May Newsletter | “Log of the Trail”

Meeting Announcement: Our May “End of Year Party” will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, at the home of Jackie Siglin, south of Alpine. (See more information below.)

Writing Assignment: In 500 words or less (prose or poetry), here are three topics to consider for your opportunity to write for the May 22 potluck meeting:

  • “What If” & “What Is” (a comparison of attitudes)
  • Make Mine a Double
  • Summer Expectations

Refreshments: It’s a Pot Luck!


TMTW “End of Year Party

As you read this, I should be in South America somewhere.

I’m writing in the after glow of the conference and the hectic present rush of packing for the trip and cleaning the house. What a wonderful time we had! The speakers were fantastic as were all of you. I hope everyone learned something. I know I did.

Reminder to locals and anyone else who wants to come to Alpine for our End of Year Party party. It will be May 22, 6:30 pm at Jackie’s (my) house. If you don’t know how to get to my house – email me after May 17 and I will tell you. Please bring something for the potluck and don’t forget your writing opportunity. It will also be time to elect new officers – be ready to put your name in the hat.

Thanks to all of you for your help at the retreat. We could not put on such a successful event without each and everyone of us. A special hats off, of course, to Ms. PR herself, Reba – who gets out the word.

Don’t forget we plan to try summer meetings. More on that at the party on the 22nd.

Hasta la vista,

Jackie


Retreat in Photos Review

After weather and technology gremlins delays, photos coming next week of the 2012 Retreat!


Other Retreats

JustWrite Retreats                                  July 24-29               August 26-Sept. 2
Spirit of Women Writing Retreats         August 5-12            September 9-16               October 7-14

Download JustWrite Retreats brochure


Minutes from April Meeting

Please read the minutes before attending the next meeting. Let us know at the next meeting if there are any corrections. Thanks!

(Coming later this week!)

Be sure you have the latest version of Adobe Reader! To download, go here: www.adobe.com
If you are unable to open the minutes, please email us and we will send you a copy via email.


Braggin’ Rights

Reba Cross Seals has an article in the online newsletter, the May/June issue of Working Writer. It’s entitled, “A Hissy Fit Over Webinars: I’m a Reader, Not a Listener,” in which she spoofs the profusion of webinars for writers all over the internet.


Demystifying Writers’ Demons One at a Time

One by One -  by Joan Upton Hall

CONFUSING WORDS—Whose / who’s  &  who / whom

• whose (possessive pronoun for “something belonging to whom”)

   Whose book is this?” “The man whose novel won the award lives nearby.”

• who’s (contraction of “who is”)

   Who’s coming to the show?” “Who’s there?” “Jane is the person who’s absent.”

• who (nominative [naming] case pronoun – means it is the subject of a verb)

   Who, shall I say, is calling?” (often mistaken when subject is separated from verb by an interrupting clause or phrase; think “Who is calling?”)

“Tell me who in the world did this.” (often mistaken when it is the subject of a clause in which the entire clause is an object; think “who did this?”)

“Who can win? Clyde is who.” (often mistaken when used as a predicate nominative renaming the subject after a linking verb. Therefore, it’s not an object.)

• whom (objective case pronoun – means it is the object receiving action)

   “To whom shall I give this?” “Give it to whomever you wish.” (object of preposition)

“She’s a candidate whom we can trust.” (direct object, inverted adjective clause; think “we can trust whom.”)

Memory tip: If substituting the word “he” for it sounds right, you need “who.”

If substituting the word “him” for it sounds right, you need “whom.”

Do demons bedevil your writing? Similar, confusing words? Grammar, punctuation, or capitalization rules? “The Demystifier” will clear up the mystery (primary reference unless otherwise noted: Garner, Bryan A. Dictionary of Modern American Usage. N.Y.: Oxford University Press). Address questions and comments to freelance editor, Joan Upton Hall at: moc.loa@llaHumj. More problems like the above are demystified in the booklet, 50 Writers’ Tips. Find more at http://www.JoanUptonHall.com/books.htm.


