GENERAL PROGRAMS
2006
General Meeting Location:
John Germany Public Library, 900 N. Ashley Dr, Tampa, FL 33602 at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month.

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PROGRAMS

2006

January 2006
Wednesday, January 4
Annual TWA Workshop Program to cover Legal Issues, On-Line Research, Self-Publishing/Editing, and Motivation/Time Management

TWA is presenting its annual Workshop Program, four segments running consecutively, each 15 minutes in length, followed by a question an answer session

On the agenda are four topics essential to successful writing.

Legal…. Presented by attorney Kevin Astl who specializes in the legal issues concerning writers and entertainers. Kevin participated in our last mini-seminar program and covered legal issues all writers need to know. This segment alone makes the evening worthwhile. But wait, as they say on so many TV ads, there’s more. Along with Kevin’s seminar you also get…

On-Line Research, presented by member-author Lucy Parker. Where do you find the correct information you need for your piece, be it fiction or non-fiction? Lucy knows, and so will you once you attend this informative and entertaining night of knowledge. But what then? Oh, yes, there is still more to come. You’ll also find out about getting your work published in our...

Self-Publishing and Editing session with Kirt Dressler, our in-house guru of the how-to’s in getting your book in print and the advantages (and disadvantages) of traveling the self-publishing route. So now you have a glimpse into the legal world affecting writers, where to go for quick and accurate fact finding, and a crash course in editing and self-publishing. So what’s left? The cherry on top of the cupcake comes in the next session,

Motivation and Time Management for the Writer in You… presented by motivational speaker and web columnist, Sandra Kischuk. You have the idea, you have the talent, you have the desire, but… how about the discipline necessary to bring the project to fruition? Sandra has suggestions and methods that will prove most helpful. And all this, wrapped up in one single investment of two hours of your time.

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Winners of TWA's 2005
17th Annual Writing Contest

were announced at our

ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET

Thursday, January 26, 2006

The 2005 banquet was held at Capdevilla de La Teresita,
one of Tampa's favorite Cuban restaurants,
3248 W. Columbus Dr., with plenty of free parking.

Cash bar at 6:30, dinner at 7, awards 8-ish.

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February 2006
Wednesday, February 1
"Winning playwright's plays to have a character reading"

TWA Members become Actors at our February 1 General Meeting

The TWA tradition of performing the writing contest winning entries from the play/screen writers category in our February general meeting continues on this year. Authors of our 1st, 2nd and 3rd place scripts will see their creations performed by "actors" drawn from the folks at the meeting. If you'd like to polish up your acting skills, just be at the February 1st meeting. We cannot divulge who the winners are just yet, but there are roles for both men and women, and maybe even a "child" who, if needed, will be a character devised by  one of more talented attendees.

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March 2006
Wednesday, March 1
Carol Perry discussed non-fiction writing.
Find out about markets for non-fiction writers, how get established, what it takes, and how to build rapport with editors that lead to more assignments. Noted article and book writer and teacher Carol Perry of Madeira Beach will be our speaker in a program hosted by non-fiction writer and TWA member Vee Dayton. A must-be-at for the non-fiction writers.

Articles by Carol Perry have appeared in Antique Week, Antique Shoppe, Today's Collector, Amoco Traveler, Geico Direct, Relax, Better Homes & Gardens, Grandparents, Boston Globe, Trailer Life, and others. Her books include Florida Gulf Coast Travel Smart; Tiger Woods, The Making of a Champion; and 10 Women-Political Pioneers.

A specialist in marketing non-fiction, Carol has taught many classes for writers in the Tampa Bay area. She is also an award-winning ad copywriter and writes brochures, newsletters, and catalogs, as well as young adult fiction. The Executive Director of Travel Writers International Network, Carol is also a member of the Bay Area Professional Writers Guild (BAPWG), Florida Freelance Writers (FFWA), Florida Outdoor Writers Association (FOWA), and Travel Writers International Network (TWIN).

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April 2006
Wednesday, April 5
Tampa Writers Alliance presents The Search for Your Own Story, with Tom Valeo.
Writers hope to influence readers, but the act of writing can be a powerful transformation for the writer as well. Crafting a story out of your own experience is one of the best ways to revisit memories, discover the themes that run through your life, and gain insight into your own experience. Tom Valeo has been leading students through a course he calls The Existential Memoir. Valeo explained how to use the four existential “facts of life” to achieve a deeper understanding of your own life. He also talked about the work of James Pennebaker, a psychologist at the University of Texas who has found that writing thoughtfully about emotionally troubling experiences produces measurable health benefits.

