SWG December Newsletter

 The next meeting of the Swanton Writers Group will take place on Thursday, December 21, at 6 PM at the Swanton Public Library.

The Writing Prompt for this month is Christmas or an equivalent seasonal holiday. Try a poem, an essay, a memoir, a short story and come prepared to share – or bring a selection from your current work. All writers welcome!

IN THE NEWS:

Subscribe to the Vermont Arts Calendar! This is a statewide, crowdsourced directory of arts and culture events around the state. Check it out HERE

See upcoming events at Phoenix Books HERE There’s a virtual presentation by Raeleen D’Agostino Mautner on Tuesday, December 5, 7 PM, on her book 45 Ways to Live Life Like an Italian.

Who’s writing what at the Vermont College of Fine Arts? On Tuesday, December 5, at 7 PM  Writing Faculty members will be sharing their selections of their work. Available via Zoom. It’s free: to register.  Go HERE

From Vermont Public, a live reading of Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory by actor Dan Butler will take place on Tuesday, December 19, 7-9 PM. Tickets are free, but must be reserved.

Looking for some poetry before Christmas? The Fletcher Free Library (235 College Street,  Burlington) is hosting The Poetry Experience on Saturday, December 23, 1-3 PM. This is a local writing/sharing circle that meets every 2 nd and 4 th Saturday. Just drop in – poets, writers, and creative people of all ages are welcome!

Celebrate Jolabokaflod! On Christmas Eve in Iceland everyone traditionally gets a new book –and then cuddles up with a cup of cocoa and reads. Jolabokaflod – which translates as “Christmas book flood” – dates back to World War II. Read all about it HERE

BEST BOOKS FOR WRITERS or Good Picks for Jolabokaflod

Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer, longtime copy editor at Random House, is a perfect delight of a style manual. (A copy editor, says Dreyer, “is to prose what a cobbler is to shoes: a mender.”) He starts by advising everyone to stop usingsuch words as “very,” “really,” and “actually” for a week - which, he says, will make you “a considerably better writer than you were at the beginning.”

Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper, a lexicographer at Merriam Webster, is a fascinating look at both the making of dictionaries and the evolution of the English language. English, Stamper points out, isn’t solely a product of the Latin, French, and German speakers who invaded the British Isles; it’s also the result of Shakespeare’s fart jokes, Lewis Carroll’s word inventions, and 16-year-old Peaches Monroe’s inspirational description of her eyebrows as “on fleek.”

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.”

Ernest Hemingway

Happy Holidays to all!

SWG November Newsletter

 Thank you Becky!

Swanton Writers Group Newsletter for November 2023

The next meeting of the Swanton Writers Group will take place on Thursday, November 16, at 6 PM at the Swanton Public Library.

The Writing Prompt for this month is the changing of the seasons and what that means to you. Share a tradition or discuss how you feel as we enter “stick season” (otherwise known as naked trees). Try a poem, an essay, a short story and come prepared to share – or bring a selection from your current work. All writers welcome!

IN THE NEWS:

November 1 marks the first day of NANOWRIMO, National Writing Month. The challenge here is to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days (or 29, if you skip Thanksgiving). For more information go HERE.

The latest issue of League Lines, the League of Vermont Writers Newsletter, is now available online. Check it out (Read, print or Download) HERE

Check out these upcoming events from the Vermont Humanities Council HERE (Becky is talking talking at the Platt Memorial Library on November 8 on the history of food.)

Many free workshops for writers are available through the Burlington Writers Workshop

Contests:

Looking for a contest? From Poets & Writers, see the Writing Contest, Grants & Awards list at Poets and Writers Grants

From The Write Life  see this list of free (“reputable, well-reviewed”) contests for poets, fiction writers, essayists, and more.

Recommendations: 

BEST BOOKS FOR WRITERS according to the Center for Fiction here’s the essential list:

On Writing by Stephen King (Scribner, reissue 2020) I highly recommend. (M)

Still Writing by Dani Shapiro (Grove Press, 2023)

On Moral Fiction by John Gardner (Basic Books, 1979)

First You Write by Joni Rodgers [out of print]

The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner (Riverhead Books, 2919)

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard (Harper Perennial, 2013)

Writing Past Dark by Bonnie Friedman (Harper Perennial, 2020)

The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White (Pearson, 1999)

Story by Robert McKee (Regan Books, 1997)

Making Shapely Fiction by Jerome Stern (W.W. Norton, 1991)

Steering the Craft by Ursula K. LeGuin (Harper Perennial, 2015)

Got a recommendation? Bring it to the meeting!

