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Scottsdale Society of Women Writers CELEBRATES 8th Anniversary and welcomes Brenda Warneka – author, editor and expert on anthologies

September 14, 2013 by patricia

Brenda Warneka          2013-02-26 08 05 48SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS

Celebrating 8 years this month!

SSWW Welcomes Brenda Warneka, AZ Press Women member, author, editor and specialist on anthologies

 

 

WHO:                          Scottsdale Society of Women Writers

 

WHAT:            Monthly Speaker/Dinner Meeting – camaraderie, information for writers and book signing*

 

9781604945973 warneka brenda skirting traditions cover 1111 v6.i

WHERE:          Chaparral Suites Resort, 5001 N, Scottsdale Rd. NE corner – Enter off Chaparral Rd – 4th Floor Grill entrance, then left to the Cactus Room

 

WHEN:                        Thursday SEPT 26th, 2013 5:30-7:30 – special meeting date

 

HOW:              PLEASE – RSVP now to Patricia L. Brooks, president/founder

Cell 480-250-5556 or patricia@plbrooks.com   See Details Below

 

WHY:   The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with businesses relating to writing, publishing, camaraderie and support.

 

SPEAKER   SEPT 26th   Thursday – special date/one time only

Brenda Warneka, author, member of AZ Press Women, president of NFPW  www.thefatesite.com  and www.skirtingtraditions.com

Brenda Warneka will speak about the process of assembling anthologies—from the original idea to the completed product. Warneka was the project leader, overseeing the work of 18 members of Arizona Press Women, for the award-winning APW anthology, Skirting Traditions: Arizona Women Writers and Journalists 1912-2012. She is also a co-editor and co-writer of two other anthologies.

 

Brenda Warneka is an editor and writer of non-fiction. She has a BA in history from Oakland University, Rochester, MI, and a law degree from Wayne State University. She is the immediate past president of Arizona Press Women; a member of Scribes, the American Society for Legal Writers; and a member of the State Bar of Arizona.

See notes below for dinner fees, meeting format and location directions.  Thank you.

 

 

MENU:  A light dinner – salad or sandwich and soup, dessert, beverage and roll with tax and gratuity included – make your choice the night of the meeting.

 

COST:  $22 for members – $25 for guests SEPT ONLY– PLEASE RSVP.  Thank you.

 

NOTE:  price increase:  October 30th meeting – members $25 and guests $28

 

CHECKS or cash:  Please make check payable to (SSWW) Scottsdale Society of Women Writers prior to coming to the meeting to save time at check-in.  Thank you for the help.

 

CHECK-IN:  Please check-in between 5:00 and 5:45.  The meeting starts promptly at 6:00.  All those attending the meeting must pay for the dinner/room/speaker – cost noted above.  Pick up your name badge at the front table and ENJOY a wonderful night!

 

AGENDA:  The agendas will be on the dinner table – always a lot of good INFO for you.

 

DIRECTIONS:  Located in Scottsdale at Chaparral Rd just north of Old Town.  Chaparral Rd has a light.  Parking is to the rear – two large lots.  Note: best to enter from the side elevator for the 4th Floor Grille – NOT the main lobby.

 

From the 101 freeway exit Chaparral Rd and go west.  Just prior to Scottsdale Rd enter the side drive at 4th Floor Grille – take that elevator.  Note awning marked 4th Floor Grille on the Chaparral side.  This is the easiest way – NOT through the main lobby.  Welcome!

 

 

Goals of the Group

 

  • Value all the professional women writers      seeking to share their expertise
  • Honor all genres and all forms of professional      writing
  • Attend monthly meetings  to move the group and its members      forward
  • Learn and share in the experiences of monthly      professional speakers
  • Grow the group to a membership of active and      contributing women
  • Encourage participation by members as      presenters, mentors, judges and volunteers
  • Support and challenge each other to always be      writing
  • Help members to stretch as writers and reach      lofty personal goals
  • Have      fun, meet trustworthy women writers, share dreams

Filed Under: Blogroll, Featured post, Press Release, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: anthologies, AZ Pen Women, books, Brenda Warneka, publishing, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, SSWW, storytelling, women writers, writing

The Art of Writing Memoir – Desert Foothills Library welcomes Patricia L. Brooks

April 24, 2013 by patricia

WRITERS FAIRE 2012 014The Art of Writing Memoir

 

Desert Foothills Library – Writers Connection

 

Fri. May 3, 2013

1:00-3:00 p.m.

Cave Creek, AZ

 

 Patricia L. Brooks, speaker, author, consultant patricia@plbrooks.com

 www.blog.brooksgoldmannpublishing.com

for details 480- 250-5556

In this workshop you will immerse yourself in the art of powerful storytelling and take an unflinching look at your own stories.

You will learn to incorporate fictional techniques into your memoir writing to enhance your effort to share galvanizing events.

Objectives of this Workshop ü Learn to help your reader see and feel what you saw and felt. ü Understand the process and structure of memoir writing as a learned craft that will enhance your art. ü Appreciate the power of storytelling by being loyal to your truth. ü Further empower yourself to tell the truth. ü Take an unflinching look at your stories and share your galvanizing events. ü Bring your memoir writing to a new level with fictional techniques.

