Next meeting, Oct. 4: Christina Katz presents “The Writer’s Workout: Whip Your Literary Ambitions Into Shape”

Next Meeting: Oct. 4, 2012

“The Writer’s Workout: Whip Your Literary Ambitions Into Shape”

Presented by Christina Katz

Learn about and explore the 5 workouts that will stretch your mind and inspire your bottom line. You’ll learn…

• How to write better
• How to pitch yourself better
• How to find your specialties
• How to grow your creative career over the years
• Self-promotion strategies every writer must master

Bring paper or your laptop, and come ready to brainstorm!

Christina Katz is author of The Writer’s Workout, Get Known Before the Book Deal, and Writer Mama. A “gentle taskmaster” over the past decade to hundreds, Christina’s students go from unpublished to published, build professional writing career skills, and increase their creative confidence over time.

Learn more at ChristinaKatz.com.

About Our Monthly Mid-Valley Chapter Meetings & Speaker Series

Meeting Date & Schedule

• First Thursday of the month (unless it conflicts with a holiday, usually Sept. and/or Jan.) from September-May (no meetings in the summer)
• 6:30-7:00 p.m., Social Time and Refreshments
• 7:00-7:15 p.m., News, Upcoming Events and Member Announcements
• 7:15-8:30 p.m., Speaker
• 8:30-9:00 p.m., Questions and Book Signing

Cost

Chapters meetings are free to members of Willamette Writers and full-time college students, suggested $10 donation for non-members.

Meeting Location

Unless noted otherwise, all meetings are held at Tsunami Books, 2585 Willamette St., Eugene, OR 97405 (Find it on Google Maps)

Next meeting, Apr. 5: Elizabeth Lyon presents “Quick Fixes for Fantastic Fiction and Moving Memoir”

Next Meeting: Apr. 5, 2012

“Quick Fixes for Fantastic Fiction and Moving Memoir”

Presented by Elizabeth Lyon

Many writers are surprised to learn that quick-fix techniques can produce amazing and instant improvements in style, structure, and characterization. While some revising requires elbow grease and agonizing hours, this short workshop focuses on maximum results for minimum effort.

Elizabeth Lyon, a freelance book editor, instructor and author, began her career in 1988, teaching dozens of writing and publishing classes and workshops through LCC’s Continuing Education. She led 3 critique groups of writers on a weekly basis in her Eugene home for 13 years. Mentored in editing skills by literary agent Natasha Kern from 1988 to 1993, Elizabeth then broadened her agent relationships, on behalf of her editing clients, to dozens more. By consulting with writers, editing their whole or partial books, queries, synopses, and proposals, she has participated in the publishing success of about 40 nonfiction books, a dozen novels and as many awards and contest winners.

Elizabeth is the author of Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write, The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit, A Writer’s Guide to Nonfiction, A Writer’s Guide to Fiction, and Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore. This book was featured in “The Writer” magazine as one of the “8 Great Writing Books of 2008,” and described as “perhaps the most comprehensive book on revising fiction.”

She lives in Springfield with rott-span-corgi-heel-x Gracie Allen and with brat cat Hunter.

Contact Elizabeth online at www.elizabethlyon.com.

About Our Monthly Mid-Valley Chapter Meetings & Speaker Series

Meeting Date & Schedule

• First Thursday of the month (unless it conflicts with a holiday, usually Sept. and/or Jan.) from September-May (no meetings in the summer)
• 6:30-7:00 p.m., Social Time and Refreshments
• 7:00-7:15 p.m., News, Upcoming Events and Member Announcements
• 7:15-8:30 p.m., Speaker
• 8:30-9:00 p.m., Questions and Book Signing

Cost

Chapters meetings are free to members of Willamette Writers and full-time college students, suggested $10 donation for non-members.