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

The road to hell is paved with adverbs.

Stephen King

Meeting minutes October 19 2023 and Group revamp

 Hi All,

So this group has struggled greatly since the onset of Covid in 2020.  After much soul searching and discussion among our core members we have decided to move forward with some changes to our meeting structure. Looking to entice new members and revitalize our base.   

October meeting attendees: Nancy, Heather, Don, Eileen, Ev, Michelle and new member from Canada Vicky. 

Becky could not attend so Michelle lead the group.  The focus of our discussion was how the group might move forward.  A number of changes were suggested and will be tweaked in successive meetings.  Michelle shared Becky's impute on her behalf.  The following ideas/practices were favorably received:

Newsletter: Becky and Michelle will assemble and email a newsletter containing contests, resources, seminara etc, the week before each monthly meeting.  The form of the newsletter is to be determined, possibly a calendar format.  A few printed copies will be made available at the library (logistics to be determined)  The purpose: to allow more time during meetings to discuss writing, critique each other's work etc.  

A meeting reminder will be included in the newsletter.

Writing prompts: in an effort to get people writing actively, and to stretch our creative muscles, a regular writing prompt will be set at the end of each meeting.  Members will have a month to respond to the prompt and hopefully share their interpretations at the next meeting. A reminder will be included in the newsletter.  If the prompt does not inspire a member, then sharing a piece of their current WIP (work in progress) is encouraged.  As always, healthy constructive feedback will be offered if the member asks.  Prompts will range in topic.  It was suggested that certain formats might be suggested to encourage members to think outside of their comfort zones ie: a piece written entirely as dialogue, descriptive writing or poetry.  A possible alternative is to spend a few minutes during the occasional meeting free writing to a prompt.

More routine meeting activities resumed after the above discussion.  

Resources

Eileen recommended the online writing workshops offered by the Burlington Writer's Workshop. This website is a fantastic resource for all types of writers and formats of writing.  Find more information about the specific group recced by Eileen HERE.

Recommended

Nancy recommended "Up North" by Neal Zirn "Up North, in a series of poems, looks back at the author's experience of living in the North Country, close to the Canadian border. It speaks to family, relationships, single life, and rural living. It is, at times, emotional, humorous, and insightful regarding human nature."

Ev read "The Bone Saw".  A story about a sentient surgical robot.  Had us all cringing and laughing.  Definitely had the Halloween vibe with distressing notes about where we are going in regards to AI and society.  Yikes!

Writing Prompt: The writing prompt for November is the changing of the seasons and what that means to you.  Share a tradition, how you feel as we enter 'stick season', otherwise known as naked trees.  A poem, a short story, an essay?  Bring something to share and promote discussion. 

Next meeting is Thursday November 16th. 6 pm at the Swanton Library.  

Meeting Minutes May 18, 2023

 Attendees: Judith, Ev, Katie, Michelle

Announcements:

Bookstock (Woodstock, VT, June 23-25) Schedule is up.  Find more info HERE

The Vermont Reads 2023 book is Malinda Lo's "Last Night at the Telegraph Club". If you've got an idea for a program or project to accompany the book, the VT Humanities Council is accepting applications. For more info go HERE

MEET THE WRITERS will take place at the Swanton Library, Saturday, June 3, 10:30 to noon - come share coffee and doughnuts and chat with Vermont writers!  Our own Eileen Williams will be one of the attendees!

Also June 3.  Our new member Katie Richards will be launching her newest book "My Last Hope" from 1-5 at 14Th Star's "The Room" 133 N Main St #7, St Albans City, VT 05478   Come out and show her our support!

Remember to check out the Vermont Arts Calendar for literary events around the state: Information HERE.

Ongoing the 2nd Wednesday of each month: Open Mic Night at Witcomb's Garage in Whallonsburg NY.  Come and share stories and listen to musings of local authors. More Info HERE

Resources:

Check out Open Library  Free online library!

