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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170108T144000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170108T160000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20161019T175050Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164426Z
UID:5573-1483886400-1483891200@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Five Common Mistakes Writers Make
DESCRIPTION:From looking at thousands of manuscripts over the last decade\, Belea Keeney has identified the five most common mistakes writers make. \n1. Problems with point of view (POV). The writer must establish with the reader which character’s head the writer is in. The omniscient narrator is out of fashion with publishers. Gone with the Wind would not get published today; publishers want only one point of view per scene. \nKeeney provided handouts with examples. She explained that if Alice is describing the scene in a restaurant (we’re in Alice’s head)\, then Alice can’t say “a guy at the table became furious” because Alice does not know what is in that guy’s head. Instead\, Alice can say\, “The guy’s face turned red as fire.” Alice can see the red face\, and when she tells the reader this\, the reader can make the assumption that the guy is furious. \nAnother example illustrated how the writer can show different points of view for the same scene through well-chosen words and emphasis. Keeney’s two examples described Patty who was watching movies on a Valentine’s weekend. Members of the WAG audience gave their opinions of Patty\, saying that in the first version she was a “hopeless romantic\,” whereas in the second version of the same scene\, she had a “real attitude!” Words that may have made the difference? First scene: “sighing\, fabulous costumes\, envying\,  happy\, dance\, romantic\, perfect.” Second scene: “binge watching\, rolling her eyes\, damn people\, constantly\, a six-pack\, headache.”\n \nBooks Kenney recommends for learning POV: \nWorld War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War\, by Max Brooks; the main character interviews a large number of diverse people (doctor\, Buddhist monk\, etc.) \nHarmony: A Novel\, by Carolyn Parkhurst—has shifting points of view. The story is told from three perspectives. \nHorse Heaven\, by Jane Smiley. The horses become characters with human qualities\, so they have their own points of view. \n“Allison Lurie is also good writer\,” Keeney said. “She has complete mastery of POV\, pacing\, and a good voice. Others are Thomas Harris\, Stephen King . . . ” \n2. Too much narrative. “We live in our heads a lot\,” Keeney said\, “but there needs to be interaction going on. Give your character a friend and have them interact.” Keeney’s handout illustrated the difference: The TV news anchor in the studio tells you the news\, but the reporter on the scene shows you. \n3. Too much backstory. Be careful with information\, facts\, and flashbacks. Ask yourself if a particular fact is needed. Is the flashback relevant? Is it important the aunt died in a certain year? Avoid flashbacks within the first 25% of your book\, and if you use them later in the book\, be sure to transition clearly. \n4. Not understanding types of editing. Developmental editing looks at the big picture—at the structure\, the forest—to see how scenes fit together. Copy editing looks at grammar\, punctuation\, spelling—the leaves on the trees; some publishers call it line editing. Proofreading comes last\, technically\, in galleys. \nBefore sending your work to an editor\, make sure it’s as good as you can make it—work with it to improve it until you’re sick of it. And understand that voice-to-text systems such as Dragon don’t always get homonyms right (petal/peddle\, bridal/bridle). \nTrust your editor\, and don’t argue about whether the spelling should be tee-shirt or T-shirt. That’s just a house-style thing. Sometimes\, style questions come up that are not easy to answer. For example\, if Merge refers to an important concept and is capitalized\, should unmerge be capitalized? Each manuscript should have a style sheet showing the style preferred throughout. \nIf you feel strongly about some element on which you and the editor disagree\, discuss it.  For example\, the editor might wish to take out your comma splices\, but if they are important to the story\, discuss it. If you have problems with an editor you can’t resolve\, though\, find another editor. \nBooks recommended to answer editing questions: \nThe Chicago Manual of Style—the one used by most publishers \nThe Elements of Style\, by Strunk & White \nWoe Is I\, by Patricia T. O’Conner \n5. Not knowing if you want to be a writer. Ask yourself if you really want to be a writer or just tell one story (e.g.\, write your memoir). If you want to be a vet\, you go to school before you stick your arm up a cow’s butt. To be a good writer\, you’re going to have to read\, study\, and write\, write\, write. \nQ & A\nQ:  “How do you find a good editor?” \nA:  “Check the website of Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA).  It shows specialties—medical\, for example. I’m a member of EFA.” \nQ:  What do editors charge? \nA:  Some charge by the job\, some by the page\, some by the word. I charge 2 to 3 cents a word—or 4 to 5 cents a word if I’m working with a writer whose manuscript takes a lot more work. Most editors will edit a 3- to 5-page sample for you. I can tell in a page and a half if the person can write. By the way\, you need to know how to use Microsoft Word’s “Track Changes.” \nEditor’s Secret Bits of Advice \n \nTip 1: Start out by writing short. Don’t jump into a 400-page novel. Get rejections. Get published. “I wrote 35 short stories before writing a novel\,” Keeney said. “Don’t start with a dream sequence. And don’t start with the character waking up in the morning. Don’t have the character look in a mirror to analyze appearance.” (Upon hearing these don’ts\, an audience member commented that she’d have to toss out her entire manuscript and start over!) \nTip 2: Write what you know. Don’t get bogged down with research. While research is a good way to learn about a topic you’re interested in\, it can bog down your writing. If you must look something up\, make a note of it and keep writing. \n“If you want to write for magazines or journals\, study them before you submit. And try contests. This gives you a deadline for completing the manuscript. Look in Poets and Writers magazine—it lists contests in the back.” \nBooks on writing that Keeney recommends: \nSelf-editing for Fiction Writers\, by Renni Browne \nFiction First Aid\, by Raymond Obstfeld \nThe Weekend Novelist\, by Robert J. Ray \nManuscript Makeover\, by Elizabeth Lyon \nBookLife\, by Jeff VanderMeer \n\nBelea T. Keeney’s novel\, The Tiger Whisperer\, won the 2014 Cat Writers Association Best Book Award\, and she has sold three short story collections. Her stories have placed in the Writers in Paradise Short Story competition\, the 2010 Florida Review Editor’s Choice Award\, the 2007 Left Coast Writing Contest\, and the 2011 Saints & Sinners Literary Festival Short Story contest. \nKeeney works as an editor for Samhain Publishing\, JMS Books\, and for a variety of private freelance clients. She especially enjoys working on paranormal\, horror\, romances\, memoirs\, and most anything written about animals. Find out more about her editing services and books at www.beleatkeeney.com. \n\nKeeney’s talk was summarized by Susie Baxter and copy edited by Joan Carter. If you would like to summarize a future program\, email roz57@cox.net.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/five-common-editing-mistakes/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Sale,Book Signing,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/speaker-e1484002626144.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20161113T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20161113T160000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20160904T145039Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164426Z
UID:5361-1479047400-1479052800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:How Do You Prepare for a Successful “Grit Lit Book Launch”?
