The Writers Guild of Texas to host Spring workshop March 18

   The 2016 Spring Writers' Workshop sponsored by the Writers Guild of Texas will be held Saturday, March 19, from 9 am to noon in The Heights Room of the Richardson Civic Center.
Location: 411 W Arapaho Rd., Richardson, TX 75080.
Date/time: Saturday, March 19, 9 a.m. to noon
Visit: www.wgtonline.org/home.html
Cost: $35 for non-members. Seats are limited.
Presentation: Dr. Katherine "Kat" Smith, DHS will speak on "Interviewing Authority."
   The focus of this workshop is to help authors understand the importance of media interviewing skills and to polish and perfect their overall delivery and appearance to ensure the final product highlights them as an interesting and professional television/radio show guest or publication interview subject. Learn the dos and don'ts of engaging in a media interview and how to deliver an interesting conversation about your book.
   Dr. Smith is the author of several books and formerly co-host of a four-year syndicated morning show.

SAWG Blog Table of Contents

   The SAWG blog has many articles, but because they are posted as the information becomes available and not sorted by any scheme, there's no order to the blog. Because the listings are not organized, this blog needs a table of contents. The contents are listed in order of soonest date to latest day. Here is the table of contents and links to the individual articles:

Northwest Houston Romance Writers meeting set March 5
Austin Book Fest set March 5
Brazos Writers to host reading and discussion March 9
Centex meets March 12 for plot points
Writing About the Military at WLT March 17
Writers Guild of Texas meets March 21
DFW Writers Conference set April 23-24
The 2016 Agents & Editors Conference set June 24-26
ThrillerFest XI set July 5-9 in New York City
Rewriting – A checklist for Authors (from Writers Write)

If any of the links above are dead or go to the wrong place, please email: JamesHenryFrazar@gmail.com to report the problem.

Writing About the Military at WLT March 17

   The Writers' League of Texas in Austin meets regularly the third Thursday of the month, January through November.
Who: Writers' League of Texas
When: Thursday, March 17, 7-9 p.m.
Where: BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd., 3rd floor*
*(please use the elevator in the back of the store to get to the third floor)
Free and open to the public
Phone: 512-499-8914
E-mail: wlt@writersleague.org
Visit: www.writersleague.org/25/Third-Thursday-Programs
WLT's office is located at 611 S. Congress Ave, Suite 505, Austin, 78704

Program:Writing About the Military
   From Homer's The Odyssey to Joseph Heller's Catch 22 to Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried to Ben Fountain's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, war and military service have provided the settings for so much important literature. Authors draw on the courage, tension, tragedy, sacrifice, despair, and ridiculousness of war to expose human nature at its most basic - capturing characters at their most heroic, and their most evil.
   But how can writers accurately capture the details and mindset of those in the military, as well as honestly portray events that might unfold. What should writers consider during the research and writing process? What should they be wary of?

Panelists:

   Brandon Caro is the author of the debut novel, Old Silk Road (Post Hill Press, October 13, 2015). He was a Navy corpsman (combat medic) and advisor to the Afghan National Army in Afghanistan from 2006-2007. He holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Texas State University, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Fiction Writing from The New School. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art, and elsewhere. He lives in Austin, Texas.
   Leila Levinson has led writing workshops for veterans and their spouses in central Texas. She is a former member of Austin Veterans and Family Advisory Council which advises the Austin VA about its services. The daughter of a World War II veteran, she teaches writing and literature of the Holocaust at St. Edward’s University in Austin. Her book, Gated Grief, was a finalist for the 2013 Texas Nonfiction Book Award and won the 2011 President's Award from the Military Writers Society. Her website, www.veteranschildren.com, is a resource and forum for adult children of veterans.
   Jack Woodville London was honored as Author of the Year (2011-2012) by the Military Writers Society of America. His World War II-era novel Virginia’s War was a Finalist for Best Novel of the South and the Dear Author ‘Novel with a Romantic Element’ contest. His ‘parallel-quel’ novel, Engaged in War, won the silver medal at the London Book Festival for General Fiction and the Silver prize in the Stars and Flags Historical Fiction competition. It was also the Book of the Month by both Good Reads and the Military Writers Society of America. His third book, A Novel Approach, won the E-Lit Gold Medal for non-fiction in 2015.
   Jonathan Wei is a writer, director and producer. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, The Iowa Review, The North American Review, Glimmer Train, and other publications, and he is a past fellow of the Vermont Studio Center and the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Jonathan’s work has been staged at the Guthrie Theater, the Library of Congress, Maryland Center for the Performing Arts and others, and featured by The New York Times, Washington Post, the Huffington Post, MSNBC, NPR and others. Jonathan founded The Telling Project in 2008, a national performing arts nonprofit that employs theater to deepen our understanding of the military and veterans’ experience. Jonathan continues to serve as executive director.