Substack: Direct to consumer writing. "Substack lets independent writers and podcasters publish directly to their audience and get paid through subscriptions."  Grant Faulkner co director of NaNoWrimo highly recommended by Ev. Check it out HERE

Online book tours recommended by Katie.  These organizations are great resources for self published authors. Check out R&R Book Tours: "In an age of indie and self-publishing, it can be really hard to introduce your book to the masses. One of the best ways of sharing your book, is by making friends with a book reviewer or two. I should know, I am one. I also happen to know a few (500+), and they would love to read your book. It also doesn’t hurt that we’ve been in business for nearly 6 years and know a thing or two." And Moonlight Book Tours on Facebook

Discussion:

We ranged from discussing eulogies (Michelle is writing one for a family friend) to mistaken identities.  Small group but a lively chat.

I hope everyone can make it to our June meeting in person on June 15th at 6 pm at the Swanton Public Library.

Meeting Minutes April 20, 2023

 Attendees: Becky, Eileen, Judith, Michelle and new member Katie Richards

Workshops:

League of Vermont Writers is hosting a seminar in Middlebury on April 22 from 9-3.  Title: “Stay on the Write Side of the Law: Legal Issues Every Writer Should Know”, What every writer needs to know about copyright and defamation laws with guest speaker, Cindy Ellen Hill.  Topics:  copyright protection, defamation, invasion of privacy, and strategies for keeping yourself out of trouble and on the right side of the law. Location: Ilsley Public Library 75 Main Street Middlebury, VT 05753.  Find more information HERE

Resources:

Eileen recommended Reedsy. Lots of info on writing and publishing; connection to agents, editors, designers, and marketers; critique groups (by genre), and much more.  They’re offering an online presentation by author S.J. Watson (best-selling thrillers) on Wednesday, April 26, 3 PM. Topic is “zero drafts” – that is, go for messy first-draft versions and avoid self-editing.

Eileen also recommended Scribophile. "Take writing classes, meet beta readers, and become a better writer in our online writing group  Scribophile is one of the largest and most award-winning online writing communities."  She highly recommended joining a genre group for helpful support and critical feedback. 

Events:

Poems Around Town: We received a total of 24 poems, 22 were posted, 2 were too long, unfortunately. A list of where they were displayed can be found HERE 

Vermont Spring Book, Postcard & Ephemera Fair: Book Fair and Author Open House. Sunday May 7, 10-4. St Albans City Hall, 100 N Main St,Saint Albans,VT. Information HERE Or reach out to The Eloquent Page, bookstore in down town St. Albans. 

Meet the Writers: at the Swanton Library. Saturday June 3 from 10:30 – noon, We’ve got ten local writers signed up! Come chat, check out their books, and share coffee and doughnuts!

Bookstock, Festival of Words: June 23-25.  Find more information HERE.  Becky highly recommends!

Contests:

Don't forget the Edwin M Church Award.  Deadline TBD (tentatively July or August)  Available details HERE

New group member Katie read a portion of the first chapter of her third book. "My Last Hope" Suspense/Romance. Launch party is June 3 from 1-5 at  14th Star's, The Room: 133 North Main Street St. Albans, VT 05478.  Respond to the event page on Facebook HERE  Eileen is working on the second volume of her memoirs. 

The next meeting is Thursday, May 18th at 6 pm at the Swanton Library.  I hope to see everyone there!

Meeting Minutes for April 22, 2021

 A bit of a whoops for us all.  Four people attended this one week delayed meeting via zoom.  We are all hoping July will see us in person once again. Ev, Nancy, Becky and Michelle met for an hour.  Our discussion was a bit random but did include some book recommendations and local writing/contest/zine news.

The Hate U Give art and essay response zine is now available at the Swanton Library for anyone who is interested.

April 28th is the deadline for submitting to the poetry zine

Don't forget the 2021 Edwin M. Church Award. Entries must contain a train element. The expected length is 1,500-3,000 words. The deadline is August 1, 2021. The winner will be announced at the Swanton Arts Spectacular, which is traditionally the second Saturday in September.

Proposed Workshops/Panels

Becky proposed approaching regional authors who specialize in Memoir Writing. An in person panel which would be held later this year.  The focus: the process and the research involved in writing a memoir.

Book Recommendations

The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities. Fantastical anthology of written and visual art edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer. 

Amber and Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz. Young Adult historical fiction/fantasy

Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen

Mayflower, Voyage, Community, War by Nathaniel Philbrick

Not Quite What I was Planning. Six Word Memoirs. 

Our next meeting is via Zoom on May 20, 2021 at 6 pm.  Click on this LINK and use the passcode 289902 when prompted. Hope to see you there!

