MTCW May 2013 Meeting: Open Forum Discussion

When?
Saturday, May 11, 2013
9:00 a.m. — 12:00 noon*
Feel free to bring your own coffee.

Where?
Belmont United Methodist Church
Room 122
2007 Acklen Avenue
(Corner of 21st Avenue South and Acklen Avenue)
Nashville, Tennessee

What?
Open Forum Discussion
Moderated by MTCW President, Kaye Dacus

Come prepared to discuss whatever pressing questions you have about writing and/or the publishing industry. MTCW members, published and unpublished, will share tools, tips, techniques, and trends from an “on the street” perspective of people currently working on writing, submitting, and publishing.

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*Fellowship time from 9:00 to 9:30. Workshop begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. and should end by 11:30, with a time for introductions from 11:30 to noon.

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To learn more about how to join MTCW, click on “Joining MTCW” here or at the top of the page.

MTCW April 2013 Meeting: A World Apart–Creating a Believable Construct for Your Novel, presented by fantasy author Patrick Carr

When?
Saturday, April 13, 2013
9:00 a.m. — 12:00 noon*
Feel free to bring your own coffee.

Where?
Belmont United Methodist Church
Room 122
2007 Acklen Avenue
(Corner of 21st Avenue South and Acklen Avenue)
Nashville, Tennessee

What?
A World Apart–Creating a Believable Construct for Your Novel
Presented by some guy with MTCW also known as Patrick Carr

What is “world building” and why do I need to learn it?

Beyond choosing a setting for your novel, world building involves creating a setting that is at once familiar to your readers and unique to your story—whether it’s a real place, a historical location, or a fantastical otherworld. In this workshop, MTCW Vice President Patrick Carr will lead us on a journey of world building as only a fantasy writer can do!

Topics covered include:
-The World
-Physical and Historical Features
-Magic and Magicians
-Peoples and Customs
-Social Organization
-Commerce, Trade, and Public Life
-Daily Life

This is not just for fantasy/sci-fi writers! Every fiction writer can benefit from learning world building.

Patrick Carr is the author of The Staff & the Sword series for Bethany House, which includes A Cast of Stones, The Hero’s Lot, and The Staff and the Sword. Patrick was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick’s day gig for the last five years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary, and four sons he thinks are amazing: Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan. Sometime in the future he would like to be a jazz pianist. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.

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*Fellowship time from 9:00 to 9:30. Workshop begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. and should end by 11:30, with a time for introductions from 11:30 to noon.

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To learn more about how to join MTCW, click on “Joining MTCW” here or at the top of the page.

MTCW March 2013 Meeting: A Delicate Balance–Creating Harmony with Dialogue and Narrative

When?
Saturday, March 9, 2013
……Weather permitting/use your best discretion
9:00 a.m. — 12:00 noon*
Feel free to bring your own coffee.

Where?
Belmont United Methodist Church
Room 122
2007 Acklen Avenue
(Corner of 21st Avenue South and Acklen Avenue)
Nashville, Tennessee

What?
A Delicate Balance—Creating Harmony with Dialogue and Narrative
Presented by MTCW President Kaye Dacus

“Is the dialogue between characters natural and not stilted, revealing plot and emotion in a way that narrative cannot? Are the characters’ voices distinct and appropriate for the setting (time period or scenario)? Is narrative necessary and well-placed with the dialogue, not overwhelming the reader?”
~2008 ACFW Genesis Contest Score Sheet

“Is there an effective balance between narrative and dialogue? Does the dialogue read naturally, for the time, and reveal the voices of the characters? Does the dialogue and narrative reveal characterization, move the story and/or relationships forward? Is the narrative skillfully used so that the reader is not overwhelmed with information?”
~Crested Butte Friends of the Library Romance Score Sheet

“Dialogue: Natural; believable; well-balanced with narrative; progresses the story; characters’ voices consistent and individual to their personalities.
“Narrative: Well balanced with dialogue . . .”
~The Sheila Writing Competition Score Sheet

“Is the amount of dialogue balanced in relation to the narrative? Is the dialogue natural and genuine? Is the dialogue appropriate to the category/genre? Does the dialogue have a reason for being there or does it feel superficial? Do the dialogue and narrative serve to advance the plot?”
~Virginia Romance Writers’ Contest Score Sheet

“Is there a good balance between dialogue and narrative? Is there enough narrative to support the action and keep the story moving without being so overwhelming that there’s nothing else going on but internal thoughts of the character? . . . Is the dialogue natural or stilted? Is the author able to relay important information through dialogue without it coming across as a lecture or one character saying something to another character they already know? Is the dialogue appropriate for the region/era in which the book is set? For the characters’ education and socio-economic status?”
~Kaye Dacus, Critical Reading series

We see these types of questions on contest score sheets all the time. As readers, we know when the balance is right and when it’s not. But we may not actually be able to put our fingers on just why something works and something doesn’t. This workshop will endeavor to help participants determine how to best balance narrative and dialogue in our fiction.