Valeo is a freelance health writer whose work appears in WebMD, Neurology Today, Scientific American and other publications. He also writes a column on aging for the Seniority section of the St. Petersburg Times, and occasional personal essays for the paper's Sunday Journal. He is working on a text called The Existential Memoir.        www.existentialmemoir.com

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May 2006
Wednesday, May 3
The Tampa Writers Alliance welcomed our very own Wendy Boucher.
Wendy is a published travel writer and novelist. Her first novel, "Parvenue Throws A Party," was published by her own publishing company, Hoyden Press. Her stand-alone sequel, "Teacup Travels," has just been picked up by an agent in New York and is currently making the rounds at the publishing houses. Wendy spoke about self-promotion on the internet with some basic instructions for starting a blog.  She also answered questions about book promotion in general.

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June 2006
Wednesday, June 7
June's program...
featured a workshop on crafting the essential first sentence, and the first paragraph for both fiction and non-fiction. As part of TWA's ongoing series of programs focusing on the craft of writing winning pieces (i.e., capturing the interest of agents, publishers and ultimately, readers) this mini-workshop was geared to sharpen writers skills.

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July 2006
July 5
Prolific, well-known, published author, Tim Dorsey, spoke on “Living Your Dream: Writing Novels about your Interests and Getting Them Published at the July 5th General Meeting.
 Tim, author of several novels including  Florida Roadkill, Hammerhead Ranch, Orange Crush, Triggerfish Twist, Stingray Shuffle,Cadillac Beach, and Torpedo Juice, has always been one of our most popular speakers.

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August 2006
Wednesday, August 2
Tampa Book Buzz's Lisa Ciurro, who originated the Tampa Book Buzz blog http://tampabookbuzz.blogspot.com/ addressed the TWA General Meeting. Lisa acknowledges that there are many authors who now have blogs.  Learn the pros/cons of this new marketing technique. What is blogging, why  writers should consider blogging, and how to use your blog to market yourself (and your work) will be topics addressed by this well known and highly visible Tampa literary icon. Lisa has a lot to offer - don't miss this one.

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September 2006
Wednesday, September 6
Becky Salichova of Bouncing Ball Books ( www.bouncingballbooks.com) was our September speaker. Her topic was “What a Publisher is Looking For,” which covered the process of publishing, the process of writing, market vision, the advantages of being an independent publisher, and why this particular publisher focuses on children’s books and short story collections. Becky talked about the Miami Book Fair International on November 12th – 19th. and then, along with TWA President, Sandra Kischuk, kicked-off a cooperative Tampa Writers Alliance/Bouncing Ball Books Short Story Collection Contest - the Grand Prize being a publishing contract. RETURN TO TOP


October 2006
Wednesday, October 4
Our meeting in October was a pot luck House Party that was open to members, new members, and prospective members. TWA supplied beer, wine, cheese, and shrimp and several guests brought covered dishes to feed the crowd. The party was deemed the best one of our social gatherings in several years. Look for a repeat performance in the spring of '07 for a repeat performance in the spring of '07.

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November 2006
Wednesday, November 1
LOUIS M. SAVARY, Ph.D., S.T.D., was our featured speaker.  His topic was “The Life of a Ghostwriter,” an often unexplored option for writers interested in earning money with their talent and effort. Dr. SAVARY is trained in science and the classics. He holds one doctorate in mathematical statistics applied to the behavioral sciences, and another in sacred theology and spirituality. A professional musician since his teens, he has also been a writer, editor, teacher, and consultant. He has authored, co-authored, ghostwritten or edited over 100 published books, and worked with more than 14 different publishers; produced and narrated more than 40 audiocassettes. An adjunct faculty member at six colleges and universities and consultant to industry and the business world for over 20 years, he was Senior Training Analyst with Educational Systems for the Future, where he developed over 100 modules of competency-based training materials for Fortune 500 clients. He has co-authored and ghostwritten books in areas of management, consulting, education, training, psychology, healthcare, spirituality, religion, music, health, self-esteem, dreamwork, trauma, creativity, evolution, statistics, information technology, and brain-mind studies. He lives in Tampa.
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December 2006
Wednesday, December 6
6, a representative for Metro Crime Prevention l presented a talk on the topic, “SAFE? Don’t Count on It.” This Free Crime Awareness Program provided much information on how  a person can avoid crime along with insights on exactly the sort of creative situations writers can throw their characters into!


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Many thanks to past Webmasters, James Chaplin, Lucy Parker, and John M. Taylor, who originated this site.

Date and time last modified: 4/09/08 7:45am by Sandra Kischuk