Filed Under: brooks goldmann publishing, gifts of sisterhood, libraries, Memoir, memoir writing workshop, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: authors, books, desert foothills library, gifts of sisterhood, Gifts of Sisterhood - journey from grief to gratitude, memoir, memoir writing workshops, Patricia L. Brooks, Patricia L. Brooks Seminars, writers

Some of What I Learned at the Desert Nights Rising Stars Conference – Seven Secrets to Writing Memoir – and more

April 10, 2013 by patricia

Seven Secrets to a Successful Memoir – and more

My thoughts – Desert Nights Rising Stars Writers Conference

Arizona State University – Spring 2013

 

Timing is everything, as they say and the timing at Desert Nights Rising Stars could not have been better for me.  By sheer coincidence the DNRS move this year to more memoir and creative non-fiction arrived in the wake of my second memoir.  Here are Seven Secrets to this genre I discovered at the conference, and a few more tips – including some of my own.

Have you ever wondered what happens at DNRS conference weekend behind the vastness of Old Main?  The answer is simple:  invaluable guidelines on writing prose, demonstrations on how to write memorable dialog, lists of quality books to read, demonstrations on editing, thoughts on seeing images clearly to enhance descriptions, encouragement about being critiqued, and so much more.  I learned too that I must show immersion in my memoir and fine tune my writing with some fictional techniques.

The positive and upbeat attitude of the faculty reinforced for me that there is a place for all writers in this writing life.  Here is an elaboration of my notes on memoir from that weekend.

 

Be Open to New Ideas

The most important thing you can capture in your research is how to process your memoir.  Start with little chunks.  Write from memory, from interviews, from reflections on old photos and revisited conversations.  I write with fierce abandon initially and use these prompting methods.  This plan allows me to enjoy building my story.  Start with rhetorical questions you can come back to periodically.  With a journal I find “morning pages” helpful.  Try these:

  • What am I willing to share?
  • What if?
  • Who will I tell?
  • How will I tell it?
  • How will I get to the truth?
  • Who tells me not to share my story?
  • Do I own it?
  • Is my story too dangerous to tell now?
  • Am I willing to journal first and then share?

 

Live the Whole Truth

Remember this is your version of the truth.  Write for a sense of discovery too.  You do not need a timeline and are not limited to just what happened.  Your philosophy about these experiences, and your lessons learned, are valuable parts of your memoir.  You are the expert and have wisdom and knowledge in many areas.

Do not be afraid of your truth and lose your power.  Do not change your story.  Remember your truth is stronger than fiction.  There is power in your honesty.  Take an unflinching look at your life and your experiences to catapult your work to a new level.  Do not be afraid to step out of memoir to fiction if you want to experiment with your stories, but be sure you do not lose what you want to say.

I feel freer in my second memoir than with the first.  It is an unbelievable experience for me to tell my truth about the violence and trauma in my story and have the encouragement I have received from my critique group.

 

The Seven Secrets

  1. When you tell
    1. Take time to contemplate that decision and be sure you are ready.
    2. Allow the distance you need from a traumatic event or the insight required for a galvanizing experience.  Do not portray yourself as the victim.   I waited five years with my first memoir due to grief and loss and 10 years with the second one due to post-traumatic stress recovery from violence.
    3. Step back and give the story and experience time to blossom into something that is worth sharing.
  2. How you tell
    1. Be sure the voice you choose is the best voice for the story.
    2. Consider your voice as a child or that of another family member or as the narrator.  I prefer first person as I feel that is my strongest voice and critical to my success.
  3. What sequence you use
    1. Look at the big picture and analyze your stories thoroughly.  A chronological format is not the best way to go with your memoir.  You need a hook in the beginning and an arc where the change takes place.
    2. Get the reader in quickly to the intensity of the prose.  My assault story leads in detail to my second memoir to advocate for women who have experienced violence.
  4. Where you end the breadth and span of time
    1. Remember a memoir is about a particular event or time in your life.  We can write many memoirs.  I am writing a second one now.  When asked what genre I write I respond with memoir and non-fiction.
    2. Memoir is not a life history or biography in chronological order.
  5. What amount of backstory you need to use
    1. Avoid the pitfall of being too close to the material and not seeing the flaws in your thinking or the unimportant items in your stories.
    2. Consider the areas of your past that are lessons learned.  Use events that have shaped who you are and what you are about to complement the points you are making with your memoir.
    3. Intersperse them in your main theme as threads.  I have used my past trauma and violence survival to show patterns, and my walk through recovery to show hope.  I view my life from many angles.
  6. Who is involved in your storyline
    1.  Acknowledge you understand others can help bind the work.
    2. Be able to forgive and look at the lessons learned.  With my second book on assault and survival with violent crime, I had a lot to forgive.  I address forgiveness in my spiritual journey chapter.
  7. Why you select a particular structure
    1. Write your memoir/ non-fiction in your unique way.  Invite your readers inside the story with a gripping theme to help move it along.
    2. Consider using quotes and other materials.  We have the experience in these incidents and we are the expert on the topic.  We have a right to tell our stories and see ourselves in our own light.
    3. Take your theme throughout the book and thread your ideas to keep it a page turner.  In my second book it is the PTS issue from violence and my spiritual transformation in recovery from PTS that sets it apart.

