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As Christians who write, we meet together to promote unity and fellowship, to encourage one another and to develop our skills as writers. We are a chapter of American Christian Writers, a national organization.

We meet at Grove Avenue Baptist Church, 1 block south of Patterson Avenue at 8701 Ridge Road, Richmond, VA 23229 in Room 211.

We typically meet on the third Sunday of each month from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Join us!


Click HERE for directions.


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Monday, May 26, 2008

101 Best Websites for Writers

Whether you're looking for quotes, advice, markets, critiques—or just a place to meet other writers online—we've got you covered.

In the June issue of Writer's Digest, Brian A. Klems offers up our annual roundup of websites:Type the word "writer" into the Google search engine and it'll bring up an astonishing 243 million websites—and no, we're not exaggerating.

The idea of sifting through all of them can make your head spin like the child in The Exorcist—especially when all you need is a little copyright advice. Where to begin, where to begin, where to begin ...

Luckily, your favorite editors at Writer's Digest have done the grunt work for you.

For the full list of our 101 Best Websites for Writers, isit:http://writersdigest.com/101BestSites

Book Festival at Town Point Park, Norfolk, Virginia

I would like to invite you to be a part of our Book Festival at Town Point Park. Our local Fest Events promotion group has asked us to put together this event as part of the 3rd Annual AT&T Sunrise to Sunset Acoustic Music Festival, Sunday, September 28, 2008.

There will also be a Folk Art Show at this event. The Book Festival portion will be from 12:00-4:00 PM. We anticipate having between 50-60 local, regional and nationally known authors at this event. The event will be outside under tents in the park area. The exact details of the setup will be sent out about the end of June.

If you are interested in participating, please contact me at your earliest convenience so I can start planning what I believe to be a wonderful event and a great opportunity to showcase our wonderful authors.

John Zimmerman and Lindsay Anderson - Events Coordinators
Barnes & Noble at Tidewater Community College
MacArthur Center Mall
300 Monticello Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23510
Phone; 757 625-3459
Fax: 757 625-3465 Cell: 757 343-9202
Please send all correspondence to the store e-mail:
sm507@bncollege.com

HANOVER BOOK FESTIVAL UPDATE!

From Joanne Liggan:

Hello Fellow Writers!

I want to welcome you as a participating author of this year's festival. In an effort to make sure your experience is a good one, I want to keep you updated about the progress we are making on the event. Please feel free to ask any questions or express any concerns you might have.

Your table space is your responsibility to decorate. Since marketing is such an important part of selling, we are awarding a prize for the best display, so be creative. The judging criteria is which display is likely to sell the most books, not how elaborate or pretty it is.

On your registration form, if you indicated you would donate a book for the door prizes, please send your book(s) as soon as you can. I am adding pages to the program with pictures of the donated books so those who donate will receive a little extra promotion. Mail your book(s) to:


Hanover Book Festival
C/O Joanne Liggan
8201 N Shall Drive
Mechanicsville, VA 23111


If I receive the books before the program goes to print (July 1), they will be included. After that date, I will not be able to add any more.

Also, if you signed up for the one-on-one interview with a publisher or agent, you may visit the website at www.hanoverbookfestival.com and view the four we have scheduled to attend.

Publishers and Agents are:
Karen Syed with Echelon Press
Dave Smitherman with Palari Publishing
Robert Pruett with Brandylane Publishers
Lisa Hagan with Paraview Literary Agency


Send an e-mail to me with your first and second preference. I will TRY to accommodate each of you with your choice, but it is not guaranteed. If too many request one particular publisher or agent, I will need to change some of you to whomever has an opening.


If you want to talk to more than one, send in the extra $15 for your second choice. To be fair to everyone and give everyone a chance to talk to at least one, your second choice will be scheduled after everyone has been scheduled for their first interview. If we run out of time-slots, your second $15 payment will be refunded.

We have added another workshop! If you signed up prior to May 15, the registration form did not include our third workshop. Novelist Kathleen Mix will be presenting "From Bahamas to Bookshelf: Building a Suspense Novel" (see details on the website). If you wish to participate in this workshop, please send in your check for $20 with a note requesting a reservation, and I will add it to your registration form.

