New Books

Below are a few new/upcoming books on the craft of writing. Feel free to comment on these or any other titles related to writing/publishing.


The Maeve Binchy Writers' Club by Maeve Binchy



How to Write a Damn Good Thriller: A Step-by-Step Guide for Novelists and Screenwriters by James N. Frey



Booklife: Strategies & survival tips for the 21st-Century Writer by Jeff VanderMeer




The 90-Day Novel : A Day-by-Day Plan for Outlining and Writing Your Book by Sarah Domet

Naked, Drunk, and Writing : Shed Your Inhibitions and Craft a Compelling Memoir or Personal Essay
by Adair Lara

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15, 2010, in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Ave.

Although Main Street is under construction, you can cross it at the intersection of High and Main streets; Irving and Main streets; or just after the Main Street Bridge on Ceape Ave.

As always, meetings are free and open to the public.

Northwoods Children's Book Conference

The 8th Annual Northwoods Children's Book Conference (NCBC) will be held at Sept. 30- Oct. 1, 2010, at the Telemark Resort & Convention Center in Cable, Wisconsin. The conference is designed specifically for librarians, educators, and writers, with workshops on Thursday and Friday that explore the best of children's literature and fresh ideas in programming.

Date: 30 September - 1 October
Place: Telemark Resort & Convention Center Cable, Wisconsin

More information at: http://www.telemarkeducation.com/ncbc/home.html

Meeting Reminder

The next meeting of the Oshkosh Area Writers Club is 10 a.m. Saturday, May 1, in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library. There is no Spotlight Author.

Create-A-Book Reception

Those who judged the Create-a-Book Contest (and those who didn't) are welcome to attend the Create-a-Book reception 2-3 p.m. Sunday, April 22 at the Oshkosh Public Library. The program, to be held under the dome, will include Oshkosh area community leaders reading the winning stories. Refreshments will be served. For more information, please call the Children's Department at 236-5208.

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. The prompt is to write about losing something valuable - use it in a story, poem, essay or sketch. Enjoy!

Guest Author - Nancy Wall

Meet author Nancy Wall, author of "Pulled by the Heart: A Woman's Real-life Story of Living and Escaping the Middle East." Lower level meeting room. 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, at the Oshkosh Public Library. Phone 236-5205 for more information.

Nancy T. Wall lived in the Middle East for 10 years, starting in Beirut, Lebanon, and later moving to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi on the Arabian (Persian) Gulf. She became a Muslim in marriage to her Syrian husband and embraced the culture and traditions of the local people, quickly learning to speak the language.

Visit Nancy Wall's website for excerpts, reviews & more information about this Neenah native author.

Food for Fines

On Thursday, April 15, the Oshkosh Public Library will hold a Food for Fines program; pay off $1 in fines with each non-perishable food item you bring in to the library. You may bring in up to 3 items. Damaged or expired items cannot be accepted. All items donated to the Oshkosh Area Community Food Pantry.

Fox Cities Book Festival @ Neenah Public Library

The third annual Fox Cities Book Festival will be held April 11-18. Events are scheduled throughout the Fox Valley; the following events are those being held at Neenah Public Library:

Sunday, April 11, 2 p.m.: Newbery Honor Award Winner Gennifer Choldenko, author of Al Capone Does My Shirts.

Tuesday, April 13, 7 p.m.: Humorist Laurie Notaro, author of Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death, I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies): True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl.

Wednesday, April 14, 4 p.m.: James DeVita, author of the Young Adult novel, The Silenced.

Wednesday, April 14, 7 p.m.: Wisconsin’s First Poet Laureate, Ellen Kort, and Paula Tiller, “A Marriage of Music and Poetry”

Thursday, April 15, 7 p.m.: Lesley Kagen, Whistling in the Dark. The 4th Annual “Fox Cities Reads” title.

Friday, April 16, 2 p.m.: Urban Farming in America with urban farmer Novella Carpenter, author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer.

Other authors coming to the Fox Cities: Kim Edwards (Memory Keeper’s Daughter); David Wroblewski (The Story of Edgar Sawtelle); Jane Hamilton (Book of Ruth); Bishop Robert Morneau; Poet Laureate Ted Kooser; Wisconsin Public Radio’s Steve Paulson (To The Best of Our Knowledge); Robert Goolrick (A Reliable Wife); Mary Karr (Liars’ Club); James Campbell (Final Frontiersman: Heimo Korth) and many more!

See www.foxcitiesbookfestival.org for more information and the complete schedule of events.

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 3, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. For those who need to cross Main St., those from the south should turn on to Ceape right after the bridge; those coming from the north can cross at the intersection of Church and Main.

Beth Ziarnik is our guest speaker for the first hour of the meeting; Bob B. is the Spotlight Author.

Woman's Day Essay Contest

Women's Day and the American Library Association are once again sponsoring a "love your library" contest:

Has the library helped you save money? If the library has gotten you or your family out of a tough financial crunch, helping you save in unexpected ways, tell us about it in an essay of 700 words or less. Up to four women’s stories will be featured in an upcoming issue of Woman’s Day. Click here between February 17 and May 18 for official rules and how to enter.

Write-by-the-Lake Workshop & Retreat

The annual Write-by-the-Lake Writers Workshop & Retreat will be held from 9:30-12:30 June 14-18, 2010, at the Pyle Center, UW-Madison.

There are sections for writers at all levels; topics include Beginning Fiction; Scene Workshop; Tools for Creating a Page-turning Novel; Habit of Poetry; Screenwriting; and How to Get Essays Published. Presenters include Christine DeSmet, Robert Curry, Laurel Yourke and Rae Meadows.

