Sunday, October 30, 2016

Local NaNoWriMo Events

Fox Valley area events for those participating in NaNoWriMo: 

Oshkosh Kick-off and Write-in (Hosted by the Oshkosh Public Library and the Oshkosh Area Writers Club) - Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. First floor reading room of the Oshkosh Public Library. 

Menasha Kick-off and Write-in (Hosted by the Menasha Public Library - ML present) - Wednesday, November 2 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Elisha D. Smith Public Library. 

Chilton Drop-in Write-in (Sponsored by the Chilton Public Library) - Saturday Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Chilton Public Library. 

Appleton Write-in (hosted by ML) - Saturday Nov. 5 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Appleton Public Library - Meeting Room A 

Friday, October 28, 2016

Upcoming events



Just a reminder there's five Saturdays this month so we don't meet again until Nov. 5. 

In the meantime, you're welcome to join us at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1 for our National Novel Writing Month kick-off party. It will be held in the Oshkosh Public Library's First Floor Reading Room; snacks will be provided!

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Open Mic and NaNoWriMo

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club is hosting the following events:

Open Mic under the Dome
Monday, Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. 

Whether it’s something you wrote recently or a piece you dug out of your closet, tonight is all about sharing. Stand-up comic Eric Egan from the Backlot Comedy Club will get us started. Bring a friend! Refreshments will be served. 

NaNoWriMo : What is it?
Thursday, October 27, 2016 - 6:30pm
Lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library

National Novel Writing Month is the largest writing project on the planet!  We’ll give you tips and tricks to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Think you can’t do it? Yes you can!

All programs are free and open to the public.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Upcoming Programs

Not into Thursday night football? Write with us on Oct. 13 at Story Starters - a series 5-minute writing prompts. The program is free; bring a friend!  It starts at 6:30 p.m. in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library.



And be sure to join us at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24 under the library dome for Open Mic Night. Eric from the Backlot Comedy Club will start us off; You can read poetry, fiction, whatever you want (reading time limit is 5 minutes). Have nothing to share? Audience members are important too! 

The event is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served. 

Meeting reminder - Oct. 15

Just a reminder that the Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. I and a few others will be the Wisconsin Writers Association Fall Conference in Neenah but Linda has agreed to run the club meeting. 

Thursday, October 06, 2016

Write Now: Story Starters


Please join us for “Story Starters” on  Thursday, Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

Plan for some 5-minute writing sessions based on writing prompts designed to awaken your creativity and imagination.

No experience necessary; all ages welcome. Bring writing supplies/devices.

Wednesday, October 05, 2016

WWA Fall Conference

There is still time to register for the Wisconsin Writers Association fall conference, Oct. 14 and 15 in Neenah. Speakers include Jill Swenson, Melania Boyung, Lisa Lickel, Barry Wightman, Silvia Acevedo, Tom Davis and keynote speaker Jerry Apps.

For more information or to register, please go to https://wiwrite.org/conference/

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Writing Workshop - Writing Haiku


Please join us Monday night, Oct. 3, for Writing Haiku. Learn about this short structured form of poetry and create a haiku of your own. It's only 17 syllables but hey, who's counting?

The program begins at 6:30 in the lower level conference room at the Oshkosh Public Library. As always, our programs are free and open to the public.

Meeting reminder - Oct. 1

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in the lower level conference of the Oshkosh Public Library. If you plan to read, please bring at least 8 copies to share.

Meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Write Now! Write Your Memoir in One Hour


Write Your Memoir in One Hour 
Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. 

Lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

It’s not a joke; at the end of tonight’s session, you will have written your life story. How is that possible? Attend and see! 

Write Now! is a series of free, fun writing sessions designed to jump start your creative engine. No experience necessary; all ages welcome. Bring writing supplies/devices.

Sponsored by the Oshkosh Area Writers Club.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Write Now! Drabbles


Drabbles - Making Every Word Count 
Wednesday, Sept. 21—6:30 p.m
Lower level conference room
Oshkosh Public Library

A drabble is a short work of fiction consisting of one hundred words. Practice making every word count. Prompts will be provided for inspiration, or bring your own ideas and see where they can take you.