Thank you for registering. I look forward to seeing you in August!

Joanne Liggan
Hanover Book Festival Committee Chairman
www.hanoverbookfestival.com
Author/Public Speaker/Instructor
www.liggan.netjliggan@comcast.net
804-779-2660

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Freelancer Conference

Dear Freelancer Family:

If you haven’t already done so, I hope you will get your registration in for our first-ever freelancer conference July 14-16, 2008 in Orlando, Florida. Only a few more days remain for the $225 “early bird” registration! The ICRS (The Christian Bookseller’s Association’s International Christian Retail Show), with which this conference is partnering, looks like it will be a great event—one where you can learn a great deal about the publishing industry as a whole and your place in it. You will have a floor badge and plenty of time to walk the floor.

I want to remind you to email me if you would like to find a roommate for the conference or have any other needs we can help you with. I also thought you might like to hear about those individuals who will be taking care of our workshops and events.

Workshop – Freelancing for Fun and Money
This workshop will show you how to earn a portfolio full of credits and money in the bank.
The presenter will be Vicki J. Kuyper. Vicki has a very long list of freelance credits, spanning a number of years. She used a lot of her freelance earnings to travel and now is an established author. Her book documenting her travels is entitled, Wonderlust and was published by New Hope.

Workshop – Publishing Straight Up!
This workshop provides an overview of the publishing industry in simple, understandable terms.
The presenter will by Patrick L. Judd. Pat has a long and successful history in publishing and now runs his own publishing house, True North Publishing.

Workshop – Freelancer Is Another Word for Entrepreneur!
This workshop will give you strategies for running your own small freelance business. There will be tips on marketing, financials, wise business principles, working at home, and taking care of the tax man.
The presenter will be Dennis Currington (yes, my husband). He has served as the Director of Small Business Development for a number of years at the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Workshop – All About Editing
This workshop discusses the various types of editing—macro, substantive, line, copy, and proofreading—what they entail and how you can go about becoming proficient in them.
The presenter is Kathryn Deering, who for many years worked as an in-house editor in several Christian publishing houses. Now she works as a top-of-the-line freelancer editor, specializing in fiction.

Workshop – Devotional Writing
This workshop will show you the secrets of touching hearts by writing thought-provoking, life-changing devotionals, without preaching. You will learn the concept of the “embedded message,” how to write inspiring material even within strict specifications, and how to give publishers what they’re looking for.
The presenter is Rebecca Currington. Yep, that’s me! I have been writing devotionals for 20 years and believe that devotional writing is a distinct discipline from other types of writing and one that has the potential to change lives.

Workshop – Story Writing
This workshop will teach you the elements of good story writing, how to make your stories sizzle, hold a readers interest, and how to best market your stories in the industry.
The presenter will be Karen Linamen. Karen is the author of a number of humor story books, the most recent being “Due to Rising Energy Costs, the Light at the End of the Tunnel Has Been Turned Off!” Karen writes a great deal of humor with big doses of spirituality worked in.

Workshop – Technical Tips and Tools of the Trade
This workshop will show you how to provide a technically clean manuscript, computer shortcuts that will save you time and frustration, and what style books, dictionaries, and other tools you will need to do your freelance job with excellence.
The presenter will be Patricia Lutherbeck. A long-time employee of Snapdragon Group, many of you have heard from her by phone and email. She’ll be here to show you how to work smarter rather than harder.

Luncheon – Snapdragon Celebration Luncheon
The speaker will be Todd Hafer, editorial director for Hallmark’s book division. Todd is also a prolific author, his most recent title being Bad Idea, published by NavPress. Todd has been told to give you the benefit of his wisdom, inspire you to great things, and put you in a mood to laugh all the way back home.
Be sure to watch the website for updates.

Blessings,
Rebecca Currington
President
Snapdragon Group

www.snapdragongroup.com. If you go to the freelancer page, the password is snapgroupie.

