Thursday, December 8 on Zoom: A Gift of Words Holiday Party The “Gift of Words” shared by members included humorous poetry, haiku, spoofs, the history of a Christmas song, a happy memory, a “confession” about eating all the Advent calendar chocolates early, and some examples of words and phrases that children (and adults) often misunderstand. … Read more
There were only a handful of Flash Fiction presentations, but there was a lively discussion about the impact of these two series and how cultural shifts impact our perceptions. What was acceptable in the 30s is often frowned on today. Yet some attributes of the young protagonists in these stories seem to hold their appeal. … Read more
The presentation was filled with interesting examples about how stories evolve. Many of the examples were applicable to any time and any setting, not just international or historical settings. Joyce Yarrow, award-winning author of Zahara and the Lost Books of Light, shared pictures to illustrate how she chose Spain as a setting. She even sang … Read more
Jeffrey D. Briggs and Jen Pitts shared their experience about self-publishing, identifying advantages and disadvantages. Susan McCormick talked about the pros and cons of publishing with a small press. All three authors write series: Jeff’s Waterfront Mysteries feature “fierce and intelligent” Martha Whitaker Jen’s French Quarter Mysteries are set in New Orleans with “West Coast … Read more
The weather was perfect. The conversation was lively. And everyone agreed it was nice to see “real” faces for a change. All seemed to have a good time.
Michelle Walker talked about her role as Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the City of Kent and answered questions from moderator Staci Roberts as well as from members. She emphasized that her goal is not just to put someone in jail but to consider their personal stories and help them find the resources they need so … Read more
1) The co-founder of Crave Books, Cary Bergeron, explained the origins of their current marketing platform for authors and walked participants through the free sign-up process and demonstrated how some of the services work. From placing ads, to building email lists to sending out press releases, all of the fees and details about each promo … Read more
In a well-attended meeting including guests from as far away as Ohio and Virginia, Wendy and Erica delivered an informative program on how to create settings to enhance your story. Using examples from their books and life experiences, topics covered included: “Where am I?” From a reader’s perspective, why it’s important to know setting in … Read more
Jeffrey Briggs interviewed local authors Jeanne Matthews and Alice K. Boatwright about their personal processes for getting from the blank page to the finished manuscript. He even suggested adding a fourth “R” to the mix: Repeat! Some of the topics covered were: Research Both authors use a wide variety of resources such as news articles, … Read more
Alice Boatwright engaged award winning short story author and educator Art Taylor in a wide-ranging conversation about the history and writing of the short story. Some of the topics that were covered: Is the short story a training ground for writing novels? Why readers like short stories Economy, efficiency and focus – the three essentials … Read more