Thank you, Jamie Morris
Jamie Morris, director of the Woodstream Writers community in Central Florida, spoke at the September meeting of the Orlando Area Writers Group, Florida Writers Association. During her talk, Jamie facilitated a group exercise designed to create a variety of ways to work through writer’s block and other sticky parts of the first-draft process.
Among other resources, Jamie cited
- the Gotham Writers’ Workshop, which offers online workshops;
- a variety of articles by British Sci-Fi author Simon Haynes;
- the First Fridays critique group at Rollins College, which is open to the public and facilitated by Associate Professor of English and Writer in Residence Phil Deaver; and
- a variety of books with writing prompts, including Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones.
In addition to offering workshops using the Amherst Writers and Artists method, writing retreats, community presentations, and book-coaching services, Jamie also creates and distributes The Newstream, a quarterly newsletter for the Central Florida writing community.
The Newstream
- lists publishing tips and opportunities for writers;
- shares information on local workshops, writing intensives and retreats, and relevant community events; and
- applauds local authors’ victories and publishing triumphs!
To subscribe to The Newstream, or to learn more about her services or any of the other resources Jamie presented in September’s meeting, e-mail her: Jamie@WoodstreamWriters.com.
Thanks, Jamie. We’re glad you took time from your busy schedule to share with us.
A rather somber meeting for July 1
The July 1, 2009, meeting of the Orlando Area Writers Group (Florida Writers Association) will be a planning meeting with several important decisions on the table.
First of all, I am forcing myself to step down as group leader. Primarily, I am finding myself involved in too many floundering but promising business opportunities; I am also helping to organize and reinvigorate a few other organizations, as well. With those adventures taking up ten to twelve hours a day seven days a week, I no longer feel I have the appropriate amount of time to devote to this group. Under the right circumstances, I am willing to stay involved (if the new leadership so desires), but bring all your options, resolutions, solutions, and other ideas to be discussed.
Related to that order of business is the direction that we want the group to take. As those of you who have been around for a while know, our group has traditionally been more of a “presentation” and sharing and networking sort of group more than it has been a discussion-oriented or critique-type group. A couple of variations for possible new efforts are floating among some of the regular members, however, so bring your suggestions for that discussion, too. Your influence is important in determining how relevant and useful the group will be to your needs.
The last item on the agenda will be a discussion about shopping for and securing a future meeting site.
Anyone who cannot make the meeting is invited to e-mail their comments and opportunities to me at the address below. I’ll be sure to present them in your stead. I hope most of you can make the meeting, though.
That Wednesday meeting will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the University Club of Winter Park, which is located at 841 Park Avenue North, on the northwest corner of Park and Webster Avenue. As always, our meetings are free and open to the public. For additional information, visit the group blog at www.fwa-orlando.org or contact Stephen Evans, group leader, at ImYourEditor@hotmail.com or 407-898-4299.
Free AWA writing workshops begin April 14
Geoff and Janna Benge, members of our local group, are offering a series of free writing workshops on Tuesdays from April 14 through May 5. The workshops will be held from 6:30 to 9:00 PM at the Office Gallery and Art Studio in downtown Orlando. The Office Gallery and Art Studio is a working art studio, a great environment for writing.
Geoff and Janna have more than one hundred forty books in their portfolio and more than twenty-three years of experience in the publishing industry—evidence of the passion for writing that drives them to help others find their writing voices. Janna is also a certified instructor in the Amherst Writers and Artists’ (AWA) methodology.
The Benge’s own Silver Fern Writer’s Workshops, in conjunction with Apartment E, will be running the workshops. The workshops are free and open to all, though a donation box will be available for those who would like to donate towards the cost of running the workshop.
As added incentive—if any were needed—anyone who wishes may head over to Will’s Pub at 1042 N. Mills Avenue for additional conversation.
For a printable flyer, visit http://www.the-freelance-editor.com/BengeFlyer,Apr09.pdf For directions and parking information visit: SilverFernWriters.com or apartmentE.com. For more information, e-mail Geoff or Janna at inquiries@silverfernwriters.com
HS student completes writing senior project: Congrats!
