NaNoWriMo Finish Line

Meeting Reminder - Nov. 16

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, in the lower level conference room at the Oshkosh Public Library.

Should this or any meeting need to be canceled due to severe weather, you will receive an email no later than 8 a.m. the day of the meeting. The cancellation will also be posted on our Facebook page. You can also check the Library's website to confirm whether the facility is open. Most important: Use your own judgment regarding weather/driving conditions. 

National Novel Writing Month

Happy National Novel Writing Month - when creative writers of all ages attempt to write a 50,000-word manuscript between November 1 and November 30!

Although the Oshkosh Area Writers Club is not sponsoring any NaNoWriMo activities this month, these resources will help participants on their writing journey:

NaNo Prep 101 Workshop 

What's the best NaNoWriMo writing schedule for you? Take the quiz.

7 Writing Tips to Get You Through NaNoWriMo

Best resources for NaNoWriMo writers

Good luck, fellow writers!

Meeting reminder - Nov. 2

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

Meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older. 

Meeting Reminder: Oct. 19

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct 19, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. 

Meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older. 

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club meets the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month. Check us out!

Wisconsin Book Festival

The Wisconsin Book Festival will take place October 17-20, 2019, in and around Madison Public Library’s Central Library in downtown Madison.

The festival will feature more than 60 events over four days with plenty of opportunities to meet authors, discover new books or favorite writers, and have books signed. See the full festival lineup at wisconsinbookfestival.org

Book Signing with Avi

Join award-winning author Avi for a meet and greet, and book signing! The event will take place at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, at Elisha Smith Public Library, Menasha, as part of the Fox Cities Book Festival.

Books will be available for purchase from The Book Store in Appleton.

Author Showcase - Sally Cissna

A great interview with Oshkosh author Sally Cissna.  The story of John, Ida, and their German immigrant families is told through narration, actual newspaper accounts from The Woodstock Sentinel and The Racine Times Journal, and letters sent over the years. Join Sally with Author Showcase hosts Dixie Jarchow and Tom Cannon as they talk writing, publishing and Wisconsin circa 1900.

Fox Cities Book Festival

Don't miss the The Fox Cities Book Festival Oct. 7 through Oct. 13!

Fox Cities residents will be treated to a wide array of writing topics and a host of talent. Presentations vary from poetry readings, to panel discussions, to storytelling, and many more. If you have a passion for reading, writing, and learning, check out the complete schedule listed here.

Featured authors include Wisconsin historian Jerry Apps, children/teen author Avi, Canadian poet Stuart Cole, mystery writer Hank Phillippi Ryan, Wisconsin Poet Laureate Margaret Rozga... and OAWC member Louis Clark!

Author Showcase: Kimberlee Bastian

Madison-area author Kimberlee Bastian has a unique love affair with American nostalgia, mythology, and endless possibilities. Find out more about her historical fiction with a fantasy twist as she talks with Author Showcase hosts Dixie Jarchow and Tom Cannon.

Author Showcase: Barry Perlman

Retired UW-Oshkosh professor Barry Perlman chats with Author Showcase hosts Tom Cannon and Dixie Jarchow about how his hobby of collecting antiques led to a book!

Free Writing/Publish Classes

Your Oshkosh Public Library card now gives you free access to writing/publishing classes through Online Gale Courses. The interactive classes are six-weeks long and led by an experienced instructor. 

The next set of courses begin on Sept. 11th!


Courses include:

• Romance Writing
• Publish and Sell Your E-Books
• Creating WordPress Websites
• Writeriffic: Creativity Training for Writers
• The Keys to Effective Editing
• Introduction to Internet Writing Markets
• Travel Writing
• Writing Young Adult Fiction

Meeting Reminder - Sept. 7

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. 

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

Southeast Wisconsin Book Festival

The place to be on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1-2 is at UW Waukesha for the 10th annual Southeast Wisconsin Book Festival.

This two-day event features national and local authors who present sessions about their work including children’s and young adult authors; features include book readings and signings, cookbook stage with demonstrations and special programming.

