Jessica Collins' Blog

Here is a link to Jessica Collins' personal blog: www.boun-see.blogspot.com.

It has a few anecdotes about motherhood and also a smattering of health and fitness columns among other things. Aside from the duties of her full-time job as a Web Copywriter, this is some of the writing that's been keeping her busy.

Jessica had a short story published in "Cup of Comfort Book of Christmas Prayer" and recently had a poem published in the Wisconsin Review.

Author Visit

Neenah Public Library will host "Wisconsin's Own: Twenty Remarkable Homes," at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19th.

The authors of Wisconsin’s Own: Twenty Remarkable Homes, M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman, along with local historian Peter Adams, will talk about historic homes in Wisconsin – including a home located in Neenah. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Co-sponsored by the Neenah Historical Society.

Creating a Plot

Here is the link to an article Dixie shared at our last meeting, "How to Plot a Novel."

http://www.ehow.com/how_2110846_plot

The article is about taking an idea/premise for a novel and through a series of questions and answers, developing a complete outline of your novel. One of the benefits to this system is that once completed, you can write the novel in any order.

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec, 4 at the Oshkosh Public Library. We will be gathering in the 3rd floor Training Room; an area normally not open to the public. Because library staff will need to escort us, please meet PROMPTLY around the 1st floor skylight by 10 a.m. so that we can all go the the 3rd floor together (stairs/elevator available).

Bob B. is the Author Spotlight.

Spoon River Poetry Review Editors' Contest

Sppon River Poetry Review is now accepting entries for their annual Editors' Contest.

From the website http://www.litline.org/Spoon/contest.html

One winning poem will be awarded $1000 and two runners-up will be awarded $100 each. Winning poem, runners-up, and honorable mentions will be published in the 2010 fall issue. This year's judge will be announced after judging is completed.

Guidelines: Submit two copies of three unpublished poems, maximum of ten pages total. Name, address, and phone number of poet should appear on each page of one copy only. Entries must be unpublished and will not be returned.

Entry Fee: Each $16 entry fee entitles entrant to a one-year subscription, or a gift subscription. Please indicate your choice and include current address for each subscription or gift subscription. Include SASE for notification of results.

Mail Submissions to:

The Spoon River Poetry Review Editors' Prize
4241 Dept. of English
Publications Unit
Illinois State University
Normal, IL 61790-4241

Entries cannot be received by FAX or e-mail

Deadline: Postmarked by April 15, 2011

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov 20, in the lower level Conference Room (our usual location) of the Oshkosh Public Library. Judy is the Spotlight Author.

Hope to see you Saturday!

~ Ruth

Young Adult Editor

In our mailbox:

I wanted to write to tell you I've recently become the acquiring editor for Quake, the YA imprint for Echelon Press. I'm interested in offering Wisconsin writers a chance to pitch their novels to me at events, conferences, or even in writing groups. If you're interested in having me as a guest, or know someone who would, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you so much for your time.

Warmly,
Jenny Turner

Quake: Shaking up Young Readers
Submissions: http://quakeme.com/submissions/

Congrats Joyce!

Joyce Frohn has been busy! She recently published a poem, "Baby Vampire" and a short story, "Urban Legend" has been accepted for publication.

Scrabble Club

For those who love words, you're welcome to join the Oshkosh Scrabble Club at 6 p.m. Mondays in the back room of Robbin's Restaurant. There are different skill levels and no charge to play; free snacks available 15 minutes prior to the game.

Author Spotlight Schedule

Upcoming Author Spotlights:

Nov. 6 - Pat K.

Nov. 20 - Judi

Dec. 4 - Bob B. (meeting in 3rd floor training room)

Dec. 18 - Len

Jan. 15 - Dixie

2011 Wisconsin People & Ideas

THE 2011 WISCONSIN PEOPLE & IDEAS / WISCONSIN BOOK FESTIVAL SHORT STORY AND POETRY CONTESTS

Wisconsin People & Ideas magazine regularly publishes some of the best poetry and fiction from around the state, and now it's your chance to become a part of Wisconsin's new literary canon. Enter your poems and short stories in our annual contests, which are open to all Wisconsin residents and students until December 15, and you could win up to $500 and other prizes along with publication in Wisconsin People & Ideas and a reading at the 2011 Wisconsin Book Festival in Madison. For more information, visit Wisconsin People & Ideas online at wisconsinacademy.org/magazine.