Meeting Location

Unless noted otherwise, all meetings are held at Tsunami Books, 2585 Willamette St., Eugene, OR 97405 (Find it on Google Maps)

Attention Eugene Writers, Meeting Tonight

March Writers Meeting

See you tonight at Tsunami Books.. Author Sage Cohen presents “Top 10 Success Strategies for Writing More & Selling More”. Full Meeting Details

About Our Monthly Mid-Valley Chapter Meetings & Speaker Series

Meeting Date & Schedule

• First Thursday of the month (unless it conflicts with a holiday, usually Sept. and/or Jan.) from September-May (no meetings in the summer)
• 6:30-7:00 p.m., Social Time and Refreshments
• 7:00-7:15 p.m., News, Upcoming Events and Member Announcements
• 7:15-8:30 p.m., Speaker
• 8:30-9:00 p.m., Questions and Book Signing

Cost

Chapters meetings are free to members of Willamette Writers and full-time college students, suggested $10 donation for non-members.

Meeting Location

Unless noted otherwise, all meetings are held at Tsunami Books, 2585 Willamette St., Eugene, OR 97405 (Find it on Google Maps)

Authors Road Interview: Mark Twain

Oh, how we wish it actually was an interview with the man himself. But that’s okay. Authors Road obviously couldn’t interview Mark Twain—his schedule simply won’t permit it nowadays—but they were able to talk instead with Robert H. Hirst, General Editor of the Mark Twain Papers & Project.

Watch this Authors Road interview: Robert H. Hirst on Mark Twain, Novelist, Humorist and Journalist

More about Mark Twain:

To our knowledge, no author in history has managed to write and publish new, best sellers that span a career of nearly a century and a half. But Mark Twain has. His first short-story (1865), “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”, is still read in schools today. And in 2010, the UC Berkeley Mark Twain Papers & Project published the first of three volumes of Twain’s critical edition autobiography – a monumental work that Twain embargoed from publishing for 100 years after his death. Granted, there have been several autobiographies published before this, but the materials those were drawn from were abridged and censored.

No one anticipated what would happen with this first volume. Initial plans were made for a print run of 2,000. Before a year was up over half-million copies were sold, and world demand was still going strong.

Watch this Authors Road interview: Robert H. Hirst on Mark Twain, Novelist, Humorist and Journalist

Next meeting, Feb. 2: Tina Boscha presents “Literary Writers and Self-Publishing: The Final Frontier?”

Next Meeting: Feb. 2, 2012

“Literary Writers and Self-Publishing: The Final Frontier?”

Presented by Tina Boscha

Upon receiving the 2006 Leslie Bradshaw Fellowship from Oregon Literary Arts, Tina Boscha learned that 2 out of every 3 Fellowship recipients went on to become successfully published writers. She thought that boded well for her and her novel, River in the Sea, until the point when it became clear that despite some close calls, her novel was not going to sell. Her agent urged her to put the manuscript aside and move on, but instead she chose to put the book out herself. (See this book review from Portland Book Review.)

During her talk, Boscha will discuss her decision to self-publish, how she went about it, and what she believes is the future for literary writers in this transitioning and new era of publishing. She will also read briefly from her work.

Learn more at www.tinaboscha.com.

About Our Monthly Mid-Valley Chapter Meetings & Speaker Series

Meeting Date & Schedule

• First Thursday of the month (unless it conflicts with a holiday, usually Sept. and/or Jan.) from September-May (no meetings in the summer)
• 6:30-7:00 p.m., Social Time and Refreshments
• 7:00-7:15 p.m., News, Upcoming Events and Member Announcements
• 7:15-8:30 p.m., Speaker
• 8:30-9:00 p.m., Questions and Book Signing

Cost

Chapters meetings are free to members of Willamette Writers and full-time college students, suggested $10 donation for non-members.

Meeting Location

Unless noted otherwise, all meetings are held at Tsunami Books, 2585 Willamette St., Eugene, OR 97405 (Find it on Google Maps)

Eugene Writers: Young Writers Association 2012 Creative Writing Contest

Writing contest taking entries from Lane County writers 5 and up

The Young Writers Association (YWA) is taking submissions for its 2012 creative writing contest MANY VOICINGS: IN TRANSLATION. Many cultures and many voices make up our community, and our multi/trans-cultural traditions and languages are a rich creative source for writers.