Keynote novelist is Andre Dubus III, and Wisconsin Poet Laureate Margaret Rozga is the Keynote Poet.

Visit their website for a complete schedule of speakers, parking information and more!

Meeting Reminder - Aug. 17

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. 

Just a reminder that if you have something to read, you will want to arrive a few minutes early. We read in the order of arrival; the first person to arrive is the first to read, etc.

See you Saturday!

Lakefly Writers Conference - Call for proposals

The Lakefly Writers Conference Planning Committee is now accepting speaker proposals for their May 8-9, 2020 conference at the Oshkosh Convention Center:

The committee is looking for instructional programs related to writing, publishing and marketing. They are not interested in author book talks (i.e. “let me tell you all about my book”)



In your proposal, please include the following:

– Whether your proposal is for a 50-minute or 90-minute session.
– Which day(s) you are available to speak.
– Links to any video or audio clips that you’re featured in; and/or previous public speaking engagements/experiences.

*Speakers receive a small honorarium and one night’s stay in a hotel. Travel expenses will not be reimbursed.

* Email proposals to: LakeflyWriters @ gmail.com 

* For a list of past presenters, please click here.

Meeting Reminder - Aug. 3

Just a reminder that the Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, 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 6th

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

Meetings are free and and open to anyone 17 and older. 

Just a reminder to leave the house a few minutes early; there may be traffic congestion due to the downtown Farmer's Market.

See you Saturday!

Write Now! Free Writing Class

There are still a few sessions left in our Write Now! series of stand-alone writing classes. Whether you're an aspiring or accomplished author or performer, Write Now! experts can help you fire up your creativity and breathe life into your words. 

All classes are 1.5 hours and are held at the Oshkosh Public Library. Best of all, they're free!

First Lines
6 p.m. Wed., April 24
Lower Level Conference Room

This workshop looks at some classic first lines and what makes them work. Then we move into a workshop on how to write your first line. This session is for both fiction and non-fiction.

Presenter: Carmen Leal is an Oshkosh resident and the author of ten published non-fiction books including Faces of Huntington’s, You Can Market Your Book, and The Twenty-third Psalm for Caregivers. Carmen’s writings have been featured in Guideposts, Focus on the Family, Decision Magazine, the Orlando Sentinel, and numerous national and local publications. Her personal experience stories have appeared in several Chicken Soup for the Soul collections and dozens of compilation book series. A storyteller with a dramatic testimony, she is a popular presenter at women's retreats, church groups, conventions and writers’ conferences on a wide variety of inspiring and relevant topics. Her wit, humor, and poignant personal observations, coupled with her down-to-earth style and common sense approach to dealing with life, inspire her audiences. Through her transparency, she has the ability to encourage and bring hope to all.

Blackout Poetry
6 p.m. Mon., April 29
Lower Level Conference Room

Blackout Poetry is quickly gaining popularity as a new art form. During this session, you'll experience the creative process of making blackout poetry using text from a newspaper or magazine and a black marker. Most of the words will be blacked out to form an original poem. You can see fresh examples of blackout poetry on Instragram, Snapchat or in poet Austin Kleon's book Newspaper Blackout, available as an eBook on Overdrive. Supplies will be provided.

Presenter: Literacy Teacher & ArtsCore Site Coordinator Angela Larsen

Roadmapping Your Novel in 90 Minutes
6 pm. Thurs., May 2
Lower Level Conference Room

You've got a great idea for a novel. Now what? Whether you are writing a romance or sci fi thriller, learn three different methods for plotting your book: the Snowflake Method, Mind Mapping and 250 Questions.  

Presenter: Dixie Jarchow (writes as Daisy Jerico). Dixie is the award-winning author of The Love Thief and Burning Love. Dixie co-hosts Author Showcase on Oshkosh's CATV2 and YouTube.

After Hours Open Mic Night
7 p.m.Fri., May 10  
    
Under the Dome (Enter through the Washington Avenue doors)
It's your turn to take the stage. During Open Mic Night, you'll have five minutes to read your work in front of an audience. Join other writers for a fun night of listening and sharing. Refreshments provided. 