Please click here for more information.

Congrats Carol!

Member Carol Doemel recently self-published "If Trees Could Talk." The novel, set in Wisconsin in the early 1990s, is about a young woman's attempt to unravel her parents past.

Available on amazon, you can read a sample and purchase a copy HERE.

Journaling Workshop

Bailiwicki Workshops is holding a Beginning Journaling workshop at 6 p.m. Monday, November 15, at Apple Blossom Books, City Center, Oshkosh. Cost is $20.

Description: Journaling is a way to keep a record of occurrences, experiences, and reflections in one’s life. Entries can be random or tied to a specific topic, such as a travel or gardening. Whatever your interest, learn the art of journaling in this beginner’s journaling workshop given by Stephanie Larson, journaling enthusiast and owner of Creative Communications LLC .

Sanvidge Sisters

Jean Sanvidge Wouters and Diane Sanvidge Seckar will be talking about their new book, "Penny Loafers & Bobby Pin: Tales and Tips from Growing Up in the '50s and '60s," at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13, at the Oshkosh Public Library. The event is free and open to the public.

Their first book was "Apple Betty & Sloppy Joe: Stirring Up the Past with Family Recipes and Stories.

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library. There is no Author Spotlight.

Book Fest 2010

As part of Book Fest 2010, an annual program sponsored by the Oshkosh Public Library, children's author

Katie McKy will give a presentation and book signing

at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12 at the Oshkosh Public Library. The event is free and open to the public.

Several people attended her program at a local school this week and described McKy as a "tornado," and that the energy and passion she has and conveys about writing and reading "is a force to be reckoned with."

McKy is the author

"It All Began with a Bean," "Wolf Camp" & "Pumpkin Town!"

A former teacher, McKy is a Wisconsin resident.

Books will be available for purchase and signing following the presentation. For more information, please call the library at 236-5208.

Author Visit - Alice Wood

Author Alice Wood talks about her new book "Wealth Watchers" from 6:30 – 7:30 pm, Mon., Oct. 4, Oshkosh North High School Auditorium, 100 West Smith Ave. The event is free and open to the public.

Alice Wood, founder and President of Wealth Watchers International®, will talk about her innovative approach to managing money and staying out of debt. Books will be available for purchase and signing following the presentation.

Personal Enrichment Series

As part of UW-Oshkosh's Personal Enrichment Series, they are offering:

Creative Writing, 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Nov. 20 through Dec. 21 at Evergreen Retirement Community Campus, Oshkosh. The class is $74 to the general public/$70 for UW-O alumni. No previous writing experience is required.

Telling Your Story is offered 9-11 a.m. Saturdays, Nov. 6 through Dec. 4 (no class the week of Thanksgiving). This memoir-writing class will include essays by Michael Perry, Julie Powell and J.R. Moehringer, as well as writing exercises. The class is $74 to the general public/$70 for UW-O alumni. No previous writing experience is required.

The series also included class on beginning piano, photography, dance and drawing.

For more information or to register online, go to www.peopleware.net/222115

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 18th, in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library. Tom C. is the Spotlight Author.

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

Words to Ponder

'Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.'

E L Doctorow

How to Get Published Workshop

David McGlynn, local author and Lawrence professor, will lead a seminar on how to get your book published in "Writing Matters Presents: How to Get Published. The event will held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13 at the Appleton Public Library. The program is free and open to the public.

For more information, call Elizabeth Eisen at 920-832-6392.

Author Visit - Deb Baker

Deb Baker (aka Hannah Reed), best-selling author, will sign copies of her latest mystery cozy “Buzz Off,” at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10, at Apple Blossom Books, City Center, Oshkosh.

