The Write Stuff
The Official Newsletter of Mobile Writers Guild
February 5, 2013
Volume 3 Issue 9
From the President:
Spring is in the air and literary events are on the calendar! It’s a busy time of year for many and MWG is no different. Between spring sport registrations and Mardi Gras, the MWG board members have been planning the annual workshop day. Once again, we’ve worked to bring an affordable class to our community and hope that many of you will be able to take part in the events—keep reading for more information.
-Carrie Cox
2012-2013 MWG President
Upcoming Events:
Our next monthly meeting is this THURSDAY, February 7, in the meeting room of the West Regional Library from 6-7:30pm. Our own Vice President Angela Quarles will be speaking to us about POV, with an emphasis on deep third.
MWG Workshop day is this Saturday, February 9 in the meeting room of the West Regional Library. From 10am-Noon we are hosting a Book Market for local/regional authors. The three session workshop will be from 1-5pm with special guests Brent Pope and Kelly Stone. SEE BELOW THE NEWSLETTER FOR THE DETAILS.
The next MWG Open Mic is Thursday, February 21, at Serda’s Coffee on Royal Street. No pre-registration is required, but we suggest arriving between 5:30-5:50 to sign-up to read. We’ll do as many readings (ten minutes or less) as possible between 6-8pm. You do not need to be a member to read.
Carolyn Haines’ Daddy’s Girls’ Weekend workshop and literary event will be April 5-7th at the Battle House Hotel downtown. They will have YA and mystery author Chris Grabenstein and NYT bestseller Miranda (Dean) James as special writer guests, as well as agent Debbie Carter (she handles all genres) and the featured editor will be Mallory Cass from Scholastic Books. And of course, the wonderful Big Daddy candidates. Get the scoop at http://www.daddysgirlsweekend.com
Member News:
“Green Pickle Christmas” by Mavis Jarrell was printed in the December issue of the Baldwin County “Boomers” magazine.
Deadly Star by cj peterson (Marilyn Johnston) is scheduled for release on February 18.
MWG Needs:
Officer nominations for the 2013-2014 year will begin in March.
Where to find us:
http://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!
BREAKDOWN of MWG Workshop Day
LOCAL AUTHORS’ BOOK MARKET:
We begin our day by showcasing the wealth of local talent along the Gulf Coast. From 10:00am-noon MWG is hosting a book market for authors in our region to sell their books. Autographing and picture opportunities during these two hours are free and open to the public. For every book you purchase, you will be entered into a drawing to win a voucher for two days in a one bedroom unit with beach view at Sugar Beach Condominium in Orange Beach. The complex has three pools and is right on the beach. (Make your own reservations, according to availability, and it includes the cleaning fee. If you use it after March 10, you might have to pay the difference in the seasonal rate, but the voucher can be used anytime and has a $171 value.)
(Authors: if you are interested in selling your books, please contact Michael Snow at [email protected] or 251-423-0530. You will be in charge of providing your own books, as well as handling all your transactions. Set-up begins at 9:15am and a $10 donation is required to participate.)
Workshop Classes are held from 1:00-5:00pm
Cost for all sessions is $25 for the public, $20 for MWG members
GETTING BACK IN GEAR with BRENT POPE
Do you ever get stuck—you have a writing problem, what happens next? What is this character like? How do I close my article?—and you need a solution, but none of the solutions you imagine feel right? They all feel boring, unimaginative, and common. But you didn’t become a writer so you could write boring, unimaginative or common stories. You wanted to say something fresh and say it in your own voice. Yet here you are. Stuck.
What if you could jumpstart the problem-solving? What if there was a shortcut to the “fertile ground?”
There is.
It’s not an easy button. It’s not a magic pill. But there are some exercises that can quickly get you out of your rut and to a place where fresh ideas abound… if you have the eyes to see them.
I’ll be sharing three exercises I’ve used for years in the world of advertising (where the problems are marketing communication problems), that apply just about anywhere problems need solutions—especially in writing.
About the presenter:
A career writer, Brent has 17+ years experience as an advertising Copywriter and Creative Director. His copywriting has been recognized on various levels, earning Copywriter of the Year honors and Best-in-Show in local Advertising Federation ADDYs, and Gold and Silver awards in the international competition, the New York Festivals. He currently writes juvenile fiction as well as short stories for grownups which can be found on his website, http://brent-pope.com. Follow him on Twitter: @AuthorBrentPope.
FREE YOUR CREATIVE MIND and EMPOWER YOUR MUSE with KELLY STONE
Free Your Creative Mind:
Learn techniques to maximize your limited writing time and infuse your projects with creativity by capitalizing on the power of your subconscious mind! Fun and easy-to-learn techniques you can use immediately!
Empower Your Muse:
Learn how to communicate with your subconscious mind for maximum creativity, career guidance, writing inspiration, help with plots, overcome writer’s block, and more!
About Kelly Stone:
I started writing as soon as I learned how to form letters with a pencil. My first published piece was an essay in the kids’ section of my hometown newspaper when I was 7. I continued to write until I went off to college, but like most aspiring writers, my writing dream got put on the back burner as soon as *real life* took over. Still, I yearned to write, but I could not see my way clear to fitting writing into my very busy life.
But as the adage says, *when the student is ready the teacher arrives.* I started reading books on the psychology of achievement and learned that many successful people, including writers, worked at their dreams at odd hours of the day like early in the morning, late at night, or on breaks during the workday.
That’s when the light bulb went off. I realized that if I was ever going to achieve my dream of becoming a writer, I was going to have to squeeze writing time in any way that I could. I started getting up at 3:30 a.m. and writing for two hours before I began my day. That was almost a decade ago, and since then my work has appeared in Family Circle, Writer’s Digest, Cat Fancy, The Toastmaster, and Chicken Soup for the Soul & Cup of Comfort anthologies. I have also published 4 books, including a literary women’s fiction novel that received accolades from RT Book Reviews, followed by the TIME TO WRITE series for aspiring authors. The 3rd book in the series, LIVING WRITE: The Secret to Bringing Your Craft into Your Daily Life, was released in September 2010 by Adams Media.