DESCRIPTION:Hartley Stevens\, author of the Tales of the Cable Counties Thriller series\, presented the nuts and bolts of launching his first two books\, Buck Wild and Absolute Bull. His April 2016 launch party\, attended by more than 300 people\, resulted in the sale of over 200 books. \nHis book-launch event was designed to introduce attendees to his Cable series and to engage them with the series’ themes—a fictional cohort of thirteen actual north central Florida counties where down-home residents “pool their resources to protect themselves from Florida’s panhandle Yankee tourists and the liberal sinners to the south.” \nStevens’ launch party goal was to help build his author platform and generate media interest beyond the event itself. After selecting a local brewery for the location\, he solicited local and regional businesses and groups to participate\, such as restaurants and musicians\, in exchange for offering exposure to their products and services. \nStevens discussed the ingredients for his large-scale launch—including advance publicity and invitations as well as the value of book cover visuals\, original music and games\, and book-related food and drink. He also offered concrete ideas for small-scale\, inexpensive book launch parties with suggestions such as book-related free or low cost locations—parks\, churches\, libraries\, and retail sites. \nHe uses and highly recommends the website www.fiverr.com  for a myriad of low-cost\, customized promotional materials. He also suggested three books—Story Grid by Shawn Coyne\, You Are A Writer by Jeff Goins\, and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield—as motivating resources for writers to approach their craft as they would any other job: show up\, work hard\, don’t give up. And prepare to launch! \nStevens’  talk was summarized by Jani N. Sherrard. \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/plan-hold-book-launch-party/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Sale,Book Signing,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Hartley-Stevens-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160911T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20160911T160000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20160717T214857Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160912T214649Z
UID:5210-1473604200-1473609600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Writing a Memoir of Love\, Loss and Survival
DESCRIPTION:Nancy Rankie Shelton\, professor\, researcher\, and writer\, showed us how the process she used in writing her memoir\, 5-13: A Memoir of Love\, Loss and Survival\, can be used by anyone writing a personal story of surviving a lost love. Her book details her husband’s battle with lung cancer\, which was diagnosed after he suffered a seizure. The numbers 5-13 are symbolic\, and not just because she and her husband were married on May 13. For the full story\, read the book. \nSheldon said she kept a daily record of her husband’s illness\, but when writing the book\, she used scenes and dialog to pull the reader in. She discussed the importance of obtaining feedback from readers\, while reminding the audience that the author has the final say in what goes in and what is left out. \nShelton teaches courses at the University of Maryland at Baltimore in Reading and Language Arts\, Literacy/Culture\, and Composition Theory/Practice. Her research interests\, after teaching ten years in Florida schools\, focus on children’s writing development\, the effects of mandated instruction on elementary literacy development\, connections between literacy and art\, and children’s literature. \nShe has 23 publications that appear in premier academic journals or with leading publishing companies that specialize in literacy research and/or education policy. She earned her Ph.D.\, Ed.S\, and M.A. from the University of Florida. Her B.A. is from SUNY at Albany. \nClick here for a review of her memoir and more biographical information. Also see the Kirkus review. \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/writing-memoir-love-loss-survival/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Nancy-Rankie.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160807T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20160807T163000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20160628T145328Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160912T215354Z
UID:5158-1470580200-1470587400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Writing Songs\, Writing Stories
DESCRIPTION:WAG member\, successful author\, and architect Ron Hasse had this to say about Crummer’s August 7 presentation: \n“Art Crummer has a magical way of combining music with wise words about writing. He told us how to write a first sentence and why. His talk had a lot to do with comic reality. He’s a great storyteller whether as an author or a troubadour. He has a knack for explaining how to organize our storytelling in ways that parallel songwriting—first line/story arc/resolution—in words and in chords. Art says a rant is not a song! Good advice to all writers. Clichés should be avoided. You are not the best judge of your own work; you need criticism and feedback—join a pod.” \nTruly\, Art presented an entertaining program as he described and demonstrated the essential elements common to successful songs and stories from the writer’s perspective. He addressed several song types including narrative\, humorous\, political\, poetic\, message\, mystical\, religious\, and taboo. He generously shared his notes; they may be seen by clicking here. \nArt is the winner of ten blue ribbons in the Florida Old-Time Championships in singing and in multiple instruments. He has produced two instructional booklets and three musical CD’s and has written numerous original songs in addition to publishing Book 1 of a trilogy Fixing Things. He is past president of the Writers Alliance\, teaches guitar\, and writes poetry\, creative memoir\, and fiction. He is working on the second book of his trilogy and regularly returns to the Piedmont region of Western North Carolina\, the locale of his novel Wrestling God\, which is available on Amazon. He and his wife live in Gainesville.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/writing-songs-writing-stories/
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/2016/02/ArtCrummer2-169x200.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160710T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20160710T143000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20160507T185110Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170318T115551Z
UID:4585-1468161000-1468161000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Getting Your Work Noticed
DESCRIPTION:Mohana Rajakumar shared with us a host of ideas to help market our writing\, methods that have worked for her. She based her presentation on establishing your “Brand Story” by answering three questions: \n\nWhat are you passionate about?\nWho do you want to read your book? What types of readers will find value in your work? Why? How will you connect emotionally with your readers? Why should they care?\nHow can you use your strength? How is your work different from that of others? How do you wish your reader would describe your work to a friend?\n\nYour brand. The first step in your marketing campaign is to define your brand\, including not only an image but a tag-line\, motto\, or slogan. This will be your image for your readers. It must be visually consistent—same colors\, same fonts\, same logo or photo—everywhere you present your writerly self. \nYour media. Choose the appropriate social media to reach your readers. Choose those you will update on a regular basis\, weekly or oftener\, to keep their attention. Where do your readers hang out? Different websites reach different audiences. For example\, older folks use Facebook. Young people no longer use Facebook—find them on Instagram and YouTube. Find professionals on LinkedIn. Set up special accounts for your author persona—you’ll want it separate from your personal life. \nBesides all the major websites—Facebook\, YouTube\, LinkedIn\, Instagram\, Pinterist\, Twitter\, Google+—brainstorm for other ways to connect: your own website\, a blog\, a newsletter. Write a bio to access by a tab on your website. \nFor input ideas\, remember the audience you want to reach. Who are your ideal readers? What are their wants\, desires\, values\, interests? Who are their influences? Where online are they spending their time? What do you have in common with them? \nUpdate. Contribute something unique to each medium at least weekly. Use pictures