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January 16th 2010

Hi Everyone,

Today we held our January 16, 2011, Jackpine Writers’ Bloc meeting. Our next meeting will be on Sunday, February 20, 2011, from 12:30 to 3PM at Bella Caffe in Park Rapids MN.

PRESENT:

Joyce, Carol, Scott, Mike, Sharon, LuAnne, Jerry, Sandi.

GRANTS:

We are gathering information on grants with Region 2, Minnesota Power, and Itasca Mantrap. We will need funds to help us with this year’s book and with the 20×20 project. Tarah is working on one for herself for an individual grant for her novel.

GREETING CARDS:

At the last meeting, we discussed greeting cards, bumper stickers. Sharon did buy a book from Amazon about it. There is a Greetings magazine that would be helpful. Also, the Writers Digest, published annually, has a section on greeting cards.

OTHER WRITING EVENTS:

Scott will be contacting KAXE to get further information on readings for the radio show realgoodwords.

The Wadena Arts event that was scheduled for the summer of 2010 (but was cancelled due to the tornado) will hopefully take place in 2011.

WORKSHOPS:

Jerry will be having another writers’ retreat at his home this summer in late June. Marge Barrett will be the instructor again. We will be working on this soon.

LuAnne is interested in having a travel writer come up to do a workshop with us and a talk with her Lifelong Learners group. We will be checking into this.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Scott showed us his new Kindle. It is amazing how it can store a whole library of books on it, plus your own writing. You can transfer things back and forth from your computer, print things, make changes, etc.

Jerry mentioned the movie Rashomon (In the Woods). It is a Japanese movie that shows the same story from different character’s perspectives. That would be a great way to write a novel.

Jerry mentioned a great magazine, the Tin House. It comes out quarterly. The recent edition had a story by Charles Baxter. He also recommended Poets & Writers magazine.

Mike is taking an Internet class through Normandale College. Check this out. He has found some good courses.

Check out the Minnesota Magazine Mingle on Thursday, January 27, 2011, held at the Loft. Editors and free lance writers can get together here. www.mmpa.net/events/magazine_mingle10.html for more information.

WRITING NOTES:

Tips on writing–in a story, your character needs to make a change.

PLACES TO SUBMIT:

Talking Stick 20 is accepting submissions. Check out our websites (listed below) for guidelines and also for electronic submissions. March 1, 2011 deadline.

The Lake Region Review is accepting prose and poetry submissions. Go to this website page for submission guidelines. March 31, 2011 deadline.

We had an excellent meeting, lots of good reading and lots of laughs. Hope to see you next time!

Sharon and Tarah