Q - Do I
have to belong to the Missouri Writers' Guild to join Saturday Writers?
A - No.
While we are a chapter of the MWG, we are a separate organization, and we
have no publication requirements to become a member.
Q -
Do I have to become a member to attend a Saturday Writers meeting?
A -
No. Our meetings are open to anyone over the age of 18 (or age 15, with
parental consent). Effective
January 2005, for most meetings,
non-members are charged a $5 event fee. For workshops or special events
there will be a higher fee. These special events will be advertised in
advance.
Q - What can you
tell me about the content of your meetings?
A -
Our meetings are geared for writers who want to network with other
writers and find markets for their work. We welcome both published
and yet-to-be published writers to our meetings.
Q -
Do I have to have a lot of writing experience to join?
A -
Absolutely not. We are open to all levels of writers.
Q -
What kind of things do your members write?
A -
Our members are a diverse group of writers. Some write articles for
newspapers and magazines; others write novels and non-fiction books; some write
screenplays; still others write short stories, essays, and poetry. Some of our
members have been published many times; others are just starting out in their writing
career.
Q -
Do I have to register ahead of time or can I just show up at a meeting?
A -
For most meetings, just show up. Events that require pre-registration are
advertised in advance. For those events, you will be given instructions on how to
register.
Q -
How do I join Saturday Writers?
A -
You can join one of two ways:
1. At our monthly meeting, pay $20 in membership dues.
Joy Wooderson, our membership chair, will ask you to complete a membership
application.
2. Before a meeting, you can download a
membership application
Complete the application and mail or bring it with you to the
meeting. Mail application and a
check for $20 to:
Joy Wooderson, Membership Coordinator,
2140 Farnsworth Dr. O'Fallon, 63366.
Q -
In addition to attending meetings, what other benefits will I receive as a member?
A -
You will receive a copy of our quarterly newsletter, which contains information about our
members, places to market their work, and other items of interest. Members also
receive a reduced rate for special events, the
opportunity to include your bio on our web site, and e-mails announcing contests and other
writing-related events. The greatest benefit, however, is the opportunity to meet
with other writers and to learn from and be encouraged by one another.
Q -
When do you hold your meetings?
A - Except
for holidays or when advertised in advance, our meetings are always held the last
Saturday of each month.
Q -
What time and where do you meet?
A -
Generally, our meetings start at 11 am and are over by 1 pm. The first
20 minutes are for registration and networking. Coffee and snacks are
available during the meeting. The remaining time is for our speaker's
presentation, followed by questions and answers.
Our meeting
location is the St. Peters Community and Arts Center.
www.stpetersmo.net. Meetings at which
we anticipate a large turn out will be held at a larger facility. When this occurs,
the meeting location will be announced in advance. Some special events may also have
a different meeting time as well as location. These meeting times will also be
advertised in advance on the Events and News pages of this web site.
Q -
Where is the St. Peters Community and Arts Center located?
A: 1035 St.
Peters Howell Road (just off of Mid Rivers Mall Drive), St. Peters, MO.
Phone 636-397-6903 for directions
Q -
May children under 15 attend meetings with their parents?
A -
Seating is limited in the CAC and we want to use the space available for the comfort of
our members, so we ask parents not to bring their young children. However, our meeting in
December is dedicated to children writers and children who want to learn more about
writing. Children of any age are not only welcome, but encouraged, to attend our
December meetings.
Q -
I want to join, but I'm only 15, what do I need to do?
A -
When you come to your first meeting, be sure and have one of your parents or
guardians sign a statement that you have their permission to belonging to
Saturday Writers.
Q - Tell me about
your contests.
A - Each year we
sponsor a one-page poetry contest, a short story contest, and two children's
writing contests. The poetry and short story contests are open to all
writers. You do not have to belong to Saturday Writers to enter.
We've had winners from throughout the USA, as well as a couple of
international winners. The children's writing contests are open to
local children living in St. Charles, Lincoln, and Warren counties in
Missouri. The details about all of our contests can be found on the
Contest page.