to help hold attention. Interact with people online\, reminding them who is behind the writing. Participate in discussions. Time your entries to your readers’ schedules\, entering blog posts to be read Monday morning when they first sit at their desks. Post Facebook entries to be read right after work. \nMohana emphasized giving something of value to the reader of your promotional material. Share news or ideas four times as often as you mention the work you want to sell. Link your entries to each other\, and link to additional information—that’s a freebie you give the reader. Send a free short story\, for example\, in exchange for an email address. \nHelp is available online\, much of it free: \nTo develop your brand\, try http://www.yourwriterplatform.com. \nFor ideas on many aspects of marketing your work including building a contact list\, try https://janefriedman.com. Other sites: http://www.novelpublicity.com\, http://katetilton.com. \nFor working with a long list of contacts\, as you might have with a newsletter\, try MailChimp. \nGet reviews to show someone has read your book. To get a review of your book to post on Amazon or elsewhere\, contact Bookbloggers. The cost of the service covers administration only—the reviewers are not paid for their work\, so treat them kindly. They sign up to read only books they want to read. Even if the reviewer gives your book only one or two stars\, at least that’s evidence your book has been read. Appreciate the effort. \nMohana gave pointers for arranging in-person events\, such as book signings and making contact by phone. “For book signings\, choose a location where you won’t be sitting alone\,” she said. “There’s always the chance no one will show up. And in trying to set up an event\, prepare yourself for unanswered phone calls. To promote your work\, you need a tough skin!” \nShe also mentioned that IngramSpark is a print-on-demand alternative to CreateSpace. \nA book signing followed the program. At left\, Mohana signs a book for WAG member Lee Phillips\, author of Child of the Land. \nFor a free copy of Mohana’s Coloured and other Stories from her newsletter\, click here. To learn more about Mohama and her work\, check her website or follow her latest on Twitter: @moha_doha. \nMohana’s talk was summarized by Joan Carter.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/getting-your-work-noticed/
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/2016/05/Mohana-Rajakumar-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160612T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20160612T163000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20160507T161100Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160627T111048Z
UID:4566-1465741800-1465749000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Finding Your Voice and Telling Your Story
DESCRIPTION:Lou Heckler entertained us as he shared techniques of story-telling he has used in his thirty-six years as a motivational speaker and coach. \n“Your unique voice is the right voice for you\,” Heckler said. “Be nosy. Ask questions. Ask people how they do what they’re doing. And listen.” He also shared advice that others had given him. He said that his commanding officer asked how he felt about his new assignment. Heckler said\, “Apprehensive\,” and the officer replied\, “If you ain’t scared\, the job ain’t big enough for you.” \n“In telling or writing your story\,” Heckler said\, “ask yourself these questions: \n\nIs this story big enough? (Does it address big issues?)\nIs it small enough? (Can normal people relate?)”\n\n“As you write\, include sensual details – feel\, taste\, smell.” \n“With description\, find a happy medium\, just enough but not too much. Allow the reader to participate by filling in his/her own details.” \n“Make the movie GO; say things in a different way.” To illustrate\, Heckler read a story that described a man so tall that “he sits in stages\, folding himself.” \n“Look for the abnormal in the normal. Look for the normal in the abnormal.” \n“Notice things around you\, details … Steal ideas.” \nHeckler told about listening to a woman in Publix—upset because the meal she’d ordered wasn’t ready—and watching how the manager handled the situation. The manager walked over and touched the upset customer\, saying\, “We’ll fix this. Would you permit me to bring the food to your house this afternoon? Because of your disappointment\, there will be no charge.” \n“Read widely and with a purpose. If you subscribe to a number of magazines\, always find at least one article with an idea you can use. Keep a file of ‘gems’ you find.” \n“Take the macro idea and make it micro . . . rather than abstractions\, present individual moments and details.” \n“Prepare your elevator pitch\, and work on your delivery. Read the book Steal the Show by Michael Port.” \nBefore closing\, Heckler shared a story that kept the audience laughing throughout. We can’t do it justice here\, but for those who enjoyed it\, bet you’ll remember it forever. It went something like this:  Hungry\, I caught a flight to another city\, a short flight\, but to my surprise\, the plane had food on board! One seatmate ordered beef\, the other chicken. Neither choice looked appetizing. The flight attendant pressed me to make a decision—“beef or chicken?” “Neither\,” I blurted. The attendant bent over and whispered in my ear\, “GOOD choice.” Later\, in my hotel room\, I ordered a turkey sandwich from room service\, expecting the usual long wait. The guy who promptly delivered the sandwich treated me like a king\, laying out a linen tablecloth and napkin and pouring a cup of fresh-ground\, fresh-brewed Columbian coffee—decaffeinated to allow a good night’s sleep. The young man then asked if I would mind filling out a survey because they wanted to improve their service. \nHeckler began his career as a television journalist and has worked at stations in Charlotte\, Chapel Hill\, Richmond\, and Indianapolis. In 2012\, he was the closing essayist every Friday night on the nationally televised PBS television program\, “Nightly Business Report.” Lou has spoken professionally in 47 of the 50 states and a dozen countries. A few of his talks may be seen on YouTube. \nSummarized by Art Crummer and Susie Baxter. \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/finding-your-voice-and-telling-your-story/
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/2016/05/LouHeckler_headshot2011_lowres-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160410T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20160410T143000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20160212T171644Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160627T032952Z
UID:3742-1460298600-1460298600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Inspiring Teenagers to Write Poetry — The Struggles and Benefits
DESCRIPTION:Nicole Harris (third from left)\, teacher of English literature at Gainesville High School\, and her talented group of students presented a program of poetry in honor of Poetry Month (April). \nHarris\, Coordinator of Youth Programs for ARTSPEAKS\, founded the poetry club Canes On Da Mic two years ago\, giving students the opportunity to write and share their original poetry. The results surprised her. \nInspired by Harris’ example as a spoken-word poet\, the students competed in the 2015 Youth Speaks Brave New Voices International Poetry slam and entered the national Poetry Out Loud Contest at the regional competition in Tampa in February. A few of the students will perform their own work at WAG’s meeting. \nNicole Harris’s love for writing and performing was instilled early on – she began competing in oratorical contests at Oak Grove Elementary School. She is a spoken word poet and a former performer for South Florida’s Word-of-Mouth Poetry Troupe\, which is a chapter of Black on Black Rhyme\, a group of nationally recognized poets creating a movement to educate\, inspire\, and change lives for the better.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/canes-on-da-mic/
LOCATION:Downtown Gainesville\, 111 East University Ave\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32627\, United States
CATEGORIES:Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Nicole-Harris-program-e1466997718926.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160313T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20160313T143000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20160206T005623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170510T104328Z
UID:3736-1457879400-1457879400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Marketing Your Book But Were Afraid to Ask!
