Newsletter - March 2010

In this issue:
Meeting 13th March 2010 -
Order for Anthology
Lorraine – News of Interview
Re Poetry Assignment for March
Newsletter
Exercise Set for April
Exercise to be Chosen for May

Meeting 27th March 2010 –
Report
Winner of Motto/Slogan Competition
Report – Shanghai Literary Festival
More news re Guest Speaker
This Month’s Contributor to Blog
Meeting Dates

March 2010
Volume 1, Number 2

Meeting Fairfield Writers’ Group, 13 March 2010
Exercises Group
Apologies: Yolanda
Present: Anna, Pam, Lorraine, Andy,
Rosemary, Carol and first time attendee: Rachel

· Chairing this meeting: Anna

· Lorraine had received an order for copies of the Anthology from NSW – however had not yet received payment. When contacted NSW provided details of a cheque sent for payment – said cheque has not been received.

· Lorraine – news: Lorraine was interviewed by a company from the US – the interview was published online. To read the interview go to http://www.ravensheadservices.com/lorraine_cobcroft_interview.php

· Assignment this month: Poem - ‘Looking in the Mirror’

· Poem from Yolanda: Yolanda forwarded a poem for discussion by the group – ‘Spring and Fall’ to a young child by Mr Hopkins, 1880

· Poetry assignments: it was agreed that as well as handing out copies of poems to be read, authors to read out their piece aloud ( or nominate another in the group to read on their behalf)

· To be published on FWG blog: Lorraine’s poem – ‘Advice from the Mirror’

· There will be one newsletter per month and exercises will be sent out separately.

· Exercise for May: Lorraine
. Exercise for April: Helga –
Two Portraits at the Art Gallery

Rosemary


Meeting Fairfield Writers Group 27th March 2010
Novel/Short Stories GroupApologies: Rachel
Present: Helga, Lorraine, Yolanda, Carol and first time attendees: Francesca and Karen

Meeting chaired by - Lorraine

· We had a very good meeting on Saturday where we welcomed Francesca and Karen to our group. Helga and Lorraine brought chapters from their novels. I brought along story No. 4 of my Children’s series. Good feedback was given by everyone.

· Yolanda was able to come to our meeting after suffering ill health for some time. It was lovely to see her back. As always we benefited from her excellent critiquing skills. Thanks Yolanda.

· Motto/Slogan Competition
The winning entry of our competition was submitted by Carol.

Our new motto is ‘Working With Words’ and will appear wherever our logo is shown.

· Report - Shanghai Literary Festival
Fifty one authors from twenty countries presented at the eighth annual Shanghai Literary Festival that closed today ( March 19).

The Festival, held over three weeks from March 5 attracted novelists, would be novelists, poets, journalists, intellectuals, historians and travel writers from many parts of the world and from throughout China.

There were four or more sessions held each day over the three week period and these included literary lunches, panel discussions, workshops, sessions for children – and more.

Some of the authors featured included Robert Dessaix (Australian writer, broadcaster, essayist and translator), Junot Diaz( Pulitzer Prize winner ), Tash Aw (Whitbread Young Novelist), Les Murray (Australian poet) and Linda Jaivin.

Findlay, one of our Fairfield Writers Group members, attended several of the fifty-seven Festival events.

Findlay, who is still in Asia reported today that he was amazed at the emphasis in some of the sessions on the need for today's authors to self-promote as publishing houses reserved almost all of their marketing and publicity funds for perhaps two or three of the big name authors like Dan Brown or J K Rowling.

One author Kristin Bair O"Keefe, an American living in Shanghai, was particularly forceful on the question of marketing and promotion, Kristin (author of "Thirsty" about a Croatian woman in an abusive marriage) gave an excellent presentation entitled "The Art of Shameless Self Promotion". She told how she used her own money for a seven week book tour of the US East Coast, hired a publicist at her own expense, and went to extraordinary lengths to sell her book and get herself known to the publishing world.

She reckons she spends up to two hours a day now chatting on Twitter, Facebook and other websites in her bid to get herself known to the reading public, She also places great store on networking with other authors and those involved in the literary world.

Findlay will provide further details at one of the FWG's meetings in May when he returns to Australia.

· More News Re Guest Speaker
Great news! Fairfield Library has booked a guest speaker for Saturday, 22nd May 2010 at 10.30 am with our writing group in mind. The speaker will be well known Brisbane author Estelle Pinney. She will be talking about when she started writing and will give us practical and motivational advice. I’ve met Estelle before, as well as reading a couple of her novels, and I’m sure you will find her talk interesting and helpful.

I was told by the library to make sure our members put their names down early to ensure their place, as the talk will be advertised to other groups and the general public.

Next Meetings:
Exercises Group – 10th April 2010
Novel/Short Stories Group – 24th April 2010

Until then, happy writing everyone.

Carol