New Oshkosh area writing group for novelists, screenwriters

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club is looking at adding a subgroup of the writers club for long fiction writers (novelists, screen play writers). Description is below:

Novel and Screenwriting: Organizational Meeting
10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14
Lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library

An organizational meeting for those interested in writing a novel or screen play. The main purpose of this meeting is to see if there is interest, and if so, set up a meeting schedule. The emphasis of meetings will be on creating characterization, and plot and narrative structure. Meetings will focus on individual story and character treatments first, and then later on critiques of members' narrative writing.

Write Now: Poetry Out In Nature

Join us for Poetry Out in Nature at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

Bring your outdoor experiences to the page! We'll do field work, then return to write and discuss our work. Led by award-winning writer Lynn Kuhns of Winneconne. 



This is part of the Write Now! series of fun writing sessions designed to jump start your creative motor. No experience necessary; all ages welcome. Bring writing supplies/devices (free wi-fi available). 

Sponsored by the Oshkosh Area Writers Club.

Write Now: The Prose and Poetry of Twitter and Other Social Media

Join us for the The Prose and Poetry of Twitter and Other Social Media at 
6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25, in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

Description: Poems that fit within the constraints of 172 characters are an actual type of poetry.  In this session, we will create twitter poems and post them. However, tweets are a demanding medium for all writing. Bring snippets of thoughts, ideas and things you want to say and we will pare them down to 172 characters or less. You do not need a Twitter account to participate! Hosted by Oshkosh author and social media maven Tom Cannon.

This is part of the Write Now! series of fun writing sessions designed to jump start your creative motor. No experience necessary; all ages welcome. Bring writing supplies/devices (free wi-fi available). 

Upcoming Area Book Festivals and Writer Conferences

Upcoming Book Festivals and Writer Conferences:

Wisconsin Writers Association Fall Conference
Oct. 6 - 7, Neenah
Website: https://wiwrite.org/conference/

Programs include Poetry and Social Change, Writing for the Christian Market, Flash Nonfiction: The Art of the Short Eassay; Crafting Memoir,  and The Audacity of Writing Children’s Books. $90 for members; $100 for non-members.

Fox Cities Book Festival
Oct. 9 - 15, various locations
Website: http://foxcitiesbookfestival.org

The 2017 festival will place in the fall, for the first time.  Speakers include Nicholas Butler, Benjamin Percy, Leslie Kagen, Jerry Apps, and Karla Huston.  All events are free and open to the public.

Chippewa Valley Book Festival
Oct. 16 - 27, various locations
Website: http://www.cvbookfest.org

Speakers include Pulitzer Prize winer Matthew Desmon and Nicholas Butler, author of The Hearts of Men. Other programs include Writing Your Wisconsin Life with Patti See, The Poetry of Memory with Max Garland and Karla Huston, and a Young Writers Showcase.

Author Showcase: Carmen Leal

Dixie Jarchow and Tom Cannon host author Carmen Leal on this segment of Author Showcase. Leal talks about how she came to write about Huntington's and the steps she takes to effectively market her book. Her story has helped many people impacted by Huntington's. That is why her tips on effectively market your book can help you get your writing into the hands of readers. 

Part Two:

Write Now: Finding the Voice in Your Writing

Join us for the second workshop in the Write Now! series, Finding the Voice in Your Writing. Editors want it. Readers buy it. You can recognize it when you read others’ works. But how do you get it? Led by Dixie Jarchow, local romance writer and co-host of Author Showcase.

The free program is open to writers of all ages and skill levels. It will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

Meeting reminder: Sept. 16

A quick reminder that the Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. Meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older; all skill levels are welcomed. 

Author Showcase: Louis Clark

A great discussion with Omro author Louis V. Clark about how his life has changed since his book, How to Be an Indian in the 21st Century, published by The Wisconsin Historical Society Press.


The program is hosted Dixie Jarchow and Tom Cannon.

Write Now! Program Series

Join us for these fun writing sessions designed to jump start your creative motor. No experience necessary; all ages welcome. Bring writing supplies/devices (free wi-fi available). Programs will be held in the lower level conference room unless stated otherwise.