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Peggy Macdonald\, the Executive Director of the Matheson History Museum\, spoke about the many helpful people and resources that opened doors for her in the promotion for her recently published book\, Marjorie Harris Carr. Her book is an intimate look at this remarkable woman who dedicated her life to conserving Florida’s wildlife and wild places. It won Honorable Mention in Foreword Reviews’ 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award contest in Women’s Studies. \nMacdonald is a native Floridian. She is an alumna of the University of Florida (PhD/History\, 2010) and Hollins University\, a women’s college in Roanoke\, VA. She has taught history at Florida Polytechnic University\, Stetson University\, and UF. She is also a freelance writer\, editor\, and photographer. She lives in the greater Gainesville area with her husband\, two children\, and Miles\, her blue-and-gold macaw.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-marketing-your-book-but-were-afraid-to-ask-2/
LOCATION:FL
CATEGORIES:Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Peggy-macdonald-matheson-museum-e1494412992693.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160207T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20160207T143000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20151104T233813Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160627T042256Z
UID:3440-1454855400-1454855400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:How to Establish Your Writing Niche
DESCRIPTION:(By Art Crummer)\n\nDr. Kevin McCarthy\, who taught Linguistics\, Modern English Structure\, and History of the English Language at the University of Florida before his retirement in 2005\, spoke at WAG’s February meeting on “Finding Your Niche.” McCarty took “Floridiana” as his niche\, and has published 30 books having to do with Florida. \nHis WAG presentation was organized around topics beginning with the letters of the word\nR E A C T I B L E S. \nR = Research. McCarthy discussed Research in relation to both fiction and nonfiction. When writing about a region\, he visits local bookstores\, talks with residents\, and buys books about the area\, which he studies to learn what transfers to his own writing. “Learn what books already exist about your area. What movies?”\nE = Expertise. “Specialize in one thing.” After choosing your niche\, what is your own area of expertise? Leverage that.\nA = Accuracy. This applies to both the content and form of your writing\, and to your letters to publishers\, editors\, etc. Make sure all content\, grammar\, and spelling are correct. Especially the recipients’ names.\nC = Canvas the market. Study Writer’s Digest. Look in bookstores – what publishers are doing books in your area? Read Writer’s Market (available from the library).\nT = Timeliness. Does your topic correspond to certain points in the calendar? You can time the release of your article or book to match heightened level of interest on those dates. What countries celebrate holidays on what days? McCarthy has done books on black history\, releasing them just before February. The lead time for magazines is about six months\, so be ready in June to be published before Christmas. His book Christmas in Florida sold well in October and November.\nI = Illustrations. In his nonfiction books\, McCarthy includes illustrations on almost every page. You can get stock photos from fotolia.com\, CanStockPhoto.com\, or other stock photo sites. (Search for “Royalty-free photos.”) You can use these photos\, with appropriate attribution\, royalty-free after converting them by camera or scanner to high resolution. Also\, many libraries have digitized back years of local newspapers\, and these images are available for free. One book on Minnesota history consists of little more than a collection of such images. The Library of Congress has a digitization project.\nB = Byline. McCarthy shared a story about the thrill he felt when he saw his name as the author of a story his mother asked him to write as a youngster.\nL = Legality and Logistics. In your query letter be sure to include: \n1. The idea\n2. Why you?\n3. Who are your external experts in the field?\n4. When will it be ready?\n5. Size?\n6. Why should they support this?\n7. How will you market this book?\n8. Does a similar book exist and how is yours different?\nE = External Experts. Talk with them and learn from them.\nS = Sell\, sell\, sell! McCarthy has found ready markets for his 30 books published under Floridiana\, his chosen niche. \nAfter this well-received talk\, a lively Q&A session was followed by chats up front and a book signing. His “Floridiana niche” includes 30 published books\, including Florida Lighthouses (1990)\, The Book Lover’s Guide to Florida (1992)\, Thirty Florida Shipwrecks (1992)\, African Americans in Florida (1993)\, The Gators and the Seminoles (1993)\, Twenty Florida Pirates (1994)\, Baseball in Florida (1996)\, Guide to the University of Florida and Gainesville (1997)\, Native Americans in Florida (1999)\, and Christmas in Florida (2000).
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/how-to-establish-your-writing-niche/
LOCATION:Downtown Gainesville\, 111 East University Ave\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32627\, United States
CATEGORIES:Speaker
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20160110T143000
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DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20150911T202848Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160627T041653Z
UID:3259-1452436200-1452436200@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:How to Write a Travel Narrative
DESCRIPTION:Fiona Lama\, an adjunct English teacher at Santa Fe College and a library specialist with the Alachua County Library District\, discussed the elements that make travel narratives different from other non-fiction essays. Following her presentation\, the audience had the opportunity to draft the beginning of their own travel narrative and receive feedback. \nIn connection to Lama’s interest in travel stories\, she has logged thousands of miles across the big pond with 20 trips to Europe and 40 to London. After earning a master’s degree in education from the University of Florida\, she pursued her second master’s in English and creative writing. She is a member of the National League of American Penwomen and has two works online: an essay\, “Facing Fear in Lovely London\,” and a short story\, “I Saw Dead People.”
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/how-to-write-a-travel-narrative/
LOCATION:Downtown Gainesville\, 111 East University Ave\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32627\, United States
CATEGORIES:Speaker
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DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20150913T031020Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170926T191231Z
UID:3266-1446993000-1446993000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Bacopa Literary Review Presentation
DESCRIPTION:(By Joan H. Carter)\nThe Writers Alliance of Gainesville (WAG) presented the sixth annual edition of their literary journal\, the Bacopa Literary Review\, and announced the winners of their 2015 contest. The forty-one works selected for Bacopa included authors from as far away as Australia\, Brazil\, and Canada as well as from the Gainesville area and several other states. Of the nine winners in the contest – note that the judging is blind so the judges don’t know the authors – four were local residents. \nWAG members picked up their free copies of Bacopa\, and visitors had a chance to buy one for $10. Gen Aris\, Bacopa Editor-in-Chief\, led the program of readers during which editors introduced each of thirteen readings from the journal by sharing a short bio of the author. The program included all or parts of six of the prize-winning entries plus other works by three local authors as well as four non-winners from out of state that the editors thought we’d enjoy. Editors on behalf of authors not able to attend and authors read selections of about four minutes each. The appreciative audience followed along in their own copies. After applauding the readings — listed below — the audience celebrated by enjoying a table of treats and healthy snacks. \nDavid Maas read his poem “Beautiful Like This.” \nCatherine Ghosh\, third place nonfiction winner\, read an excerpt from “The Fire Breather.” \nDorothy Staley\, editor\, read an excerpt from Ellen Perry’s first place fiction “Milk – Bread – Soft Drinks.” \nMichael Allard\, third place fiction winner\, read an excerpt from “Your Invisible Alligator.” \nJani Sherrod\, editor\, read Margaux Griffith’s poem “Late Bloom.” \nPat Caren (pen name Marie Q. Rogers) read selections from her story “Canebreak.” \nBonnie Ogle\, on behalf of Kaye Linden\, first place creative nonfiction winner\, read Kaye’s “The Linear and Circular One Sentence of Tattoo Designs over His Body.” \nGen Aris\, editor\, read Kimberly Rose’s poem “Medicine My Mother Was.” \nDorothy Staley\, editor\, read Mary Moycik’s short fiction “Reading the Newspaper.” \nMichael Kite\, second place creative nonfiction winner\, read an excerpt from “Memories of a Honeymoon and a Milk Carton.” \nGen Aris\, editor\, read Darrell Dela Cruz’ poem “Where We Are Located.” \nJani Sherrard\, editor\, read Diane Stone’s first place poem “Local Weather.” \nGen Aris\, editor\, read Nicholas Lloyd’s story “Sprint.” \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/bacopa-literary-review-presentation/
LOCATION:Downtown Gainesville\, 111 East University Ave\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32627\, United States
CATEGORIES:Speaker
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20150913T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20150913T143000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20150408T074454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180408T143618Z
UID:452-1442154600-1442154600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Pictures: Worth a Thousand Words or Dollars?
