BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Writers Alliance of Gainesville - ECPv6.16.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://writersalliance.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Writers Alliance of Gainesville REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20160313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20161106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20170312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20171105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20180311T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20181104T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20190310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20191103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20200308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20201101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190505T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190505T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20190331T024230Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190516T201245Z UID:21743-1557066600-1557072000@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:The Courage to Tell Your Story DESCRIPTION:Our appreciation to Kimberley Mullins for writing this summary of Kandra Albury’s talk.\nKandra Albury\, president and founder of Kids ‘n Capes\,* said to Writers Alliance members and guests\, “You must have the courage to tell your story\,” emphasizing how sharing one’s story empowers others. \nShe grew up in a single-parent household\, one of five children. Her mother’s goal for them all was to graduate from high school and go to college or into the military. \nShe chose college and\, after graduating\, started her career in journalism. However\, that wasn’t her love. She asked herself\, “Why write other people’s stories\, when I can write my own?“ Hence her first book\, From Food Stamps to Favor\, a memoir of her journey as a child in a single-parent home and a victim of sexual abuse. \nAfter the publication of her memoir\, she turned her attention to marketing the book. With a background in journalism\, she reached out to many channels. She went out on a limb\, proposing her book to the Christian Broadcast Network (CBN) because she felt the book would inspire others in the church setting\, mainly because it is a place where victims and predators co-exist. Unfortunately\, CBN was not interested. But a month or so later\, they called her and asked for an interview. \nNext\, Albury ventured into writing children’s books to make youngsters aware of sexual predators. First in The Feisty Four Children’s Book Series is Don’t You Dare Touch Me There. This book makes kids aware of predators and how to get the courage to fight back. At her presentations in schools\, she gives each child a cape for the new superpower\, Courage. The other two books in the series\, Leave Us Alone You Mean ‘Ole Bully!! and No! address bullying and drugs. The later book was dear to her heart\, she said\, since her older sister became addicted to drugs. \nPassionate about writing\, Albury teaches a class at Santa Fe College\, “Let’s Write Your Book Now.” And during her talk\, she highlighted ten important tips for writing: \n\n\n\nSchedule time to write. Don’t just make time.\nSet a deadline.\nHave an accountability partner.\nEnjoy the process and all that comes with it.\nList all of your chapter titles or at least seven\, so if you have writer’s block later\, you can move on to another chapter.\nWrite about what makes you\, you — your passion.\nTell your story unapologetically.\nInclude humor\, pain\, fear\, and shame.\nInvest in your project: you must be the first investor.\nDon’t forget marketing: Business cards/Flyers/Promo cards/Social Media – It’s up to you to get your name out there.\n\n\n\nAlbury serves as Training Facilitator for Darkness to Light\, a non-profit organization committed to empowering adults to prevent child sexual abuse. Her literary and children’s advocacy work has been featured in numerous print publications and on television networks such as WCJB-TV-20 and WUFT\, \n_____________________ \n* Kids’n Capes\, Inc.\, is a sustainable non-profit whose mission is to prevent and raise community awareness of child sexual abuse\, bullying\, and illegal drug use. \n  \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/the-courage-to-tell-your-story/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Kassandra.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190427T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190427T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20190317T233245Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190325T205918Z UID:20086-1556375400-1556379000@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Author Fran Sweeney to Talk at Library Headquarters DESCRIPTION:Fran Sweeney will read from her novel\, The Royal Carpet\, a humorous tale of romance\, at 2:30 p.m. on April 27\, at the Alachua County Library Headquarters. \nQueen Elizabeth’s small entourage gets displaced during a summer thunderstorm while driving from Miami to North Central Florida to buy horses. Her car ends up disabled outside a sixty-acre farm in Alachua County. That’s when the fun begins. Over a two-day period\, a romance develops between local resident Fiona and a secret-service guy. The queen carves out a bit of life for herself\, and Fiona’s feisty aunt from Ireland joins the ensemble and attempts to right a wrong from the time of the “troubles” between England and Ireland. The Royal Carpet is fast paced action in a humorous tale of romance and the unexpected. \nSweeney lives in Alachua County\, Florida\, on “a bit of land” with her dog companions and a murder of crows. The crows entertain her at a window bird feeder as she sits at the computer making up stories. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-fran-sweeney-to-talk-at-library-headquarters/ LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Sweeney.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190414T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190414T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20190304T015221Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190415T231623Z UID:17983-1555252200-1555257600@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Literacy – The Foundation to Success DESCRIPTION:Jeremy Merritt\, Literacy Program Specialist for the Alachua County Library District (ACLD)\, discussed on April 14th\, 2019\, the types of literacy services available to patrons at library branches throughout the county. He described the ACLD program that helps adults learn to read for enjoyment and learning through one-on-one and small-group situations. The program extends to English-as-a-second-language tutoring. \nIn the tutoring program\, trained volunteers are a key component for implementing a neuroscience-based teaching sequence to establish reading skills in learners. WAG members may be particularly effective volunteers and were encouraged to apply (see https://www.aclib.us/literacy-programs-adults for details). \nAt the close of the session\, Jeremy fielded intriguing questions from WAG members\, including details about being a tutor and whether the library would appreciate WAG authors developing adult-oriented “easy-read” books. \nWe can admire the library system and its programs as an important resource for all of us in Alachua County\, and we should appreciate that our WAG members have great potential as volunteers and authors for our fellow citizens. \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/literacy-the-foundation-to-success/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Literacy-The-Foundation-to-Success-e1555370165845.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190303T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190303T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20190123T150747Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190304T223638Z UID:13808-1551623400-1551628800@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:How to Apply for a National Endowment for the Arts Grant DESCRIPTION:Sandra Gail Lambert\, a 2018 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Creative Writing Fellow\, explained the nuts and bolts of qualifying and applying for an NEA grant and shared how the Fellowship benefited her writing career. \nEstablishment of the NEA Fellowship \nFederal programs supporting arts began in the 1960s with the formation of the National Endowment for Arts. Literature is the only art form where individual artists are given this award. Literature consists of poetry or prose (fiction and creative non-fiction). There is a two-year cycle\, so if poetry is featured one year\, prose is featured the next. (There is also a Translation project\, but Lambert’s talk focused on writing.) \nApproximately 1\,500 enter annually\, and only one fellowship is awarded per year; $25\,000.00 is awarded to the Creative Writing Fellow. \nProse Eligibility \nYou are eligible to apply if you have published: \n\nAt least five different short stories\, works of short fiction\, excerpts from novels or memoirs\, or creative essays (or any combination thereof) in two or more literary journals\, anthologies\, or publications that regularly include fiction and/or creative nonfiction as a portion of their format\nOr a volume of short fiction or a collection of short stories\nOr a novel or novella\nOr a volume of creative non-fiction\n\nAlthough the eligibility rules do not say so in so many words\, self-published books are not eligible. \nApplication \nThere is no charge to apply. Submit only one application for 2020 funding. For Prose\, apply between January 1\, 2019\, and March 6\, 2019. Always apply\, if for no other reason than it can help your writing career. “You just never know\,” Lambert said. \nIn the application process\, don’t get hung up on the Project Description. \nAward Benefits \nLambert said by the time she learned she had won\, she had completed the book she had proposed\, A Certain Loneliness\, and it had been published by the University of Nebraska Press. She used her award money\, which is not given out in a lump sum but as reimbursement for reported expenses\, to hire a publicist and pay for book-tour travel to promote the book. \nHow the Award Changed Her \n“One little piece of success can build into something more\,” she said. “I asked knowledgeable people\, ‘Do I say I was awarded the NEA Creative Fellowship or I earned the Fellowship?'” She was told\, “You ARE the Creative Fellow.” \nThe award has opened doors for her. \n\nA Certain Loneliness is a frank and funny memoir of Lambert’s lifelong struggle with isolation and independence after contracting polio as a child\, she probes the intersection of disability\, queerness\, and desire. Frustrations\, slapstick moments\, and grand triumphs are all couched in the long history of humanity’s relationship to the natural world. \nLambert grew up a military brat and spent most of her childhood in Norway with the exception of a stint at the Warm Springs Polio Foundation in Georgia. She was well into her forties before thinking of herself as a writer\, and her debut novel\, The River’s Memory\, was published when she was sixty-two. These days she lives in Gainesville\, Florida. \n  \nSummary of talk by Penny Church-Pupke. \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/how-to-apply-for-a-national-endowment-for-the-arts-grant/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/image002.