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 FOWA President’s Message 02/23/08
Hi Everyone-
In my last message I asked all of you to vote for the dues increase.
Those of you who voted did support the increase, but the majority of folks didn’t vote. Therefore the increase did not pass.
Rebecca Allen is no longer with the Charlotte County Visitor's Bureau. Our contact there now is Becky Bovell. Please change your records to reflect this.
The board has been working on the conference program. ED Tommy Thompson and I traveled to Charlotte County last week. We met with Becky and then toured the site hotel and several of the other venues we will be using. Everything looks wonderful! The folks at Charlotte County are very happy that FOWA will be visiting them!
Rusty Chinnis, chair of the outreach committee, is working with Rodney Smith on ways to get the public involved with our conference in order that we meet our 501c3 obligations.
Capt. Ralph Allen has graciously agreed to organize the fishing tournament. Ed Arrington has likewise graciously agreed to organize the shooting event. Thanks to both of you, gentlemen!
So things are shaping up nicely and it looks like we’ll have quite the event.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 407.977.5207 or at john@spottedtail.com.
Until next time,
John Kumiski
President, FOWA
FOWA 2008 Conference Program
Art Scheck- Originality is Delusion
Originality is a delusion. Anything one might attempt has already been done by many better writers. In writing, individuality comes from putting one's own stamp on standard, well-worn forms. Don't worry about avoiding formulas, because you can't. But work hard to give your own flavor to the formulas. You do that by paying attention to style and voice.
My talk will focus on developing style and voice, particularly within the conventions and formulas of outdoor writing. Style can set one's work apart from the work of other writers, and setting oneself apart is a way to sell more stuff. It's a timely topic because people who merely want information can get no end of it online for free. Fewer and fewer people have a reason to pay for outdoor writing unless we give them prose worth reading. The paying market for third-rate writing can only continue to shrink; people can get all the trite, ungrammatical gibberish they want on the Internet. Writers and publishers who expect to sell their products will have to please customers who are above all readers, and not merely consumers of information. This talk might even have a hint of a literary tone, which would give us all an excuse to wear tweed jackets and smoke pipes and act all intellectual.
Art Scheck is the former editor of Scientific Anglers Fly Fishing Quarterly, the Orvis News, American Angler, Fly Tyer, Saltwater Fly Fishing, and Southern Angler’s Journal. During his thirteen years in the magazine business, Art worked with hundreds of writers whose work ranged from short how-to pieces to scientific examinations of topics related to angling. He has performed all the roles of a magazine editor: selecting articles; making assignments; coaching novice writers; editing for content and style; rewriting; selecting photos; assigning photos and illustrations; writing titles, decks, captions, and sidebars; establishing house style; and making sure that his freelancers were paid on time. Many authors had their first national exposure in publications edited by Art. He also has edited several dozen books, most on fishing.
Art is the author of Fly-Rod Building Made Easy, Tying Better Flies, A Fishing Life is Hard Work, Fly-Fish Better, and more than 120 magazine articles. His work includes how-to pieces, essays, humor, editorials, equipment reporting, book reviews, and profiles of guides. In the 1990s, he contributed more than a dozen articles on craft improvement and the magazine business to Outdoors Unlimited, the publication of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
Art is a graduate of The William Paterson College of New Jersey, where he earned a Master’s Degree in English in 1980. Since 2004, he has been an instructor in the English department of Tri-County Technical College in Pendleton, South Carolina, where he teaches writing and literature to more than 250 students a year. Art lives in upstate South Carolina with his wife, Mary Jo.
Boyd Pfeiffer- PHOTO TIPS YOU NEVER THOUGHT OF
Boyd is a tips expert who loves gadgets. His talk will include field tips, practical tips for professionals, shooting and protecting cameras in the field, shooting and framing product, making remote releases from radio controlled cars, making boots for tripod use in shallow water, filters to enhance sunset, sunrises, etc. Questions will be welcomed!