Writing contest entry details

• Open to ages 5 and up (including adults) who are residents of Lane County
• Entries can be up to 600 words
• See www.ywalane.org for full contest guidelines or contact Louisa Lindsay-Sprouse at 541/485-2259 or ywalouisa@aol.com
• Get inspired: find writing samples and literary examples on www.ywalane.org
• Send submissions to YWA Contest, PO Box 51538, Eugene, OR 97405, or email ywalouisa@aol.com
• Postmark deadline: Feb. 1, 2012
• Winners will be notified by March 7, 2012

Prizes

Winners receive prizes from local businesses and a workshop with bilingual, award-winning author Gary Soto.

Winners also read at the YWA Glitterary Word Festival on April 28, 2012, held at the Eugene Public Library, and are published in YWA’s creative writing journal, UpStarts.

About Young Writers Association (YWA)

Since 1994, YWA has stirred up literary play in youth and community. A nonprofit organization, YWA provides Lane County elementary through high school students with interactive, literature-based experiences in workshops, publications, camps, classrooms, and in inter-generational settings. More information is available at www.ywalane.org.

Writing Spiritual Memoirs with Nan Phifer

Jan. 20-21 Portland Writing Workshop

Nan Phifer, author of Memoirs of the Soul: A Writing Guide, will lead you in identifying the experiences that compose your spiritual memoirs.

She’ll demonstrate a process that evokes spontaneous rough drafts and supportive responses. From Nan’s presentation you’ll gain a personal table of contents, learn a writing process that produces polished, profound memoirs, and write the opening pages of two chapters.

Nan is affiliated with the Oregon Writing Project at the University of Oregon, where she serves on the Board of Directors. She travels widely to lead workshops for religious organizations, academic conferences, writers’ groups, libraries, and interfaith assemblies. See her website at www.memoirworkshops.com.

Go

• Where: Shalom Prayer Center, Mt. Angel, OR, south of Portland
• When: Friday, January 20, 7 p.m. through Saturday, January 21, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• Information/reservations: Contact Christine Zollner, 503-845-6773
• Register by Jan. 19
• Cost: $125 ($25 deposit) includes Friday overnight accommodations, Friday dinner at 5:30 p.m. Check in at 4:00 p.m.
• Early registration special until January 6
• More info: See “Events” at the Shalom Prayer Center website

Publisher FurPlanet to release OTTERS IN SPACE by Mary E. Lowd

Coming January 2012

Otters In Space, a self-published novel by local writer Mary E. Lowd was picked up by a small press. After more than a year of marketing her novel and selling it at science fiction and furry conventions herself, Mary caught the attention of the furry publisher FurPlanet.

The owners of FurPlanet were impressed by the book’s performance at the furry convention Rainfurrest and offered to add Otters In Space to their line of furry fiction. They will be releasing a new edition of the novel, with eye-catching cover art by Doc Marcus, in January, 2012.

Mary is a member of the Mid-Valley Willamette Writers and co-chair of the Eugene-based critique group, The Wordos. Her short fiction has appeared in a variety of venues, including magazines, anthologies, and podcasts. A 2010 Ursa Major Award nominee for Best Anthropomorphic Novel, Otters In Space is Mary’s first novel. For more information about Mary’s fiction, visit www.marylowd.com.

About Otters in Space

“Humans have left the Earth, and dogs rule. Kipper is an oppressed tabby cat who dreams of a better place where cats are free to run their own lives. When Kipper discovers a secret that might lead her to such a paradise, along with the secret comes trouble— first, Kipper’s sister disappears, and, then, she’s attacked by a dog goon herself. Kipper’s escape takes her on a mad dash to Ecuador and the space elevator, where she catches a ride up to the otter-designed space station. Once in “otter space,” Kipper must navigate an uncomfortably watery world to find out what happened to her sister and whether there really is a cat paradise.