Topics covered include:
-What is dialogue? What is narrative?
-Smalltalk
-The visual effect of dialogue vs. narrative
-Is it dialogue-worthy?
-Tags, beats, and narrative in dialogue-driven scenes
-Subtexting
-Character quirks and non-verbal dialogue

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*Fellowship time from 9:00 to 9:30. Workshop begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. and should end by 11:30, with a time for introductions from 11:30 to noon.

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To learn more about how to join MTCW, click on “Joining MTCW” here or at the top of the page.

MTCW February 2013 Meeting: Helping Your Characters Come Alive / Guest Speaker Liz Johnson

When?
Saturday, February 9, 2013
……Weather permitting/use your best discretion
9:00 a.m. — 12:00 noon*
Feel free to bring your own coffee.

Where?
Belmont United Methodist Church
Room 122
2007 Acklen Avenue
(Corner of 21st Avenue South and Acklen Avenue)
Nashville, Tennessee

What?
Helping Your Characters Come Alive
Presented by New York Times Bestselling Author Liz Johnson

More than a name . . . bigger than an occupation . . . beyond the backstory. In this workshop, bestselling author Liz Johnson will dive into skills and techniques all fiction writers can use to take our characters to the next level and make them come alive on the page.

Topics covered include:
-What your character says matters: characterization through dialogue
-Sweat the small stuff: details matter
-If your character had amnesia . . .
-Secondary characters—more than paper dolls
-What does your character want?

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*Fellowship time from 9:00 to 9:30. Workshop begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. and should end by 11:30, with a time for introductions from 11:30 to noon.

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To learn more about how to join MTCW, click on “Joining MTCW” here or at the top of the page.

MTCW January 2013 Meeting: Setting Goals to Achieve Your Writing Dreams

When?
Saturday, January 12, 2013
……Weather permitting/use your best discretion
9:00 a.m. — 12:00 noon*
Feel free to bring your own coffee.

Where?
Belmont United Methodist Church
Room 122
2007 Acklen Avenue
(Corner of 21st Avenue South and Acklen Avenue)
Nashville, Tennessee

What?
Setting Goals to Achieve Your Writing Dreams
Presented by MTCW President Kaye Dacus

Is there a difference between dreams and goals? Does it matter if we speak in terms of “dreams” or “goals” when it comes to our writing? In other words, is it your dream to be a published author (or to finish a manuscript or to start/finish a second…third…fourth manuscript, whatever it is) or have you set realizable goals to accomplish it?

Another way of putting it, which I see writers blog about all the time, is:

Do you want to be “a writer,” or do you want “to write”?

Come prepared to participate in this open-discussion format workshop.

Topics covered include:
-Dreams vs. Goals
-Personally Attainable Goals
-Vague vs. Specific
-Actionable Items
-Long-Term & Short-Term
-Risk & Failure
-Public or Private

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*Fellowship time from 9:00 to 9:30. Workshop begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. and should end by 11:30, with a time for introductions from 11:30 to noon.

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To learn more about how to join MTCW, click on “Joining MTCW” here or at the top of the page.

See You at MTCW in 2013!

There will be no public meeting in December,
so the MTCW family would like to wish you and yours a

And we hope to see you on Saturday, January 12, 2013.

November 2012 MTCW Meeting: Special Guest Speaker Nancy Rue

When?
Saturday, November 10, 2012
9:00 a.m. — 12:00 noon*
Feel free to bring your own coffee.

Where?
Belmont United Methodist Church
Room 122
2007 Acklen Avenue
(Corner of 21st Avenue South and Acklen Avenue)
Nashville, Tennessee

What?
Mystery and Inspiration
Special Guest Speaker: Author Nancy Rue

“Things I Can’t Teach You”

Nancy Rue is the author of over 100 books for adults and teens, including Healing Waters, which was a 2009 Women of Faith Novel of the Year, and The Reluctant Prophet which received a 2011 Christy award. Nancy travels extensively—at times on the back of a Harley Davidson—speaking and teaching to groups of ’tween girls and their moms and mentoring aspiring Christian authors. She lives on a lake in Tennessee with her Harley-ridin’ husband, Jim, and their two yellow labs (without whom writing would be difficult). For more information about Nancy, visit her website at www.nancyrue.com.

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*Fellowship time from 9:00 to 9:30. Workshop begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. and should end by 11:30, with a time for introductions from 11:30 to noon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To learn more about how to join MTCW, click on “Joining MTCW” here or at the top of the page.