Convention Time For Kansas Writers

At Online Writer's Group Conference

The photo above was taken at one of my Online Writer's Group Conference in a state park just outside Washington, DC. That's me in the center in the pink and white shirt. The 20+ women who attend these bi-annual conferences have a great time learning and socializing. 

This weekend, I'm going to another type of conference. This one is our Kansas Authors Club State Convention. I am Convention Chairman and have three others on the committee. It's not nearly as many people as we'd like but sometimes that's how things work out. We're a small district compared to those in the Lawrence, Topeka and Wichita areas. People who would like to help cannot because of health issues and other things, as well. 

Nevertheless, I think we have a great group of speakers lined up for our workshops. If you were able to come to Salina, KS this weekend, wouldn't you find several of these that you would like to attend so that you can learn more and make some connections with other writers? 

Here's the line-up of the workshops titles:

• Researching and Writing Historical Nonfiction:  The Story of Susannah Alderdice
• My Words--My Way  (fiction)
• How To Do Biography
• Journaling A Page or Two
• Cultural appropriation:  Writing 'Socailly Acceptable' Content in YA Literature
• Writing the Personal Essay
• Using Imagery To Improve Your Poetry and Prose
• How To Make Your Writing Come To Life
• Memoir Writing
• Panel Discussion on Songwriting
• The Benefits and How-To of Blogging For Writers

The hard part is to choose which ones to attend as on Saturday three run concurrently. Everyone can attend the two on Sunday morning.

There will be a banquet on Saturday evening with Awards given for many categories and the state prose and poetry contest winners announced at the Sunday luncheon. 

I'd like to know what other parts of the writing world would you like to have as a workshop? What topics are important to you that are not covered in the speakers we have? 

Attending Writing Conferences and Conventions

I spent the weekend at the Kansas Authors Club annual state convention in Hutchinson, Kansas. The convention began with the Friday evening Youth Awards Ceremony. Children from around our state enter a writing contest, both prose and poetry, in hopes of winning some recognition for their work. I enjoy seeing these young, and often talented, people given an opportunity to showcase that talent. I couldn't stop watching the joy on those little faces  as they walked forward to receive a certificate, a medal on a ribbon and a print book filled with the work of all the winners. Writers for the future!

Saturday flew by as several workshops were in session throughout the day. I taught The Basics of Writing--Building A Strong Foundation in the morning and again during an afternoon session. Prior to my own workshops, I was able to attend some others. One was on writing songs, lyrics and melody. I'm no songwriter and never will be but found the topic fascinating. I came away with a much greater appreciation for those whose talent points to this kind of writing. 

A final session in the afternoon proved to be a fascinating history lesson about the salt mines that surround the Hutchinson area. Two local men have gathered many historical photos and delievered a powerpoint presentation with commentary. 

Sunday morning brought business meeting, a short church service and a time for memorials to the members of the organization who had died within the past year. The final workshop of the convention involved the writing and self-publishing route of a children's book author. I didn't it expect it to be as fruitful and interesting as it was. The author held her audience in the palm of her hand throughout the presentation. Self-publishing is such a biggie today that all writers want to learn all they can about doing so. Her book falls into the Easy Reader category, a picture book that a new reader can read on their own. Tight writing is a must. Too many think wriiting for kids is an easy task. Having done it, I know it is difficult. That old write tight admonition comes into play here. By the time the author and her illustrator/husband had published the book, they had invested $5,000. You'd have to sell a lot of books to make a profit. She showed us another book they'd published on CreateSpace which was an investment for them of only $200. I kept wondering about that adage that warns You get what you pay for.

Saturday evening, we had a dinner and program given by a Wichita TV news anchorman. Awards for authors who have written books of special merit and another for service were announced. Awards for the state writing contest were announced after the Sunday luncheon. I noted that many of the writers were winners of more than one category. I could almost see the neon sign blinkng above their head that said Here is a good writer. 

The final awards given were for the Poet of the Year and Prose Writer of the Year. Ronda Miller, whose poem I had featured here one day last week, was the Poet of the Year. A well-deserved honor. If you would like to read more of Ronda's poetry check out this page. 

Throughout the weekend, attendees wandered through the Book Room, where many of the authors at the convention had books for sale. I wish I could have purchased all of them, but I settled on two, both autographed by the authors.

