events

Today's publishing market is tighter--and crazier--than ever. With celebrity books taking over publishing budgets, boundary lines being crossed between literary genres, and some genres shrinking out of sight, what's a writer to do? Being open-minded and versatile is the best game plan, and St. Louis author Susan McBride will discuss how she's kept her literary muscles flexible in order to adapt to these tricky times. Susan is the author of five Debutante Dropout Mysteries from HarperCollins/Avon, two darker small press mysteries, and the forthcoming young adult series, THE DEBS, from Random House/Delacorte. Susan will share her tricks for working with very different editors, keeping your eyes open for opportunities, and always thinking outside the box!

September 27 - JANE HENDERSON, book editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, topic to be announced.

October 25 - SATURDAY WRITERS PRESENTS "TURN THE PAGE" WORKSHOP from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Peters City Hall, Room A, One St. Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO.

Finished your novel or almost have it finished? Have new ideas for a smashing article? Well, turn the page and join us for an all-day workshop featuring Krista Goering, literary agent from The Krista Goering Literary Agency LLC; Susan Swartwout, professor, director of the University Press and editor of Big Muddy; Rebecca French Smith, Managing Editor Missouri, Life, and Anna Genoese, Consulting Editor for Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

Since the year 2000, ANNA GENOESE has worked for Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, in some capacity or another. Currently, she is a consulting editor, which means that she acquires and edits books project by project. Prior to becoming a consulting editor, Anna conceived and executed Tom Doherty Associates’ first dedicated romance imprint, Tor Romance. For the first two years of its existence, Tor Romance focused exclusively on the genre of paranormal romance. It became a great success, and currently has some of the most successful paranormal romance books on its list. Anna likes character-driven action, lots of sexual tension, and alpha heroes. And, of course, a heroine who can stand up to an alpha hero. If there are ninjas, witches, spies, or Navy SEALs involved, so much the better. Outside of the romance genre, she likes stories. Good stories. About characters who have at least two-and-one-half dimensions.

ANNA GENOESE (Photo courtesy of Anna Genoese)

KRISTA GOERING, attorney-at-law and literary agent, moved from New York to America's heartland when she married a Kansas City area businessman.

"I've never considered living in the Midwest a disadvantage," says Goering. "Everyone communicates by email, phone and fax, anyway. When I have business in New York, I'm happy to make the trip."

Earlier in her career Goering studied creative writing at Tufts, German in Vienna, and Danish in Copenhagen. She graduated from the Copenhagen Business School and worked in Europe as a Danish/English translator. She received her juris doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law. Since the 1980s Goering has lived in the U.S., working as a freelance writer, publishing a regional magazine, acting as Editor-in-Chief of a law journal, and practicing law.

KRISTA GOERING (Photo courtesy of Krista Goering)

SUSAN SWARTWOUT, Professor in English, teaches creative writing and publishing at Southeast Missouri State University and is the Director/Publisher of Southeast Missouri State University Press which produces books and Big Muddy: Journal of the Mississippi River Valley, an interdisciplinary magazine. Her two collections of poetry are entitled Freaks and Uncommon Ground and she co-edited Real Things: Anthology of Popular Culture in American Poetry, Hurricane Blues: Poems about Katrina and Rita, and A Student’s Guide to Getting Published. Her poems and short stories are published in literary journals such as Nebraska Review, The Laurel Review, River Styx, Negative Capability, Mississippi Review, and Spoon River Poetry Review, among others. She is a recipient of the Rona Jaffe Writers’ Foundation Award, the Dillinger Good Award, and a St. Louis Poetry Center Hanks Award.

WORKSHOP FEES

Early Bird Registration ends October 1^st Members: $50.00; Non-Members $60.00

After October 1st: Members: $60.00; Non-Members $70.00

***At Door: Everyone $ 75.00 (NO LUNCH PROVIDED)

***LUNCH AND BEVERAGE PROVIDED FOR ADVANCED REGISTRANTS ONLY

WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS

The workshop will include PUBLISHING 101 BY KRISTA:

* The book publishing industry in general and how it is changing

* How agents work

* What information is important in a query letter

* What not to do when querying an agent

* How to write a great nonfiction book proposal

* When it makes sense to self-publish

* How to promote/publicize your book

* EDITOR IDOL:Bring your first paragraph, manuscript formatted, of fiction or non-fiction work or 10 lines of poetry. Editors will read out loud, preserving your privacy, then comment on what they liked or didn't like, what hooked or didn't hook them. You can bring more than once piece (on a separate sheet of paper), but we’ll only take seconds if time permits.

