Fall Back into the Writing Habit

Glen, Les, Bill S., Jane, Lou, Jack, Sarah, Mikey, Donna, Doyle

Hey, writers, what time is it?

Time to fall back into the writing habit.

Fall hasn't officially arrived yet--although you could fool me with last night's beautiful Harvest Moon.

Now that summer is winding down, vacations are over, and the kiddos have returned to school, more members of Coffee and Critique are showing up each week.

Today, a dozen writers showed up despite the lovely weather when they could've been outside.

In addition to the nine writers above (along with Mickey from the Rendezvous Cafe popping in for the photo with the rest of the gang), Alice, Bill, and Charles attended critique but weren't able to stay for lunch.

And, although we only had two readers, we had lots of announcements and news before we began. We also gave thorough critiques to the two brave souls who read. The atmosphere was fun as Lou restrained order by having the guys swap places and sit among the women.

A fun time was had by all!

Announcement: Meeting Change

Tomorrow we will meet in the Wine Room, rather than the banquet room, of Rendezvous.

Coffee and Critique Kudos and Announcements

Several members of Coffee and Critique have been recognized recently for their writing accomplishments. I e-mailed our members last week and asked them to send me their Kudos, and the following writers answered. Wow! Here are the responses I received.

Please join me in congratulating them on their writing successes.

* Marcia Gaye won the 2012 Deane Wagner Poetry Award for “Apology” and was invited to read her poem at the award ceremony. Her short essay on first love, “A Relatively Innocent Love,” was published by Spruce Mountain Press in Heartscapes Anthology.

 

* Jack Zerr's poem "Grah Nade" won 10th place in the Writer's Digest annual poetry competition.

 

* Doyle Suit's poem "I'm in Good Shape for the Shape I'm In" has been published in Storyteller Magazine in September. His YA novel BAKER MOUNTAIN is scheduled to be published by High Hill Press later this year.

 

* Alice Muschany's true stories "Hats Off to Betty with Love" and "Forever and Ever" have been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul HOPE AND HEALING FOR YOUR BREAST CANCER JOURNEY, released September 2012.

 

 

Announcements

 

Speaking of Chicken Soup, today Donna Volkenannt has posted links to submission call outs from Chicken Soup for the Soul and Panera Bread on her blog Donna's Book Pub 

 

PLEASE NOTE: Beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, September 4, Coffee and Critique will start meeting half an hour earlier--at 9:30 a.m.

 

Announcing New Hours for Coffee and Critique Starting in September

Due to growth in our membership and the number of writers who want to read each week, beginning with the first meeting next month, September 4, we will start our meetings at 9:30 a.m. and wrap things up around noon. Everyone is welcome to join us for lunch afterwards.

Our meetings will continue at the Rendezvous Cafe on Main Street in O'Fallon.

About the Coffee and Critique Writing Group

Membership:
We are a critique group comprised of both fiction and non-fiction writers. We have reviewed novel excerpts, essays, query letters, contest entries and book synopses. We don't do poetry because we don't feel qualified to critique it. Many of our members have been published, and some are still working toward publication.

Our members have published in: Babble.com, Cuivre River Anthology I, II and III, Cup of Comfort, Fiery Foods & BBQ, Great American Outhouses Stories: The Whole Truth and Nothing Butt, Missouri Life, Ozark Mystery Antholgy, Sweetgum Notes and The StoryTeller Magazine.


Meetings:
We meet every Tuesday at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore in St. Peters, MO from 10 a.m. to around noon.

Method:
We critique a maximum of five typed, double-spaced pages to the meeting, including at least 6 extra copies for members to read (7 copies total).

We chat for the first twenty minutes or so, and then each author reads his or her work while the rest of the group follows along and edits/writes comments on the copies. Each group member presents comments as we proceed around the table. There is a lot of "ditto," so we don't beat you over the head with it if we all spot the same grammar error. We mention if we agree with previous content criticisms, so the author can get an idea how many readers share the opinion. The copies are returned to you at the conclusion of the critique.

We are honest but diplomatic when we comment. We do not eviscerate, rip, or maim in any way. Some of us have had negative experiences with critique groups tearing authors apart and making them feel as if they can never be writers. We want to build you up while giving honest commentary that helps improve your writing. Persistent authors who continue to build their skills will get published in some form.

We aren't always able to critique everyone's writing in a meeting, but if you don't get to read at one meeting, your name goes to the top of the list for the next meeting. Everyone signs up to read on our official notebook paper :) upon arriving.

Tricia Grissom