It\’s that time, folks, the long-awaited Third Annual Conference of the Evanston Writers Workshop. We\’re…
I haven’t been doing as much promo as usual for my Evanston Writers Workshop Retreat,…
In preparing for our first writing conference, Evanston Writers Workshop 2010 “In the Trenches With…
My local writing group, Evanston Writers Workshop, is having our First Annual Conference! I’m so…
My in-person writing group, the Evanston Writers Workshop, is holding our first-ever writing conference! I\’m…
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It\’s that time, folks, the long-awaited Third Annual Conference of the Evanston Writers Workshop. We\’re picking up the programs from the printer today, and making centerpieces, and putting the final touches on everything.
This afternoon, author Jody Lynn Nye will conduct her master class. This evening, the cocktail party. Tomorrow morning, the main conference starts at 8:00 – wish us luck! And if you\’re in the area, come on by and join us! You\’ll be glad you did!
I haven’t been doing as much promo as usual for my Evanston Writers Workshop Retreat, but not from lack of interest. It’s just been a hellishly crazy couple of weeks! (Which is also why I’ve been so resoundingly silent on my blog duties… o.O…)
So. Other than the urge to HIDE FROM THE WHOLE WORLD… ~blinks~ sorry, was that my outside keyboard? … Here are 13 Reasons to Go On Retreat!
1. TO HIDE FROM THE WORLD! (Duh. I mean, d00d, you didn’t see that one comin’?)
2. Stephen R. Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and other books, suggests that we need to renew ourselves on a regular basis. He calls this process “Sharpen the Saw.” After all, if you continue to saw away with it and never sharpen it, what happens to the blade? People are the same way. Renewal can take many forms – education, recreation, rest… but it must take some form, regularly, in order for us to maintain our effectiveness.
3. The Evanston Writers Workshop First Annual Retreat is this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, August 14 and 15, at the Fox River Bed and Breakfast outside of beautiful Starved Rock State Park, Illinois.
4. Our theme is EWW Unplugged: Rest, Rejuvenate, and Write!
5. When we retreat, not just EWW but in general, it’s useful to step out of our daily round and go somewhere. (I’ll address how to do a staycation retreat below.) Sometimes, the simple act of changing one’s surroundings can help shift personal reality into a new perspective, which makes it easier to feel as though one is actually retreating.
6. Another reason to retreat is that it provides perspective. It’s easy to let the self get swept up in the flurry of day-to-day activities and not take a step back to see the forest. But the forest is an important thing to see. Just because you’re toodling along on the path, efficiently and quickly, doesn’t mean you’re in the right forest! Uhps!
7. If you can’t afford to take a weekend elsewhere, you can do a Staytreat. These are related to Staycations, in that you don’t physically go anywhere. But like the Staycation, the Staytreat must be out of the ordinary flow of events. Plan special meals, baths, relaxing events, writing events, or time with special books and people to make your Staytreat a Retreat and not a Retread of the Same Old Weekend.
8. That’s another reason to retreat, actually: the dreaded malady, The Same Old Same Old. Highly contagious, this malady afflicts four out of five people and leads to boredom, mindless surfing of the addictive interwebs, addiction to television and silly reading material, and carboloaded eating habits.
9. Retreat is an excellent remedy for “I haven’t been writing lately.” Retreat Unplugged is even better, though difficult for modern Interwebwarriors. One of the key tools for this is the Almighty Prompt. There are many, many opportunities for prompts all over the interwebs (caution – may lead to mindless surfing, so maybe give the task of finding the prompts to an enterprising family member – but watch them for signs of this malady!!).
10. Get compatriots! Gather your friends, in the webs and in the flesh, to retreat with you! Communication software (and the old-fashioned telephone) work wonders to connect people across distances. Read to each other, share prompts, share writing time… but share the retreat! It’s a lot easier to retreat when you have help!
11. Unplug. Turn everything off (except maybe the air conditioner…). Turn off the computer, the cell phone, the television, the radio, the iPod, the CD Player, the 8-Track… (sorry, belay that last), you know what I mean – TURN THAT … OFF!!!
12. STAY unplugged for a whole weekend. Light your home with candles, stumble around with a flashlight, write outside by the light of the street lights – use bug spray as needed! – but practice being off the grid.
13. If those STILL don’t help you, then come join us! We’ll help you retreat good and proper! Saturday and Sunday, August 14th and 15th, at the Fox River Bed and Breakfast in Illinois. See you there!
~Happy TT!~
In preparing for our first writing conference, Evanston Writers Workshop 2010 “In the Trenches With the Writer,” May 15 and 16, 2010, I have learned a few things. Some of them are useful, some obvious, and some… well, it is ME, after all, so what do you expect?
1. Debbie did a great job designing our website.
2. I didn’t learn this, but the others doing the conference with me are newer at running events, and it was new to them: the last week ALWAYS has flux. We’ve had lots and lots of swapping and changes. This is normal and is no cause for alarm.
