Price is lowered on Writers Workshop

Hi everyone,

This is a repeat of my April 6 post about the Writers Workshop in Springfield on Saturday, May 5, except for one very important change. Writers Hall of Fame has decided to lower the fee for the day from the original $85 down to $49.95. How about that for a real bargain? So if you are within driving distance of Springfield and interested in pursuing this opportunity to hear a lot of good speakers on a wide variety of writing topics, get in touch with Gail Gourley at The Library Center to make your reservations right away.

Below is the original post.

I want to tell you about a writing workshop scheduled in Springfield, Missouri for Saturday, May 5. It’s sponsored by Writers Hall of Fame, an organization that celebrates the joy of writing and supports graduating high school students with college scholarships to help them pursue careers in writing at the colleges and universities of their choice. We hope to attract up to 75 attendees at $85 each for the one-day workshop, which includes breakfast juice and rolls, box lunch, coffee and water throughout the day, and a supply of pads, pencils, and folders.

I’m including the program for the day. If you live in the area and have an interest in joining us on May 5, please contact Gail Gourley, 417-616-0554 or gailg@the library.org. You may also know of others who might love to participate so please help us spread the word! The day will be good fun and net proceeds will go directly into our scholarship fund. At the bottom of this flyer you’ll see how you can save money if you get up a group to come with you.

Hope to see many of you on the 5th.
David

Save Saturday, May 5 as Your Date for
AWAKENING THE WRITER WITHIN!
AWAKENING THE WRITER WITHIN is limited to the first 75 registrants, so sign up early!
For further information or to register, contact Gail Gourley ( 417-616-0554 or gailg@the library.org )

