By Linda Donaldson

Nearly every attendee to our October Writers Guild meeting brought writing selections to share. All told there were 11 different authors’ works read aloud, and some brought two works. Such a rich array of literary work kept us well past the two hour mark.

We welcomed a new member Archana Kokroo whose first poems proved conclusively that she has much to offer. Other member who contributed were: Melissa Triol, Jane Bleam, Dave Werrett, John McCabe, Bob McCrillis, Paul Teese, Meredith Betz, Kat Cerutti, Joe Vitella and Linda Donaldson.

We listened to a murder mystery; love poems; flash fiction about the Vietnam War; novel excerpt about soldiers exposed to nuclear tests and another about inner-city gang wars; a train conductor’s story read in costume; and memoirs about animal rescue, embarrassing moments in conversation, a child’s fear of performance, and a parent taking her child’s cue to pause and do the right thing.

All present agreed that we are inspired to keep writing and share work via email over the winter break.  Please mark your calendar for next year’s Guild meetings from 1pm to 3pm on the third Sundays each month from March through October 2019.

The Writing Center is finalizing our calendar for 2019 and will post as soon as dates are set. Please keep an eye out for a blog post with details. Here’s a sneak peek:

Our ever-popular presenter, author Linda Wisniewski, will offer two courses on Memoir Writing – both a beginners level and an advanced level. Don’t put off that “I’ll-get-to-it-someday” project any longer!

Donna Galanti, best-selling paranormal suspense author of the Element Trilogy, and contributing editor for Big Thrill magazine, will offer a series of classes on Foundations of World Building for Any Novel Genre – topics will include: elements of world building, using world building to support conflict and tension, rules and rituals, environment, religion and power, people and culture, and what to avoid in building your world.

We welcome Pamela Varkony – writer,  speaker and women’s advocate – as a presenter this coming year. Pam was a Woman of the Year award winner here at Pearl S. Buck International.  She will teach two evening classes:  Be Your Own Writing Carpenter: Build Your Audience and Your Platform [a beginning class], and  Truth Makes a Good Story: Writing Literary Journalism.