From The Wright Stuff Newsletter - to subscribe to this free monthly publication send an email to steveneubauer@wordwright.biz
The Wright Stuff
Publishing • Distribution • Ghostwriting • Consulting
WordWright.biz, Inc.
WordWright Business Park
46561 State Hwy 118
Alpine, TX 79830
877-380-3321(Toll Free)
http://www.WordWright.biz
Feel free to republish any of the articles in this newsletter. Please include the following by-line. “From The Wright Stuff Newsletter – to subscribe to this free monthly publication send an e-mail to steveneubauer@wordwright.biz.”
Vol. 4 No.8 August 2005
A Note From
Joan R. Neubauer:
Announcing WordWright University
I have long maintained that authors achieve success in publishing by honing their craft and educating themselves. Reading and writing every day will help you improve your writing. Attending conferences and workshops will help you educate yourself. Toward that end, WordWright will begin sponsoring classes as part of the newly formed WordWright University that will cover a variety of topics to help authors educate themselves. They will range from the basics of story telling to promotion for the veteran author.
Mark November 12, 2005 as the very first set of sessions to be held in the beautiful facilities at Mitre Peak Girl Scout Camp nestled in the Davis Mountains near Alpine, Texas, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
L.C. Hayden, author of The Drums of Gerald Hurd, When Angels Touch You, What Others Know, Where Secrets Lie, When Colette Died, and Who’s Susan? will lead three sessions:
How to Use Story Techniques Successfully
Learn what story techniques are and how and when to use them. Things like imagery, foreshadowing, cliff hangers and several other literary terms will be discussed.
What's with the Genres?
Learn what editors and agents mean when they mention genre. This workshop will focus on the requirements of the sub-genres within the genres.
The Writer's Deadly Sins
This workshop is designed to reveal the secrets of the trade. It will steer the participants away from committing the sins that keeps an editor from saying yes.
Those who attend will also have the chance to participate in two sessions that I will lead:
Active vs. Passive Voice
In this session, I will define active and passive voice and discuss the pros and cons of each, then lead a writing exercise.
The Elements of Story or Goldilocks and the Three Bears
In this session, participants learn the basic building blocks of telling a story: beginning, middle and end.
This promises to be a full day of learning and sharing, and all for $90, lunch included. (Also you can stay in the cabins at the Girl Scout camp for under $20 for the night.) You will have the opportunity to network with other writers and visit with session leaders. Check this newsletter for future classes and educate yourself.
If you’d like to register please drop us a note that includes your name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number. And please make checks payable to WordWright.biz, Inc., and send both to:
WordWright.biz, Inc.
WordWright Business Par
46561 State Highway 118
Alpine, TX 79830
(We also accept major credit cards. If you’d like to pay this way please give us toll free at 877-380-3321)
Hot off the WordWright Press
This has been a busy summer for us as well as our authors. Let’s give a big hurrah to these authors for their new books that have recently come to life. Check them out. They’ll all make great gifts for yourself or for another book lover.
Congratulations to Dr. Joyce Willard Teal. Dr. Teal is the author of Clifford’s War and Lest We Forge: Why We Celebrate. She has just released a casebound edition of Lest We Forget: Why We Celebrate for sale to schools. Way to go, Joyce!
Kudos to Rosemarie Mueller on the release of her new book, Are We Russian Children Now? This is an unbelievable story of a young German child’s ordeal during World War II. This is a story you will never forget.
Pansy Frazier deserves special mention for her new book, A Field of Pansies. Ms. Frazier is a lady with memories that stretch back into the early part of the 20th century, and her life and her family are truly remarkable. Thank you, Pansy for a wonderful book.
And last but not least, let us give congratulations to Martha McCabe for the release of her book, Praise at Midnight. You will never forget the characters from East Texas that Martha has created in this novel. Part Perry Mason and part pulp, this interesting mix of character and plot will keep you turning pages.
Travels with
Joan R. Neubauer
On July 9, Steve and I found ourselves in Denton, Texas where we spoke to the Denton Writers. A great and growing group led by Joni Latham, I made a presentation about the pros and cons of self-publishing. The group had a lot of great questions, and I think they left with a new understanding of the subject. Afterward, Joni and the group took us to lunch and we had a great time. Thanks, Joni and group!
Save the Date!
Friday September 30, 2005 The Writers’ League of Texas presents the First Annual Award of Literary Merit to internationally acclaimed author Ann Patchett winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and Britain’s Orange Prize for Bel Canto; author of four other award winning books. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Texas State History Museum in Austin, TX. Individual tickets are $100; tables and sponsorships are available. All proceeds will benefit the Writers’ League of Texas. Call 512-499-8914 for information and reservations.
