September Minutes

Members, please review the September minutes for approval during the October meeting.

Northern Virginia Writers Club

September 2023 Meeting Minutes

9/16/2023 1:00 PM

1. 1. 1. Call to order – Club Pres. Michelle McBeth.
      2. Roll call.
         1. Names and types of writing (length and genre):
            1. Michelle McBeth (Science Fiction), Darius Jones (Horror, Poetry, Hist Fiction), Traci Carter (Historical Romance), Casey White, Lori Eaton (Hist. Fiction, Mystery), Sharon Widmayer, John Wren (Thrillers, Mystery, Sci-Fi) and partner Lois Wren, Isabelle Missud, Eileen Slovak, Roger Hammons (Fantasy), Carolyn Klein, Mary Jo Levesque, Kerri Stoeck (Thrillers and Sci-Fi), Anita Nahal (Poetry), Bob Scates (Sci-Fi), Emily Goodin (Historical Fiction), Kevin Connor (new writer), Chris Albanese (Thriller, Crime).
            2. Guest: Tara Campbell. (Speculative Fiction, Flash fiction). 
         2. Triumphs and failures
            1. John Wren published a new story. Congratulations!   
            2. Darius appeared on Sonitotum Podcast, Episode 093. 
      3. Approval of minutes from last meeting
         1. August meeting minutes link sent in newsletter.
            1. Approved via voice vote.
      4. Officer’s Reports
         1. President – McBeth
            1. 1. Upcoming meetings
                  1. October 21 Meeting. Special Guest: Robin Sullivan
                     1. “How to Monetize Novel Writing in 2023 and Beyond.”
                     2. Location: TBD.
                        1. Will be a library location since we need bigger space.
                        2. Check club newsletter for details. 
                        3. If you have digital projector, please let Michelle know! 
                  2. Nov. meeting: Join fellow writers for a NaNoWriMo “Write-In.”
                     1. Join the Write-in! Bring something to write—whether you’re formally participating in this year’s NaNoWriMo or not. 
                     2. Club VP Jason Maddux will publish his book “live” at our meeting. 
                  3. December Meeting: Holiday Social.
                     1. Location: TBD
                     2. Entirely social! Come meet your fellow writers. There is no set agenda. 
                        1. May be a Potluck—details to come. 
                  4. Executive Board Meeting 
                     1. Will be held after our regular October meeting.
                     2. Email President McBeth with any topics you would like the Board to discuss.  
               2. Vice President/Membership Chair (J Maddux) – Absent. Pres. McBeth filling in.
                  1. Art on the Avenue 
                     1. Oct. 7 in Del Ray in Alexandria, VA (near Braddock Road Metro Station). 
                     2. We got a corner booth this year!
                     3. Still need volunteers. 
                        1. Email Club VP Jason Maddux: vp@northernvirginiawriters.org to volunteer.
                  2. Treasurer – AJ George. Absent. Pres. McBeth filling in. 
                     1. Approximately $5,700 in assets, YTD.
                  3. Secretary – Darius Jones. 
                     1. No report. 
      5. Old Business
         1. Upcoming writing resources/contests.
            1. Winery event hosted by Lois Wren.  
               1. October 1 at Cana Winery. 
               2. See Lois for more details.  
            2. Eat Local Read Local. 
               1. Oct. 14 
               2. Please email president if you’re participating so we can boost on our website/Social channels. 
            3. Check out club’s online calendar for more local events 
               1. Also, please send us ideas or post them to our Facebook group.
            4. Washington Writers’ Publishing House is open for submissions. 
               1. Accepts poetry, prose, and creative nonfiction. 
               2. Looking for books and poetry collections from new writers. 
      6. New Business
         1. Eaton: Our club submitted fiction and poetry to the state level competition. The Virginia State Writers Club will announce statewide winners in November. Below are the local winners for our NVWC. Congrats to all! 
            1. Golden Nib fiction winners: 
               1. 1st place – Desperation by Michelle McBeth.
               2. 2nd place – Postcards to My Father by Bianca Menendez.
               3. 3rd place – The Color of Despair by Jason Maddux.
            2. Golden Nib poetry winners: 
               1. 1st place – “10 Years” by Truest Carter.
               2. 2nd place – “A Sense of Winter” from A Poet’s Guide to the Universe of Love by Raoul Wientzen.
               3. 3rd place – “October” from A Year Beside the Banks of Broad Run by Philip Stephens.
         2. New Members: Please send your Bio, headshot, and social media links to be included on our website.
         3. Business from the floor. 
            1. None. 
      7. Guest Speaker: Tara Campbell
         1. Topic: A Little Weird Can Go A Long Way
         2. Tara recommends: 
            1. https://www.nga.gov/calendar/workshops/virtual-studio.html
            2. Amber Sparks on Fairy Tales and Horror stories’ similarity: https://mastersreview.com/a-horror-tale-is-a-fairy-tale-turned-inside-out-by-amber-sparks/
         3. Activity. 
            1. We read some sample stories…
               1. “Head in the Clouds” by Casey Reiland: https://trampset.org/head-in-the-clouds-ee819ceeb536
               2. “A Horror Tale is a Fairy Tale Turned Inside Out” by Amber Sparks: https://mastersreview.com/a-horror-tale-is-a-fairy-tale-turned-inside-out-by-amber-sparks/
               3. “Harvest” by Rebecca Roanhorse: https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/harvest/
               4. “Spencer” by Tara Campbell: https://speculativecity.com/fiction/spencer/
               5. “In the City of Flying Trumpets” by Tara Campbell: https://longleafreview.com/tara-campbell/
            2. Then wrote and workshopped our own pieces.
      8. Adjournment