Saturday, December 28, 2013

December Awards Luncheon


Well, didn't we have fun! Lots of writing awards, good company, and plenty of smiling faces. More photos and prize winners in a later post.


Thursday, December 12, 2013

REMINDER

Just want to remind you all again that there will be NO meeting this Saturday...but I hope to see many of you on the 21. for our Award Banquet!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Meet Anne Hillerman

If you are a fan of mystery writer Tony Hillerman, you'll want to be at the Good Samaritan, Las Cruces Village auditorium (3011 Buena Vida Circle) Saturday, December 7, at 1:30 p.m. Tony's daughter Anne is continuing his exceptionally popular series of novels featuring Navajo Tribal Police Officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Her book Spider Woman's Daughter placed #10 on the New York Times hardcover best seller list after only two weeks! 

Anne will talk about her experience continuing her father's work. The talk is hosted by the Las Cruces Press Women and is free and open to the public. Anne will sign books after her talk, but you need to bring your own copy as Good Samaritan rules prevent us from selling on their premises.

Members of the Las Cruces Press Women will have a private reception with Anne after the talk. If you are interested in membership, go to lcpresswomen.blogspot.com for more information. 

Anne will also sign books Sunday, December 8, at Barnes & Noble at NMSU at 11:30 a.m. Barnes & Noble, of course, will have the books available for purchase! 

PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH ANY MYSTERY LOVERS OR BOOK CLUB MEMBERS ON YOUR E-MAIL LIST!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Banquet reminder

Just a quick reminder 

that you need to secure your seat 

for the award banquet a.s.a.p. 

Please contact Janice Brooks!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

December Banquet

Remember that 
our December Banquet will be 

December 21.
at the Sunland Park Casino 

from 11am - 2pm. 
Please contact Janice Brooks to reserve your seat ($16 per person)

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Patsy King

You may have heard of
the great wall of china
but you may not have heard of
the great wall of writers
on the large entrance windows of
the El Paso public library
downtown

Patsy King will be honored
to have her name added
to this wall
on October 26, 2013
at 2:00 p.m.

You are most cordially
invited to share
in this momentous honor
for Patsy

There will be
Refreshments
and
Short speeches
and
great
Conviviality

Should you Require
more information please contact bill at

L. C. Hayden is having a book signing

L. C. Hayden is having a book signing 
at the new 
Barnes & Noble 
at the Fountains of Farah Mall Barnes & Noble. 
It's for its grand opening from 5 to 7, Oct. 18.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

One of our judges suggested that the members check out this website.



Cliff Roberts of The Fort Worth Haiku Society encourages your members to check out their website. There contests available and links to The National Haiku Society of America. 
Fort Worth Haiku Society has hosted the quarterly meeting for the HSA in the past.



Monday, October 7, 2013

October Meeting


Hello my fellow writers and readers 

Saturday, October 12. is meeting time again!
Our own Bob Sanchez will talk to us about 
"social networking" 

Also remember that November is election time for us...
if you would like to run for office 
or would like to nominate somebody for office email me! 

THANKS

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

September Meeting / Contest Deadline

Saturday, September 14 MEETING 
Remember to have your contest packets ready 
(please double check that you follow the rules 
to make it easier on our volunteers and to ensure 
all your pieces will be entered)
Our program will be "open mic" 
if you haven't signed up for it yet and want to read feel free 
to see me at the beginning of the meeting!

Monday, August 19, 2013

Critique Groups

I would like to build a contact list 
of the different critique groups 
here in El Paso...
If you guys could email me with your information: 
  • Meeting place, 
  • time, 
  • max size of group, 
  • open spots. 

Thank you!!!

Tina Dwyer

Monday, August 5, 2013

August Meeting Border Tapestry Release Party

Just a quick reminder that we will meet
Saturday August 10
2pm - 4pm
Dorris Van Doren Library, 
551 Redd Road, El Paso, TX 79912

We will celebrate the release of our
2012 Border Tapestry 

Everybody published in it will get 
5 minutes 
to share one of their pieces with the group.

There will be cake and refreshments!

Bring your family, bring your friends! 