New this year: "Crossing the Finish Line: Full Manuscript Polishing." There is a limit of six writers; fee is $650 for a complete review/edit of your finished manuscript.

For more information and registration form, please go to http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/writing/wbtl.htm

Hope S. has a new blog

If you're interested, here's the link to my ethnography-in-progress blog for a class I'm in right now. After the semester ends in May, I'll be using the blog through the summer and fall to post updates on my McNair research, which will be closely related in topic and approach. You can access the blog by clicking here.

Feel free to leave comments, critiques, and questions!

Hope S.

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 20, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. Because we will be judging stories for the city-wide children's Create-a-Book contest, there will be no critiques. BUT - there will be donuts! I hope you can come - it really is a lot of fun.

Author Spotlight Schedule

"Author Spotlight" allows members to share larger bodies of work (a compilation, novel, or collection of poetry) to be read prior to the meeting, where we spend the last 45 minutes on the critique. The following people are signed up for Author Spotlight:

April 3 - Bob
April 17 - Ann
May 1 - Tana
May 15 - Dixie
June 5 - Tom

Writing Prompt

The writing prompt for April 3 is "The most valuable thing you've ever lost."

Although we're meeting on March 20, we will be judging contest entries so the writing prompt is for the April 3 meeting.

David Sedaris - Madison

David Sedaris returns to Madison this spring! Sedaris is the author of the bestsellers Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and is also a regular National Public Radio contributor.

The event is 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12 at Overture Hall. Reserved tickets are $32-52 and may be purchased at the Overture Center Ticket Office, online, and by calling 608-258-4141.

Meeting Reminder - March 20

The next meeting of the Oshkosh Area Writers Club is 10 a.m. Saturday, March 20, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

Tom C. is the Author Spotlight and the writing prompt (inspired by Tom)is "battered suitcase."

Upcoming events: Guest speaker Beth Ziarnik will talk about how to get the most out of writers conference at our April 3rd meeting and members will once again judge the city-wide "Create-a-Book" contest on April 17.

Self-Publishing Contest

Writer's Digest is giving away more than $17,000 in prizes in their 18th annual Self-Published Book Awards. All books published or revised and reprinted between 2005 and 2010 are eligible.

The categories:

* Mainstream/Literary Fiction
* Genre Fiction
* Nonfiction
* Inspirational (Spiritual, New Age)
* Life Stories (Biographies, Autobiographies, Family Histories, Memoirs)
* Children's Picture books
* Middle-Grade/Young Adult books
* Reference Books (Directories, Encyclopedias, Guide Books)
* Poetry

Entry deadline is May 3, 2010. Judging fee is $125 for the first submission; $75 for each additional entry.

For contest rules and submission guidelines, please go to http://www.writersdigest.com/selfpublished

Congrats Tom and Dan!

Tom C. has a short story accepted in the Winter 2009 issue of "Battered Suitcase," published by Vagabond Press.

Dan H. had a poem selected for the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets 2011 calendar.

If you have some news you'd like to report, please email Ruth at oawc@aol.com

Writing Prompt - March 6

The writing prompt for the March 6th meeting is "battered suitcase." Use it in a poem, sketch, essay or story. Enjoy!

Writing for Magazines Workshop

Appleton Public Library will host "Writing for Magazines" an inspiring workshop with Ellen Kort, Wisconsin's first poet laureate. Located in the Lower Level Meeting Room of Appleton Public Library, Thursday, Feb 11, 1:30 - 3 pm. No writing experience is necessary. The event is free and open to the public.

The program is sponsored by Writing Matters, where members discuss books about the writing craft, participate in writing exercises, listen to good writing, and learn about different genres and writing techniques.

Spotlight Author/Prompt - Feb. 20th

Judi is the Spotlight Author on Feb. 20th - if you still need a copy of her work, please contact Ruth P.

The writing prompt for the Feb. 20 meeting is to write a 50-word story.

2010 Fox Cities Book Festival

The third annual Fox Cities Book Festival will be held April 11-18th. Visiting authors include James Campbell, Chris Crutcher, Kim Edwards, Lesley Kagen, Ellen Cort, Daniel San Souci, Jane Hamilton, Mary Karr, Ted Koosier and David Wroblewski. For a complete list of authors, please click here.

Neenah Public Library, the nearest Book Festival host, offers up the following:

Sunday, April 11, 2 p.m.: Newbery Honor Award Winner Gennifer Choldenko, author of Al Capone Does My Shirts.

Tuesday, April 13, 7 p.m.: Humorist Laurie Notaro, author of Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death, I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies): True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl.

Wednesday, April 14, 4 p.m.: James DeVita, author of the Young Adult novel, The Silenced.

Wednesday, April 14, 7 p.m.: Wisconsin’s First Poet Laureate, Ellen Kort, and Paula Tiller, “A Marriage of Music and Poetry”

Thursday, April 15, 7 p.m.: Lesley Kagen, Whistling in the Dark: The Fourth Annual Fox Cities Reads title.

Friday, April 16, 2 p.m.: Urban Farming in America with urban farmer Novella Carpenter, author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6 in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

Jack is the Author Spotlight and the writing prompt is: "He has secrets. Everyone did."

Poet Conference

The Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets will hold its spring conference April 23 and 24, 2010, in Green Bay. Cost is $45 for members and $70 for non-members; registration deadline is April 9. For more information, go to http://www.wfop.org/vernconf.html

Writing Prompt - Feb. 6

The writing prompt for the Feb. 6 meeting is: He had secrets. Everyone did.

Write a Novel

The article "Finish Your Novel in Four Steps", by Lin Enger is recommended reading, whether you're on the second draft of y our novel or just starting one. You can find the article here.

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010, in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Ave.