Besides all that I learned at the convention, I managed to interact with dozens and dozens of other writers which is one of the top benefits of attending a writing conference or convention. If you've never attended a meeting like this for writers, give it a try. I don't think you'll be sorry. Ours is relatively small next to those happening in larger population states, but big or small, you'll come away with more than you had when you arrived.

The Kansas Authors Club is 110 years old and is the oldest writing club in the nation. That says something positive. Check and see if your state has an organization similar to this one.

So Much Talent Awes Me

The sunflower represents Kansas so well. It always appears to be smiling to me. But then, I'm also one of those people who see pictures in cloud formations. Even if these sunflowers don't appear to be smiling, you must admit that they are a cheerful sight. K-State planted an entire field of them across the street from the football stadium. What a joy to drive by on my way to do errands.

The reason I'm bringing up sunflowers and Kansas is that this mornng, two Kansas authors had good news to share. Ronda Miller has a wonderful poem at this link. It's filled with remembrance and emotion. I'm sure Ronda would love to have comments left after you read and savor her poem titled Moon Stain.

Another Kansas poet had good news today. Two of his poems are featured in Kansas City Voices fall issue. Roy is a fine poet and has been a guest blogger here. Roy's poems are Jack 1941-1959 and Ways of the Wind. Read excerpts here of some of the poems in Roy's debut book of poetry. I love the title of the book. Its Music I Once Could Dance To. 

It's been a pleasure to have met so many Kansas writers through the Kansas Authors Club, which just happens to have an annual state convention this weekend in Hutchinson, Kansas. I'm looking forward to mingling with people who love the writing world as much as I do. There are so many other members, besides Ronda and Roy, who will have their books for sale Saturday and Sunday. Browsing in the Book Room leaves me in awe of the marvelous talent of so many people. Novelists, poets, Short Story writers and more. Yep, awe is the proper word to use. 

Something Free for College Students

This week-end, the Kansas Authors Club State Convention is being held in Salina, Kansas at the Ramada Inn. On Saturday, there will be workshops covering several areas of writing. 

To promote interest by younger writers, the planning committee made a decision to allow all college students with a valid ID to attend the Saturday sessions for free. What a great deal! 

The workshops begin at 10 a.m and run through 3:45 p.m. The convention theme is "Encouraging Words" and that's exactly what those attending will receive from the following presenters:

Judy Entz        In the Know Concerning Self-Publishing

Kevin Rabas    Writing Flash Fiction and Narrative Poems

Jim Hoy          Serendipity, the Writer's Best Friend & Finding Gold in the Flint Hills Or Wherever                          

                      You Live

Ann Zimmerman  Songwriting Should Not Be Left To The Pros

Mark Bouton    Let's Write A Novel

Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg  These are the Materials: the Transformative Power of Fiction

Nancy Julien Kopp  Creative Nonfiction & Writing for Anthologies

It's a good line-up with varied topics. Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg is the Poet Laureate of Kansas. I find it interesting that she also has a recently published novel (The Divorce Girl) to her credit.

I hope area students will take advantage of this offer. All the presenters are published or work in the publishing world. What a tremendous opportunity to learn more about the writing world and all for free.

Anyone not a college student can still show up on Saturday morning and pay the registration fee to attend the workshops, the Saturday evening banquet, the Sunday morning panel discussion and wards luncheon.  

Connecting With Other Writers

Yesterday, a facebook friend posted a message to remind members of my state authors organization that it was time to renew membership. I printed out the form and have it on my desk, ready to add my dues check. 

I started thinking about joining writers organizations or groups. Some writers join multiple groups while others shun them all. Are you a joiner or are you happy staying in your own writing world? 

For me, never connecting with other writers would be kind of lonely, but perhaps that's because I am a social being. I thrive on social contact. I enjoy attending conferences where I mingle with other writers. I believe in being a member of at least one writers organization. 

I joined Kansas Authors Club fourteen years ago. They offer me an opportunity to talk to other writers at district meetings and state conventions. Their website provides information that helps me know about writing opportunities in Kansas and what other Kansas writers are publishing. And more! 

Most states have a similar organization with members who are at different stages of their writing life. Beginners can benefit a great deal by joining, and seasoned writers still gain knowledge and a chance to confer with other writers. 

Besides your state organization, there are plenty of national and international writers' clubs or associations. Since the advent of the internet, it's easier than ever to participate, as many have websites which offer much to the writer. 