Writers’ League of Texas Senior Awards Program
The Writers’ League of Texas Senior Awards Program provides writers aged 55 and better opportunities to further their writing aspirations. (You don’t have to be a member of the Writers’ League of Texas to apply.) Awards in the amount of $250 each will be presented by the Writers’ League of Texas (WLT) in November. The awards will be in the amount of $250 each and the number awarded each year will vary based on the amount of sales of The Noble Generation Volume II. Awards will be in the form of vouchers that can be used toward the purchase of any class, workshop, retreat, conference, product, service, or membership dues offered by the WLT. Funds for the awards come from the profits of the sale of The Noble Generation Volume II book published by WordWright.biz in conjunction with Barnes & Noble and the Texas Department of Aging and Disabilities Services.
To apply for the award click here: application.
Mark your Calendar for October 22, 2005!
The Abilene Writer’s Guild Annual Workshop and Luncheon will be Saturday, October 22, 2005. Michelle Medlock Adams will present a tremendous workshop we'll talk about for years to come. Michelle’s work has appeared in Writer's Digest, Grit, Today's Christian Woman, Family Talk, and Joyful Woman. She is a powerful speaker who comes with expertise in writing for children, journalism, and inspirational writing. She's been described as a combination Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Annie Potts, and a touch of Cousin Minnie Pearl--beauty, brains and charm that will electrify you and your writing. The best little workshop for the money in Texas, no matter your writing interest.
For more information and registration go to http://abilenewritersguild.org/
Fiction Workshop Offered
Austin Community College will offer a short fiction workshop at the new Round Rock Higher Education Center this fall. The class is taught by Joe O'Connell who also teaches both graduate and undergraduate fiction courses at St. Edward's University. O'Connell is a widely published, award-winning short story writer and holds an MFA in creative writing from Texas State University. The class begins Aug. 29 and meets from 9:10 to 10:25 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
For more information about enrolling, call Mary Rincon in the ACC Creative Writing Department at 512-223-3355.
Twenty Something Contest
Random House New York is looking for the most original voices of the twenty something generation, writing about their lives, their passions, and their world. The publisher will publish the best essays in Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers: The Best New Voices of 2006. There will be a grand prize of $20,000 to the top winner. Up to 28 runners-up will also be selected for publication but will receive no payment for publication. One entry per person; nonfiction, between 500 and 5,000 words. Entrants must be between the ages of 20 and 29 as of September 1, 2006. The contest is open to legal residents of the United States excluding Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Florida and Puerto Rico. Deadline November 24, 2005. There is no entry fee.
Writer.org
Call for submissions. This feature of The Wright Stuff helps us know more about writer organizations. I invite you to participate and write an article about your group. If you’d like the guidelines, drop me an e-mail at steveneubauer@wordwright.biz and I’ll send them right out.
Write for
Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly wants stories that appeal to an educated Texas audience. They like solidly researched reporting that uncovers issues of public concern, reveals offbeat and previously unreported topics, or uses a novel approach to familiar topics. Any issue of the magazine would be a helpful guide. They do not use fiction, poetry, or cartoons. They pay 50 cents/word and up. For more information go to http://www.texasmonthly.com/misc/writeguide.php
Author’s Corner
This feature helps the readers of this newsletter learn more about each other. I invite you to participate and write an article about yourself, what you’re working on, your successes as a writer, your aspirations, or suggestions you’d like to make to other authors. If you’d like the guidelines, drop me an e-mail at steveneubauer@wordwright.biz and I’ll send them right out.
This month we hear from Terri Rimmer, and Barbara Carr.
Terri Rimmer’s New E-Book MacKenzie's Hope
MacKenzie’s Hope is the true story of one birth mom’s experience placing her child in a semi-open adoption while living in a maternity home in Fort Worth, TX. The story takes place in the year 2000 and includes a childhood background of the author/birth mom detailing her many obstacles throughout life such as alcoholism, depression, sexual and physical abuse, sex addiction, and bipolar disorder. While the story is at times tragic it is also the portrait of a woman who will not and does not give up despite what others tell her throughout her life.
