Saturday Writers June Meeting

From the Saturday Writers Website:

June 27 - "Getting Paid to Tell the Truth" - Local newspaper columnist and non-fiction writer Shelly Schneider and husband-and-wife writers Dianna and Don Graveman will participate in a panel discussion and share what they've learned about writing and publishing non-fiction.

Shelly Schneider spent much of her life trying to find a painless method for removing her foot from her mouth. She’s matured, a little, thanks to her husband, Jim, and their three children: Christopher, Michael and Samantha. She is an award-winning columnist for Community News (www.mycnews.com) and alter ego to Sarcastic Woman. Shelly is a lifetime fan of most sports and an 18-year fan of classic and muscle cars. When she’s not doing that other stuff, she tries to keep track of her daily points allowance, because hey, if you bite it, you write it!

Dianna Graveman is an editor for Liguori Publications. She holds an MFA in writing and a bachelor's degree in education and has taught most grades from Kindergarten through college. Her writing has been published in the U.S. and U.K. and has been recognized by the Missouri Writers Guild, Saturday Writers, Whispering Prairie Press, Women on Writing, ByLine Magazine, Erma Bombeck Writing Competition, and Catholic Press Association of the U.S. and Canada. She is a St. Louis Writers Guild "member of distinction," where she served on the organization's board of directors in 2008-2009.

Don Graveman is a historian and freelance photographer, as well as an account manager for Butler Communications in O’Fallon, Missouri . The recipient of a variety of sales awards, Don’s business travels regularly take him across a multi-state territory, mostly in the American West. Don holds a degree in economics from the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Don and Dianna are co-authors of the recently-released pictorial history, St. Charles: Les Petites Cotes, which was published as part of Arcadia Publishing's national "Images of America" series. They are currently under contract with Arcadia to develop three additional books for release in 2010.

Saturday Writers Meeting May 30

The deadline for submissions has passed, but I learn a tremendous amount by listening to the critques and hearing the work read aloud.

From the Website:

When: May 30, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Saturday Writers presents, "The First 300." Ladies and Gentlemen, start up your writing engines!!!!!

According to most editors and agents, a writer has to capture their attention right away-in the first paragraph or the first page-but for sure by the first 300 words. Members of Saturday Writers submitted their fiction, non-fiction, or essays, up to 300 words (double spaced) which will be read during the May meeting and critiqued by a panel of editors. And, you don't have to submit anything to attend the meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend!!!

Where: St. Peters Community and Arts Center
1035 St. Peters Howell Road (just off of Mid Rivers Mall Drive), St. Peters, MO. Phone 636-397-6903 for directions.

Saturday Writers Hosts Critique Groups 101

Hey Blog Readers, be sure to say hello if you come to the panel this saturday:

Saturday Writers, the local chapter of the Missouri Writer’s Guild, will host a “Critique Groups 101” on Saturday, May 31, 2008 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

A panel of multi-published, award-winning writers, including Tricia Sanders, Tricia Grissom and Amy Harke-Moore, will share their experiences about belonging to critique groups.

Critique group discussion topics include: how to form one, how to find one, tips on giving and receiving critique, tips on running a critique group, online critique groups and online sources about critiquing.

Saturday Writers meets on the last Saturday of the month at St. Peters Community and Arts Center, 1035 St. Peters-Howell Road, off Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters. The meeting is free to members and $5 for non-members. Annual dues are $15.

For more information, visit the Saturday Writer's website.

Hope to see you there.

Poet and Translator Michael Castro to Speak at Saturday Writers

Saturday Writers Meeting:

April 26, 2008

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Free to Members, $5 for guests (which you can apply toward membership if you decide to join after the meeting)

St. Peters Community and Arts Center, 1035 St. Peters Howell Road (just off Mid Rivers Mall Drive); St. Peters, MO 63376.

From the Saturday Writers Website:

April 26 - Poet, editor and translator MICHAEL CASTRO will talk about Collaborations: Translating the Voices in My Head.

Castro is a poet, translator, and performance artist. He is the co-founder of the literary organization and magazine, River Styx, in operation in St. Louis since 1975. He has hosted three poetry radio programs, broadcasting poetry programming over twenty years--most recently, Poetry Beat (1989--2003, KDHX-FM St. Louis).

He has published ten books of poetry, including Human Rites (2002), and two books of translations (with Hungarian poet, Gabor Gyukics), Swimming in the Ground: Contemporary Hungarian Poets (2001) and A Transparent Lion: Selected Poetry of Attila Jozsef (2006). His performance work with music is reflected in two recent CD's: "Kokopilau" with wind player J.D. Parran, and "Endless Root" with multi-instrumentalist Joe Catalano (both 2008). Castro teaches at Lindenwood University, where he founded the MFA in Writing Program.

Saturday Writers is a not-for-profit organization and one of fourteen chapters of the Missouri Writers Guild. Founded in January 2002, our members include writers from the Missouri counties of St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren, and St. Louis, as well as members from throughout Missouri and other states. Our members write in all genres: fiction, non-fiction, essays, memoirs, poetry.

Chapter meetings are the last Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the St. Peters Community and Arts Center, 1035 St. Peters Howell Road (just off Mid Rivers Mall Drive); St. Peters, MO 63376. Phone 636-397-6903.

"So,Where'd You Go to High School?" Author Dan Dillon Speaks at Saturday Writers This Weekend

Meeting: Saturday, February 23, 2008

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Place: St. Peters Community and Arts Center 1035 St. Peters Howell Road (just off Mid Rivers Mall Drive) St. Peters, MO 63376

Members: Free

Non-Members: $5 (join at the meeting and the $5 will count toward your $20 yearly dues.

From Saturday Writers Website:

DAN DILLON: "Picking up the Pieces: How to Turn a Failed Project into a Successful Book."

In "Picking up the Pieces," Dan will discuss how he was able to shiftgears on a work-in-progress. Dan’s original book topic was Prom Magazine, a local monthly magazine read by St. Louis high school students from the late '40s through the early '70s. Problems forced him to withdraw from the project. He was fortunate enough to be able to salvage much of his research on the "Prom" project and turn it into the second edition of "So,Where'd You Go to High School?"

DAN DILLON has been a writer/producer at KMOV Channel 4 since 1983. He is the recipient of 14 Mid-America Chapter Emmy Awards for writing, directing and editing. Dan is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He is also a proud alum of St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

Dan lives in Olivette with his wife Kim, and daughters Kylie and Mackenzie. After the meeting, Dan will be selling and autographing his books. If you know someone who went to school in St. Louis, his book would make a great gift. The meeting starts at 11:00 am. St. Peters Community and Arts Center 1035 St. Peters Howell Road (just off Mid Rivers Mall Drive) St. Peters, MO 63376 Phone 636-397-6903