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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” →
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” →
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” →
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:
- 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” →
Meeting Announcement: Our April meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, in the Fiesta Room of the Hallmark Apartments in Alpine.
Writing Assignment: Under Texas Skies, 250-500 word limit. This is the same assignment as was for the conference. Any members who don’t have a chance to read at the conference may read at the meeting.
Refreshments: Elaine Davenport will provide refreshments for the April meeting.
From the Desk of our President
What a great retreat! We enjoyed hearing Texas Poet Laureate Larry Thomas talk about the path to becoming one. He challenged TMTW poets to have confidence in our creativity and used readings from his work to discuss different forms we can use.
Multi-talented Andy Wilkinson described how curiosity about his famous relative, Charles Goodnight, awakened his interest in historical research which he has used in poetry, books, articles, music and stage plays. He also recited poems and accompanied himself singing his lyrics to demonstrate the difference between poetry and song.
Continue reading April Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” →
!!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, [...]
Meeting Announcement: Our October meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 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: Darrell White – About his newly completed book!
Writing Assignment: A Ghost Story – Something spooky – anywhere from funny spooky to horror spooky. 500 words or less.
Refreshments: Eleanor Taylor, with coffee fixin’s by Phyllis Musgrove
To my friends who enjoy playing with words. ~ Reba
“One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I’ll never know.” – Groucho Marx
“Take my wife, please.” – Henny Youngman
“If all the girls at Vassar were laid end to end, I wouldn’t be surprised.” – Dorothy Parker
“You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they’ve tried everything else.”- Winston Churchill
“I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat” – Will Rogers
Continue reading October 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” →
Located in the beautiful mountains of West Texas, Paisano Baptist Encampment is a 95-year-old family retreat. Paisano was established by pioneering ranch families who began meeting for preaching and dinner on the grounds. Old timers used to camp in tents and eat meals prepared on chuck wagons.
Paisano was established for the purpose of worship and Bible study while enjoying nature, and now they also share their beautiful grounds with other groups. The camp provides a cowboy-type atmosphere in West Texas between Alpine and Marfa.
Continue reading Writers’ Heaven – Spring in the Davis Mountains →
Acclaimed children’s author, Jessica Lee Anderson; New Mexico writing instructor and manuscript doctor, Lucia Zimmitti; Sul Ross State University research archivists, Melleta Bell and Jerri Garza; and newspaper photojournalist and humorist, Blair Pittman, highlight the annual Writing Round-Up of the Texas Mountain Trail Writers near Alpine on April 9, 10, 11, 2010. A weekend of learning and fun with celebrated speakers, western outdoor cooking, a haiku poetry walk, warm days, cool evenings, and readings around a campfire in the inspiring Davis Mountains is planned for guests. The 19th annual spring retreat in the Big Bend area has many repeat writers returning for the writing tips, publishing secrets, gorgeous scenery of Paisano Encampment, hiking, recharging of batteries, and congenial camaraderie.
Continue reading Spring Writers Retreat | Our Speakers →
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2012 Annual Writers Spring Retreat April 27, 28, 29, 2012
Mountain Trail Lodge & Outdoor Learning Center, Fort Davis, Texas
NEW! Check out our Retreat Speakers!
Keep your eyes peeled here for more information and details!
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