fiction

July 5th Writers Forum with Deborah Kennedy

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Narrating the News Cycle

Current events come to us as prepackaged drama. They have all the stuff of good fiction: memorable characters, high stakes, rich settings. The plot is there and so is the conflict. It’s no wonder, then, that so many writers choose to make use of current events in their short stories in novels. There are clear advantages to writing about real-life scenarios and just as obvious pitfalls. Deborah Kennedy has written several stories based on current events and will share her advice on how to go about crafting compelling fiction that, while inspired by the headlines, goes far beyond the surface story to uncover deeper truths.

D. Kennedy

Deborah E. Kennedy is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her writing has appeared in Salon, Sou’wester, Third Coast Magazine, and The North American Review. She also holds a Master’s in Fiction Writing and English literature from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She lives in Forest Grove. Tornado Weather is her debut.

 

 

Do You Like Write-Ins?

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Do you like write-ins? Good news! There are several new write-ins around Washington County now, through 9Bridges. All manner and style of writers welcome. Short form, novel, poetry, comic book, screenplay, fiction (pick your genre, or not), nonfiction, journaling, journalism, essay, term paper, dissertation, etc? This is the write-in for you!

These are structured write-ins, which means, in case you have never attended one of those before, that there is a silent writing period for a set time, then a break where everyone is welcome to talk; about what they’re writing about the writing process, or any other topic that might arise. After the break period, there is another writing period, another break period, etc… until the write-in is over. You don’t have to stay the whole time, you don’t even have to show up on time! Just drop in for as long as you like and enjoy the creative atmosphere.

All of these write-ins are held every week, and are available through meetup.com (a free service), but you do not need to join meet up to attend them. The main advantages of using the meetup.com system are to keep thee write-ups you are attending organized and to let the write-in host know ahead of time who will be attending.

Monday Afternoon Write-In (Hillsboro)
12pm-4pm
Insomnia Coffee Co
5389 E Main St, Hillsboro, OR 97123
Format: 1 Hour Writing / 15 Minute Break / Repeat

Monday Evening Write-In (Hillsboro / Tanasbourne)
5pm-9pm
Starbucks Coffee
22075 NE Imbrie Dr, Hillsboro, OR 97124
Format: 25 Minute Writing / 10 Minute Break / Repeat

Tuesday Afternoon Write-In (Beaverton)
12pm-4pm
Jim & Patty’s Coffee
4130 SW 117th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97005
Format: 1 Hour Writing / 15 Minute Break / Repeat

Wednesday Evening Write-In (Tigard)
5pm-9pm
Symposium Coffee
12345 Southwest Main Street, Tigard, OR 97223
Format: 25 Minute Writing / 10 Minute Break / Repeat

There is currently no Aloha Write-In, though the timeslot of Wed 12pm-4pm is set aside for one as soon as a proper venue can be found.

Lucy Monroe Offers Write-Ins Every Thursday

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When I began writing (I’m going to date myself here, but that’s okay) over twenty years ago, I didn’t belong to any writing groups, and there were no pages on social me
dia dedicated to writers.  FB wasn’t even a thing then.  A few years later, I joined my first author group and a second one shortly after (my local chapter of Romance Writers of America).  It was wonderful!  Finally, I had a place to get together with others who shared my passion for creating the written word.
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Lucy Monroe

But writing continued to be a singularly solitary endeavor.  Sure, I had online critique partners after a while and even went to a few plotting/writing retreats, but the weekly work
was done on my own and reliant totally on my own self-discipline.
Fast forward twenty-plus years and after publishing 70 books with New York and London, I participated in my first NaNoWriMo, attending Write-Ins for the first time as well.  It was amazing!!!  Getting together with other authors to do what we loved best, to pursue our goals and dreams?  That was the stuff my happiest thoughts were made of.

 

I didn’t want to give up that sense of community and the in person accountability to write.  So, I got together with the director for the Brookwood Library and we hatched a plan.  Weekly Write-Ins hosted by me at the Library.

 

The Write-Ins will be every Thursday at 1 pm and will last until 4 pm.  I’m borrowing a format I like from another writing group and we’ll be writing for 45 minutes and then chatting for 15 before back to writing for 45, and so on.

 

I’m so keen to encourage other writers to write, to spend time in the company of my peers and to do what I love best…write my stories!
If you live in the area, I hope you’ll join me!
Hugs and happy writing,
Lucy

February 1st Writers Forum with Lucy Monroe

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It’s All About the Emotion

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Lucy Monroe

Writing emotion is one of the most important elements to telling a story, but particularly in popular genre fiction.  Whatever the genre, they have one thing in common and that is that if we want our readers emotionally invested in our books, they need to *feel* the story.  Emotion is layered into the conflict, reflected in the characterization and key to creating a compelling plot. Lucy Monroe will host an interactive discussion and short writing exercise to hone that all important skill: getting emotion down on paper.

With more than 7 million copies of her books in print worldwide, award winning and USA Today bestseller Lucy Monroe has published over 70 books and had her stories translated for sale all over the world.  While she writes multiple subgenres of romance, all of her books are sexy, deeply emotional and adhere to the concept that love will conquer all.  A passionate devotee of romance, she adores sharing her love for the genre with her readers.

The Washington County Writers Forum is held on the first Thursday of each month except January. Join us at Insomnia Coffee–Downtown Location at 317 E Main Street in Hillsboro from 7-8:30pm. Admission is $5.