The story begins when Tara, the birth mom finds out she is pregnant for the first time at the age of 34. For 14 years she thought herself incapable of having children so this pregnancy came as a huge shock and not happy news given the birth mom’s mental and physical conditions. The birth mom is in constant conflict, which she later resolves, between society’s expectations of her as a mother preparing to have a child and her own resolve to give her child the home she deserves. Tara deals continuously with guilt, shame, remorse, and regret before, during, and after her decision to place her only child up for adoption. However, she does come to terms with her commitment eventually after a series of painful and intense self-discoveries on her path to peace and happiness.
The book gives the reader a rare look at what it is like to make an adoption decision from the birth mom’s standpoint and also includes the experiences of the adoptive parents, the birth mom’s siblings, adoptive parents’ families, and other adoptive children, the birth father, biological grandparents, relatives, and house parents who work in the maternity home. The story is one of rich detail and imagery captured from the eyes of the birth mom and her emotions, experiences, and memories coupled with the communications from her significant others which include a close relationship with the adoptive parents she later chooses for her child.
(You can purchase Terri’s book at booklocker.com.)
Terri Rimmer has 21 years of journalism experience, having worked for ten newspapers and some magazines. In 2003 her life story was published online at Adoption Week E-Magazine's website and in 2002 she received a grant from the PEN American Writer's Fund in New York City.
Barbara Carr
Honored Twice!
Barbara Carr has been chosen as the National Poet Laureate for the Military Order of the Purple Heart for 06 by the new National Commander Electee in D.C. and his Board.
And, her Ancestor Series books were placed in the archives at Northeastern University, Tahlequah, OK (home of the Cherokee Nation).
Upcoming Engagements by WordWright Authors
Here are some opportunities to meet some WordWright authors who will be appearing at the following times and locations. (Note: if you’re a WordWright Author and I’ve not included an upcoming event of yours, I apologize. Let me know about your events and I’ll begin including them next month.)
Barbara Youngblood Carr
(Dream Dancing with Ancestors)
August 6
Austin, TX
The Austin History Center, 8th and Guadalupe
2 p.m.
August 18
Austin, TX
The Arboretum Barnes & Noble
Poetry workshop
7:30 p.m.
August 24
Austin, TX
Triumph Café and Coffee Shop
3808 Spicewood Springs Road
7:00 p.m.
September 3
Bandera TX Book Fair and Writers’ Conference
10 – 4 p.m.
Joan R. Neubauer
September 3
Bandera, TX
Bandera Book Festival, Bandera, TX. Joan will be there with several of our authors: Dawn Compton, Martha McCabe, Jean LeVitt, Jerry Robins, Wendolynn Allen, and Kendal Kinney.
Joan will also make a presentation. Subject TBD.
Joan R. Neubauer
September 24
Abilene, TX
West Texas Book and Author Festival
Joan will be there will several WordWright authors: Jerry Robins, Martha McCabe, Jean LeVitt, Kendall Kinney, Joan Hall, Mae Brise, Dawn Compton, Evanell Davis, and
Donna Munch.
Please take this opportunity to talk to her about your project.
L.C. Hayden (When Angels Touch You & The Drums of Gerald Hurd)
Nov. 11
Terlingua, TX
Presentation at Terlingua Schools
Nov. 12
Alpine, TX
WordWright University
Writer’s League of Texas
2005 Schedule
Classes, Workshops, Retreats,
Book Events
Visit the Writer’s League of Texas website to review their list of interesting and informative upcoming events and sign up for them on-line at
http://www.writersleague.org/classes.htm
Also check out their extensive list of upcoming book events from around the state at http://www.writersleague.org/calendar_other.htm
Upcoming Book Events Calendar
Here are some events you might want to attend. Maybe we will see you at some of them! If you have a book event you’d like to add, please send me an e-mail about it to:
snwriter@earthlink.net
August 6
Austin, TX
Gotta Know When to Show – And How to Do It” with WordWright author Joan Upton Hall. If you never again want to hear an editor say, "Show! Don't tell!" this is the workshop for you. Find out what that demand means.