How to Get Yourself  to Write
6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13
Discussion and hands-on explorations of motivation, setting goals, writing techniques and styles... the when, how… and... just do it!  Led by Lynn Kuhns, an award-winning writer currently residing in Winneconne.

Finding the Voice in Your Writing 
6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19
Editors want it.
Readers buy it.
You can recognize it when you read others’ works.
But how do you get it?

Led by Dixie Jarchow, local romance writer and co-host of Author Showcase.

The Prose and Poetry of Twitter and Other Social Media

6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25

Poems that fit within the constraints of 172 characters are an actual type of poetry.  In this session, we will create twitter poems and post them. However, tweets are a demanding medium for all writing. Bring snippets of thoughts, ideas and things you want to say and we will pare them down to 172 characters or less. You do not need a Twitter account to participate! 

Led by Thomas Cannon, fiction writer, poet and co-host of Author Showcase.

Write Your Memoir in One Hour

3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27
It’s not a joke; at the end of today’s session, you will have written your life story. How is that possible? Attend and see! Open to all ages and skill levels – bring something to write with!

Poetry Out in Nature

6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2

Bring your outdoors experiences to heart. We'll do field work (observations), then return to write about it and discuss our work. Explore the why and how to write about nature. Open to all ages and skill levels. 

Led by Lynn Kuhns, an award-winning writer currently residing in Winneconne.

Drabbles - Making Every Word Count

3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5
A drabble is a short work of fiction consisting of 100 words. Practice making every word count, by condensing the essence of a story down into only 100 words. Prompts will be provided for inspiration.

Redacted Poetry

6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11
Redacted Poetry, also known as Black Out Poetry, is a fun way to create a poem or story. Using a page from a newspaper, book or magazine, you’ll "black out" all of the words that you don't need, and leave only the words that tell your story. Pages and markers will be provided.

Write Now! Open Mic 

6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19
Whether it’s something you wrote at one of our writing sessions, or a piece you wrote independently, tonight is all about sharing. Hosted by the Oshkosh Area Writers Club; refreshments will be served. Under the beautiful Library Dome.

Author Showcase: Deb Martin

Oshkosh author Deb Martin discusses her  book Daycare Advice From Haley. In this picture book, her granddaughter gives advice to other children attending daycare for the first time. She talks about idea for the book and the process of getting her book published. 

She also talks about her work with organizations trying to stop sex trafficking on the Highway 41 corridor. The program is hosted by Tom Cannon and Dixie Jarchow.

Write Now: How to Get Yourself to Write

Join award-winning writer Lynn Kuhns for How to Get Yourself  to Write 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13 in the lower level conference room at the Oshkosh Public Library.

Discussion and hands-on explorations of motivation, setting goals, writing techniques and styles... the when, how… and... just do it!  

This program is part of the Write Now! a series of fun writing sessions designed to jump start your creative motor. No experience necessary; all ages welcome. Bring writing supplies/devices (free wi-fi available). 

Meeting Reminder - Sept. 2

Just a reminder that the Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. As always, meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older.

For those who skip the meeting, enjoy the holiday weekend!

Meeting reminder - Aug. 5

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. As always, meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older.

Note: downtown will be busy with the Farmers Market so plan accordingly.

Poetry reading - July 25

Free poetry event at the Oshkosh Caramel Crisp and Cafe at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 25. 

Doug Flaherty

Hear Doug Flaherty read. An open mic will follow where participants may read a poem of their own or one that they love. 

Doug Flaherty’s poems have appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, Harvard Review, North American Review, and scores of other journals. He has published five full-length books and half a dozen chapbooks. He co-founded Road Apple Review which received two National Endowment grants. 

Meeting Reminder - July 15

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 15, in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. As always, meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older. 

Meeting reminder: July 1

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 1 in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Ave.  

As always, meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older. Check us out!

Meeting reminder: June 3

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 3, in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. Meetings are free and open to writers age 17 and older. 