 

When Family is Involved

It is important to note that everyone reacts differently to physical descriptions of themselves.  So many of us fear the secrets that we know exist in our families and in our lives.  I know I did, but I also knew that the truth would set me free. I had to describe the enemy the way he was and not fear retaliation.  I had to tell my truth about love addiction and abuse.

Often, on so many levels, we are in denial of what happened in our lives.  Sibling rivalry does exist.  It is usually not seen because we are in the middle of the competition and it is all that we know.  This can be good fodder for a memoir.  Most family members want to be portrayed as a hero.  This writing at times is going to be difficult, so just do your best.

Your imagination can fail you, so tell your story true to you.  Do not be concerned about bitterness and anger, just confess what you know and forgive yourself and others along the way.  There will be a moral imperative – somebody was deeply wronged somewhere in your family history.  That may be the story to tell.  Give yourself permission to tell it from your perspective.

Inciting events need to be in your story.  Consider fictional techniques such as scene and dialogue, plot and setting descriptions to enhance your work.  Go deep to bring them to us in memoir form.  Have empathy for all the characters and add some humor in there too.  Remember, you are not the victim of your story.

Now that you have moved away to write and given yourself some space and permission, tell the story and share the experiences the way you want to give us your work.  Be the heroine or hero in your pain or joy and triumph in the end.  Write with your mind and your heart.  Ask yourself what voice leads your truth.  Good luck and happy writing.

It is with much gratitude I say thank you to both Marylee MacDonald (http://members.authorsguild.net/mlmacdonald/index.htm ) and Bhira Blackhaus (www.underthelemontrees.com) for their generosity as speakers at this conference.  I have shared some of their ideas in this piece.  I appreciate the insights they gave and the opportunities they offered us.  We learned from them.

 

Patricia L. Brooks, author, speaker, consultant, educator

patricia@plbrooks.com 480-250-5556

www.blog.brooksgoldmannpublishing.com

 

Filed Under: Blogroll, conferences, Memoir, memoir writing workshop, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: ASU writing workshops, books, Desert Nights Rising Stars, Marylee MacDonald, memoir writing, memoir writing workshops, women writers, writing memoirs

Scottsdale Society of Women Writers – Welcome Virginia Nosky and 50 Shades of Hot!

October 13, 2012 by patricia

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS

Welcomes Virginia Nosky, an award
winning author as speaker with her talk on 50 Shades of HOT!

October 24, 2012

WHO: Scottsdale Society of Women Writers

WHAT: Monthly Speaker/Dinner Meeting

WHERE:
Chaparral Suites Resort, 5001 N, Scottsdale Rd. NE corner – Enter off Chaparral Rd – 4th
Floor Grill entrance, then left to the Cactus Room

WHEN:          October 24th Wed. 5:30-7:30

HOW: PLEASE RSVP now to Patricia L. Brooks, president/founder

Cell 480-250-5556
or patricia@plbrooks.com See Details Below

WHY: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers
gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an
opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with
businesses relating to writing, publishing, camaraderie and support.

Bio – VIRGINIA NOSKY – Virginia Nosky has published seven novels. Blue
Turquoise, White Shell
won the Independent Publishers Gold Medal in 2009
and the Arizona Authors Association Glyph Awards for Best Novel, Best
Multicultural Novel, and Best of Arizona.2012 novels are The Fall from
Paradise Valley
and To a Certain Degree. Her poetry and short stories
have appeared in several anthologies. White River a sequel to Blue Turquoise, White Shell will be published in January of 2013.

She lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona with husband Richard, golden retriever Barkis and Lab Peaches.

Visit her website: www.virginianosky.com

YouTube trailer for The Fall from Paradise Valley

Presentation – FIFTY SHADES OF HOT – As the title of Virginia Nosky’s workshop suggests, the intensity of love and sex scenes is all over the map. The writer’s audience expects a certain amount of heat, from mild to blazing hot and many degrees in between. She delves into the biology and games of the man/woman attraction and its escalation, and looks at directions the
writer can go to satisfy the reader’s expectations and, not to forget, those of the characters in the story. Nosky also stresses that writing sweetly-warm to volcanic-hot romantic scenes is as much fun for the writer as it is for the reader and the characters involved in those Fifty Shades of Heat.

See notes below for dinner fees, format and location directions.  Thank you.

MENU:  Salad, dessert, beverage and roll or a sandwich/soup, dessert, beverage and roll. Both with tax and gratuity included – make your choice the night of the meeting.

COST: $22.00 for members – $25.00 for guests

CHECKS:  Please make check payable to Scottsdale
Society of Women Writers prior to coming to the meeting to save time at the check-in table.  Thank you.

