Newsletter 2024-03

ASJA PACIFIC NORTHWEST NEWSLETTER
For ASJA members in
Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon and Washington
March 2024
https://asjapnw.org

In This Issue

From the Prez, Wanted: Writing Buddy, M. Carolyn Miller, ASJA PNW President
Determining if a Potential Ghostwriting Client is a Good Fit, Michelle Rafter
Abbreviate Unnecessarily and You Might Cut Short Your Message, Catherine Kolonko
Winter Getaway: Why Kauai Should be On Your List, Joanna Nesbit
USB Charging, Bruce Miller
Member News and Announcements

Join us for our March meeting!

M. Carolyn Miller is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: ASJA PNW

Time: March 20, 2024 01:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Every month on the Third Wednesday

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87898612924

Meeting ID: 878 9861 2924

March Speaker

GREG BENNICK (gregbennick.com) has been a speaker and presenter since the age of thirteen. Yes, you read that correctly. Greg started as a juggler and performer and quickly learned the value of customization in his speaking for corporate and association clients. That was when he was fifteen. Yes, you read that correctly too. He is a board member of NSA (National Speakers Association) Northwest and speaks worldwide on the topic of “Build a Better Now”– a series of strategies for regaining focus, improving self-esteem, and increasing performance.

He will be speaking to us about making our presentations more dynamic, impactful, funny, and sincere and will be taking questions from the audience as well! You can follow Greg on Instagram at @gregbennick .

This newsletter publishes the first day of each month and welcomes article submissions and photos. Please email the ASJA PNW Newsletter Editor, Maxine Cass, at maxinecass@gmail.com

Next month, we’re starting an “In the Writer’s Nest” section, where members can share a photo or two of their office, the special place where you create, write, and do business. Please send photos with any captions, comments or descriptions, to Newsletter Editor, Maxine Cass, at maxinecass@gmail.com

From the President

by M. Carolyn Miller

ASJA PNW Chapter President

Wanted: Writing Buddy

“Writing a big project is like watching grass grow,” wrote Camille T. Dungy in “Manifest Some Magic” in the January/February 2024 print issue of Poets & Writers. Exactly, I thought when I read that statement. And there have been times, in the midst of the book proposal project I am entrenched in, that I wish I had a writing buddy.

I decided to explore some options, so I recently took part in a two-hour Zoom session focused specifically on writing. The event was hosted by Marc Alan Schelske, a local writer, speaker and minister who holds weekend workshops focused on just that. (I’d taken a few.) He explained the experience as similar to a group of writers who come together at the local coffee shop, check in with each other at the start of the session, write, and then check in again at the session’s end.

The good news is that I was able to make some headway with my book proposal project. I was also able to get advice, from Marc, about how to ask for the editorial feedback I needed at this stage.

Those in the group were not professional writers, nor did they have any desire to be. And for me, that was lacking. So, I am putting out a call to my fellow ASJA members: I’m looking for a writing buddy, or two or three, who can provide support, motivation, and accountability to each other and encourage our own unique literary lawns to flourish.

M. Carolyn Miller, MA, spent her career designing narrative- and game-based learning. Today, she consults and writes about narrative in our lives and world, the inextricable link between the two, and the critical role of self-awareness in transforming both. www.cultureshape.com

by Michelle Rafter

Determining if a Potential Ghostwriting Client is a Good Fit

The chance to work with a new ghostwriting client can be a boost to your income and ego – or a waste of time if you can’t deliver what they want or they can’t pay what you need.

Pre-screening potential clients who contact you out of the blue, through LinkedIn, or at the recommendation of another writer, helps determine if it’s worth setting up a phone call to learn more.

A few years back, I created a questionnaire to weed out potential ghostwriting clients who hadn’t thought hard about the scope of work or whose budgets didn’t line up with my fees from those who knew what they wanted and had the budget to pay for it. I’ve used it multiple times since then. Some prospects never get back to me – a true sign they weren’t serious or ready to engage. Those that fill out the form and return it give me what I need to decide whether to take the next step.

The questions are written for book-length projects but could easily be adapted to other ghostwriting work (whitepapers, research reports, etc.).

Ghostwriting project questionnaire

1. Share the following details about the book or other project:

Tentative title and description (if you have one)
Topic
Top-level description of what the book will cover

2. What’s your goal: use the book to establish yourself as a thought leader, build a personal or company brand, something else?

3. Do you plan to self-publish, hybrid publish, create a book proposal and sample chapter to pursue a deal with a traditional publisher, or something else?

4. What information is the book based on: new and existing interviews with you, interviews with other internal and external subject matter experts, other primary research (such as surveys), secondary research, other sources?