Baker is a mystery writer and uses the name Hannah Reed for her Queen Bee series. Deb also writes a second series called the Dolls To Die For series. Her first novel, Murder Passes the Buck, earned her The Authorlink International First Novelist Award where she took the mystery category, then went on to win Best of Show.

Sheboygan Children's Book Festival

It was recently announced that Newbery Honor winning author Kathi Appelt is the Keynote speaker for the Sheboygan Children's Book Festival.

In addition to her Keynote Address at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center on Oct. 16, Appelt will appear at Mead Public Library for two additional programs. She will talk about her novels The Underneath and Keeper in "Good Dogs and Mermaids," and she will highlight her picture books in "Piggies, Puppies, and A Crow."

For more information about the Sheboygan Children's Book Festival, Oct. 15-17th, please go to http://sheboyganchildrensbookfestival.org/

Author Spotlight Schedule

“Author Spotlight” allows writers to bring in pieces of work that are eight or more pages, or a compilation of pieces that are best read/reviewed together. The last hour of each Saturday meeting is devoted to discussing the works of the featured author; advance registation is required and authors must bring ten copies of their work prior to their turn in the “Spotlight.” Those who accept a copy of the author’s work must commit to reading it and showing for the review.

Author Spotlight Schedule:

Sept. 18th - Tom

Oct. 2 - Len Z.

Oct. 16 - Shawna

Nov. 6 - Pat K.

Nov. 20 - Judi

Dec. 4 - Bob B.

Dec. 18 - Dixie

Jan. 1st - NO MEETING

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 4 in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

In observance of our 7th Anniversary, snacks will be available, and Dixie J. is the Spotlight Author.

Congrats Joyce!

OAWC member Joyce Frohn will do book signing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8 at Apple Blossom Books, downtown Oshkosh. Joyce will be promoting an inspirational science fiction anthology “When Morning Stars Sing.”

Wisconsin Poetry Festival

The first-ever Wisconsin Poetry Festival will be held Sept. 24th and 25th in Fort Atkinson, WI

Don't miss this poetry-rich gathering along the Rock River in Fort Atkinson, hometown to heralded Wisconsin poet Lorine Niedecker. This two day event offers workshops, poetry readings, an open mic, and a Poetry Café. For a schedule of events, click here.

Jawbreaker Poetry Project

The Jawbreaker Poetry Project is a collaboration between Poetry Jumps Off the Shelf and Verse Wisconsin.

"Luck of the Draw" is the theme, and poems are sought that touch, in some way, on good fortune, misfortune, opportunities gone awry, flukes, coincidence or second chances.

Selected poems will be packed into jawbreaker capsules with candy, gum or toys, and available — along with the possibility of winning a year's subscription to Verse Wisconsin — from a dispenser coined the Verse-O-Matic. This dispenser will be transported to various Wisconsin venues statewide in April during National Poetry Month, then travel with Verse Wisconsin editors to events, conferences and festivals nationwide throughout 2011.

The poems will also be published in the summer 2011 online issue of Verse Wisconsin. Full guidelines and more details are at the Poetry Jumps Off the Shelf website.

Make submissions to Poetry Jumps Off the Shelf only.

Deadline is Nov. 30.

Take a Class

The Fox Valley Technical College is offering a Fiction Writing class at their Neenah campus. The class is Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon, Oct. 9 through Nov. 20th. The cost is $58.05 and includes lectures, writing exercises and critiques.

For film buffs, a Literature on Film class Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, Oct. 2 through Nov. 13. The cost is $63.35 and includes reading literature , watching the movie and then having comparison discussions.

Lastly, those who want to start a blog, get on Facebook and use other social networking sites may be interested in Social Networking Online, from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20th. Cost is $15.65

For information and registration forms, please visit the Fox Valley Technical College website at www.fvtc.edu

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library. Pat K. is the Author Spotlight.