* 5-MINUTE PITCH APPOINTMENTS WITH KRISTA, SUSAN OR REBECCA: Sign up to pitch when you register. Appointment will be assigned and given the day of the workshop. (Attendees only)

* ADVANCE WRITTEN CRITIQUES: Krista will do a limited number of written critiques for attendees for $25.00.

* FICTION: First 10 manuscript pages OR query letter and synopsis.

* NON-FICTION: Proposal (5 pages max) OR first 10 pages of manuscript.

E-mail to president@saturdaywriters.org with the documents in the body of email, or mail hard copy with registration. Attachments will be deleted.

Payment must follow with registration. No manuscripts will be sent to Krista until payment is received. No manuscripts accepted after October 1^st

Questions: Call 636.828.5401 or e-mail president@saturdaywriters.org

Highlight, copy/paste, print off and complete the following registration form or e-mail Tricia Sanders president@saturdaywriters.org and she will e-mail a form and conference flyer to you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Saturday Writers – "Turn the Page" Workshop

REGISTRATION FORM

Name:_________________________________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________________

Home Phone:__________________________E-mail:___________________

REGISTRATION FEE: Seating is limited. Register early.

Early Bird (received by October 1, 2008): ___ Member $50 ___ Non-Member $60

After October 1, 2008:___ Member $60 ___ Non-Member $70

At the Door: ___ Everyone $75

(Sorry, lunch will not be provided for those who register the day of the workshop.)

Boxed Lunch (choose one):____Turkey Sandwich _____Ham Sandwich _____Veggie Sandwich

Complete and send check or money order payable to Saturday Writers at:

Tricia Sanders                                                Registration Fee _____
90 Westwood Trails                                            Advance Critique _____
Foristell, MO 63348                                            Total _____________
Pitch Sessions: Sign up for a pitch session (if you want to pitch to Krista Rebecca and Susan, select your order of preference):

____ Krista Goering, Literary Agent (for fiction or non-fiction book length projects)

____Rebecca French Smith, Managing Editor, Missouri Life (non-fiction articles)

____ Susan Swartwout, Director University Press (book length projects) and Editor of Big Muddy (fiction)

Pitch sessions assigned first-come first-serve. Registration must be paid in full to receive appointment. Limited number of pitches available. Attendance does not guarantee a pitch session. Registering early will improve your chances.

Advance Written Critique by Krista Goering, Literary Agent - $25.00

Krista will provide a limited number of advance critiques.

FICTION: A query letter and synopsis OR first 10 pages of manuscript (must be manuscript formatted.)

NON-FICTION: A proposal OR first 10 pages of manuscript (must be manuscript formatted.)

INSTRUCTIONS: E-mail to president@saturdaywriters.org or mail hard copy with registration. Put documents in body of email, NOT as an attachment. Attachments will be deleted. Payment must follow with registration. No manuscripts will be sent to Krista until payment is received. No manuscripts accepted after October 1st.

Registration does not guarantee critique. Registering early will improve your chances. If Krista cannot get to all the critiques, critique fee will be returned to those she is unable to critique. Critiqued manuscripts will be returned to the author the day of the workshop. Please note, these are written critiques, not a face-to-face critique session with Krista.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations before October 1^st,--registration fee will be refunded minus a $10.00 handling fee. No refunds after October 1. If you can find someone to purchase your spot, we will gladly allow you to transfer —but you must notify us in advance of the event with the name of the person who will be taking your place.

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November - Thanksgiving weekend. No meeting.

December - Saturday Writers Annual Celebration of Writing for All Ages, featuring children's author JODY FELDMAN.

Photo courtesy of Jody Feldman)

Jody Feldman holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri which has led her to write a television special, a travel book, speeches, all means of advertising, and now - more fulfilling than that giant fortune cookie message she was assigned to create - The Gollywhopper Games (HarperCollins/Greenwillow, 2008), her first children's novel.

