Twitter for Writers

I just wanted to give everyone a quick reminder that Heidi Schulz will be giving her “Mastering 140 Characters (Twitter for Writers)” presentation tonight in Salem. If you missed her SCBWI talk in Portland in March and you can make your way to Salem, join her (Wednesday, June 11, 2014, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Macy's Salem Center).

No need to sign up. Free to Willamette Writers members. $5 for guests of WW members. 

Details are here: http://willamettewriters.com/salem/

August 2-4 Willamette Writers Conference

The Pacific Northwest is known for creative people, we have Portlandia, Grimm and Leverage all right here in little 'ole Portland, Oregon not to mention tons of independent productions taking place all over the city. So, I guess it comes as no surprise that we have a lot of writers living in this beautiful part of the country.

And with writers comes writers' conferences and one that is well known in these parts is Willamette Writers.  Their big event is coming August 2-4 to the Portland Airport Sheraton Hotel.

There will be writers, agents and editors galore. So, if you're a writer or even a wannabe, you might want to make plans now to attend this conference. So, hop on over to the website and check it out here.

Writer's Groups

We all like to talk with people who share our interests, whether it's the same book, the same music, or the same movie. But, if you're a writer, there are a few groups you might want to look into joining.

One is the SCBWI or the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

or the RWA or the Romance Writers of America

or Willamette Writers

and there are many more. If you write in a certain genre, just google it and you'll probably come up with some great groups you can join. And, if you do, you'll most likely meet more than other writers...you'll probably make a few friends. So, what do you have to lose?

Suz Blackaby to speak on November 5th

I'm sharing this blurb from Willamette Writers:

"The Young Willamette Writers will be hosting Suz Blackaby on November 5^th. Suz will be sharing tips on poetry writing. Several of our young writers enjoy writing in verse and have been looking forward to hearing from a poet.

Suz Blackaby has worked in educational publishing for over 30 years.  On the clock, she hones her skills writing fiction and nonfiction titles for the K-8 audience, focusing primarily on struggling and emergent readers.  On her own time, she writes poetry, picture books, and middle-grade fiction and nonfiction.  Her collection of poetry entitled NEST, NOOK, AND CRANNY (Charlesbridge, 2010) was included on the New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing and received The 2011 Liona and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry.  Suz lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family in a lab-mandatory neighborhood.

The Young Willamette Writers is for students in grades 5-10. We meet in the back room of the Old Church at the same time as the adults; the Old Church is at SW 11th and Clay in Portland. There is no cost to join - just show up!"

Lisa Nowak to Speak at Young Willamette Writers

  Lisa Nowak Speaks to Young Willamette Writers

     Lisa Nowak will be the speaker for the February meeting. In addition to being a YA author, Lisa is a retired amateur stock car racer, an accomplished cat whisperer, and a professional smart-aleck. She writes coming-of-age books about kids in hard luck situations who learn to appreciate their own value after finding mentors who love them for who they are.

Lisa says that there are many important aspects to writing a great story, but the bottom line is, if the reader doesn't care about your characters, all your clever plotting and amazing prose will lose its impact. Lisa plans to show the YWW's how to use collages, interviews, and their own experience to create characters who come across as real people.

The Young Willamette Writers meet at the same time as the adults, from 7-8pm at the Old Church in downtown Portland. 

Kate Herzog Scholarships

Willamette Writers and Barnes and Noble

Sponsor the 2013 Kate Herzog Scholarships
In 2013, high school seniors and college freshman and sophomores can enter. There are four scholarships. Financial amounts to be determined will be in the range of $100-$250.

To apply for a 2013 scholarship please forward:

1. Original, unpublished writing sample of less than 1000 words, typed, double-spaced. The sample should be titled, but should not include any information about the author. Writing published in school publications is eligible. Any topic. Fiction and poetry also accepted.

2. A cover letter with contact information that includes the title of the writing sample, and a paragraph that includes information about the student's goals as a writer.

3. Letter of recommendation from an instructor in the current academic year.
Submit all materials to the following address:

Kate Herzog Scholarship
Willamette Writers
2108 Buck St
West Linn, OR 97068

In previous years, student entries have ranged about one third fiction, one third essays, one third memoirs, and some poetry. Letters of recommendation have generally run one to two paragraphs.

Dates to Remember

Application Deadline March 27th, 2013 (post mark deadline; must be in the mail by the 27th)
Finalists Will Be Announced June 15, 2013
Scholarships Will Be Awarded August 4th, 2013

Tip for Tuesday

Monday night I went to hear David Slater talk about Dialogue and how to make yours soar. He said dialogue isn't like conversation, if it was it would be boring. People interrupt, talk over one another, and jump around from one subject to the next. He gave writers tips, hints and helpful words of writing wisdom all while being open to questions and comments from listeners in the audience.

David will be speaking at the upcoming Willamette Writer's Conference here in Portland during August. If you are interested in learning more about how to make your dialogue serve multiple purposes, you might want to check out the conference and sign up for a session with David. Check out the WW brochure here.

WANNA FIGHT?

Well, if you're a writer you should want to - or at least have a lot of conflict. That's what makes a story interesting.

Tuesday night I went to Willamette Writer's mini-seminar at the Old Church in downtown Portland to listen to Elizabeth Engstrom talk about the structure of a good story. She said that we want to live vicariously when we read. Most of us have calm lives but that's not what we want to experience when we read. So, as writers, we need to provide some excitement for the reader. Let them live through our characters. And they have to connect with them too.

So, we need to create a world of conflict and then amplify it even more. Now, I'm off to my WIP to ratchet up the conflict. I have to tell myself I wanna fight.