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190210T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190210T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20190103T193025Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190212T140016Z UID:11364-1549809000-1549814400@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Writing to Heal DESCRIPTION:Author Kassandra Lamb\, who served as a psychology professor for sixteen years and practiced psychotherapy for two decades\, spoke about the therapeutic aspects of writing. In her practice\, she specialized in trauma recovery. When a person has been through trauma\, she said\, almost any form of writing can help with the healing process; these forms in particular: \n\njournals\nletters\npoems\nmemoir\nblogging\nfiction\n\nLamb now writes fiction. Her first inspiration for writing fiction occurred when a special friendship ended. She had become friends with the lawyer of a client who was going through a traumatic divorce. “My client’s lawyer and I developed a close friendship. We were both happily married\, so it was a platonic relationship. But I was devastated when our friendship ended abruptly. And badly! Well if I couldn’t have a healthy relationship with a man in real life\, I decided\, I would write a story where it could happen! My first book\, Multiple Motives\, helped me vent my feelings\, and by the end of the book\, I liked my book friend more than the friend I’d lost in real life.” \nLamb went on to explain how and why writing helps. \nPsychotherapists often ask their clients to keep a journal about their feelings. This helps the client see how far they’ve come once the problem gets resolved. Anybody can use journaling to sort out their thoughts. \nLetter writing is also used in therapy. The letter might never be sent\, but writing it—venting—can help. A warning\, though: write the letter in Word\, not in email\, as you might accidentally hit send . . . I know. I’ve done it. \nRemember that emotions have an energy\, and keeping negative emotion and energy inside can cause physical harm to one’s body. Several things need to happen to expel the energy and emotion. Take anger\, for example. It must first be acknowledged. You must state what happened to cause the anger. You must express your feelings\, externally—but not to the person you’re angry at! And\, the situation causing the emotion must be resolved. \nPoetry can reach the very depth of emotion and can help you get to and resolve bad feelings. Memoir\, too. Telling one’s story is a way of being heard. \nLamb said she is currently coauthoring a memoir for someone whose father is a psychopath. “We are about halfway through his book\, now\,” she said\, “and the process is getting easier for him because he’s healing as he tells his story. Good stuff is happening for him.” \nBlogging is also good therapy because it can be like an ongoing memoir. People who have experienced a traumatic event often think they are alone\, that they caused it. Learning that another person experienced something similar can validate them. This can happen if someone responds to a blog post you’ve written. Hearing from others that your story helped them gives meaning to the pain you’ve experienced. \nAs a fiction writer\, you can also use your pain to write realistic characters. You can create characters able to pick themselves up and brush themselves off. This can inspire hope and educate others. \nAnother method therapists use to help a client overcome trauma is to have them imagine the outcome as coming out differently. If a child was made to keep his feelings bottled up\, for example\, have him imagine telling off the father he never stood up to. \nA lively question and answer session followed Lamb’s talk. \n\nLamb is the author of seventeen novels and six novellas\, plus a short guide for beginning writers. Her works include the Kate Huntington mysteries\, with a psychotherapist protagonist\, and the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries\, about a young woman who trains service dogs for veterans. She also writes darker romantic suspense under the pen name of Jessica Dale. \n\nSummarized by Susie H. Baxter \nIf you are interested in writing the summary of a future talk\, contact the program coordinator. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/writing-to-heal/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1-Kass-Lamb-lighter-reduced.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190119T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190119T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20181208T214723Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181208T215518Z UID:11260-1547908200-1547911800@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Author Jay Hamilton's Talk & Book Signing DESCRIPTION:As part of the continuing Local Author Series\, Jay Hamilton will discuss his book How To Buy a Car Without Losing Your Shirt at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday\, January 19. The talk\, at the Alachua County Library headquarters\, is free and open to the public. \n“When you walk into a car dealership to look for a car\, who do you think has the advantage?” Hamilton asks. This book will tell you what to watch out for\, and how the salesperson is trained to control the customer. \nHamilton was a freelance photojournalist specializing in motorsports through most of the 1970s. His work was published in national magazines\, such as Cycle Guide and Modern Cycle\, and in smaller publications. \nHe got into motorsports when his father gave him a Travis motorized bicycle after he obtained his driver’s license. That old Iver Johnson frame had been brazed several times because it could not stand the vibration of the Travis motor\, which mounted on the front fork and drove the front wheel with a “stone” held against the tire by the weight of the motor. He had to climb a mile-high mountain to get to school\, so he got a lot of exercise pushing the pedals fast enough to maintain 20-25 mph up that hill. \nHe then got a Honda CL360\, which he still owns\, along with a 1983 Honda Shadow 750 that he will proudly tell you is the bike which made Harley-Davidson cry “uncle.” They asked Uncle Sam to put a tariff on Japanese motorcycles over 700cc. A few years ago\, Hamilton rode the Shadow 750 over 3000 miles to a class reunion. \nHe is also a geek — has a Samsung Tab S 8.4 (wifi only)\, an old Gateway wide-screen laptop\, and a P4 Desktop he built from parts found online. He has several Calico cats\, and he misses his Chocolate Lab pup that was stolen a few years ago. He had a color photo lab in his home back in the day\, but now uses digital cameras and seriously wants one of those new Microsoft Lumia 950 phones from AT&T. He has an old Chrysler Town and Country van for general transportation and occasional sleeping quarters\, and he still has an old Honda Wagovan. He says his home is “wherever I happen to be.” He stays in touch mostly over the Internet. He has a small travel trailer which stays in a campground\, and the other vehicles are kept in a rented storage unit near his parents’ home. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-jay-hamilton-to-speak-at-the-alachua-county-library-headquarters/ LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/51TNUYAEprL.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190113T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190113T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20181208T145940Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190304T230022Z UID:11241-1547389800-1547395200@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:2020 Sunshine State Book Festival Presentation DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, January 13\, 2019\, Sunshine State Book Festival chair\, Mallory O’Connor\, assisted by Richard Gartee\, presented plans for the festival to WAG members and guests. \n \n“The Sunshine State Book Festival is the largest project WAG has ever undertaken\,” Mallory told the audience. “To be the huge success we want it to be\, we need participation from the entire WAG membership.” \nThree days of events are planned for January 2020\, beginning with an opening reception Friday\, January 24\, the Book Festival January 25\, and ending on Sunday\, January 26\, with a caravan tour of sites associated with Gainesville’s Literary Heritage. \nWAG\, which is producing the festival\, has received support from Santa Fe College and the SF Foundation\, who are giving us use of the beautiful Santa Fe College Fine Arts Hall to hold Saturday’s Book Festival. The Matheson Museum will host the Friday night reception and is planning an exhibition on historical Gainesville literary figures. \nWAG authors will have first opportunity to register for festival exhibit space where they can sell and sign their books. Richard stated that online registration would open to WAG members February 1\, 2019\, and then to authors statewide a few weeks later. He urged those who want to sell books to claim their space as soon as registration opens. \nMallory gave audience members an idea of the scope of the undertaking as she presented a list of the various committees needed to pull off a book festival. “These are not one-person jobs\,” she noted. “Nearly every committee needs multiple volunteers.“ She listed committees where WAG members are needed and invited members to pitch-in: \n\nFunding: writing grants\, recruiting sponsors and community partners\nPublicity and marketing\n Social media\nOutreach: promoting the festival to book clubs\, schools\, teachers\, etc.\nAuthor registration\nBook raffle: (festival door prizes)\nPrinter coordinator (manage festival printing needs)\nDay of festival volunteer facilitator/ trainer\nChildren’s book area\, (storytelling\, craft activities)\nFestival set-up and take-down\nFestival follow-up/survey evaluation committee\n\nPlease select a committee where you can contribute your talents\, and contact Mallory to volunteer. \nRichard concluded the program with a demonstration of the festival website\, which is now up and running. For more festival details\, members were encouraged to visit www.sunshinestatebookfestival.com. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/2020-sunshine-state-book-festival/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Meeting,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screenshot-2019-01-13-17.13.29.