Ligonier Valley Writers Conference

Ligonier Valley Writers Conference to Take Place July 26

Mark your calendar for the 21st Ligonier Valley Writers Conference on Saturday, July 26.

Four great faculty members will present workshops and seminars and will work with you to improve your writing.

o Fiction: Damian Dressick is a Pushcart nominee and winner of the 2007 Harriette Arnow Award for short fiction. His work has appeared or is slated toappear in more than 25 literary journals, including failbetter.com, New Delta Review, Alimentum, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Caketrain and Vestal Review. Founding curator of Pittsburgh's UPWords Reading Series, Damian has written extensively about Pennsylvania' appear in more than 25 literary journals, including failbetter.com, New Delta Review, Alimentum, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Caketrain and Vestal Review. Founding curator of Pittsburgh's UPWords Reading Series, Damian has written extensively about Pennsylvania's coal country, including a historical novel and "Home Brew."

o Nonfiction: Lori Jakiela, author of Miss New York Has Everything (Warner, 2006). The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette review says, "This is a marvel of a memoir, both laugh-out-loud funny and sweetly moving, about a western Pennsylvania girl who escapes her small-town roots. She comes home, ditching her big-city dreams, when her father gets sick." Lori is also the author of a poetry chapbook, The Regulars (Liquid Paper Press, 2001). Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Creative Nonfiction, Pittsburgh Quarterly, River Styx, and elsewhere. Her essay "I'm Not a Zombie but I Played One on TV" was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She serves as a speaker for the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and teaches in the writing program at Pitt Greensburg. She lives and writes in the house where she grew up in Trafford (birthplace of the chocolate-covered pickle). Visit Lori at www.lorijakiela.

o Poetry: Nancy Krygowski, whose first book of poems, Velocity, won the 2006 Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize from the University of Pittsburgh Press. Gerald Stern says, "This is a wide-eyed, modest, assertive, wild, well-read, street-smart, edgy, loving, suffering, heaven-crazed poet. It's a joy to find her." A recipient of a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship, a Pittsburgh Foundation Grant, and awards from the Academy of American Poets and the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, Nancy is cofounder and assistant artistic director of the Gist Street Reading Series. She works as an adult literacy instructor.

o Mystery: Casey Daniels, author of the Pepper Martin series, in which a cemetery tour guide in Cleveland finds herself solving crimes for ghosts. The first book in the series is Don of the Dead, about a Mafia don who wants Pepper to solve his murder. Publishers Weekly said of the second book in the series, The Chick and the Dead, "Daniels keeps things moving and amusing with her breezy chick-lit style andsharp dialogue." Visit Casey at www.caseydaniels. sharp dialogue." Visit Casey at www.casey sharp diRepresentatives from several Pittsburgh-area literary magazines will also be available to meet with writers one on one.This year the conference has been streamlined to save writers both time and money. We've squeezed the workshops and seminars on all four genres into one day (not to mention the picnic dinner and faculty readings).

The cost of the conference is only $70 for LVW members and $80 for nonmembers, plus $15 for the dinner Saturday night. Conference brochures will be available soon. To request a brochure and registration form, visit www.ligoniervalleyw

This year the conference has been streamlined to save write jgallagher@lhtot.jga.

Ligonier Valley Writers is a nonprofit group serving writers and readers throughout western Pennsylvania. Full membership is open to everyone interested in writing in any genre.

LVW offers workshops, lectures, writing contests, and other events throughout the year. For more information about any LVW event or publication, visit www.ligoniervalleyw Ligonier Va

"Coming to a computer near you!"



Online Workshops & Sessions to Help You Take Your Skills to the Next Level
May 31, 2008 - $10 Registration Fee Includes All Sessions!

Visions in Print Writer's Group invites you to attend an online writer's conference. We're offering ten workshops and chat sessions that will help you improve your writing and/or market your current work.