Writers Guild of Texas meets March 21

   The Writers’ Guild of Texas (WGT) Regularly meets on the third Monday (except January, when they meet on the fourth Monday)
Location: Richardson Public Library, 900 Civic Center Drive, Richardson, basement conference room
Date/time: Monday, March 21, 7-8:30 p.m.
Visit: www.wgtonline.org
Program: In the Trenches for Plotting
CL Stegall will discuss plotting. Once you have your basic outline and you want to begin detailing your plot, there are a myriad of techniques one can utilize. This presentation will discuss a few of those techniques and also provide examples and a template to get you started. Future programs:

• April 17: Joe Milazzo
• May 16: James Gaskin
• June 20: Writers Read In

Centex meets March 12 for plot points

   The Central Texas Chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers will host a Q&A session at their Nov 21 meeting.
   Program: Kayla J. Watson Marnach & Becky Dean — Part 2—"Creating Characters Through Plot Points"
   Regular meeting: the third Saturday of the month, except in May
   Location: Georgetown Public Library, 402 West 8th, Room 211, Georgetown.
   Date: Saturday, March 12
   Time: 9:30 a.m.
   Topic: Creating three-dimensional characters can be one of the hardest parts of developing your novel. Come learn how to do that through Plot Points.
   Future meetings:

• April 9 ~ TBA
• May 14 ~ Janice Hanna Thompson — "Creative Marketing Strategies"
• June 11 ~ Karen Gaus — "Proven Techniques for Superior Writing"
• July 9 ~ "Get Ready for ACFW Conference— Aug. 25-28, 2016, Nashville, Tennessee"
• Aug. 13 ~ Becky Wade — "Taming the Social Media Beast"
• Sept. 10 ~ "Sharing from ACFW 2016 Conference"
• Oct. 8 ~ Diane Lee — "Editing—Get Ready!"
• Nov. 12 ~ "Member Q & A"
• Dec. 10 ~ No Meeting

   Visit: www.centexacfw.com
.

Brazos Writers to host reading and discussion March 9

   The Brazos Writers of Bryan/College Station meets the second Wednesday of the month.
   Date/time: Wednesday, March 9, at 7 p.m.
   Where: Southwood Community Center at Brian Bachmann Park, 1520 Rock Prairie Rd., College Station.
   Program: Reading and Discussion
   Participants are allotted 9 minutes. You may read a selection of your work for 7 minutes and have 2 minutes of critique, or you may have a discussion of ideas to assist in your writing for the full 9 minutes. Theme: GREEN BEER. If you incorporate either of these words into your work, you will be eligible for a prize.
   Visit: www.meetup.com/Brazos-Writers-of-Bryan-College-Station
April 13: Legal Issues for Authors
   Manning Wolfe is a writer, attorney, and consultant residing in Austin. She will speak to the group about Legal Issues for Authors. Have you ever wondered if someone could steal your manuscript? Have you ever badmouthed someone in your book and wondered if they could sue you? Have you ever wondered if it's safe to say your character drank a Coke or a Lone Star Beer? These are the questions Manning will cuss and discuss. She'll also provide information on copyright, use of photos, ISBN's, tax obligations, and more. Lots of handouts will be given to allow a more in-depth study, and as a reminder of the tips she gives in her talk. Don't get caught with your proverbial pants down! Come out and learn the nuts and bolts of Legal Issues for Authors.
May 11: Reading and Discussion month
   Participants are allotted 9 minutes. You may read a selection of your work for 7 minutes and have 2 minutes of critique, or you may have a discussion of ideas to assist in your writing for the full 9 minutes. Theme: WEDDING CAKE. If you incorporate either of these words into your work, you will be eligible for a prize.
June 8: Social Media fuss
   What is all the fuss about social media? Are you worried you won't ever "get it" or that social media will take up all your writing time if you do? Come to this short, informative presentation on what social media platforms are best for writers, and how to streamline your time using them.
   Rebecca Nolen is the author of Deadly Thyme, a mystery set in Cornwall and The Dry, an award winning historical fantasy.

Northwest Houston Romance Writers meeting set March 5

   Rather than a meeting, the Northwest Houston Romance Writers will host a full-day spring workshop featuring Pamela Fagan Hutchins.
Date: Saturday, March 5.
Cost: $40 Non-members, lunch included
Location: Spring Creek Oaks Clubhouse, 17111 Misty Creek, Spring.
Doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Business meeting at 9:00 a.m.
Educational Program beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Visit: www.nwhrwa.com
Pamela will present the following two classes:
1. Extreme Setting: Paint a High Impact Picture With Your Words
   Don’t waste setting in your books with wooden words and cardboard sentences. Make the sand burn your reader’s feet and the shade of the mango tree cool their sweat. Learn to involve your characters and all five senses in painting a scene so real your readers reach for aloe vera and a hand towel.
2. The First Six Months: Creating Your Own Book Launch Marketing Plan
   Whether you publish indie or traditional, the marketing and promotion of your book is up to you, and the launch is critical. Bestselling (Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iTunes), nationally-distributed indie author Pamela Fagan Hutchins will lead a hands-on workshop as you create a launch timeline, budget, and marketing plan for “your” book. Pamela will pull from her experience as President/chief mentor of the Houston Writers Guild, her many indie workshop presentations, and the launch of her own four romantic mysteries and six nonfiction books, as captured in her USA Best Book award-winning how-to, What Kind of Loser Indie Publishes, and How Can I Be One, Too? Bring your funny bone and a sharp #2 pencil (or laptop), as well as a book/manuscript (yours or someone else’s), with the blurb/description, genre, market, sales formats, a general budget, and price in mind.
About Hutchins:
   Writer of overly long e-mails, romantic mysteries, and (possibly) hilarious nonfiction. Resides deep in the heart of Nowheresville, TX and way up in the frozen north of Snowheresville, WY. Passionate about great writing and smart authorpreneurship as well as long hikes with her hunky husband and pack of rescue dogs, her Keurig, and traveling in the Bookmobile. She is a frequent presenter at women’s groups, writing groups, book clubs and libraries. Download her mystery SAVING GRACE free everywhere. Find out more about Pamela or drop her a line on her website: pamelahutchins.com.
You can register for the conference, by going to their website.