Meeting Minutes October 15, 2020

Seven group members met over zoom from 6-7:15 pm.

Contests and Challenges

Something or Other Publishing Short Story Contest. Link found HERE Decription: Short stories, short non-fiction, and flash fiction all eligible. First prize $250. Qualified stories will be included in an anthology. Qualification involves votes by readers - when you submit, they’ll send you a voting page link so that you can shamelessly solicit votes. (So if you enter, be sure to let us all know.) The deadline is midnight on October 31, but looks like the sooner, the better, for vote-gathering purposes. They’ll announce the winners on November 3. At the website, also check under “Publish” for info on submitting a book, story, or anthology idea.

Nanowrimo Info found HERE Begins again this year on November 1. The challenge is to write a novel in a month, with lots of encouraging backup at the website. There’s also a Young Writers version of Nanowrimo that requires less writing – could be a fun project to share with kids.

Workshops

League of Vermont Writers
They don’t have much going on right now, but if you go to “Gatherings” and check under “Workshops,” they’re open for suggestions for workshops. So if you’d like to host a workshop or know someone who might, take a look. Could be a virtual program.

Articles

“How Can We Pay for Creativity in the Digital Age?” For artists, writers, and musicians - how to make a living? Link found HERE

Readers:

Ev Larson read “Albany,” a deadpan, but hilarious, account of attempting to renew a driver’s license in the age of Covid-19.

Michelle Willard read her now titled horror short story "The Breeze of Autumn" which ended in a cemetery. She has been recruited to enter the Swanton Library’s Scary Stories project.

Emmet Matthieu has finished the first draft of his sci-fi novel; read the opening paragraphs of his untitled new project, in which main character Benito Alvarez is about to be framed for murder and will end up fighting for his life.

Discussion:

We’ve got a member hip of 25 or so, of whom very few routinely join the current Zoom meetings. These really are fun and effective - and it’s very simple to join in. If anybody needs help, just contact Becky. She will talk you through the process.

We kicked around possibilities of partial in-person/Zoom meetings at the Swanton Public Library. Due to safety and social distancing requirements, we’d have to limit attendance. Judy suggested charging a minimal fee for in-person slots, Michelle suggested the money be used to fund a prize for a Writers Group contest. (What does everybody think?)

Meetings have moved to the third Thursday of the month starting in November. Meeting date over zoom will be Thursday, November 19th at 6 pm. Becky will email the link a couple days in advance.

Meeting notes September 10, 2020

Notes taken by Becky, Remember to check the Swanton Writing Group FB page for info on contests, events, general chat and more - and our blog, faithfully maintained and updated by Michelle. Upcoming: Scary Story Contest and Zine Due date: October 1 Submit to: circulation@swantonlibrary.com Short piece of original fiction with a focus on the scary or the horrific. Maximum word count: 1500 words. Include your name and contact info on your document. See our FB page for scary story starters! Edwin M. Church Award Due date: October 1 Open to ages 17 up who live, work, or are otherwise involved in Swanton, Submit to jpaxmax@swantonartscouncil.org. Original short story of 1500-3000 words maximum; MUST include a railroad or train mention or reference. Prize of $500 Booksie 2020 Poetry Contest https://www.booksie.com/contest/the-booksie-2020-poetry-contest-20 Due date: November 7 Any type, length, or content of poetry; can submit as many entries as you like. Prize of $1000 National Poetry Competition https://poetrysociety.org.uk/competitions/national-poetry-competition/ Due date: October 31 Submit an unpublished poem of up to 40 lines; open to anyone 18 and over. Ten cash prizes. Boulevard Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers https://boulevardmagazine.org/nonfiction-contest Due date: September 30 Entry fee: $16 Open to writers who have not been published with a nationally distributed press. Essays of up to 8000 words. Winning essay gets $1000 and publication in the magazine. Boulevard Short Fiction Contest https://boulevardmagazine.org/short-fiction-contest Due date: December 31 Entry fee: $16 Open to writers who have not been published in a nationally distributed press. Fiction pieces of up to 8000 words. Winner gets $1500 and publication in the magazine. Recommended by SWG members: Masterclass Online Classes https://www.masterclass.com/ For $15/month or $180/year, access to unlimited online video classes. These are available in a number of categories - writing classes are variously taught by Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Brown, Joyce Carol Oates, Billy Collins, and more. Window Swap https://window-swap.com/ Open a new window somewhere in the world. Participants can post short videos or still shots from their windows. The Museum of Four in the Morning https://www.ted.com/talks/rives_the_museum_of_four_in_the_morning Just why is four in the morning so ubiquitous? Find out with this TED talk by poet/storyteller Rives. Mondegreens and the Science of Misheard Lyrics https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/science-misheard-lyrics-mondegreens From tonight's discussion - check this out from the New Yorker. Obit https://www.amazon.com/Obit-Bruce-Weber/dp/B071FN1YW3 A great documentary on the small staff at the NY Times who are responsible for writing the obituaries. Fascinating. (Nancy! Thinking of you!) Who Read What: Emmet read the first part of a piece - possibly a submission for the Scary Stories Zine - involving a kidnapped princess, a fashion-challenged prince, a fearsome blind fairy, and a corset. (By next meeting, Emmet's daughter Ella will have arrived - the SWG's first baby!) Ev read "Mood Swings with Pear" causing the entire group to obsess about paintings of pears. Renee read a piece about an interaction with an infernal fire alarm (at four in the morning; see above) and a poem about a friend's ex-boyfriend titled "Dead Fish." Next meeting: Thursday, October 8, 6-7 PM. Please join in - with recommendations, good books, suggestions, and news - and please bring something to read!