Writers of any genre, and all skill levels are welcomed. Check us out!

Upcoming Wisconsin Writing Conferences

Check out some upcoming events for Wisconsin writers:

Write-by-the-Lake Writer’s Workshop and Retreat; June 26-30, Madison.
Expanded slate of 14 topics including Picture Book writing.

Green Lake Christian Writers Conference, Aug. 6-10, Green Lake.
Faculty includes Hannah Kallio, Dr. Tom Nebel and Dr. Katherine Wilson.


Writers' Police Academy, Aug. 10-13, Green Bay.

Guest of Honor is Craig Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of the Walt Longmire mystery novels, which are the basis for Longmire, the hit Netflix original drama, now filming its 6th season.

Wisconsin Writers Association Fall Conference, Oct. 6-7, Neenah.
Details coming soon!

Meeting Reminder: Sat., May 19

A quick reminder that the Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 19, in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

Oshkosh Today: Lakefly Writers Conference

Pre-registration for the Lakefly Writers Conference has ended but walk-ins are welcomed! $70; lunch in our own. Still a bargain!

Author Visit - Nickolas Butler

Nickolas Butler will be at the Oshkosh Public Library at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11. The event is free and open to the public!

Nickolas Butler

Butler is the author of the internationally-best selling novels Shotgun Lovesongs, and The Hearts of Men; the latter of which has already been longlisted for two of France's top literary awards. He is a multi-award winner and his work has been translated into 13 languages.  Along the way, he has worked as: a Burger King maintenance man, a tutor, a telemarketer, a hot-dog vendor, an innkeeper (twice), an office manager, a coffee roaster, a liquor store clerk, and an author escort. His itinerant work includes: potato harvester, grape picker, and Christmas tree axe-man. His short stories, poetry, and non-fiction have appeared in: Ploughshares, The Kenyon Review Online, The Lumberyard, The Christian Science Monitor, Narrative, Sixth Finch, and several other publications.

He lives on sixteen acres of land in rural Wisconsin adjacent to a buffalo farm. He is married and has two children. Find more at nickolasbutler.com

Meeting Reminder - May 6

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Oshkosh Public Library.

Also, pre-registration for the Lakefly Writers Conferences ends on Friday. Price is $60 and includes lunch on Saturday. Nickolas Butler is the keynote speaker. Other speakers include Jerome Buting, Steven Avery's ex-attorney; Wisconsin Poet Laureate Karla Huston; and our very own Louis Clark, who recently had a memoir published by the Wisconsin Historical Society. A complete schedule of speakers is at http://lakeflywriters.org

Meeting Reminder - April 15

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 15, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. As always, meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older.

Also, the deadline to register for the Lakefly Writers Conference is fast-approaching. Late additions to the schedule include Oshkosh children's author Pat Zietlow Miller, and Jerome Buting, ex-lawyer for Steven Avery of "Making a Murderer" fame. The complete schedule of speakers is here: Lakefly 2017 Conference Schedule

Cost is only $60 for the entire conference and includes lunch on Saturday.

Lakefly Writers Conference: Focus on Self-Publishing

Thinking about self-publishing? The Lakefly Writers Conference, May 12-13 in Oshkosh, has some great offerings to get your book off to a successful start!

Mary T. Wagner

Children’s author Mary T. Wagner will share her (mis)adventures in self-publishing on Friday afternoon.  Part nuts-and-bolts advice about publishing, part savvy and joyous perspective about the fun and opportunities to be had as a self-published author, Wagner shares the good, the bad, and the stuff she learned the hard way.

Wayne Breitbarth

LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth will show you the ins-and-outs of how to use LinkedIn to network yourself and sell more books. Breitbarth, author of The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success, will discuss the many features of LinkedIn and how to use all of them to your advantage. Also a great workshop for those who are already working with a publisher!

Brea Behn

Also on Friday, Brea Behn will help authors find the ideal book cover -- without spending a fortune – and advise writers on how to create a concise book summary and author bio that is sure to entice new readers. Those considering self-publishing will not want to miss this workshop!

