Newsletter May 9, 2012

An Exciting New Partnership for PRWC!

Our big exciting news for this newsletter is that the Powell River Writers Conference is now under the umbrella of the Powell River Academy of Arts! The executive is thrilled with this development as it means we have the services of the Academy staff to help support the work of the Conference. Events will have a permanent venue and a larger presence in the arts community. Our first event to take place there will be the Annual General Meeting scheduled for May 23 at 7 p.m.

Annual General Meeting

The Board of Directors is hoping that the AGM will be well attended by enthusiastic people energized by our new partnership. There are still vacancies on the Board of Directors. Wanted, willing people with excellent organizational, and communication skills to step into positions of leadership. Training and support are always available. 2013 will be an exciting year with new directions explored. The future is wide open with many ideas for PRWC activities floating out there, some of which will be groomed to presentation. People with paid up memberships are eligible to vote. Please come May 23 for the AGM, volunteer for the board, and be part of an exciting new era for Powell River Writers Conference.

Contact President Jennifer Salisbury at  604-485-0564 or Membership and Treasurer Barb Rees at 604-485-2732

Newsletter April 2012  

 Calling all Writers and Readers

       A Writers’ Social is being held on Saturday April 14 at the Baptist Church foyer, 1 – 4 pm.  This is a casual meet and greet for authors and readers to talk about writing and the art of books. Local authors are available for questions about the writing process. There will be an open mic at 3 – 4 pm where everyone is welcome to read from their work. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is by donation. A used book table will collect donations for the Patricia Theatre project. A door prize of a bundle of books will go to some lucky participant. So come and enjoy an afternoon with local writers and maybe find inspiration to go home and write, write, write.

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 Membership

            It’s membership time again. For $10 you can become a voting member of the Powell River Writers’ Conference and be able to have your personal profile as a writer on our website. Go to the website for membership forms. The AGM is coming up on May 23, 2012 and the society is looking for new board members. If you ‘d like to make a difference through PRWC in the writing community, consider putting your name forth. Contact Barb: 604-485-2732 or Jennifer: 604-485-0564

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 Congratulations to the Sassyscribe writing group for 10 years of continuous writing. Eighteen members celebrated at a luncheon at Yiama’s Taverna where some old friendships were renewed. Long may you write! For information on joining this writing group Call Barb at 604-485-2732.

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Retreat 2 Write

Enjoy a day of playing with words. Learn about:

>>     Block Busters

>>     Enlightening exercises

>>    Hot Hooks

>>   Mind mapping

>>   Self-publishing scenarios

Delight in quiet time to write. Be inspired by fellow writers. This is your day. This is your gift to your writing dreams. Space is limited to 12 attendees.

9:30 a.m – 5:00 p.m, May 5/12, downstairs at 4363 Westview Ave. Powell River, BC

 Fee includes: All sessions, one-on-one time with Barb, handouts, snacks and lunch. Paid registrations by April 21: $75. April 22- May 3 deadline: $85.

 Send registration and cheque payable to LoveToGo Writing to:

#14-7624 Duncan St., Powell River, BC, V8A 5L2.

 For more information contact: Barb Rees

Phone: 604-485-2732

dreambg1@shaw.ca

www.write2dream.com

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Writers Boot Camp

The idea’s been with you a long time. You’ve even written some of it down. But so far, your Great Canadian Classic is just a pile of paper in a drawer or a file on your computer hard drive.

Boot Camp for Authors is your chance to put some muscle in your writing.  Learn how to edit your work, create a plan for finishing your book and explore publishing options. The retreat includes dynamic group sessions, a private consultation and time to write. Limited enrollment means lots of personal attention. 

Join award-winning writer Paula Wild at Sea Watch Cabins on Nootka Island in May or at the Courtenay Museum’s Capes Escape in July. For Powell River Writers only, early registration deadline for May retreat extended to April 28. 

 For more information, visit www.paulawild.ca/workshops or contact Paula at paulawild@shaw.ca or 250-338-7740.

As a freelance writer, Paula has worked for various educational, corporate and government agencies such as the Museum of Civilization, BC Ferries, the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy and the Comox Valley Airport Commission.