5. Who will do the research?

6. What’s your availability to work with a ghostwriter (times of day, days of the week, hours per week)?

7. How do you prefer to collaborate (phone, email, Zoom, Slack, all of those, something else)?

8. How do you prefer to share files (email, Google Drive, SharePoint, Dropbox, etc.)?

9. What experience do you have working with ghostwriters?

10. What’s your expected budget?

11. What’s your expected timeframe for the work, including start date and preferred publication date?

You can find a version of the form on the ASJA Facebook page, in the Files folder. (Log onto the ASJA private group page on Facebook, look to the right side tab that is labeled Files. The form is a Word doc dated January 31.)

Michelle Rafter is a business ghostwriter and ASJA member based in Portland, Oregon. She is ASJA’s publications chair and ran the organization’s 2023 virtual annual conference.

by Catherine Kolonko

Abbreviate Unnecessarily and You Might Cut Short Your Message

Abbreviations are not universal. Say or see the letters NDA and the next thing that comes to mind is likely the Me-Too movement and Harvey Weinstein. For most people, but not me. I think new drug application, NDA, just as often as I do non-disclosure agreement. I spent five years with colleagues in the biotech industry where every day our end goal was to file a successful NDA with the FDA to get our insomnia drug approved.

From my first day on the job, I already knew the “FDA” is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration but I spent the first year deciphering way too many other abbreviations for my taste. I hate alphabet soup and wish it would expire or at least be used in writing only as a last resort when there’s nothing else left on the shelf.

I read something recently that halted me in my tracks, an undefined abbreviation. I scanned up and down the text to see if I missed an explanation. No luck. I very quickly forgot about the purpose or message of what I was reading because all my attention focused on this unknown abbreviation. Sidetracked, I gave up but the frustration lingered.

Instead of hunting down the writer or publication to complain, I decided to write about it for our newsletter and see if it is a shared experience among fellow writers. Or is it just me?

“Do not use abbreviations or acronyms that the reader would not quickly recognize.”

So says my 2016 version of the journalist’s bible, The Associated Press Stylebook. Said another way, don’t unnecessarily confuse the reader.

Hey, even abbreviations we think everyone must know could still fool some people. Remember, when you were a little kid and your mom scolded you for not checking in with your whereabouts?

“Where have you been? Everyone has been searching for you, including the FBI.”

“Really, the FBI?”

“Yes, father, brother and I.”

Catherine Kolonko is based in Portland, Oregon, and often reports on medical topics. Her additional journalistic interests include sustainability, design, technology, travel, and humor writing. She has worked as a medical writer for a biotech company and began her career as a newspaper reporter covering breaking news and crime for a California daily newspaper.

Story and photos
by Joanna Nesbit

Winter Getaway: Why Kauai Should be On Your List

To celebrate entering my sixth decade, my husband and I decided to splurge on a getaway to Kauai, the Garden Isle of Hawaii. Over the years, I’ve visited Oahu, the Big Island, and Maui, and while they all have their individual perks, I think Kauai may be my new favorite. It’s not as busy as Oahu or as popular as Maui or as large as the Big Island. Translation: laid-back local vibe, fewer tourists, and easy-to-get-to attractions in 45 minutes or less (mostly).

Why we liked the island

Kauai isn’t called the Garden Isle for nothing. The thing that sets this island apart from the other islands is rain. The average is around 40 inches annually, but Mt. Waialeale, just east of Waimea Canyon, can get something like 460 inches. And sure, we Cascadians usually aim to escape the rain on a trip, but Kauai rain never sets in for long and doesn’t hit everywhere at the same time. The best part – the rain makes the island really lush. Just plan to pack a rain jacket along with the sunscreen and maybe drive to another part of the island if you get caught out.

Kauai offers great hiking and we’re hikers, so we did a lot of it—for us, a real highlight. We also hit the beach for some snorkeling but struck out on some of our beach goals due to windy days and rough surf, which is part of the winter reality on Kauai. But even if you’re not a hiker or snorkeler, Kauai offers plenty to do.

Accommodations aren’t cheap (an Oahu friend told me Hawaii prices are up right now) so we based in an Airbnb condo in Kapa’a (pronounced KaPAH-ah), the main town about 15 minutes north of Lihue and the airport. This eastern side of the island is known for being more affordable, and we adventured from there in our rented car.

The longest drive we did was about an hour and twenty minutes into Waimea Canyon. Other parts of the island were easily reached in 30-40 minutes. Driving on Kauai, by the way, is PNW kindness on steroids. No one gets worked up about anything, and you can’t help but take notice. The rest of us could learn from it.

A few of our highlights

Kalalau Trail to Hanakapi’ai Beach (4 mile round-trip). This hike is one of the few ways to experience the rugged Na Pali coast without taking a boat or a helicopter tour (no roads here).

The full 22-mile Kalalau trail requires a backpacking permit, but you can hike to Hanakapi’ai Beach and Hanakapi’ai Falls without permits (going to the falls makes it an 8 mile round-trip). The trail surface is mostly lava rock topped with a coating of red butter-like mud, which can make for slippery footing depending on how recently it’s rained.

We didn’t make it all the way to the falls and were sorry to miss that attraction but we’d started a bit too late in the day and needed to get back for the last shuttle back to Hanalei. Pro tip: Rent trekking poles in Hanalei. I wish I had.