DESCRIPTION:“Writing sells after the book presentation attracts the buyer.” The buyer must be attracted somehow to the book before he looks inside. This was just one suggestion from illustrator\, author\, and publisher Mark Wayne Adams\, who spoke to a packed audience at the September meeting of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. \nMark began his career as an illustrator in the third grade\, marketing his own drawings to friends. In high school\, his target for success was to illustrate just one book in his lifetime. With energy\, passion\, and humor\, he explained how his raw talent\, fueled by innate energy\, has propelled him into creating a successful publishing enterprise with a warehouse of 35\,000 books. \nAs CEO of Mark Wayne Adams\, Inc. and past president of the Florida Authors and Publishers Association\, he has already illustrated forty-nine more books than he originally intended\, is the author/illustrator of eight more\, and has published the works of many other talented individuals. He is a prolific artist with a collection of over 12\,000 of his original drawings. \n“What elements are required to become a successful author?” Mark asked the audience. He admitted that he had no unusual experiences to write about\, but everyone has a story to tell. His story began as a boy who loved to draw. Mark’s early dreams were specific and focused. Beyond illustrating that one book\, he had a goal to work as an animator at Walt Disney World\, to be part of the creative team producing fantasies that inspired millions of children and adults all over the world. \nAfter graduating from Murray State University in Kentucky with a BFA in Drawing\, he migrated to the eastern Mecca of animation\, Walt Disney World in Orlando. Once there\, he observed Disney artists at work. He could match other artists’ styles and he was fast – animators have to be able to draw approximately 32 times faster than the average illustrator. For him\, there was no brooding over an easel\, no lingering consultation with his muse. He was production-oriented in a production-oriented environment. Walt Disney World was impressed\, hired him\, and helped to set him on a path that he is still blazing today. \nIn addition to learning the craft\, Disney taught him how to engage with people\, to conquer intimidation through courses in public speaking. Today\, he meets and interacts with audiences at schools\, public service events\, and festivals to energize other people\, especially children\, and encourage them to realize their dreams. These meetings introduce people and potential consumers to his work. \nThere have been diversions along the way. Scholastic Publishers sought him out as their regional sales manager. Despite tantalizing benefits\, the job would not allow him time to draw\, speak to groups\, or participate in festivals. Encouraged by his family\, he decided to continue in the publishing business because he loved it and he could continue to encourage others. “If you treat a business like a passion\, you will make ten times more money than if you treat it like a business\,” he told us. He is passionate about writing\, illustrating\, and the business of publishing. \nHe challenged members of the WAG audience to write that book\, to consider their own life experiences and recognize how those experiences can be crafted into a story for general appeal. He asserted that everyone sitting in the room with him had begun and quit a number of different enterprises over a life span that would provide sufficient fabric to weave tales for publication. \nAs an example\, he referenced one of his own authors who composed a series of books focusing on the eccentricities of her two young children\, two subjects whom she knew better than anyone. Through humorous verse\, accented with Mark’s illustrations\, she produced award-winning books from the most simple of life’s experiences. It is the telling together with the right illustrations – the total product including its packaging – that can transform a simple story into a standout seller. \nWriting is just the first step. Marketing makes a huge difference\, said Mark. Presentation of the book\, how it’s displayed\, is a factor in its sales. He discussed binding styles. He cautioned self-publishers to keep in mind that it is the spine of the book that is visible to buyers on the bookstore shelf\, so a series lends itself to an interesting illustration on lined-up spines. Avoid stapled bindings! And don’t forget publicity\, promotion\, public speaking\, and other specifics of production that may baffle or intimidate first time authors\, particularly those in self-publication. \nMark spent nearly half of his presentation addressing specific questions from the audience\, and he is willing to personally answer more queries by email. However\, he warned that his speed with a pen does not translate into his speed with email – expect some turn-around time. \nFor examples of Mark’s writings\, illustrations and for more information\, please visit his website. \n(Summary of program by Elaine Beem Robinson)
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/pictures-worth-a-thousand-words-or-dollars/
LOCATION:FL
CATEGORIES:Speaker
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20150809T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20150809T143000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20150809T063054Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160627T042757Z
UID:3116-1439130600-1439130600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Game Warden Bob Lee's True-Life Adventure Stories
DESCRIPTION:(by Skipper Hammond)\n\nThe first advice writers get is “Write what you know.” Bob Lee has done exactly that\, writing about his three decades with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). But instead of common\, everyday life\, his stories are pure adventure-thriller\, the stuff of Indiana Jones’ experience. On August 9\, his listeners were on the edge of their seats one moment\, in rapt suspense\, then howling in laughter as he recounted his adventures enforcing conservation law in Putnam and St. John’s counties. \nIn writing memoir\, Lee has faced questions all memoirists must answer: How do I handle my “characters\,” who are real people\, friends\, co-workers? And do I stretch the truth to entertain? Lee took perhaps the easy route in answering the first—he waited until he retired before publishing. But he prepared for the day by interviewing his characters as he collected case reports\, photos\, clippings\, and notes. \nGuest speaker Bob Lee entertains the audience. Photo by Michael Allard.\nEven for one particular interview\, he was forced to wait until after retirement. His main character\, Roger Gunter\, a notorious poacher who lived for the challenge of outwitting game wardens\, wouldn’t agree to an interview as long as Lee was working for FWC. The payoff for Lee’s patience was four full days of interviews and pages full of thrills and laughs in which the reader is able to identify with the “bad guy.” Gunter\, the poacher\, was so invested in the story that he came to the book launch at the local feed and seed store\, but\, like a teen on her first date\, he worried about what color boots to wear. \nLee’s goal in answering the second question\, whether to stretch the truth\, has been to be accurate. “Sometimes I’m tempted to bend truth to make stories more entertaining. But I don’t\,” he said. Accuracy protects the reader’s trust. On at least one occasion he modified his words “to keep friends. But I’m always careful to get the story right.” That one time\, an officer he’d interviewed was angry about a quote\, even denied it\, although it was on tape. \n“I’m not a professional writer\,” Lee said. “I didn’t grow up wanting to be a writer.” So he’s made a point of looking to other writers to learn “how they do what I want to do” and for feedback on his writing. A freelance writer friend edited his first story\, and he joined a small critique group early in his writing journey. For almost two decades\, members of that group have continued to give each other feedback. He said he writes first thing in the morning\, “before my head gets cluttered up with everything that happens during the day.” \nBob Lee talks with WAG members and guests as he signs books. Photo by Michael Allard.