Poet's Workshop

photo by Gerry Williams

Poet's Workshop Presents: Who Are You? Some Comments on Writing the Authorial Bio by Terrie Leigh Relf ©2003 All rights reserved

I was playing around with the idea of writing a column on bios when I received my May's writersdigest.com newsletter. I scrolled through James V. Smith Jr.'s prompts, taken from his Fiction Writer's Brainstormer. The one for May 31st reads as follows:

"Write your author bio. It's a resume of everything you've done as an author".

Come on, everything?

I don't think so.

The authorial bio, or just "bio", for short, is an excellent device to keep track of what you've done as well as where you're going. While writers have actual resumes and/or vitaes, the bio provides a little "taste".

While a bio (i.e., an abbreviation for "biography" in this context) is not an interview per se, it could potentially inspire someone to conduct an interview with you! By its nature, a bio asks for information about you, the writer. It is a synopsis of your life from birth to the present moment, or perhaps more succinctly, your life since you became-or realized-you were a writer. Does ones writerly life begin before or after publication? Hmmm…I wonder. I actually listed my very first publication in a few bios. I was six, and it was for a school publication. The zine got a kick out of it.

Bio lengths vary as do the guidelines for writing them. I've come across a few who don't include bios and others who only want bios if you've been accepted for publication. There's a trend, though, to ask for bios when you submit material. Wonder why this is. Could it be because they want to know if anyone else has published you yet? And if so, then who?

Many publications ask for a "short bio", but then don't define what that is. Some define, "short", as "no more than 50 words" or "no more than 100 words", while others state to "include a 3-sentence bio". Many writers can make those 3-sentences exceed 100 words, though!

Then there's the publications who request the "professional" bio. (not that the other ones aren't professional…) Think "upscale journals", academic presses, etc. These publications are generally interested in the following: degrees you hold; where you "lecture"; courses you teach; nominations and awards; editorial boards upon which you've served, contests you've judged. That sort of thing.

Bios are a marketing tool, as they tell editors-and the universe at large-who you are, what you've done, what you're about to do, what you're planning to do, and so forth. They also say who you know, who likes you, who doesn't, and if you're getting paid.

Does that matter in this post-post-modern world?

You betcha!

In my own capacity as a poetry editor, I want to know about the people behind-or inside-the poems. I love reading about writers-period.

I loved British Literature in high school (remember that favorite English teacher of mine, Lynn Frank-Green?). One of the reasons I was fascinated by this body of work, and the class in general, was because our teacher told us the skinny on these writers.

One can't help wondering how the Ivory Tower was ever erected to house such deviants…Perhaps it is a sort of prison-but that's another column.

Something interesting to note is that many writers claim they don't like writing their own bios. Why? Are they part of the "author is dead" camp, so they don't think it matters? Do they want to remain reclusive? Anonymous?

Do they wish they were someone else?

That's easy. Invent a new writing persona. The best way I've found for doing this is composing the third-person bio, which many publications prefer, by the way. Talking about your self in the third person can be liberating, because it may alleviate some of the pressure–and no, it does not cause split personality disorder…

Be sure to include your name–or nom de plume–and where you live (not your actual address, but something like, San Diego, California, US, or Earth, Milky Way Galaxy).

When you study the publications to which you plan to send your work (always a great idea), you'll develop a sense of what they like in a bio. Some don't want a list of your publications, while others seem to hold the view that "more is better". Many just want to know something intriguing about you, like Cathy Buburuz at Champagne Shivers (available at: www.samsdotpublishing.com). Tyree Campbell, the publisher of Samsdotpublishing.com, often pens bios based on what he knows-or thinks he knows-about his writers (he's always right on with me…Can't hide anymore…).

Maybe you can start a business writing bios for people who don't feel like writing their own. You could also start a collection of bio poems about yourself and other people. I have a collection in process, My Friend, the Poet, and other poems about people I think I know (more shameless self-promotion prior to publication). The possibilities are endless.

I've decided to include a few of my bios just to give you an idea of context as well as theme and variation.

This one was sent to a "professional" publication:

"Terrie Leigh Relf teaches English at San Diego City College. In addition to serving on the editorial board of City Works (City College's literary arts journal), Relf is the poetry editor and "Poet's Workshop" columnist for www.writersmonthly.com, pens "The Mistress of Rhetoric" column for The Espresso, San Diego's coffee and cafe culture newspaper, and has recently returned to www.visionmagazine.com. An internationally published writer, publication highlights include: Flashshots, Fifth Dimension, The Martian Wave, Aoife's Kiss, Between Kisses, GuillermoBosch's Saucebox, Manifold, Nightingale, WritersHood, Writeronline, Sol-magazine, Moxie magazine, Sex and the Single Alien et al.

Upcoming publications include NFG, Underworlds, Wondrous Web Worlds III, and Unspeakable Limericks."

This one was send to a publication that handles SF and spec poetry and fiction:

"Her articles, fiction, and poetry have appeared extensively both on and off-line. Recent publications include Vision Magazine, Flashshots, EOTU, Muse Apprentice Guild, Word Master, WriterOnline, Absolute Write, Wondrous Web Worlds 3, Nightingale, Aoife's Kiss, The Fifth Dimension, Martian Wave, Sol-Magazine, Buddha's Temple, Lucy Westenra, The World Haiku Review and Writers Hood.