Poipu Beach. The Poipu Beach area, about 40 minutes south of Kapa’a, is a popular place for tourists to stay, but we day-tripped instead to save dollars. Especially popular with families, Poipu Beach is known for safe snorkeling and swimming. I didn’t believe it would deliver a good fish experience because it seemed too peopled on the sunny day we were there but deliver it did. We saw angel fish, parrot fish, trigger fish, an eel, and more.

Andrew Doughty’s Kauai Revealed guidebook issues countless riptide and rough sea warnings so we were a little nervous about encountering currents we couldn’t handle. But the Poipu swimming/snorkeling area is tucked behind a breakwater that offers protection and it made for an enjoyable and relaxing day. Stick around into the late afternoon and you’ll see the turtles arrive on the beach to hang out. Nearby Brenneke Beach offers turtles too.

Waimea Canyon. Dubbed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, this canyon does feel a bit like the actual Grand Canyon with its stunning views. Just make sure to pick a day when it’s not totally shrouded in cloud to get the views you’re hoping for. The canyon offers a winding drive with accessible viewpoints along the way and many hiking trails. We chose the Awaawapuhi Trail, rated as difficult, but it really wasn’t bad if you have some hiking fitness. Still, I did get it together to rent trekking poles for this hike, and I was grateful I had them for the mud we encountered.

This trail’s grand finale ending rewards you with top-down views of the Na Pali coast. It’s impossible not to notice the many sightseeing helicopter flights whup-whupping in and out of the coast’s mountain folds. I would not want to be in a helicopter in the cloud.

If we’d had more time, I would have also done a canyon hike like the Kukui Trail or the Waimea Falls trail. This Kauai State Parks link gives you an idea of what it’s like to hike here.

Other highlights included:

Sleeping Giant Hike
Lydgate Beach Park
Hanapepe
The drive to the end of the paved road near Polihale Beach Park

Eats

We mostly cooked at our Airbnb to save on money, but we sampled some of the island’s fare and tried our first Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiians. We tend to like food carts and hole-in-the-wall joints popular with locals. Our favorites:

Pono Market – great ahi tuna poke here.
Tiki Tacos – seafood, pork, chicken or beef tacos on homemade tortillas. I don’t expect to eat tacos in a place like Hawaii, but these were great.
Sleeping Giant Grill
Shave ice, of course. We’re unabashed fans, especially after a hike. (And no, you can’t say “shaved” though I really, really wanted to.)
Farmers markets wherever you can find them. Papaya, mango, pineapple, all of it.

We felt we barely scratched the surface in seven days, and we were busy most days. The best way to learn more is with Doughty’s deep-dive guidebook. Direct Alaska Airlines flights from SeaTac to Lihue make this island easy to visit. I can’t wait to go back.

Joanna Nesbit is a Bellingham-based content marketer and journalist specializing in personal finance, higher education, and family. Learn more at joannanesbit.com.

by Bruce Miller

USB Charging

The assortment of charging ports used with USB cables has rightly been frustrating. I now avoid buying anything that does not have a USB-C port unless it is simply not possible (an example: the $650 portable radio scanners I have).

Recently, I discovered magnetic adapters and corresponding cables that have lessened the aggravation. They are all over Amazon. My primary use for them for now is to install the adapters into micro USB ports, which are always difficult for inserting charging cables, especially in the dark. With the magnetic adapters, I get the end of the cable close to the device’s port and it connects up easily. Find these on amazon.com with search terms like “magnetic charging adapter.” Warning: many of these adapters will not make data connections, so examine their specs closely.

Seattle resident Bruce Miller is always looking for easier and faster USB connections.

Member News and Announcements

Portland-based PNW chapter member Michelle Rafter is a regular contributor to the ASJA Confidential blog, part of her duties as ASJA publications chair. Rafter recently launched the Meet the Member feature on the blog, monthly profiles of ASJAers who have new books coming out, are speaking in upcoming ASJA webinars, or who have interesting stories or learnings to share. Read recent Meet the Member profiles of environment and energy writer John Berger, entertainment writer and former board member Beverly Gray, and award-winning music journalist Holly Gleason. Want to suggest someone for a Meet the Member profile? Email Michelle at michellerafter@comcast.net.

Joanna Nesbit (joannanesbit@comcast.net) is seeking ideas and contacts for future ASJA PNW meeting speakers.

L.M. Archer’s articles “Gina Bianco Assumes New Role as Oregon Wine Board Executive Director on February 1, 2024” and “Oregon Wineries Lean into Business Challenges” appeared in Wine Business.

NEWSLETTER PRODUCED BY

EDITOR: Maxine Cass
PROOFREADERS: Catherine Kolonko, Fred Gebhart
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE: Bruce Miller

*All stories are copyright by their respective writers.
*All photographs and illustrations are copyright by their creative makers.
*All rights are reserved to each of them for their own material.