Writers Update

Sally Clark was awarded 1st in the Tennessee Mountain Writers contest for "Boogie Man Jam" (Children's Literature), Honorable Mention fin Poetry for "Crop Rotation", and 2nd for "Cow Jumps Over the Moon."  If you want to know more about contests, talk to Sally.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/stevenjameskeathley

 I met a guy in prison this week with the actual first name of Emzee who has written 6 fantasy fiction novels of 500 hand written pages each.  I haven't read any of his writing, but I spoke with him long enough to believe that he is a real writer and not blowing smoke.  I will pose some questions to him - what would you like ask him about writing in prison?

e.g.  How is it even possible to write a long novel by hand?  Do you have any ideas about trying to get a publisher?  Do your story lines have anything to do with the environment you live in ? (a maximum security prison in Texas).

Add some questions to my list.

Also, our next meeting is on or about June 16th.  If you have a program idea please let me know.

Robert Deming

Thursday March 24, 2016

We meet to hear John Demers speak about his experience writing cookbooks and novels all around the world. 

Hill Country University Center 6 pm. 

January 21st Quarterly Meeting

The Fredericksburg Writers Conference will meet at the Hill Country University Center on Thursday, January 21st, at 6:00 PM.  The featured presenter will be James Kearney, lecturer at the University of Texas and writer/translator of a series of books about early Texas.

His translation of Friederichsburg by Armand Strubberg (or Dr Schubbert, for whom Schubert Street was named) is a rip-roaring Western novel which doubles as a history lesson with 147 pages of footnotes telling the difference between the novel and the true story of the founding of Fredericksburg. 

On top of this, James also happens to be a very cool guy.  Bring your friends, this will be a good time.

Colors in Writing

Next meeting in late Januray.  Here is a brilliant piece on color by my friend Suddenly Jamie.

https://nhwn.wordpress.com/2015/12/08/short-and-sweet-advice-for-writers-color-code-your-senses/

September Meeting Bearing Down on Us!

Our next meeting is Sept 17, 6-8 PM, Hill Country University Center.  We have a speaker on writing for a magazine, Megan Willome , and writing for electronic media by Richard Zowie . 

We do have winners for the Fredericksburg Standard Radio Post Short Story Contest.  We are meeting with Editor/Publisher Ken Esten Cooke next week to make a plan for the announcement and publication of the top 3 stories. 

The primary purpose of the FWC is to support and encourage writers in the Texas Hill Country. One of the new ideas from our board is to provide a list of local groups or individuals with this same purpose.  Here is an article listing some non-local resources.  If you are interested in participating in this process as a local resource, let me know.  I'll create a tab on this blog for such information. 

As always, I am glad to have your input on programs and speakers.  The photo above is of the Durango Silverton Railroad.  Ever ridden this train?

See you at the meeting!

July Meeting a Big Hit

We had 16 entries in our short story contest and they are in the hands of the judges.  Our presentation was by Christine Granados about her career as a writer.  It definitely made me want to read her books.  Her story about the ups and downs of writing and the perseverance required to be published was much appreciated by the members of the Conference.  Following we had a panel discussion with "Lucky" Lindy Segall and Hans Bauer about screenwriting and movie making was not what I expected; it may even be trickier than writing for publication in print.

We will announce the winners of the short story contest when we have them.  Meanwhile, if you have ideas for a speaker for our next program (August or September) please let us know.  We also put together a board of directors to work with future programming.

Robert Deming
Mara Fox Moretti

Short stories are filling up the mailbox!

Keep those cards and letters coming.  I think we are going to have enough stories to have a real contest.  I now have 8 submissions, would like to have 30, 2 weeks to go.

I am not always up with current movies and popular fiction, but after reading this article I'm sure drones will be playing a major role in stories soon, and it won't be sci-fi.  This article from The Economist tells me the world is changing.  Again. Fast.

Member Jack Swanzy is reading "Writing Alone and with Others" by Pat Schneider.  "It is making me think about how to go deeper in my own writing."

Short Story Contest - max 1200 words, previously unpublished, suitable for publication in a community newspaper, some connection (however fleeting) with the Texas Hill Country.  Send 3 copies to PO Box 2024, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 with a cover sheet with your contact info and a crisp $20 bill.  Judging will be by published writers with a 'double blind' setup.  Proceeds will go to our 2016 Agent/Editor Conference.