November Member of the Month, Annette Ketner. Q & A with Laura Engel
L.E.: Congratulations Annette for being Member of the Month and for being our new SDMWA Secretary. We are so happy to have you join us on the Board.
Annette, how did you discover SDMWA?
A.K.: I first took a couple of classes from San Diego Writers, Ink when the office was located downtown San Diego. When it moved to Liberty Station, I found that location to be much more convenient and I increased my participation. Then SDWMA appeared, it met on Saturday afternoons which fit my work schedule better so I dropped in for a meeting and got hooked. Such nice people, thoughtful, sensitive, and welcoming. It just fit.
L.E.: Have you always been a writer?
A.K.: I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember. My Mother saved a little essay I wrote in 3rd grade about “The Old Black Sox My Mother Used to Wear.” I loved writing book reports and began writing poetry in Intermediate School. When I entered the University of Michigan, I chose Great Books and Creative Writing classes along with science courses. I won my first poetry contest there and was completely surprised and honored by that, since the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters was the judge. My reward was a book by C.S. Lewis signed by the Dean. I then submitted some of my writing to national publications and the growing pile of rejection letters soon put a stop to that. So for decades, my writing has been just for work and for myself. I’ve only recently shared my stories and poems with others
L.E.: Do you think writing classes made a big impact on your writing?
A.K.: They have served to get me going with my writing. Having classes and assignments mean you have to sit down and write, no excuses; so yes, they have had a big impact. Some of the prompts from the writing classes have produced writing that surprised me, things I would never have written about otherwise. The feedback from the teachers has been inspiring and encouraging and there is nothing like, “Wow, that’s really good…” to keep you going!
L.E.: We’d love to hear about what you are working on now.
A.K.: I am currently working on the story of growing up in my father’s diner in the 1950s. I never intended it to be a memoir, I wanted it to be his story, but in the writing of it I saw that it had to be from my perspective. It became a memoir, and I am greatly enjoying remembering the people and experiences from those very special times—and also finally understanding the impact of an all-consuming family business on the welfare of the family itself.
L.E.: Annette, you are a winner in the 2020 Memoir Showcase (Congratulations!) Please tell us a little bit about how you chose your scene and what it was like to win a spot in the Showcase.
A.K.: This is an example of writing something from a prompt that would never have been written otherwise. In my Memoir class, we were told the theme for the Showcase was “That’s a terrible idea. What time.” Since I had been a law-abiding lady most of my life, I thought I had nothing to offer. But then I recalled a time when I was caught off guard and agreed to a meeting with my husband’s girlfriend over lunch–that fit the theme. Turned out to be much more fun to write about than it was to experience. And way more fun to have it selected for the Showcase! It’s a little embarrassing, but, hey, who doesn’t have an embarrassing episode now and then?
L.E.: Sounds great! I can’t wait to see your scene performed at the Show Case. What are some of your favorite Memoirs? Your favorite Authors?
A.K.: I’m not a big reader as I seem to have difficulty finding the time to sit down and relax enough to enjoy books. I recently read “Where the Crawdad Sings” which is not technically a memoir but it is a story of a girl growing up. I also read “Hannah’s War” and found that to be captivating. I don’t like light, feel good, writing, but I do enjoy writing with a message and something showing gains after struggles. I also love good humor like Dave Berry and Erma Bombeck. I have read several near-death experience books which are fascinating, and the poetry of Rumi. I also like Native American writing, especially Sherman Alexie. But my favorite authors are Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, Barbara Kingsolver, and at the top of the list, Shakespeare.
L.E.: Any advice for new writers, Annette?
A.K.: I’m not really experienced enough to have really valuable advice, but what I’ve learned is that everybody has a unique story, and nobody can tell it as well as you can. Just get it on paper, people can help you fix it afterwards and fine tune it so it doesn’t have to be perfect. Writing is the opportunity to connect with people of like minds that you will never meet or know personally, but that you may impact in a way that makes a difference in how they live their lives. I’m really still fairly new at this game, but I have found it to be a source of great joy, and also an escape from the 2020 tsunami of crises.
L.E.: Thanks again Annette. It is wonderful getting to know you better and we are grateful for all of the support you give us at SDMWA. It’s a pleasure writing alongside of you!