Write Now! is sponsored by the Oshkosh Public Library in partnership with the Oshkosh Area Writers Club. 

Meeting Reminder: April 6th

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

Meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older.

Write Now! April classes

Calling all writers and creatives! Whether you're an aspiring or accomplished author or performer, Write Now! experts can help you fire up your creativity and breathe life into your words. Get to know others in the local writing community and share your work.

• All classes are held in the lower level Conference Room of the Oshkosh Public Library.
• All classes are 1.5 hours and are free and open to adults and teens.
• You can come to as many sessions as you would like. 
• Registration is not required.
• Bring your writing supplies and devices.
• Wi-Fi is available.

Upcoming programs:

Journaling Means Writing (Almost) Every Day
1 p.m. & 6 p.m., Thurs., April 4


Writing every day is a good way to get in the habit and improve your skills. Learn how to self-edit, sharpen your writing and decide what to do with your purposeful prose.

Presenter: Lynn Kuhns, a Wisconsin-based freelancer, has more than four decades of experience as a professional writer and creative-writing instructor spread over a whopping variety of venues and topics. 

Stand Up Comedy and Public Speaking Punch Up
2:30 p.m. Sat., April 6

Try out your material in a supportive environment. Use encouraging feedback to turn your work into a fully formed piece.

Presenter: Eric J. Egan is a stand- up comic, improv performer and board member of the Time Community Theater who can be seen all around the Fox Valley. 

Anatomy of Humor
6 p.m. Thurs., April 11

Examine how to write humor and satire by identifying the funny components of each and by manipulating word usage, delivery and reader expectations in fiction.

Presenter: Chris Welch is a freelance newspaper and radio reporter and an English instructor at Madison College’s Eastern Region campuses. His works have appeared in various small press and professional publications.

Setting: It's not just background noise
1 p.m. Mon., April 15

Take a deep dive into your work’s setting.

Presenter: Karl Stewart is the author of The Legend of See Bird: The Last Long Drive. Its sequel Devil's Backbone, received an Honorable Mention award at the 2015 Southern California Book Festival. His third novel, The Seventh Cruise, won an Honorable Mention at the 2017 London Book Festival. Up Harvey’s Creek, a boy’s memoir earned an Honorable Mention at the 2018 Great Southeast Book Festival.

Healing Through Storytelling
6 p.m. Mon., Apr. 15

How do you write about subjects too painful to talk about or too personal to publicize? And how do you do it in a manner that’s both entertaining and informative? Learn how to carve a written path through the pain.

Presenter: Karl Stewart is the author of The Legend of See Bird: The Last Long Drive. Its sequel Devil's Backbone, received an Honorable Mention award at the 2015 Southern California Book Festival. His third novel, The Seventh Cruise, won an Honorable Mention at the 2017 London Book Festival. Up Harvey’s Creek, a boy’s memoir earned an Honorable Mention at the 2018 Great Southeast Book Festival.

You Can Live Your Write Life
1 p.m. & 6 p.m.  Thurs., Apr. 18

Habits, tools, techniques, knowledge, connections and lifestyle habits that can make your life’s work more joyfully and productively for you - as a real writer.

Presenter: Lynn Kuhns, a Wisconsin-based freelancer, has more than four decades of experience as a professional writer and creative-writing instructor spread over a whopping variety of venues and topics. 

First Lines
6 p.m. Wed., April 24

This workshop looks at some classic first lines and what makes them work. Then we move into a workshop on how to write your first line. This session is for both fiction and non-fiction.

Presenter: Carmen Leal is an Oshkosh resident and the author of ten published non-fiction books including Faces of Huntington’s, You Can Market Your Book, and The Twenty-third Psalm for Caregivers. Carmen’s writings have been featured in Guideposts, Focus on the Family, Decision Magazine, the Orlando Sentinel, and numerous national and local publications. 

Blackout Poetry
6 p.m. Mon., April 29

Blackout Poetry is quickly gaining popularity as a new art form. During this session, you'll experience the creative process of making blackout poetry using text from a newspaper or magazine and a black marker. Most of the words will be blacked out to form an original poem. You can see fresh examples of blackout poetry on Instragram, Snapchat or in poet Austin Kleon's book Newspaper Blackout, available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Presenter: Literacy Teacher & ArtsCore Site Coordinator Angela Larsen.