As always, meetings are free and open to anyone age 17 and older. For more information, please email oawc@aol.com

Rejected Five Times?

If your work has been rejected at least five times, submit it to The Rejected Quarterly, which requires that you submit "at least five other rejection slips from other publications along with each manuscript." The magazine accepts ficton, humor, artwork, comics, poetry and book reviews. Payment varies from $7.50 to $15 but hey - what an honor!

Muse Prize for Poetry

The Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets Muse Prize for Excellence in Poetry deadline is Feb. 1, 2010. The contest is open to Wisconsin residents 18 and older. Entry fee is $3; prizes are $200 and trophy for 1st place, $100 for 2nd place and $75 for 3rd place. For complete contest rules, please go to http://www.wfop.org/muserule.html

Meeting Reminder

The next meeting of the Oshkosh Area Writers Club will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

Tana is the Author Spotlight; the writing prompt is "a gift."

As always, meetings are free and open to anyone age 17 or older.
For more information, please email oawc@aol.com

Holiday Party/Meeting

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Oshkosh Public Library for its annual holiday party. Please bring a wrapped White Elephant gift (something you don't use/need that is in excellent/new condition). Refreshments will be provided.

As usual, we'll be setting personal goals for 2010 so start thinking now about what writing goals you hope to accomplish next year.

At 11 a.m. we will open it up for author critiques and at 11:30, we’ll discuss Author Spotlight Bob B.’s piece on Christmas.

Elizabeth Gilbert in Madison

Catch a rare appearance by Elizabeth Gilbert, the "Queen of Quirk" and literary rock-star author of Eat, Pray, Love and the upcoming Committed. The former is a best-seller and being adapted to film, starring Julia Roberts. The latter will still be hot off the presses when the author arrives in Madison on Thursday, February 11.

And here's a special offer for Wisconsin Book Festival's patrons - 2 tickets for $50! Make it a gift for a loved one or yourself! Just use the code GIFT when you buy tickets at the Overture Center ticket office, order by phone at 608-258-4141 or buy online at overturecenter.com. Gift offer expires January 4, 2010.

A portion of proceeds from this performance benefits Wisconsin Book Festival.

Writer's Digest Writing Competition

Submissions are now being accepted for the 78th annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition.

There are 10 writing categories, including memoirs, poetry, short story, literary short story, inspirational and children's fiction. Cash prize awards for 1st to 10th place; 11th through 100 place receive a distinctive certificate.

Entry fee varies according to submission type and number of submissions; minimum fee is $15.

Deadline: May 14, 2010.

For complete rules and entry form, visit http://www.writersdigest.com/annual

WRWA Blog

Read up on what is going on with other writers through the state by checking out the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association blog at http://wrwaonline.blogspot.com

Of course, you can still read their newsletter and find out about state-wide events at their website, http://www.wrwa.net

Annual Holiday Party

The club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, for its annual holiday party at the Oshkosh Public Library. Please bring a wrapped White Elephant gift (something you don't use/need that is in excellent/new condition). Refreshments will be provided.

As usual, we'll be setting personal goals for 2010 so start thinking now about what writing goals you hope to accomplish next year. Remember: Deadlines are your friend!

Meeting Reminder

The next meeting of the Oshkosh Area Writers Club will be 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library. The writing prompt is: He/she hates him too.

Dixie J. is the Spotlight Author.

As always, meetings are free and open to anyone age 17 and older. For more information, please email oawc@aol.com

Power of the Pen

The 6th annual Power of the Pen Writer's Conference will be held March 20 and March 27 in Neenah; courses include Character and Setting in Fiction; Enter Your Story through the Door of Poetry; Short Story Writing; Conflict and Scene in Fiction, and others. The BEST part if the price - only $15.14 per course ($5 for seniors).

For more information, call 920-720-6820 or visit www.fvtc.edu/neenah

Cheap Magazines

You can get a great deal on magazine subscriptions at http://www.bestdealmagazines.com

Titles include popular women's, men's and children's magazines such as Parents, Boys Life, Car and Driver, Men's Fitness, Psychology Today, Atlantic Monthly, Family Circle, Mother Jones and more - many are less than $6 for a one-year subscription (for first-time subscribers only). The one drawback is that it takes 8-12 weeks for the first issue to arrive.

Neenah Author's Series

At 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, Neenah Public Library will host Barbara Manger and Janine Smith, authors of Mary Nohl: Inside and Outside.

Artist Mary Nohl’s mysterious, modest home adorned with stone-encrusted creatures, imposing driftwood figures and other pieces of art along Lake Michigan’s shoreline may be the most famous residence in Greater Milwaukee. When Nohl died in 2001, she left her house and personal collection to the Kohler Foundation to make sure that it would remain intact. She also left her personal estate, valued at $11.3 million, to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. Copies of the book will be available for checkout at the library. Copies will also be available for purchase and signing at the event.

Nov. 21 Author Spotlight

Angie is the Spotlight Author for Nov. 21. If you missed the last meeting and would like a copy of her short stories to critique, you can email her at ninja@yoyager.net

Novel Ways to Promote Book

An interesting article,  "On Web, A Most Novel Approach, appeared in the Sept. 24, 2009 Washington Post, and explored ways new authors are promoting their books, behaving like "mini-entrepreneurs" as they make use of social websites such as youtube, Twitter and Facebook not only for promoting their book but creating a fan base.  A recommended read to anyone trying to sell their work.

To read the article, click here.

NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month is just a few days away. The goal of NaNoWriMo participants is to begin writing Nov. 1 and write a 175-page novel (50,000 words) by Nov. 30th. It's not suppose to be good writing, rather the idea is to force yourself to write without regard to quality, plot, characters, perfect grammar or any of those other things that prevent writers from putting words down on a page.