YOUR DAY OF AWAKENING LOOKS LIKE THIS:
8:30-9:00 Registration and Welcome
9:00-9:45 General Session: “What You Need to Know to Get Started: The Simple Nuts and Bolts of Writing”
Leader: Todd Parnell is the author of three books, his most recent being The Buffalo, Ben and Me, which chronicles his trip down Arkansas’s Buffalo River with his son in 1995. A former banker, he now serves as president of Drury University.
10:00-10:45 Section 1: “Ask the Experts: A Panel Discussion and Open Forum for Questions”
Louise Morgan considers herself a teacher first. She has spent the last 24 years in the St. Louis area where she taught English, presented creative writing seminars, and served as a school administrator and author of curriculum designs. A loyal journalist, she is writer of personal family history. While she is retired from formal work in schools and now lives in Springfield, she is not retired from teaching and writing.
Shellie Foltz, an author and playwright doubling as a high school librarian, has authored two novels , No Penalty for Love and Love Under a Dark Sky, both published by Avalon Books, and two full-length plays, Welcome to Joe’s and Related Spaces, both produced and the scripts subsequently published by Stained Glass Theatre. Shellie volunteers on Missouri’s Gateway Reader Award committee as a reader-selector.
Section 2: “Want to Be a Poet?”
Leader: Marcus Cafagña is the author of two books of poetry, The Broken World, a National Poetry Series selection, and Roman Fever. Cafagña’s poems have appeared in numerous anthologies and literary journals, such as Poetry, Ploughshares, The Southern Review, and Poets of the New Century. For the last two years he has been a finalist for Missouri Poet Laureate. He coordinates the creative writing program at Missouri State University.
11:00-11:45 Section 3: “Are You a Children’s Writer? Here’s How to Find Out”
Leader: David Harrison says, “As a boy in Missouri, I was outdoors much of the time crawling through caves, catching snakes, the usual stuff. I could pitch baseball and play trombone, but not at the same time.” In college, an English professor urged David to take up writing. After graduate school, he did. Eighty books later, he’s still at it and still loving it. Something else he loves to do is share his passion for writing with others. http://www.davidlharrison.com
Section 4: “Who Are You? Where Did You Come From? Genealogy”
Leader: Patti Hobbs works as reference associate in the Local History and Genealogy department at the Springfield-Greene County Library. She has attended several genealogical institutes with instruction in advanced family history research, using government documents and law libraries, accessing National Archives material, and writing for publication. She enjoys not only learning about her ancestors and understanding the historical context in which they lived, but also helping others who want to discover their own family histories.
12:-12:30 Lunch Provided
12:30-1:15 General Session: “What Do You Want Your Family to Remember? Capturing Your Wonderful Stories”
Leader: Wayne Groner, author and personal historian, is vice president of Springfield Writers’ Guild. He teaches a free monthly class, “Your Memories, Your Book: Writing Your Life Story,” at the Library Center in Springfield. He has written or edited three books, including Dumb Luck or Divine Guidance. Wayne is a member of the Greene County Historical Society and the Christian County Historical Society. He blogs at www.waynegroner.blogspot.com.
1:30-2:15 Section 5: “Finding Your Voice”
Leader: Louise Jackson won the 2008 WILLA award for the best children’s/young adult novel of the women’s west published in 2007. She is the author of five books, three picture books, and two historical novels. She has also published in The Reading Teacher, Language Arts, and Journal of the West. Although her first two picture books were published many years ago, her writing career for children has really blossomed in the last fifteen years, following her retirement from the University of Wyoming
Section 6: “Sounding Off—and Other Letters to the Editor”
Leader: George Freeman is editor and partner of GREENE Magazine, published six times a year and online at GREENEMagazine.us. He is a veteran writer and editor who previously served as president and general manager of Ozarks Public Television, as editorial page editor of the Springfield News-Leader, editor of The Marietta (Ohio) Times, and The Coffeyville (Kansas) Journal. He is a past-president of the Southwest Missouri chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
2:30-3:15 Section 7: “Self Publishing, Trade Publishing, e-Publishing, Agents: What Does It All Mean?”
Cathy Kohman spent her childhood in a haunted lakeside summerhouse. This influence sparked her fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. Her first novel, The Beckoning Ghost, won The Golden Heart Award for Paranormal Romance from Romance Writers of America. A life-long Lord of the Rings fan, Catherine also published a fan-appreciation anthology, Lembas for the Soul: How the Lord of the Rings Enriches Everyday Life. She has worked in libraries in Utah and Springfield for 20 years.
Allan Young, a manufacturing engineer by training, has had 112 books published including poems, technical books, fiction and non-fiction, self-help, how-to, memoirs, historical novels, murder mysteries and many more. He also edited and written hundreds of magazine articles. He also has extensive editing and publishing experience for magazines and newspapers, teaches classes on writing and has created material on becoming a successful writer and how to get a book published.
Section 8: “Is Betty White Right? Learn About Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, and Why”
Leader: Jonathan Groves, assistant professor of communication at Drury University, teaches a variety of courses related to writing, media, and organizational change. He worked for 14 years as a professional journalist at various newspapers as a reporter and editor before beginning a college teaching career in 2005. In 2009, he helped design and develop the Drury’s Social Media Certificate program.
3:30-4:00 General Session: “Wrapping It Up!”

AWAKENING THE WRITER WITHIN IS SPONSORED BY THE WRITERS HALL OF FAME, A GROUP WHOSE PURPOSE IS “TO ENCOURAGE, INSPIRE, AND CELEBRATE THE JOY OF WRITING.” PROCEEDS FROM THIS WRITERS WORKSHOP WILL FUND SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO TALENTED YOUNG WRITERS.

Because you have stories. . . Because you have ideas. . . Because you have a voice. . .

Save Saturday, May 5 as Your Date for
AWAKENING THE WRITER WITHIN!
What: A Writers Workshop: Great, informative insights and practice in the company of professional writers.
Where: South Haven Baptist Church, 2353 S. Campbell, Springfield, MO
When: Saturday, May 5 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Who: For YOU
Registration Fee: $85. This includes a morning snack, a box lunch, and coffee/soft drinks/water throughout
the day. Gather a group and save money with our special rates:
For a group of four, each person pays $80 for the day. For a group of ten, each person pays $75 for the day.
Registration Deadline: Friday, April 27
AWAKENING THE WRITER WITHIN is limited to the first 75 registrants, so sign up early!
For further information or to register, contact Gail Gourley ( 417-616-0554 or gailg@the library.org )