“Adopted” member Jessica Lehrer, who has attended a couple of our meetings in the last few months, just announced that the performance of her senior project is scheduled for Thursday, February 12, 2009, at 7:30 PM, in the Oviedo High School auditorium. For her project, Jessica wrote and is directing a play, “Legally Frosted,” in memory of classmate Robert Locke. A minimum donation of $2 is requested with all proceeds benefiting the Robert Locke Scholarship.
Congratulations, Jessica!
Additional shows may be scheduled. Contact Oviedo High School at 407-320-4050 to see about other performances, to ask for directions (the school is located at 601 King Street in Oviedo; ZIP, 32765), and to seek any information you might need to show your support.
Reviewing our January meeting and other notes
After a somewhat rough start (debates over respect and who had the floor at some given moments), our open forum on January 7 turned out to be a pretty informative session. During our discussions, several Web sites and blogs were mentioned; in case you couldn’t write quickly enough, here are a few that had the most interest:
This is a Yahoo Groups list that contains calls for submissions for all varieties of writing, including poetry, general fiction, and non-fiction. It also posts faculty openings, artist-in-residence programs, and grant offerings, if any of those are relevant to your needs. Thanks to Lara Zielinsky for that link.
HARO, or Help A Reporter Out, is a database listing of subject specialists who are available to provide comment or information to reporters and reporters who need subject specialists to help finish articles. Lists arrive by e-mail three times a day, Monday through Friday, and are fun to peruse, even if you only subscribe for a couple of days. Thanks to Rik Feeney for that one.
These three sites have long been staples in the arsenals of writers. Check them out for yourselves and see what you can get from them. Thanks to Robyn Weinbaum for those recommendations.
In other news, Elaine Person announced a St. Valentine’s Day Celebration with the Orlando Poetry Troupe on Saturday, February 7, at 1:30 p.m. She and sometimes-members Hinda-jonathan and Naomi Butterfield will be among the artists presenting original works by Florida poets. The celebration is part of Arts Fest 2009 at the Maitland Art Center (231 West Packwood Avenue, Maitland; 407-539-2181). A second performance is scheduled to take place at Infusion Tea (1600 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, 407-378-4675) on Wednesday, February 11, at 7:00 p.m.
And, finally, steadfast member Dan Anderson had this biographical and promotional article appear in the Jacksonville Beach Beaches Leader and BeachesLeader.com. Congratulations, Dan!
Thank you, again, to everyone who attended that experimental meeting and contributed to the information-packed result! See you again on February 4.
Congratulations to winners, and a son!
At the annual FWA conference earlier this month, two members of our Orlando Area Writers Group won Royal Palm Literary Awards.
The first went to member Robyn Weinbaum and Gene Hodes, who won the Honorable Mention (3rd Place) award in the Published Thriller category for their novel, Mastermind.
Member Dan Anderson received two awards at the conference. His Bad Vibrations, won First Place in the Published Mystery category, while his recently completed manuscript Death Cruise (forthcoming, 2009) received a First Place finish in the Unpublished Mystery contest. This was the third literary award for Bad Vibrations, which was previously recognized as best new novel in the RockWay Press International Writing Competition and as the Third Place finisher in the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category of the Lighthouse Book Awards Unpublished Novel Competition.
In addition to the award winners, we also congratulate member Lara Zielinsky’s son, John Harry, who was selected to go to Japan with the People to People Student Ambassadors program. John Harry has started a blog (with a PayPal donation button) to help raise money for the trip—he needs to raise $1,000 a month, for a total of $7,000, by May 31. To help her son’s efforts, Lara is also contributing proceeds from the sales of her short story “So Many Ways” toward his trip. To purchase the story, visit Lara’s blog at her Web site, and scroll to the entry for Monday, November 17, 2008.
Annual Florida Writers Conference is this weekend!
In case the time has slipped past you as quickly as it has slipped past me this year, sit down and read the next sentence slowly: The 7th Annual Florida Writers Conference, sponsored by the Florida Writers Association, takes place this coming weekend! That’s November 14 through 16, 2008, at the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary.
I mention the conference not only to remind you and urge you to attend but because I hope some of you will feel comfortable enough to share your experiences at our next group meeting, that’s the December 3 meeting of the Orlando Area Writers Group (Florida Writers Association). During the meeting, we will focus on reviewing the annual conference and identifying the one or two or three sessions that inspired you or enlightened you the most.