On Saturday, there will be a panel discussion on book reviews and why they matter. An excellent workshop choice for both those who self-publish and authors working with a traditional publisher. You’ll learn how reviews boost your rankings on sites such as Amazon and GoodReads, how to handle bad reviews, and much more!. Bring your questions for the Q&A session.

To round out the topic, Kristen Bratonja from Orange Hat Publishing will led a 90-minute

Kristen Bratonja

workshop on publishing options.  Bratonja will cover the pros and cons of the major types of publishing - traditional, vanity, self, and indie - to help authors better navigate this increasingly complex industry and to help them decide which option may be best for them. She will also cover some of the major publishing scams and tips on how to avoid them.

Considering self-publishing? By the end of the conference, you should be able to decide if this option is right for you and how to successfully package and promote your self-published book.

The Lakefly Writers Conference is May 12-13 at the Oshkosh Convention Center. Registration is $60 and includes lunch on Saturday. For more information or to register, please click here.

The conference is sponsored by the Oshkosh Public Library and Friends of the Oshkosh Public Library in partnership with the Oshkosh Area Writers Club. 

If you would like to a sponsor for this annual event, please contact Ruth Percey at the Oshkosh Public Library: percey@oshkoshpubliclibrary.org Donations can be also made to the Oshkosh Foundation – Oshkosh Public Library Programming Fund.

Author Visit - Karla Huston

Meet Karla Huston, Wisconsin's Poet Laureate, for poetry and conversation. 
6 p.m. Monday, April 10 at the Oshkosh Public Library.

Karla Huston

Karla Huston is the author of eight chapbooks of poetry, the latest Grief Bone, and a full collection of poetry, A Theory of Lipstick.  Her work has garnered many awards, including a prestigious Pushcart Prize for the poem Theory of Lipstick. She received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Library Association, and three Jade Ring awards from Wisconsin Writers’ Association. Huston lives and teaches poetry in Appleton.

The event is free and open to the public.

Lakefly Writers Conference: Focus on Mystery/Crime

The Lakefly Writers Conference, May 12-13, offers several workshops of interest to mystery/crime writers.

Beth Amos

On Friday, catch the Key Elements of Suspense, with Beth Amos. Readers might recognize Amos better by her pseudonym, Allyson K. Abbott , author of the  “Mack’s Bar” mystery series, which takes in Milwaukee and features a heroine with heightened senses due to a neurological disorder.

Using the analogy of a poker game, Amos will walk writers through the steps of creating suspense by asking five key questions that will teach you how to use vibrant settings, vivid characters, and varying points of view to create conflict and keep those pages turning. Learn how to ramp up the stakes and avoid common writing mistakes to assure a winning writing hand. Appropriate for any genre.

On Saturday morning, Jerome Buting, ex-attorney for Steve Attorney, will talk about

Jerome Buting

writing his book, Illusion of Justice: Inside Making a Murderer and America's Broken System. 

A first-time author, Buting said “I wish I had come to this event last year. I would have learned a great deal!”

Buting will share the challenges he faced in writing the book from his perspective as a novice writer, as well as the ins-and-outs of working with a major publisher.

Lastly, Detective Jeremy Wilson will guide writers through the world of digital forensics. The 90-minute Digital Forensics workshop will include the recovery and investigation of material found on digital devices such as computers and phones, as well as material posted on social media sites, as a means to gather evidence and solve crimes. Topics include the process of retrieving information, and the legalities of collecting digital information.

These presentations are only three of over a dozen workshops to help you master the craft and business of writing, regardless of your skill level or genre.

The Lakefly Writers Conference is May 12-13 at the Oshkosh Convention Center. Registration is $60 and includes lunch on Saturday. For more information or to register, please click here.

The conference is sponsored by the Oshkosh Public Library and the Friends of the Oshkosh Public Library, in partnership with the Oshkosh Area Writers Club.

If you would like to be a sponsor for this annual event, please contact Ruth Percey at the Oshkosh Public Library: percey@oshkoshpubliclibrary.org Donations can be also made to the Oshkosh Foundation – Oshkosh Public Library Programing Fund.