There are groups that specialize in one form of writing, such as poetry or mystery writers or seience fiction authors. Others are more general. Some require nothing more than paying annual dues, while several ask for writing samples and publication history before accepting a member. There are prestigious groups and some that only a few people have ever heard of. 

If you've never joined an organized group like this, look into it. Google the topic of writers clubs or organizations and you'll find a lengthy list. Pick one and send in your dues. If you feel you've gained little by the end of the year, don't renew your membership. It's as simple as that. 

Like all things, however, the more you put into it personally, the more you will receive. Joining and never attending a meeting or never reading the newsletter makes little sense.

One word of caution--join too many writing organizations and you'll cut into your writing time. Guess my dad was right when he preached moderation in all things.

Contest News--Color Me Happy!

Color me happy! I entered four pieces of prose in the Kansas Authors state contest this year. They were sent in June and the results would not be known until October. That's a long time to wait. One of the rules of the contest is that no entry can be published before the contest results are announced, which ties up a
story for a lot of weeks into months.

I entered four categories--Short Story, Feature Article, Memoir, and Inspiration. My story, "Christmas Spirit--Lost and Found," won third place in the Inspiration category.

None of the others placed, but the judges did put some nice comments on those entries. On the Feature Article, "A Zoo With No Cages," the judge wrote Beautiful writing! Nice job which tells me that the article must have been close to winning and it also left me feeling encouraged enough to send it to a publication of some sort.Put it on my To-Do list.

The judge for the Memoir category had a full page of general comments for all participants and then one section where she said The part I liked best was __________  I appreciated seeing what had appealed to her in each of those memoir pieces. One of them rather surprised me. It made me think of my blog entry a few days ago about readers perception versus the writer's intent. They are often far apart.

Wrtiers who enter contests and don't win anything sometimes get discouraged and state that they will not be entering anymore contests in the future. It's a shame to do that. It took several years of entering this particular state contest before I won anything, even Honorable Mention. But, as the years went by, and I grew as a writer, I started winning. One year, I won for several entries--a banner year for sure. But besides winning, I gained other things. I learned how to follow guidelines carefully, to wait for a long time. I benefited from comments the judges made, and I felt more confident about entering other writing contests.

Enter contests. Start with smaller, local ones to gain a bit of confidence and move on from there. Consider the entry fees. Some are relatively minor and others quite steep. Weigh the entry fee against what you might gain. But do consider entering contests. There's gold out there waiting, and it isn't always the money.

So, yes--color me happy to have a third place winner. It's been sent to the Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas book of 2012. And now comes another long wait, as those stories will not be selected until next summer.

Wordsmith Plays Up Poems and Prose

Linda Carlson, moderator of The Wordsmith website, has a gift. She is able to add spectacular graphics to poetry and prose that sets them off to perfection. The most recent effort she has done for me is to publish my poem "A Heavenly Gift."  She has captured this poem about the Kansas tallgrass prairie perfectly.

After the poem itself, there is a rolling show of Kansas praire scenes that take me home immediately. Look at her version of my poem.

This poem was a first place winner in the Themed Category of our Kansas Authors state contest several years ago and has been published several times.

Join A Writers Organization

One of the best ways to open up the writing world is to join writers' groups of all kinds. Many states have a state writers organization. I've belonged to the Kansas Authors Club for probably ten years or more.

They meet once a year at convention time, but each of the six districts within the state have more frequent meetings. A dedicated group of people, who serve on the state board and as officers, send notices of interest throughout the year, gather news of writing accomplishments from members and publish it on their website. They sponsor a statewide contest annually with several categories for both prose and poetry. Cash prizes are awarded to winners.

I've met people I might never have had the opportunity to know otherwise. My life is richer because of  knowing these many accomplished writers and yet-to-be published writers. We have a common interest, even though we all come from different paths in life.

At meetings, we swap marketing tips,  listen to speakers of various phases of writing, and have Read-Arounds which affords an opportunity to share stories we've written.

Five years ago, an anthology featuring work from members of the group was published to celebrate the 100 Year Anniversary of Kansas Authors. Must be something right about a group that goes on for so many years. It's called Our Way With Words.

I would urge all writers, published or unpublished, to check out local or state writers organizations and sign up. Doing so will expand your writing world.