CHECK-IN:  Please check-in between 5:15 and 5:45.  The meeting starts promptly at 6:00.  Leave your check made payable to SSWW.  All those attending the meeting must pay for
the dinner/room/speaker.  Pick up your name badge – thank you and ENJOY!

AGENDA:  The agendas will be on the dinner table – always a lot of good INFO for you.

DIRECTIONS:Chaparral Suites is in Scottsdale at Chaparral Rd just north of Old Town.  Chaparral Rd has a light.  Parking is in the rear – two large parking lots.  Note: best to enter from the middle elevator for the 4th Floor Grille.

From the 101 freeway exit Chaparral Rd and go west.  Just prior to Scottsdale Rd enter the side
drive at 4th Floor Grille – take that elevator.  Note awning marked 4th Floor Grille.  This is the easiest way in – NOT  through the main lobby.  The larger parking lots are in the back of the complex.

Goals of the Group

Value all the professional women writers seeking to
share their expertise

  • Honor all genres and all forms of professional writing
  • Attend monthly meetings  to move the group and its members forward
  • Learn and share in the experiences of monthly professional speakers
  • Grow the group to a membership of active and contributing women
  • Encourage participation by members as presenters, mentors, judges and volunteers
  • Support and challenge each other to always be writing
  • Help members to stretch as writers and reach lofty personal goals
  • Have fun, meet trustworthy women writers, share dreams

Filed Under: AZ Authors Association, AZ BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOC, Blogroll, business consultation, new fiction, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: 50 Shades of Hot, books, books and marketing, editing, mystery, publishing, romance novels, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, Virginia Nosky, women, women writers, write, writers, writing

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS welcomes Syd Hoffman to speak July 25th

June 30, 2012 by patricia

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS

Welcomes Syd Hoffman, author, speaker and wellness guru to the July 25th Meeting!

WHO: Scottsdale Society of Women Writers

WHAT: Monthly Speaker/Dinner Meeting

WHERE: Chaparral Suites Resort, 5001 N, Scottsdale Rd. at Chaparral Rd light, NE corner – Enter off Chaparral Rd – 4th Floor Grill entrance, then left to the Cactus Room

WHEN:          JULY 25th Wed. 5:30-7:30 – Sizzle in our Summer Season!

WHY: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with businesses relating to writing, publishing, camaraderie and support.

SPEAKER: SYD HOFFMAN www.sydhoffman.com

Syd Hoffman has motivated and inspired people on five continents to create a lifetime of healthy living, one step at a time.  She shares her enthusiasm via her media appearances, retreats, and wellness coaching.

People who know Syd describe her as having “boundless energy.”
She reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro at age 50 and is off to tackle the Swiss Alps in September at age 55.  Her self-published book “All-Day Energy: 100 Ways to Boost Your
Energy…Now!” was honored in the San Francisco Book Festival.

Presentation:
Seven Secrets of Successful Self-Published Authors … How to Get Publicity Inexpensively

Best-selling author Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul) says “If you publish your book and don’t market it, it’s like having a baby and leaving it at someone else’s doorstep to
raise.”

Syd will share unique, insightful ways you can gain publicity for your self-published book.  Her book, All-Day Energy: 100 Ways to Boost Your Energy…Now!  was published on
April 11, 2012.  Over the past  three months, Syd has given six live
presentations and spoken on over three dozen radio shows. She has arranged
three television appearances and is organizing the First Annual Arizona
Conference for Women on Sept 8th.  Her goal is to discuss adding zip to your step with Dr. Oz and to do lunges with Kathy and Hoda on The Today Show.

HOW: PLEASE – RSVP now to Patricia L. Brooks, president/founder

Cell 480-250-5556 or patricia@plbrooks.com See Details Below

See notes below for dinner fees, format and location directions.  Thank you.

MENU:  Salad, dessert, beverage and roll or a sandwich/soup, dessert, beverage and roll. Both with tax and gratuity included – make your choice the night of the meeting.

COST: $22.00 for members – $25.00 for guests (ableto visit twice before joining)

CHECKS:  Please make check payable to Scottsdale Society of Women Writers prior to
coming to the meeting to save time at the check-in table.  Thank you.

CHECK-IN:  Please check-in between 5:15 and 5:45.  The meeting starts promptly at 6:00. Leave your check made payable to SSWW.  All those attending the meeting must pay for
the dinner/room/speaker.  Pick up your name badge – thank you and ENJOY!

AGENDA:  The agendas will be on the dinner table – always a lot of good INFO for you.

DIRECTIONS:
Chaparral Suites is in Scottsdale at Chaparral Rd just north of Old Town.  Chaparral Rd has a light.  Parking is in the rear – two large parking lots.

Note: best to enter from the middle elevator for the 4th Floor Grille.

From the 101 freeway exit Chaparral Rd and go west.  Just prior to Scottsdale Rd enter the side
drive at 4th Floor Grille – take that elevator.  Note awning marked 4th Floor Grille.  This is the easiest way in – NOT through the main lobby.  The larger parking lots are in the back of the complex.