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181202T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181202T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20181112T043230Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181112T043230Z UID:11131-1543761000-1543764600@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Author Cassie Dandridge Selleck to Speak DESCRIPTION:The Local Author Series presents Cassie Dandridge Selleck.\n \nSelleck is the author of three novels\, including Amazon best seller The Pecan Man\, its sequel The Truth About Grace\, and the first in her Beanie Bradsher Series\, What Matters in Mayhew. A native Floridian\, originally from Leesburg\, Selleck is an avid reader\, storyteller and photographer. She and her husband Perry now live on the Suwannee River near Mayo. \nThe Pecan Man is a work of Southern fiction set in the 1970s in what locals recognize as Leesburg. Its protagonist Ora Lee Beckworth narrates the story of why an innocent black man dies in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. In the retelling Ora learns much about herself and what it means to be a family. The novel has sold over 200\,000 copies on Amazon\, has been chosen by book clubs across the country\, and has been optioned for film rights by BCDF Pictures. \nIn the summer of 1976\, recently widowed Ora Lee Beckworth hires a homeless black man to mow her lawn. The neighborhood children call him the Pee-can Man; their mothers call them inside whenever he appears. When he is arrested for murder\, only Ora knows what really happened in the woods where Eddie lived. But truth is a fickle thing\, and a lie is self-perpetuating. Ora and her housekeeper Blanche soon find themselves in a web of lies that send an innocent man to prison for the rest of his life. Twenty-five years later\, Ora sets out to tell the truth about The Pecan Man. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-cassie-dandridge-selleck-to-speak/ LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Headshot-HD-Selleck-e1541995250421.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181118T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181118T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20181106T030128Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181106T030250Z UID:10977-1542551400-1542555000@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Author Frank Fiordalisi to Speak at Library DESCRIPTION:Frank Fiordalisi will read from and discuss his novel Ichabod Wolfe\, a page-turner filled with surprise and a deep understanding of the human condition\, on Sunday\, November 18\, 2018\, at the Alachua County Library Headquarters. \nIchabod Wolfe\, a thirteen year old boy\, is orphaned when his parents and siblings are murdered in the months preceding the War Between the States. While trying to avenge the death of his family\, Ichabod makes powerful enemies that vow to kill him. He journeys to a remote town on the Colorado frontier\, where he is mentored by the town’s sheriff and becomes a deputy. \nMatured and at the top of his craft\, Ichabod becomes the Chief Deputy Sheriff of Iron Horse\, a Wyoming cow town. Long a bachelor\, he falls in love with a green-eyed beauty married to another man. His longing for the love of his life and his thirst for justice\, mixed with romance\, humor and murder\, lead him into the modern era of law enforcement. \nFiordalisi was born in NYC and received a B.S. from St. John’s University. After teaching high school and a brief stint as a retail pharmacist\, he moved to Miami\, Florida\, where he joined the Miami-Dade County Police Department. He participated in a number of assignments\, retiring as a Detective Sergeant after twenty-nine years of service. He has a daughter Jacqueline\, and a son\, Francis. He currently lives with his wife\, Christine\, in Gainesville\, Florida. \n  \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-frank-fiordalisi-to-speak-at-library/ LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ichabod-Wolfe-e1538922178653.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180930T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180930T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20180805T122525Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180811T171804Z UID:10601-1538317800-1538321400@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Author and Musician Arthur Crummer DESCRIPTION:  \nArthur Crummer will entertain the audience when he discusses his new book\, Floating Island\, on Sunday September 30\, 2018\, at 2:30 p.m.\, at the Alachua County Library headquarters\, meeting room A. He will read passages and poetry and perform songs written by characters in the new novel\, a metafictional mystery set in an area similar to Paynes Prairie. \nIn Floating Island\, Paul Bradley’s life is adrift. Disturbing rumors compel him to canoe onto his beloved Lake Lacuna. He capsizes near a floating island and sleeps free of mosquitoes under a layer of sand beside a misty Florida swamp. At dawn the island is gone. \nTwo weeks later his wife disappears. Blood-soaked parts of her shredded clothes float in Lacuna’s tannic\, gator-infested waters. But things aren’t as they seem: strange encounters . . . under surveillance . . .  disappearing journals . . . and then the phone rings. \nCrummer\, who holds a Ph.D. in mathematics and a BS in Mechanical Engineering\, has won numerous blue ribbons from music competitions. He performs with his band at folk festivals\, has authored instructional music booklets\, and since 1995\, has led music workshops in Dobro\, slide guitar\, Flat-pick and Finger-style guitar\, and gospel singing. He writes songs and poetry chapbooks\, and he won the Edward Lee Flemming\, Jr. Florida Old Time Music Championship Award in 2008\, presented by the Friends of Florida Folk. \nHe served as the second president of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville\, was published in the first edition of Bacopa Literary Review\, and was twice selected in the Hippodrome Theater’s monologue competitions. His first novel\, Wrestling God\, was published in 2013. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-musician-arthur-crummer/ LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ArtCrummer-e1533466987208.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180923T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180923T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20180729T220557Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180811T145045Z UID:10587-1537713000-1537716600@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Karen Porter\, Local Author Series DESCRIPTION:WAG’s 2018-2019 Local Author Series\, in partnership with the Alachua County District Library\, kicks off its new season on Sunday September 23\, 2018\, at 2:30 PM in the Story Woods room in the Children’s Department of the Alachua County Library Headquarters. \nChildren’s book author Karen Porter will read from the latest book in her Emotatude series\, designed to help children understand and deal with their emotions. So\, bring your children and grandchildren. \nAnne and Amy’s Anger is an imaginative tale that shows how two children honor their feelings and decide what to do with the anger they feel. You will see Anne and Amy allow their emotions to guide their actions\, while they give themselves time to decide what to do. Dr. Kich\, an imaginary doctor\, helps these children do this. \nKaren White Porter M.Ed. NBCT is a Director of Loga Springs Academy Homeschool Cooperative and a Nationally Board Certified Teacher. After graduating from Rutgers University with a Masters Degree in language education\, she started teaching children. It was then that she realized the importance of emotional intelligence among her students. From teaching around the world\, she gained insight into the importance of  emotional underpinnings of how people learn. She taught at East China Normal University in Shanghai\, P.R. China\, Hofstra University in Hempstead N.Y.\, Hillside Public Schools in New Jersey\, Saint Andrews University in Saint Andrews Scotland\, Belcher Elementary in Clearwater Florida\, The University of South Florida\, and The State University of Florida. She started her own school Loga Springs Academy Homeschool Cooperative in Gainesville\, Florida\, because she wanted to establish her own curriculum aimed at building children’s emotional intelligence. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/karen-porter-local-author-series/ LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/KarenPorterPhoto-e1532900880235.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180909T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180909T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20180805T161440Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180910T180931Z UID:10631-1536503400-1536507000@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Speaking to Self-Promote DESCRIPTION:This summary provided by Connie Morrison. \nToastmaster award winners Terry Martin-Back and Roz Miller tag-teamed their way through a variety of questions and answers on “professional public speaking with the goal of selling books.” As members of the same organization\, they have competed against each other in numerous Toastmaster contests\, and they exhibited a rapport and camaraderie to which the audience quickly warmed. \nFirst\, they emphasized the importance of audience members being able to hear the speaker. All kinds of equipment are available for purchase\, and they felt that money is better spent on sound than advertisement. In advance of the program\, the speaker should test the audio system by walking around the room while listening to an associate talk. The speaker must also be seen. Center aisles are a hindrance. Two side aisles are better\, allowing the speaker to easily project to a large crowd. \nIf you are planning to give a slide or screen presentation\, limit the words on the slides\, and the audience will listen more to you. When drafting your speech\, write it down. You will remember it better. Rehearse in front of a camera. Practice with a recorder. Public speaking is a learned skill. You gain confidence by speaking. \nIf sound equipment is not available\, speakers must project their voices. Talk louder and make sure the people in the back can hear. Remember that your voice is your instrument. Speak with inflection\, and pace yourself; do not gallop. \nThe Toastmasters organization requires that a member’s first speech be given without notes\, and authors should do the same. Use keywords and do not read from your book. The audience wants to know about you. \nMake inquiries of area organizations such as Kiwanis\, Rotary\, and the Lions Club. Most meet weekly and need speakers. The library has a list of all the associations in Florida. Know your group in advance so that you can appeal to that audience. Open with a question to spark interest. Be sure to have business cards\, and if you use images or take photos\, obtain permission. You may be asked what you do\, so be prepared with a 5- to 30-second promo. Have a prepared answer to “Why did you write the book?” People want to know how your story relates to them. \nAt the end of your presentation\, ask the audience for questions\, or lead them with a question. Be sure to repeat audience questions so that everyone can hear. Do not engage in one-on-one conversations because once you lose your audience\, it is hard to get them back. \nOn a level of importance with your speech is your follow-up. Ask audience members\, who show an interest\, for their business cards\, and follow-up with emails inquiring how you may improve your presentation or whether the person bought your book—why or why not? Make use of a CRM (contact resource management) system such as Mail Chimp or Google Streak\, but be sure not to spam. Also\, be sure to send a highly-valued hand-written thank you to your host. \n\nTerry Martin-Back writes horror fiction and has published a number of nonfiction books\, including Networking the Right Way. A trainer and professional speaker\, he is a member of the National Speakers Association. \nRoz Miller\, speaker\, storyteller\, artist\, writer\, and speech coach combines considerable promotional and speaking skills for effective self-promotion. \nCheck out Toastmasters International for personal development of speaking\, communication\, and leadership skills. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/speaking-to-self-promote/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/public_speaking_1533485426.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180901T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180901T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20180813T111226Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180813T111226Z UID:10693-1535814000-1535817600@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Author Debra Segal to Speak in Melrose DESCRIPTION:Author Debra Segal and the authentic Idylwild Cowgirls will give an entertaining book presentation at the Melrose Bay Art Gallery on Saturday\, September 1\, at 3:00 p.m. \nRefreshments and a book signing will follow. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-debra-segal-to-speak-in-melrose/ LOCATION:FL CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Debra-Segal.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180812T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180812T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20180628T201728Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180822T140538Z UID:10489-1534084200-1534089600@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Poetry: From Basics to Brilliant DESCRIPTION:Summary of presentation by Bob Crow and Joan Carter \nRukmini Kalamangalam demonstrated how to bring poetry from basic to brilliant\, showing her passion for poetry and using her dynamic style to inform and involve the audience. \nHer tips for enhancing poetry (and other writing): \n\nGet rid of filler words\nGo farther with everything (connections\, metaphors\, etc.)\nDon’t worry about everyone getting everything\nGo wild – do everything you’ve ever dreamed of\nGet it on paper\nREAD\n\nKalamangalam showed slides and read poems by a variety of authors\, including a standard poem followed by a prose poem\, a pantoum\, and a sestina. She described how the forms differed from each other. \nThe prose poem is easier than free verse because there are no rules about line breaks or form. It resembles prose but reads like a poem. \nThe pantoum\, initially created as a type of song\, consists of four-line stanzas\, the second and fourth lines of which become the first and third lines of the next. It’s an interesting way to play with the meaning of words\, with no need to stick right to the rules. \nWriting the sestina starts by picking six words These are the endings of your lines in six-line stanzas. The chosen words rotate from one stanza to the next—the word ending the first line in the initial stanza will end the second line in the second stanza\, etc. This form plays again with word meanings. It’s a cool way to get into a headspace which views words more carefully. \nKalamangalam encouraged us to make all of our writing more vivid\, breaking rules as poets do. She led us in exercises that challenged our creativity\, so we directly experienced major points she was sharing. First\, we wrote a poem (any poetry form) using nouns as verbs. Then we wrote about a favorite topic without employing our customary descriptive words. Several WAG members said they found this session very informative and fun. \nShe closed with a suggested reading list: \n“Afterland” – Mai Der Vang \n“Night Sky with Exit Wounds” – Ocean Vuong \n“Don’t Call us Dead” – Danez Smith \n“Virgin” – Analicia Sotelo \n“Silencer” –  Marcus Walker \nKalamangalam is a current freshman at Emory University. In 2018\, she was named Youth Poet Laureate of the Southwest and a National Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador. Prior to her induction as Houston’s Youth Poet Laureate (2017-2018)\, she was on Houston’s youth slam poetry team\, Meta-Four Houston. \nHer poem “After Harvey” was set to music by the Houston Grand Opera. She has been published by the Houston Chronicle\, ABC 13 Visions\, Houston Public Media\, Mutabilis Press\, and The Apprentice Writer. She has been recognized nationally by Scholastic Writing Awards. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/poetry-from-basics-to-brilliant/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Poetry,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Rukmini-Kalamangalam.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180804T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180804T150000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20170509T113518Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180822T143135Z UID:6752-1533387600-1533394800@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Digital Marketing Strategy DESCRIPTION:Award winning author Mohana Rajakumar presented a seminar on Digital Marketing Strategy at the WAG Marketing Coalition meeting August 4\, 2018\, at the Cone Park Branch Library\, 2801 E. University Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32641. \nRajakumar took attendees through the ins and outs of various platforms such as Facebook ads\, Google AdWords\, sponsored Instagram posts\, and she suggested questions to ask yourself while designing a marketing strategy for your book(s). \n\nMembers of the Marketing Coalition meet monthly to discuss and share successful marketing ideas and strategies for their books. If you are a WAG member interested in selling more books\, we invite you to attend a meeting to see what it’s all about. \n  \n  \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/marketing-coalition/ LOCATION:Cone Park Library Branch\, 2801 E. University Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32641-6034 CATEGORIES:Meeting,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Mohana-Rajakumar.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180708T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180708T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20180422T013059Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180822T141701Z UID:9948-1531060200-1531065600@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Turn Your Passion Into a Book DESCRIPTION:Summary by Kimberley Mullins \nWe had the pleasure of having Elois Waters delight us with her passion for dance and writing. Hence the topic\, “Turn Your Passion into a Book.” Waters worked in Alachua schools for over thirty years with special needs students. To help them connect\, she incorporated dance in her classroom. Well—dance was the saving grace that helped the young people express themselves through learning and creativity. It was such a hit\, she created a dance group within the school. \nShe ventured out with her kids performing at various venues. As it grew\, so did her aspirations. Waters not only used dance in her classrooms\, but also in church ceremonies. Her daughters became involved along with their close friends\, and it caught on like wild fire. \nAfter retiring from teaching\, she continued growing her dance groups and eventually wrote her first book\, “Dancing Before God\,” a children’s book that teaches the basics of dance along with a workbook. Additionally\, she created a similar book for adults. Waters showed the audience costumes such as tutus she created for performances. Her daughters and their friend demonstrated some dance moves to conclude her presentation. \nWaters earned a degree in Special Education from the University of Florida. The founder and CEO of Expressive Song and Dance Ministries and author of four books\, she teaches dance through workshops and seminars and is active in dance ministry\, after school programs\, and theater throughout Central Florida. \n  \n  \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/turning-your-passion-into-an-article-or-book/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/image002.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180610T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180610T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20180408T125902Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180617T215821Z UID:9800-1528641000-1528646400@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:The Value of Audiobooks and Marketing DESCRIPTION:Thanks to Mallory M. O’Connor for this program summary.\nOn Sunday afternoon\, June 10\, audiobook publisher Tina Dietz presented a program on the value of audiobooks and marketing. Dietz is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed speaker\, audiobook publisher\, podcast producer\, and content marketing expert who has been featured on ABC\, Inc.com\, Huffington Post\, and Forbes. \nDietz is also the owner of StartSomething Creative Business Solutions\, a company committed to connecting experts\, authors\, and entrepreneurs with their ideal audiences. \nHer podcast\, The StartSomething Show\, was named by INC magazine as one of the top 35 podcasts for entrepreneurs. She received the Evolutionary Business Council MORE award in 2016\, and the Outstanding Audio Company award from The Winner’s Circle in 2017. \nWith credentials like these\, I expected an authoritative and enlightening program. I was not disappointed. \nDietz covered the basics of audiobook production and distribution\, noting that the market for audiobooks is the fastest growing market in publishing for the last four years. Audible\, an Amazon affiliate\, is the biggest audiobook company. \nAudiobooks have a surprisingly long history\, having been first produced in the 1930s. They have a similarity to “storytelling\,” (read me a story\, Mommy). According to Dietz\, “storytellers are the holders of history.” They are the publishing form most likely to reveal the “power of your voice.” \nDietz then outlined a series of steps in producing an audiobook: \n\nRead your book aloud before you publish it in any format.\nPublish your book on Kindle.