All you really need to do is take some extra notes during those conference sessions. Then, in the next couple of weeks, I’ll post another blog entry with further instructions.
We won’t put any pressure on you to create a PowerPoint presentation or to polish your words for a recording, and you won’t even have to fit into a specified time limit. Just bring a simple description of what sessions you attended and your notes about some of the highlights that might be helpful and encouraging to your fellow group members who attended another session or who could not make the conference. You can even team up with another member if you like.
If you want to plan ahead, this link will jump you to the session decriptions.
I’ll be back in touch in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime, have a great conference! And, thanks, in advance, for your participation.
A plea for assistance
With deep regret, I have had to accept the resignation of group co-chair Joyce Bowden. As if losing her devoted assistance and witty banter was not bad enough, her resignation also jeopardizes our ability to use the University Club of Winter Park as our meeting place. The Orlando Area Writers Group (Florida Writers Association) has been meeting rent-free at the club because Joyce is member of the club who chose to sponsor our group. Joyce has tried to find another sponsor within the UC, but no one has yet signed on, so, as of her last meeting as co-chair, which is this month (March 5) we will have to turn in our keys.
I have checked into several locations in the area, including some where the group has met in the past. Unfortunately, because of looming budget cuts, all of those places but one is now charging for space (the one is actually occupying its former meeting space because a planned renovation and expansion was cut from its budget).
As an alternative to moving, the UC has generously offered to consider the remaining group chair as a new member; the UC board has even agreed to waive that member’s application fee. For that new member, the annual dues of $275 would in effect provide us with a meeting space for less than $25 per month– a bargain when you consider that they also furnish maintenance, advertising, and support equipment, as well as free and accessible parking. In addition, I have come to learn that potential speakers are reasonably impressed and more eager to appear with our group when they hear that we meet at the UC.
The proposal that has been suggested is to solicit a one-time $10 (or more if anyone desires) contribution (without obligation) from our regular members to pay for the bulk of the annual dues; any balance will be paid by the person who becomes the member. Again, it has been suggested, with the support of the UC board, that I, as current co-chair, should most logically become the designated person to apply for membership; however, any of our regular group members could be considered.
Please think about this option and bring concerns and comments to the meeting on Wednesday. If you cannot make the meeting or would rather voice an opinion before, feel free to contact me, Stephen Evans, group leader— ImYourEditor@hotmail.com or 407-898-4299.
Thank you for your continued support. I look forward to hearing from you.
January Meeting Announcement
Because the January meeting date would fall on January 2, the Orlando Area Writers Group will not have a session in January 2008.
The writers group usually meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the University Club of Winter Park; all meetings are open to the public. The University Club is located at 841 Park Avenue North, on the northwest corner of Park and Webster Avenue. For additional information, visit the group blog at www.fwa-orlando.org or contact Stephen Evans, group leader—ImYourEditor@hotmail.com or 407-898-4299.
Enjoy the holidays!
Meeting Reminder: November 7, 6:30 PM
Happy NaNoWriMo!
Or, have you forgotten? Yes, today, November 1, starts National Novel Writing Month. The speaker for our next meeting already provided a general description of NaNoWriMo for us (which was posted, with some links, to this blog on October 18, “NaNoWriMo, wikis, and other technologies”), so I thought perhaps a link to “How NaNoWriMo Works (in Ten Easy Steps)” might be helpful at this point. This page offers reasons to participate and words of encouragement in addition to detailing how to open an account and take part in the activities. Please take a few minutes to browse over this page, even if you don’t plan to become a NaNoWriMo-er. Some of you might also want to visit the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program page and pass any relevant information on to someone you know.
Our Orlando liaison with NaNoWriMo, Tina Marie, will share even more information at the next meeting of the Orlando Writing Group (Florida Writers Association). She will also talk about wikis and other writing-related technologies, so please join us on Wednesday, November 7, at the University Club of Winter Park; as always, our meetings are open to the public. The University Club is located at 841 Park Avenue North, on the northwest corner of Park and Webster Avenue. For additional information, visit the group blog at www.fwa-orlando.org or contact Stephen Evans, group leader—ImYourEditor@hotmail.com or 407-898-4299.