Goals of the Group

Value all the professional women writers seeking to
share their expertise

  • Honor all genres and all forms of professional
    writing
  • Attend monthly meetings  to move the group and its members
    forward
  • Learn and share in the experiences of monthly
    professional speakers
  • Grow the group to a membership of active and
    contributing women
  • Encourage participation by members as presenters,
    mentors, judges and volunteers
  • Support and challenge each other to always be
    writing
  • Help members to stretch as writers and reach lofty
    personal goals
  • Have fun,
    meet trustworthy women writers, share dreams

Filed Under: AZ Authors Association, Blogroll, business consultation, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, self-help books, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: authors, books, energize yourself, non-fiction books, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, speaker on energy, sseven secrets to energy, Syd Hoffman, wellness, wellness coach, women, women writers, writers, writing

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS welcomes Melissa Pritchard – award winning novelist and biographer as speaker for June 27th, 2012

June 15, 2012 by patricia

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS
Welcomes Melissa Pritchard – award winning author and biographer of Virginia G. Piper to the June 27th Meeting!

WHO: Scottsdale Society of Women Writers

WHAT: Monthly Speaker/Dinner Meeting

WHERE: Chaparral Suites Resort, 5001 N, Scottsdale Rd. at Chaparral Rd light, NE corner – Enter off Chaparral Rd – 4th Floor Grill entrance, then left to the Cactus Room

WHEN:          JUNE 27th Wed. 5:30-7:30 – Celebrate the Summer Writing Season!

WHY: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with businesses relating to writing, publishing, camaraderie and support.

SPEAKER:  Melissa Pritchard www.melissapritchard.com

Melissa Pritchard is the author of seven books of fiction and a biography. A recipient of the Flannery O’Connor and Carl Sandburg Awards, multiple Pushcart and O. Henry Prizes, and an NEA grant along with other fellowships, she teaches at Arizona State University.  She has published fiction and non-fiction widely, including in The Paris Review, O, the Oprah Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, The Southern Review, The Gettysburg Review and Conjunctions. Her website and long bio are at www.melissapritchard.com

“The Writer as Curator, Witness,  Diviner”  An exploration of three major areas writers address in their work…the past, the present and the future.  As human beings, we long to
remember our history, as social creatures in local and global communities, we
are called to bear witness to the present, and as spiritual seekers or pilgrims
of spirit, we often find ourselves writing from a mysterious place of
prescience and prediction.  I will address these three fertile areas for writers, offering examples from contemporary American fiction.

HOW: PLEASE – RSVP now to Patricia L. Brooks, president/founder

Cell 480-250-5556 or patricia@plbrooks.com See Details Below

See notes below for dinner fees, format and location directions.  Thank you.

MENU:  Salad, dessert, beverage and roll or a sandwich/soup, dessert, beverage and roll – both with tax and gratuity included – make your choice the night of the meeting.

COST: $22.00 for members – $25.00 for guests (able to visit twice before joining)

CHECKS:  Please make check payable to Scottsdale Society of Women Writers prior to
coming to the meeting to save time at the check-in table.  Thank you.

CHECK-IN:  Please check-in between 5:15 and 5:45 at the door, the meeting starts promptly at 6:00.  Leave your check made payable to SSWW.  All those attending the meeting must pay for
the dinner/room/speaker.  Pick up your name badge – thank you!

AGENDA:  The agendas will be on the dinner table and the format remains the same.

DIRECTIONS: Chaparral Suites is in Scottsdale at Chaparral Rd just north of Fashion Square
Mall – Chaparral Rd has a light.  Parking is in the rear – two large parking lots Note: best to enter from the middle elevator for the 4th Floor Grille.

From the 101 freeway exit Chaparral Rd and go west.  Just prior to Scottsdale Rd enter the side
drive at 4th Floor Grille and come up that elevator.  There is an awning marked 4th
Floor Grille.  This is the easiest way in – not through the lobby.  The parking
lots are in the back of the complex.

Goals of the Group

Value all the professional women writers seeking to
share their expertise

  • Honor all genres and all forms of professional
    writing
  • Attend monthly meetings  to move the group and its members
    forward
  • Learn and share in the experiences of monthly
    professional speakers
  • Grow the group to a membership of active and
    contributing women
  • Encourage participation by members as presenters,
    mentors, judges and volunteers
  • Support and challenge each other to always be
    writing
  • Help members to stretch as writers and reach lofty
    personal goals
  • Have fun,  meet trustworthy women writers, share dreams

Filed Under: AZ Authors Association, Blogroll, business consultation, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: Arizona State University Creative Writing Program, authors, biographers, books, editing, editors, Melissa Pritchard, novelists, publishing, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, Virginia G. Piper, women writers, writers, writing

A YEAR IN ITALY: A Perfect Fit for a Love Story – book review

May 16, 2012 by patricia

Cover_PaperbackHTEO

At first glance there seems to be a simple connection between the suggestive yet simple title of Susan Pohlman’s memoir Halfway to Each Other and the breathlessly gorgeous visions we ave
of Italy, but that would be wrong.  The story is so much more.

How a year in Italy brought our family home is enticing and alluring as the sub-title.  The photo
of a weathered red door gracing the cover easily brings us through the entry of
this European lifestyle.