Thousands of people from over a dozen countries have of signed up already; if you would like to register, go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/

The official website offers local contacts, online forums and  tips throughout the month to keep your writing moving. Chris Baty, founder of NaNoWriMo, has also written a book to help you with your goal, "No Plot? No Problem!"

Author Visit - Brian Leahy Doyle

Presentation of the Grand Opera House & other WI Opera Houses with author Brian Leahy Doyle!

7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 at the Oshkosh Public Library, under the Dome

He will present his new book: Encore! The Renaissance of Wisconsin Opera Houses. His book and presentation highlight the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh.

The Program is co-sponsored by the Oshkosh Public Library, Winnebago County Historical and Archaeological Society, Grand Opera House and Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

Author Visit - Patricia Polacco

Meet award-winning children's author Patricia Polacco, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m., Tuesday Nov. 3, at the Oshkosh Public Library

Author of In Our Mother's House, For the Love of Autumn, The Keeping Quilt & many more popular children's books!  Visit PatriciaPolacco.com for more information about her books!
      

Meet the Author Series

Neenah Public Library is hosting Meet the Author series. Guest authors include:

Thursday, November 12th at 7:00 p.m.

Thomas J. Rowland

Decade of Despair: Winnebago County During the Great Depression, 1929-1939

Co-sponsored by the Neenah Historical Society

Thursday, November 19th at 7:00 p.m.

Barbara Manger and Janine Smith

Mary Nohl: Inside & Outside

Writing prompt for next meeting

The writing prompt for the next meeting is : The swarming wisdom of the streets. Use it as you see fit.

Author Visit - Sneed B. Collard III

Author Sneed B. Collard III will do an author visit at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 at the Oshkosh Public Library. This event is part of the library's annual Bookfest.

Sneed B. Collard III is a biologist, computer scientist, and author. The son of biologists, he fell in love with the natural world at an early age, watching whales with his mother and catching snakes, turtles, and fish with his father.

In his writing, he draws from both his formal education, as well as from extensive travels to the Middle East, Asia, Australia, Central America, and other parts of the world. Author of more than 30 children’s books, Sneed seeks not only to educate, entertain, and inspire children, but also to empower them to effect positive change. In addition to writing, he is also an active speaker. He has won many speaking awards and addresses thousands of students and educators each year about writing and the environment. (source: http://www.charlesbridge.com/contributorinfo.cfm?ContribID=34)

Wisconsin People & Ideas short contests

Wisconsin People & Ideas, the quarterly magazine of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, is accepting submissions for its annual short story and poetry contests for Wisconsin residents. 

Short story contest winners will receive prizes of $500 (first place), $250 (second place), and $100 (third place) and poetry winners will receive  $500 (first place), $100 (second place), and $50 (third place). 

All winning works will be published serially in 2010 issues of Wisconsin People & Ideas. Winners received other prizes, including a poetry recording session at Abella Studios and artists’ residencies at Edenfred in Madison, WI.  

Entry fee: $20 one story / $10 up to three poems. Contest rules and guidelines at www.wisconsinacademy.org.

Deadline: December 15, 2009

Milwaukee Book Festival

The Milwaukee Book Festival, Oct. 9 through 19th, includes events at a variety of venues throughout the Milwaukee area.

Events include:

Book Festival Kick-off with Wendell Berry, The Urban Ecology Center (hosted by Woodland Pattern). (1500 E. Park Place, Milwaukee, WI) $8/$7/$6 tickets

 Anne Basting, author of the nonfiction book Forget Memory, Boswell Books, (2559 N Downer Ave, Milwaukee, WI).

Humorist Max Brooks, The Zombie Survival Guide, UWM Union, Wisconsin Room, 2nd Level, (2200 E. Kenwood Blvd., Milwaukee, WI)

Talk by Sorrel King, author of the memoir Josie's Story, Carroll University, Dorothy Goff Frisch Recital Hall in Shattuck Music Center, (218 N. East Ave., Waukesha, WI)

Edgerton Sterling North Book & Film Festival

The Edgerton Sterling North Book & Film Festival, Oct. 17th, 2009 will feature the following:

Malachy McCourt - author

Keynote Speaker, Saturday, Oct. 17, EPAC  "A Monk Swimming" 

Younger brother of Frank ("Angela's Ashes"), Malachy is an actor and one-time Green Party gubernatorial candidate from New York and the author of several memoirs and histories, most notably "A Monk Swimming." He has had a recurring role on a soap opera, kept some of the most elegant saloons in New York City, and once smuggled gold for a living.

Kurt Busiek  - Graphic novelist 

Speaker, Saturday, Oct. 17, EPAC  "The Avengers" 

Graphic novelist Kurt Busiek is famed for his two decades of fantastic tales, especially episode of the popular "Marvels," Thunderbolts," and "The Avengers" series.

Leroy Butler  - Former Green Bay Packer, Author of "Leap of Faith" 

Speaker, Saturday, Oct. 17, EPAC

Former Green Bay Packers player LeRoy Butler, inventor of the Lambeau Leap.

Jerene Mortenson  - Mother of author Greg Mortensen 

Speaker, Saturday, Oct. 17, EPAC  "Three Cups of Tea " 

Jerene Mortenson, the Janesville mother of Greg Mortenson, author of "Three Cups of Tea," an inspiring tale of how the positive actions of one man helped to create a network that has since been responsible for building a series of schools in Afghanistan.

Workshops include:

Writing Workshop, John Lehman: "The Story Only You Can Tell (Writing Your Memoirs)

Writing Workshop, Kevin Devine: "E-Publishing and Self-Publishing: Expanding Options for The Future

Demonstration and Discussion of the Japanese video art of Machinima

Murderer's Row Roundtable: a discussion of what makes a perfect crime, with mystery writers John DeDakis & Jess Lourey and true-crime writer/historian William Drennan.

