New Scholarship for Writers News and Honoring Phyllis GeBauer

Before I tell you about this new scholarship, let me tell you a little story about Phyllis Gebauer. When I went back to writing creatively, she was one of my first teachers in the art of writing a novel at UCLA. She was an amazing woman, fluent in English and Spanish, a member of Phi Beta Kappa and author in her in her own right.

As an instructor, she always went a step (or more!) beyond what the syllabus promised. The first class I took from her was a long weekend course and she went to the trouble afterward of suggesting that four of those in her class form a critique group because we wrote “in similar genres and had compatible goals.” Several years later when she was writing her memoir, she contacted us and asked if she could join our critique group.  It was as if the tables had been turned and now we were helping her. Honestly, it was a bit intimidating but she assured us that by now we were as professional as she and knew as much about writing as she. Yes, we were a bit puffed up about it. 

She was with our group for several years and in the midst of a new cozy mystery when she died of lung cancer. It was a professional loss to us and to UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) and I miss her terribly.

Now I learn there is a new scholarship offered in her name. She was always interested in helping those who didn’t have the means to jump start their writing careers with the kind of vetted education required to speed along their progress. And now this! 

I hope you will apply for this scholarship if you qualify. If not, I hope you will spread the word about it on your social networks, your blogs, your critique groups and libraries—anyone who is in a position to spread the word to writers. Please feel free to copy and paste this article into your blog or Facebook page without permission.

Learn more about it at http://writers.uclaextension.edu/scholarship/?utm_source=unex&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=17995w1_SU16_Phyllis_Gebauer_Scholarship

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 Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The multi award-winning second edition of The Frugal Editor; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

The Tale of a Ten Year Critique Group

February was our tenth anniversary. I didn't know it. Leora Krygier showed up with three little gifts in those delicate mesh tie-bags. Each contained candles, votives in zen-like frosted cups. It was our critique group's tenth anniversary. Phyllis Gebauer, one of UCLA's renowned writers' program instructors, had put us together ten years ago. We lost Iris Fabrikant to the land of cherry trees and monuments but the test of us, Leora, JayCe Crawford and I stayed intact.

Phyllis came to our first meeting -- to get us started with correct critique procedure. No, she didn't charge us. It was value-added teaching, the UCLA Writers' Program way. (-: Then, about a year ago, Phyllis asked to be part of us. Naturally we were flattered to be considered suitable critique partners for our mentor! She had always been with us, of course.

Our mode of meeting has changed over the years but our approach to our craft has been nearly the same. Tough. Loving. Accepting. Appreciative. No punches pulled. Everyone loving it. It has only gotten better with age.

Ten years. Oh, the changes we've seen. In our careers. In our writing. In our personal lives. Such friendships are one of the many blessings that writing carries with it. Writing, as you see, can be pure magic.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.