December 2022 Meeting Recap: Two Parties

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

November 2022 Meeting Recap: Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys at 70

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

October 2022 Meeting Recap: Going International!

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

September 2022 Meeting Recap: The Ins and Outs of Self-Publishing and Small Press – A Discussion

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

May 2022 Meeting Recap: 1) Crave Books Marketing Platform and 2) Member Discussion of Marketing Services – What’s Worked and What Hasn’t

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

April 2022 Meeting Recap: Why Setting is More Than a Place

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

March 2022 Meeting Recap: Research, Rewriting and Rechecking

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

February 2022 Meeting Recap: Short, Sharp, and Suspenseful: Writing the Mystery Short Story

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