* MWG Missouri Writers Guild Just Write! Conference *

The MWG Missouri Writers Guild Conference, Just Write! was a huge success. It was wonderful to see so many writers join together to do what we writers like to do most: Talk about writing. Learn more about writing. Learn important information from agents and publishers. Learn more about publishing opportunities. Listen to inspirational speakers. Have the opportunity to purchase books from our newly published friends. Etcetera!

It was fabulous to meet C. Hope Clark, owner of Funds for Writers. Hope's blog and newsletters are packed full of helpful information that we writers crave.

Our banquet dinner's keynote speaker was St. Louis' own, Elaine Viets. She traveled all the way from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to be part of our wonderful weekend. Elaine is an extremely funny lady. Check her website to learn more about her and possibly purchase a book or two!

I had the pleasure to be the shepherd (guide) to Linda C. Apple during the conference. Linda is a writer and speaker. She has stories published in thirteen (13) Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She's also written two books and is working on a historical romance. I purchased one of Linda's books, "Inspire! Writing from the Soul." (Instructional guide to inspirational writing.) She also has a blog. I can't say enough about how much I admire and like Linda. She inspired me to get back to my writing with renewed interest. It was truly a joy to be in her presence.

Some of our Saturday Writer members were winners of, or received honorable mention in the various conference contests. Jack Zerr, Marcia Gaye, Pat Wahler, Alice Mushany & Donna Volkenannt Congratulations to all! (If I've forgotten anyone, please tell me. There were so many names announced last night and y'all know I have an awful memory!)

And now....the coveted award we received was......drum roll please.......

MWG's Silent Auction: The Basket Wars! I don't know if Saturday Writers has ever won it in the past, but I was determined to win this year! Our large and lovely gift basket was: Death by Chocolate. Everything in it was either chocolate, or had something to do with chocolate, and not necessarily edible! Included were the DVDs Chocolat, and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. There were cookbooks with chocolate recipes and there were books with chocolate in the title such as Chocolate for a Woman's Soul. Add a lovely, handmade knitted dark brown scarf, and a chocolate candle, plus tons of chocolate candies and box mixes. Voile'...Death by Chocolate!

A big thank you to Barbara Hodges, the Basket Wars coordinator, and all the Saturday Writer members who donated items for our basket! And it wouldn't have come together if it wasn't for Sioux Roslawski who searched all over town for the right basket to hold everything, and presented us with the final beautiful result.

Thank you and congratulations to Cindy Lovell from Hannibal, Missouri, who was the highest bidder!

We received a nice check for our winning entry, plus a "traveling trophy", which we hope to hold onto for many years to come!

Hello & Welcome to my newest follower: Vicki Rocho. I had the pleasure of meeting Vicki at this conference! She drove all the way from Iowa to attend our St. Louis conference! Wonderful to meet you, Vicki!

"Don't tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass." -- Anton Chekhov

* Tomorrow's the Big Day ~ MWG Conference *

Tomorrow, Friday April 8th, is the beginning of the Missouri Writer's Guild "Just Write!" Conference. I've been anxiously awaiting this conference, in all actuality, since the last one I attended in 2007.

That conference was my first one and it bowled me over. I couldn't get over how many people were published authors, whether it was their own books, or magazine articles, or anthologies. I felt like an intruder, like a girl from the farm, attending a big city! But I was embraced by many helpful and reassuring writers. I also received my first critique, which was an encouraging one.

Quite a bit has happened to me since then. I've joined writers' groups, written and submitted to contests, anthologies, newspapers, etc....and managed to be published in a few. I've met so many wonderful writers, both in person, through e-mails, and in the past couple of years, through my blog.

Speaking of writers....I'm thrilled to be an official "shepherd" this weekend. That means I'm an ambassador for MWG and I'll help my assigned speaker navigate the conference. Which speaker was chosen for me? Linda C. Apple; writer and speaker. Linda has stories published in over a dozen Chicken Soup for the Soul books, plus many others. She also has published two books of her own, about inspriation, speaking and writing. Please check out her website to learn more. I can't wait to meet Linda. I'm sure we'll hit it off!

I can't say enough about how much I've learned through meetings and networking. I'm so grateful to be a Writer Gal! I'm especially pleased to be a member of the Missouri Writers Guild, St. Louis Writers Guild, Ozarks Writers League, and Saturday Writers.

Wherever you are, I hope you have a writers group near you. And if you don't, why not start one? They all have to begin somewhere, somehow!

Hello & Welcome to my newest follower: Souther Girl. Thanks so much and I hope you always enjoy your visits!