Click here for a full schedule of events.

Writing Prompt -Oct. 3

The writing prompt for the Oct. 3rd meeting is: I never go anywhere without ________.

Use it in a poem, essay, short story or sketch. Enjoy!

Meeting Reminder

Just a reminder that the Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. The writing prompt is: An unusual museum. Bob B. is the Author Spotlight.

Writer's Cheat Sheet

Michelle Jerott and Michele Albert have created an interesting collection of "cheats" that includes character info, editing tips, and advice for a 5 minute pitch. Check it out here.

10th Annual Chippewa Valley Book Festival

The 10th Annual Chippewa Valley Book Festival will be held Oct. 22-25, 2009. The free, 4-day event includes readings, book signings, discussions, workshops, author receptions, and children’s programs.

A sampling of presenters (taken from the website) :

Jonathan Friesen’s book Jerk, California recently won the Schneider Book Award from the American Library Association. Like his fictitious character Sam in Jerk, Jonathan suffers from Tourette syndrome.

Joe Knight writes about the outdoors and captures life in Wisconsin winters in Frozen Assets: Winter in Northern Wisconsin.

Jon Loomis writes hard-boiled detective novels set in Provincetown, MA, where Detective Frank Coffin investigates homicides.

Marilyn Taylor, Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate, is the author of five collections of poetry. Her award-winning work has appeared in dozens of poetry journals and anthologies. Her latest work Going Wrong was released from Parallel Press in July 2009.

Kao Kalia Yang was only six when she immigrated to St. Paul from Thailand’s Ban Vinai Refugee Camp. With a storyteller’s gift for lyricism, Yang recounts in The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir her family’s harrowing escape from Laos, their life in a refugee camp and the challenges and joys of adapting to life in a new land.

Wisconsin Book Festival

The Wisconsin Book Festival will be held in Madison, Oct. 7-11, 2009. The event will take place throughout the city of Madison; check out the full roster of presenting authors, poets, historians, artists and more, click here.

Featured authors include Wisconsin writer Michael Perry, who will also do a performance with his band The Longbeds.

Legendary Wendell Berry is the keynote event speaker at 4 p.m. Sunday, October 11th at Overture Center for the Art.

For more information, please click here.

Writing Prompt - Sept. 19

The writing prompt for our Saturday, Sept. 19th meeting is: An unusual museum.

Have fun!

Author Visit - Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Best-selling author Catherine Gilbert Murdock will speak Tues., Sept. 29, 6:30 pm at the Oshkosh Public Library. From their website:

It all started with the immensely popular Dairy Queen and now, just weeks before the release of the long-awaited final book in her trilogy, Catherine Gilbert Murdock comes to the Oshkosh Public Library. Murdock will talk to fans about the continuing story of DJ Schwenk, the Wisconsin farm girl who faces life’s challenges with strength and a voice that rings true with so many young readers.

• Reading from the upcoming release, Front and Center
• Book-signing to follow
• Pre-order copies of Front and Center at the event from Apple Blossom Books LLC, or purchase Murdock’s other titles
  

Author Visit - Laura Numeroff

Children's  author Laura Numeroff will do a talk and booksigning at Thurs., Sept. 17, 7:00 pm at the Oshkosh Public Library. From their website:

Beloved children’s author Laura Numeroff takes a whimsical look at families in her latest books,Would I Trade My Parents? and What Brothers Do Best/What Sisters Do Best. Readers of all ages will relate to these stories, which highlight the special bond we share with special people in our lives.


Presentation and book signing. Books available for purchase at the event fromApple Blossom Books LLC.

For more information about Laura Numeroff & her best-selling books visit her website  at www.lauranumeroff.com.

Dorothy Maxwell

It has come to our attention that Dorothy Maxwell's husband, Richard, passed away June 25th at the age of 95 (a full obit appeared in the Oshkosh Northwestern, June 26, page 5).

Our sympathy goes out to Dorothy and her family!

Writing Prompt - Sept. 5

The writing prompt for Sept. 5 is to write a 6-word memoir. Good luck!

Author Visit - Nancy Wall

Neenah Public Library is hosting Neenah native Nancy Wall at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24. Wall will discuss her book Pulled by the Heart, her real-life story of living and escaping the Middle East.

When Nancy leaves the United States to marry the man she loves in the Middle East, she discovers she has married the culture of the Middle East as well. She moves from Beirut’s bloody civil war to the sand dunes, camels, and riches of the Persian Gulf. While she embraces and thrives in this culture of nomads and millionaires, a sudden change in her husband’s behavior threatens her life and that of her two children. Her choice is simple: Submit to her husband’s demands in the Middle East or find the courage to leave the very things she loves the most and seek her freedom in the United States. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the library. Copies will be available for purchase at the event.

What is a Short Story?

What is a Short Story? This article by Marion Zimmer Bradley can be found at
http://mzbworks.home.att.net/what.htm.

It gives her definition of what a short story is and why amateur writers do not get published. It is worth the read. For example, Ms Bradley reminds us that "Most short stories work on some variation of the following (so do most novels, but the novel works at a different speed):A LIKABLE CHARACTER overcomes ALMOST INSUPERABLE ODDS and BY HIS OR HER OWN EFFORTS achieves a WORTHWHILE GOAL."

Meeting Reminder - June 6th

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet tat 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. The Author Spotlight is Hope S. and the writing prompt is "1001 Awesome Words."Just a reminder that the Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet tat 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. The Author Spotlight is Hope S. and the writing prompt is "1001 Awesome Words."

