Writers’ Event in Springfield

The Writer’s Hall of Fame in Springfield, Missouri has an event coming up.  The information below is taken from their brochure.

AWAKENING THE WRITER WITHIN! is a workshop scheduled for Saturday, October 13, 2012.  Sessions include:

“What You Need to Know to Get Started: The Simple Nuts and Bolts of Writing”
Leader : Todd Parnell

“Writing What You Know and Love”
Leader: Kaye Calkins

“Ways to Earn a Living As a Writer”
Leader: Sarah Eaker

“Are You a Children’s Writer? Here’s How to Find Out”
Leader: David Harrison

“Who Are You? Where Did You Come From? Genealogy”
Leader: Patti Hobbs

“What Do You Want Your Family to Remember? Capturing Your Wonderful Stories”
Leader: Wayne Groner

“Writing by Ear: Words that Sound Just Right”
Leader: Shellie Foltz

“Sounding Off—and Other Letters to the Editor”
Leader: George Freeman

“Self Publishing, Trade Publishing, e-Publishing, Agents: What Does It All Mean?”
Leaders: David Harrison, Maryann Wakefield, and Resa Willis

“Is Betty White Right? Learn About Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, and Why”
Leader: Jonathan Groves

And here are the bios for the various section leaders:

Kaye Calkins is an Ozarks-based writer whose first manuscript, “Deverell’s Dilemma,” was published by Avalon in 2012. She is a member of the Ozarks Romance Writers. When she’s not writing or reading, she fills her life with family, listening to music, movies, church and quilting.

Shellie Foltz, an author and playwright doubling as a high school librarian, has authored two novels , No Penalty for Love and Love Under a Dark Sky, both published by Avalon Books, and two full-length plays, Welcome to Joe’s and Related Spaces, both produced and the scripts subsequently published by Stained Glass Theatre. Shellie volunteers on Missouri’s Gateway Reader Award committee as a reader-selector.

George Freeman is editor and partner of GREENE Magazine, published six times a year and online at GREENEMagazine.us. He is a veteran writer and editor who previously served as president and general manager of Ozarks Public Television, as editorial page editor of the Springfield News-Leader, editor of The Marietta (Ohio) Times, and The Coffeyville (Kansas) Journal. He is a past-president of the Southwest Missouri chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Wayne Groner, author and personal historian, is vice president of Springfield Writers’ Guild. He teaches a free monthly class, “Your Memories, Your Book: Writing Your Life Story,” at the Library Center in Springfield. He has written or edited three books, including Dumb Luck or Divine Guidance. Wayne is a member of the Greene County Historical Society and the Christian County Historical Society. He blogs at http://www.waynegroner.blogspot.com.

Jonathan Groves, assistant professor of communication at Drury University, teaches a variety of courses related to writing, media, and organizational change. He worked for 14 years as a professional journalist at various newspapers as a reporter and editor before beginning a college teaching career in 2005. In 2009, he helped design and develop the Drury’s Social Media Certificate program.

David Harrison says, “As a boy in Missouri, I was outdoors much of the time crawling through caves, catching snakes, the usual stuff. I could pitch baseball and play trombone, but not at the same time.” In college, an English professor urged David to take up writing. After graduate school, he did. Eighty books later, he’s still at it and still loving it. Something else he loves to do is share his passion for writing with others. http://www.davidlharrison.com

Patti Hobbs works as reference associate in the Local History and Genealogy department at the Springfield-Greene County Library. She has attended several genealogical institutes with instruction in advanced family history research, using government documents and law libraries, accessing National Archives material, and writing for publication. She enjoys not only learning about her ancestors and understanding the historical context in which they lived, but also helping others who want to discover their own family histories.

Sara Eaker began an acting and writing career in New York and Los Angeles before working several years teaching English, creative writing, drama and sex education to inner city high school students in South Central, Los Angeles. She is a freelance writer for magazine and online publications including 417 Magazine and several grant writing efforts. She has written two as-yet-unpublished books. But, Sara looks to Edith Wharton’s perspective: “You have to paper your walls in rejection letters first.” Sara would also modestly add that she still has some rooms yet to cover.

Todd Parnell is the author of three books, his most recent being The Buffalo, Ben and Me, which chronicles his trip down Arkansas’s Buffalo River with his son in 1995. A former banker, he now serves as president of Drury University.
Maryann Wakefield is a former teacher and principal in the public schools and for 10 years has struggled to bring her first novel to life. Recently, she landed an agent.

Resa Willis teaches English at Drury. Her books include Mark and Livy: The Love Story of Mark Twain and the Woman Who Almost Tamed Him and FDR and Lucy: Lovers and Friends.

To get this information and more in a brochure, click here.

–SueBE