Writers Hall of Fame, c/o Gail Gourley
The Library Center
4653 S. Cambell
Springfield, MO 65810

David

Writers Workshop on May 5, 2012

Hi everyone,

I want to tell you about a writing workshop scheduled in Springfield, Missouri for Saturday, May 5. It’s sponsored by Writers Hall of Fame, an organization that celebrates the joy of writing and supports graduating high school students with college scholarships to help them pursue careers in writing at the colleges and universities of their choice. We hope to attract up to 75 attendees at $85 each for the one-day workshop, which includes breakfast juice and rolls, box lunch, coffee and water throughout the day, and a supply of pads, pencils, and folders.

I’m including the program for the day. If you live in the area and have an interest in joining us on May 5, please contact Gail Gourley, 417-616-0554 or gailg@thelibrary.org . You may also know of others who might love to participate so please help us spread the word! The day will be good fun and net proceeds will go directly into our scholarship fund. At the bottom of this flyer you’ll see how you can save money if you get up a group to come with you.

Hope to see many of you on the 5th.
David

Save Saturday, May 5 as Your Date for
AWAKENING THE WRITER WITHIN!
AWAKENING THE WRITER WITHIN is limited to the first 75 registrants, so sign up early!
For further information or to register, contact Gail Gourley ( 417-616-0554 or gailg@the library.org )

YOUR DAY OF AWAKENING LOOKS LIKE THIS:
8:30-9:00 Registration and Welcome
9:00-9:45 General Session: “What You Need to Know to Get Started: The Simple Nuts and Bolts of Writing”
Leader: Todd Parnell is the author of three books, his most recent being The Buffalo, Ben and Me, which chronicles his trip down Arkansas’s Buffalo River with his son in 1995. A former banker, he now serves as president of Drury University.

10:00-10:45 Section 1: “Ask the Experts: A Panel Discussion and Open Forum for Questions”
Louise Morgan considers herself a teacher first. She has spent the last 24 years in the St. Louis area where she taught English, presented creative writing seminars, and served as a school administrator and author of curriculum designs. A loyal journalist, she is writer of personal family history. While she is retired from formal work in schools and now lives in Springfield, she is not retired from teaching and writing.

Shellie Foltz, an author and playwright doubling as a high school librarian, has authored two novels , No Penalty for Love and Love Under a Dark Sky, both published by Avalon Books, and two full-length plays, Welcome to Joe’s and Related Spaces, both produced and the scripts subsequently published by Stained Glass Theatre. Shellie volunteers on Missouri’s Gateway Reader Award committee as a reader-selector.

Section 2: “Want to Be a Poet?”
Leader: Marcus Cafagña is the author of two books of poetry, The Broken World, a National Poetry Series selection, and Roman Fever. Cafagña’s poems have appeared in numerous anthologies and literary journals, such as Poetry, Ploughshares, The Southern Review, and Poets of the New Century. For the last two years he has been a finalist for Missouri Poet Laureate. He coordinates the creative writing program at Missouri State University.

11:00-11:45 Section 3: “Are You a Children’s Writer? Here’s How to Find Out”
Leader: David Harrison says, “As a boy in Missouri, I was outdoors much of the time crawling through caves, catching snakes, the usual stuff. I could pitch baseball and play trombone, but not at the same time.” In college, an English professor urged David to take up writing. After graduate school, he did. Eighty books later, he’s still at it and still loving it. Something else he loves to do is share his passion for writing with others. http://www.davidlharrison.com

Section 4: “Who Are You? Where Did You Come From? Genealogy”
Leader: Patti Hobbs works as reference associate in the Local History and Genealogy department at the Springfield-Greene County Library. She has attended several genealogical institutes with instruction in advanced family history research, using government documents and law libraries, accessing National Archives material, and writing for publication. She enjoys not only learning about her ancestors and understanding the historical context in which they lived, but also helping others who want to discover their own family histories.