Meeting Minutes September 26th 2019

The meeting commenced at 6:05 in the King's Daughters room at the Swanton library.  Future meetings will likely be held there due to the expanding size of our group!  Please note: future meetings of our group will be held on the second Thursday of every month unless otherwise posted.  Below are a compilation of notes assembled by Becky and myself.

Judy spoke about the Edwin M Church Award.  The 15 entries were well received by a panel of 3 judges.  2 book stores owners/managers and an editor.  Congratulations to group member Ev Larson on taking first place!  The benefactors of the award have decided to extend the number of years the contest will run due to the quality of work which has been submitted over the last 2 years.  In future there will only be one cash prize and one contest, which will include HS seniors. It was proposed that a list of publications which might accept these stories should be made available to contest participants. 

2 possibilities: Green Mountain Trading Post (Don has been published multiple times) The Mud Season Review.

Events/Workshops

The League of Vermont Writers  is meeting Saturday September 28th from 8:30 – 3:15) in the Bliss Room at the St. Albans Historical Society. Various presentations; theme is the Art of Writing. Registration and fee required.

The Eloquent Page on Main Street in St. Albans, will host an open mic for writers from 3:30-4:30. (Immediately following the League meeting)

The St. Albans Art Walk and Sidewalk Sale will occur on Saturday, October 5th from 10 – 2. Writers wanted! To participate, simply pick a site on Main Street and contact the business you will be in front of to make sure they’re okay with you being there – then bring your own table, chair, and books to sell.

Activities

The Swanton Library is looking for book reviews. Each review should be about a paragraph long. Pitch your favorite books! EMAIL to Caleb Rupp, Swanton Library Director.

Monster Prompts.  In early October the Swanton Library will host an event for area children.  The activity will have them designing a monster (Halloween is around the corner!) and writing a short story about it.  It was proposed that writer's group members read these stories and elaborate on them.  Possibly a flashfiction piece of 500 words or less. More discussion at our next meeting.

 The Great Ghost Read is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, October 8, 10 AM – noon, at the Swanton library.  Come read your favorite Halloween/ghost/spooky story – either one of your own or a favorite by another author.

Many thanks to the group members who chose to share their ongoing projects with the group.  We had an hour of stimulating discussion about various topics and genres!

Meeting adjourned at 7:30.

Next meeting: Thursday October 10th, 6 pm at the Swanton Public Library.

Meeting Minutes August 22nd 2019

Here is a compilation of notes created by Becky and myself.  Our group has really grown in the last few months. Wonderful to see so many new and enthusiastic faces.

Events and workshops

Brattleboro Literary Festival 
October 17-20 "The 18th annual Brattleboro Literary Festival will take place October 17-20. The theme of the 2019 festival is Identity: personal identity, cultural identity and our identity as a country. Free and open to the public." Find more information HERE

League of VT Writers
St. Albans Historical Museum
Saturday, September 28, 8:30 AM - 3 PM
Theme: The Art of Writing.  Find more information HERE

Swanton Arts Spectacular
Saturday, September 7 Swanton park We'll have a local authors' tent starting at 10 AM. Come talk to us!