Reserve your copy: Pre-order the FurPlanet release of Otters In Space

Next meeting, Oct. 6: Samantha Waltz “How to Write and Market Personal Essays”

Next Meeting: Oct. 6, 2011

“How to Write and Market Personal Essays”

Presented by Samantha Waltz

“I left Samantha Waltz’s workshop full of practical information I could use right away,” says writer Ellen Saunders. “I walked in with an idea of the story I wanted to write, and through Samantha’s clear, organized instruction, I was able to develop that idea into a story with a strong, readable structure and get the names of markets appropriate for it. The atmosphere was warm and supportive, and every moment was useful. I recommend her class highly to any writer who wants to complete their work and get it published.”

Samantha Waltz teaches practical workshops on selling your writing and writing pieces that sell. You might also recognize her from the 2011 Willamette Writers Conference, where she presented “Write It and Sell It: A How-To Workshop.” Samantha’s credits include over 50 stories published in the last few years in anthology series such as Chicken Soup for the Soul, A Cup of Comfort, the Ultimate Series, two Seal Press anthologies, and others. She has also published in the Christian Science Monitor and Redbook.

More info at www.pathsofthought.com.

About Our Monthly Mid-Valley Chapter Meetings & Speaker Series

Meeting Date & Schedule

• First Thursday of the month (unless it conflicts with a holiday, usually Sept. and/or Jan.) from September-May (no meetings in the summer)
• 6:30-7:00 p.m., Social Time and Refreshments
• 7:00-7:15 p.m., News, Upcoming Events and Member Announcements
• 7:15-8:30 p.m., Speaker
• 8:30-9:00 p.m., Questions and Book Signing

Cost

Chapters meetings are free to members of Willamette Writers and full-time college students, suggested $10 donation for non-members.

Meeting Location

Unless noted otherwise, all meetings are held at Tsunami Books, 2585 Willamette St., Eugene, OR 97405 (Find it on Google Maps)

Next Meeting, June 2: Mid-Valley Writers Fair

Meet the people who help your work be its best

Successful writers have a cadre of people that help them on the road to publication. They hire editors, coaches, web designers, and marketing firms (to name a few).

As one of the most active writing organizations in the Willamette Valley, Mid-Valley Willamette Writers will hold a Writers Services Fair on Thursday, June 2, 2011, to help our members find their people. Come down from 7-9 p.m. and meet the people who can help your writing be its best.

Learn more about…

Here are the services and providers you can meet and learn more about at our Writers Fair. (Listings are subject to change.):

• Web Design business: Tamara LeRoy and Javier Magallanes, Candor Designs
• For Cover Art/Design: Lisa Anne Burrell
• Book Formatting: Tom Evans
• Book Formatting/ Self-Publishing: Kristen James, Bravado Publishing
• Writing Coach: Melissa Hart
• Editor: John Reed
• Line Editor: Valerie Willman
• Marketing Specialty: JoJo Jensen, Chapter and Voice
• Non-Fiction & Academic Editor: Mary Beth Averill, PhD
• Willamette Writers Table: Ann Buenzli

And there will be cake

In addition to the Writers Fair, our June 2 chapter meeting is also a chance to celebrate the year. 2010 and 2011 have been packed with writing news and fascinating speakers. We also want to welcome our new chapter co-chairs, Valerie Willman and Anthony St. Clair.

We’ll have cake, coffee and tea for your enjoyment.

• When: Thurs., June 2, 2011, 7-9 p.m.
• Where: Tsunami Books, 2585 Willamette St., Eugene, OR 97405 (Find it on Google Maps)
• Cost: Writers Fair and chapter meetings are free to members of Willamette Writers and full-time college students, suggested $10 donation for non-members

See you at the Mid-Valley Writers Fair!