Write Now! is sponsored by the Oshkosh Public Library in partnership with the Oshkosh Area Writers Club. For a detailed schedule of programs, go to https://www.oshkoshpubliclibrary.org/content/write-now-series

UntitledTown Book and Author Festival

Mark your calendar for UntitledTown Book and Author Festival, April 25-28 in Green Bay!

Headliners include Walter Mosley, Nickolas Butler, Michael Perty and Susan Orlean.

Workshops include Christian Fiction, Writing for Retirees,  Fantasy and Sci Fi Worldbuilding, Historical Research, How to Break into Freeland Writing, and Writing for Elemetary Grades.


View the festival schedule here for exact times and dates of speakers and programs.

Peninsula Pulse Announces 2019 Hal Prize

The Peninsula Pulse, a news, art and entertainment publication based in Door County, Wisconsin, proudly presents the 2019 Hal Prize.

The Hal Prize is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and to photographers throughout the United States. Judges for each category include prestigious and professional authors and photographers.

The Hal Prize offers publication in the Peninsula Pulse’s annual Literary Issue, reading a readership of 18,000. Cash awards of up to $150, a week stay at Write On, Door County (a literary retreat located in the heart of the Door Peninsula), a class at Peninsula School of Art (a nationally recognized year-round destination for artists and art appreciators), and other prizes will be awarded.

The Hal Prize is presented in collaboration with Write On, Door County, a nonprofit organization promoting writing and reading to year-round and seasonal residents in the county.

The Hal Prize is held in the spirit of the late Hal Grutzmacher, a professor and Door County bookstore owner, by offering commentary and encouragement to promising writers and photographers.

All submissions will be accepted digitally. The deadline for submission is Wednesday, May 1, 2019. 

For complete submission guidelines and to submit your creative work, click here. 

Meeting reminder: March 16

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

Can't attend the meeting? We're partnering with the library to offer over a dozen stand-alone writing classes beginning Wednesday, Mach 20th! Like club meetings, the classes are free and open to the pubic. 

For a complete schedule of classes,  please visit https://www.oshkoshpubliclibrary.org/content/write-now-series-0

Write Now! March classes

Calling all writers and creatives! Whether you're an aspiring or accomplished author or performer, Write Now! experts can help you fire up your creativity and breathe life into your words. Get to know others in the local writing community and share your work.

All programs are held at the Oshkosh Public Library.
All classes are 1.5 hours and are free and open to adults and teens. 
You can come to as many sessions as you would like. 
Registration is not required.
Bring your writing supplies and devices.
Wi-Fi is available.

MARCH CLASSES:


The Prose and Poetry of Twitter and Other Social Media
6 p.m., Wed., March 20

Lower Level Conference Room
Poems that fit within Twitter’s 288-character constraints are a new genre of poetry. In this session, we'll create Twitter poems and post them. You don’t need a Twitter account to participate. Jazz up your Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram with a micro-poem combined with a picture.

Presenter: Thomas Cannon, fiction writer, poet and co-host of Author Showcase   on Oshkosh's CATV2 and YouTube. Cannon's story about his son is the lead story in the anthology Cup of Comfort for Parents of Children with Autism. He has published both poems and short stories. His self-published book is The Tao of Apathy.

One-Line Writing Prompts 
1 p.m., Thurs., March 21 and Mon., April 8
Lower Level Conference Room
Need some inspiration? Participants can choose any form they want: poetry, prose or memoir but all must use the same prompt. There's no critiquing; only encouragement.

Presenter: Writer Sharrie Robinson

Writing a Grandparent Memoir
9 a.m. Sat., March 23
Lower Level Conference Room
Deb Martin shares her experience writing a grandparent memoir and guides you through exercises to get you on your way to your own cherished memoir.

Presenter: Deb Martin has been journaling for decades and is the author of Daycare Advice from Haley. She works as a private consultant in Oshkosh.

