All posts by Gary Christenson

General

Meeting and Speaker for September 28

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Bud Humble will present “Spec Fiction for the Masses , a Reader/Writer Guide” at the September 28 hybrid meeting.

In person: Arts and Letters Bookstore on the Square.

Virtual: via Zoom. Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Monday the 28th.

About the presentation: One writer’s take on speculative fiction and why it’s the most awesome playground ever created. Join us for author William R. Humble’s introduction to the Speculative Fiction genre and sub-genres, as he tells us what we need to know both as writers and readers of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.

About Bud:

William R. Humble is a native Texan who’s been writing for longer than he feels comfortable admitting. Though he’s dabbled in other literary areas, his love of speculative fiction keeps drawing him back.

 

Wanting to help others achieve their literary dreams, William joined the board of directors for W.O.R.D.—Writers Organizations ‘Round Dallas. There, with the help of other like-minded folks, he strives to help other writers find their teams, and to make the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex a nationally and internationally renowned center for the writing arts.

William is also one of the three founders of Writers in the Field. Bringing in experts from all over the country to share their expertise, this unique annual event features as many ‘hands-on’ experiences as possible.

General

August Writing Challenge – Winners

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From the August 2020 writing challenge, the top three stories are:

First Place – All Saints by Tiffany Seitz

Second Place – Respecting A Woman by Gary Christenson

Third Place – The Rising Cost of Dying by Robert Taylor

 

Previous winners are here.

 

 

General

July 2020 Writing Challenge Winners

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The winners for July are:

First Place – The Sheriff of Paddy’s Pizza by Terrye Turpin

Second Place – The Sound by Matthew Martinez

Third Place – Cry of the Hawk by Gary Christenson

 

Events and Speakers

Amber Royer Will Speak at our August 24 Meeting via ZOOM

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Amber Royer writes the CHOCOVERSE comic telenovela-style foodie-inspired space opera series.  She is also the author of Story Like a Journalist: a Workbook For Novelists, which boils down her writing knowledge into an actionable plan involving over 100 worksheets to build a comprehensive story plan for your novel.  She blogs about creative writing technique and all things chocolate at www.amberroyer.com.  She also teaches creative writing for both UT Arlington Continuing Education and Writing Workshops Dallas.   If you are very nice to her, she might make you cupcakes.
Amber will speak via ZOOM. The ZOOM link will be emailed to GWB members. Non-members may request the link by emailing Kathryn McClatchy at:
kathrynmcclatchy “at” gmail.com

Have you ever received feedback that your reader doesn’t “connect with” the characters in your writing?  Alternately, have you ever read a novel or series and become so attached to the characters that you were depressed when it was over because you couldn’t share any more adventures with them?  Learn why people get attached to fictional characters and techniques you can use to create the kind of characters people get attached to.

Events and Speakers, General

July Meeting – Our Speaker

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We are pleased that David Douglas will speak (via Zoom) at our July meeting on the 27th.

BLURB:

Enter Stage Right: Playwriting Basics

Are you more interested in writing dialogue and action than descriptions of settings? Do your favorite stories feature minimal characters and locations? Would you like to write something other than a novel, short story, or screenplay? Then join playwright and Stage Writers founder, David Douglas, for this presentation on the basics of playwriting, which will explore: the differences between stage plays and other forms of writing, the proper formatting of scripts, the role of the playwright in theatre-making, and a variety of other helpful resources that will cue your entrance into writing for the stage.

BIO:

David Douglas is a playwright, award-winning short story author, and the founder & director of Stage Writers — a Dallas-based playwright organization. He is also a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and a past board member of several writers organizations, including the Writers Guild of Texas and WORD (Writers Organizations ‘Round Dallas). His full-length play, Railbird, has received readings in the Original Works Series (Fort Worth Community Arts Center), First Impressions Festival (Imprint Theatreworks), and Play Readers Club (Our Productions Theatre Co.). His short plays have been produced by Rover Dramawerks, Sundown Collaborative Theatre, and the Dallas One-Minute Play Festival. When not writing twisting tales of romance and suspense, David loves watching classic and independent films, as well as attending and directing plays. Find him online at OddOccurrences.com.