3. When you’re not working for a major corporation, you don’t have as much money as you do when you plan an event for one. This means, you can’t just schedule a car service to pick up your keynote speaker at the airport.
4. Which means, I get to pick up our keynote speaker at the airport.
5. Which means, she’ll be trapped in a car with me for an hour between Midway and the hotel.
6. I sure hope we still have a keynote speaker Saturday. o.O…
7. I designed the program in Microsoft Word. This is much, much easier than other people think it is. I should remember, just because something is easy for me, doesn’t mean it’s “easy.” I’ve had lots of classes and stuff and lots of years of training to make it look easy.
8. I had fun designing the program. (This is an important epiphany.) It’s 11×17, which gives me four full letter-sized pages to play with.
9. I could have used twice that, even three times, with all the content I wanted to put in it.
10. I REALLY love to write. And create. And make programs, newsletters, print stuff, online stuff.
11. You can register at the door, either with a check made payable to “Evanston Writers Workshop” or online (we will have a laptop available since there’s wifi). We will take cash, but may not have any change, so exact change is preferable. Prices:
Member Full Conference Price: $90.00
Member One Day Price: $54.00
Non-Member Full Conference Price: $100.00
Non-Member One Day Price: $60.00
Student Full Conference Price (proof required at the door): $60.00
12. The support of our members and friends means the world to us. We’ve even had members join who were crunched for cash, simply because they believe in what we’re doing. We really, REALLY appreciate their support. Thank you.
13. I’m getting really excited about the conference. Registration starts at 8:00 in Winnetka; hope to see you there! The conference website has more information.
My local writing group, Evanston Writers Workshop, is having our First Annual Conference! I’m so excited. Here are thirteen reasons by YOU should attend the conference, if you’re anywhere near the Chicagoland area (and being on planet Earth counts as ‘near’…)
1. It’s my writing group! (Duh…)
2. MaryJanice Davidson is our Keynote Speaker! She’s a multiple best-selling author on BOTH the coveted New York Times AND USA Today lists, and has written a whopping 66 books to date! I cannot wait to see this woman speak. She’s funny, down-to-earth, and incredibly knowledgeable.
3. It’s at the Winnetka Community House, one of the most gorgeous venues in the area. Check out their website for pictures and more information. I almost fainted when Debbie said we are having the event there. I’d go just to see the place!
4. Author Sherrill Bodine. She knows fashion (heck, she IS fashionable!!), she’s funny, and she knows a heckuvalot!
5. Crime novelist and short story author, Libby Hellmann. Past national president of Sisters in Crime, this lady knows a LOT about mystery and crime writing, as well as public speaking and video production.
6. Author Jamie Freveletti, published with Harper Collins. Her debut thriller, Running from the Devil (HarperCollins/ William Morrow), was released in May, 2009, was chosen as a “Notable Book” by the Independent Booksellers of America and has been nominated as a “Best First Novel” by the International Thriller Writers. It has been translated into three languages and was an international bestseller. Her second novel, Running Dark, will be released in June, 2010.
7. Cuz I said so! (Just had ta slip that in there…)
8. Me! No, really! I’ll be giving a couple presentations, including Sustaining the Creative Process, How to Critique Effectively, and How to Set Up a Blog. I even have a spiffy bio on the conference website! (I feel all official!!)
9. It’s $100 for sixteen hours of panels, workshops, The Prompt Pit, and face-time with our guest speakers! Saturday and Sunday, 9-5 both days, May 15 and 16, 2010. BE THERE!
10. Our panels will include: Agent and Editor panel; Genre author panels (several); Creatures, supernatural and sci-fi; and a Children\’s author panel.
11. Our conference website is awesome! Designed by our very own Debbie Cairo, it’s got all sorts of cool stuff. Check it out!
12. Publicist Dana Kaye. Learn about the art of publicity from Chicago’s very own expert! Look out, she’s a writer too, so this fine lady understands your pain!
13. Did I mention, this is our writing group? The Evanston Writers Workshop started in 2007 and is now over 300 strong – and growing! We meet weekly on Wednesdays at the Evanston Barnes and Noble at 7:00 P.M., and we have workshops and conferences and will be the next force to stop Global Warming!
Hmm. Maybe I should look up “hyperbole?”
Nah.
My in-person writing group, the Evanston Writers Workshop, is holding our first-ever writing conference! I\’m so excited, I can\’t see straight. Here\’s some more information:
We want YOU!
…to attend our First Annual Writing Conference, of course! You asked for it, and we listened. We have a plethora of panels (and found our thesaurus to boot!), but today I want to highlight our Keynote Speaker: Ms. MaryJanice Davidson. You NEED to hear her speak!
Here\’s why:
She\’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys! A multiple best-selling author on both the prestigious (and coveted) New York Times AND USA Today Bestseller lists, she really knows the business of publishing from the inside. From the trenches, say! (And our conference theme IS: In the Trenches with the Writer!)