Tactics for Horror Writing
10 a.m. Sat., March 30
Lower Level Conference Room
How to write scary, suspenseful and tense scenes through sentence structure, dark images and character perspectives in dark fantasy and horror fiction.

Presenter: Chris Welch is a freelance newspaper and radio reporter and an English instructor at Madison College’s Eastern Region campuses, where he’s taught courses on academic and business writing, British literature, and science-fiction and horror literature. His works have appeared in various small press and professional publications.

Write Now! is sponsored by the Oshkosh Public Library in partnership with the Oshkosh Area Writers Club. For a detailed schedule of programs, go to https://www.oshkoshpubliclibrary.org/content/write-now-series

Meeting reminder - March 2nd

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 2, at the Oshkosh Public Library. 

Due to an event in the lower level, we will be meeting in a private conference room on the third floor. Meet at the first floor skylight at 10 a.m. and we will got up together as a group.

Write Now!

Calling all writers and creatives! Whether you're an aspiring or accomplished author or performer, Write Now! experts can help you fire up your creativity and breathe life into your words. Get to know others in the local writing community and share your work.

• All programs are held at the Oshkosh Public Library.
• All classes are 1.5 hours and are free and open to adults and teens. 
• You can come to as many sessions as you would like. 
• Registration is not required.
• Bring your writing supplies and devices.
• Wi-Fi is available.

The Prose and Poetry of Twitter and Other Social Media
6 p.m., Wed., March 20

Lower Level Conference Room
Poems that fit within Twitter’s 288-character constraints are a new genre of poetry. In this session, we'll create Twitter poems and post them. You don’t need a Twitter account to participate. Jazz up your Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram with a micro-poem combined with a picture.

Presenter: Thomas Cannon, fiction writer, poet and co-host of Author Showcase   on Oshkosh's CATV2 and YouTube. Cannon's story about his son is the lead story in the anthology Cup of Comfort for Parents of Children with Autism. He has published both poems and short stories. His self-published book is The Tao of Apathy.

One-Line Writing Prompts 
1 p.m., Thurs., March 21 and Mon., April 8
Lower Level Conference Room
Need some inspiration? Participants can choose any form they want: poetry, prose or memoir but all must use the same prompt. There's no critiquing; only encouragement.

Presenter: Writer Sharrie Robinson

Writing a Grandparent Memoir
9 a.m. Sat., March 23
Lower Level Conference Room
Deb Martin shares her experience writing a grandparent memoir and guides you through exercises to get you on your way to your own cherished memoir.

Presenter: Deb Martin has been journaling for decades and is the author of Daycare Advice from Haley. She works as a private consultant in Oshkosh.

Tactics for Horror Writing
10 a.m. Sat., March 30
Lower Level Conference Room
How to write scary, suspenseful and tense scenes through sentence structure, dark images and character perspectives in dark fantasy and horror fiction.

Presenter: Chris Welch is a freelance newspaper and radio reporter and an English instructor at Madison College’s Eastern Region campuses, where he’s taught courses on academic and business writing, British literature, and science-fiction and horror literature. His works have appeared in various small press and professional publications.

Journaling Means Writing (Almost) Every Day
1 p.m. & 6 p.m., Thurs., April 4

Lower Level Conference Room
Writing every day is a good way to get in the habit and improve your skills. Learn how to self-edit, sharpen your writing and decide what to do with your purposeful prose.

Presenter: Lynn Kuhns, a Wisconsin-based freelancer, has more than four decades of experience as a professional writer and creative-writing instructor spread over a whopping variety of venues and topics. She’s served as a journalist, staff writer, copywriter, editor, essayist and corporate communicator, with articles in the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel, Silent Sports, Fox Cities Magazine, Bamboo Ridge literary magazine, Wolf River Country and other publications. Lynn is completing an insightful and sometimes spicy contemporary novel set in rural Wisconsin and working on a series of children’s books showcasing the amazing lake sturgeon.

Stand Up Comedy and Public Speaking Punch Up
2:30 p.m. Sat., April 6
Lower Level Conference Room

Try out your material in a supportive environment. Use encouraging feedback to turn your work into a fully formed piece.