\nIn 2007\, Lee set out to chronicle his experiences in a package of selected stories. It took him three years to write his book\, Backcountry Lawman: True Stories from a Florida Game Warden\, published in 2013 by the University Press of Florida. The book was recognized in 2014 as the winner of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association Award for best outdoor book and has been featured in the Florida Sportsman\, Florida Wildlife\, Florida Game & Fish\, Palatka Daily News\, International Game Warden and other publications. \nA native of Florida\, Bob graduated with a degree in criminal justice from the University of South Florida. He is a 30-year veteran of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He worked as a water patrol officer on the St. John’s River and a land patrol lieutenant in Flagler\, Putnam and St. John’s counties. He is a former teacher of man-tracking classes through the Florida Wildlife Commission Law Enforcement Academy. \nLee continues to work as a freelance writer for law enforcement and outdoor magazines. He and his wife\, Karen\, live on eighteen acres next to a secluded lake in south Putnam County. \n[intense_spacer height=”30″]\n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/game-warden-bob-lee-entertains-with-true-life-adventure-stories-2/
LOCATION:FL
CATEGORIES:Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Bob-H.-Lee.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20150712T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20150712T143000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20150712T073144Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160507T180504Z
UID:447-1436711400-1436711400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Fifty Years in the Writing Life
DESCRIPTION:by Sharon Ketts\n“Take an event and turn it into a story\,” our speaker\, Shelley Fraser Mickle\, told a full-house audience on Sunday\, July 12\, 2015. “Give yourself permission to make it entertaining. Story has its own needs\, facts can be twisted.” Her engaging presentation of good advice for writers sprinkled the afternoon with laughter. \nMickle said she fell in love with story at age five\, when her family had given her the nickname “Screaming Mimi\,” after the German rockets in World War II. Stories were her grandmother’s way of calming her down. She decided that stories must be something necessary\, like “air\, water\, or a good purse.” \nShe grew up in Arkansas and Tennessee\, and headed to the University of Mississippi after graduating high school. Being a brash high school senior\, she wrote to William Faulkner\, teaching at U of M\, and told him she would be coming in the fall. She gave him permission to introduce himself to her if he saw her walking around campus. Unfortunately\, she told us\, “He had the audacity to die six months before I arrived.” \nShe had the advantage of studying writing in the fertile culture of the Mississippi Delta where her husband was practicing medicine. She wrote her first novel\, Queen of October\, in 1992\, and sent it to Louis Rubin to read through. Unknown to her at that time\, Rubin was the most illustrious literary critic of his time. He worked with her for two and a half years on the novel\, and they remained friends until his death in 2013. \nWhen is your writing good? That’s a question she asked herself every day\, which led to her practices of getting up at 4 a.m. before her inner editor\, and her children\, were awake and of buying a new typewriter when she got rejected. “Don’t give up\,” she told the audience. “It’s all a matter of taste when it comes to agents and editors.” \nAfter publishing several books and appearing on National Public Radio both locally and nationally with her essays\, she and her husband started a publishing company in 2009. They had observed there were no books in which children with physical differences were heroes. Wild Onion Press was born. \nMickle challenged the audience: “Have you written a story powerful enough to change a life?” \nShe received a manuscript from a mother whose daughter had been born with only four tiny fingers on her right hand. The five-year-old had dictated her memoir to her mother before she could write or read. Grace Mary McClelland had been the victim of bullying. “You must be stupid because you have stupid little fingers\,” she was told. Wild Onion published her book\, The Gift of Grace\, exactly as Grace wrote it\, Mickle revising only one sentence in the manuscript. \nMickle said the story changed her life and her way of thinking. “Have you written a story that reflects an act of bravery\, that’s changed someone’s life?” she asked the audience again. \nShe told us the story of Isabelle Hadala\, born with a condition that limits the development of fingers\, teeth\, and toes. At a camp for disabled children\, Mickle led a writers’ workshop for parents. They wrote a first-day-of-school speech for their children to say: “Look at me\, and get over it.” This led to Isabelle’s book\, The First Day Speech. After the book was published\, Isabelle appeared on Good Morning America\, modeled for Aeropostale\, and was a guest weather girl on the local news channel. \nMickle said\, “I never understood what a book can do. It can change a life.” \nA prolific writer\, she is currently working on several projects\, and has no thoughts of retiring. \nAn audience member asked the question\, “Was there anything you couldn’t bring yourself to write about?” \nMickle’s reply: “No\, but I wanted to write about things nobody wanted to hear about.” \n[intense_spacer height=”20″]\n[intense_hr]\n[intense_spacer height=”20″]\nShelley Fraser Mickle\, author of several award-winning books\, shared how she got her start in the literary world and her path over a period of fifty years. \nMickle grew up in Arkansas and Tennessee and graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1966. She studied writing at the University of Mississippi\, the Harvard Extension School\, and Wellesley College. Her first novel\, The Queen of October\, was a 1989 New York Times Notable Book. Her second novel\, Replacing Dad\, became a CBS movie and is now shown on the Hallmark channel. \nMickle began reading her humorous essays on National Public Radio in 1995. In 2000 some of these were published in The Kids are Gone\, the Dog is Depressed & Mom’s on the Loose. That same year she was honored to be a commentator for NPR’s Morning Edition broadcast out of Washington\, D.C. \nIn 2006\, Mickle’s novel\, The Turning Hour\, was recognized with the Florida Governor’s Award for the best suicide prevention tool in an educational setting. The novel is based on the true story of a high-school senior’s recovery from a suicide attempt. Mickle’s masterwork addresses the emotional challenges of modern American youth. \nMickle and her husband\, Dr. John Mickle\, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon\, live on a horse farm in Alachua County\, Florida.\n[intense_spacer height=”30″]
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/fifty-years-in-the-writing-life/
LOCATION:FL
CATEGORIES:Speaker
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DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20150503T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20150408T072010Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170926T185520Z
UID:443-1430663400-1430667000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:You Can't Get There From Here: How I Became an Author