 

Within the pages of this memoir Pohlman is a glorious romantic yet a sensible realist about her marital situation and the risks of leaving her California life behind to live a year in Italy.  A place she and her husband have only known as a beautiful spot for a business conference.

For a year she seamlessly blends the practical side of her life with the beauty of this Italian seaside village they call home by sharing her many stories of courage and hope.
The memoir’s real life back story is as arresting as the one we want to create
about our own possible life there.

The words on the pages are inspired by the love between the author’s four family members who leave Los Angeles County for a place almost unknown to them for an adventure of a lifetime.
That’s the gem of the idea that Pohlman nurtures in her imagination and in real life.

She maintains a journal like email trail by corresponding with her girlfriends in LA about her family’s Italian escapades, but eventually keeps these emails private to produce this journal like memoir.  She is generously writing and begins the outline of the book.

Halfway to Each Other begins in Italy with Pohlman and her husband on a business trip.  She is
contemplating a divorce from him as she is very discouraged and unhappy with the way their life has gone along.  They begin to talk one evening about the possibility of taking a year off from that life while the seaside village where they are staying romances them.

This is also the end of the story of Pohlman and her family’s demanding pace in Los Angeles.  They have come to a fateful bend in the freeway.  When her husband Tim agrees that night at
sunset over a glass of wine that they should go to Italy and live off their savings to find what they have lost they begin ever so slightly to mend their wounds. Their children accept the move at different levels and add a lot to the story.

Pohlman will not know until a chance meeting near their little seaside village apartment that some very wonderful Italian people, now their new neighbors, will change their lives and become forever some of their most loyal friends.

What transpires is a classic expatriate’s success story transcending the commonplace because of the Pohlmans great love for each other as a family and the author’s determination to make it work.

For Pohlman and her husband, as well as their two children of impressionable age, an emergence occurs for them as individuals.  As family time travels for them at a new and
slower pace.  We are allowed to enjoy their journey.

Theirs is a love so big that Pohlman gives up her constant questioning of herself and her marriage and eventually fully embraces her new life with all the lessons, challenges and opportunities it has to offer.

Like other adventure pieces that capture our imagination Hallway to Each Other is built around
the unique cultural and social mores of an Old World country.  I fell in love with Italy while reading these pages and learned a lot about it in this memoir due to the quality of the
editing.

A sampling of European immigrants that changed our country’s look and landscape at one time in our history is beautifully portrayed here.  This book is a great lesson in
that history and an appreciation of the beauty of the Old Country too.

You don’t need to have an immigrant family history to adore the other characters in this book, but you will value Pohlman’s descriptions and dialogue just the same.  She does an
outstanding job endearing their Italian friends and neighbors to us.

You need only a deep appreciation for exquisite writing as this is a story enriched by
the power of abiding love.  I highly recommend this memoir as a cozy summer beach read for 2012.

 

Filed Under: AZ Authors Association, Blogroll, Book Reviews, business consultation, memoir writing workshop, PUBLISHING PICKS, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: authors, books, Italy, marketing books, marriage and family, memoir, publishiing, relationships, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, susan pohlman, women writers, writing

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS welcomes Carol Elisabeth Test as speaker

May 16, 2012 by patricia

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS

Welcomes Carol Elizabeth Test editor extraordinaire to their May meeting on the 30th!

WHO: Scottsdale Society of Women Writers

WHAT: Monthly Speaker/Dinner Meeting

WHERE: Chaparral Suites Resort, 5001 N, Scottsdale Rd. at Chaparral Rd light, NE corner -nter
off Chaparral Rd – 4th Floor Grill entrance, then left to the Cactus Room

WHEN:          May 30th Wed 5:30-7:30 – Celebrate the Summer Writing Season!

WHY: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with businesses relating to writing, publishing, camaraderie and support.

SPEAKR:  Carol ElizabethTest

Carol Test earnedher MFA in creative writing at the University of Arizona in 2005. Formerly editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Sonora Review, Carol currently teaches creative writing at Phoenix College and coaches Valley writers on fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. Her award-winning fiction has appeared in Swink, Night Train, Red Rock Review, The Normal School and Other Voices:  Journal of the Literary and Visual Arts,among others.  Her debut collection, THE WEST IN YOU, was a Finalist for The Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction.Visit her at www.caroltest.net.

Presentation – “Fictionalizing the Factual”

As writers, we’re asked to trick readers into thinking they’re seeing real life, life made more meaningful. Join Carol Test, fiction writer, coach and Phoenix College Creative Writing
Instructor as she presents step-by-step techniques for fictionalizing factual
events, from determining necessary authorial distance to drawing readers’ eyes
to the details that add up to “story”.   Perfect for novelists, memoirists and anyone who wishes to write from real life.

HOW: PLEASE – RSVP now to Patricia L. Brooks,president/founder

Cell 480-250-5556 or patricia@plbrooks.com See Details Below

See notes below for dinner fees, format and location directions.  Thank you.

MENU:  Salad, dessert, beverage and roll or a sandwich/soup, dessert, beverage and roll – both with tax and gratuity included – make your choice the night of the meeting.