Write Now! is a series of free, fun writing sessions designed to jump start your creative engine. No experience necessary; all ages welcome. Bring writing supplies/devices. 

Sponsored by the Oshkosh Area Writers Club.

Congrats Joyce!

Club member Joyce Frohn sold a piece titled "A Most Moral War" for inclusion in the anthology Love 'em Shoot 'em by Wolfsinger Publications. Publication is expected in 2017. 

Congrats, Joyce!

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Oshkosh Area Writers Club FAQs

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 14 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!

Saturday, September 03, 2016

Congrats to Joyce!

Congrats to member Joyce Frohn who sold a piece titled "To Oshkosh and Beyond" to Perihelion Science Fiction; and "Meeting the Neighbors" to Page & Spine. 

Monday, August 22, 2016

New TV Show Features Wisconsin Writers

Congrats to Oshkosh Area Writers Club members Dixie Jarchow and Tom Cannon for launching their television show, “Author Showcase." The show debuted last month on the Oshkosh public access channel, and airs three times a week.

Tom and Dixie hope to use the show as a vehicle to showcase regional authors. Each episode is as unique as the guest author: Omro poet/historian Louis Clark talks about the discrimination he encountered growing up as a Native America -- to Fond du Lac writer/editor Susan Baganz discussing her faith in God, and the role it played in her writing career.




The show’s origins began in 2014, when Tom and Dixie received an Oshkosh Public Library trust fund grant to train on the equipment as then required by Oshkosh Community Media (OCM). Once training was completed, they were allowed to check out the camera equipment and use the in-house editing studio.

In addition to technology training, there were major decisions to make.  The show needed a name, and there was discussion about the show’s format and setting. The easiest part was finding guests, and once they had six episodes taped, they let OCM know the show was ready to air. Not long after, a spot opened up and the show premiered in July. 

Tom and Dixie are both published writers, and understand the writing process as well the challenges of editing, publishing and marketing. They’re comfortable in front of the camera, and neither take themselves too seriously, making for some fun interactions. 





You can find the show on Oshkosh’s public access channel (for Time Warner Cable customers, it will air on Channel 2). Episodes air at 1 p.m. Tuesdays, 11 p.m. Fridays, and 11 a.m Saturdays. Be sure to offer your encouragement by friending the show on Facebook and following on twitter (@Author_Showcase). And don't forget to watch!

Sunday, August 07, 2016

Author Visit - Jerry Apps

Wisconsin author/historian Jerry Apps will speak at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday,  Aug. 9th at the Oshkosh Public Library. The program is free and open to the public.

Apps has written over 35 books and has won numerous awards for his writing from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Library Association (the 2007 Notable Authors Award), American Library Association, Foreword Magazine, Midwest Independent Publishers Association, Robert E. Gard Foundation, The Wisconsin Council for Writers and Upper Midwest Booksellers.

Tuesday, August 02, 2016

Meeting reminder - Aug. 6

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. As always, meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older.

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Michael Perry - Back in Oshkosh!

"Tent Show Radio Live" with Michael Perry and the Blue Canvas Orchestra at the Oshkosh Grand Opera House, Saturday, Jan. 14th.

Just a few years ago, in celebration of their 20th anniversary year of broadcasting on Wisconsin Public Radio, Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua began to take its act "on the road" to select venues around the Midwest. Their popular radio variety show is performed live and in person! Tent Show Radio LIVE concerts feature music and monologues by New York Times best-selling author, humorist, pig farmer and radio show host, Michael Perry, along with music by Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua's Blue Canvas Orchestra and other special musical guests!

Tickets available now through the Grand Opera House Box Office.



Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Author Showcase


Club members Tom and Dixie finally have their show, Author Showcase, on the air! For Time Warner Cable customers in Oshkosh, you can catch it on Channel 2. A TV schedule is at http://www.oshkoshcommunitymedia.org/schedules.aspx

For others, you can watch episodes on the Author Showcase youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC25t2sKcVs9ca_qAKlHkL8g

Episodes include interview with Pat Kilday, Billie Jean Dierson, Louis Clark, KW Penndorf and others. 

Meeting reminder - July 16th

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 16, in the lower level conference room of the Oshkosh Public Library. As always, meetings are free and open to anyone 17 and older.