Sierra Writers kicks off the year with some exciting opportunities. New this fall are a poetry critique group, a marketing support group and possibly a script writers group and a children’s literature group. Small groups are only open to members, so don’t forget to pay you dues.
Click on the link to read the September newsletter, Sept2011news
Our next meeting will be very exciting, so hope to see you there.
Diane Covington ~ Passion Sells Stories; Secrets to Selling to Magazines
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 6:30PM
Madelyn Helling Library Community Room
980 Helling Way, Nevada City
Free and open to the public. Please join us for an exciting evening.
Diane Covington has traveled to far corners of the globe and then written about it for print, the web and radio. She’ll be discussing how to successfully sell to magazines and also some secrets of becoming a travel writer. Her story, ‘Finding Gilbert’ which appeared in Reader’s Digest in June 2009, was included in the anthology ‘Best Women’s Travel Writing 2011’ which is available from Amazon.
Award winning writer and photographer Diane Covington lives in Nevada City when she is not exploring the globe for new adventures. Covington teaches creative writing at her organic apple farm and is currently writing a memoir. www.dianecovington.com
The next meeting of Sierra Writers
Diane Covington ~ Passion Sells Stories; Secrets to Selling to Magazines
Diane Covington has traveled to far corners of the globe and then written about it for print, the web and radio. She’ll be discussing how to successfully sell to magazines and also some secrets of becoming a travel writer. Her story, ‘Finding Gilbert’ which appeared in Reader’s Digest in June 2009, was included in the anthology ‘Best Women’s Travel Writing 2011’ which is available from Amazon.
Award winning writer and photographer Diane Covington lives in Nevada City when she is not exploring the globe for new adventures. Covington teaches creative writing at her organic apple farm and is currently writing a memoir. www.dianecovington.com
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 6:30PM
Madelyn Helling Library Community Room
980 Helling Way, Nevada City
Free and open to the public. Please join us for an exciting evening.
Our last meeting before the summer break features Pamela Johnson. She will talk about marketing fiction. Pamela is the author of Heart of a Pirate, a fictional story of 18th century Anne Bonny.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011 6:30 PM
Madelyn Helling Library Community Room
980 Helling Way, Nevada City
Click here to read the June 2011 Sierra Writers Newsletter
Sierra Writers awarded five winners in its 11th Annual short story contest for young writers on Wednesday, May 11. These five read their winning entries aloud to friends and family and Sierra Writers members.
First, second, and third place included cash prizes of $150, $125, and $100 respectively along with gift certificates from The Book Seller. Honorable mentions received $75 each. All received palpable encouragement, a core reason why Sierra Writers sponsors this contest.
The young writers delivered beyond the words on paper, including engaging answers to interview questions and a satisfying mixture of seriousness and fun at the awards session.
Deciding who would win the top prize and who would turn up second was an especially close call for the four judges. In “Mother,” Kali Hardwick (age 17) captured decades of loving appreciation by mixing a tornado, an orchard, and memories of mom. She edged out Timothy Martinez (15). His “Legacy” wrapped some serious finger wagging around young warrior surviving in the bleakness of a not-too-distant future. John Alkire (15), not lacking serious substance, injected fun into his third place “Arnold the Angry Aardvark.”
Alison Dowd won for “Army Greens” and Monica Marsh won for “Was It Worth It.” Both 18 years old, they seemed pleased and honored with honorable mentions (and the cash). Sierra Writers and all gathered at the Madelyn Helling Library were pleased and honored to share the awards session.
Look for the 12th annual Young Writers Contest in March of 2012.
Sierra Writers will celebrate the winners of its 11th Annual short story contest for young writers on Wednesday, May 11. First prize is $150; second prize, $125 and third prize, $100. Honorable mentions take home cash, too. The annual contest is open to all teens aged 15-19 years old that either reside or attend school in Nevada County.
Here are the five finalists, their ages, and the titles of their stories:
John Alkire, 15, “Arnold the Angry Aardvark”; Alison Dowd, 18, “Army Greens”; Kali Hard-wick, 17, “Mother”; Monica Marsh, 18, “Was It Worth It”; Timothy Martinez, 15, “Legacy”
Congratulate these emerging writers at this free event, where the winners are asked to read their stories aloud.
Past winning stories have included topics that young people care about, including social issues and world events. The writing tone also has varied: dark, hopeful, humorous, sweet, irreverent, off-beat, controversial. This year’s finalist stories include various views of the world: one through ani-mal eyes; one from a military family; one from a loving daughter amidst a storm passing; one per-spective from the womb; and one from a projected reality in the future.
Sierra Writers takes pride in sponsoring this contest as a way to encourage Nevada County youth.
Friends and families of young authors, come to the Madelyn Helling Library Community Room May 11. Anyone who wants to see young local writers receiving some special attention should attend. It starts 6:30 PM.
This month’s newsletter is packed with announcements. One that did not make it into the newsletter is a book signing, reading, and tea party by Babette Donaldson at The Bookseller on Saturday, April 30, 1 to 3 PM. Donaldson’s children’s series, featuring Emma Lea is delightful. The Bookseller is at 107 Mill St., Grass Valley.
A few items worth highlighting (see newsletter for details):
- The Center for the Arts is offering a workshop with Kim Culbertson on May 7th
- After Kim’s workshop, there is still time to attend the Women’s Writing Salon also on Sat., May 7th
- Please support the participants in our Young Writers contest. Winners will be announced at the May 11 meeting
- Children’s writers – please note Joanne Brown’s invitation in the Member’s Corner
Click to download the May 2011 Sierra Writers Newsletter
Click on link for April 2011 Newsletter in PDF format.
Open Read
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 6:30 PM
Madelyn Helling Library Community Room
980 Helling Way, Nevada City
Guidelines: Only one written work in any form—story, poem, prose, memoir, essay or excerpt—two-to-three pages, may be submitted per person. At the top of the entry, note whether work is fiction or nonfiction and beginning, middle, end or entire piece (such as in a poem), however, beginning pieces usually work best. Do not include author name. Entries must be typed, double-spaced, single-sided and printed in an easy to read font, size 12 point. Word limit is 750 words. The author of any given piece must be present. Attendees at the meeting are asked to be considerate in their feedback and to keep comments brief and tactful.
Click on link to download Sierra Writers March 2011 newsletter in PDF format.
Paul Minicucci of NCTV – “A Low Stress Method of Writing A Stage Play”
Wednesday, February 9, 6:30PM
Madelyn Helling Library Community Room
980 Helling Way, Nevada City
Click on link to download Sierra Writers February 2011 newsletter in PDF format. February2011