\nCreate an ACX.com account. (You will need to have published a book on Amazon in some format.)\nTo find a narrator\, you can post a request for an audition. You need to decide how much you’re willing to pay the narrator and if you want Audible/Amazon/iTunes to be your distributor. Although you may narrate the book yourself\, Dietz warned against that\, saying that hiring a professional is worth the cost.\nReview audition samples and select someone who not only sounds good but who has a good track record for professionalism. Negotiate a contract (ACX has a standard contract to use). Expect to pay from $100 to $200 per hour\, or around $1\,500 for a book of 100\,000 words.\nSend an audio-friendly manuscript to the narrator that includes the pronunciation of difficult/foreign names. Also include a character/s profile. The book is produced by chapter. You can add an author interview at the end or a list of book club discussion questions.\nListen carefully to each chapter as it is sent to you\, and make any corrections. Upload your book cover. Then approve the book and send it to ACX/Audible for a final check before the audiobook goes live on the Amazon/Audible/iTunes platforms.\nPricing depends on length. A 100\,000-word book would be priced at around $30.00. Royalties vary\, so be sure to check on this in advance.\nMarketing: Create a five-minute retail sample in MP3 format that can be used on radio. Advertise on your website and on your Amazon author page (having a strong author page on Amazon is very important). According to Dietz\, the core of all marketing is building relationships.\nPodcasts: Dietz also stressed the value of literary podcasts which offer a big opportunity to promote your book by doing a reading or an interview that introduces you and your book to potential readers. According to Dietz\, about one third of Americans\, most in the 35-55 age range\, listen to podcasts on a weekly basis.\n\nFor more information\, contact Tina Dietz at StartSomethingCreativeBizSolutions.com \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/the-value-of-branding/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/image016-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180506T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180506T163000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20180406T164059Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180508T213013Z UID:9835-1525617000-1525624200@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Belea Keeney's Secrets of Short Story Writing DESCRIPTION:Thanks to WAG member Connie Morrison for writing the following summary:\nAudience members received an in-depth presentation on writing and marketing the short story. Belea T. Keeney\, an award-winning author and editor who has sold many short stories\, shared her knowledge and expertise. \nA short story is 7\,000 words or fewer and\, for the writer\, is a valuable tool to practice the craft of writing. It is brief\, does not have the depth of a novel\, and editing is more flexible because of its length. A published short story can give you credits for your query cover letter\, thus strengthening your ability to secure a publisher for your novel. \nShaw Shank Redemption and Apocalypse Now are among the many films originating from short stories. Small publishers rarely ask for film rights\, leaving this as a possibility for your short story and for future income. Several magazine publishers pay for short stories\, and The New Yorker leads the group at a top rate of $1\,000. Woman’s World\, Good Housekeeping\, and others are possibilities for publication including anthologies. \nMost short stories are character driven. The character does not need to be likable—think Hannibal Lecter—but they must be consistent and credible. You should set up your characters early in the story by showing intimate details of their lives and how they perceive things. Also\, humor can give your story a breather and add a three-dimensional aspect. \nMake sure your point of view is consistent\, that is\, whose head you are in. First and third person are popular with most publishers frowning on omniscient third person since it distances the reader. Carefully control your time period\, keeping the action current and happening now. Short stories cover short time periods. Show emotions in a scene by gestures\, facial expressions\, and dialogue. All dialogue should advance the plot and be important to the story. Remember that famous quote of Elmore Leonard\, “Leave out the boring parts.” No chit-chat. Inner dialogue may be in italics in genre fiction but not in literary fiction. Character dialects are important\, but should not be overused. And remember\, you must have conflict in your short story\, or it is nothing more than a vignette. \nAn audience member asked\, “What does ‘I am published’ mean?” Belea responded by saying\, “If you have made your writing public\, you are published.” However\, be aware that if a publication is no longer in print\, electronic or otherwise\, you should not include it in your bio. \nWriters Market\, Writers Weekly\, Duotrope\, Hope Clark’s Newsletter\, and the Wag Digest are excellent sources for locating publication opportunities. “Don’t overlook literary journals and contests\,” Belea said\, “but a $20 entry fee is my limit.” \nA 20-25 page story should not take more than ten days for a first draft. Unfortunately\, editors do not find short stories cost effective\, leaving the writer to search out fellow authors and friends for that task. Look at previous contest winners and make sure your story is a good fit before entering. \nBelea ended the program by graciously giving away one of her books to an audience member. The winner\, John Waaser\, was randomly selected by one of WAG’s popular authors\, Sandra Lambert. \nThank you\, Belea\, for delighting our audience and for your memorable presentation. \nThis was her second presentation to a WAG audience. She spoke in early 2017 on Five Common Mistakes Writers Make. \nShe serves as editor for a variety of private freelance clients. She especially enjoys working on paranormal\, horror\, romances\, memoirs\, and most anything written about animals. You may contact her at www.beleatkeeney.com. \n  \n  \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/secrets-of-short-story-writing/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/image001.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180211T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180211T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20171223T172913Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180217T120238Z UID:8931-1518359400-1518364800@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Mary Sue Koeppel's Talk: Compiling a Group Memoir DESCRIPTION:Talk summarized by Roz Miller\nMary Sue Koeppel\, one of the four editors of No One’s Easy Daughter\, Our Journeys of Transformation. discussed how she and the other editors collected the stories of 39 nuns and former nuns of the School Sisters of St. Francis in Milwaukee\, Wisconsin\, with the mission of sharing the stories in a group memoir. \nAfter attending a fifty-year reunion at the convent\, the editors approached this daunting task by first outlining a plan to locate former classmates and journals. They also discussed how they might work with reluctant participants by instilling trust\, while recognizing and accepting that a few might still decline to participate. \nTrailer for NO ONE’S EASY DAUGHTER\nParticipants were encouraged to provide written vignettes—memories and musings of their lives—to document a way of life that has been all but erased from the planet. They asked each participant to explain why she became a nun\, why she left or stayed at the convent\, and to tell stories of how she transitioned from a girl in a 1950s convent to a woman of 2017 and her possible involvement in major social\, political\, spiritual\, and educational movements of the past 60 years. \nThe editors asked these 21st century women to explain what they believe now—their spirituality. But the editors also wanted to know each nun’s journey of transformation. What was it like to be a nun in the days of long habits and heavy rules? How did their lives as women in the convent affect who they are now and why? They wanted them to explain the life journey of transformation open to each of us\, not just women\, but to everyone? \nThe book is a mosaic of personal stories\, divided into three parts: (1) Early Life\, (2) Mid Life\, and (3) Later Life. In advance of publication\, the editors collected a forward and advance praise from experts. They also added a glossary. \nKoeppel said the process the editors used for gathering information for this book can be adapted and adjusted for any group memoir. Decide what your readers would want to know and how you will arrange information to satisfy them. \n\nKoeppel taught English and Creative Writing for many years at Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ)\, now Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). Her poetry\, short stories\, book reviews\, and articles have appeared in over fifty journals\, magazines\, and newspapers. \nA women’s literary journal\, Kalliope is a collection of poetry\, prose and visual art by an assortment of female contributors.\nShe also served as the editor of Kalliope\, a Journal of Women’s Literature & Art for seventeen years. She has published writing guides\, including Writing Strategies-Plus Collaboration\, a text for college students\, and Write Your Life\, The Memory Catcher. Her poetry books include In the Library of Silences: Poems of Loss\, and Between the Bones. Koeppel also interviewed writers for the television programs “Writer-to-Writer” and “Worth Quoting.” \n  \n  \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/juggling-multiple-author-stories-for-one-publication/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/mary_sue_koeppel.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180121T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180121T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20171214T011645Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180201T000025Z UID:8952-1516545000-1516548600@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Award-Winning Author Darlene Marshall: The Bride and the Buccaneer DESCRIPTION:Darlene Marshall writes award winning historical romance\, mostly about pirates\, privateers\, smugglers\, and the occasional possum. \nOn Sunday\, January 21\, she discussed her book\, The Bride and the Buccaneer\, winner of the First Coast Romance Writers Award for historical romance. Two adversaries squabble their way across Florida Territory following the clues on their pirate treasure map. They know that before they’re through they’re either going to kiss each other\, kill each other\, or both. \nMarshall lives in North Central Florida\, perfect for hopping into the convertible\, driving to the beach\, drinking mojitos and calling it research. \nThis program was part of the ongoing Local Author Series. \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-darlene-marshall-speak-about-romance-novel/ LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/DarleneMarshall-photo-e1513212695489.