General

Summer Workshop – June 13, 2020

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Summer Writing Workshop

 Saturday, June 13th, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. – Noon

      Online via Zoom

*REGISTRATION info at bottom

 

William Ledbetter’s 9:30 presentation will be on Short Stories. Short story structure, style and markets are very different than those for novels and can be stumbling blocks for writers who are just starting out or only have experience with novels. Come join us for a session with award winning short story writer William Ledbetter and discuss flash fiction, short stories, novelettes and novellas, submission guidelines, how a slush pile works, how to find markets like anthologies, magazines and contests, even some writing tips, shortcuts and useful plot devices.

William Ledbetter is a Nebula Award winning author with more than seventy speculative fiction stories and non-fiction articles published in four languages, in markets such as Asimov’s, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Analog, Escape Pod, Baen.com, the SFWA blog, and Ad Astra.

He’s been a space and technology geek since childhood and spent most of his non-writing career in the aerospace and defense industry. He administers the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award contest for Baen Books and the National Space Society, is a member of SFWA, the National Space Society of North Texas, and a Launch Pad Astronomy workshop graduate. He lives near Dallas with his wife, a needy dog and four spoiled cats.

His novel “Level Five” is now available from Audible Originals. www.williamledbetter.com

 

At 11:00, Jaye Wells will speak about Promises and Payoffs. Good stories don’t happen by accident. To master the art of delivering satisfying tales, writers must learn how to effectively make story promises in Act One as well as how to deliver satisfying payoffs by the The End. This class will explore the types of promises you must make from the first line of your story, demonstrate a variety of tools you can use to make those promises, and offer strategies to avoid cheating your readers out of satisfying payoffs.

USA Today Bestseller Jaye Wells is a former magazine editor, whose award-winning speculative fiction novels have hit several bestseller lists. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, and is a sought-after speaker on the craft of writing. When she’s not writing or teaching, she loves to travel to exotic locales, experiment in her kitchen like a mad scientist, and try things that scare her so she can write about them in her books. She lives in Texas. www.jayewells.com

 Note: For more info go to www.GranburyWritersBloc.com

*The GWB Summer Workshop is included in membership dues. If you are a current member, this event is free!

  • If you would like to join, annual membership is $20, and you can do that at http://granburywritersbloc.com/join/
  • If you would like to attend this event as a non-member, registration is $10.

To register for the GWB Summer Workshop:

  • Email Kathrynmcclatchy@gmail.com
  • Put “GWB Summer Workshop” in subject line
  • Kathryn will send you the Zoom details (and a PayPal invoice, if a non-member).

 

Events and Speakers

May 18 Meeting via Zoom

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Cathy Rueter, a former reporter and newsletter editor, has returned to her passion of freelance writing while pursuing a career as a Christian murder mystery author, speaker and grant writer. She is the founder of Fledgling Writers Community, geared toward new writers while welcoming ALL to the nest.

Originally from the Greater Grand Rapids, MI area, she now lives within the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex with her family.  If she’s not at her desk, you can probably find her with her nose in a book and hanging out in her hammock on the back porch, or in the car traveling to various writer’s groups and conferences.

With a revamped website coming later this spring, connect with Cathy at: www.cathyrueter.com,  www.facebook.com/cathyrueterwriter or the nest at https://www.facebook.com/FledglingCommunity/.

Writing with Rubber Bands: Creating Tension in Story

Tension in fiction draws a reader in and makes them feel various emotions for our characters. It puts them on the proverbial edge of their seats and creates a need to turn the page.
Working tension into our stories isn’t just for thrillers. Writers of romance, science fiction, historical, in fact, all genres—and even some non-fiction writing—need and are improved by this vital story element. Tension isn’t just stringing a bunch of words together and hope they stretch like a rubber band. We need to pull those bands taut and know when to release.
In Writing with Rubber Bands: Creating Tension in Story, we’ll explore what tension is, why it’s crucial, as well as the tips, techniques, and literary devices used to create it—without breaking a single rubber band. (*Full disclosure: only two rubber bands were harmed in the making of this presentation.)
General

Meeting on March 23rd – Cancelled!

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Granbury Writers’ Bloc Members,

The meeting scheduled for March 23rd at The Point at Waterview in Granbury, 2nd floor Activity Room, 100 Watermark Blvd is canceled. At this time Waterview has limited access to their facility to protect their residence. It is not clear how long this limited access will continue.
Our plan is to keep a watchful eye on things. I will be looking for alternatives sites should the need arise.
Kathryn McClatchy has volunteered to set up synchronous or asynchronous critique session on-line after next week. We will communicate further about that once it is in place. Alternatively, if there are some of you who want your work critiqued and want to use the ‘old fashioned’ method, send me a word document and I will find 3 to 5 members who are willing to read it and provide feedback. 
This  distancing period could allow all of us an opportunity to crank out more material. Get those first drafts finished. Or even start something new. Keep writing as if your life depended upon it!
The Executive Board will assess the situation on a month-by-month basis and keep you informed. Hopefully, we can get back to meeting soon.
Respectfully,
 
Mary Lou Condike, President
For the Granbury Writers’ Bloc Executive Committee
Events and Speakers, General

Jaye Wells Will Speak at Summer Workshop

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GWB is honored to have Jaye Wells speak at our Summer Workshop.

USA Today Bestseller Jaye Wells is a former magazine editor whose award-winning speculative fiction novels have hit several bestseller lists. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, and is a sought-after speaker on the craft of writing. When she’s not writing or teaching, she loves to travel to exotic locales, experiment in her kitchen like a mad scientist, and try things that scare her so she can write about them in her books. She lives in Texas.
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Her topic at the workshop:
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Promises and Payoffs 

Good stories don’t happen by accident. To master the art of delivering satisfying tales, writers must learn how to effectively make story promises in Act One as well as how to deliver satisfying payoffs by The End. This class will explore the types of promises you must make from the first line of your story, demonstrate a variety of tools you can use to make those promises, and offer strategies to avoid cheating your readers out of satisfying payoffs.

Writers’ workshop and writing group