DESCRIPTION:by Bonnie Ogle\nNathan Whitaker\, best-selling co-author with Tony Dungy and Tim Tebow\, regaled Writers Alliance members at the general meeting on Sunday\, May 3. Taking a selfie with the audience behind him\, Whitaker revealed his self-deprecating sense of humor and launched into “my favorite topic\, myself\,” and how he became “an accidental author.” \nWhitaker’s first tip to writers of memoir is to “get the subject talking\,” building a much greater word count than needed. Frequently\, accomplished subjects have developed a “two-minute story” for interviews and are often reluctant to talk about their accomplishments. Interviewing people close to the subject helps. Tim Tebow’s dad learned a lot about his son when he found a stack of trophies stuffed under Tim’s locker. \nThe first line of a book is key\, Whitaker said. Tony Dungy’s book\, Quiet Strength begins with his firing. Readers will be immediately engaged because many have been there. “Recognize that it will not be compelling if you don’t talk about the dark times\,” Whitaker said. Who wouldn’t prefer to talk about a Superbowl win than the time he was fired? It is important for the writer to have empathy for his subject who bares himself. \nNathan Whitaker is a principal in Whitaker Partners LLC and represents college and professional coaches and administrators. He is involved in ministry and is available for speaking engagements. You can learn more at http://nathanwhitaker.com \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/you-cant-get-there-from-here-how-i-became-an-author/
LOCATION:FL
CATEGORIES:Speaker
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DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20150426T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20150408T065347Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170926T190651Z
UID:438-1430058600-1430062200@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Targeting Your Pitch
DESCRIPTION:by Felicia Lee\nPattie Glenn\, published author\, screenplay writer and broker/manager spoke on “Targeting Your Pitch” at WAG’s Speakers Series meeting on April 26\, 2015. She is a prolific author of books and screenplays in a range of genres. She’s also a talented singer (a soloist with the Gainesville Big Band) and realtor and founder of the GreenSmart team at Keller Williams Realty. \nAfter her lively and informative talk on how to perfect your pitch to agents and publishers\, she answered a few more questions: \nQ: What first inspired you to write? \nA: My grandmother was my biggest inspiration – she instilled in me a love of storytelling. Most importantly\, she told me I could be whatever I wanted to be; that’s a really important thing for a child to hear. She taught me how to tell stories – she’d have me read aloud on a reel-to-reel tape. \nI’m not going to say what year that was (I was four) but I still have that tape! I always enjoyed writing poetry in school\, but I didn’t really start writing creatively until around 2003. \nQ: What’s the secret ingredient to a great pitch? If there’s one thing you’d like everyone here to take away today\, what would it be? \nA: Definitely preparation. I prepare – I’m a narrative speaker by nature\, so it’s hard for me to be concise. So I edit and edit and edit! I’m good at editing\, but it’s not easy for me to do\, so I put a lot of work into it. \nQ: You’ve got a lot on your plate with a full-time career as a realtor\, your singing\, your writing – and promoting your writing must also take a lot of time. How do you make time for everything? \nA: Well\, I have to tell you\, I’m really out of balance at times – real estate is that crazy. I rely a lot on prayer and meditation. I’d love my writing to be more of a full-time job – but still\, I don’t want to do just one thing. \nBackground:\nPattie Glenn\, published author\, screenplay writer and broker/manager combines her creative and analytical talents to serve today’s entertainment markets\, and seeks to empower audiences through stories for the heart and soul in her screenplays\, novels\, short stories\, transmedia storytelling\, and instructional materials for a variety of media. Glenn graduated Valedictorian from Full Sail University’s 2013 Creative Writing for Entertainment Bachelor’s of Fine Arts program. \nVisit her website at Pondhawk Productions.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/targeting-your-pitch/
LOCATION:FL
CATEGORIES:Retreat,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2a51ea4.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20150301T023000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20150301T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20150502T062429Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20150502T062429Z
UID:2168-1425177000-1425223800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:A Land Remembered
DESCRIPTION:by Wendy Thornton\nA large crowd of writers and environmentally concerned attendees heard speaker Rick Smith talk about his father\, Patrick Smith\, and the many historical books he wrote about Florida. The most famous is A Land Remembered\, but it was his fist Florida book\, Forever Island\, which garnered a Pulitzer nomination. Angel City\, about the plight of migrant workers\, resulted in demands for reform for these oppressed employees. He passed away in January 2014. \nRick and his wife are from Cambria\, California. Using videos of his father’s actual presentations over the years\, Rick Smith created a multimedia program with “Florida sounds.” \nSome of the stories told by Rick Smith originated from his father and some were actually presented by Patrick Smith through accompanying videos\, a unique method of lecturing. According to Patrick Smith\, “All good writing comes from a sense of place.” \nWhen Forever Island was published\, the Soviet Writers’ Union invited him to the Soviet Union. Smith also told about how a hippie somehow helped him break his writer’s block\, arriving in his office with a story of a pond drying up and fish flopping around in the mud. A cottonmouth came began carrying fish one-by-one to another\, deeper pond setting them free. Smith was sure that the hippie had actually seen this\, and the tale inspired him to begin telling his environmental astute stories. \nFor Angel City\, Smith went to a Goodwill store\, bought an old outfit\, and passed himself off as a migrant worker. He said he almost quit that research because of the pure physical torture of such a life. “No one can imagine what life is like for a migrant worker unless they live it.” The book led to editorials demanding that this tragic abuse of workers end. As a result\, laws were passed to protect migrant workers. \nSmith said that his father’s most famous book\, A Land Remembered\, required more than two years of research. Smith researched the Battle of Olustee\, the birth of the cattle and citrus industry\, the great freeze of 1895\, the land boom in Miami in 1920s\,  the 1926 hurricane\, and the 1928 hurricane that drowned more than 2000 people in Okeechobee in 2 hours. What he wanted to know was\, how did this affect people\, how did they survive\, why did they come to Florida in the first place? “What were their hopes\, their dreams\, … the sort of thing you cannot find in a history book.” \nHis book was so realistic he says people often called and thanked him for writing about their families. But what he wrote was a composite of all the families he had learned about. Over the years\, many schools have used the book\, now considered a classic of Florida literature. Patrick Smith was definitely ahead of his time.  As one of his characters said\, “Progress ain’t reversible.” \nRick Smith refers to his style of presentation as “visual storytelling.”  From the enthusiasm of the crowd gathered at the WAG special event\, it appears this style was a tremendous hit. \nIn his presentation\, Smith defined where the term Florida cracker originated. It came from the cracking sound of whips used by Florida cowboys when they herded cattle. It was also used as a method of communication — crackers could let other cowboys know where they were or whether there was danger by the number of cracks. (If you do it just right\, the tip of the whip exceeds the speed of sound.) \nWAG’s own Art Crummer opened with some Florida folk songs. And thank you to our  program coordinator\, Carol Ray Skipper\, for setting up this great presentation. Also\, a thank you to the Unitarian Universalist church for the use of their beautiful facility.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/a-land-remembered/
LOCATION:Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville\, 4225 NW 34th Street\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32615\, United States
CATEGORIES:Retreat,Speaker
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20150208T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20150208T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20150502T020036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20150502T020036Z
