Join our Email List

The above email list will get you directly in touch with us and you will receive all of our email updates on writing events, workshops and publishing opportunities in the state, and sometimes outside the state! Or, you can CLICK HERE to go and like our facebook page to stay in touch.

For many years, we supported ourselves with donations, book sales, and a few grants. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to fund our books. Without your support and donations, there would be no Jackpine Writers’ Bloc and no Talking Stick books. Remember, your tax donation is tax deductible. We are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.

HOME CONTACT ABOUT ARCHIVES MEETING MINUTES

Submit to the Talking Stick Our Services Writers' Tips Events News

May Meeting Minutes 2015

Hi Everyone. Our next meeting will be held on Sunday, June 21, 2015, at Bella Caffe in Park Rapids MN from 12:30 to 3 PM.

PRESENT: Ryan, Jan, Sharon, Deb, Elisa, Jerry, Marlys, Mary, Lina

TALKING STICK 24 PROGRESS: We are busy working on the proofreading. We want to get this done earlier than normal this year since Tarah is so busy finishing her house remodel and her wedding is coming up!

WRITING EVENTS: Jerry attended the Midwest Book Awards event on May 13, 2015. He was a finalist with his Good Shepherd book but did not win. Congrats on being a finalist, Jerry! There were over 300 people at the event and was very enjoyable.

UPCOMING EVENTS: The Loft/Lake Region classes are in progress. Jerry and Elisa are attending one of them with Kate St. Vincent Vogel as instructor and they are enjoying it immensely.

Sinclair Lewis Writers Conference, 10-10-15. www.saukherald.com/writers for more information.

WRITING PROMPTS: This was a good prompt that one of the attendees shared from the Kate St. Vincent Vogel class:

Write down:
3 important events in your life,
3 important people in your life
3 important things in your life,
3 important places in your life,
3 important secrets in your life.
Choose one from each category and write 400 words about those items.

Good tip: Starting your book or story with dialogue is generally not the best way. In some cases, it will work. In most cases, you need to use your opening lines to do these things: give you the narrator’s voice, point of view of the book, and show what conflict will be in the book.

Many of us read items we had written. The rest of us critiqued. Again today, we had spirited conversations and we hated to quit talking and go home! We love it when that happens.

Hope to see you next time!