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

NANO Flash Fiction/Essay Contest

NANO Fiction is now accepting entries for the Second Annual NANO Prize. $500 and publication will be awarded to a flash fiction piece, prose poem, or micro essay of 300 words or less.

The entry fee is $15 for the first three pieces and $2 for each additional piece. Each entrant will also receive a one year subscription to NANO Fiction.

All submitted pieces will be considered for publication. Previously published work will not be accepted and all entrants will be notified of the winner by email in October.

Contest deadline is August 31, 2010.

Click here for submission guidelines.

Author Visit

Meet best-selling YA author Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen of “The Compound” and “The Gardener” who will do a book signing at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23, at Apple Blossom Books, City Center, Oshkosh. (I loved "The Compound" - rp)

Stuve-Bodeen will kick off the midnight release party of "Mockingjay," the final book in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.

For more information, contact Apple Blossom Books at 230-3395.

Paine Art Center - Free Admittance

if you're looking for some creative inspiration, Paine Art Center is holding a free community day Sunday, August 8, from 11am-4pm.

Visitors are invited to tour the mansion, wander the garden, and view the current art exhibit Norman Rockwell free courtesy of Mercy Medical Center and Affinity Health System.

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. Bob B. is the Spotlight Author.

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

Wisconsin Book Festival

The Wisconsin Book Festival has announced its Featured Presenters for the Sept. 29-Oct. 3, 2010 event held in Madison:

Michele Norris, beloved host of NPR's All Things Considered, joins us to share her memoir, The Grace of Silence, a personal take on race in America.

Gary Shteyngart was recently featured by The New Yorker magazine as one of 20 outstanding authors under age 40. His new novel is Super Sad True Love Story.

Kao Kalia Yang is the author of The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir, a passionate account of her family's harrowing escape from Laos and eventual immigration to the United States when she was a child.

Bill Malone is known to folks in Madison from his popular show on WORT, but they may not know he is a groundbreaking country music historian, having written the seminal work Country Music, U.S.A.

Marilyn Taylor, Wisconsin's Poet Laureate, has brought together a panel of poets for a Festival event entitled "The Gods Will See You Now: Five Wisconsin Poets on Matters of the Spirit."

For more information, visit http://wisconsinbookfestival.org/

Library Humor

Check out this MUST SEE spoof on the current Old Spice commercials. Warning: There's one fleeting expletive used.

Author Spotlight Schedule - Updated

"Author Spotlight” allows writers to bring in pieces of work that are eight or more pages, or a compilation of pieces that are best read/reviewed together. The last half hour of each Saturday meeting is devoted to discussing the works of the featured author; advance registration is required and authors must bring copies of their work prior to their Spotlight.

Upcoming Author Spotlights:


Aug. 21 - Pat K.

Sept. 4 - Dixie J.

Sept. 18 - Tom

Oct. 2 - Dixie

Oct. 16 - Shawna

Sheboygan Children's Book Festival

A new event for children, parents and anyone who loves children's literature is coming to Sheboygan this fall. The first Sheboygan Children's Book Festival, Oct. 15-17, will bring exceptional children's book authors and illustrators to the community for a celebration of books, reading, writing and art.

The author lineup is INCREDIBLE!!! Avi, Lois Ehlert, and Kathi Appelt among others. You can also visit their Festival website directly: http://sheboyganchildrensbookfestival.org/

Attention Sherlock Holmes Fans!

Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Oshkosh Jewel Heist, July 30 1 to 5 p.m., downtown Oshkosh.

There is a mystery stirring in downtown Oshkosh, and it is up to you to solve it. The Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District (BID) along the Oshkosh Public Museum would like to invite the public to join us in a hunt to solve The Mystery of the Oshkosh Jewel Heist.

Read installments of the locally written “Sherlock Holmes & the Mystery of the Oshkosh Jewel Heist,” at the Oshkosh Public Library website. Additional chapters will be posted each week, leading up to a big event on July 30.