Presenter: Eric J. Egan is a stand- up comic, improv performer and board member of the Time Community Theater who can be seen all around the Fox Valley. He performs at the Backlot Comedy House in the improv shows and hosts their open mics Fridays at 10:30 PM. The first Tuesday of every month he presents Wisconsin's official comedy news show, The Wisco Show, at the Copperstill Bourbon Bar. Most importantly, Eric J. Egan is a proud cat dad of two who loves people reading bios about him.

Anatomy of Humor
6 p.m. Thurs., April 11
Lower Level Conference Room

Examine how to write humor and satire by identifying the funny components of each and by manipulating word usage, delivery and reader expectations in fiction.

Presenter: Chris Welch is a freelance newspaper and radio reporter and an English instructor at Madison College’s Eastern Region campuses, where he’s taught courses on academic and business writing, British literature, and science-fiction and horror literature. His works have appeared in various small press and professional publications.

Setting: It's Not Just Background Noise
1 p.m. Mon., April 15

Lower Level Conference Room
Take a deep dive into your work’s setting.

Presenter: Karl Stewart is the author of The Legend of See Bird: The Last Long Drive. Its sequel Devil's Backbone, received an Honorable Mention award at the 2015 Southern California Book Festival. His third novel, The Seventh Cruise, is the story of a young WWII sailor dealing with the growing burden of post-traumatic stress disorder and won an Honorable Mention at the 2017 London Book Festival. Up Harvey’s Creek, a boy’s memoir earned an Honorable Mention at the 2018 Great Southeast Book Festival.

Healing Through Storytelling
6 p.m. Mon., Apr. 15
Lower Level Conference Room

How do you write about subjects too painful to talk about or too personal to publicize? And how do you do it in a manner that’s both entertaining and informative? Learn how to carve a written path through the pain.

Presenter: Karl Stewart is the author of The Legend of See Bird: The Last Long Drive. Its sequel Devil's Backbone, received an Honorable Mention award at the 2015 Southern California Book Festival. His third novel, The Seventh Cruise, is the story of a young WWII sailor dealing with the growing burden of post-traumatic stress disorder and won an Honorable Mention at the 2017 London Book Festival. Up Harvey’s Creek, a boy’s memoir earned an Honorable Mention at the 2018 Great Southeast Book Festival.

You Can Live Your Write Life
1 p.m. & 6 p.m.  Thurs., Apr. 18
Lower Level Meeting Room B

Habits, tools, techniques, knowledge, connections and lifestyle habits that can make your life’s work more joyfully and productively for you - as a real writer.

Presenter: Lynn Kuhns, a Wisconsin-based freelancer, has more than four decades of experience as a professional writer and creative-writing instructor spread over a whopping variety of venues and topics. She’s served as a journalist, staff writer, copywriter, editor, essayist and corporate communicator, with articles in the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel, Silent Sports, Fox Cities Magazine, Bamboo Ridge literary magazine, Wolf River Country and other publications. Lynn is completing an insightful and sometimes spicy contemporary novel set in rural Wisconsin and working on a series of children’s books showcasing the amazing lake sturgeon.

First Lines
6 p.m. Wed., April 24
Lower Level Conference Room

This workshop looks at some classic first lines and what makes them work. Then we move into a workshop on how to write your first line. This session is for both fiction and non-fiction.

Presenter: Carmen Leal is an Oshkosh resident and the author of ten published non-fiction books including Faces of Huntington’s, You Can Market Your Book, and The Twenty-third Psalm for Caregivers. Carmen’s writings have been featured in Guideposts, Focus on the Family, Decision Magazine, the Orlando Sentinel, and numerous national and local publications. Her personal experience stories have appeared in several Chicken Soup for the Soul collections and dozens of compilation book series. A storyteller with a dramatic testimony, she is a popular presenter at women's retreats, church groups, conventions and writers’ conferences on a wide variety of inspiring and relevant topics. Her wit, humor, and poignant personal observations, coupled with her down-to-earth style and common sense approach to dealing with life, inspire her audiences. Through her transparency, she has the ability to encourage and bring hope to all.

