April Meeting

Next Writer's Meeting

November Meeting Cancelled

Due to the weather, we have cancelled our November writer's meeting. Please check back here for the next scheduled meeting.

An Inspiring Meeting

Author Amy Houts said it best. The Sept 25 meeting was 'inspiring.'

Iowa author, artist, photographer, sculptor Brenda Scott spoke with us about her creative endeavors, including the inspiration for her newest thing, A Little Something Beautiful. She brought a lot of enthusiasm to the meeting and it was contagious. We are happy to say she has joined our group, along with Bill Lockwood, and Melinda Taylor, who recently published her first book, May's Faith. Her book is available locally at the Nodaway News Leader's office and on Amazon by clicking the title link (or right-clicking the link to open it in a new tab).

A lot of discussion followed the presentation and several new topics were brought up for the consideration of the group. One of those was the recognition that many authors are shutterbugs and the opportunities available for them to use their creative talents to the fullest and by offering their photos for sale to those needing images and videos for their websites.

It seems that many of the writer's in the group have projects nearing completion, so it will be exciting to bring you information about those when they become available.

We want to thank member and author Shari Barr for introducing Brenda to the group and inviting her to speak. I also want to thank her for permission to use of one of her beautiful pictures for the header page on the group page on Facebook and here.

Members Amy and Sandy will be hosting the next meeting. Until we learn the topic they will be presenting to the group, here is the basic information. Mark your calendars.

Upcoming Meeting

The Next Meeting

The Maryville writer's group will next meet on January 23, 2018, on the 3rd floor of the United Methodist Church, First and Main in Maryville. (Use the northwest doors to access the elevator.)

The evening will be open for the critique of members' works in progress. Members may bring a poem, essay, article, or book excerpt for comment. The length of the submission should be 1,000 words or less. We will make an effort to get through as many as possible in the allotted time. If you wish to submit them ahead of time to give members a chance to read and think about them, please do. That will allow more time for discussion during the meeting time.

When critiquing a work, here are a few things to consider:

1. Be objective and forthright, but considerate.
2. Provide constructive suggestions for improvement.
3. Think about the construction, flow, technical aspects of the work being considered.
4. Give input on any emotions, if any, the piece elicits.
5. Is there a working title and does it fit the work?
6. Did it hold your attentions?
7. Based on the provided sample, would you read more?
8. Are there any word choices or phrases that might be improved?