Prolific, funny, and down-to-earth, we have asked MaryJanice to talk to us about the publishing business, keeping the momentum going once you finish one or two novels and are trying to figure out \”what next,\” and her in-general thoughts she would have loved to have someone like her share back when she was first starting out.
She has written a prodigious 66 books so far! Here\’s the list, from her website:
1. By Any Other Name (1998)
2. Adventures of the Teen Furies (1998)
3. Dying for Ice Cream (1999) (ebook)
4. Secrets 6 (2000) (Love’s Prisoner)
5. Reunions (Too Good To Be True) (2000) (under the name Janice Pohl)
6. Escape The Slush Pile (non-fiction self-help) ebook 2001
7. Thief of Hearts (2001)
8. Naughty or Nice (2001) (Santa Claws, a Wyndham Werewolf Story)
Was originally released as “Nicely Naughty” as an e-book that is no longer available
9. Chicken Soup for the Teacher’s Soul (What I Learned in Spite of Myself)
10. Undead & Unwed (2002)
11. Canis Royal: Bridefight (2002)(e-book)
12. Love Lies (2002) (e-book)
13. Secrets 8 (2002) (Jared’s Wolf)
14. Lighthearted Lust (2003) (There’s No Such Thing as a Werewolf) (e-book)
15. Under Cover (2003)
16. Beggarman, Thief (2004)(e-book)
17. Cravings (2004) (Dead Girls Don’t Dance)
18. Forgotten Wishes (2004) (Love’s Tender Fury)(e-book)
19. Perfect for the Beach (2004) (My Thief)
20. How to Be a Wicked Woman (2004) (The Wicked Witch of the West Side)
21. Merry Christmas, Baby (2004) (Undercover Claus)
22. Men at Work (2004) (The Fixer-Upper)
23. Undead & Unemployed (2004)
24. The Royal Treatment (2004)
25. Bad Boys with Expensive Toys (2004) (The World is Too Darned Big)
26. Bewitched, Bothered, and BeVampyred (2005) (Night Mares)
27. Derik’s Bane (2005)
28. Hello, Gorgeous! (2005)
29. The Royal Pain (2005)
30. Undead & Unappreciated (2005)
31. Undead & Unreturnable (2005)
32. Betsy the Vampire Queen (2005) (first 4 Betsy books combined)
33. Jennifer Scales and the Ancient Furnace (2005)
34. Romance at the Edge: In Other Worlds (2005) (Beggarman, Thief)
35. Charming the Snake (2005) (Savage Scavenge)
36. Kick Ass (2005) (the Incredible Misadventures of Boo & the Boy Blunder)
37. Bite (2005) (Biting in Plain Sight)
38. Really Unusual Bad Boys (2005) (Bridefight, Mating Season, & Groomfight)
39. Wicked Women Whodunit (2005) (Ten Little Idiots)
40. Sleeping with the Fishes (2006)
41. Jennifer Scales and the Messenger of Light (2006)
42. Undead & Unpopular (2006)
43. Drop Dead Gorgeous (2006)
44. Mysteria (2006) (Alone Wolf)
a. Fangs Again (2006) never got published
45. Surf’s Up (2006) (Paradise Bossed)
46. Valentine’s Day is Killing Me (2006) (Cuffs and Coffee Breaks)
47. Dead & Loving It (2006) (Santa Claws, Monster Love, There’s No Such Thing as a Werewolf, & A Fiend in Need)
48. Swimming Without a Net (2007)
49. The Silver Moon Elm (2007)
50. The Royal Mess (2007)
51. Undead & Uneasy (2007)
52. Doing It Right (2007)
53. Demon’s Delight (2007) (Witch Way)
54. No Rest for the Witches (2007) (Majicka)
55. Over the Moon (2007) (Driftwood)
56. Mysteria Lane (2007) (Disdaining Trouble)
57. Fish Out of Water (2008)
58. Undead & Unworthy (2008)
59. Dead Over Heels (2008) (Undead & Wed: A Honeymoon Story, Survivors, & Speed Dating, Werewolf Style Or, Ow, I Think You Broke The Bone
60. Betsy: Bride of the Vampire (Undead 5-7; Dead & Loving It) (2008)
61. Seraph of Sorrow (2009)
62. Undead & Unwelcome (2009)
63. Faeries Gone Wild (2009) (Tall, Dark and Not So Faery)
64. Undead & Unfinished – to be released July 6, 2010
65. Rise of the Poison Moon – to be released July 27, 2010
66. Me, Myself, and Why – to be released September 2010
For more information on MaryJanice, check out her awesome website.
And to meet MaryJanice in person, and hear all about her writing process, sign up for the conference! What are you waiting for? Space is limited. Come visit the conference website today! 10% discount for EWW members.