With two people at the library and fourteen online, there were sixteen people at August’s Writers’ Mill meeting, where we bemoaned the trials and tribulations of technology, considered the starts and stops of writing and editing, and made plans for this year’s anthology. We’re very grateful to Christine for getting a working setup at the library, despite their technical difficulties, and also to Ron who is continuing to work on fixing the website and newsletter issues. And we hope those attending for the first time will return, despite the technological complications with most of us online. We were delighted to meet you!
Continue reading Writers’ Mill Minutes Sunday August 20th 2023Write, Edit, and Stop: presentation by Sheila Deeth, August 2023
WRITE
Different people, different ways to write:
- Writing as a race: Go from start to finish without rereading, editing, critiquing, complaining, or stopping – e.g. NaNoWriMo in November
- Writing as mountain-climbing: Plan your route. Write/climb your route. Set up waypoints. Then climb a better route in your next draft.
- Writing as sewing: Write some, reread and edit what you wrote, then write some more… backstitching over your text to make a solid seam.
- Do what works for you!
Newsletter Issues. Find Latest Newsletter Info Below
We are having problems with the newsletter portion of our website. If you have not received the latest newsletters, don’t panic. The information you missed is included below in four parts:
- EZINE/CONTEST REMINDER
- ANTHOLOGY REMINDER
- SUBMISSION REMINDER
- MEETING REMINDER
Writers’ Mill Minutes Sunday July 16th 2023
14 members attended July’s Writers’ Mill meeting, and if you missed it, you missed a fantastic presentation from Erick Mertz. His topic—Self-Publishing Success: What Worked, What Didn’t, & What I Would Do Differently—was particularly timely as we approach the release of our next anthology, and included excellent advice and inspiration for all of us. Notes from his presentation will be posted online shortly, with the current password—which you will find in your emails.
Continue reading Writers’ Mill Minutes Sunday July 16th 2023Self-Publishing Success: What Worked, What Didn’t, & What I Would Do Differently, with Erick Mertz
Self-publishing used to be somewhat frowned on and considered less legitimate than “really” getting published, but that is changing, as Erick showed us in his presentation.
Continue reading Self-Publishing Success: What Worked, What Didn’t, & What I Would Do Differently, with Erick MertzWriters’ Mill Minutes, June 18, 2023
Cedar Mill Library, Beaverton and online Zoom
Six participants attended online, and seven were present in the library meeting room, for a total of thirteen. Zita Podany led the meeting in Sheila Deeth’s absence. Christine Wong managed the technology from the library, with assistance from Matthew McAyeal who coordinated the Zoom chat with library attendees. Jean Harkin took Minutes. We welcomed a new member, Ren.
Continue reading Writers’ Mill Minutes, June 18, 2023Jan Underwood and Magical Realism
Summary of Jan Underwood’s presentation: Jan began writing at age six, when she wrote a story about Winnie the Pooh characters, and her father told her she could actually make up her own characters. For Jan that idea was the spark that enlightened her creative energy, and she has been writing ever since. Jan is also a Spanish teacher and loves to use flavors of foreign languages in her writing.
Continue reading Jan Underwood and Magical RealismWriters’ Mill Minutes 2023 05 21
Ten people joined us online this month and eight in-person (including two new members!) for Joshua Williamson’s excellent talk on writing, getting published, beginnings middles and ends, graphic novels (of course), and so much more. You’ll find notes at https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/22/you-too-can-write-a-novel-graphic-novel-comic-memoir-mini-book-talk-with-joshua-williamson/
Continue reading Writers’ Mill Minutes 2023 05 21You too can write a novel, graphic novel, comic, memoir, mini-book, … talk with Joshua Williamson
Joshua Williamson is the author of 150 graphic novels! He works for DC Comics and Marvel, and is paid to write monthly short books (like magazines) which, when the story’s done, get compiled together into complete graphic novels. Mostly these are YA, but he’s written other non-DC books (e.g. Nailbiter) which might be aimed at a somewhat older audience.
Continue reading You too can write a novel, graphic novel, comic, memoir, mini-book, … talk with Joshua WilliamsonWriters’ Mill Minutes 2023 04 16
Writers’ Mill Minutes April 16 2023
We had around 7 in-person members and 7 online for Ruth Leibowitz’ inspiring and surprising talk on writing prompts, where to find them, and how, when and why to use them, including advice on how to critique, how to encourage other writers, and how to help yourself know more about your characters. Ruth gave her presentation over zoom, and we’re so pleased that she was able and willing to do that despite having COVID. Since Sheila’s presentation last month also took place over zoom due to COVID, we’re wondering if the virus has it in for the Writers’ Mill. Writers take care!
Continue reading Writers’ Mill Minutes 2023 04 16