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180114T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180114T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20171209T234810Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180116T190956Z UID:8922-1515940200-1515945600@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Writing as a Small Business DESCRIPTION:Presentation Summary* by Art Crummer\nWith 15 years of experience as an accountant for CRI\, Riggs & Ingram\, LLC\, it’s no wonder Lorie Keegan was able to use simple terms to outline accounting requirements for small businesses such as those of authors. \nSalient features of her presentation included the following: \nIf you take in money at all\, you must keep complete records. If your earnings are greater than $400 in a year\, you must: \n\nprepare an income/expense report\ncomplete an end-of-year balance sheet\nreport fully the details to the IRS\n\nUnder certain specific low-revenue situations\, your activities may be considered a hobby (in which losses incurred cannot be included in IRS filings). Rules exist regarding the number of years you may show a loss. \nTaxes must be paid on income minus expenses. You must choose how your income flow is recorded\, cash vs accrual. Keegan recommended the cash method\, and passed around a copy of IRS publication 334 which explains all details in simple layman’s language (free at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p334.pdf). \nIf your business shows much activity\, she recommends that you keep a separate bank account\, pay all expenses from it\, and deposit all income into it. Consider getting a federal ID number (it’s free). Types of expenses common for most writing and other small businesses  include conferences\, travel\, home office\, and computers. \nIf selling online\, know about the 1099-K requirements. If you have employees\, details can become complicated; consider hiring someone knowledgeable to handle payroll. If you hire an independent contractor for certain tasks related to your business\, you need to file a W-9; for employees\, a W-2. \nKeegan presented a useful summary of requirements for tangible personal property taxes and strongly advised documenting all tangible property of your business the first year\, noting that if the total is less than $25\,000\, you will not pay any tangible taxes\, so you won’t have to report anything until a year when tangibles exceed that total. Keegan said\, “Once you receive an exemption certificate\, you no longer need to file.” \nShe handed out a CRI table giving detailed retention-period requirements for a host of accounting and IRS documents. \nMany other details are covered in a downloadable\, free\, startup-business guide available on the website CRIcpa.com. \nAnd finally\, there’s the question of who pays taxes for your business. One must consider the options: \n\nsole proprietorships (rules have changed recently)\,\npartnership (for two people or more\, you use a K-1 form)\ncorporation (perhaps an S corporation for an author’s small business)\n\nMany detailed questions were answered in Q&A throughout this enjoyable and informative give-and-take presentation. \n\nKeegan provides tax compliance\, tax consulting\, and planning services to small-business owners. She specializes in providing tax services for several not-for-profits. She is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA). \n______________________ \n*Disclaimer: Do not rely on this brief summary for your business. Seek the advice of a professional. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/writing-small-business/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Keegan_Lorie_Website.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20171209T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20171209T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20171129T182214Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164352Z UID:8787-1512829800-1512833400@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Children Books . . . Readings at Local Author Series DESCRIPTION:On Saturday\, December 9\, authors Bonnie T. Ogle and Judith A. Barrett discussed their new children’s books in the Story Woods room of the Alachua County Library Headquarters. \n \nBonnie Ogle reading from Arthur the Arthropod\nArthur the Arthropod by Ogle. Feeling quite vulnerable when his shell comes off\, the young centipede Arthur tries to overcome his feelings of inferiority by bragging. Along the way\, he discovers he is part of a very large family that includes his neighbors\, a mosquito\, a dragonfly\, and even a crawfish. He receives delightfully repetitive advice from his wise Mama\, and ultimately realizes that he has everything he needs! \nThe Sounds and Smells of Christmas by Ogle. Would a king be born in a dark\, moldy cave\, surrounded by smelly animals? Would shabby\, dirty people be allowed near a king? Only a king who loves His people\, young or old\, pretty or ugly\, rich or poor. Enter the stable and experience the real sounds and smells of the Nativity and discover that Jesus didn’t come to sit on a fancy throne. He came to be with ordinary people like me. \nOgle is a retired first grade teacher\, now teaching children at a natural history museum. She is a huge fan of lepidoptera (butterflies) and herptiles\, especially frogs. \nJudith Barrett reads from Pink Baby Alligator\nJudith Barrett’s first book\, Pink Baby Alligator\, is a story she told her young granddaughter\, who then requested the story be written down so she could read it for herself. Soon\, the story passed through many grandchildren\, proving particularly meaningful for her autistic grandchild. \nPink Baby Alligator by Barrett. Pink in a world of green. From the very beginning\, it’s obvious that Rose is different. As a lone pink alligator in a family of green ones\, she stands out when all she wants to do is blend in. With the support of Mama Alligator and her friends\, Rose sets off on an adventure to discover how to use her special gift to create a place where everyone is included! \n  \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/book-talks-new-books-children/ LOCATION:Story Woods Room\, Children’s Department\, Alachua County Library Headquarters\, 401 East University Avenue\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Book Sale,Book Signing,Readings,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/IMG_1876-e1512855392377.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20171203T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20171203T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20171129T161002Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164352Z UID:8774-1512311400-1512316800@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Book talk: Lancelot's Disciple DESCRIPTION:On Sunday\, December 3\, as part of the Local Author Series\, Richard Gartee discussed his latest book\, Lancelot’s Disciple. \nFrith\, a student of Sir Lancelot\, leaves the Christian abbey he has always called home\, to join a caravan on the ancient Silk Road. While staying with a Sultan in Central Asia\, he is tutored by a Taoist\, a Buddhist\, and a Hindu Swami. Confounded by their strange philosophies\, he becomes catatonic during the journey home. Once back in Britain\, he must sort out his confusion\, attain the Holy Grail\, and find the sister he left waiting at the abbey. \nGartee is a novelist\, poet\, and author of seven college textbooks. In addition to his novels\, he has had five collections of his poetry published as well as numerous chap books. His third novel\, Ragtime Dudes In a Thin Place won the first place 2016 Royal Palm Literary Award for unpublished book-length fiction. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/book-talk-lancelots-disciple/ LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Book Sale,Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Richard_Gartee-photo-e1518734308294.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20171119T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20171119T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20171024T140813Z LAST-MODIFIED:20171209T211530Z UID:8563-1511101800-1511105400@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Susie H. Baxter\, Local Author Series DESCRIPTION:On Sunday\, November 19\, Susie H. Baxter was the featured speaker in the Alachua County Library’s Local Author Series. She discussed her recently published book\, Pumping Sunshine. Believing that everyone has a story to tell\, Baxter also encouraged those in the audience to write about their own lives. \nAn Alachua County resident\, Baxter has deep roots in Suwannee County where she grew up on a farm near the Suwannee River\, and where she was known as Susanette Howell. \nAfter a career in health-science publishing as an acquisitions editor\, she now serves as creative nonfiction editor for Bacopa Literary Review and teaches memoir writing in the community education program at Santa Fe College. She is also the author of Write Your Memoir\, One Story at a Time and C.G. & Ethel\, A Family History. \nThe November 19 program was held at the Headquarters Library. Refreshments (homemade cookies made from a family recipe in the book) and a book signing followed the program. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/susie-h-baxter-local-author-series/ LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Readings,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Susie-at-ACL-book-talk.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20171022T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20171022T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20170922T231431Z LAST-MODIFIED:20171208T205641Z UID:8275-1508682600-1508686200@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Gene Cowell\, Local Author Series DESCRIPTION:On Sunday\, October 22\, Gene Cowell was the featured speaker in the Alachua County Library’s Local Author Series. \nCowell discussed the evolution of popular crime fiction from its Nineteenth-Century roots through classic British “cozy” mysteries of the early Twentieth-Century\, and the enduring noir novels of famous American authors from Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain to Elmore Leonard and Dennis Lehane. \nHe also read from his second recently-published novel\, Bring Me the Gypsy\, inspired by true events; it follows American Gypsy Dix Arcos as he struggles to escape the lethal wrath of his gangster boss. \nAn Alachua resident\, Cowell touched on lessons learned over a 45-year career as an advertising copywriter\, ad agency owner and subscription newsletter publisher that he claims helped him in his fiction writing. He paid homage to Elmore Leonard’s immortal “Ten Rules for Good Writing\,” including the one rule he broke. \nThe program was held at the Headquarters Library\, 401 E. University Ave.