I end today's post with two of my favorite quotes:

"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." ~Toni Morrison

"The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say." ~Anaïs Nin

* Writerly Thoughts *

I'm feeling very writerly today. It began when I stopped at Carol Kilgore's blog, Under the Tiki Hut. Carol wrote about her excitement and then disappointment over a new book written by one of her favorite authors. She posed the question, "As a reader: What do you do when this happens with you?" She also asked how you, the writer, can prevent readers from feeling let down when they read your work. I didn't respond to that one because everyone felt pretty much the same: Hoping that wouldn't happen to them!

Then I hopped over to check out Tiny Lights, A Journal of Personal Narrative. I write a monthly essay for the Searchlights & Signal Flares section, where writerly questions are posed. Anyone is welcome to submit answers, as long as they stick to the guidelines posted. The question for March was: How do you deal with writer’s envy? I just LOVE being put to the test on these. Most times I stare at my blank screen for awhile and think, How am I going to write about this? And then, all of a sudden, the words start flowing and I complete it fairly quickly. I usually wait until the deadline, which is the 15th of every month, and for some reason that seems to work for me. Also, there is no word count, so it can be short and sweet or long and eloquent. After I submit my essay, I don't go back and read it for weeks. And almost every time, when I finally do read it again, it catches me by surprise, as if I didn't even write it.....and I think, Hmm, maybe I'm not too shabby of a writer afterall...at least, sometimes!

I just remembered something.....Missouri Governor Jay Nixon proclaimed April 3 through 9 Missouri Writers Week. The week culminates with the Show-Me Spotlight banquet and awards to the winners of the annual MWG contests on April 9 at the Just Write! Conference in St. Louis.


No wonder I feel writerly today. I'm attending the conference and banquet this weekend! More on that later this week.

Be sure and check out Under the Tiki Hut and Tiny Lights. I haven't known Carol very long, but I love her blog. And I can't say enough about Susan Bono, the Editor-in-Chief, of Tiny Lights!

Hello and Welcome to my newest follower: Nucleo Espirita Verbo de Luz. Thanks so much and I hope you always enjoy your visits!

"Seeing yourself in print is such an amazing concept: you can get so much attention without having to actually show up somewhere . . .You don't have to dress up, for instance, and you can't hear them boo you right away.” -- Anne Lamott

* And the Winner Is.....*

Thanks to everyone who participated in my newest contest. I found it so interesting to learn that not only many had never watched Joan of Arcadia, but had never even heard of it. No wonder the show got dropped after only two seasons. Thanks to DVDs, though, it will live on and on.



And by using random.org, the winner is ~~~~~ Jeff Campbell! Congrats, Jeff! Please e-mail your mailing address to me and I'll try to get the DVD set sent Monday. I know you'll enjoy reliving those "Conversations with God."

"What if God was one of us?" -- lyrics from If God Was One of Us, by Joan Osbourne

* Do These Folks Look Like Your Ancestors? *

It's a Reunion! Not!

When digging through a drawer of cards, envelopes, and crafty things today, I came across a few of these invitations. You know how you browse in the greeting card aisle at whatever store you're in? You look at the darling ones with the puppies or babies on the front. You laugh out loud at the funny ones. And sometimes you buy a couple of cards, knowing you will save them for the right occasion. 

I saw these in a Hallmark store approximately 20 years ago! They were in a bin of marked down items and the package of ten or twelve cost something like 50 cents. I had no need for reunion invitations, but the photo was just so darn funny, I had to have them. Over the years, I kept thinking that some kind of reunion would come along and then I could use them, but that never happened.

Today, though, I thought of a solution. I'll send them to some writer friends, inviting them to lunch. The invitation will come with just one requirement. In order to attend, they must write a short story based on one of these fine looking family members. And if they'd like to make it even more fun, they could dress in the same attire as their character.

What do you think? Would you like to receive one of these wacky invitations?!

"In my photographs it is apparent that there was no posing at the moment I released the shutter." -- Jerzy Kosinski

* Contest & Cardinals *

Don't forget my contest ends at midnight (CDT) Friday, April 1st. You have until then to leave a comment on the post about the DVDs of "Joan of Arcadia". No other rules! You don't have to be a follower or link me to your blog, etc. Just leave a comment!

Also: If you live in the St. Louis area, you can listen to JC Corcoran's annual program for the St. Louis Baseball Cardinals Opening Day on the radio at 550 AM, or if you live anywhere in the world....other than Outer Space, you can listen online at KTRS. Just click on "Live Listen Now." Why am I telling you this?? Because JC e-mailed me the other day, saying he's going to open his show with the bit about ME winning 2 tickets to a Play Off game....in.....the fall of.....1996!! FIFTEEN YEARS AGO! I happened to call in to the radio show, and talked about Mark, who was only nine years old at the time, and how we watched the games on TV together.The Ronald always kidded me about how I kept stretching my Fifteen Minutes of Fame.....but neither one of us every dreamed it would last for 15 YEARS! JC and I have stayed in touch all these years, too. Be listening by about 8:50 am, CDT, because it's supposed to be played at 9:05 am.



