Meeting of April 16, 2008

Our regular DFW meeting came off without a hitch, except of the (later corrected) delay in the announcement of Submissions.

The stats:

Rejections: 7 reported. Either the editors are getting more ferocious out there, or the writers of this workshop are getting more honest.

Acceptances: Jessica Eldredge had a magazine article accepted, Del Cain has been asked to write a magazine article; Alex Martinez is working on a script for Dreamworks; the teleplay of Ginnie Bivona’s book will feature actresses Leslie Ann Warren and Meredith Baxter Birney, Rosemary Clement Moore’s book Prom Dates from Hell (paperback coming out next Tuesday) won the Gail Wilson award for Excellence in the YA division.

Submissions: Grace Roeber, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Sonja Cassella, Dan Anders.

Announcements:

Glen Norton told the group that his wife, member Wanda Norton, has had a stroke but is recovering.

Rosemary Clement-Moore’s paperback Prom Dates from Hell is out on Tuesday. Since important sales tracking figures are based on the first week’s sales, Rosemary encouraged all who have considered buying Prom Dates to do so in the first week – also to do the same for other authors they want to support. She also reminded members to ask at the information desk of the bookstore for books you want if they’re not in stock, so they will order them.

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Writers’ League Agents and Editors Conference, June 20-22, 2008 – So far we have 6-8 DFWWW members who plan to attend. Don't miss the biggest writer's conference in Texas, and your chance to pitch your project to one of 26 agents and editors (23 agents, 3 editors). For more information, see the FAQ's at the Writers’ League website. Register as soon as possible for the best chance to get the agent of your choice. Writers’ League notes the date and time of your conference registration, and when they begin assigning agent appointments in June,* they go from the first registration on to the last received. More information on this process.

For more information about car pooling or hotel rooms, see Sonja Cassella.

*May 6^th is the deadline to turn in agent/editor selections for those who have already registered. The Writers’ League will continue taking new registrations after that point until all spaces are filled, but agent/editors selections will be due at the time of registration. They will not begin making the actual appointments until mid-June. All registrants will be notified of the details of their appointment (date, time, agent/editor) no later than June 16.

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Nick Holman announced that he, Rosemary Clement-Moore and Grace Roeber attended the ArtsNet award breakfast and picked up a check for $1263 to support our conference. Thank-you to ArtsNet for supporting the workshop!

2009 conference: next meeting will be May 7, at 6 p.m. before the workshop. The DFWWW Board will meet April 30, 2008 at 6 p.m.

Meeting of April 9, 2008

Our regular meeting was full of ... regulars. And a couple of visitors.

The stats:

Rejections: Four reported.

Acceptances: Harry Hall has an article in Toastmasters Magazine, Kendall Furlong had a flash fiction piece accepted by an e-zine; Sonja Cassella had a partial request on her novel; Carolyn Williamson got a request for a full of her thriller; Kristen Lamb had a request for synopsis and first 30 pages of her novel; Iris Acuff had a request to see a play.

Submissions: Dan Anders, Kyle White, Jo Lightfoot.

Announcements:

Jeri Burbage is ordering name badges and giving out ones she's already had made. If you need a badge, see Jeri.


The Digital Critique will be coming out soon, so the deadline for your 100- word submission for "What I'm Reading Now" will be due Wedensday, April 16th. Send it to Rosemary or Candy.

Poet Laureate at TCC April 16

Hi, everyone,

The TX Poet Laureate for 2008 is Larry Thomas. Here’s his site:
http://www.larrydthomas.com/default.htm

He’ll be giving a reading on TCC’s NE campus in College Hall (NCAB) on Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30pm. Bring a class, a friend, a spouse, or just you!

He’ll bring some books to sell and sign, and we’ll have cookies and coffee available.

Best,
Rebecca Balcarcel
TCC NE

2008 Winter Rose Awards Luncheon

From Denise McDonald:

2008 Winter Rose Awards Luncheon
Yellow Rose Romance Writers presents:
Margie Lawson
Empowering Characters' Emotions

Saturday, May 17, 20088:00 am to 5:00 pm
at the Hurst Hampton Inn
1600 Hurst Towne Center Drive
Hurst, TX 76054
http://www.yellowroserwa.com/awards.php

Cost is $75.00 with lunch included
Please join us for our 2008 Winter Rose Awards Luncheon featuring Margie Lawson's day-long seminar on Empowering Characters' Emotions. We will also have an afternoon lunch and announce our 2008 Winter Rose Contest winners. Seating is limited to the first 90 registrants, so hurry! http://www.yellowroserwa.com/awards.php

Regular meeting of April 2, 2008

After a quick business meeting, the regular Wednesday meeting of the DFWWW took off like a shot:

Rejections: three were owned up to.

Acceptances: Kristen Lamb had an article accepted by an e-zine; Sonja Cassella accepted a freelance PR job; Carolyn Williamson has an article in the West Texas Romance Writer’s newsletter, Alex Martinez has had a treatment requested by Dreamworks; Rosemary Clement-Moore was placed on the New York Public Library’s list of books for teenaged readers, and was nominated for a RITA award by the RWA.

Submissions: Reported by Anne Perry, Ginnie Bivona, and Kendall Furlong.

The poetry group will be meeting on April 16^th.

Half Price Books is considering becoming a sponsor of the 2009 conference.

Austin Writer’s League Conference – the biggest writer’s conference in Texas will be held June 20-22. So far, six of us are planning to go. See Sonja Cassella for more information.

Calling all Blogs – Steve Manniing is making a webpage listing websites and blogs of DFWWW writers. Contact Steve if you have a site to be included.

NETWO Conference is the 26th-27^th of April: This is a small, fun conference with 5 or 6 good agents. See Ginnie Bivona for more information.

What I’m Reading – Our new digital critique is being handled by Candy Havens and Rosemary Clement-Moore. The “What I’m Reading” column will be a chance to get what you’re working on in front of agents and editors. From an email Candy sent to the DFWWW yahoo group on the subject:

“Rather than doing the long excerpts from various stories, we'll be doing what we call the 30-second pitch. You tell us about your book in short blurb, along with the market (fantasy, western, romance...) It's the exact type of pitch you'd give at an agent/editor meeting. Short and Sweet. I've had an overwhelming response from industry professionals that this is what they are looking for, and if they like the pitch they'll ask for more. There is a catch. Anything you send to me, has to have been read in group over the last two months or so. The column is called "What I'm Reading." So it's your work you've been reading in group.

All pitches come to me, and we'll fit in as many as we can. Please be sure of the following:

1. Email short blurb (less than 100 words) to tvscoop (at) sbcglobal.net
2. Make sure you put (WHAT I'M READING) in the subject line (I get upwards of 1000 emails a day from listeners and readers so this is an important step)
3. Include your name, title of the piece, and the market.

We'll be checking with back lists to make sure that you've been reading at group, and quite honestly, if there's a space crunch preferences will be given to those who read on a regular basis. Fair or not, that's how it's going to be. :-)

Also, if you have any articles you'd like to do for The Critique, please send me a note."

Candy Havens' Online Classes: Candy offers FREE online writing classes through a yahoo group. Visit her website, www.candacehavens.com, and click on “workshops.” Classes include Fast Draft, Revision Hell, and the current class “GOT QUERY? THEY KNOW THEY WANT YOU…NOW CONVINCE THEM.” There's quite a buzz about these classes at the workshop--check it out.

Mag as Hell!

The New York Observer is running a multi-part series on the future of magazines and by extension magazine writers. It's useful for those who try to track what's going on in NYNY and also those who want to think about the options for writers of short pieces.