The mystery event will be held Friday July 30th in downtown Oshkosh. This free family event begins at 1 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m. Dress in costume as you visit downtown businesses to collect a series of clues. These clues will test the observation, logical reasoning and forensic science skills of the detectives. They will also help to aid the detectives on their quest to solve The Mystery of the Oshkosh Jewel Heist.

The case will end with the final clue to be solved at the Oshkosh Public Library. The reward for solving the mystery is valued at over $350.

The Mystery of the Oshkosh Jewel Heist is sponsored in partnership with the Oshkosh Public Museum’s Sherlock Holmes and the Clocktower Mystery exhibit. The exhibit, on display at the museum through August 22, 2010, challenges visitors to solve the crime of a puzzling murder. The hugely successful Sherlock Holmes and the Clocktower Mystery has toured throughout the United States and has attracted more than 2,000,000 visitors.

Guest Author Ron LaPoint

Local author Ron LaPoint will share tales from his newest book "Oshkosh: the Way We Were: Remembering People and Places." This collection of stories was compiled and written by community members on their remembrances of Oshkosh primarily in the 1940s and 1950s on topics such as Main Street, Polio, World War II, A war and an assassination, Sports, and Aviation, motorcycles and trains.

Event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 27, located in the Oshkosh Public Library's lower level meeting room.

Priority Access to the best seats for WICKED

WICKED: September 22-October 10 at the Overture Center for the Arts, Madison.

We're thrilled to let our Wisconsin Book Festival mailing list subscribers in on this opportunity from our friends at the Overture Center for the Arts: Pre-sale tickets to Wicked, the popular, award-winning show based on the work of 2009 Wisconsin Book Festival Featured Presenter Gregory Maguire.

Wicked is coming to Madison, and this is your chance to get the best seats before tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, July 17!

Promotion runs July 13-16. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS and enter password MONKEY to buy before Saturday, July 17!

Safire's Writing Tps

Do not put statements in the negative form.
And don't start sentences with a conjunction.
If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a
great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.
De-accession euphemisms.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.

~William Safire, "Great Rules of Writing"

Speakers' Bureau Forming

The Wisconsin Regional Writers Association is forming a pool of writers, agents, publishers, etc. for clubs seeking a guest speaker. Speakers can read their own work or talk about a topic related to writing and the publishing industry. If you would like to be included on this list, please go the WRWA website and click the Contact Us link in the menu on the left, and select Speakers' Bureau from the list to e-mail the coordinator.

Women's Writing Retreat

Redbird Studio, Milwaukee, is sponsoring a Women's Writing Retreat with Judy Bridges & Laurel Landis , October 3 - October 9 , 2010, at The Clearing in Door County, WI. Contact The Clearing for information and Registration.

Author Visit - Frank Anderson

Meet Wisconsin author Frank Anderson, author of Wicked Fox Cities: The Dark Side of the Valley. Books for sale and signing. Free admission; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 13, in the Lower Level Meeting Room of the Appleton Public Library.

Anderson was born on Basilan Island and raised in Zamboanga City and Manila, the Philippines. At the age of 11 he moved to Deerfield (town), Wisconsin with his family. By the age of 17 he was a musician playing pedal steel guitar in bars and beer halls around Wisconsin. In 1978 Anderson moved to San Francisco and worked as a session musician. He has worked as a commercial Director/Animator since 1986 and is also the author of the history blog "Wisconsinology". ~ Wikipedia excerpt

From Barnes & Noble: Visit the wicked Fox Cities, full of place names like Le Grande Buttes Des Morts ("the Big Hill of the Dead") and Winneconne ("the Place of Skulls") that date from an era when "settlement" was frequently synonymous with "slaughter." Even after the firm establishment of modern civilization, there remained an uneasy truce between lined pockets and bared knuckles that was often only brokered by heavy drinking. Stumble across the frozen Fox River and barge into local watering holes where the only pauses in the revelry are discussions about desecrating Joe McCarthy's grave. Points of interest include the Oshkosh rat-betting scene, the Appleton "Union Street Resorts" and the Neenah tavern, where a world-champion boxer hid from the doctor who had bought his bones.