Conversations With Writers: October 23rd

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Conversations With Writers will meet on October 23rd instead of the last Monday of the month. Endi Hartigan will be their presenter from  7-9pm at the Reedville Presbyterian Church 2785 SW 209th Avenue, Aloha.

Listening: Silence, Language, and Noise

Endi Bogue Hartigan Poster (1)

Conversations With Writers 

How is listening an act of writing? How can poets employ listening in the writing practice?

Endi Hartigan will talk about how her book– Pool [5 choruses]– came from both the realization she was writing amid a profusion of public noise, and her desire to challenge it. She will discuss how listening to language, silence, and noise can lead to poems that weave those three elements together. We will explore the practices of listening to sound, music, pauses, gaps, and breath, and utilize these in our writing.

Her book, Pool [5 choruses]  won the Omnidawn Open Poetry Book Prize and was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. Her first book One Sun Storm won the Colorado Prize for Poetry and was also a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. In addition, she has published one chapbook, and her poems have appeared in numerous journals including VOLT, New American Writing, Denver Quarterly, and Ostrich Review..

November 2nd Writers Forum with Delilah Marvelle

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Everything you need to know about New York Publishing and Self-Publishing

DelilahVintage

Delilah Marvelle

Ever wonder what the pros and cons are to Self-Publishing vs. New York publishing? Of course you do! Are you struggling to define yourself as a writer? Even the most successful authors struggle with that.

Join USA Today Bestselling author Delilah Marvelle as she talks about her 20 years in the Publishing Industry and what it takes to survive your own writing career.

Delilah Marvelle is the winner of the Reviewer’s Choice for Best Historical Romance of the Year and had Booklist name her historical romance ‘Forever and a Day’ one of the TOP 10 Romance of the year. When she isn’t writing, she’s digging through research books. She is also the co-founder of The Historical Romance Retreat, which brings history to life for readers as they spend a week with their favorite authors!

You can visit her at her website at www.DelilahMarvelle.com or her blog that explores the risqué side of history atwww.DelilahMarvelle.blogspot.com

Washington County Writers hosts a Writers Forum on the first Thursday of each month. Join us at Insomnia Coffee at 317 E Main Street in Hillsboro from 7-8pm.

Conversations With Writers’ August Meeting on the 28th

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VENUE CHANGE DUE TO HEAT! PLEASE EMAIL ROSEMARY FOR NEW VENUE ADDRESS – ROSEMARYDLOMBARD@YAHOO.COM.

 Taylor Stannard will present “Libel in Fiction: Why It’s Important & How to Avoid It” at the Conversations With Writers meeting on August 28th at 7:00pm.

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Taylor Stannard has taught Creative Writing and her short fiction has been published in several literary journals. Her The Stonepile Possum Queen, the first book of a trilogy-in-progress, was given favorable reviews by Kirkus.

Taylor will discuss the legal intricacies of writing fiction whose plot, places or characters might pose a resemblance to actual circumstances, either current or recent.

Conversations With Writers meets at the Reedville Presbyterian Church on 2785 SW 209th Avenue in Aloha. You can get on their monthly notice email list or contact the group at frmelden@frontier.com.

Lend an Ear 2017 on July 8, 2017

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Here’s a wonderful event happening right here in Washington County!

Writers in the Grove

Lend an Ear 2015 - Audience listen to Veronica read.The 8th Annual Lend an Ear, Come and Hear reading event is July 8, 2017, at Plum Hill Winery in Gaston, Oregon. It begins at 10:30AM and goes to approximately 1PM, and is produced by Writers in the Grove.

July 8, 2017
Saturday 10:30am-1pm
Plum Hill Vineyards
6505 SW Old Highway 47
Gaston OR 97119

The event is free and open to the public.

For eight years, writers from around Forest Grove and Washington County have submitted and read their work to dozens. Last year we broke records with over a hundred attendees. This free event is held in a beautiful winery in the foothills near Hagg Lake overlooking the Tualitin Valley. There will be food from several food wagons and, of course, some wine from Plum Hill Winery, our fabulous hosts. Come laugh, cry, and sigh as you listen to our marvelous readers sharing their creative writing and storytelling…

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August 3rd Writers Forum with Shéa MacLeod

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Write Fast: Increasing Your Novel Writing Speed Through Art Journaling

Do you envy prolific writers who seem to pump out multiple novels per year while you struggle to finish one or two?

MacLeodAre you already fairly prolific and want to become more so?

Are you a pantser who suffers from writers’ block and finds plotting abhorrent?

Or are you a plotter who tends to get lost in the minutiae of plotting?

This is the class for you!

With a unique take on art journaling, I will show you how to increase your writing speed so you can get out more novels faster. WITHOUT the quality suffering.

Shéa MacLeod is the author of urban fantasy, paranormal romances, contemporary romances, and cozy mysteries. She has dreamed of writing novels since before she could hold a crayon. She totally blames her mother.                                                              

The first three books in her SUNWALKER SAGA (Kissed by Darkness, Kissed by Fire, and Kissed by Smoke), a fast paced urban fantasy series with a kick-ass heroine, are available from Montlake Romance. The fourth installment, Kissed by Moonlight, is available now along with the first installment of the new spin-off series, Fearless (Soulshifter Book 1).

Visit her at www.sheamacleod.com.

Washington County Writers hosts a Writers Forum on the first Thursday of each month. Join us at Insomnia Coffee on 317 E Main Street in Hillsboro at 7pm!