COST: $22.00 for members – $25.00 for guests (able to visit twice before joining)

CHECKS:  Please make check payable to Scottsdale Society of Women Writers prior to
coming to the meeting to save time at the check-in table.  Thank you.

CHECK-IN:  Please check-in between 5:15 and 5:45 at the door, the meeting starts promptly at 6:00.  Leave your check made payable to SSWW.  All those attending the meeting must pay for
the dinner/room/speaker.  Pick up your name badge – thank you!

AGENDA:  The agendas will be on the dinner table and the format remains the same.

DIRECTIONS:
Chaparral Suites is in Scottsdale at Chaparral Rd just north of Fashion Square Mall – Chaparral Rd has a light.  Parking is in the rear – two large parking lots Note: best to enter from the middle elevator for the 4th Floor Grille.

From the 101 freeway exit Chaparral Rd and go west.  Just prior to Scottsdale Rd enter the side
drive at 4th Floor Grille and come up that elevator.  There is an awning marked 4th
Floor Grille.  This is the easiest way in – not through the lobby.  The parking
lots are in the back of the complex.

Goals of the Group

Value all the professional women writers seeking to
share their expertise

  • Honor all genres and all forms of professional
    writing
  • Attend monthly meetings  to move the group and its members
    forward
  • Learn and share in the experiences of monthly
    professional speakers
  • Grow the group to a membership of active and
    contributing women
  • Encourage participation by members as presenters,
    mentors, judges and volunteers
  • Support and challenge each other to always be
    writing
  • Help members to stretch as writers and reach lofty
    personal goals
  • Have fun,
    meet trustworthy women writers, share dreams

Filed Under: Blogroll, business consultation, PUBLISHING PICKS, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: authors, books, Carol Elisabeth Test, creative fiction, editing expert, poems, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, women writers, writers, writing, writing tips

Scottsdale Society of Women Writers welcomes Betty Webb to speak April 25th!

April 6, 2012 by patricia

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS
Welcomes Award winning Scottsdale Mystery Author
Betty Webb of the Lena Jones series to the April Meeting!
WHO: Scottsdale Society of Women Writers
WHAT: Monthly Speaker/Dinner Meeting
WHERE: Chaparral Suites Resort, 5001 N, Scottsdale Rd. at Chaparral Rd light, NE corner – Enter off Chaparral Rd – 4th Floor Grill entrance, then left to the Cactus Room
WHEN:          APRIL 25th Wed 5:30-7:30 – Celebrate – Tax Season is Over!
WHY: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with businesses relating to writing and publishing, and camaraderie and support.
HOW:             PLEASE – RSVP now to Patricia L. Brooks, president/founder Cell 480-250-5556
or patricia@plbrooks.com See Details Below
Betty Webb
April 25th Speaker – Betty is the author of the prize-winning Lena Jones
mystery series and a reviewer & columnist for Mystery Scene Magazine. Her
books have been given rave reviews by the New York Times, Chicago Tribune,
Publishers Weekly, etc. Before beginning to write full time, she was a
journalist, interviewing everyone from U.S. presidents, astronauts who walked
on the moon, and Nobel Prize winners.
Talk: Betty will discuss d ep personal beliefs can enhance your writing, not only in non-fiction, but in fiction, too. To do so, she draws parallels between her journalism  experience and the plots of her 11 novels — all published by “traditional” mainstream presses to great critical acclaim. She will also share how she got the idea for a book she’s writing for her first self-published digital book experience (and its funny!).
Betty Webb author of DESERT
WIND, starred review in Publishers Weekly
http://www.facebook.com/l/SAQGE5EonAQHb5f2O5MMxSWukDWuYdtuKl3WJMvBxf3NpUQ/www.bettywebb-mystery.com
Follow me on Twitter @bettywebb
See notes below for dinner fees, format and location directions.  Thank you.
MENU:  Salad, dessert, beverage and roll or a sandwich/soup, dessert, beverage and roll – both with tax and gratuity included – make your choice the night of the meeting.
COST: $22.00 for members – $25.00 for guests (able to visit twice before joining)
CHECKS:  Please make check payable to Scottsdale Society of Women Writers prior to
coming to the meeting to save time at the check-in table.  Thank you.
CHECK-IN:  Please check-in between 5:15 and 5:45 at the door, the meeting starts promptly at 6:00.  Leave your check made payable to SSWW.  All those attending the meeting must pay for
the dinner/room/speaker.  Pick up your name badge – thank you!
AGENDA:  The agendas will be on the dinner table and the format remains the same.
DIRECTIONS:
Chaparral Suites is in Scottsdale at Chaparral Rd just north of Fashion Square Mall – Chaparral Rd has a light.  Parking is in the rear – two large parking lots Note: best to enter from the middle
elevator for the 4th Floor Grille.
From the 101 freeway exit Chaparral Rd and go west.  Just prior to Scottsdale Rd enter the side
drive at 4th Floor Grille and come up that elevator.  There is an awning marked 4th Floor Grille.  This is the easiest way in – not through the lobby.  The parking lots are in the back of the complex.
Goals of the Group
  • Value all the professional women writers seeking to
    share their expertise
  • Honor all genres and all forms of professional
    writing
  • Attend monthly meetings  to move the group and its members
    forward
  • Learn and share in the experiences of monthly
    professional speakers
  • Grow the group to a membership of active and
    contributing women
  • Encourage participation by members as presenters,
    mentors, judges and volunteers
  • Support and challenge each other to always be
    writing
  • Help members to stretch as writers and reach lofty
    personal goals
  • Have fun,
    meet trustworthy women writers, share dreams