Paula shares her writing skills and knowledge with others at Boot Camp for Authors and also works with individuals as a writing coach and mentor. Her latest book, The Cougar: Beautiful, Wild & Dangerous will be released by Harbour Publishing the fall of 2013.

To find out more about Paula visit www.paulawild.ca. For stories, tips and insight into the writing life check out www.paulawild.ca/blog.

February 2012

Writer’s Social

Mark your calendars for the April 14th Powell River Writers Conference Writer’s Social. All writers, closet writers and would-be writers are invited to an informal gathering in the foyer of the Westview Baptist Church, 1:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m. Schmooze with other writers, ask questions or discuss your work in progress. An open mic from 3:00- 4:00 p.m provides the opportunity to hear the work of local authors, maybe even yours. Come and join the writing community at this casual venue. Light refreshments. Door prize. Admission by donation.

 
Membership Renewals 
It’s that time again when we pledge support of our Writers Conference with a $10 membership renewal. Membership allows voting at the AGM and other perks. Membership forms are now in the mail or can be downloaded from the website.

 
New Board members
The PRWC is looking for enthusiastic new Board members. All you need is an interest in writing. We are currently in need of a treasurer. If you would like to join us and help plan writers’ events for our community, contact: Jennifer Salisbury: jennifer @platinumbusinessdevelopments.com or Barb Rees: dreambg1@shaw.ca

 
 Kudos to Charlotte Gill, nominee for the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-fiction.

Powell River writer Charlotte Gill has received the honour of being nominated for the Charles Taylor Prize for literary non-fiction. Our congratulations go out to Charlotte who is a prize winning short-story author (Ladykiller, 2005). An excerpt from her nominated work, Eating Dirt: Deep Forest, Big Timber and Life with the Tree- Planting Tribe, can be found in the February 13, 2012 issue of Macleans.

 
Sassyscribes Writer’s Group 10th Anniversary Party

In 2002 three writers decided to meet on a monthly basis for the sake of mutual encouragement. Over the years, the group has done more than encourage …which it is does a superb job of doing. It has produced published authors, free-lance writers, and been a main supporter for PRWC. March 15, Sassyscribes will hold a 10th anniversary party at “Yiamas Taverna,” formerly known as Westview Pizza. If you ever attended their meetings, please join them for this milestone in their history at 11:30-1:30 p.m. Menu items must be pre-ordered so please contact Barb for a menu and to confirm your place at the party.  For details and to RSVP contact Barb: 604-485-2732

From a small seed a mighty oak slowly, quietly and steadily grows.

After eight years, Powell River Writers Conference is taking a one year hiatus. When the executive met at the AGM May 11, the future of this valuable event seemed dim but thanks to a group of creative thinkers, it is simply taking a break to re-invent itself.

I retired as president,and head organizer, as did my husband Dave from being treasurer. The new board consists of: President Jennifer Salisbury, VP Donna Koleszar, Treasurer Heidi Sullivan, Secretary Gwen Enquist, Memberhip Barb Rees,Member at large for writing grants,  Bud Gilham, Member at large  looking for creative means to continue the conference in 2013, Hannah Main Van-der Kamp.

Although the conference email will remain active, please direct further correspondence  to Jennifer: jennifer@platinumbusinessdevelopment.com

In the interim, the new board are actively seeking a partner organization or festival to work with or be under their umbrella. More hands make lighter work and make for bigger exposure and contacts. PRWC will apply for grants to hire an event organizer.  Possibly the whole layout of the conference needs to be restructured.

It was agreed that bigger isn’t necessarily better. Many comments have been made over the years from writers saying how much they’d enjoyed the intimacy of a small event where they have ample opportunity to talk with the presenters and others. Jennifer called it “The Biggest Little Writers Conference.” Maybe we’ve been stressing out too much about it getting bigger, but as a small conference it still has the same costs so if it stays small we need to cut down on expenses.

 Change is good. Together Powell River Writers Conference will resurface in 2013 an even more vibrant event. Please send us your ideas and feedback. Thank you for all your support over the years. THank you to our patrons Sylvia Taylor and Anthony Dalton for believing in us.

It was my pleasure to found it, and serve for these eight years. I know my writing has  benefited greatly from all the professionals who’ve attended , plus I’ve made a ton of writer friends.

