WLT Supports All Members Participating in NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month!

The goal is to write 50,000 words by the end of November. (Learn more about this fun and painstaking goal at the NaNoWriMo website!)

Wrimos are almost two weeks into their novels by this point. We know it can get stressful. Maybe it’s starting to feel like the end is nowhere near? Well, we believe in our Wrimos! The goal may seem unattainable, but it is perfectly attainable.

The WLT is hosting NaNoWriMo related events all throughout the month. Feel more than free to stop by our office, meet other Wrimos, and write non stop!

NaNoWriMo

611 S. Congress Ave, Suite 130

Austin, TX 78704

512.499.8914

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday the 13th Lockdown

Come join fellow Wrimos for a “killer” all-nighter on November 13 from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. here at the WLT offices. We’ll also snack, socialize a little, and play a game or two. The 12-hour lockdown is a great way to boost your word count.

Please:

• Be a registered NaNoWriMo participant
• Be actively working on a novel
• Be 18 or older – this is required by the Writers League insurance company
• Plan to stay the whole twelve hours – that’s why it’s called a lockdown!
• RSVP to receive the secret password.

Space is limited.

RSVP is first-come, first-served. Once we’re full, we’re full. After that, we’ll start a waiting list. If you RSVP and then can’t make it, please let us know so someone else can take your place. Please don’t show up without the password!

What you’ll need to bring/do:

• Bring potluck snacks to share during the long, long night
• Wear comfortable clothes, and bring a sweater in case it gets chilly
• If you think you’ll need a nap, bring a pillow/blankie
• Bring headphones – please make sure the sound doesn’t bleed through
• Arrive by 7 pm if possible. We’ll post the phone number at the door for emergency late arrivals.

No drugs or alcohol allowed.

What we’ll provide:

• Liquids – sodas, water, tea, and coffee, ice (there is also a soda machine in the building)
• Extension cords and surge protectors (though it wouldn’t hurt to bring one if you have it)
• Tables, chairs, and one small couch
• Access to the internet for folks who just can’t write without it
• Access to the Writers’ League library

Last Chance Write-In
November 30 from 9 a.m. to midnight. Use your final writing hours wisely by spending them at our WLT offices.

Additional NaNoWriMo Support
If you are a WLT member who receives the official NaNoWriMo Certificate of Completion, the WLT will give you 50% off of the submission fee for WLT manuscript contest.

Best wishes to our Wrimos!

The Craft of Writing

Kathleen Allen-Weber

Ann McCutchan

Choosing the Writing Life: Art and Practice with Kathleen Allen-Weber & Ann McCutchan

Saturday, September 12, 10a.m. – 5p.m.

Whether you are thinking about becoming a writer or living the writer’s life but desperate for a booster shot, this six-hour intensive workshop offers the ideas, tools and inspiration for turning desire into flow, and flow into finished manuscripts. Team-taught by essayist, journalist and three-book author Ann McCutchan, a professor of creative writing at the University of North Texas, and licensed therapist and writer Kathleen Allen-Weber, Ph.D., “Choosing the Writing Life” addresses the three critical components of the writer’s way: awareness, commitment, and practice.

Topics include:

• developing self-knowledge
• building technique
• seizing ripe opportunities

Don’t miss out on this workshop. To register for, click here!

“Building a Book” Series Continues: Writing the First Draft

The First Draft: Let the Words Rip!

7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 19
Writers’ League Office, 611 S. Congress, Ste. 130, Austin

FREE!

Sometimes getting that first draft down is the biggest hurdle to bringing that great idea to literary life. Find out how several authors approach the first draft.

With special guests authors: David Ciambrone, Evelyn Palfrey, Cynthia and Greg Leitich-Smith, and W.K. (Kip) Stratton.

Before the program, join us at Doc’s Motorworks Bar & Grill, 1123 S. Congress (two blocks south of the WLT office) for the Meet and Mingle Happy Hour.

Come on downtown!

WLT on Facebook

We're on facebook!

If you haven’t checked out the League’s Facebook page, take a look!  And Facebook-ers, become a fan of the page to receive updates!