Sunday, July 21, 2013

EL PASO WRITERS’ LEAGUE 2013 ANNUAL CONTEST



CONTEST CATEGORIES

POETRY:  ANY TOPIC (Nature, Southwest, Humorous, or whatever inspires you.)
Traditional:  Poetry distinguished by the prosody of historic structures of meter, rhythm, rhyme, and versification, (including Blank Verse).
Closed Form:  Poetry in specific and traditional patterns recognizable by their structure, e.g. couplets, ballad, sonnet, villanelle, limerick, sestina, among others.
Open Form (Free Verse):  Poetry that does not conform to any established or historic meter, rhyme, or stanza structure. Such poetry derives its poetic qualities from the repetition of words, phrases, grammatical structures,  arrangement of words or lines on the printed page, or any other innovative means of expression.
Haiku, Tanka, Senryu, Ghazal, and other forms of international poetic expression.
Children’s:  Poetry that consists of whimsical, lyrical, laughable, loveable expressions of wit and wisdom. ANY FORM.

PROSE, NON-FICTION (2,000 words MAX.)
Inspirational:  Think Chicken Soup stories.  What are the words of wisdom that have guided you along your life’s path? What inspiring message or insights would you like share with others?
Op-Ed/Feature Article:   Discussion of a single subject from a personal point of view.  Think newspaper Editorial Page or Living Section.  Challenge others to think about, act upon, or appreciate your perspective on issues of common interest or concern.
Character Profile:  Description of the qualities and characteristics that contribute to a particular person or pet’s unique personality.
Southwest / Travel:  An article or essay describing and detailing the cultural, geographic, or historical significance and/or current events  impacting an interesting local, national, or international location you have experienced.
Reminiscence/Memoir/Personal Essay:  An account of your personal reflections about a memorable time or event that had a significant impact upon you and your life.

PROSE, FICTION
Adult Short Story:  3000 words MAX.
Adult FLASH Fiction:  500 words MAX.
Children/ YA Story:  1500 words MAX. Please specify appropriate age group.
Book Chapter:   First chapter or 20 pages MAX.
                1. Mystery-Suspense/Sci-Fi/Action
                2. Romance/Women’s Lit  
Theater/Screen Play:  A one-act play, or the first ten pages of a longer play. 




The El Paso Writer’s League
 2013 Writing Contest Guidelines


ELIGIBILITY

The contest is exclusive to EPWL members who have paid their annual dues in full before the contest deadline.

CRITERIA

     Submissions must be original and unpublished.
     Submissions may not have been awarded prizes in either an EPWL or any other literary contest.
     Manuscripts being considered, but not under contract, by publishers are eligible for submission in this contest.
     All entries must follow the rules written down anywhere in this document.

Submitting entries
A member may enter any or all categories, but no more than two entries per category .
Submit two copies of each entry along with an official Entry Form to Jan Brooks or Sarah Purcell by the deadline: Sept. 14, 2013.
Entry fees
$20 for 1-5 submissions and $3 for each additional entry. If a contest entrant brings in a sponsor of $60 or more, the $20 entry fee will be waived.
Minimum entries
Categories with fewer than five entries will be assigned to the second choice category.
How to submit
·       All submissions are to be submitted anonymously, enclosed in the manila envelope provided, with the name and telephone number and e-mail address of the author on the label on the outside of the envelope.
·       Use standard size, plain white paper. Do not staple the pages of your entry. Instead, hold the pages together with a removable clip.
·       All contest entries must be typed, and with the exception of poetry, double-spaced. Use one-inch margins all around. Indent the first line of each paragraph 5 to 7 spaces. Entries must be typed according to appropriate, professional form. Contest entries must be clean and neat. Misspellings, strikeovers, hard-to-read, and old or yellowed manuscripts are not acceptable.
·       Do not use fancy or script fonts for your text, except when stating character’s thoughts. Those go in italics. Stick to Times New Roman or one of the other fonts that most publishers use. Use 12 point size.
·       The category and subject matter of each entry must appear in the left hand margin of the first page. (Example: Fiction: Romance or Book Length: Nonfiction or Poetry: Children’s, etc.) Word count of prose entries needs to appear on the right. Word count  for poetry is unnecessary. On the following pages, type a key word from the title of  the contest entry in the upper left-hand corner and page number in the upper right-hand corner. Do not put your name on any page of the manuscript.
·       Do not include a cover page, illustrations, or pictures in the manuscript.
·       Please sign your official Entry Form (to be given out at the August meeting) with your name, the titles of your entries, and the amount of money you submitted with the entries.
·       Any deviation of these rules could be basis for disqualification.