” Freshed washed air follows a storm and  the promise of a rainbow lights our hearts.” A Barbism

Barb Rees/past president

With only six days until the 8th annual Powell River Writers Conference they’ve done it again. A surprise guest speaker has been added to the Saturday workshops. Melody Poirier, from Island Blue Print and Printorium Bookworks will bring attendees tips for simplifying the process on the way to the printer. See her bio and info on the presenter page.

The other exciting news is an adjustment in Sylvia Taylor’s Master Class. Previously focused on working with editors and agents, ” A-Z of Self-editing”  now shifts to focus on learning self-editing tricks. What writer doesn’t need to self-edit?  Space is limited so book now using the Master Class form found on the presenters page.  A  hands-on workshop, bring at least three pages of work.

It’s not too late to register for the weekend,  learn from the best, and be inspired to keep writing. Can’t attend the whole weekend? For only $10 you can enjoy a full evening of entertainment at the April 15 opening ceremonies. Program online . Tickets at Breakwater Books or call Barb: 604-485-2732. Email:  prwriters@shaw.ca

March 28, 2011

Calling All Scribes! Contest Date Fast Approaching

 The contest deadline for the annual writers’ conference is fast approaching. Entries need to be in by April 1^st. All it takes is a 300 word piece of prose or 20 lines of poetry using the words travel, rainbow, inspiration, great,and exercise in the text. You could win a cash prize for either 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd place. Okay, all you scribes! Time to sharpen your pencils (or maybe boot up the computer). A cover sheet with your name, address and phone number must accompany your submission.

  Conference Master Classes with Patrons Sylvia Taylor and Anthony Dalton 

On Friday April 15, 9:30- 11:30, Sylvia Taylor teaches “The A to Z of Working with an Editor/Literary Coach”. What a great way to improve the effectiveness of this important aspect of the writing process.

In the afternoon of Friday April 15, 1:30-3:30, Tony Dalton talks on “Freelance for Profit”. This is the way writers actually get paid for their writing or even make a living wage!

You can sign up for either or both of these exceptional classes on our conference website www.prwriters.org. Classes are sold separtely from conference registration. These patrons of the Powell River Writers Conference will answer any and all you questions. Don’t miss this great opportunity!

Book Launch for Barb Rees- Come Out and Celebrate with Barb

April 5: 7:00 p.m. at Breakwater Books, Barb Rees will launch “RV Canada’s Far North on a Dream”, her 3rd book in her and husband Dave’s Canadian adventures. Thrill with a ‘north of 60? travel show as Barb and Dave take you to the land of grizzlies, gravel roads and vast expanses.

Preorders for the book now available. Go to: www.write2dream.com for details or contact Barb: dreambg1@shaw.ca . See you there!

Author Susan Juby Reading at Breakwater Books

Tuesday April 12^th – 7:00 p.m. hosted by Malaspina Writers Association and Powell River City Library

Susan Juby is a Nanaimo author who will be do a reading from her books. Susan is a bestselling author of seven books. 

• Alice, I think (2000)
• Miss Smithers (2004)
• Alice Macleod: Realist at Last (2005)

• Another Kind of Cowboy (2007)
• Getting the Girl: A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance and Cookery (2008)
• Nice Recovery(2010). Juby’s first non-fiction book, Nice Recoveryrecounts the story of her struggle with alcoholism as a youth.
• Home to Woefield / The Woefield Poultry Collection (2011)

Juby began writing her first novel during her daily public transit commute The resulting novel, Alice, I Think, was published in 2000 by Thistledown, a small Canadian press. Juby recounts that she “wrote the book for [her] 50-year-old godfather” and felt taken aback to discover that her work was identified by her publisher as a young adult novel. Alice, I Think was nominated for the Books in Canada First Novel Award in its year of publication. Shortly thereafter, Juby left Hartley & Marks to study at Simon Fraser University where she entered the Master of Publishing program.

Juby now writes full time, and lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia with her husband James, her horse Tango, and dog Frank.

Thanks to newsletter editor Gwen Enquist for composing an extra newsletter this month.