Craft of Writing

Writing 101 - Dee Stewart
Creating Believable Characters - Rhonda McKnight
Plot & Structure - Kendra Norman-Bellamy
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers - Stacy Hawkins Adams
Critique Partners: Benefits, Techniques & Pitfalls - Tia McCollors
Finding Your Voice - Claudia Mair Burney
Total Craft Development: From Rejection to Redirection - Sherri Lewis


Business of Writing

I've Signed A Contract, Now What? - Ashea Goldson
Networking Your Way to a Bestseller List - Dwan Abrams
Virtual Marketing and Promotion - Dana Pittman/www.niapromotions.com


How an Online Conference Works: An online-conference is a conference hosted on the Internet. Participants can attend without leaving the comfort of their home.

Who it is for: This conference is for anyone who is writing fiction or thinking about writing. It's also for those published authors who would like to learn more about the craft of writing to improve your skills or take advantage of our industry professionals who will discuss tips on getting a book review, marketing, networking and the advantages of a virtual tour.


How You Will Participate: You register for the conference by visiting www.myspace.com/visionsinprint and paying the $10 registration fee. A few days before the conference will receive instructions on how to enter the main site for the conference. On the day of the conference, the workshops are presented in the forms of articles that are posted on the conference site by the presenter. Participants will review the material and post follow-up questions or comments in a threaded discussion format. At some point in the afternoon or perhaps several times during the day, the presenter will come into the forum and answer all the questions. Additionally, each presenter will hold a live chat for 45 minutes to an hour where they will talk with participants. This is another opportunity to have your questions answered or just have an opportunity to speak with one of your favorite authors.

Door prize: All registered participants who are interested will be entered in a raffle to win a 10-page critique from one of our bestselling authors!

Don't miss out on the learning or the fun!

Contact us at visionsinprintacfw@yahoo.com
Conference will also include:

Chats
Some teleconferences
Marketing discussions tailored to particpants' needs
Threaded discussions that will be available for several months after the conference for viewing.
Chance to win a 10-page critique from Essence best-selling author, Sherri Lewis.
Visit us online at www.myspace.com/VisionsInPrint for more details about Visions In Print and to register for the online conference # # #

Visit Kendra Norman-Bellamy on the web at:
Official Web Home
MySpace
ShoutLife

WRITER’S MARKET Annual Writing Competition

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WRITER’S MARKET
Annual Writing Competition

For 77 years, the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition has rewarded writers just like you for their finest work. We continue the tradition by giving away more than $30,000 in cash and prizes!

Win a trip to New York City !

GRAND PRIZE: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents.

Writer's Digest will fly you and a guest to The Big Apple, where you'll spend three days and two nights in the publishing capital of the world. While you're there, a Writer's Digest editor will escort you to meet and share your work with four editors or agents! Plus, you'll receive a free Diamond Publishing Package from Outskirts Press.

Regular Entry Deadline: Thursday, May 15, 2008

Good news! You still have a few more days to Submit your manuscript in the 77th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. The late deadline is June 2, 2008.

Compete to Win in 10 Categories:
1. Inspirational Writing (Spiritual/Religious)
2. Memoirs/Personal Essay
3. Magazine Feature Article
4. Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
5. Mainstream/Literary Short Story
6. Rhyming Poetry
7. Non-rhyming Poetry
8. Stage Play
9. Television/Movie Script
10. Children's/Young Adult Fiction

Save $25 off your next course at WritersOnlineWorkshops.com!

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WRITER’S MARKET

Save $25 off your next course at WritersOnlineWorkshops.com!

Whether you want to break into nonfiction writing or hope to improve what you've already written, WritersOnlineWorkshops.com has the courses you need to achieve your goals!

From writing magazine articles to perfecting your personal memoir, you'll find it all at WOW! Plus, save $25 off your enrollment when you sign up for a workshop before June 30! Just enter coupon code WM5208 when you register to take advantage of your exclusive savings.

Here's a sampling of nonfiction workshops currently offered:
Fundamentals of Life Stories Writing
Focus on the Personal/Family Memoir
Fundamentals of Nonfiction Writing
Essentials of Writing Personal Essays
Advanced Memoir and Nonfiction Book Writing Workshop
Focus on Writing Nonfiction for Children

And more!Don't wait—click here to take advantage of your exclusive $25 savings!