Final Note from the Editor:

Have news? Toot your horn, clang your bell, raise your roof! Tell us your news and stories – or writing news in general, such as publications you would recommend, contests, book events, etc. Send your Braggin’ Rights and Trail Bits to gro.s1337467605retir1337467605wliar1337467605tniat1337467605nuoms1337467605axet@1337467605wtmtk1337467605sa1337467605.

 

April Newsletter | “Log of the Trail”

Meeting Announcement: Our April meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. in the Fiesta Room of the Hallmark Apartments in Alpine.

Program: Last minute details of upcoming Conference Retreat

Writing “Opportunity”: Write what you want…500 words!

Refreshments: Delicious treats from Darrell White.


President Ramblings

We live by choice in far West Texas, tucked away from the bigger writing world.  I like to think it gives us an edge with creativity.  All we have to do is look out our front door and see the natural world,  at its finest with sunrise, cactus blossoms and the face of a baby fawn, but also at its cruelest with drought, fire, and wind.  How can we not write?

Yet, isolation has its drawbacks.  We share our work with others in the Texas Mountain Trail Writers, but we don’t have many opportunities for a wider audience.

Continue reading April Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” →

March Newsletter | “Log of the Trail”

Meeting Announcement: Our March meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Fort Davis Public Library in Fort Davis, TX. If you wish to carpool from Alpine, meet us in the Big Bend Telephone parking lot before we depart at 6:30 pm.

Program: “The Art of Weaving Your Story”

Writing “Opportunity”: 

  • Spring Equinox
  • March Magic
  • Search The Wind

Please avail yourself of the opportunity to pick one of the above topics and write our regular limit of 500 words (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or whatever).  Or challenge yourself to an exact word limit of 100 for any one of the topics (this idea is compliments of Anne VanLoon–thanks, Anne).


President Ramblings

I’m sitting in Fairbanks, AK looking out the window at a foot of fresh snow.  The temperature is close to zero and it is so delightful.  I’m happy to be back to my home of eighteen years and glad to see good friends.  I thought I would write – brought my journal and my laptop, but so far haven’t squeezed in time for much but a few ideas percolating in the back of my brain.  At least I will try to write those down – otherwise in my aged state, they will enter an unknown universe never to be thought of again.

Continue reading March Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” →

February Newsletter | “Log of the Trail”

Meeting Announcement: Our February meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. in the Fiesta Room of the Hallmark Apartments in Alpine.

Program: Diane Brown will talk about her book, “Life Instead,” and how it came to be.  I can guarantee it will be a fascinating presentation.  Diane survived a plane crash and bravely wrote about her experience then went on an unexpected adventure to publication and beyond.

Writing “Opportunity”: 

  • A Snowy Night
  • Valentines
  • A Matter of the Heart

Choose one or incorporate one or more of the topics into one story (or poem)–use your vast and endless imagination.  Limit is 500 words.  Go wild!  At the meeting, you may read your work or not, as you prefer.  Just enjoy doing it.


President Ramblings

How do you write?  Do you set measurable goals or decide to wing it?  Do you slave over each word or let it flow as it comes?  Do you have a different writing style for different types of writing?

I recently read and enjoyed, The Sea, by John Banville.  It is a literary work, full of gorgeous words, which won the Mann Booker prize in 2005.  Mr. Banville, under the pseudonym of Benjamin Black, is also the writer of mystery novels.  Here is what he says about his writing:

Continue reading February Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” →

TMTW 2012 Spring Retreat :: Retreat Overview Available!

Click on the links below to download the Weekend Overview and the Registration Form.

Weekend Overview:

http://www.texasmountaintrailwriters.org/pdfs/2012_TMTW_Conference_Overview.pdf

Registration Form:

http://www.texasmountaintrailwriters.org/pdfs/2012_TMTW_Registration_Form.pdf

TMTW 2012 Spring Retreat :: Retreat Registration Form Available!

Have we got a Genre for you!