\, Gainesville FL. \nThe Local Author Series features a new author each month. \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/gene-cowell-local-author-series/ LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/GeneCowell-photo-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20171008T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20171008T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20170724T184824Z LAST-MODIFIED:20171208T210330Z UID:7541-1507473000-1507478400@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:M. W. Gordon - Ask Not for Whom the Pen Writes . . . DESCRIPTION:Summary of M. W. Gordon’s talk by Penny Church-Pupke. \nRetired UF law professor turned mystery writer Michael Gordon (pen name M.W. Gordon) presented a program entitled “Ask not for whom the pen writes\, it writes for me.” A published author of nonfiction and fiction\, Gordon’s debut novel Deadly Drifts\, the first of nine in his  McDuff Brooks mystery series\, won the 2014 Royal Palm Literary Award for Published Book of the Year. \nThroughout his talk\, Gordon used anecdotes from his life and gave writing advice gained through publishing his book series. Gordon said his writing grew out of his examination of his life’s interests including law\, sports\, boating and fly fishing. After his retirement at age 73\, he sifted through his work experiences of teaching\, lecturing\, consulting\, and writing in international law as well as civil law. At the same time\, he assessed his other interests—he was a boat builder\, a certified fly-fishing guide\, an oboe and English horn player\, and an owner of Shetland Sheepdogs. At leisure\, with no thought of writing\, he began reading fiction. Eventually\, he wondered whether he could write dialogue and if he knew enough to write a book\, using the knowledge he had gained during his life. \nTwo years later\, Deadly Drifts was complete. Now\, he wondered what he should do with his 300-page manuscript. He tried traditional publishing\, but the publishing agent he contacted wanted a contract of five years to search for a publisher. Gordon didn’t want to wait that long. On his own\, he tried the Big Five Publishing Houses—Penguin Random House\, HarperCollins\, Simon & Schuster\, Hachette Book Group\, and MacMillan—but they weren’t interested. Going to a subsidiary of the Big Five\, what Gordon called a “sub of a sub of a sub” wasn’t satisfactory. His alternative was DIY publishing (Do-It-Yourself). He suggested authors use the term Do-It-Yourself rather than self-published. Gordon confessed he had made lots of mistakes as he learned the ins and outs of publishing. In addition\, he said DIY publishing took lots of his time\, and required him to make lots of choices. \nHere are some of his recommendations. \nGordon suggested that authors not edit their works themselves; he added that it is important to know what kind of editing is being contracted (grammar\, punctuation\, content). Referring to DIY books\, he said writers should make use of templates—5.5 x 8.5 is a good size. Once a template it used\, it can be reused through copy and paste. Use 1.5 line spacing for your final submission since double-spacing makes it look like a draft. He advised forming your own publishing entity LLC (Limited Liability Company) or create a fictitious name so you can say you are “published by a small publishing firm in (location).” Also purchase your own ISBN (International Standard Book Number) so the number belongs to the writer not the publisher—it is\, he emphasized\, a matter of control. \nGordon discussed the differences between print-on-demand (POD) publishers like IngramSpark and Amazon’s CreateSpace. CreateSpace publishes only softcover (paperbound) books sold by Amazon or by the author.  One positive is that a Kindle e-book can be made with just a click of a mouse. However\, some bookstores do not like to work with Amazon since they take a 25% cut\, and books are not generally returnable. Gordon recommends not using Amazon Kindle’s special programs—Kindle Select/Kindle Unlimited—because this may require an exclusive agreement with Amazon and may lower royalties by 20%. In contrast\, IngramSpark will publish a softcover or hardcover and the company distributes to bookstores and makes the books available to libraries. For ease of use\, Gordon suggested going to IngramSpark first\, then CreateSpace. \nWhen writing a series\, Gordon said\, it is essential to have a timeline; the timeline he created for his series is about 25-pages long. Equally important is to have a list of characters. He found that characters are easier to write if they come from a dysfunctional family. In a similar vein\, he said children grow up fast—in other words\, how long can a child be credibly enrolled in high school or college? He said adults age much better. Gordon suggested it is a good idea for the main character to have a pet; that pet can be a minor figure\, or it can be another character\, but it should have some quirks. He added that his dog character\, Wuff\, has appeared in all his books and was even shot. In a series\, if the main characters are married or are a couple\, one spouse/partner can be killed. Likewise\, if a character isn’t working out\, or if the author is worried that the readers are getting bored\, characters can be killed. However\, he added\, don’t bring back a character who was killed. Gordon said\, it is good to have a sinister character appear throughout the series\, much as Professor Moriarty served as a nemesis to Sherlock Holmes. \nGordon’s book display at October 8 WAG program\nAs for marketing suggestions\, Gordon said book tours and lectures are usually not arranged by publishers. He found book tours did not give him a reasonable return; he sold only 2 copies the first time\, 12 the second\, and 25 the next month. The most he sold was 62\, this past year. In contrast\, he has sold 2\,000 e-book copies. He said\, book sales come after radio and TV interviews. Another marketing tip (good for bookstores) is to create a one-page handout\, with a photo of the book cover on one side and a description and contact information on the other. \nGordon provided a handout\, which said “Enjoy what you are doing.” If you don’t enjoy writing\, do something else. His final recommendation\, written in bold letters was Write for yourself. \nWhen not writing\, Gordon has been involved in Project Healing Waters in Montana\, where fly-fishing is taught to former military personnel who were combat wounded. Next summer\, he hopes to become involved in Casting for Recovery in Vermont\, where fly-fishing is taught to women cancer survivors. According to his handout\, he sailed in the America’s Cup on America’s contender “American Eagle” in 1967. \nGordon has degrees from the U.S.\, France\, and Mexico\, and except for a case of malaria\, he would have had another degree from the Netherlands. He consulted and lectured at U.S. Embassies in a dozen or more foreign nations and was consulted on cross border issues by the Departments of State\, Commerce\, and Justice. He primarily fishes in the U.S. and Canada and is on pro-boards in fly-fishing in Simms in Montana and Orvis in Vermont. He has never kept a fish he caught; his first trout was caught in 1944 and was immediately released because he said\, he was struck by its beauty. And fittingly\, he uses barbless hooks whenever he fishes. URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/m-w-gordon-writer-mysteries/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Gordon2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170916T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170916T153000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20170826T210237Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164426Z UID:7728-1505572200-1505575800@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Mallory M. O'Connor\, first author to present in new "Local Author Series" DESCRIPTION:Mallory M. O’Connor is first on the program for the Alachua County Library’s new Local Author Series. \nOn September 16\, O’Connor will discuss her debut novel\, American River: Tributaries\, which follows the entwined lives of three immigrant families as they settle along this river in Northern California during the turbulent 1960s. \nO’Connor\, who grew up in Northern California\, has degrees in art\, art history\, and American history and taught art history at the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. \nShe is also the author of the non-fiction book\, Lost Cities of the Ancient Southeast\, and she and Gary Monroe coauthored Florida’s American Heritage River: Images from the St. Johns Region. \nO’Connor resides in Micanopy and currently serves as vice president of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. \nThis program will be held in Meeting Room A\, Fourth Floor\, of the Headquarters library\, 401 E. Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL. \nThe Local Author Series will feature a new author each month. \n  \n  \n  \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/alachua-county-librarys-local-author-series-feature-mallory-m-oconnor/ LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601 CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Sale,Book Signing,Readings,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Headshot-5.2-e1503839035552.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170813T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170813T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20170703T190321Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170819T023404Z UID:7258-1502634600-1502640000@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Use Your Family Stories to Write a Historical Novel DESCRIPTION:Nick West’s presentation\n\n– Summarized by Bonnie Ogle –  \nOn August 13\, novelist and local businessman Nick West spoke to the general meeting of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville about using family stories to create a historical novel. A fifth generation Floridian\, West has a plethora of family stories\, which he has used as the basis for his four novels. Raised by grandparents with no television\, West was entertained by his grandmother’s recounting stories about a family that traveled with the circus and weathered the American Civil War. \nAudience members chat with author Nick West.