http://www.writersleague.org/classes.htm
August 19
Austin, TX
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Workshop
For more information:
http://www.fact.org/dillo/writers.htm
August 22
Abiquiu, NM
Aroho Retreat: A Mind of One’s Own
Focus: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
Sponsored by A Room of her Own
For more information:
http://aroomofherownfoundation.org/retreat.htm
August 23
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Patrick Beach (A Good Forest for Dying) - “Journalistic Writing
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
August 25 – 26
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Writing the Personal Essay – Sheila Bender
Focus: Autobiography/memoir
Sponsored by
For more information:
http://www.sanmiguelworkshops.com/workshops.php
August 26 – 28
Silverton, CO
Writing in the Mountains Workshop
For more information:
http://www.silvertonmountain.com/schedule.php
August 27
Austin, TX
“Secrets You Need to Know about Agents, Editors and Publishers to Make Your Own Path to Literary Success” with Jim Gramon. Jim is a veteran of the publishing industry "literary wars" and years on the road as a touring author, and he has the scars to prove it. He has authored five books, hundreds of articles, screenplays, songs and poems. He has been lied to by the best, having learned storytelling at the knee of John Henry Faulk, J. Frank Dobie and Ben King Green
http://www.writersleague.org/classes.htm
August 27
Flower Mound, TX
Flower Mound Writers Workshop
http://flowermoundwriters.org
September 3
Bandera, TX
Book Fair & Writers’ Conference
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Contact: Richard Stevens for more information at fng@indian-creek.net
www.celebratebandera.com
September 7 – 10
Grandview, TX
Langdon Weekend
Contact: Dr. Donna Walker Nixon
walkernixon@aol.com
September 10
Denton TX
2005 Annual Writer's Workshop
George Wilhite: Rodeo Clown and author of The Texas Rodeo Murder will conduct two informative sessions.
AM Session: Writing Your First Novel and You’ve Got a Novel: What’s Next?
PM Session: Marketing Your Book and Finding Your Niche
Denton Library-North Branch
3020 N, Locust St
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
September 10
Houston, TX
Southeast Writer’s Conference
http://www.southeastwritersconference.org/
September 22
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Susie Flatau (Quotable Texas Women) - “Metaphor-Based Writing”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
September 23 – 24
Abilene, TX
Fifth Annual West Texas Book & Author Festival
Abilene Civic Center
www.abilenetx.com/apl
September 30
Austin, TX
Award-winning author Ann Patchett will be the first recipient of the Writers’ League of Texas Award of Literary Merit to be presented at the Bob Bullock Museum of History in Austin. The event, 7:30 - 10 p.m., includes a reception, talk by the author, entertainment by the Inside Out Steel band Project and dinner, and will serve as a major fundraising benefit to support the League’s programs and services.
Patchett wrote THE NEW YORK TIMES best-selling BEL CANTO, which won the PEN/Faulkner Award, at $15,000 the richest American prize in fiction. The novel also won the internationally prestigious $50,000 Orange Prize for Fiction, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics’ Circle Award. The book is now being made into a feature film.
Tickets are $100 each and sponsorships are available. To make reservations, call the League office at 512.499.8914.
October 1 & 2
Austin, TX
Writing from Life: A Workshop for Women with Stories to Tell - The Story Circle Network offers this workshop to any woman who is interested in life-writing - regardless of skill level or experience.
LOCATION: Lower Colorado River Authority Complex, 3700 Lake Austin Blvd., Austin, TX 78703
COST: $120 for non-members, $100 for Story Circle members
For further information see www.storycircle.org or call 454-9833.
October 12
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Pat Flathouse (A Priceless Legacy) - “Writing the Stories of Your Family History”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
2:00 p.m.
October 28 – 29
Shawnee, OK
The 2005 Red Dirt Book Festival
http://www.reddirtbookfestival.com/2005/main.asp
November 12
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Tim Tingle (Walking the Choctaw Road) - “From Oral Tradition to Written Stories”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
10 a.m.
November 11 – 12
Clifton, TX
Books on the Bosque
www.bosqueconservatory.com
December 3
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith (Indian Shoes, Tofu and T. Rex) - “Writing the Young Adult (aka Teen) Novel”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
10:30 a.m.
January 17, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Greg Garrett (Free Bird, Cycling) - “Plot: The Hero’s Journey”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
February 6, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Susan Hanson (Icons of Loss and Grace) - “Very Personal Essays”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
March 29, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
H.W. Brands (First American, Age of Gold) - “Eyewitness History”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
April 23, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Spike Gillespie (Surrender) - “Shakespeare’s Birthday: To Journal, or Not to Journal?”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
4:00 p.m.
May 11, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Ben Rehder (Flat Crazy) - “Finding Your Own Voice”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
June 22, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Scott Wiggerman (Vegetables and Other Relationships) - “Jump-Start Your Poetic Engines
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
July 17, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Nick Roberts (screenwriter) - Screenwriting
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
Future Newsletters
Drop us a line and let us know what you’re doing. We’d love to share the news of your successes, things you’ve learned, and your experiences.
Just email us at:
JoanNeubauer@WordWright.biz
or
SteveNeubauer@WordWright.biz
Publishing • Distribution • Ghostwriting • Consulting
WordWright.biz, Inc.
WordWright Business Park
46561 State Hwy 118
Alpine, TX 79830
877-380-3321(Toll Free)
http://www.WordWright.biz
Feel free to republish any of the articles in this newsletter. Please include the following by-line. “From The Wright Stuff Newsletter – to subscribe to this free monthly publication send an e-mail to steveneubauer@wordwright.biz.”
Vol. 4 No.8 August 2005
A Note From
Joan R. Neubauer:
Announcing WordWright University
I have long maintained that authors achieve success in publishing by honing their craft and educating themselves. Reading and writing every day will help you improve your writing. Attending conferences and workshops will help you educate yourself. Toward that end, WordWright will begin sponsoring classes as part of the newly formed WordWright University that will cover a variety of topics to help authors educate themselves. They will range from the basics of story telling to promotion for the veteran author.
Mark November 12, 2005 as the very first set of sessions to be held in the beautiful facilities at Mitre Peak Girl Scout Camp nestled in the Davis Mountains near Alpine, Texas, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
L.C. Hayden, author of The Drums of Gerald Hurd, When Angels Touch You, What Others Know, Where Secrets Lie, When Colette Died, and Who’s Susan? will lead three sessions:
How to Use Story Techniques Successfully
Learn what story techniques are and how and when to use them. Things like imagery, foreshadowing, cliff hangers and several other literary terms will be discussed.
What's with the Genres?
Learn what editors and agents mean when they mention genre. This workshop will focus on the requirements of the sub-genres within the genres.
The Writer's Deadly Sins
This workshop is designed to reveal the secrets of the trade. It will steer the participants away from committing the sins that keeps an editor from saying yes.
Those who attend will also have the chance to participate in two sessions that I will lead:
Active vs. Passive Voice
In this session, I will define active and passive voice and discuss the pros and cons of each, then lead a writing exercise.
The Elements of Story or Goldilocks and the Three Bears
In this session, participants learn the basic building blocks of telling a story: beginning, middle and end.
This promises to be a full day of learning and sharing, and all for $90, lunch included. (Also you can stay in the cabins at the Girl Scout camp for under $20 for the night.) You will have the opportunity to network with other writers and visit with session leaders. Check this newsletter for future classes and educate yourself.
If you’d like to register please drop us a note that includes your name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number. And please make checks payable to WordWright.biz, Inc., and send both to:
WordWright.biz, Inc.
WordWright Business Par
46561 State Highway 118
Alpine, TX 79830
(We also accept major credit cards. If you’d like to pay this way please give us toll free at 877-380-3321)
Hot off the WordWright Press
This has been a busy summer for us as well as our authors. Let’s give a big hurrah to these authors for their new books that have recently come to life. Check them out. They’ll all make great gifts for yourself or for another book lover.
Congratulations to Dr. Joyce Willard Teal. Dr. Teal is the author of Clifford’s War and Lest We Forge: Why We Celebrate. She has just released a casebound edition of Lest We Forget: Why We Celebrate for sale to schools. Way to go, Joyce!
Kudos to Rosemarie Mueller on the release of her new book, Are We Russian Children Now? This is an unbelievable story of a young German child’s ordeal during World War II. This is a story you will never forget.
Pansy Frazier deserves special mention for her new book, A Field of Pansies. Ms. Frazier is a lady with memories that stretch back into the early part of the 20th century, and her life and her family are truly remarkable. Thank you, Pansy for a wonderful book.
And last but not least, let us give congratulations to Martha McCabe for the release of her book, Praise at Midnight. You will never forget the characters from East Texas that Martha has created in this novel. Part Perry Mason and part pulp, this interesting mix of character and plot will keep you turning pages.
Travels with
Joan R. Neubauer
On July 9, Steve and I found ourselves in Denton, Texas where we spoke to the Denton Writers. A great and growing group led by Joni Latham, I made a presentation about the pros and cons of self-publishing. The group had a lot of great questions, and I think they left with a new understanding of the subject. Afterward, Joni and the group took us to lunch and we had a great time. Thanks, Joni and group!
Save the Date!
Friday September 30, 2005 The Writers’ League of Texas presents the First Annual Award of Literary Merit to internationally acclaimed author Ann Patchett winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and Britain’s Orange Prize for Bel Canto; author of four other award winning books. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Texas State History Museum in Austin, TX. Individual tickets are $100; tables and sponsorships are available. All proceeds will benefit the Writers’ League of Texas. Call 512-499-8914 for information and reservations.
Writers’ League of Texas Senior Awards Program
The Writers’ League of Texas Senior Awards Program provides writers aged 55 and better opportunities to further their writing aspirations. (You don’t have to be a member of the Writers’ League of Texas to apply.) Awards in the amount of $250 each will be presented by the Writers’ League of Texas (WLT) in November. The awards will be in the amount of $250 each and the number awarded each year will vary based on the amount of sales of The Noble Generation Volume II. Awards will be in the form of vouchers that can be used toward the purchase of any class, workshop, retreat, conference, product, service, or membership dues offered by the WLT. Funds for the awards come from the profits of the sale of The Noble Generation Volume II book published by WordWright.biz in conjunction with Barnes & Noble and the Texas Department of Aging and Disabilities Services.
To apply for the award click here: application.
Mark your Calendar for October 22, 2005!
The Abilene Writer’s Guild Annual Workshop and Luncheon will be Saturday, October 22, 2005. Michelle Medlock Adams will present a tremendous workshop we'll talk about for years to come. Michelle’s work has appeared in Writer's Digest, Grit, Today's Christian Woman, Family Talk, and Joyful Woman. She is a powerful speaker who comes with expertise in writing for children, journalism, and inspirational writing. She's been described as a combination Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Annie Potts, and a touch of Cousin Minnie Pearl--beauty, brains and charm that will electrify you and your writing. The best little workshop for the money in Texas, no matter your writing interest.
For more information and registration go to http://abilenewritersguild.org/
Fiction Workshop Offered
Austin Community College will offer a short fiction workshop at the new Round Rock Higher Education Center this fall. The class is taught by Joe O'Connell who also teaches both graduate and undergraduate fiction courses at St. Edward's University. O'Connell is a widely published, award-winning short story writer and holds an MFA in creative writing from Texas State University. The class begins Aug. 29 and meets from 9:10 to 10:25 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
For more information about enrolling, call Mary Rincon in the ACC Creative Writing Department at 512-223-3355.
Twenty Something Contest
Random House New York is looking for the most original voices of the twenty something generation, writing about their lives, their passions, and their world. The publisher will publish the best essays in Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers: The Best New Voices of 2006. There will be a grand prize of $20,000 to the top winner. Up to 28 runners-up will also be selected for publication but will receive no payment for publication. One entry per person; nonfiction, between 500 and 5,000 words. Entrants must be between the ages of 20 and 29 as of September 1, 2006. The contest is open to legal residents of the United States excluding Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Florida and Puerto Rico. Deadline November 24, 2005. There is no entry fee.
Writer.org
Call for submissions. This feature of The Wright Stuff helps us know more about writer organizations. I invite you to participate and write an article about your group. If you’d like the guidelines, drop me an e-mail at steveneubauer@wordwright.biz and I’ll send them right out.
Write for
Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly wants stories that appeal to an educated Texas audience. They like solidly researched reporting that uncovers issues of public concern, reveals offbeat and previously unreported topics, or uses a novel approach to familiar topics. Any issue of the magazine would be a helpful guide. They do not use fiction, poetry, or cartoons. They pay 50 cents/word and up. For more information go to http://www.texasmonthly.com/misc/writeguide.php
Author’s Corner
This feature helps the readers of this newsletter learn more about each other. I invite you to participate and write an article about yourself, what you’re working on, your successes as a writer, your aspirations, or suggestions you’d like to make to other authors. If you’d like the guidelines, drop me an e-mail at steveneubauer@wordwright.biz and I’ll send them right out.
This month we hear from Terri Rimmer, and Barbara Carr.
Terri Rimmer’s New E-Book MacKenzie's Hope
MacKenzie’s Hope is the true story of one birth mom’s experience placing her child in a semi-open adoption while living in a maternity home in Fort Worth, TX. The story takes place in the year 2000 and includes a childhood background of the author/birth mom detailing her many obstacles throughout life such as alcoholism, depression, sexual and physical abuse, sex addiction, and bipolar disorder. While the story is at times tragic it is also the portrait of a woman who will not and does not give up despite what others tell her throughout her life.
The story begins when Tara, the birth mom finds out she is pregnant for the first time at the age of 34. For 14 years she thought herself incapable of having children so this pregnancy came as a huge shock and not happy news given the birth mom’s mental and physical conditions. The birth mom is in constant conflict, which she later resolves, between society’s expectations of her as a mother preparing to have a child and her own resolve to give her child the home she deserves. Tara deals continuously with guilt, shame, remorse, and regret before, during, and after her decision to place her only child up for adoption. However, she does come to terms with her commitment eventually after a series of painful and intense self-discoveries on her path to peace and happiness.
The book gives the reader a rare look at what it is like to make an adoption decision from the birth mom’s standpoint and also includes the experiences of the adoptive parents, the birth mom’s siblings, adoptive parents’ families, and other adoptive children, the birth father, biological grandparents, relatives, and house parents who work in the maternity home. The story is one of rich detail and imagery captured from the eyes of the birth mom and her emotions, experiences, and memories coupled with the communications from her significant others which include a close relationship with the adoptive parents she later chooses for her child.
(You can purchase Terri’s book at booklocker.com.)
Terri Rimmer has 21 years of journalism experience, having worked for ten newspapers and some magazines. In 2003 her life story was published online at Adoption Week E-Magazine's website and in 2002 she received a grant from the PEN American Writer's Fund in New York City.
Barbara Carr
Honored Twice!
Barbara Carr has been chosen as the National Poet Laureate for the Military Order of the Purple Heart for 06 by the new National Commander Electee in D.C. and his Board.
And, her Ancestor Series books were placed in the archives at Northeastern University, Tahlequah, OK (home of the Cherokee Nation).
Upcoming Engagements by WordWright Authors
Here are some opportunities to meet some WordWright authors who will be appearing at the following times and locations. (Note: if you’re a WordWright Author and I’ve not included an upcoming event of yours, I apologize. Let me know about your events and I’ll begin including them next month.)
Barbara Youngblood Carr
(Dream Dancing with Ancestors)
August 6
Austin, TX
The Austin History Center, 8th and Guadalupe
2 p.m.
August 18
Austin, TX
The Arboretum Barnes & Noble
Poetry workshop
7:30 p.m.
August 24
Austin, TX
Triumph Café and Coffee Shop
3808 Spicewood Springs Road
7:00 p.m.
September 3
Bandera TX Book Fair and Writers’ Conference
10 – 4 p.m.
Joan R. Neubauer
September 3
Bandera, TX
Bandera Book Festival, Bandera, TX. Joan will be there with several of our authors: Dawn Compton, Martha McCabe, Jean LeVitt, Jerry Robins, Wendolynn Allen, and Kendal Kinney.
Joan will also make a presentation. Subject TBD.
Joan R. Neubauer
September 24
Abilene, TX
West Texas Book and Author Festival
Joan will be there will several WordWright authors: Jerry Robins, Martha McCabe, Jean LeVitt, Kendall Kinney, Joan Hall, Mae Brise, Dawn Compton, Evanell Davis, and
Donna Munch.
Please take this opportunity to talk to her about your project.
L.C. Hayden (When Angels Touch You & The Drums of Gerald Hurd)
Nov. 11
Terlingua, TX
Presentation at Terlingua Schools
Nov. 12
Alpine, TX
WordWright University
Writer’s League of Texas
2005 Schedule
Classes, Workshops, Retreats,
Book Events
Visit the Writer’s League of Texas website to review their list of interesting and informative upcoming events and sign up for them on-line at
http://www.writersleague.org/classes.htm
Also check out their extensive list of upcoming book events from around the state at http://www.writersleague.org/calendar_other.htm
Upcoming Book Events Calendar
Here are some events you might want to attend. Maybe we will see you at some of them! If you have a book event you’d like to add, please send me an e-mail about it to:
snwriter@earthlink.net
August 6
Austin, TX
Gotta Know When to Show – And How to Do It” with WordWright author Joan Upton Hall. If you never again want to hear an editor say, "Show! Don't tell!" this is the workshop for you. Find out what that demand means.
