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stevewiegenstein

~ News, announcements, events, and ruminations about my books, including Slant of Light, This Old World, The Language of Trees, and Scattered Lights, and about creativity, fiction, Missouri, the Ozarks, and anything else that strikes my fancy

stevewiegenstein

Tag Archives: Missouri Writers Guild

April in Missouri -for the Literary-Minded

26 Saturday Mar 2016

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Literature, Missouri, Writing

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Blank Slate Press, Bonniebrook, Branson, Columbia, creativity, Kansas City, Missouri, Missouri Writers Guild, St. Louis, Unbound Book Festival, writing

There are lots of literary events going on in Missouri next month, some of which I’m involved with, some not. If you enjoy reading or writing, climb in the car and take a spring road trip!

First, there’s the Afternoon of Authors with Blank Slate Press event April 2, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Central Library in downtown St. Louis. I’ll be joining two other BSP authors to talk about writing and to read from our work. I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll read from my most recently published book, This Old World, or from my work-in-progress, which I’m getting close to completing. I’m also looking forward to sharing some time with Cynthia Graham and John Ryan.

Next up will be the season-opening open house at the Bonniebrook Gallery, Museum, and Homestead near Branson on April 16. I don’t think I’ll be able to make that event as I have work-related travel, but I’m eager to get down there sometime this spring or summer. The open house runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will include exhibits, craft demonstrations and vendors, presentations, and musical performances. Here’s a link to an earlier post about that event, including a schedule.

Then the following Saturday is the Unbound Book Festival here in Columbia. This is the initial year for that festival, and it looks very promising.

Finally, at the end of the month, is the annual conference of the Missouri Writers’ Guild. This year’s conference is in Kansas City, and includes workshops, master classes, opportunities to meet with editors and agents, and nonstop networking! I’ve been going to the MWG conference for years and always come away with something valuable, whether it’s an insight on craft, a new thought on marketing, or an important contact. Anybody who wants to take his or her writing to the next level needs to check out this conference.

So change your oil and buckle your seatbelt! It’s time to hit the road for literary adventure.

 

Ellen Gray Massey

09 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Missouri, Ozarks, Personal, Uncategorized, Writing

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Tags

books, Ellen Gray Massey, fiction, historical fiction, Missouri, Missouri Writers Guild, Ozarks, writing

I’ve written about Ellen Massey before, in a “Favorite Ozarks People” entry. She was a gentle and thoughtful soul who never stopped writing. In fact, this year she won the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America in the Juvenile Fiction category for her book Papa’s Gold.

Ellen died at the age of 92 last month. She was a lifetime member of the Missouri Writers’ Guild and a former president. Truly a life well lived.

Here’s a nice news story about Ellen.

Hillbillies

19 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Missouri, Ozarks, Rural

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

hillbilly, human nature, Missouri, Missouri Writers Guild, Ozarks

I have avoided discussion of the word “hillbilly,” for the most part, on this blog because I think it’s an endless distraction. But I have to thank my good friend Bill Hopkins for this amazing disquisition on “hillbilly,” from a 1960 court decision in a divorce case, in which one of the “general indignities” that the plaintiff (husband) accused the defendant (wife) of was that she referred to his family as “hillbillies”:

“In respect to plaintiff’s evidence that Minnie once referred to relatives of the plaintiff as hillbillies: We suggest that to refer to a person as a “hillbilly,” or any other name, for that matter, might or might not be an insult, depending upon the meaning intended to be conveyed, the manner of utterance, and the place where the words are spoken. Webster’s New International Dictionary says that a hillbilly is “a backwoodsman or mountaineer of the southern United States;—often used contemptuously.” But without the added implication or inflection which indicates an intention to belittle, we would say that, here in Southern Missouri, the term is often given and accepted as a complimentary expression. An Ozark hillbilly is an individual who has learned the real luxury of doing without the entangling complications of things which the dependent and over-pressured city dweller is required to consider as necessities. The hillbilly foregoes the hard grandeur of high buildings and canyon streets in exchange for wooded hills and verdant valleys. In place of creeping traffic he accepts the rippling flow of the wandering stream. He does not hear the snarl of exhaust, the raucous braying of horns, and the sharp, strident babble of many tense voices. For him instead is the measured beat of the katydid, the lonesome, far-off complaining of the whippoorwill, perhaps even the sound of a falling acorn in the infinite peace of the quiet woods. The hillbilly is often not familiar with new models, soirees, and office politics. But he does have the time and surroundings conducive to sober reflection and honest thought, the opportunity to get closer to his God. No, in Southern Missouri the appellation “hillbilly” is not generally an insult or an indignity; it is an expression of envy.”