Author Visit - John Coy

Children/young adult author John Coy will speak at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, at the Oshkosh Public Library, under the Dome. Get the inside story on what it takes to create a book. Hear about Coy’s latest release, Top of the Order, and get a sneak peek at his upcoming book. The event is free and open to the public.

Life Lessons Contest

Dan mentioned this at the July 18th meeting:

Real Simple (magazine) is holding its second annual Life Lessons writing contest. There is NO entry fee; cash prizes awarded. Deadline: Sept. 7, 2009. The theme is: When did you realize that you had become a grown-up?

For more information and submission guidelines, click here.

End of Life Stories

Creative Nonfiction (magazine) is holding a contest for the best nonfiction story dealing with death, dying.

From their website:

We're seeking new essays that explore death, dying, and end of life care, for a collection to be published by Southern Methodist University Press. We’re looking for stories that transcend the “I” and find universal meaning in personal experiences. We hope to include stories representing a wide variety of perspectives—from physicians, nurses, hospice workers, social workers, counselors, clergy, funeral directors, family members, and others. We want narratives that capture, illustrate and/or explain the best way to approach the end of life, as well as stories that highlight current features, flaws, and advances in the healthcare system and their impact on professionals, patients, and families.

Essays must be vivid and dramatic; they should combine a strong and compelling narrative with a significant element of research or information. We’re looking for well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice.

Creative Nonfiction editors will award one $1500 prize for Best Essay, and two $500 prizes for runners-up.

Guidelines: Essays must be: unpublished, 5,000 words or less, postmarked by December 31, 2009, and clearly marked “End of Life” on both the essay and the outside of the envelope. There is a $20 reading fee (or send a reading fee of $25 to include a 4-issue CNF subscription); multiple entries are welcome ($20/essay) as are entries from outside the U.S. (though subscription shipping costs do apply). Please send manuscript, accompanied by a cover letter with complete contact information, SASE and payment to:

Creative Nonfiction
Attn: End of Life Stories
5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Awesome Words Contest

Pank Magazine is sponsoring a 1001 Awesome Words Contest. That's it, there no other other rules except the entry has to be 1001 words or less; any form, any genre. Entry fee is $15; all entries receive issue copy.

Prizes: $750/500/250 plus publication.

Deadline: Midnight September 30, 2009.

For entry rules, click here.

Spring Green Literary Festival

The Spring Green Literary Festival, Sept. 11-12, 2009, brings together nationally renowned authors and poets meet with area wide lovers of books and writing to explore the importance of the literary arts to human understanding. Confirmed authors are Tony Earley, Hillary Jordan and Benjamin Percy.

Fees are $57; an optional writer's workshop is $30.

For more information, click here.

Author Visit - Allen Absorge

Mystery author Allen Ansorge will do a book signing with “Crossing the Center Line," at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 25, at Apple Blossom Books, downtown Oshkosh.

Writing Prompt - July 18

The writing prompt for Saturday, July 18, comes from a book title on creative writing by Sark: Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper.

Self-Publishing Workshop

Bailiwick Workshops LLC, which offers unique continuing education workshops in the Oshkosh area, is sponsoring a self-publishing workshop, Publishing 101, at 5:30 Tuesday, August 11. Cost is $15.

Class description: You did it. You finally finished the manuscript that's been inside you for oh so long. Now what? For some writers, self-publishing is the way to go. Learn the ins and outs of self-publishing and promotion, print-on demand, and personal publishing in this workshop for new writers

For more information and/or to register for this or other workshops, please click here.

Next Meeting

Just a reminder that the Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 20, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. Hope to see you there!

For more information, please email oawc@aol.com.

School of the Arts

During the week of July 19–24, 2009, UW-Madison Department of Continuing Education offers the School of the Arts in Rhinelander. This week-long event in the beautiful north woods offers classes in many different subjects, including writing.

Writing courses include:

Appreciation of Fiction
Beginning Poetry: Using All Six Senses to Write
Building Fiction: Where to Start and How to Keep it Going
Creating a Joyful Journal - only 3 spots left
Creating Conflict with Dialogue
Dive Deep and Bring Your Best Fiction to the Surface - This class is full
From Notebook to New Work: A Journaling Workshop
Making the Poetic Leap: A Poetry Workshop - only 4 spots left
Playwriting Lab for Writers
Plotting Your Theme
Poetry and Performance
Poetry Books: Chapbook Process
Poetry as Peace Maker - session 1: only one spot left
Poetry Critiques with Literary Journal Editor - only 4 spots left
Poetry Without Tears
Screenwriting: Revolutionize your Storytelling - only 3 spots left
Scene and Setting: They Sell Your Fiction for You
The Root of Powerful Fiction: A Character’s Fatal Flaw and Transformational Arc - only 2 spots left
Theatre Lessons for Short Story Writers

For class descriptions, fees and registration information, please click here.

WRWA 2009 Conference

The Fall 2009 Wisconsin Regional Writer's Association Conference is Sept. 25-27 at the Holiday Inn, Eau Claire. Featured speakers are Cassie Hansen, Jean Feraca, John Lehman, Greg Peck, Barb Poelle and Eva Apelqvist.Fee is $75 for non-members; daily fees also available. For more information, please click here.

2009 Wisconsin Christian Writers Conference

Registration for the 2009 Wisconsin Writers Conference opened June 1st. The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Walnut Bible Hill Church in Baraboo; cost is $25. For more information, please click here.

Meeting Reminder - June 6th

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 6, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. Bob B. is the Spotlight Author and the writing prompt is "Three witches blew over."

For more information, write oawc@aol.com or call 231-6182.