Filed Under: AZ Authors Association, new fiction, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: authors, betty webb, books, characters in your book, Desert Wind, editing, fictioin, journalists, Lena Jones Series, mystery writer, Poinsoned Pen Bookstore, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, Scottsdale writers, writers, writing

Scottsdale Society of Women Writers invites Jan Holmes Frost to speak Feb 19th

February 20, 2012 by patricia

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS

Welcomes editor/author/speaker to Feb “Leap” Meeting!

WHO: Scottsdale Society of Women Writers and Jan Holmes Frost

WHAT: Monthly Speaker/Dinner Meeting

WHERE: Chaparral Suites Resort, 5001 N, Scottsdale Rd. at Chaparral Rd light, NE corner – Enter off Chaparral Rd – 4th Floor Grill entrance, take elevator, exit 4th floor, left to the Cactus Room

WHEN: Feb 29th Wed 5:30-7:30 – Celebrate your “Leap” with us!

WHY: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with businesses relating to writing and publishing, and camaraderie and support.

HOW:             PLEASE – RSVP now to Patricia L. Brooks, president/founder

Cell 480-250-5556 or patricia@plbrooks.com See Details Below

SPEAKER:  Jan Holmes Frost janholmesfrost@gmail.com and

www.janholmesfrost.com

How Important Are Your First 100 Words?

They are your sales pitch, your resume, they welcome the reader into the story, or they are a dismal disappointment.

What elements are key to grabbing a reader, or agent or publisher’s attention?

How can you develop an enticing through-line in one or two sentences?

What does your first sentence reveal?

In this Workshop/Discussion you’ll learn the answers, and more.

Jan Holmes Frost received her education in Boston, MA. She is the author of EightThings You Need to Know to Write a Novel and has taught workshops in Texas, Arizona and Colorado, and at the Central California Writer’s Conference.  She works as a managing editor for Fireship Press of Tucson, and also does freelance editing. Her novel, Without Sanctions, a
techno-thriller, is due to be released in early 2012.

notes below for dinner fees, format and location directions.  Thank you.

MENU:  Salad, dessert, beverage and roll or a sandwich/soup, dessert, beverage and roll – both with tax and gratuity included – make your choice the night of the meeting.

COST: $22.00 for members – $25.00 for guests (able to visit twice before joining)

CHECKS:  Please make check payable to Scottsdale Society of Women Writers prior to coming to the meeting to save time at the check-in table.  Thank you.

CHECK-IN:  Please check-in between 5:15 and 5:45 at the table at the door, the meeting starts promptly at 6:00 – thank you.

(1) Leave your check made payable to SSWW

(2) All those attending the meeting must pay for the dinner/room/speaker

(3)Have your name checked off the RSVP list and Pick-up your name badge

AGENDA:  The agendas will be on the dinner table and the format remains the same.

DIRECTIONS: Chaparral Suites is in Scottsdale at Chaparral Rd just north of Fashion Square Mall – Chaparral Rd has a light.  Parking is in the rear – two large parking lots Note: best to enter from the middle elevator for the 4th Floor Grille.  From the 101 freeway exit Chaparral Rd and go west.  Just prior to Scottsdale Rd enter the side drive at 4th Floor Grille and come up that levator.  There is an awning marked 4th Floor Grille.  This is the easiest way
– not through the lobby.  The parking lots are in the back of the complex.

Goals of the Group

Value all the professional women writers seeking to
share their expertise

  • Honor all genres and all forms of professional
    writing
  • Attend monthly meetings  to move the group and its members
    forward
  • Learn and share in the experiences of monthly
    professional speakers
  • Grow the group to a membership of active and
    contributing women
  • Encourage participation by members as presenters,
    mentors, judges and volunteers
  • Support and challenge each other to always be
    writing
  • Help members to stretch as writers and reach lofty
    personal goals
  • Have fun,  meet trustworthy women writers, share dreams

 

THANK YOU for
your interest in our group!

Filed Under: AZ Authors Association, AZ BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOC, Blogroll, business consultation, new fiction, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, Uncategorized, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: articles, authors, books, books and manuscripts, editing, first draft, Jan Holms Frost, manuscript, publish, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, women writers, writer, writing, writing club, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU

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Welcome!

CUT-OFF Noon Friday before – March 21!

MEETING MARCH 25th, 2020

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS

SSWW monthly dinner/speaker meeting

Speaker: VIJAYA SCHARTZ

Join us and RSVP now!

Location:  Starfire Golf Club, 11500 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ


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