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.

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” →

March Newsletter :: “Log of the Trail”

Meeting Announcement: Our March meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 15, 2011, at the Fort Davis Public Library in Fort Davis, TX, from 7:00 – 9:00 pm. If you wish to carpool from Alpine, meet us in the Big Bend Telephone parking lot before we depart at 6:30 pm.

Speaker: Barbara Blake – “The Character Arc: A Journey of Change”
Refreshments: (You know who you are, we hope!)
Writing Assignment: Something Irish (500 words or less)

From the desk of our president:

March winds and April showers? Don’t we wish? Wild fires? Brave pilots and big yellow helicopters that drop retardants on them? Skunks and their early morning perfume? A morning with one percent humidity? Vertigo and my sympathy to fellow sufferers?

Take your pick or think of a better one. Perhaps you can turn it into a poem or story.

Happy days, restful nights and productive writing to each of you.

Phyllis Musgrove


Barbara Blake’s Presentation at the March TMTW Meeting

Author Barbara Blake will present a short program entitled “The Character Arc: A Journey of Change” at the March 15 meeting of the Texas Mountain Trail Writers.  Barbara is the author of the book A Guide to Children’s Books about Asian Americans (England: Ashgate Publishing Co.,

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 15, 2011, in the Fiesta Room of the Hallmark Apartments in Alpine.

Writing Assignment: Love Lost, Then Found Again, 250-500 word limit.

Speaker: Phyllis Musgrove will speak about “Who Says Writers Heads are Blocked?”

Refreshments: Petei Guth will provide refreshments for the February meeting.


From the Desk of our President

Our new year got off to a great start, and we welcomed several newcomers and visitors to our January meeting in Fort Davis. We enjoyed an outstanding program from Jackie Siglin.

Despite February’s roaring in like a lion, our spring retreat planning committee finalized plans for what I think will be an outstanding 20th anniversary conference. I hope many of you can attend.

Phyllis Musgrove

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

TMTW 2011 Spring Retreat :: Save The Date!!!

!!Save the Date!! Mark Your New Calendar Now

Texas Mountain Trail Writers Spring Retreat

April 8, 9, 10, 2011

The Texas Mountain Trail Writers invite you to celebrate their 20th annual retreat in the mountains at the Paisano Encampment (7 miles west of Alpine)

Professional Speakers, Fabulous Food, [...]

April Newsletter |”Log of the Trail”

Meeting Announcement: Our April meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, in the Fiesta Room at the Hallmark Apartments in Alpine from 7:00 – 9:00 pm.

Speaker will be Darrell on the new novel  “Imp Of Woe”.
The assignment for April is Poetry! Old ones or New ones, as long as we haven’t heard them. Up to 3 short ones or one very long one.

From the Atelier of our President:

Yeah, team!  Another successful retreat completed.  Thank you, Reba and Jackie, for co-chairing this event and thank you to your team of workers who helped bring it all together!  I heard many good comments from our guests.  And, I thought our presenters were especially good.  And, they participated in almost all of our activities which was nice.

We’ll sum up and discuss the retreat during our next meeting which will be Tuesday, April 20.

Let’s keep the May 15 Trip to Lubbock date on our calendars.  That’s the target date for the writer’s night with the Lubbock Writer’s group.  And, our meeting in May will be our last meeting until September.  Be thinking about the location for that party/meeting.  I would love to offer my place,  however, my little place is so small when you cuss the cat you get fur in your mouth.

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

Last Chance Corral

WRITERS, Welcome to the
Last Chance Corral

Writers’ Round-Up

“I Owe it to Myself!”

It’s been a long winter.
The refund check hasn’t come.
I’m sick of cold weather.

Continue reading Last Chance Corral →

Homework Assignment for Writing Round-Up

19th Annual Spring Retreat in Alpine,
April 9, 10, 11, 2010

Your homework title is:

A Day in the Life of a………
(Rancher, Rancher’s Wife, Ranch Dog, Cowboy, Cowboy’s Horse, Chuck Wagon Cookie, Soldier, One-room School House Teacher, or a true western historical character)

You may choose one or more of the above and must include one or more true historical facts.

Continue reading Homework Assignment for Writing Round-Up →

Explore the beauty of HAIKU POETRY

While exploring mountainous beauty of nature at the
Writing Round-Up

Texas Mountain Trail Writers
Spring Retreat
April 9, 10, 11, 2010

As an added treat for our guests
Reba Cross Seals and Donna Greene
offer an optional easy hike to a lovely location
where they will facilitate the writing of
ancient traditional three line Japanese poetry called
Haiku.

Continue reading Explore the beauty of HAIKU POETRY →