Writers Meet-Up

photo credit

On Saturday morning I attended a breakfast meeting with the Writers' Community of Durham Region . This is a local organization that welcomes anyone with a passion for words, whether they're a writer of fiction or non-fiction, a poet, playwright, screenwriter, songwriter, editor etc. The group "includes a full range of published and yet-to-be-published members of all ages, from mature teens to seniors". They also welcome new members, including those who are just beginning to explore an interest in writing.

I arrived at 8:30am and picked an empty spot at a table next to a lovely woman named Celine. I was soon joined by seven others and we all made our introductions. It didn't strike me until later that I was the only male at the table but it didn't matter, we all had lots to talk about. Breakfast began with an amazing cream of mushroom soup (I never would have thought of having it with breakfast, but if you like it as much as I do I suggest giving it a try sometime.) My choice was Canadian bacon and eggs on a bun with a light side salad, accompanied by tea. Nothing terribly fancy but it hit the spot.

About fifteen minutes before the guest speaker came on we took a break which gave me an opportunity to do some networking. As it turned out Christine, the woman sitting on the other side of me, was a member who conducts workshops aimed at helping writers hone their skills. She was able to refer me to others who specialize in poetry and also pointed out people who have experience in publishing.

The guest speaker came on at 10:00am.

                                                             photo credit and blog link


Vikki van Sickle is an award-winning children's author, reviewer, playwright and director, amongst other things. She gave an hour-long presentation covering how she got started in the business of bookselling, what to expect and tips on how to increase the chance of success. She made it entertaining and I quite enjoyed it.

I'll probably attend another meeting before I decide whether to commit to becoming a member, but I got a really good feeling from the group. Next month there's a one-day workshop being held specifically covering all aspects of publishing, which I just may attend.

This morning I received an e-mail asking if I'd like to read some of my work tomorrow night at a poetry meet. As luck would have it, it's at our favourite bistro in town. Sandy and I will have a nice Valentine's dinner at home then head over. I'm looking forward to it, I'll let you know how it goes!