2019

We had a great time in 2019, didn’t we? We heard great writing from our members at two Read Arounds. Writers Forum member and past president George Winship taught us what an editor, or a book doctor, can do for our manuscripts before we even submit them to agents or publishers. Professional editor Heather Cuthbertson taught us how to write a winning query letter. Our own Alicia McCauley taught us a prewriting exercise called ‘cubing,’ and also provided us with a cool soundtrack for future Writers Forum presentations. Shasta College instructor Jessica Fletcher Wiechman shared her insights into screenwriting. Author Lezlie Winberry shared her knowledge and experiences from attending writing conferences. Chico poet, author, and speaker Susan Wooldridge gave a delightful presentation on writing poetry. Writers Forum Program Director Sharon Owen shared insights on what editors expect us to know about word processors and the formatting of our manuscripts before submitting. Writers Forum Newsletter Editor George Parker demonstrated Scrivener, a word processor alternative to Microsoft Word that is designed specifically for novelists, poets, and play/screenwriters. Last year also saw the return of a major event the Writers Forum had not been able to provide for several years: the Authors Book Fair. Then, just in time for Christmas, we saw our published anthology of Writers Forum authors, River’s Edge: Volume 1.

Which event did you get the most out of in 2019? Post a reply!

2020

This year looks just as fun!

Of course, we will have our biannual Read Arounds.

Our January meeting is already behind us. Writers Forum member and author Linda Boyden showed us how to collect our poetry and build our own chapbooks. Next month, former Writers Forum member and editor Jen Higley will show us how we can use WordPress to create our own author’s websites.

Our March meeting will be a huge event. Forensic pathologist and author Judy Melinek, MD will be presenting on her first novel, First Cut.  First Cut was only released on January 7, making it literally a new book, and it has already  been gaining 5-star reviews on Amazon. It is her first novel, but her second book. Her first book, Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner, is the story of her life as a rookie forensic pathologist in New York City. She started that job two months before the 9/11 attacks. All of our Writers Forum meetings are open to the public, but we are expecting such interest for this one that we are changing our venue for the event. It will be held at the McConnell Foundation Conference Room, at the McConnell Foundation’s Lima Ranch facility at 800 Shasta View Drive. There will be a small charge for admission for the general public to this event, but Writers Forum members will, of course, get in for free as a part of their Writers Forum membership. Seating in this room is limited to 70 seats, which is larger than our usual venue, but you will need to RSVP to reserve your seat, even as a Writers Forum member.

We are also planning to have another Authors Book Fair in 2020. This will be at the same location as the 2019 event: the Holiday Inn Convention Center on Hilltop Drive. We are looking forward to a bigger event this year, with more advertising and more authors selling books. We invite all of you who have books to sell to attend. If you don’t have a book to sell right now, you could, if you have a manuscript. George Winship, Linda Boyden, and others have been teaching us over the last year about how we could get our own books published online. Let’s make use of that!

We will also put together River’s Edge, Volume 2 in 2020. Start preparing your short stories, essays, and memoir pieces now!

And there is even more in store for 2020!

What are you looking forward to the most from Writers Forum in 2020? Post a reply!

See you at the meetings.

Geo.