\nWith that kernel of information\, and inspiration from circus posters\, West sought out other descendants of circus members to hear their stories. Learning of his great grandfather’s circus friend Master Duffy\, he sought and found Duffy’s family. Duffy was a former slave who ran away when his sister was sold and their mother died of a broken heart. He became the “African Prince\,” riding a horse in the show\, using the job as a cover to search for his sister. \nPithy incidents retold to successive generations show up in West’s books. He had heard from his grandfather that the circus people split between north and south when war broke out. The circus owner’s parting words to the troops landed in one of West’s novels: “I hope the next time we meet\, it’s not at the end of a barrel.” \nAs a child living in Archer\, West frequently found arrowheads in the yard\, amassing a large collection. He wondered\, Who was the last human to touch this? Taking several pieces to the Florida Museum of Natural History for carbon dating\, he was surprised to learn they were 6\,000 years old. At the museum\, he met anthropologists who were familiar with the first people\, the Potanos\, who lived in the area. \nThis sparked enough interest that he created a Potano couple for his main characters. Studying ancient peoples of Florida gave West many ideas. He incorporated the people’s customs such as marrying outside their tribe and trading with coastal tribes. When his hero traveled to the coast he saw a “great ship.” This event evolved from historical accounts West found while studying first encounters with Europeans. \nNick West speaks to a packed house at the Millhopper Library.\nThe author advised fellow writers\, “The internet is a wonderful resource for you to get information about the locale\, daily life\, and current events of the time in which you set your story.” He cautioned writers\, however\, to use two or three sources to verify information. He reported spending half his time on research and twenty-five percent on editing. He recommended getting everyone you know to beta read your material\, particularly if you are self-publishing. \nWest’s presentation\, laden with anecdotal adventures and self-deprecating humor (“I am a non-profit organization – a self-published author”) piqued the audience’s interest in his four books\, all available on Amazon. They include The Great Southern Circus\, The Long Ride Home\, The Sandspur Special\, and To Light a New Fire. \n The Great Southern Circus (2010) entertains with stories of Orton and Older’s Great Southern Circus\, which performed in eighteen states from Wisconsin to Florida\, just before the Civil War. The author weaves together the tales passed down from his great-great-great-grandmother\, Miranda Madderra\, one of the circus performers. \n  \nHis most recent book\, To Light a New Fire\, chronicles the lives of a young Timucua native Floridian during the period of first European contact in the mid 1500’s. The book is based on the Potano village that existed for over 12\,000 years on the edge of Paynes Prairie. \n  \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/nick-west-writing-historical-novels/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3037-e1503109148129.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170805T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170805T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20170720T191054Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170824T221039Z UID:7474-1501923600-1501948800@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:Marketing Workshop a Huge Success DESCRIPTION:WAG’s one-day Marketing Workshop on Saturday\, August 5\, at St. Leo University filled up days before the event and was a huge success. Speakers showed attendees how to market and promote their published works and covered these topics: \n\ne-flyers\nsocial media tools\nnetworking skills\nbook-signing kick-off party and possible venues\nthe importance of personal contacts\nbook reviews — how to get them\, how to use them\nadvertising and promotion\nspeaking opportunities\neffective written proposals\nbroadcast and print media\n\nTerry Martin-Back\, Richard Gartee\, Kassandra Lamb\, Roz Miller\, Kimberley Mullins\, Roger Robles\, and Carrie Dandridge Selleck presented. \n \nTerry Martin-Back is the author of Networking the Right Way. A realtor and a member of the National Speakers Association\, Martin-Back believes in the power of networking. This includes meeting and greeting strangers\, engaging in small talk\, and using brief “oral business cards” to your advantage. \nRichard Gartee has written twenty books including seven college textbooks\, a novel Lancelot’s Grail\, five collections of poetry\, and numerous chap books. His second novel\, Lancelot’s Disciple\, is scheduled to be published this fall. His third novel\, Ragtime Dudes In a Thin Place won the first place 2016 Royal Palm Literary Award for unpublished book-length fiction. \nKassandra Lamb is the author of the Kate Huntington mysteries and the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries\, which educate readers about psychological issues. In her mysteries\, she weaves unusual twists\, based on her twenty years of experience as a psychotherapist. At the workshop\, she will discuss the “Dos & Don’ts of Getting Book Reviews” — how to get them and how to use them in your marketing. \n \nRoz Miller\, an award-winning speaker\, artist\, and speech coach\, she’s also a freelance writer\, storyteller\, and public relations coordinator. She believes creative people need a variety of skills that translate into marketing their projects. Plus\, they need access to professionals who can provide the services they lack\, so their creative projects will sell. \n \nKimberley Mullins began writing during her 20-year career in the Navy. She has published a book of poetry\, Thinking Aloud: Dimensions of Free-Verse\, and two novels: The Friends and Family Connection: Get Unplugged\, and In the Company of Strangers. At the workshop\, she will discuss how social media formats contribute to successful marketing\, regardless of the medium. \nRoger Robles works with clients around the world\, building websites\, mobile applications\, and helping brands build an online presence. Roger walks clients through the technical maze to create an effective website and grow the client’s online network. He loves helping brands connect with customers through custom experiences for phones\, tablets\, TV’s\, and other smart devices. \nCassie Dandridge Selleck‘s first novel\, The Pecan Man\, ranks as a best-seller on Amazon.com\, and movie rights have been optioned by BCDF Pictures. The self-published novel has been traditionally published for audio\, translated into two foreign languages\, and selected by the state of Arkansas for their 2017 common reader program\, “If All Arkansas Read the Same Book.” \nHer second novel What Matters in Mayhew was completed during the course of her studies at Goddard College where she earned a BFA in Creative Writing in 2016. Selleck has had a non-traditional experience with publishing and marketing\, and will share tips and tools that have helped make her work successful. This includes marketing on a very limited budget and taking advantage of publicity opportunities. Selleck is also the creator of the hybrid publishing company\, Obstinate Daughters Press. \nFees paid by those registered:\n\n$35 WAG members\n$50 Non-members\n\nThe fee included a tasty boxed lunch (chicken or vegetarian)\, plus coffee\, iced tea\, and water. \n  \n  \nsferrario1968 / Pixabay URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/marketing-workshop-full/ LOCATION:St. Leo University\, 4650 NW 39th Avenue\, Gainesville\, Florida\, 32606 CATEGORIES:Speaker,Workshop ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/workshop_1494266766.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170709T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170709T160000 DTSTAMP:20260515T012221 CREATED:20170611T135128Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170714T011322Z UID:7027-1499610600-1499616000@writersalliance.org SUMMARY:How to Turn Your Skills\, Experience\, and Knowledge into Nonfiction Books DESCRIPTION:Terry Martin-Back enthusiastically told of using his background in construction and real estate to write and sell non-fiction books useful for homeowners at the July 9 WAG meeting at Millhopper Library. He emphasized that writing is a business\, whether you want to sell your work or not. At minimum\, both you and the reader invest time and effort in the book. \nTerry Martin-Back speaks at July 9 WAG meeting\nNon-fiction\, he said\, can be one of three types: \n\nPersonal story — of an individual\, second\, or third party\nBranding — provide information or commentary\nTechnical — how-to instructions or factual report\n\nTo choose a topic\, evaluate your life in segments and categories by experience\, achievements\, and lessons learned. Pick a subject you are passionate about — your enthusiasm will enhance your writing. Decide whose story you are telling\, and determine who your audience will be. Then\, decide what you want readers to think\, do\, or feel after they read your book. What in your book will they find interesting or learn from? Elaborate on your message by incorporating details and illustrative stories — which you may wish to exaggerate. \nStories are all around you. A writer must keep eyes open for them. A story may be standing next to you in the check-out line. \nWrite what you know. Martin-Back pointed out the difference between experience and expertise. Experience would be twenty years in building houses\, learning to use the tools; expertise might result from extensive research leading to useful knowledge about the business. Either experience or expertise can be the basis for a book. \nMartin-Back spoke at length about marketing\, especially using social media. He said your presence on Facebook\, Twitter\, and LinkedIn is essential\, and you should start at least three months before your book is published. He described ways to generate online followers. LinkedIn is especially useful because of the quality of its users. Other helpful sites include Fiver\, Square\, and Selz. Accounts with Square and Selz can be used to sell your book(s). \nHe advised us not to overlook alternate ways to get the book’s message out. Besides print\, consider an audio book — it’s been found that listening uses different parts of the brain from reading\, so it may appeal to a different audience and boost your sales. A how-to book might work well as an online course. Online training sites can teach you how to set up an online course. \nMartin-Back is a contractor\, realtor\, investor\, author\, and professional speaker. His knowledge of and experience in real estate\, coupled with client questions and clients’ lack of realty knowledge\, compelled him to write several nonfiction books to benefit homeowners — from Homeowners Manual to Tools\, Tips and Remodeling Plan. He is also the author of Networking the Right Way\, in which he emphasizes that networking is not about selling; it’s about getting to know people and learning about their business and how you can help them. \n  \nSummary of program by Roz Miller and Joan H. Carter. \n  URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/terry-martin-back-turning-skills-life-experiences-knowledge-non-fiction-books/ LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States CATEGORIES:Speaker ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Terry-Martin-Back.jpeg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR