Phew…another very successful Authors Fair is under our belts. Or, to keep it in a Writers Forum vein, “on the bookshelf.” We had fewer authors than last year, but more full tables and more all day sign ups. Books were sold; one table sold out of what they brought (18!). Hailing from Chico to Lookout (in Modoc County), they networked and made friends with other authors.

We ran the popular First Sentence Contest again this year with two categories.  There were 14 adult entries and 4 child entries. A remote panel of judges picked their top three favorites, and the votes were tabulated electronically.

The winning adult author was one of the presenting authors, member Janice Austin Bates, with “If it hadn’t been for the terrible burn scars on Emily’s face, most people wouldn’t have noticed her.”  The winning child author was Betsy Allred, age 7, with “On one sunny day there were two girls who became best friends while playing hide and go seek.” Each wins a $25 Gift Card from Barnes & Noble.  Congratulations, Janice and Betsy!

The December meeting is one of our semi-annual gatherings where members do 5-minute readings of their work; either past, published or in work, as long as it is yours, you can read it.

I have some tips.

• It is not a contest to see how much you can read in 5 minutes. Slow down, and enjoy it. Put some feeling in to it. This would be an excellent time to put to voice what you gleaned from Robb Lightfoot’s excellent presentation in October.
• Practice your selected reading. Time yourself. Remember, 5 minutes only, including introduction or scene-setting. No “just another few sentences” allowed. When time has elapsed, everybody starts clapping. And remember, if you are cut off before you finished your reading, take heart in that you can submit it in its entirety to our Newsletter Editor, Ed Sulpice, at writersforumeditor@gmail.com. This is where no time limit applies.
• This is also our annual holiday potluck; finger foods are recommended, but if you do bring non-finger food, please ensure it is not sloppy. No BBQ ribs!

One more note: Our Scholarship Fundraiser buyout of Riverfront Playhouse for Leading Ladies by Ken Ludwig is Thursday, February 7, 2013. Tickets are only $15.00.  This farce centers on two down-on-their-luck Shakespearean actors, Leo Clark and Jack Gable. The pair discovers that Florence, an older ailing woman, has been unable to find Max and Steve to include them in her multi-million dollar inheritance. They decide to pose as Max and Steve only to discover that “Max” and “Steve” are actually “Maxine” and “Stephanie.” Undaunted, they continue on in drag. Tickets will be on sale at meetings, or contact any board member.

Meanwhile, between the sugar plums dancing in your head, and the seven swans a’swimming, have a blessed holiday season, and keep the fingers to the keyboard.

Larry Watters, Writers Forum President