Untitled Town Book and Author Festival

Green Bay is hosting its first Untitled Town Book and Author Festival, April 28-30. 

The event features over 70 authors including Sherman Alexie, Margaret Atwood, Michael Perry, Benjamin Percy, Larry Watson and our own Louis Clark.

In addition to book talks/signings, the festival includes workshops on writing and publishing.

Check out their website at http://untitledtown.org/schedule

Meeting reminder - April 1

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 1st, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. 

In lieu of our regular meeting, we will be judging entries for the city-wide children’s Create-A-Book contest. We’ve done this the past 10 years - it’s easy and fun, plus there will snacks!

Lakefly Writers Conference: Writing Your Life Story

Johanna Garton

The Lakefly Writers Conference offers two workshops on writing memoirs, both on Friday, May 12.

Johanna Garton will present Writing from a Place of Vulnerability, where she will discuss how to write about the loved ones in your life without getting disowned, and other lessons she learned while writing her own memoir.

Garton, her husband and two adopted children moved to China for a year so the children could experience their birth country. Garton shared their adventuress on a blog and when she returned to the States, she kept “writing and writing and writing” until she had a book, Awakening East: Moving Our Adopted Children Back to China.

You don’t have to travel the globe to have a compelling life story. Kristine D. Adams will

Kristine D. Adams

 help you flush out your own pivotal personal experiences with  What’s Your Story? Whether you're the family historian, storyteller or black sheep, your story should be preserved – and Adams will help you tell it.

"Very interesting, such a good teacher. Sparked lots of ideas,” said Carolyn Quinn who attended a previous workshop of Adams.

These are only two of the inspiring workshops offered at the 2017 Lakefly Writers Conference, May 12-13, at the Oshkosh Convention Center. Registration is $65 ($45 if you register before March 31). Click here for the complete schedule of workshops.  

The Lakefly Writers Conference is sponsored by the Oshkosh Public Library and The Friends of the Oshkosh Public Library in partnership with the Oshkosh Area Writers Club.

If you would like to be a sponsor for this annual event, please contact Ruth Percey at the Oshkosh Public Library: percey@oshkoshpubliclibrary.org Donations can be also made to the Oshkosh Foundation – Oshkosh Public Library Programing Fund.

Meeting Reminder - March 18

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 18 in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. As always, meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older. 

A heads-up for our April 1st meeting: It's that time of year when we judge the city-wide Create-A-Book contest for students in grades 3 through 5. Entries will be culled before we get them, and an easy-to-use score card will be provided for judging entries. If you haven't participated in this yet, it's a lot of fun, and there are snacks!

Congrats to Joyce!

Joyce Frohn

Hats off to Joyce Frohn, who recently had her short story, Whistle Stop,  accepted by Page & Spine. 

Meeting Reminder - March 4

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 4 at the Oshkosh Public Library. We'll be meeting on the 3rd floor (meet by the first floor skylight) and parking may be congested due to several Dr. Suess events the library is hosting that morning. 

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

2017 Lakefly Writers Conference

The Lakefly Writers Conference, May 12-13, at the Oshkosh Convention Center, is offering a variety of topics this year.

Nickolas Butler

The keynote speaker is award-winning Nickolas Butler, author of “Shotgun Lovesongs” and “The Hearts of Men.”  A graduate of UW-Madison and the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, his work has appeared in Narrative Magazine, Ploughshares, The Kenyon Review Online, The Progressive, The Christian Science Monitor, and elsewhere.  

If panels are your thing, there will be three at Lakefly 2017:

The first panel is on book reviews – why they are important, what to do about negative reviews, and how to use reviews  to your advantage will be just some of the topics discussed.

For humor writers, there will be a panel discussion among state comedians on how to write stand-up. For non-comedians, this will be a great opportunity to learn about finding the funny in everyday life, and massaging it into dialogue or comedic situations.

The topic of the third panel is on Christian writing – topics will include what defines Christian fiction, where to market Christian writing, and top mistakes to avoid.

