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January 22nd 2006

We had a great meeting today at Beagle Books. The February meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 19 from 1:30 to 4 pm at Beagle Books in Park Rapids.

Present today: John, Jerry, LuAnne, Ron, Roy, Cynthia, Sharon, Sandi.

Ted has been ill and not able to attend meetings. We all wish him the best.

TALKING STICK 15:

Jerry, Cindie, and Sharon have a business/board meeting planned in early February to start serious discussion about TS15. We shouldn’t need to get going quite as early as we did last year. We hope to have the same prize money as last year.

TALKING STICK 14:

TS14 is still selling well. Probably about 150 books left.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

1. Writers’ Conference again this year in Bemidji, June 18-23.

2. Visiting Writers Series at Minnesota St University of Moorhead: Stephen Healey, Ted Kooser, Susan Hauser. For more info go to: www.mnstate.edu/finearts or contact Mark Vinz at 477-4678.

3. Arrowhead Community Theater in Hibbing will be putting on the play Love Letters on Feb 10, 11, 12 and 14. For more information, contact Cynthia Booth at Ray’s Comics and Games in Hibbing or email arrowheadcommunitytheatre@hotmail.com.

4. 30×30 will be held in Grand Rapids. This is 30 pieces of art and 30 writers are invited to each write about one piece. Jerry, Roy, Cindie, and John are all involved this year. For more info, contact Jerry Mevissen at riverman@wcta.net. Jerry would like to do 20×20 locally someday.

NEW WRITERS’ GROUP:

There is a new writers’ group in Walker. No name yet. They are meeting every other Wednesday at Walker Library at 11 am beginning Jan 18 AND every other Thursday at 5:15 at Little Apple Book Store in Walker starting Jan. 26. We will pass on more info when we receive it. Contact Sandy Pauly, the owner of the Little Apple Book Store.

PLACES TO SUBMIT:

John brought in several copies of a magazine called The Sun. No advertising. Looks like a good place to submit. For more info, go to www.thesunmagazine.org.

WRITING EXERCISES:

1. Write down your dreams. Sometimes they are like a vision or they give you a message. You can get great story ideas from them.

2. Set out a few assorted items on the floor. Choose one item and write about it for 5 minutes. Great way to come up with a story line. Or, add this info to a story you are already working on.

3. Slow down your writing. Change speeds in your story. Choose one detail to really write about thoroughly, like your character shaving, etc. Take some common ordinary detail and really describe it. This changes the pace of your writing.

Most of our writers brought things to read today and were enjoyed by all!