UID:2152-1423405800-1423409400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:The Virtues of Brevity
DESCRIPTION:by Noel Neff\nRon Cunningham said he has given serious consideration to changing his business card to include the words “Trained Observer of the Human Condition.” \n“That may be actually the best definition of a writer I can give you today\,” he said\, followed by a wry grin. \nCunningham\, former editorial page editor of The Gainesville Sun\, served up 45 minutes of gems and wisdom on Feb. 8\, 2015 during the Writers Alliance of Gainesville’s monthly meeting at the Millhopper Branch Library. His self-titled talk was called\, ironically\, “Life\, the Universe and Everything in 500 Words or Less: On the Virtue of Brevity.” \n“The dirty little secret of our business is that writing short is harder than writing long\,” he said. “There’s an old saying in the newspaper business that goes\, ‘I didn’t have time to write short!’” \nCunningham reflected on a newspaper career that began in the 1970s\, as editor of the Independent Florida Alligator in the years immediately after the University of Florida campus newspaper became independent. The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel hired Cunningham directly out of journalism school\, but he soon returned to Gainesville to cover politics for the Sun. Now retired\, he still contributes a Sunday column focusing on environmental issues and serves as the Sun’s theater critic. He also is executive director of the nonprofit Bike Florida\, which promotes responsible cycling and bicycle tourism in the state. \nFor all the writing Cunningham has done\, however\, he said he doesn’t have the discipline or interest to write anything long form. \n“I really have no desire to write a book\,” he said matter-of-factly. “You could hold a gun to my head and I couldn’t write a book.” \nThat doesn’t mean Cunningham doesn’t appreciate a good read. In fact\, he is a voracious reader. \n“If you want to write well\, you have to read well\,” he said. “Reading ought to be as essential to your life as eating and drinking and\, indeed\, breathing.” \nCunningham was turned on to reading at age 16 when he discovered Webb Miller’s I Found No Peace: A Journey Through the Age of Extremes in an attic while working a summer job at a New England inn. \n“From the time I learned to read\, I wanted to write\,” Miller wrote at the very start of his book. \n“And I thought\, ‘Me\, too\,’” Cunningham said. “And from that summer\, I never wanted to be anything but a newspaper man.” \nCunningham offered  tips for effective writing: \n\nBrevity is indeed a virtue\, “especially in this social media/tweeting era when attention spans seem to be growing shorter by the very hour.”Keep the tone conversational by avoiding the language of lawyers\, academics\, engineers or\, “even worse\, land-use planners.”\nGrab your readers’ attention by making the first paragraph interesting\, intriguing and provocative.\nBe careful using irony\, satire and sarcasm because “some people will take you literally.”\nDon’t get personal. “If you can’t sway your audience on the basis of reasoning and the facts\, you shouldn’t do it.”\nDon’t be afraid to be in love with the sound of your own words.Write about things that are relevant to your life and that you are passionate about.\n\nFor his final tip\, Cunningham quoted “Alice in Wonderland’s” Red Queen—“Start at the beginning. Go through to the end. And stop!” \nLooking back at a half-century of writing\, Cunningham mused: “I still have this recurring nightmare that one day somebody is going to walk up to me while I’m typing away\, put his hand on my shoulder and say\, ‘How long did you think you could get away with this?’”
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/the-virtues-of-brevity/
LOCATION:FL
CATEGORIES:Speaker
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20150111T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20150111T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T074326
CREATED:20150408T095639Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20150408T095639Z
UID:462-1420986600-1420990200@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Dragonflies\, Manatees and Snakes\, Lots of Snakes - Writing About Place
DESCRIPTION:Lambert’s Passion for Place is Crystal Clear  \nThere is not a single illustration in Sandra Gail Lambert’s debut novel\, The River’s Memory\, and yet each of its 238 pages comes alive with captivating imagery. For example\, in a passage written in her compelling first-person narrative\, Lambert invites you to skinny-dip with her young female character in the spring-chilled waters of Ocala’s Silver River. \nUnderwater grasses stroke down my back and bottom. Minnows gum at my heels. The water pushes me into the shallows\, and left sitting waist deep. Spikes of red flowers surround me. Mating dragonflies float through the air liked jeweled bracelets. Yellow swallowtails flicker around my nipples. \nSimply put\, Lambert paints with words. Her ability to describe settings in vivid sensory detail allows readers to immerse themselves in the environment her characters are experiencing. \nShe was kind enough to share her writing process during WAG’s first monthly meeting of 2015\, at the Millhopper Branch Library. She stressed the use of setting not just as a backdrop to stories but as a unifying force. The writer’s challenge is using distinct and evocative language. \nThe process did not come naturally to Lambert. “What I wrote early on was pure insomnia\,” she said\, eliciting chuckles from the audience. By reading other authors\, notably Randy Wayne White and his descriptions of Florida\, Lambert developed a knack for writing about place. \nShe often wraps the description around the plot. “My plot is revealed throughout the book\,” she said. “By the end\, it pulls together.” However\, there can be pitfalls. Lambert cautions writers about wanting to share all their research and becoming too absorbed in setting. \n“Any place will want to escape its bounds and take off\,” she said\, noting that she resisted going on ad nauseum “about the mating habits of dragonflies.” \nLambert not only uses place to develop characters\, she tells herself that the setting — in her case\, the river — is a character in itself with an omniscient point of view. “I got to write about a place close to my heart.” \nIn The River’s Memory\, Lambert introduces a number of female characters: “depressed women who have given birth to just too many babies that  die on them\, people escaped from slavery who lived quiet but dangerous lives on the Florida frontier\, disabled women who find a way to explore their worlds\, artists of pre-Columbian Florida who yearned for better materials and more skills.” \n“I know these type of people existed\, but their lives are lost to a formal historian\,” because\, of course\, no facts were recorded. “But as fiction writers\, we can believe in their existence and write their lives back into history of an era. Because there’s a way a novel can preserve history\, especially the history of women\, especially the history of marginalized people\, that would otherwise have been lost to us. We can meld history and story into a novel or story that perhaps reveals the emotional truth of an era. And that’s not a small thing to offer the world.” \nIn a question-and-answer period following her talk\, Lambert admitted\, “I never thought of myself as a creative person. I ran a bookstore.” Now she tells writers not to be discouraged by rejection letters\, especially when a publisher  goes through the trouble of providing a personalized response. \nIn addition to her book\, Lambert’s essays have appeared in the journals New Letters\, Brevity\, Water’s Stone\, Weekly Rumpus\, North American Review and Arts and Letters. \nLambert\, a longtime WAG member\, published The River’s Memory through Tallahassee-based Twisted Road Publications. \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/dragonflies-manatees-and-snakes-lots-of-snakes-writing-about-place/
LOCATION:FL
CATEGORIES:Speaker
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