Collegue’s of the Conference Sponsorship Levels:

Gold: Donations $1000 and over

Gold sponsors have their names and logos on the program, posters, the web site, and displayed at the venue. Sponsor receives 2 tickets to the Writer’s Banquet April 16. Reservations requested.

Tourism Powell River

School District #47

Silver: Donations $500 – $999

Silver sponsors have their names and logos on the program, the web site, and displayed at the venue. Sponsor will receive 2 tickets to the opening ceremonies April 1

Powell River Council for Arts, Culture and Heritage

Bronze: Donations $50- $499

Bronze sponsors have their names on the programs, the web site and displayed at the venue.

Powell River Peak

Words of Worth

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Donations to the Silent Auction, a fundraiser for Henderson School Breakfast Program:

www.prwriters.org

March, 2011

 Membership Time

Our membership drive is in full swing and Donna Koleszar of the membership committee reports that 28 people have sent in their membership dues. The $10 dues help support the writers’ conference, gives voting rights to the member at the annual general meeting and garner perks from the society when you launch a new book. The membership form can be downloaded from the website. Let’s reach that wonderful 50 mark this year.

Book Launch for Barb Rees

 April 5: 7:00 at Breakwater Books, Barb Rees will launch “RV Canada’s Far North on a Dream”, her 3rd book in her and husband Dave’s Canadian adventures. Thrill with a ‘north of 60′ travel show as Barb and Dave take you to the land of grizzlies, gravel roads and vast expanses.

Preorders for the book now available. Go to: www.write2dream.com for details or contact Barb: dreambg1@shaw.ca . See you there!

 Writing Contest Offers Cash Prizes

 Everyone likes cash, right? Earn cash prizes by entering the Powell River Writers’ Conference writing contest. Just write 300 words of prose or 20 lines of poetry and use the following fives words in the text: rainbow, exercise, inspiration, great, travel. No problem, right? Submit by April 1^st. Submission details at the website www.prwriters.org. Good luck!

 Save On Early Bird Registration for 2011 Conference

 The Powell River Writers’ Conference on April 15, 16 is approaching fast. Early bird registrations are still available with great savings if you register by March 31^st. Download registration forms from the website www.prwriters.org. Nothing easier! 

 Sponsorships Available for Conference

 It’s well known that writers can be a financially needy bunch, composing away in their garrets (really?). Anyway, if you are a writer who would like your attendance at the conference to be sponsored by local generosity, drop a note to prwriters@shaw.ca telling a bit about your writing self and say what it would mean to you to attend the conference. You could have your attendance paid for. Hope to see you there.

If you would like to sponsor a writer contact Barb: prwriters@shaw.ca or call: 604-485-2732

 Wilderness Writing Retreats: May 27?–?31, 2011, June 17?–?21, 2011,
Sept. 16?–?20, 2011

May & June Workshop

Escape the dis­trac­tions of day to day life and con­cen­trate on your writ­ing. In 2011 award-?winning author, Paula Wild, will offer intens­ive writ­ing work­shops at Sea Watch Cabin. The wil­der­ness sanc­tu­ary is loc­ated on a privately owned island in Nutchatlitz Provincial Park adja­cent to Nootka Island on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Among other things, par­ti­cipants will learn valu­able skills regarding:

• Focus: find­ing and stick­ing to the theme of their story?–?one of the biggest prob­lem areas for strug­gling writers.
• Point of view: who’s telling your story and why.
• The per­fect para­graph: when it’s essen­tial and when it should be the last thing on your mind.
• The edit­ing pro­cess: why it’s vital and how to make it work for you.
• The pros and cons of work­ing with a tra­di­tional pub­lisher or self-?publishing.
• How to cre­ate a motiv­at­ing and prac­tical plan for com­plet­ing your manuscript.

To book a space or find out more about Sea Watch Cabin visit www.nuchatlitz.ca or con­tact Shannon. Or phone 250 332 5958 from early February on.

***************                 And that’s all folks!               *****************************

    Newsletter February, 2011

“Barb the Bard” Gets Inspirational

As I watched Oprah interview the wealthiest billionaire author in the world, I learned a few things about JK Rowling which might inspire other writers:

~~12 publishers rejected her before lucky 13 signed with her. If you’ve been sending articles or queries for your book with no response, take heart from Jo. Never, never give up; you might have the next Harry Potter. Impossible you say? That’s what her agent said about writing children’s books. Jo has written 7 books in 17 years.