Announcing the “Building a Book” Program Series

The Writers’ League of Texas opens the book on a new year with “Building a Book,” a yearlong series of monthly programs in which authors and publishing professionals explore how a book evolves.

Writers’ League Elects New Board Members

The Writers’ League of Texas elected four new members to its board of directors and reelected three current directors at the organization’s meeting on October 16. The new members are:

• Paco Ahlgren (above right), an Austin economist and financial analyst and author of the 2007 novel Discipline
• Susan Blount (above left), marketing consultant, Austin
• Dr. David F. Ciambrone (right), a mystery novelist and retired scientist and professor, Georgetown
• Michele Kay, former business editor of the Austin American-Statesman and faculty member at St. Edward’s University, Austin

Three current board members were reelected to three-year terms:

• Louis T. Brusatti, Dean of the School of Humanities at St. Edward’s University
• Irma Flores-Manges, Austin Public Library branch manager
• Evelyn Palfrey, a former Austin municipal court judge and author of four novels

The new and reelected directors begin their terms in January 2009

The Mystique of Critique

The Mystique of Critique:
The 20 Commandments of Critiquing

7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 16 * Writers’ League Resource Center * Free!

Here’s a way to meet your match — for critique groups, that is! If you’ve got a work in progress – whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, essays, poetry, etc. — and you’d like to get some feedback, come on over!

Jo Virgil, community relations coordinator at Barnes & Noble Sunset Valley, will share her 10 Commandments of Critiquing and 10 Commandments of Being Critiqued. Then we’ll break up into small groups and practice the commandments.

• What to bring? 5 copies of 3-5 pages of a work in progress
• What you’ll get: Feedback on your work, critiquing practice, new contacts, and just possibly a writing group of your own

We’ll also elect new board members for the League. So put something in writing and come on over!

Freelancing: Tales From the Front

Last night’s SRO “Freelancing: Tales From the Front” panel was jam-packed with advice, tips, observations, and all-too-true experiences from panelists Michael Hurd, Debi Martin, Bill Minutaglio, and Texas Monthly book critic Mike Shea. It was very cool to see the largest crowd to date at the WLT Resource Center! Here are some highlights:

Getting started:

• If you’re starting out, don’t be afraid to work for free or next to nothing so you can build your clips and your resume.
• One of the keys is to find a niche that you like and develop your chops. Debi said that writers can “invent their position and create their situation” by focusing on an area that may not be currently covered.

How to market yourself:

• “The key word is ‘hustle,’ because that’s what you have to do,” Michael advised.
• It’s not all about the writing. As Mike Shea observed, “Your full-time job isn’t writing – it’s looking for work.”
• Debi said, “You’ve got to love it; if you don’t, you need to stop.”

As to whether a journalism degree is essential, the panelists said no. As Michael advised, “If you want to write about sports, get a business or law degree.”

Oddly enough, the panel agreed that even with the demise of so many newspapers, the chances are good for a freelancer to write for newspapers. Because of staff layoffs and cutbacks, newspapers are often open to working with more freelancers.

Advice on pitching and querying:

• As Michael put it, “The toughest thing can be finding the right person to pitch to.” The panelists advised doing your homework by contacting friends or colleagues or even other writers at the publication.
• Your pitch or query should convey how your proposed story would benefit the publication. “Magazine editors look at the value your story would bring to the publication,” Bill said.
• Although e-mail pitches are standard, Debi cautioned writers to be sure to follow up with phone calls.
• Look for other sources for writing jobs besides magazines and newspapers. A lot of businesses and associations contract with writers for press releases and newsletters and even Web site writing.

As much as we don’t like to admit this, it’s often about who you know. Getting to know other writers and going to professional organizations’ meeting and events can also lead to jobs.

Michael passed on this advice from H. L. Mencken giving a speech on writing: “So you want to be writers. Why aren’t you writing?” End of speech.

BM then said, “I can trump your Mencken with Mailer: WRITE!”

Finally, Bill summed it all up: “It’s the greatest job in the world, it’s the ultimate backstage pass.”

Next meeting: Oct. 16, featuring “The Mystique of Critique” (bring something to critique) and the annual election of new board members.