The Alpine & Fort Davis
Texas Mountain Trail Writers

are so proud of their presenter line-up for 2012 they are bustin’ their buttons! How could any writers not find a perfect fit among these choices to enhance their skills and chance for publication.

Choose your poison:

Mystery Writing, Flash Fiction, Western Historical Fiction, Memoir, Narrative Non-Fiction, Historical Research, Publishing, Marketing, and even an early morning Haiku Hike to a near-by cemetery for poetry lovers!

Continue reading TMTW 2012 Spring Retreat :: Retreat Registration Form Available! →

2012 “Chaos” Call for Submissions

This is a call for submissions for the 2012 Chaos West of the Pecos, the yearly publication of the Texas Mountain Trail Writers.

For complete information, please see our “2012 ‘Chaos’ Call for Submissions” page.

January Newsletter | “Log of the Trail”

Meeting Announcement: Our January meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 17, 2012, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Fort Davis Public Library in Fort Davis, TX. If you wish to carpool from Alpine, meet us in the Big Bend Telephone parking lot before we depart at 6:30 pm.

Program: Critique – Polish Your Writing to a Shine presented by Jackie Siglin.

Writing “Opportunity”: 

  • New Year Resolutions
  • Something Remembered
  • West Texas Intrigue

Choose one or incorporate one or more of the topics into one story (or poem)–use your vast and endless imagination.  Limit is 500 words.  Go wild!  At the meeting, you may read your work or not, as you prefer.  Just enjoy doing it.


President Ramblings

Happy New Year!

We can’t start off a new writing year without a few resolutions – right?  or should I say – WRITE!!!

That is the gist of every article I read and every speaker I hear.  If you want to be a writer, improve your writing, experience writing, you need to WRITE.

So what could we resolve:

  1. To set aside writing time.  Some people start small – 5 minutes, 30 minutes, once or twice a week.  For me, a retired person, I try to write, or at least be present in my chair in front of the computer, five days a week for two to three hours.  Does that mean I always succeed?  No, but I have, like we say in my yoga class, an intention. Continue reading January Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” →

December Newsletter | “Log of the Trail”

Meeting Announcement: Our December CHRISTMAS PARTY POTLUCK will be held on Tuesday, December 13, 2011, at the home of Daileen in Limpia Crossing (north of Fort Davis) at 6:30 pm.

Writing “Opportunity”: The word limit is 500 words.  Choose from

  • Christmases I’ve Loved (or not!)
  • Winter Solstice
  • This Has Been a Year Full of _______(fill in the blank)

Celebrate Christmas with the Trail Writers

Our Christmas party will be at my house (Daileen) in Limpia Crossing north of Fort Davis on Tuesday  evening, December 13th  at 6:30 PM.

For those who wish to arrive in the daylight, you are welcome to come at 6 PM.

Rene Parsons has graciously consented to play Christmas carols for us and will be at the piano by 6:05, for those who wish to sing or listen.

Continue reading December Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” →

November Newsletter | “Log of the Trail”

Meeting Announcement: Our November meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 15, 2011, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. in the Fiesta Room of the Hallmark Apartments in Alpine.

Program: “In Search of Your Right Brain” by Eleanor Taylor.

Writing “Opportunity”: The word limit is 500 words.  Choose from

  • Taking a Chance
  • Thanksgiving: Past, Present or Whenever
  • Pick a cliche (your favorite or just any one will do) and build a story around it

Refreshments: Delicious treats from Phyllis Musgrove.


President Ramblings

The sunlight rolled into my bedroom about seven this morning. What a glorious thing – the end of daylight savings time.  I sip my coffee, watch the red tinge the horizon, enjoy the quiet before time to walk the dog.  Wait – am I supposed to be writing my president’s column for the Texas Mountain Trail Writer’s November newsletter?  Why, yes I am.

Pardon my slip into interior dialogue.  Elaine Davenport’s program for our October meeting has me trying my hand at it.  I’m starting a new mystery novel and already her tips are making my characters more lively.

Continue reading November Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” →