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Our monthly meetings include lunch and networking with a great group of writers from all genres. Join us!
On May 6th, Catherine Sword, librarian at the Whitchurch-Stouffville library, delivered a lively, informative presentation. We learned that librarians receive the majority of book suggestions fromspecialized catalogues (February, July and October) assembled by jobbers, and that scarce funds for expanding collections are often fully committed by the end of summer. To select books to fill their shelves, librarians use objective criteria. Small press and independent authors chosen for local libraries usually have products with popular appeal, positive reviews, authoritative coverage of interesting topics or home-town flavour. Making a submission to a library is similar to querying publishers – be informative, succinct and include a ‘hook’. Catherine mentioned Library Bound (includes option to list self-published texts), Jack the Bookman, the Library Services Centre and Whitehots as good reference sites for writers and publishers wishing more information on potentially listing their products. She also mentioned using your library card to the fullest - search library catalogues for resources (type in the keywords ‘Writers Digest’, for example). She encouraged us to develop a relationship with your local librarians – they know their books! Check out the online databases and book recommendations and broaden your interests. LIBRARIANS – THE ORIGINAL SEARCH ENGINES.
The June 10th, 2012 meeting will feature speaker Sherry Coman. Sherry is a writer, educator and story editor with more than thirty years experience in theatre and film as the author of her own plays, screenplays and fiction and as the consultant on story editing and film production for clients ranging from young new filmmakers, to emerging playwrights and established international film producers. As a playwright, she has been produced in Canada, the US and Great Britain and in 1991 was nominated for the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn prize. Currently a sessional lecturer in film, visual and new media culture at Humber College, she also coaches private clients and runs an online course in story editing.
Click here to reserve your spot.
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Sign up for the next meeting by Thursday, JUNE 4th at noon to reserve your spot at the upcoming meeting. Early-bird registrants will have their name entered in a draw – the prize is a voucher for a future meeting!
Please note the costs for the meeting (below).
Doors open for networking and registration at 12:30 p.m., at the Aurora Cultural Centre.
Lunch will be served at 1:00. There’ll be raffle draws, readings and announcements, too!
Should you have any inquiries, please contact us using the Contact Form or at outreach(at)wcyork.ca.
Members registered in advance – $20 Non-members, registered in advance – $25
Members, at the door – $25 Non-members, at the door – $30
The WCYR Board wants to hear from you about topics/speakers you’d like us to feature, ideas for workshops, etc. Want to read from a work in progress or a published work? Drop your name into the box at the next meeting. In the coming weeks, the WCYR Board will be working on developing a resource list of York region writing circles and groups accepting new members, as well as compiling lists of those who’d like to form their own group. If you’d like to volunteer for a Five Minute Reading or make a One Minute announcement about a writing event at an upcoming meeting, please let us know in advance.
Remember - Check out the websites for our sister organizations in Simcoe and Durham - you’ll find a wealth of excellent speakers and workshops for writers. Their links are to the right of this message.
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Our April 15th meeting with featureed speaker, Kristen Den Hartog, was amazing. Kristen graciously shared with us her thoughts on writing about the events that hold families together and what pushes families apart. She spoke about the ‘huge weight of responsibility when you write about other people’s lives” and encouraged us to keep to the truth, but to not be afraid to take leaps to fill in the gaps and build from situations that occurred. Details may seem interesting and important, as you’re assembling your body of research, but be careful you don’t let them overwhelm story or character.
Click the icons below to see slideshows of our previous meetings:
Click here to see a slideshow from December’s workshop with Barry Dempster.
Click here to see a slideshow from November’s lunch meeting with Allyson Latta.
Thanks to Mary McIntyre and Christine Barbetta for photographs of our meetings.
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For a map to our meeting location (the beautifully renovated Aurora Cultural Centre) CLICK HERE
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Sunday, June 10th
Our featured speaker will be author, playwright, film critic, editor and screenwriter, Sherry Coman.
If you have any special dietary requests for Chef Deb Rankine, kindly email our Meeting Coordinator, Gail Sellers.
Register by MONDAY, JUNE 4th to enter your name in an Early Bird draw for a free meeting voucher. Please register by Thursday, June 7th at noon so that we can guarantee you a spot and lunch!
Click here for directions to our meeting location.
Doors open at our meetings at 12:30 p.m. on the designated dates for networking; lunch is served at 1:00.
