About the Cover Artist

ROBIN WETHE ALTMAN exhibits her work at The Watercolor Gallery and the Art-A-Fair Festival in Laguna Beach. For over a decade, her art was displayed at the Festival of Arts and Sawdust festival and the State Capitol exhibited her paintings. Hasbro is making a puzzle of her painting The Good Life, and IBM and the Irvine Company have commissioned her work. A student of the noted California Regionalist James Green who, in turn, studied with renowned watercolorists Rex Brandt, Millard Sheets and Milford Zomes, Robin has traveled to France, Italy, Switzerland and England to paint on location. Growing up on High Drive in Laguna Beach, she often stopped at David’s Candy Shop, studied at Rock Pile Cove, and toured the art galleries. Her painting "Laguna Gazebo" graces the cover of this book. http://www.rwethealtman.com

"Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.”
– Gloria Steinem

TIPS FROM THE EDITORS
In preparing your manuscript, remember to include a short two line bio and contact information. Submissions coming in are varied with poetry, memoir excerpts, short stories, essays, and scenes from novels and other work in progress. Space is limited, so be brief. Remember that less is more. As submissions arrive, they are quickly screened and sent to one or several of our readers. This panel consists of professionals who live outside of Orange County and have no connection with any class, meetup, club, or critique group in Orange County.

“You only learn to be a better writer by actually writing.” – Doris Lessing

Here are some tips to help you polish that manuscript:

Eliminate adverbs! Use strong verbs instead.
Easy on the adjectives. Use one, not three.
Avoid the "to be" verb, i.e. was or were since it indicates passive voice.

Thin out any excess words.
Delete duplicate words or check your thesaurus.
Avoid having too many characters.
Consider the point of your story and make sure you stick to the point.

“Write what should not be forgotten.” – Isabel Allende

Avoid cliches.
Eliminate the mundane.
Consider author's voice.
Make every word count.
Proofread.

“You must write for yourself, above all. That is your only hope of creating something beautiful.”
– Gustave Flaubert


Interstices


Behind, beyond, within each flower

Lurks anything but light?

Between the alder saplings for an hour

I watched the humming-bird press down his wings

And marveled at his flight.


Behind the pale acacia flower,

Beyond the budding leaf,

Between the alder saplings of an hour

I watched the space fill in with light

And argued new belief.


– Gilbert Moore