Glimmer Train - Very Short Story Contest

Glimmer Train is interested in original, unpublished very short stories (under 3,000 words).

Note: When they accept a story for publication, they are purchasing first-publication rights.

Submission guidelines: Please send your work via their new online submission procedure.

Deadline is Aug. 31, 2009. Reading fee is $15 per story.

Prizes:
1st place wins $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue.
2nd-place: $500
3rd-place:$300

Click here for more information.

Flash Fiction Contest

NANO Fiction is proud to announce their first annual NANO Prize, to be awarded to a flash fiction piece, prose poem, or micro essay of 300 words or less. The winner will receive $500.

The entry fee is $12 for the first three pieces, and $2 for each additional piece. Those twelve bucks also gets you a one year subscription to NANO Fiction.

Mail all entries and cover letters with a check or money order to:

NANO Prize
PO Box 667445
Houston, TX 77266-7445

Make all checks payable to NANO Fiction. Contest deadline is August 1, 2009.

For more information, click here.

Michael Perry Writing Retreat

Spend a week with Michael Perry, Aug. 10-14, in Mineral Point, WI. The creative nonfiction writing retreat will begin each day with a writing workshop led by Perry. Afternoons will be spent in free writing and there will be readings in the evenings. Fee is $380. The event is held at Shake Rag Alley; for more information, click here.

Writing Prompt - June 6

The writing prompt for the June 6th meeting is: "Three witches blew over." Use it in a poem, essay, story or sketch. Have fun!

Writer's Journal Contest

Writer's Journal is currently sponsoring a contest themed "Romance." Stories should be 2000 words or less. There is a $7 entry fee; deadline is July 31, 2009. Cash prizes and publication in Writer's Journal will be awarded to first, second and third place.

For submission guidelines and other information, please click here.

Glimmer Train - Family Matters

A prize of $1,200 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories is given twice yearly for a short original, unpublished story about family. Submit a story of up to 12,000 words with a $15 entry fee; submission accepted in the month of July only.

Visit the Web site for complete guidelines.

Author Visit - Elizabeth Berg

You're invited to the Oshkosh Public Library for a book talk & signing with New York TImes best-selling author Elizabeth Berg at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 13. She will talk about her latest novel, Home Safe. Visit Elizabeth Berg's website for more information about her books.

Copies of Home Safe may be pre-ordered from Apple Blossom Books or purchased at the library the evening of the event.

Improve Your Writing

There's a great article for beginning writers titled "Learn the Techniques of Writing Before You Write" by Carolyn McKay. The article breaks down the writing process, from how to organize your ideas to complete a writing project.

Writing Prompt - May 16

The writing prompt for Saturday, May 16 is "At least I'm making a lot of money."

Use it in a poem, story, essay or sketch. Have fun!

Free Comic Book!

Leave your wallet at home! On Saturday, May 2, participating comic book shops across North America will be giving away free comic books to anyone who stops in.

You can get your own free comic book between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. at the House of Heroes, 407 N. Main St. Oshkosh. Titles include Star Wars, Avengers, Ultimo, Wolverine and more.

The price is right and this is a great activity that you can participate in with your children. Or not.

Author Visit - Elizabeth Berg

You're invited to the Oshkosh Public Library for a book talk & signing with New York Times best-selling author Elizabeth Berg at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 13. She will talk about her latest novel, Home Safe. Visit Elizabeth Berg's website for more information about her books.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call the Library at 236-5205.

Writing Prompt

The writing prompt for the April 18 meeting is: She had trouble with the truth; both telling it and accepting it.

Use the prompt any way you wish and modify as needed. Enjoy!

April is Autism Awareness Month

Autism: Spreading the Word ... and Hope
April is Autism Awareness month, and throughout the world, people are joining forces to spread the word about autism and to inspire others to lend a hand to people with autism and their loved ones.
Autism is a neurobiological disorder that hinders a person's ability to communicate and to socialize and that is often accompanied by challenging behaviors. Tens of millions of children and adults around the globe, of all ethnicities and socioeconomic circumstances, live with autism or a related disorder, such as Aspberger's syndrome. In the United States, one in 150 children has an autism-spectrum disorder diagnosis, and the rate of autism diagnosis has increased tenfold over the last decade.
Although there is no known cause or cure for autism, researchers are making progress toward those ends, and there are effective treatment and support programs for children and adults with autism-spectrum disorders. But we still have a long way to go. So it is imperative for those of us who can to do whatever we can to raise awareness of this debilitating disorder and to help those with autism and their families.
That's why, in 2007, Adams Media joined forces with former NFL champ Doug Flutie and his wife Laurie, parents of a son with autism, to publish A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Children with Autism. A portion of the profits from the sale of the book go to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. Doug and Laurie Flutie wrote the book's inspiring foreword, and the wonderful stories in this book, all written by parents of children with autism, not only offer insight and hope, they also celebrate the successes and blessings of children and adults with autism.
Here's a snippet from just one of those stories, "Part of the Gift," by Thomas Cannon:
[story created with the assistance and encouragement of the Oshkosh Writer's Club]

My wife and I sit together on one of the couches in the doctor's examining room, which is at least 30 feet long with many toys in plastic bins."Yep, he's autistic," the doctor says nonchalantly, labeling our son as if she were stating the color of his hair.
Looking over at my little boy as he plays with a figurine of a knight on a galloping horse, I find her diagnosis impossible to believe. He's too engaged in the world around him ... He is too loving and too involved with me and his mom and two sisters. No, he didn't respond much to the doctor, but he is only three.
Yet, afterward as we eat lunch and even though Sawyer is strangely well behaved, the diagnosis also makes sense in many ways. He does have some sensory issues; he is evasive and shy around grandparents and strangers; and he does not talk yet. The diagnosis crushed the shield of denial that has obscured by vision, and I begin to grieve the loss of my son's future ...
Want to read the whole story? Click here.

