The Write Stuff
The Official Newsletter of Mobile Writers Guild
February 4, 2013
Volume 4 Issue 8
From the President:
It’s that time of the month! How did everyone fare during Storm Leon? Unable to go to work for 2 1/2 days, I got some revising done! Is everyone on track with their monthly goals? I’d been in a kind of a slump lately (okay since October, jeesh) and the longer I put off picking this manuscript up, the more overwhelming it became. Finally, I just decided to take it one hour at a time, and even though I was revising, not writing, I jumped onto twitter and did a #1k1hr sprint with another writer. I can’t tell you how much just sitting down, no excuses, and doing what I could for a given period of time helped me get out of my slump. One hour turned to three, and then I’ve been back in the groove since. So if you find that your enthusiasm has died a slow and painful death in the face of the amount of revising you have to do, just take a step back and take it one time-chunk at a time.
-Angela Trigg w/a Angela Quarles
2013-2014 MWG President
Upcoming Events/Opportunities:
Our next monthly meeting is this THURSDAY, February 6th, in the first floor meeting room of the West Regional Library from 6-7:30pm. We will be doing our popular Speed Critique session. For those wishing to participate, bring one (1) page printed, Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced with 1-inch margins of your WIP and we will set the room up like speed dating. Except in this scenario, you will exchange your page with your partner and you’ll have five minutes to read each other’s page and give constructive feedback! When the timer’s up, you’ll switch partners! It’s a great way to see if the mood and tone is coming across like you hoped, or if it grabs a reader enough.
Are you a writer? A poet? Sense wants to hear from you! Sense, a local magazine, welcomes short fiction, essays, humor and poetry submissions. Submit your edgy, eclectic work to [email protected] and it could be published in the next issue of Sense!
LilliAnne Long will have a signing for her book Waystations at Barnes and Noble on Feb 8.
The next meeting of the Baldwin Writer’s Guild is Saturday, February 15th, at the Daphne Public Library (10 a.m. till 12 noon). Their speaker will be MWG’s own Joyce Scarbrough. “In keeping with Valentine’s Day, try and wear something red. Red is not only a power color but a passionate color as well. Come and enjoy the fellowship of fellow writers and good food. And maybe a few surprises. I hear the results of Cupid’s arrows will be evident that day in our writing. It’s a given that his aim is sometimes erratic and unpredictable, so you never know where his arrows will land or who they will hit.”
Class opportunity–Creative Writing: Introduction to Fiction. In this class you will learn to weave together character, plot, point of view, voice, scenes, settings, narrative and dialogue. For registration and additional information contact: Instructor: Mahala Church – 251-287-2728. Class date: February 14 – March 7 (Fridays) Time: 9-11 a.m.
Duration: 4 weeks Location: Fairhope United Methodist Church Price: $36.00
On March 15, 2014, the Metro Mobile Reading Council will have their first Teen Writing Fair and Workshop at the West Regional Branch Library. Students will get to meet published authors, and to talk with people who make their living from writing for newspapers, magazines, websites, and as published authors. Students will participate in writing activities and discussions. Refreshments will be served. The first edition of the Mobile Teen Literary Magazine will also be unveiled at this program. All students in Mobile and Baldwin County in grades 7-12 as of the 2013-2014 school year are eligible to submit writing for this inaugural magazine. Submissions for the magazine might include poetry, essays, short stories, digital photography, and drawings. All photography will be printed in black and white and will be used to illustrate other students’ published submissions. The deadline for submissions is Monday, February 17, 2014. For more info, contact [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]
Springmingle is March 28-30, 2014! This is the annual spring conference of the Southern Breeze region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida panhandle), with workshops and sessions with agents, authors, and editors. It’s a great opportunity for writers and illustrators to learn the skills they need to get published, as well as network with other writers, illustrators, and industry professions. Highlights of this year’s conference include a one-day writing intensive workshop on plotting, led by editor Cheryl Klein, and Agent One-on-One opportunities with literary agent Ammi-Joam Paquette. Other faculty include Lucy Ruth Cummins, Art Director Simon & Schuster; Cheryl Willis Hudson, Creative Director Just Us Books; Ruth Sanderson, Author/Illustrator; Agent, and Jo Kittinger, Award-Winning Author.
When: March 28-30, 2014
Where: The Atlanta Marriott Century Center in the Atlanta area
Details: southern-breeze.scbwi.org.
Member News:
Marilyn (cj) and Mahala Church are organizing their 2014 calendar for their blog, Lyrical Pens, and would be pleased if you would write a piece for them in the new year. Guest posts give you the opportunity to showcase your talent and pitch your latest project while driving traffic to your publications as well as your own website and blog. We will be happy to include your picture, bio, and a picture(s) of your book. Reach out to Mahala for more information: [email protected]
Continue to send in your writing news and author events to [email protected] so we can share your milestones with the community.
Where to find us:
www.mobilewritersguild.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Mobile-Writers-Guild/132422949536?ref=hnav
On Twitter: @MobileWriters
Email: [email protected]
Remember that comments, suggestions, and questions are welcome—both online and at the meetings. Thanks for your continued support!