Performances

Swanton Arts Council presents "The Year of the Salmon"

"Join us on Monday, September 16th at 6PM sharp at the Welden Theater for the Premiere of "The Year of the Salmon". Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased by contacting jpaxman@swantonartscouncil.org

And don't miss the After-party and Salmmy Awards Presentation to be held at Mill River Brewing directly after the showing!"

Still looking for participants for the Great Ghost Read, to air on NW Access TV in October - Halloween-themed stories either of your own or by your favorite authors. Contact Becky if you're interested in reading.

Becky reiterated the idea of "Mailboxes for kids"  A program where children could write to their favorite fictional character and group members could write back in the voice of the character. Several members signed up for this program.  Everyone is welcome to participate.

Several members new and old read their work before our meeting adjourned at 7:35.  Next meeting is September 26th at the Swanton library. One of the items to be discussed is setting a firm day for our monthly meetings. Please bring your calendars.

Meeting Minutes December 27th 2018

Our last meeting of 2018 commenced at 6:05.  We shared some refreshments and then welcomed some potential new members by going around the table and introducing ourselves.

Several possibilities for keeping our writing group fresh were discussed. Regular writing prompts, (there is one for January posted below) and a group writing project: story, play or screenplay were suggested as possible genres.  We discussed upcoming workshops and events, which are listed below, and Becky reminded us of National Poetry Month, which is April.

Writing Trivia: Merriam Webster's top words for 2018.  And some of the newest words added to the dictionary including: airplane mode, hangry, bougie and adorbs

Contests

Don't forget Hunger Mountain. Five contests to appeal to a variety of writers. Deadline for all entries is March 1st. Information can be found HERE. Get writing folks!

Resources and Workshops

Young Writer's Project offers a variety of workshops geared to youth.  There is a list of writing prompts on the site to get the creative juices flowing.  They are sponsors of the annual Vermont Writer's Day. Find more information HERE

Burlington Writer's Workshops: Monthly meetings on a variety of topics.  More information HERE

Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, August 14-24, 2019  "founded in 1926 and boasting a rich literary and intellectual tradition, gathers together emerging writers to work closely with a diverse and talented faculty. For 10 days in August, conference attendees experience the intensity—and challenge—of working under the guidance of notable writers, including MacArthur Fellows, U.S. poets laureate, and recipients of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award". More information about the conference's itinerary, cost and scholarships can be found HERE  Application deadline is February 15, 2019

Anne and Michelle read short pieces: Anne a nonfiction memory of childhood. Michelle a fluffy Christmas piece.

January writing prompt if you wish to participate. The challenge is to write a short work using either the phrase or picture shown here, or a combination of the two.

Phrase: "The day the clock stopped"

The meeting adjourned at 7:35. Our next meeting is January 24th at 6 pm at the Swanton Library.

Meeting Minutes October 18th, 2018

Our meeting commenced at 6 pm without our fearless leader.  Missed you Becky!

We discussed upcoming workshops, contests and exhibitions, details below.  Three members shared their work. Barbara read a chapter from her modern fantasy novel, Richard read a short story titled "The Truth of It" and Michelle read her upcoming entry for the Green Mountain Power contest. Our meeting concluded at 7 pm

Contests

We have a slew of contests with deadlines ranging from October 30th to March 1st 2019.  Please keep an eye on our Facebook PAGE for regular updates.  Here is just a partial list. Follow the links provided for detailed information.  Happy writing!

1. Columbia College Literary Review Editor's Prize. Deadline December 1st.  Details found HERE
2. Wild Proton. Deadline November 1st. Details found HERE
3. ShortFiction.com. Deadline October 30th. Details found HERE
4.  Fiddlehead story and poem contest. Deadline. December 3rd. Details to be found HERE
5. The Birdy Poetry Prize by Meadowlark books. Deadline December 1st. Details found HERE
6. Vermont Writer's Prize co-sponsored by Green Mountain Power and Vermont Magazine. Deadline November 1st. Details found HERE
7. Hunger Mountain. Deadline March 1st. Details found HERE 

NANOWRIMO! November is national writing month.  Are you brave enough to try and write a novel in a month? If you dare then find details HERE.  Good luck!