Deadline

The contest deadline is Saturday, September 14, 2013. If you want to submit prior to the contest deadline, please send the completed Entry Form (August meeting), two copies of each entry, and the entry fee to:

Sarah Purcell
El Paso Writers’ League
11116 Voyager Cove Drive
El Paso, Texas 79936

No entries will be accepted after the close of the EPWL meeting on Saturday, September 14.

Need help?
If you have questions, feel free to call Sarah Purcell at 915-494-4632, or send an email to




Tuesday, July 16, 2013

BORDER TAPESTRY AUTHORS

Each of you, who will be published in the 2012 Border Tapestry, will be able to read 1 (one) of your entries or part of it! You will be allotted five minutes! We had to set a time limit due to the many pieces in the book!

2012 Border Tapestry Release party

************MARK YOUR CALENDAR*************

AUGUST 10. 2013

BORDER TAPESTRY RELEASE PARTY

TELL YOUR FAMILY - TELL YOUR FRIENDS


Tuesday, June 4, 2013

June Meeting

Wow, June is one of those months when the second Saturday sneaks up on us quick!
This Saturday, June 8, 2013, get ready for an interesting presentation by the local Film Maker, Wayne Brandenburg. 

Wayne will talk to us about script and play writing!

                                                                   2:00 – 4:00 pm, 
Dorris Van Doren Library, 
551 Redd Road, 
El Paso, TX 79912




Background info on Wayne 

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Display of Authors

Hello everybody! I am working on a display of everyone that is published and would like to share this with the public! Please send me an email with a picture of the cover as well as a photo of yourself! 

Thanks Tina Dwyer

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

It is meeting time again




      ****MARK YOUR CALENDAR*****MARK YOUR CALENDAR****MARK YOUR CALENDAR****

This Saturday, May 11, 2013 - 2:00 – 4:00 pm, 
Dorris Van Doren Library, 551 Redd Road, El Paso, TX 79912.
Our own Nancy Natalicio will speak to us about memoir writing!
Like always the event is free and open to the public.
Hope to see you there!

Friday, April 12, 2013

SBWC April Newsletter: Thomas McGuane & Advance Submission

This is your last month to register for meetings with agents and editors. Thomas McGuane, author of Ninety-Two in the Shade, will be speaking June 12th at SBWC 2013!
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June 8-13, 2013

Thomas McGuane & Advance Submission 
Dear Writers,

The 2013 SBWC is fast approaching and registration is still open for those of you who have not yet reserved your spot. I’m pleased to announce our final speaker this year will be Thomas McGuane on June 12th at 7:30 p.m.!

Thomas McGuane is the author of ten novels, short fiction and screenplays, as well as three collections of essays devoted to his life in the outdoors. He envisioned himself as a writer from a very young age, admiring what he perceived as the adventurous life of a writer as much as the prospect of writing. When he was ten years old, he got into a physical altercation with a friend over differing descriptions of a sunset. McGuane began a serious devotion to writing by the age of sixteen, and published his debut novel, The Sporting Club, in 1969. His third novel, Ninety-Two in the Shade, was nominated for the National Book Award, and he later wrote and directed the film adaptation, starring Peter Fonda. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, The National Cutting Horse Association Hall of Fame, and the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame. His most recent novel, Driving On the Rim, was released in 2010. He lives on a ranch in McLeod, Montana.
Monte & Nicole

Monte Schulz, owner
Nicole Starczak, director
" The best in the nation." - James Michener
" An important and wonderful week." - Elmore Leonard
" A most stimulating time - a glorious week!" - Eudora Welty

This is your last month to sign up to meet with an agent or editor. SBWC’s Advance Submission program is an opportunity for conference participants to meet agents and editors, and receive individual feedback on their writing. You must be a registered attendee to participate in Advance Submission. The agents, and one New York editor, who will be joining us for the program include:

Kat Brzozowski — editor with Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press
Andrea Brown — Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Erin L. Cox — Rob Weisbach Creative Management
Paul Fedorko — N.S. Bienstock, Inc.
Lucas Hunt — Philip Spitzer Agency
Thao Le — Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
Toni Lopopolo — Toni Lopopolo Literary Management
Taylor Martindale — Full Circle Literary
Amy Rennert — The Amy Rennert Agency
Andy Ross — Andy Ross Literary Agency

For more information, agent/editor bios, and Advance Submission registration visit: http://www.sbwriters.com/conference/advance-submission.html.

Finally, email me at info@sbwriters.com if you are interested in sharing the cost of a hotel room. I’m happy to connect you with others also seeking roommates.

