Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Guest author Jean Messinger

Jean Goodwin Messinger, author of “Hannah: From Dachau to the Olympics and Beyond,” will speak on researching and writing personal and family histories at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 15, at the Oshkosh Public Library.

Messinger, a graduate of Lawrence University, is the author of four books. “A Closer Look at Beaver Dam: A Guide to Historic Architecture” won an award from the Wisconsin State Historical Society.

In addition, Messinger is the owner of “Once Upon a Time,” a business based in Winsor, Colo. that compiles and writes family histories for a fee.

Tentative plans are underway for members of the OAWC to have dinner with Ms. Messinger before her lecture. Stay tuned for details.

Monday, February 20, 2006

Mustard Mystery Contest

The 2005-06 Mustard Mystery Contest is a writing contest.

Chapter One of "Murder at the Mustard Museum" is complete and appears in the 2005-06 catalog of the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum and on the web site. Contestants will write their best Chapter 2 and a summary of how the story turns out for the opportunity to win the Grand Prize of $5,000. The winning entry will become the basis for a finished novel to be published by the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum.

Only one entry per person. There is no entry fee. No purchase of mustard or products from the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum is necessary. The deadline for entries is May 15.

Judging will be on the basis of literary merit and the creative use of mustard in the story line. Photographs, drawings, or any other illustrations should not be sent and will not be considered.

The winners will be announced on National Mustard Day (August 5), 2006, at Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, and will be posted on the contest web site and on the Mustard Museum web site.

Entries must be typewritten, double-spaced, page numbered and stapled. Handwritten entriesm email or digital (e.g. CD-ROM) entries be NOT accepted. The entrant’s name should appear only on the entry form and not on any pages of manuscripts. Remember each entry will consist of two writings – a completed Chapter Two (not to exceed 2,500 words) and a summary of how the mystery turns out (not to exceed 800 words). Contestants must provide three copies of their writing entries (the Chapter Two and the summary)

Entries should be postmarked no later than May 15, 2006 and sent to:
Mustard Mystery Contest
Mount Horeb Mustard Museum
P.O. Box 468
Mount Horeb, WI 53572

For the first chapter, complete rules, and entry form, please click here.

Green Lake Writers Conference

The dates for the 2006 Green Lake Writers Conference (WI) are Aug. 5 - 12. Tuition is $150 (room and board are extra).

Sessions meet each morning; students choose one session to attend for the week-long conference. Session workshops include Writing for Children, Poetry, Inspirational Writing, and Fiction Writing. Afternoons include seminars and free time to write. In the evenings, critique session are held.

Instructors include Ellen Kort, Sharon Hart Addy, Barbara Smith, Joyce Ellis, Melanie Rigney, Cecil Murphey and Andrea Boeshaar.

For more information, call the Green Lake Conference Center at 920-294-3323 or visit ww.glcc.org.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Club has Yahoo! group

Stacie P. was kind enough to set up a Yahoo! group account for the Oshkosh Area Writers Club.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oawc/messages is the url. You do need a Yahoo member account (free), but once you create an account, all the e-mails can be forwarded to your current e-mail address and you don't need to go to the group site to read messages. When a file is uploaded, an email notification is sent but not the file itself.

This may be a viable alternative for those comfortable with using e-mail and message boards to share stories and give critiques. Let's give it a try!

Book of Days

A recommended book for writing prompts is “A Writer’s Book of Days: A Spirited Companion & Lively Muse for the Writing Life” by Judy Reeves (New World Library, 1999).

The book is organized into two pages of writing advice (where to find fresh images, how to get unstuck), followed by four or five writing prompts, one for each day of the year. The prompts themselves are no more than six words; examples include “Write about a pair of shoes” and “Somebody makes a promise.” There are also suggestions for further writing exercises and inspirational quotes and quips about the writing life. A fun and motivating read for writers of all skills and abilities.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Books2Eat

UW-Madison is participating in the worldwide event Books2Eat.

The International Edible Book Festival is a yearly event that takes place on April 1 throughout the world. Participants create edible books that are exhibited and then eaten. To view photos of previous delicious exhibits/snacks and local contact information, click here.

Writing Prompts

"Writing Prompts" is the topic of the OAWC meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. Bring paper and pen and be prepared to write!

Meetings are free and open to anyone age 17 or older. For more information, please call 231-6182.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

How Do You Spell Chocolate?

The Winnebago County Literacy Council's 2006 Annual Spelling Bee, “How Do You Spell Chocolate?” will be held Saturday, Feb. 18, 2006 at Oshkosh Public Library (under the Dome).

The schedule of events:

10:30 am - Noon: Middle School Bee Competition
Noon - 3 pm: FREE CHOCOLATE
12:30-1:00 pm: Corporate Teams Register
1:00-3:00 pm: Corporate Bee Competition
10:00 am - 2:30 pm: Silent Auction Bidding

Come and cheer on your favorite team while supporting a great cause!