Blackout Poetry
6 p.m. Mon., April 29
Lower Level Conference Room

Blackout Poetry is quickly gaining popularity as a new art form. During this session, you'll experience the creative process of making blackout poetry using text from a newspaper or magazine and a black marker. Most of the words will be blacked out to form an original poem. You can see fresh examples of blackout poetry on Instragram, Snapchat or in poet Austin Kleon's book Newspaper Blackout, available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Presenter: Literacy Teacher & ArtsCore Site Coordinator Angela Larsen

Roadmapping Your Novel in 90 Minutes
6 pm. Thurs., May 2
Lower Level Conference Room

You've got a great idea for a novel. Now what? Whether you are writing a romance or sci fi thriller, learn three different methods for plotting your book: the Snowflake Method, Mind Mapping and 250 Questions.  

Presenter: Dixie Jarchow (writes as Daisy Jerico). Dixie is the award-winning author of The Love Thief and Burning Love. Dixie co-hosts Author Showcase on Oshkosh's CATV2 and YouTube.

After Hours Open Mic Night
7 p.m.Fri., May 10      
Under the Dome (Enter through the Washington Avenue doors)

It's your turn to take the stage. During Open Mic Night, you'll have five minutes to read your work in front of an audience. Join other writers for a fun night of listening and sharing. Refreshments provided. 

Write Now! is sponsored by the Oshkosh Public Library in partnership with the Oshkosh Area Writers Club. For a detailed schedule of programs, go to https://www.oshkoshpubliclibrary.org/content/write-now-series

Meeting Reminder - Feb. 16

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library.


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

Driftless Writers Center Seeking Submissions

To celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2020, The Driftless Writing Center will publish an anthology of writing and images rooted in the Driftless area.

They welcome unpublished poetry, fiction, nonfiction, hybrid forms, and black-and-white art. They're seeking a broad range of voices, styles, topics, and experiences. People from all backgrounds are encouraged to be part of this collection.

Submissions welcome until April 1, 2019. Selections will be made by guest editors Matt Cashion (Fiction), Nikki Wallschlaeger (Poetry), and Amy Weldon (Nonfiction and Hybrid). Contributors whose work is chosen will receive $75 plus two copies of the anthology and may be invited to read at their anniversary celebration.

Learn more and submit your work online at: https://driftlesswritingcenter.submittable.com/submit.

The Driftless Writing Center, based in Viroqua, Wisconsin, connects writers, readers, and audiences through workshops, discussions, and public performances. 

More information at www.driftlesswritingcenter.org or (608) 492-1669.

Meeting reminder: Jan. 19

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. 

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

Lakefly Writing Contests

The 2019 Lakefly Writing Contests are open for submissions! 

Categories are flash fiction, personal essay, poetry; and for teens only, a short story contest.

No entry fee; cash prizes. Authors must live in Wisconsin or register for the Lakefly Writers Conference, May 10 and 11th.

Winners must be able to attend an awards ceremony on  Saturday, May 11, at the Oshkosh Convention Center.

Deadline for submissions is March 1st.

The contests are supported in part by the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation and the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Complete rules and submission guidelines are here.

Call for Volunteers

Katie Samuelson of BEAMING Inc. is looking for help putting together material and perhaps working with other clubs through UW-Oshkosh to show the community more about therapeutic riding and the value of equine-based therapy or service animal therapy. 

She is specifically looking for volunteers to work with students in need of help in putting their thoughts to words. The students are exceptional high school students that have some learning issues in the school setting but thrive at BEAMING Inc.

You may contact Katie through the Beaming Inc. website.

Holiday Party - Dec. 15

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15 in the lower level conference room at the Oshkosh Public Library. 

This is our annual holiday party so we won't be doing writing critiques. 

Please bring a wrapped White Elephant gift (something in new/good condition that you already own but never use). There will be donuts, others are welcome to bring a snack to share as well. We will also take a group photo on the second floor by the  Christmas trees.

Note: The White Elephant gifts will be used as a writing prompt for the receiver, if that helps you decide what to bring.