 

 

Gallery

More from Roaring River

26 Monday May 2014

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Missouri, Photos

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Tags

favorite_places, Missouri Writers Guild, Ozarks, parks, photography, Roaring River

This gallery contains 3 photos.

The Missouri Writers’ Guild – Part 2

19 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Personal, Writing

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art, books, creativity, fiction, Missouri, Missouri Writers Guild, writing

What does it take to be a writer? I think one of our speakers summed it up best last weekend: “You have to want to do it more than you want to do anything else.”

Writers are like artists of any sort: They go into it knowing that the odds of becoming rich or famous are long indeed. But they do it anyway, not because they imagine themselves immune to those odds, but because they feel compelled to express themselves.

Many of the attendees at the conference were unpublished or barely published. Yet they chose to spend time and money learning from experts and professionals, an admirable commitment to their craft. Some of them may never get published. Some of them may have found the spark, or the bit of advice, that will trigger success. But all of them made the effort.

In one conversation, some attendees chatted about the most annoying thing they heard about their efforts. Heads nodded all around when someone said, “It’s when somebody at a party says, ‘Oh, I’ve been meaning to write a book, too,'” as if the task is equivalent to cooking a nice meal or sorting one’s snapshots. It’s annoying but also motivating. Go ahead, flippant party-attender. Give it a try, and see if you don’t come out with greater respect for that unpublished author who has at least taken the time and expense to devote to the goal.

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The Missouri Writers’ Guild – Part 1

16 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Personal, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

art, books, creativity, fiction, Missouri, Missouri Writers Guild, novels, poetry, writing

I’ve just returned from the annual meeting/conference of the Missouri Writers’ Guild, an organization I have had the privilege to serve as president for the last two years. I came away with several reflections that I will be sharing over the next few posts.

First, and most important from the personal perspective, I was reminded that all writers–all writers, I repeat–need to continually sharpen their craft. At the conference, we had beginning writers and authors with multiple books. But I think every one of us came away with something to remember. It’s easy to get stuck in a stylistic rut, or to grow insensitive to one’s weaknesses. A conference, with its wide variety of sessions and viewpoints, is a great way to pause and reexamine old habits. I was in a session this weekend with an insecure beginning writer who in the space of two minutes told us the most amazing and moving story, reminding  me that inspired thoughts can come from the most unexpected sources and that everyone deserves to be listened to.

I was reminded as well that writers, for the most part, are generous people with their time and thoughts. Throughout the conference, people gathered in hallways and side chairs, conversing and sharing. That’s where the real conference is taking place, as much as in the formal sessions and workshops.

It’s an ongoing, evolving art form, this act of writing, and a gathering of writers both humbles and refreshes. How much there is yet to know. How much there is yet to write.

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Writers’ Groups and the Solitary Art

04 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Personal, Writing

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art, books, creativity, fiction, Missouri Writers Guild, writing

I have served the last two years as president of the Missouri Writers’ Guild. This service has brought me into contact with a number of wonderful people, and I’ve made friendships I cherish. I’ve also helped to advance the cause of writing in the state through events and cooperation with other organizations. But I can’t say that this gig has helped my writing.

Part of this has to do with the time commitment, of course. Time spent on guild matters is time not spent on other things, and one of those could be writing. But that’s not really it. More significant is that to me, writing is a solitary act, spent inside my head most of the time, and involvement with a group doesn’t really advance that activity.

A lot of my fellow writers have critique groups that they meet with regularly, and the local writers’ guilds (the one in Columbia is a great one) provide opportunities for comment and feedback. When I was in graduate school, my workshop classes were filled with regular group interaction. But when all is said and done, my writing style is solo, just me and the keyboard and my imagination.

This is probably not the wisest of choices. Writing in isolation can lead me down blind pathways that I don’t recognize until I’m a long way down them, and perhaps a perceptive critique group would steer me better. But it’s the method I’m stuck with for now, by habit or by choice, so I might as well make it work as best I can.

The Next Big Thing

05 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Daybreak, Missouri, Ozarks, Writing

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Civil War, creativity, fiction, historical fiction, history, Missouri, Missouri Writers Guild, novels, Ozarks, Slant of Light, writing

The Next Big Thing is a game of literary tag. On their blogs, writers answer a few questions about a work-in-progress, then tag other writers, who do the same, tagging more writers and more–forever. It’s like a chain letter, or a pyramid scheme for people without any money, often writers!

Steve Yates, author of Morkan’s Quarry, an excellent novel of Missouri in the Civil war, and the forthcoming Some Kinds of Love: Stories, winner of the Juniper Prize in Fiction from the University of Massachusetts, tagged me in this game. His blog, “Fiction and History,” is well worth following. I’m tagging Claire Applewhite, a St. Louis mystery writer and former president of the Missouri Writers’ Guild, to tell us about her Next Big Thing.