Her second collection of poetry, Metro Madness and other poems, is now available through Lucy Westenra ebooks at: http://toadmama_pooh.tripod.com/bloodletterspressandelfhelperinc/index.html."

This one was sent this one to Lucian Dragos at www.wordmaster.ev.ro./
(NOTE: He sent it back and asked for a personal one):

"Terrie Leigh Relf lives in San Diego, CA, USA. She is the poetry editor and "Poet's Workshop" columnist for www.writersmonthly.com, pens "The Mistress of Rhetoric" column for The Espresso, and has recently returned to Vision Magazine as a staff writer and editor. When Relf isn't writing, she teaches English Composition and Critical Thinking at San Diego City College, volunteers for San Diego Writers Co-op, participates in several on-line writing and critique groups, coaches private writing clients, and runs a freelance writing and editing business.

An award winning and internationally published writer, her work has also appeared in Sol-Magazine, The WritersHood, The Martian Wave, Fifth Dimension, Aoife's Kiss, Sex and the Single Alien, Lucy Westenra, Blood Dreaming, Guillermobosch's Saucebox, The T.S. Eliot Hypertext Poetry Project, Moxie Magazine, Nightingale, Manifold, Flashshot, the World Haiku Review, Buddha's Temple, Haiku Harvest, Starfish, Amaze Cinquain Journal, and others. Her chapbook, Lap Danced by the Muse, was released last fall by writersmonthly.com.

Upcoming publications include Flashshot, NFG, Underworlds, and Wondrous Web Worlds III. Lucy Westenra Press will be releasing a collection of her horror and speculative poetry, Metro Madness and Other Poems, sometime this year."

I recently had the honor to serve as one of the judges for the African American Writers and Artists Organization's literary arts competition. This is what I sent them:

"Terrie Leigh Relf is the poetry editor and "Poet's Workshop" columnist for writersmonthly.com. She also pens the "Mistress of Rhetoric" column for The Espresso. Relf teaches writing at San Diego City College, where she has served on the editorial staff of City Works. She's also been a preliminary judge for several local competitions--including a slam or two.

An award winning and internationally published poet, Relf's recent and upcoming publications include Sidereality, Aoife's Kiss, Fifth Dimension, Underworlds, Muse Apprentice Guild, Sol-magazine, Vision Magazine, Eotu, and Poetry Super Highway. Her second collection of poetry, Metro Madness and other poems has just been released by Lucy Westenra e-books. Her third collection, Jupiter's Eye, will be released sometime this fall."

Since, I'm also a fiction writer. Here are a few that I submitted with my flash fiction pieces to Flashshot, Daily Genre Flash Fiction (available at: http://flashshot.tripod.com/):

"Terrie Leigh Relf lives in San Diego, CA, where she warps minds in a local community college English Department. Her work has appeared extensively both on and offline. Upcoming publications include the Samsdot anthology, Outposts of Beyond."

Here's another one:

"Spend some time with Terrie Leigh Relf, and you may decide she's a bit strange. Students often run for the door when they encounter her bizarre sense of humor. Her fiction is often based on the multiple realities she inhabits as well as on people she "knows"--so watch out!"

This one is for an anthology of scifaiku, Random Planets, from Samsdotpublishing.com. The publisher, Tyree Campbell, who has a highly developed sense of humor, has probably "tinkered" with it a bit. But maybe not. It's due in the mail any day now…

"About six years ago, Terrie Leigh Relf bought her first home computer. Once she was online, the first thing she looked for was haiku sites. Lo and behold, Tom Brincks scifiku site came up. Needless to say, she was ecstatic. A place where her two major loves came together? Life on earth has not been the same since...Through the scifikulistserve, she met Oino Sakai, Teri Sanitoro, Viki Tarrani, Andree Gendron, and several other fine scifikujin. Through the fine tutelage of these people, she learned how to write scifaiku. Her first scifaiku appeared in Oino Sakai's Starleaper. Then, Andree Gendron and Teri Sanitoro told her about Promartian...The rest is history."

This one I submitted with a flash fiction piece, "Bathland", to EOTU's August issue (available at: www.clamcity.com/eotu.html). Please cross your appendages for me…

"Terrie Leigh Relf lives in San Diego, CA. Sometimes, she wishes she lived elsewhere. An island perhaps, with no distractions save the gentle swell of warm water...

Upcoming fiction publications include 5th Dimension and Outposts of Beyond. Her newest collection of poetry, Metro Madness and other poems, has just been released from Lucy Westenra Ebooks."

That's enough about me…

The next time you're asked to send in a bio, ask yourself how you want the universe to "read" you-or ponder who the editors want you to be…

There's a subtle, but profound, difference.

Send your comments and questions-and your poetry-to Terrie Leigh Relf at terrie@writersmonthly.com.

Send your comments and questions-and your poetry-to Terrie Leigh Relf at terrie@WritersMonthly.com

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