12:-12:30 Lunch Provided

12:30-1:15 General Session: “What Do You Want Your Family to Remember? Capturing Your Wonderful Stories”
Leader: Wayne Groner, author and personal historian, is vice president of Springfield Writers’ Guild. He teaches a free monthly class, “Your Memories, Your Book: Writing Your Life Story,” at the Library Center in Springfield. He has written or edited three books, including Dumb Luck or Divine Guidance. Wayne is a member of the Greene County Historical Society and the Christian County Historical Society. He blogs at www.waynegroner.blogspot.com.

1:30-2:15 Section 5: “Finding Your Voice”
Leader: Louise Jackson won the 2008 WILLA award for the best children’s/young adult novel of the women’s west published in 2007. She is the author of five books, three picture books, and two historical novels. She has also published in The Reading Teacher, Language Arts, and Journal of the West. Although her first two picture books were published many years ago, her writing career for children has really blossomed in the last fifteen years, following her retirement from the University of Wyoming

Section 6: “Sounding Off—and Other Letters to the Editor”
Leader: George Freeman is editor and partner of GREENE Magazine, published six times a year and online at GREENEMagazine.us. He is a veteran writer and editor who previously served as president and general manager of Ozarks Public Television, as editorial page editor of the Springfield News-Leader, editor of The Marietta (Ohio) Times, and The Coffeyville (Kansas) Journal. He is a past-president of the Southwest Missouri chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

2:30-3:15 Section 7: “Self Publishing, Trade Publishing, e-Publishing, Agents: What Does It All Mean?”
Cathy Kohman spent her childhood in a haunted lakeside summerhouse. This influence sparked her fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. Her first novel, The Beckoning Ghost, won The Golden Heart Award for Paranormal Romance from Romance Writers of America. A life-long Lord of the Rings fan, Catherine also published a fan-appreciation anthology, Lembas for the Soul: How the Lord of the Rings Enriches Everyday Life. She has worked in libraries in Utah and Springfield for 20 years.

Allan Young, a manufacturing engineer by training, has had 112 books published including poems, technical books, fiction and non-fiction, self-help, how-to, memoirs, historical novels, murder mysteries and many more. He also edited and written hundreds of magazine articles. He also has extensive editing and publishing experience for magazines and newspapers, teaches classes on writing and has created material on becoming a successful writer and how to get a book published.

Section 8: “Is Betty White Right? Learn About Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, and Why”
Leader: Jonathan Groves, assistant professor of communication at Drury University, teaches a variety of courses related to writing, media, and organizational change. He worked for 14 years as a professional journalist at various newspapers as a reporter and editor before beginning a college teaching career in 2005. In 2009, he helped design and develop the Drury’s Social Media Certificate program.

3:30-4:00 General Session: “Wrapping It Up!”

AWAKENING THE WRITER WITHIN IS SPONSORED BY THE WRITERS HALL OF FAME, A GROUP WHOSE PURPOSE IS “TO ENCOURAGE, INSPIRE, AND CELEBRATE THE JOY OF WRITING.” PROCEEDS FROM THIS WRITERS WORKSHOP WILL FUND SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO TALENTED YOUNG WRITERS.

Because you have stories. . . Because you have ideas. . . Because you have a voice. . .

Save Saturday, May 5 as Your Date for
AWAKENING THE WRITER WITHIN!
What: A Writers Workshop: Great, informative insights and practice in the company of professional writers.
Where: South Haven Baptist Church, 2353 S. Campbell, Springfield, MO
When: Saturday, May 5 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Who: For YOU
Registration Fee: $85. This includes a morning snack, a box lunch, and coffee/soft drinks/water throughout
the day. Gather a group and save money with our special rates:
For a group of four, each person pays $80 for the day. For a group of ten, each person pays $75 for the day.
Registration Deadline: Friday, April 27
AWAKENING THE WRITER WITHIN is limited to the first 75 registrants, so sign up early!
For further information or to register, contact Gail Gourley ( 417-616-0554 or gailg@thelibrary.org  )

Writers Hall of Fame, c/o Gail Gourley
The Library Center
4653 S. Cambell
Springfield, MO 65810

Gay Fawcett coming Wednesday

THANKS again to Marc Simon for being my Featured Guest last Thursday/Friday. Marc won the highest scholarship given this year by Writers Hall of Fame to a graduating high school student on the way toward working as a writer. Again our congratulations and good wishes go with Marc and all the other students who received scholarships this year to help them pursue their careers in writing.