So anyway, here are the questions and my answers.

What is the working title of your novel?

Do I have to tell??? I really haven’t decided yet, although I have a couple of contenders. But I’m going to take a pass on this question.

Where did the idea come from for the novel?

Even while I was working on Slant of Light, I was already at work on this one! I knew the story of these characters wasn’t over–there was a lot more to explore. My grand scheme is to keep going with this location as the cast of characters evolves and develops over time. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one idea with many books in it.

1024px-Misty_mountainsWhat genre does your manuscript fall under?

I’m going with literary/historical. I think of it as a mainstream novel that happens to take place in the past, which in my mind is different from a historical novel….my focus is on the characters, not the time period.

Which actor would you choose to play your character in a movie rendition?

For James Turner, I’ve always envisioned someone large but nimble, with incredible energy. The image of Burt Lancaster in Elmer Gantry comes to mind. For Charlotte Turner…..oh, the debates around my house! I have not yet found the person who conveys the requisite blend of toughness and vulnerability, resilience, and both beauty and practicality.

What is a one-sentence synopsis of your book?

With the ending of the Civil War, the surviving members of the Daybreak community strive to recapture the ideals that brought them together, discovering that old animosities are hard to quell and that the war has changed them all for better and for worse–and that the new era of materialism and individualism brings both opportunities and dangers.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Three years, off and on. I set it aside for about a year while finishing Slant of Light and embarking on its promotion.

What other books would you compare your story to within this genre?

Oh boy, that’s tough. OK…..imagine if Inman in Cold Mountain had not been killed on his journey, but had returned safely. What would have happened then? Would he and Ada have been able to realize the magical love that their early relationship promised? Or would the difficult realities of postwar life have dragged them down? What happens to the great love affairs when the soul-damage of a war intervenes?

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Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My sources of inspiration are many. But in the end, it all comes back to that one perfect reader, the person who turns every page with anticipation and sympathy, who is eager to accompany me on my journey through history and through the lives of all these characters.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

A whole host of new characters! If you thought Slant of Light had some good characters, wait till you see who shows up in the next book! A lot of the first novel’s characters return, but not all……there was a war, after all.

Here’s a snippet:

Charlotte stopped in the road about six feet in front of the man. She could smell him from where she stood. His overcoat was thickly stained, more dirt brown than blue. He did not appear to be armed, but you could never tell these days.

They regarded each other.

“Lee’s surrendered,” the man said.

“It’s about time,” said Charlotte.

She waited. But the man seemed to be in no hurry to announce his business.

“We can’t feed you,” she said after a minute.

“Didn’t ask.”

“So you didn’t. But you’d not turn down a meal if offered, I wager.”

“No, ma’am. That’s the soldier’s first rule.”

Missouri Libraries

06 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Missouri, Personal, Writing

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Ellen Massey, libraries, Missouri, Missouri Writers Guild, novels, poetry, Springfield, writing

As part of my role as this year’s president of the Missouri Writers’ Guild, I got to set up and work a booth at the annual conference of the Missouri Library Association. I’ve already expressed my fondness for libraries and librarians elsewhere in this blog, but I’ll just repeat it here…..librarians are one of civilization’s jewels! They uphold our American ideal of free access to ideas. It was a great pleasure to sit in our booth and visit with those who stopped by.

A special shout-out to other members of the Writers’ Guild who also held down our booth for a shift – Deborah Schott, our treasurer (pictured below), Laura Valenti, Ellen Gray Massey, Debbie Blades, T. W. Fendley, Lawrence Iles, and Betty McLane-Iles. Thanks for your participation!

The Writers’ Guild booth

Book Launch

08 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Daybreak, Illinois, Missouri, Personal, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bookstores, Civil War, fiction, historical fiction, Missouri, Missouri Writers Guild, novels, Quincy, Slant of Light, St. Louis, Unitarian

The official launch of Slant of Light will happen on April 19 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Subterranean Books, 6275 Delmar, in University City (on the Delmar Loop). The location is a bit serendipitous . . . a former student of mine from the 1990s is married to an employee there, so the connection was made.

That weekend, those of you who are attending the Missouri Writers’ Guild conference in St. Louis can pick up a copy there . . . I’ll be signing books on Friday, the 20th, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

If my Hannibal/Canton/Quincy friends can hold out till May, there will be at least one event up there. Working with the dear folks at the Unitarian Church for a wine & cheese party/book reading & signing . . . specific date and time to be announced.

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  • RT @uarkpress: Announcing the Forthcoming Reissue of Thames Ross Williamson’s 1933 novel THE WOODS COLT, part of the Chronicles of the Ozar… 3 weeks ago
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