http://www.writersleague.org/classes.htm
August 19
Austin, TX
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Workshop
For more information:
http://www.fact.org/dillo/writers.htm
August 22
Abiquiu, NM
Aroho Retreat: A Mind of One’s Own
Focus: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
Sponsored by A Room of her Own
For more information:
http://aroomofherownfoundation.org/retreat.htm
August 23
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Patrick Beach (A Good Forest for Dying) - “Journalistic Writing
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
August 25 – 26
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Writing the Personal Essay – Sheila Bender
Focus: Autobiography/memoir
Sponsored by
For more information:
http://www.sanmiguelworkshops.com/workshops.php
August 26 – 28
Silverton, CO
Writing in the Mountains Workshop
For more information:
http://www.silvertonmountain.com/schedule.php
August 27
Austin, TX
“Secrets You Need to Know about Agents, Editors and Publishers to Make Your Own Path to Literary Success” with Jim Gramon. Jim is a veteran of the publishing industry "literary wars" and years on the road as a touring author, and he has the scars to prove it. He has authored five books, hundreds of articles, screenplays, songs and poems. He has been lied to by the best, having learned storytelling at the knee of John Henry Faulk, J. Frank Dobie and Ben King Green
http://www.writersleague.org/classes.htm
August 27
Flower Mound, TX
Flower Mound Writers Workshop
http://flowermoundwriters.org
September 3
Bandera, TX
Book Fair & Writers’ Conference
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Contact: Richard Stevens for more information at fng@indian-creek.net
www.celebratebandera.com
September 7 – 10
Grandview, TX
Langdon Weekend
Contact: Dr. Donna Walker Nixon
walkernixon@aol.com
September 10
Denton TX
2005 Annual Writer's Workshop
George Wilhite: Rodeo Clown and author of The Texas Rodeo Murder will conduct two informative sessions.
AM Session: Writing Your First Novel and You’ve Got a Novel: What’s Next?
PM Session: Marketing Your Book and Finding Your Niche
Denton Library-North Branch
3020 N, Locust St
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
September 10
Houston, TX
Southeast Writer’s Conference
http://www.southeastwritersconference.org/
September 22
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Susie Flatau (Quotable Texas Women) - “Metaphor-Based Writing”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
September 23 – 24
Abilene, TX
Fifth Annual West Texas Book & Author Festival
Abilene Civic Center
www.abilenetx.com/apl
September 30
Austin, TX
Award-winning author Ann Patchett will be the first recipient of the Writers’ League of Texas Award of Literary Merit to be presented at the Bob Bullock Museum of History in Austin. The event, 7:30 - 10 p.m., includes a reception, talk by the author, entertainment by the Inside Out Steel band Project and dinner, and will serve as a major fundraising benefit to support the League’s programs and services.
Patchett wrote THE NEW YORK TIMES best-selling BEL CANTO, which won the PEN/Faulkner Award, at $15,000 the richest American prize in fiction. The novel also won the internationally prestigious $50,000 Orange Prize for Fiction, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics’ Circle Award. The book is now being made into a feature film.
Tickets are $100 each and sponsorships are available. To make reservations, call the League office at 512.499.8914.
October 1 & 2
Austin, TX
Writing from Life: A Workshop for Women with Stories to Tell - The Story Circle Network offers this workshop to any woman who is interested in life-writing - regardless of skill level or experience.
LOCATION: Lower Colorado River Authority Complex, 3700 Lake Austin Blvd., Austin, TX 78703
COST: $120 for non-members, $100 for Story Circle members
For further information see www.storycircle.org or call 454-9833.
October 12
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Pat Flathouse (A Priceless Legacy) - “Writing the Stories of Your Family History”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
2:00 p.m.
October 28 – 29
Shawnee, OK
The 2005 Red Dirt Book Festival
http://www.reddirtbookfestival.com/2005/main.asp
November 12
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Tim Tingle (Walking the Choctaw Road) - “From Oral Tradition to Written Stories”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
10 a.m.
November 11 – 12
Clifton, TX
Books on the Bosque
www.bosqueconservatory.com
December 3
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith (Indian Shoes, Tofu and T. Rex) - “Writing the Young Adult (aka Teen) Novel”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
10:30 a.m.
January 17, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Greg Garrett (Free Bird, Cycling) - “Plot: The Hero’s Journey”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
February 6, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Susan Hanson (Icons of Loss and Grace) - “Very Personal Essays”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
March 29, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
H.W. Brands (First American, Age of Gold) - “Eyewitness History”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
April 23, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Spike Gillespie (Surrender) - “Shakespeare’s Birthday: To Journal, or Not to Journal?”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
4:00 p.m.
May 11, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Ben Rehder (Flat Crazy) - “Finding Your Own Voice”
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
June 22, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Scott Wiggerman (Vegetables and Other Relationships) - “Jump-Start Your Poetic Engines
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
July 17, 2006
West Lake, TX
Writing Workshop
Nick Roberts (screenwriter) - Screenwriting
West Lake Barnes & Noble
7:00 p.m.
Future Newsletters
Drop us a line and let us know what you’re doing. We’d love to share the news of your successes, things you’ve learned, and your experiences.
Just email us at:
JoanNeubauer@WordWright.biz
or
SteveNeubauer@WordWright.biz