"I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game." -- Walt Whitman

* The Life Sherpa Guy Really Knows His Stuff *

From what I've heard through the grapevine and read on some of today's blog posts, I'd say our Guest Speaker yesterday at Saturday Writers was a Huge Hit! I haven't written much about our meetings on my personal blog, because I write about it on its own blog.

Joe Holleman

(photo: courtesy Sheree Nielsen)

Whenever someone books a speaker for a presentation, the outcome isn't guaranteed. You choose people you either know well and/or admire greatly, make the request, and go from there. Yesterday's speaker was a well known reporter from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper. His name is Joe Holleman and he writes a humorous column, Life Sherpa, in the Life & Style section, which can be read online at the link provided. I hadn't met Joe or knew anything about him, other than reading his column. It occurred to me that he'd most likely give a great presentation on writing, and in particular, writing for a newspaper. I e-mailed with my request and voile'... he accepted. He did not disappoint us. He energized everyone with his presentation. He educated us, entertained us, and answered questions.


Being the president of any group takes quite a bit of time and work, but I am loving every minute of it. I titled my latest column in our newsletter: Work + Great People = Fun.That's the way I look at most things in life. If something requires a lot of work, then I want to be able to enjoy it and the people I work with.

These past three months have been great. Our board members are awesome, hardworking individuals. A few of them have been on the board in the past, which is so helpful to me. Whenever I have questions, I can turn to them. Our new board members are also very helpful. Because they are new, they particularly have enthusiastic ideas.

I'd like to publicly thank them, plus the previous years' board members. Saturday Writers is an awesome writers' group, because of hard work, innovative ideas, great speakers, educational workshops, and talented members. If is wasn 't for all of you, Saturday Writers wouldn't be what it is today.

Joe also shared some of his favorite writer quotes with us. The following is one of my top choices!

"My most important piece of advice to all you would-be writers: When you write, try to leave the stuff out that people don’t read." – Elmore Leonard

* Thursday's Tidbits *

Things I've forgotten to do or say:

→  My friend who fell from his deck a couple of weeks ago is doing really well. He had/has a couple of broken cheek bones that will just heal on their own, very sore ribs (still), and the stitches he had on/around one of his ears have disintegrated. I saw him briefly Tuesday night and he was much more mobile and just looked better. No more black eyes, either! Thank goodness he didn't get hurt much worse. He's a heck of a nice guy. Addendum: He was in Vietnam, he's a retired policeman, and I think he must have an angel on his shoulder. 

→  I'm finishing up my "Pay It Forward" gifts. It's taking me longer than I thought it would, but hopefully I'll still have the rest sent by March 31st.

→  I haven't had a "Contest Give-Away" in awhile, and I think it's about time, don't you?! There is only One Rule to this one. Shipping only to Continental US residents. I'm sorry, but postage is so expensive overseas and in Canada.  Just leave a comment. No need to be a follower, or post it on your blog, etc. But, of course, the more, the merrier! Winner will be drawn by random at midnight Friday, April 1st. She/he will receive the following:

→  This brand new, never been opened, still has the shrink-wrap on it 6-Disc Set of the First Season of "Joan of Arcadia"!  Somehow I had 2 sets of this. I remember buying it as a Christmas gift a few years ago, but I don't remember where this other set came from!

→  This show began in the fall of 2003 and only lasted 2 Seasons. When I first saw it advertised, I thought How dumb. How corny. Yeah, they live in a town named Arcadia and her name is Joan and she sees and hears God. Silly & Gimmicky. But you know what? The first time I watched it, it grabbed me. One of the coolest twists in the writing is that each time God appears to Joan, he is someone different. I don't remember any particular character, but it was always someone common. The bus driver, the janitor, a young child, etc. Amber Tamblyn (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 1 & 2, and other movies.) was the main attraction, for lack of a better word. Her portrayal of 16 year old Joan Girardi was simply beautiful to watch. If you want to know more about the series, check out Amazon. AND, you don't have to be a "religious" person to enjoy this show. Everything is not always easy for Joan, her family and friends. There are conflicts, stresses, real life issues.

→  Trivia:  Amber is the daughter of actor Russ Tamblyn, best known for his role as Riff in West Side Story.    

Hello and Welcome to my two newest followers: Melissa Ann Goodwin & Kathi at like a box of chocolates! Thanks so much and I hope you always enjoy your visits!                                                                      

Below is a short piece of dialogue. This is typical of Joan's sarcasism, and God's humorous replies.

Joan: "Let's see a miracle."

God:  "How about that?"

Joan:  "It's a tree."

God:  "Let's see you make one."