"Read Across America" Authors Celebration

Those members who judged the Read Across America writing contest for Oshkosh elementary school children are invited to the Authors' Celebration at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26, under the Dome of the Oshkosh Public Library, when the winners will be announced. The event will last about one hour and refreshments will be served.

Meeting Reminder

The next meeting of the Oshkosh Area Writers Club is 10 a.m. Saturday, April 4, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Ave.. Correction to the email reminder: Jack F. is the Author Spotlight.

As always, meetings are free and open to anyone age 17 or older.

Grammer Lessons for the Hungry

Not sure whether its/it's at their/there house? Bone up on your grammar and punctuation skills and help end hunger at the same time through Free Rice. For every answer you get correct, 10 grains of rice are donated to help end world hunger. Don't fret if you answer wrong, the question will show up again later until you answer correctly.

Write-by-the-Lake

Write-by-the-Lake Writers Workshop and Retreat will be held June 15-19, 2009, at the Pyle Center, Madison, WI.

Schedule
Core classroom hours: 9:30 am-12:30 pm each day. Monday: optional 4-5 pm mini-class; 4 pm Social Hour/Welcome. Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday optional mini-classes 2-3 pm. An optional open-mike night for poetry and fiction participants Wednesday.

Available Sessions
Nonfiction:
1. Creative nonfiction manuscript makeover/for book, memoir, essay, column writers
Fiction:
2. Fiction techniques: dialogue, description, and exposition
3. Writing your first novel
4. How to write compelling fiction/for beginning short story and novel writers
5. Write mysteries, play jazz
6. The building blocks of children's literature
7. Character and subtext: the vital engine of fiction and drama
8. I can't put it down! Pacing: the tools for creating a page-turning novel
9. Revising the novel: building scene with subtext and symbol/advanced
Poetry:
10. The primal impulse: singing with the inner voice/for new and intermediate poets
11. Fueling the fire of revision—a poetry workshop/advanced
Screenwriting:
12. W.R.A.P. Your screenplay/Write, Revise, Adapt & Pitch

Fee
Program fee includes instruction, continental breakfast each day, one social hour program, and guest speaker events. Lodging is on your own. $325 by May 18; $355 after May 18 (Fee includes mini-classes and reception.)

For more information, click here.

Perry's New Book

Many of you already know, but Mike Perry's new book "COOP: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting" (in bookstores April 21) is currently available for pre-order here. Book tour information (they're putting Mike on the road pretty steady) is also now available at the SneezingCow website.

In other sideways news, Mike has finished a new song and you can have a listen here.

Power of the Pen Conference

The 5th annual Power of the Pen Writer’s Conference will be held Saturday, March 21 and Saturday, March 28, 2009, at the Fox Valley Technical College, Neenah Regional Center, 2320 Industrial Drive, Neenah, WI.

Workshops include:
Awaken The Writer In You
Create & Sell Dynamic Non-Fiction
Creative Play: Fun Ways to Unleash Your Muse
Living the Writer’s Life
Microfiction: Introduction
Post-apocalyptic Fiction
Self Publishing Made Easy
Successful Novel Writing Strategies
A Writing “Time-Out” for Women

For a complete list of workshops, times and dates, click here.

The fee for each class is $14.66; $4.95 for those 62 & older. You can't beat this price!

Register for classes online at www.fvtc.edu or in person.

Questions: Please contact Lisa Bell – belll@fvtc.edu or (920) 720-6820

Author Visit - Jennifer Chiaverini

Novelist Jennifer Chiaverini returns to Oshkosh for a book talk on her latest release, The Lost Quilter, at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library.

Chiaverini is a New York Times best-selling author of the Elm Creek Quilt Series.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, phone the library at 236-5205. Books will be available for purchase at the event, courtesy of Apple Blossom Books.

Neenah Library events

Here’s who’s coming to the Neenah Public Library as part of the Fox Cities Book Festival:

Thursday, April 16, 10 a.m.: Fox Cities Reads Michael Perry!
Perry is the author of Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time and Truck: A Love Story. Books will be available for purchase at the library courtesy of Conkey’s Book Store. Perry and his band, The Long Beds, will perform FREE at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton on Thursday, April 16, 7 p.m. Tickets required for the concert – available at the library. Tickets are limited and available on a first come, first served, basis.

Friday, April 17, 2 p.m.: Mary Relindes Ellis, author of Turtle Warrior. Books will be available for purchase at the library courtesy of Conkey’s Book Store.

Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m.: Jim Draeger and Mark Speltz, authors and filmmakers of Fill’er Up: The Glory Days of Wisconsin Gas Stations. The authors will be selling copies of their books following the program.

Saturday, April 18, 1:45 p.m.: A. Manette Ansay: Good Things I Wish for You (Plus a Few Things I Don’t): Advice for the New and Emerging Writer. Ansay is author of the Oprah Book Club selection, Vinegar Hill, and several other novels and collection of short stories. Ansay’s books will be available for purchase at the library courtesy of Conkey’s Book Store.

Saturday, April 18, 3 p.m.: So How Do I Get Published Anyway? Panel presentation for aspiring writers.

Sunday, April 19, 1:30 p.m.: Phil Gulley and Porch Talk. Gulley is the author of the Harmony series and Front Porch Tales. Quaker minister and Emmy-award winning host of Porch Talk, Gulley is the voice of small-town American life. Books will be available for purchase at the library. Don’t miss brunch with Phil Gulley on Sunday, April 19, 10 a.m. at Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton. For brunch ticket information, see www.foxcitiesbookfestival.org.