~~Jo was 25 when her mom died of MS, and Jo followed that with depression, a bad marriage, living on welfare a single mom. What did she learn? She has a strong survival instinct which I’m sure we all have but don’t tap into it often enough.  She wrote the first book by hand with her baby lying beside her. Finally she met the right man (not a writer), married him in 2001 and they’re happily raising three children.  The next time someone says they can’t write because they’re too busy with their family, remember Jo.

~~She said the benefits of failure are that it strips away what we don’t need. “It’s impossible to live without failing at something. If you don’t fail you’re living too cautiously. Use failure, don’t fear it.  Rock bottom became the foundation to build success on.” Did you write something you’re now embarrassed years later to admit to because it was written so poorly? I have. That’s called growth. If our writing stayed the same and never improved we’d be like a stagnant pond, not much good for anything. So take a chance on failure, keep trying and never stop learning.

~~Some things she knows for sure: 1) Love is the most powerful thing of all. 2) Happiness is to see yourself exactly as you are. 3) Jo has to write for her mental state. Something you may not know about her is she doesn’t drive.

JK Rowling we aren’t, but we can be the best darned writer with what we’ve got. We can keep trying, keep learning, and keep supporting other writers.

Barb the Bard, happily editing her manuscript.

Opportunity for Book Sellers & Writers

 Between May 5 and 7, 2011, the Powell River Historical Museum and Archives will host the annual conference of the BC Historical Federation (BCHF). With its membership of avid readers and history buffs, the BCHF conference offers local booksellers a chance to market their wares to people from all across the province. The event will be held in Dwight Hall, with the Book Fair taking place during the following times:

• Thursday, May 5, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
• Friday, May 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Saturday, May 7, 12 to 3 p.m.

Tables are free! To register for the book fair, please contact Susan Biagi at susanbiagi@gmail.com or call 604-483-4551. For a full schedule of conference events, or to register for the full conference, please consult  http://www.powellrivermuseum.ca/BCHF/Agenda.html

 Powell River Writers Conference writer’s contest with cash prizes anyone in the world can enter.  

Powell RiverWriter, Linda Wegner, Hard at Work on Many Projects:

• A commissioned book outlining the history of the youth movement within her church’s denomination.

“In 2006 I wrote a 350 page book outlining our denomination’s history from 1921 until that year; now I have been asked to write another, shorter, book outlining the history of our youth movement, (1960-present). I will be traveling to Calgary to re-visit the archives and I’ve already contacted former youth leaders with questionnaires. As I begin writing I’m sure I also will be contacting all those involved for interviews that will flesh out the material.”

Also on Linda’s work list:

• A workshop to present in Saskatoon (sadly, at the same time as our Powell River event)
• A new assignment to blog bi-weekly for Food Safety Systems Implementation (Processor) Program
• Regular monthly feature articles for a couple of magazines plus on-going research work
• Updating her website
• Waiting to hear back re a couple of bids and proposals

High fives all around for Linda!

Membership Time

Our membership drive is in full swing and Donna Koleszar of the membership committee reports that 27 people have filled out the form and sent in their membership dues. The $10 dues help support the writers’ conference, gives voting rights to the member at the annual general meeting and garner perks from the society when you launch a new book. The membership form can be downloaded from the website. Let’s reach that wonderful 50 mark this year!

 ”Meet the Authors”  March 7: 7:00 at Breakwater Books. Enjoy stories from local published authors Gwen Enquist, Eva van Loon, Heidi Sullivan, and Barb Rees. From fishing to fiction to far-flung adventures, they’ve covered it all. Come along for a fun evening of stories.

 April 5: 7:00 at Breakwater Books, Barb Rees will launch “RV Canada’s Far North on a Dream”, the 3rd book in her  Canadian adventures. Thrill with their ‘north of 60′ travel show as Barb and Dave take you to the land of grizzlies, gravel roads and vast expanses.

Pre Orders for the book now available. Go to: www.write2dream.com for details or contact Barb: dreambg1@shaw.ca