What else is on the menu?

Citizen journalist Chris Walker will present a non-partisan workshop on how to start a political blog, including how to choose a platform, create content and increase readership; there will likely be useful suggestions here for bloggers of all genres. Also with wide appeal, Beth Amos will share tips on how to create suspense – whether you’re writing a legal thriller or romance.

Barry Wightman

Barry Wightman is promising an engaging presentation on literary fiction and whether it is right for you.

Jill Swenson will be answering questions regarding agents: How to find the right one, what to look for in a contract, and when to walk away.

Your book is done and you’re ready to self-publish: Brea Behn will help you find free or nearly-free photos for your book cover, and teach you how to writing an enticing bio and book blurb to capture readers' attention.

K.W. Penndorf

Writing a series? K.W. Penndorf will discuss plot and character development as they pertain to series fiction.

Mary T. Wagner will guide writers through the process of self-publishing and Kristen Bratonja will discuss publishing options, including scams to avoid, and a look at Indy Publishing.


Other workshop topics include writing historical fiction (Rex Owens) and memoir (Johanna Garton). Karla Huston, the 2017-18 Wisconsin Poet Laureate, will be doing a presentation, and Detective Jeremy Wilson will give you the ins-and-outs of digital forensics.

This year’s conference offers something for just about everyone!

Early-bird registration ends March 31 and is a bargain at $45 (including lunch on Saturday). Vendors tables are also available; for more information or to register, please click here.

The Lakefly Writers Conference is sponsored by the Oshkosh Public Library in partnership with the Oshkosh Area Writers Club and the Wisconsin Writers Association. 

Author Showcase: Jeffrey McAndrew

A great interview with author and musician Jeffrey McAndrew from the Fond du lac area. They discuss autism, his experiences with his son, and how he came to be so creative (a little) later in life. 

Click here to view the interview.

Video: Night of Writing Dangerously

Huge thanks to Tom and Dixie for taping during our Night of Writing Dangerously in Nov. 2017 as part of NaNoWriMo. Great video featuring club members and others; check it out here.

Meeting reminder: Feb. 18

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Sat., Feb. 18 in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library. As always, meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older.

Please note: Our March 4th meeting will be held in the library's third floor meeting room due to a Dr. Suess library event. We will meet by the 1st floor skylight and go up to the meeting room as a group.

Meeting reminder: Feb. 4

Just a reminder that the Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4 in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. Meetings are free and open to the public.

Also, there's still time to submit to the Lakefly Writing Contests; no entry free and cash prizes. Please note there is a short story contest just for teens (they can enter adult contests too). For more details: http://lakeflywriters.org/contests

Oshkosh Area Writers Club: Check us out!

Oshkosh Area Writers Club: FAQs

Who can join?
Meetings are open to anyone 17 and older. We get a mix of people writing in various genres at different skill levels. 

Is there a membership fee?
No. But it would be appreciated if you like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

When/where does the club meet? 
We meet at 10 a.m. the first and third Saturday of each month in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Ave.

How many members are there?
There are about 12 core people, others come and go as life allows. Meetings can have as few as 10 and as many as 22 people. Some are beginning writers, others have been published and a few have agents/book contracts.

How do the meetings work?
Meetings start with short introductions and general announcements. Then we begin critiques - a person reads their work aloud (usually 5 pages or less, 8 copies are appreciated but not required) and we critique it. We have a critique form we use so we can be sure the author gets both positive feedback and constructive criticism. Not everyone reads at every meeting; the order of readers is determined by arrival times - first person to come is the first to read. Meetings end at noon, even if there are still waiting people to read.

We do make special arrangements for people with completed manuscripts or compilations - anything that is too long to read during a meeting.

What else does the club do?
During the year, we host free programs at the library - including author visits and National Novel Writing Month write-ins every November. We also co-sponsor the Lakefly Writers Conference each May at the Oshkosh Convention Center. Coming in 2016: a public access television show called Author Showcase created by two of our members.

Still not sure if we're right for you? You best bet is to come to a meeting and see how we fit!