woman kept shouting. The nurse explained that the woman’s own home health aide would be there soon. That didn’t work either. More and now louder shouting continued all morning.

By afternoon, the woman was hoarse and the aide finally arrived. The aide went immediately to the woman’s side to try to calm her. Nothing worked. The woman didn’t seem to recognize the aide. It was clear she was disoriented. The aide huddled with the nurse and explained the level of dementia the woman exhibited before this latest incident sent her to the hospital.

Of course, I heard every word, there being no privacy in hospital rooms. Continue reading “A Moment in Time” →

Pearl S. Buck International serves children

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We can’t do this without you!

Each year, Pearl S. Buck International provides tens of thousands of the world’s most vulnerable children with access to basic education, life-saving nutrition and medical care—tools which are critical to breaking the cycle of poverty and helping children and families become self-reliant.

We also preserve Pearl S. Buck’s National Historic Landmark home and interpret its history to inspire thousands of visitors through tours and cross-cultural community programs so they can continue her humanitarian legacy.

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Contact Us

Mission, Vision and Beliefs

Child Sponsorship

Cultural Programs

Humanitarian Aid

Historic House Tours

Community Education

Please join us…

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Pearl S. Buck Writing Center

Writing at a Writer’s House

 Join us at the National Historic Landmark site where Pearl S. Buck penned many of her literary works. Whether you want to learn about publishing a book, writing non-fiction, submitting a manuscript of your memoirs, our year-round calendar of writing events and classes will give you the tools you need to bring out your best literary work.

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Pearl S. Buck typewriter

Our monthly Writers Guild meetings (the third Sunday afternoons from March to October) are where we share and critique our writing work-in-progress. In a friendly atmosphere, we encourage, support, and challenge writers to improve whether they are experienced writers or beginners. Our monthly Newsletter provides updates on the latest ideas on the writing craft and its opportunities. Guild members may also use request editing assistance from our skilled editorial staff. Continue reading “Please join us…” →

April Guild session celebrates Journal

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by Linda Donaldson, Editor

A merry dozen members gathered for the April 17th Writers Guild meeting, and celebrated the inaugural issue of the Pearl S. Buck Literary Journal, Spring 2016.

For those for whom life gets in the way, here is a brief summary of our meeting last Sunday at our Cultural Center.

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Next meeting is May 15, 2016 at 1:30 p.m.

We began with a discussion of the new blog post of the Literary Journal. Anne K. Kaler and I explained the concept of “following” the blog and encouraged all to become followers and share the blog on their Facebook page.

Anne discussed the term “developmental editing” and its application to one’s own work to help structure and Continue reading “April Guild session celebrates Journal” →

Spring 2016 ♦ Volume 1, Number 1

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Pearl S. Buck Literary Journal

It is most fitting that this first installment of the new online Journal of the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center should take as its theme gateways, doors, windows, and openings of all kinds.  For the entire history of human written communication, text of all sorts has provided for its readers portals, entry ways into new worlds of thought, experience and imagination. The newest sort of window – computer, e-reader and cell phone screens –  has expanded exponentially the number of new worlds now available to readers.

This newest journal, with its offerings of essays, stories, and poetry, seeks to publish material that resonates with the values and mission of Pearl S. Buck International and its Continue reading “Spring 2016 ♦ Volume 1, Number 1” →