C. Boyd Pfeiffer is an award-winning outdoor journalist widely known for his expertise in fresh and salt water fishing, tackle, fly tying, fly fishing and outdoor photography. He has fished extensively since a youth and contributed to the outdoor press for the past 45 years. In doing so, Pfeiffer has written thousands of articles and columns for over 70 magazines, served as outdoor editor of The Washington Post, lectured frequently, authored 26 books, contributed to additional books, scripted TV shows and segments, and served as a consultant to the fishing tackle industry. Currently he is Outdoors Columnist for the Baltimore Examiner newspaper.
He also served as editor of the trade journal Fishing Tackle Trade News for five years. Pfeiffer has authored over two dozen books on fishing and outdoor photography. His most recent works include Our Fishing Heritage: Tackle & Equipment, Modern Tackle Craft, Bug Making, Fly Fishing Bass Basics, Fly Fishing Saltwater Basics, Shad Fishing, Tying Trout Flies, Tying Warmwater Flies, The Complete Photo Guide to Fly Fishing, The Complete Photo Guide to Fly Tying, Simple Flies, and Advanced Fly Fishing.
Pfeiffer maintains active memberships in the Outdoor Writers Association of America (president, 1988-89), Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association (president, 1985-86), Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association (president, 1994-96, 2004-2005), and Southeastern Outdoor Press Association. From these and other organizations he has received dozens of awards for his outdoor writing and photography.
He has also received the prestigious Ham Brown service award (1992) - the ultimate award given by the Outdoor Writers Association of America for “devoted past service to the organization over a period of continuous years.” In 2000, Pfeiffer received a Distinguished Life Membership from the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association for a lifetime of service to the organization.
In 2004, Pfeiffer received another top award from the Outdoor Writers Association of America – that of Excellence in Craft for his lifetime body of work. Additionally, in 2005 he was named as a “Legendary Communicator” by the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame.
Pfeiffer is widely known for his knowledge of tackle and has served as a consultant to many fishing tackle companies. He is also in demand as a contract and product photographer for many associations and firms. Pfeifer also frequently lectures, gives seminars and slide shows to fishing clubs and sport shows. He has had columns in or served as contributing writer to a number of publications including Sports Afield, Outdoor Life, The Washington Times, Fishing Tackle Trade News, Bassmaster, Bassin', Pennsylvania Sportsman, Fishing Facts, American Angler (workbench columnist), Fly Tyer (columnist), Warmwater Fly Fishing (columnist), Baltimore Examiner and others.
Pfeiffer makes his home with his wife Brenda in Phoenix, Md., but has fished throughout the world, including much of the United States, and parts of Canada, Brazil, Australia, Panama, Belize, Venezuela, Columbia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala, and elsewhere.
Rusty Chinnis- Using Adobe Lightroom
Rusty Chinnis will give members an introduction to Adobe's new Lightroom software with emphasis on organizing images with keywords and collections. Adobe developed the software "to be a photographer's essential toolbox, providing one easy application for managing, adjusting, and presenting large volumes of digital photographs so you can spend less time in front of the computer and more time behind the lens. In order to get more from the presentation, Chinnis encourages members to download the trial copy of Lightroom from Adobe.
and familiarize themselves with the format.
Rusty Chinnis is a free-lance photographer and outdoor writer whose specialty is fly fishing and travel. Rusty served as president and Chairman of the Board of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association and is a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Chinnis is a Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Fly Casting Instructor and an Orvis Endorsed Group Casting Instructor. His credits include Saltwater Fly Fishing, American Angler, Boating, Sport Fishing, Tide, The Tampa Tribune, Florida Sportsman, and Sarasota Magazine. He is also a Contributing Editor of Fly Fishing in Saltwaters Magazine, a regular contributor to the column "Out There" that appears in each issue of the magazine, and the Outdoors Editor of the Anna Maria Island Sun.
Annette Thompson
Annette has not yet decided on a title for her presentation. She said, “It will have something to do with outdoor travel.” We’ll keep you informed.
Annette Thompson has over 20 years of writing and editing experience. She is the Associate Travel Editor for Southern Living Magazine, a position she’s held for nine years. She specializes in family travel, food and wine, adventure, lodging, theme parks, luxury, and nature. She currently covers the Southern Atlantic States: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, as well asWashington DC. Prior to her current position she was a senior copy editor, a freelance editor and freelance writer, and has taught English literature and writing at the University of Alabama. She holds a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Alabama and is the energetic mother of three teenagers.
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