Hi everyone,

As part of my summer program of bringing back Featured Guests, it will be my privilege to feature Gay Fawcett on Wednesday. Many of you are already friends and fans of Gay. Please don’t miss her post. It’s one of my favorites!

For now, here’s another look at her bio. Typical of Gay, it is modestly brief.

Gay Fawcett is a former teacher, principal, curriculum director, and director of Kent State University’s Research Center for Educational Technology. She now teaches online and face-to-face university courses, consults with schools, and writes (of course!). She has authored or co-authored over 100 educational articles, book chapters, and books. She collaborated with David Harrison and Tim Rasinski on the recently published Partner Poems for Building Fluency: Grades 4-6.

Young writers

Hi everyone,

Last night Writers Hall of Fame, located here in Springfield, Missouri, held its annual banquet to honor student writers. This year 5,200 students throughout the area submitted a variety of work including poetry (several categories), short stories, novels-in-progress, satire, journalism, etc. Several weeks ago dozens of teachers, librarians, and members of Writers Hall of Fame board met on a Saturday, read every entry, and selected twenty-eight winners in grades 5-12. In addition, a committee of our organization chose six high school seniors from among many who applied to receive Writers Hall of Fame college scholarships.

Last night readers read all or part of the work of all thirty-four winning writers. The audience of 150 parents, family members, friends, and board members applauded loudly and sincerely after each reading. These young people represented the best — the top 34 of more than 5,200 efforts. We were treated to some excellent writing.

What impressed me most was the variety of voices in the room. From fifth grade through high school, these student writers wrote in their own unique way. It was a great way to be reminded that we are all different, not in how we feel things, but how we express them. We smiled, laughed, nodded in appreciation, and sometimes swallowed hard.

Each of the six scholarship winners expressed their passion for writing. Each expects to major in writing and share their work with the world. From here they will go their ways, to NYU, Brigham Young University, and elsewhere. I may not see any of them again. But something tells me I haven’t heard the last of them or read the last of them. It was a pleasure to see them standing there listening to their words being read aloud by others. It was, I think, a taste of things to come.

rubberman

David

Silent auction for a featured spot

Hi everyone,

I’d like to tell you about an opportunity to bid on a featured spot here on the blog. The highest bidder will be featured on an upcoming post and the money will go to the Writers Hall of Fame scholarship fund. For more than a decade this organization has recognized an outstanding writer each year and provided college scholarships for high school seniors who dream of pursuing their interests in becoming writers.

Money for the scholarships comes from donations and from an auction held at the banquet to honor the year’s inductee. The date this year is March 19. My donation is to feature someone on my blog. You’ve read my Featured Guest spots and the occasional Guest Reader posts. The highest bidder for a featured spot will be my honored guest in the same way. As always I will post an article by the bidder on some aspect of children’s literature, a personal essay on his or her journey as a writer, or provide a questions and answers interview. If the high bidder wishes to give someone else the opportunity to be featured, that’s fine too. I’ve never featured a student on my blog so this might be an opportunity to let me highlight an aspiring young writer you know. Maybe there’s an upcoming special occasion and you’re stuck for a unique gift.

The minimum starting bid is $75. If you or someone you know would like to support this effort in return for a featured spot, I hope you will start the bidding. The auction will continue until 7:15 CST the night of the banquet so I’m arranging for one of the board members to carry a cell phone that evening to take incoming calls right up to the final minute of bidding. I’ll give the number you can call that evening from 6:00 – 7:15 to bidders who contact me by e-mail and request it. This is a fun way to support young writers so I hope you’ll help me spread the word. This week a notice is being sent to a number of writers organizations, college campuses, and school districts so I’ll keep you aware of developments.

NOTE: Until the night of the auction, bids can be posted in the comment boxes under today’s post. Thanks!

David