Great Christmas Read

Looking for volunteers to read a holiday/Christmas-themed book to be shown on NW Access TV in December. (It’s easy – you sit in a chair and read. Out loud.)
Anybody got a favorite – or what about an original Christmas story? We’ll be filming in November. Contact Becky
Exhibitions

The deadline to submit your art/writing to the Emotion Speaks "Anxiety" is October 26th. There will be an open house for the exhibition on Friday, November 9th at the Swanton Library. Details HERE

Workshops

Write Your First Novel (Workshop with JP Choquette). The deadline for registration is November 1st. Swanton Writer's Group members get a $5 discount. Details found HERE

Local citizens and business owners in conjunction with SAC are proposing the formation of 2 groups. An Entrepreneur group which will likely meet for breakfast, and a Faith Based artist group. Plans are tentative at this time. The hope is to have something in place by late December or early January. More details when available.

Book Recommendation

Ghost Boy: The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped Inside His Own Body by Martin Pistorius.

....Ghost Boy is the heart-wrenching story of one boy’s return to life through the power of love and faith. In these pages, readers see a parent’s resilience, the consequences of misdiagnosis, abuse at the hands of cruel caretakers, and the unthinkable duration of Martin’s mental alertness betrayed by his lifeless body.

We also see a life reclaimed—a business created, a new love kindled—all from a wheelchair. Martin's emergence from his own darkness invites us to celebrate our own lives and fight for a better life for others.

Our next meeting will be on November 15th at 6 pm at the Swanton Library.

Meeting Minutes September 20, 2018

Meeting commenced at 6 p.m. We discussed several upcoming writing contests, events and workshops detailed below.

Next was the announcement of the winner of the Edwin M. Church Award. Congratulations to our own Don Lefebrve for his winning entry: "The Farm Connection". A beautiful memoir about farm life in mid-twentieth century VT.  Second place went to Joy Choquette. Third to Tom Benton. The Swanton Library in conjunction with SAC is hoping to publish a book containing all 10 contest entries and the winning youth entry written by Emmett Mathieu "Tracks of Destiny"

Judy shared news regarding a potential movie project in 2019. A grant is being written to fund the writing, production and editing of a short film relating to the 'year of the salmon', which is 2019. There will be more details released in the next few months, including how local writers and film buffs can get involved with the project.  Keep an eye on the SAC website as well as this blog. The idea of recording podcasts of local authors reading their respective works was floated again. There might be grant money available to fund such a project and the library has the equipment to record and edit. More details to follow.

Nancy returned Flat Stanley and Flat Stella. Pictures to follow.  Becky took them for the next month.  She is planning to send them to NYC, among other places.

Three group members read their work, or had it read for them. Emmet, Nancy and Don. The latter read his winning contest entry: The Farm Connection"

Contests

Hunger Mountain: Four annual contests will open for submissions on October 1st. The Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction Prize, The Hunger Mountain Creative Nonfiction Prize, The Ruth Stone Poetry Prize, and The Katherine Paterson Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing. Submission details and the names of past winners and their work can be found HERE. The deadline for all submissions is March 1, 2019. Happy writing!

Vermont Writer's Prize: There is still time to enter this contest co-sponsored by Green Mountain Power and Vermont Magazine. Deadline is November 1. Details can be found HERE

Exhibitions

Registration forms and canvases are now available for the SAC exhibition "Emotion Speaks" The one word theme is Anxiety. Find more details HERE. Please see a SAC member or stop in at the Swanton Library to pick up your materials.  A $5 fee is payable by cash, check or paypal.

Workshops

Burlington Book Festival: October 12-14 at the UVM Alumni House Silver Pavilion and various other locations. A variety of talks and workshops will occur over the 3 days. Concluded by a presentation by nationally known personality Garrison Keillor. Find all the details HERE,

Burlington Writer's Workshop: Regular meetings are held in their Burlington location.  Find details on current and upcoming events HERE

Corrina Thurston is holding 3 workshops this fall at the My-T-Fine restaurant in Swanton. Corrina is the author of 2 books: "How To Build Your Art Business: With Limited Time Or Energy" and "How To Communicate Effectively: For Artists & Creatives" Workshops will be held on 3 Thursday evenings starting at 6 pm. The subjects and dates: September 27th "How to Market Your Art", October 4th "Social Media for Artists", October 25th "Creating Your Best Artist Statement" More details to be found HERE.

Meeting concluded at 7:40. Our next meeting is Thursday October 18th. 6 p.m. at the Swanton Library.