General
posted by janieb on June 28, 2010 15:18 as General
Several months ago, while attending a writers workshop on "Building Your Online Presence" I found myself sitting next to a beaming blonde who soon introduced herself as Suzanne Lieurance. "Oh! I've heard of you!" I said--"you're the Writer's Coach!" Or to be more specific, the Working Writers Coach. Every writer within 200 miles of Kansas City knows Suzanne--or should. She's at least as well known for encouraging others as she is for fostering her own career. If the blurb on our website from Liz Hardman doesn't make an impression, try this, from an aspiring writer (male variety) who attended one of her workshops in Columbia, MO:
"Suzanne’s workshop was the single, most-learning-filled three hours of any class I’ve ever taken. And Suzanne is the most remarkable human being I’ve encountered in person. Find my words hard to believe? Well, then, you’ll have to meet her or take one of her ... >> full
 comments (1)
posted by janieb on June 28, 2010 14:52 as General
We had a great time on Saturday, June 5. Noted illustrator Rich Davis was kind enough to drive up from the wilds of Arkansas and join us for a morning of inspiration and application. Though most of us are writers, not illustrators, we learned how drawing can shake up our imagination and get the creative juices flowing. Don't we dream in pictures? Don't we live in our imaginations? We even live in a picture: God's beautiful creation all around us.
Convinced of the pictorial aspect, we then tried our hand at drawing, turning shapes into pictures and pictures into stories. Along the way we explored some fascinating questions, such as "What makes me unique as a writer? what takeaway do I want my readers to get from my work? What do I have a passion to write about? "Picturing" our writing methods turned up some provocative comparisons: who writes like ... >> full
comments (1)
posted by janieb on August 22, 2009 11:37 as General
So, what topics would we like to see addressed as a writers' group? The results of our informal survey from last month have been tabulated (passive alert!!) and are as follows (most popular to less):
Historical Fiction (generally) - 11
Scene Development - 11
Self-promotion - 9
Historical Research - 9
Self-Editing - 8
Character Development - 8
Using Humor - 6
Illustration (preferred formats) - 4
Library Requests - 4
Submitting a Manuscript - 4
(including queries, finding publishers, etc.)
Self-Publishing - 2
Write-in topics: Internet publicity, Voice, Outlines, Publishing Business and Trends
We also had some good suggestions for speakers, including professional children's writers who live in the Springfield area. We're always open for suggestions and would be glad to hear from anyone (Anyone . . .? Anyone . . .?) who's interested in writing/illustrating for children.
comments (0)
posted by admin on July 16, 2009 20:15 as General
Our first OWAIC children's writers workshop went swimmingly. Vicki Grove got us off to a inspirational start in her inimitable style with her ideas of what Writing Is: wrestling an alligator, three-ball juggling, making soup, the archaeology of a stratified heart, the world's best laminating material . . . and much more. If you're wondering about all those designations, you shoulda been there! Going from the philosophical to the practical, she shared some of the tools she uses for developing ideas, plot points and characters. Along the way we shared a lot of laughs and fell in love with our craft all over again.
The Lebanon-LaClede library provided the perfect facility for us and (literary) flowers and bonbons go to the Lebanon Pen Masters, who showed us Ozarks hospitality at its finest--and most delicious. They laid out quite a morning spread for us, and Maria's Deli provided an excellent ... >> full
comments (1)
posted by admin on July 16, 2009 20:10 as General
I'm still pumped from the overall success of our first workshop as OWAIC. EVERY person surveyed answered YES to the question, Was the workshop beneficial?
Here are a few excerpts from those surveys:
About the workshop in general...
"It made me think of writing in ways I hadn't thought about before."
"Lots of info and great advice."
"Always good to be with other writers. I liked the variety & that it was geared for not just beginners."
"Quite a varied menu--I am not a beginner & I enjoyed the program very much, but I think the beginners did, too."
About "Coffee with Vicki Grove and One Writer's (Messy) Toolbox"...
"Charming as always--very helpful--entertaining & left having come away with a few ideas I will try-- "
"Coffee with Vicki was superb! Great, great information--personal! Very good 2nd session gave insight into another's method."
...>> full
comments (0)
|
|
|
