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.

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:

• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CRWROPPS-B

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.

• http://www.helpareporter.com/

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.

• http://www.poewar.com/
• http://www.writing-world.com/index.shtml
• http://www.publishersweekly.com

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.

At the regular group meeting on Wednesday, June 6, local author Lara Zielinsky shared a wealth of knowledge about her fresh-off-the-press book Turning Point. Lara talked about the planning and evolution of the novel, how the events of 9-11 affected her progress, and her experiences in trying to find a publisher. She also read several passages from the book, some at the request of those in attendance.

Turning Point explores the journey of two women, Brenna and Cassidy, costars on the fictional television series Time Trails. Brenna has two teenage sons and is 41—“just over the hill” by Hollywood standards. Brenna has been in show business since she was 18, working on stage, on television, and even on the big screen. Cassidy, on the other hand is relatively new to Hollywood. At 32, Cassidy came to Hollywood after majoring in literature and drama in college, doing a little modeling, and acting in a variety of small roles. They both have children and husbands—and real lives! But as the two rivals get to know each other, they discover truths within themselves they have never known before, truths that result in their hearts opening in unexpected ways.

Reviewer Lynne Sage says, “For those who feel that plots of books are often rushed to completion without good character development, this book will be a welcome change.”

Lara is a working wife and mother in Orlando. An affinity for strong female heroines in books and television led her to start writing stories online, where she wrote fan fiction for sites related to Xena: Warrior Princess and Star Trek: Voyager. Copies of Turning Point are available for purchase at Amazon.com.

I particulary want to thank Lara for stepping in on short notice as Tom and I exchanged leadership of the group. Thank you! By the way, Lara can be contacted through her Web site, www.lzfiction.net, or directly by e-mail, laraz [at] lzFiction [dot] net.