Write On!
Nicole
SBWC, Director

“Literature is the ditch I'm going to die in. It's still the thing I care most about.”
Thomas McGuane, author of Driving on the Rim, speaking June 12th at SBWC 2013


2013 Important Dates:
  • March 1: Advance Submission Opens (sign up to meet with an agent/editor)
  • May 4: Advance Submission manuscripts due
  • May 8: Last day to get the Hyatt group rate
  • June 8 - 13: SBWC at the Hyatt Santa Barbara!


News, Announcements & Happenings from SBWC Workshop Leaders, Students, and Speakers:

Thom Atkinson’s short story, “Grimace in the Burnt Black Hills,” has received two Pushcart nominations. Thom was also selected by the Ohio Arts Council as a Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center Summer Resident Writer to represent the state of Ohio for the three-month summer residency at FAWC in Provincetown, MA on Cape Cod.

Ramona Ausubel will be signing her newest book, A Guide to Being Born, Friday, May 3rd at 7pm at Chaucer’s Bookstore. A Guide to Being Born is reminiscent of Aimee Bender and Karen Russell, an enthralling new collection that uses the world of the imagination to explore the heart of the human condition.

Elizabeth Berg’s most recent novel, Tapestry of Fortunes, was released April 9th! Cecilia Ross is a motivational speaker who encourages others to change their lives for the better. Why can’t she take her own advice? See Elizabeth at this year's SBWC, speaking June 9th at 7:30 p.m.! 

Join The Community Film Studio for the world premiere of their first feature film, The Bet. Premiere Screenings April 19 & 20 at 7 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. The screenplay, written by Annie Dahlgren, involves a bet between a grandfather and his grandson as to who can find love first. Tickets available here: http://www.thebetmovie.com/tickets/

Virginia Dale just published her first e-book, Touch Me, Touch Me Not. Her first novel was Never Marry in Morocco.

Billy Goodnick's book, Yards, was published last month with St. Lynn's Press. Yards is brimming with design secrets and money-saving tips, with an emphasis on low maintenance, and just plain beauty.

Catherine Ann Jones will be teaching Heal Yourself With Writing in Ojai, Saturday, April 20th.  For more information, schedule, and blog visit www.wayofstory.com.

The award-winning Irish-American poet Ethna McKiernan will give a free poetry reading Thursday, April 11th at 6 p.m., at the UCSB MultiCultural Center Lounge. Author of three collections of poetry, her most recent work, Sky Thick With Fireflies (Salmon Poetry, 2011), was nominated for the Minnesota Book Award. For more information and directions, visit www.mcc.ucsb.edu.

Melinda Palacio’s How Fire Is a Story, Waiting was a finalist for the Binghamton University Milt Kessler Poetry Book Award. The winning book was Marilyn Nelson's Faster Than Light: New and Selected Poems. The judge for the award was Charlie Rossite.

Kathleen Sharp returned to Literary Gumbo, sharing with host Fred Klein news about her deal with New Regency for the film adaptation of her book Blood Medicine, The Man Who Blew the Whistle On One of the Deadliest Prescription Drugs Ever. She’s also re-released Mr. & Mrs. Hollywood: Edie and Lew Wasserman and Their Entertainment Empire with AudioGO as an e-book. The audio version will be out this summer, and the paperback to follow.

David Starkey will be signing his newest book, Circus Maximus, at Chaucer’s, Thursday, April 11th at 7 p.m. What would the Son-of-Man get up to in present-day Rome? Would he wander the Galleria Borghese, loiter outside nightclubs, ride trams, tip accordionists? How would Keats feel about the neon Dior sign that flashes away above the Spanish Steps? A tour of Rome like no other, the poems of Circus Maximus ask these questions and more.

Pamela Triolo’s Death Without Cause: A Health Care Mystery (Post Oak, Imprint of Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing), takes place in the largest medical center in the world, the Texas Medical Center in Houston. The debut novel by nurse-author, Pamela Triolo, will be available in all formats on May 1.

Santa Barbara Screenwriters Association will be hosting Bill Boyle, author of The Visual Mindscape of the Screenplay, for a talk entitled “Respecting the Antagonist.” Join them Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m. at Brooks Institute on 27 E. Cota Street. The event is free and open to everyone.

Chryss Yost was installed today as Santa Barbara’s new Poet Laureate by the City Council at the City Hall Council Chambers. Presiding: Mayor Helene Schneider.

**If you would like your news to be included in the next e-Newsletter, please email your news to info@sbwriters.com.**

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