For more information on this program, please phone Elizabeth at 920-832-6392 (or) 920-832-6173.

Creative Journey @ APL

Appleton Public Library is currently holding Creative Journey, a program dedicated to exploring and nurturing creativity. The programs are held Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m.; new members welcome. Upcoming programs include:

July 20th: Writing on the spot: families. Bring in an old photo (one in which you are not easily recognizable) and members will write the story behind the photo.

July 27th: Show & Tell: bring a creative endeavor or personal treasure to share with the group.

August 3rd: Mandalas: Enjoy this ancient art form as you create your own mandalas.

August 10th: Art film & discussion.

August 24th: Wisdom Books: handcraft a book filled with wisdom and inspiration. Ongoing project, but members need not have attended a prior wisdom books session to attend.

For more information, contact the Appleton Public Library at (920) 832-6173.

July 3rd meeting canceled

The Saturday, July 3rd meeting of the Oshkosh Area Writers Club has been canceled due to a problem with the meeting rooms. We will shift upcoming Author Spotlights back by one meeting; the next meeting will be Saturday, July 17th.

~ Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused! Ruth

Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction Contest

Gemini Magazine is holding its 2nd annual flash fiction contest. Grand prize is $1000; entry fee is $4. No restrictions on content, style or genre. Simply send your best unpublished flash by email or snail mail.

I read the winning/honorable mention stories and several members of the OAWC have written stories as good, if not better.

Deadline is Aug. 31, 2010. For complete rules and guidelines, click here.

School of the Arts

School of the Arts at Rhinelander, July 25-30, 2010, still has openings in several workshops, including Appreciating Fiction, The Art and Craft of Writing, Diabolical Dialogue and poetry critiques with literary journal edition. Fo more details about these and other writing workshops, please visit their website at http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/soa/writing.htm.

Writers at Work

The Wisconsin Regional Writers Association hosts an online forum, Writers at Work, at http://wrwapubcom.proboards.com/ where you can find and share information with other Wisconsin writers, as well as participate in online writing workshops.

You can get help with grammar and vocabulary questions, learn about contests and calls for submissions, chat with other poets, get help writing non-fiction and more. The site is definitely worth checking out!

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 5, at the Oshkosh Public Library. Dixie J. is the Spotlight Author.

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

Author Visit - Margaret Coel

Mystery author Margaret Coel will do a talk and book signing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 22 at the Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Ave.

Coel is the best-selling author of mystery novels set among the Arapahos on the Wind River Reservation. While the characters of her books spring from her imagination, the setting is real and the stories are based on actual crimes & injustices.

Visit Margaret Coel's website for more information about her books!

Read the CBS News book review here.

Books will be available to purchase from Apple Blossom Books at the event.

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

Apple Blossom Books is moving

In July, Apple Blossom Books is moving to City Center (into former Morton's Pharmacy, next to The Carmel Crisp Shop). Look for expanded hours, a larger selection of merchandise and continued special events.

Author Visit - Jim Zitzelsberger

Retired teacher Jim Zitzelsberger will discuss his debut novel, "Cry for the Water Buffalo" at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 14, at the Oshkosh Public Library.

Cry for the Water Buffalo is the story of a Vietnamese family decimated by the war around them and a sniper caught up in the military machine. The characters are shaped by the war, driven by it, and worst of all never freed from it. The book is fiction but clearly draws on the author's experience serving two tours of duty in Vietnam with Naval Mobil Construction Battalion (MCB) 128 stationed at Da Nang & Quang Tri from 1967-69.

The program is free and open to the pubic; for more information please call the Library at 236-5205.

Jade Ring Contest

The Wisconsin Regional Writer's Association is taking submissions for the Jade Ring Contest. There is no entry fee but membership is required. A one-year membership fee is $25 and registration is easy; click here for a membership application.

Categories for 2010 are Essay, Nostalgia, Adult Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Poetry, and First Chapters

Contest rules have been revised since 2009, including an increase in prize money. For a complete set of new rules, click here.

Contest deadline is June 15, 2010.

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