Targeted to 10-14 year olds, The Gollywhopper Games leads readers through the challenges, puzzles and stunts of a nationally televised, once-in-a-lifetime competition along with the contestant who wants to win it for more than the prize at the end. The Gollywhopper Games has been named a Booksense Spring 2008 Pick, a Midwest Booksellers Association Connections Pick and is an ALA/YALSA BBYA (Best Books for Young Adults) nominee.

Jody lives in St. Louis, Missouri, where she's not supposed to be playing video or computer games until she finishes her next novel. For more info, check her website at www.jodyfeldman.com; and the book's website at www.gollywhoppergames.com. (Click the Contests link and see if you qualify to win a Nintendo DS Lite!)

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We thank the following speakers who visited us in 2008. Please let them know how much you appreciate their support of Saturday Writers.

January 26 - LAURA BRADFORD: "Tricks of the Promotion Trade."

In "Tricks of the Promotion Trade" Laura will discuss the changes in the publishing world that make it even more important for writers to learn the ins and outs of promotion. Securing articles in newspapers, taking advantage of the World Wide Web, catching the eye of local television stations, and increasing one's overall visibility are all vital to an author's success. But, unless you know what you're doing or have the money to hire a publicist, the task of self-promotion can be quite daunting. If you let it be.

(Photo courtesy of Laura Bradford)

LAURA BRADFORD, a local mystery author, will share some tried and true promotion tricks she's learned along the way--both as a promoter and a promotee. Click on her name to visit her web site and learn more about this amazing author.

*****

February 23 - DAN DILLON: "Picking up the Pieces: How to Turn a Failed Project into a Successful Book."

In "Picking up the Pieces," Dan will discuss how he was able to shift gears on a work-in-progress. Dan’s original book topic was Prom Magazine, a local monthly magazine read by St. Louis high school students from the late '40s through the early '70s. Problems forced him to withdraw from the project. He was fortunate enough to be able to salvage much of his research on the "Prom" project and turn it into the second edition of "So, Where'd You Go to High School?"

(Photo courtesy of Dan Dillon)

DAN DILLON has been a writer/producer at KMOV Channel 4 since 1983. He is the recipient of 14 Mid-America Chapter Emmy Awards for writing, directing and editing. Dan is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He is also a proud alum of St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Dan lives in Olivette with his wife Kim, and daughters Kylie and Mackenzie.

March 29 - JULIE EARHART. "First Sentence Expectations."

The first sentence of every written piece is the hook. It is crucial in drawing your reader into your work. A first sentence often determines whether a reader moves to the second sentence. Learn what it takes to make a great sentence.

Bring the first sentence of a story, essay, nonfiction piece, or a poem to the meeting and discover how it affects readers.

Be one of the first to hear an added category suggested by Arthur Poltnick.

(Photo courtesy of Julie Earhart)

April 26 - Poet, editor and translator MICHAEL CASTRO will talk about Collaborations: Translating the Voices in My Head. Castro is a poet, translator, and performance artist. He is the co-founder of the literary organization and magazine, River Styx, in operation in St. Louis since 1975. He has hosted three poetry radio programs, broadcasting poetry programming over twenty years--most recently, Poetry Beat (1989--2003, KDHX-FM St. Louis). He has published ten books of poetry, including Human Rites (2002), and two books of translations (with Hungarian poet, Gabor Gyukics), Swimming in the Ground: Contemporary Hungarian Poets (2001) and A Transparent Lion: Selected Poetry of Attila Jozsef (2006). His performance work with music is reflected in two recent CD's: "Kokopilau" with wind player J.D. Parran, and "Endless Root" with multi-instrumentalist Joe Catalano (both 2008). Castro teaches at Lindenwood University, where he founded the MFA in Writing Program.
May 31 - Critique Groups 101. A panel of multi-published, award-winning writers, including Tricia Sanders, Tricia Grissom and Amy Harke-Moore, will share their experiences about belonging to critique groups. Critique group discussion topics include: how to form one, how to find one, tips on giving and receiving critique, tips on running a critique group, online critique groups and online sources about critiquing. SPECIAL NOTE: During the May meeting SW President Tricia Sanders will make a special announcement about a major event scheduled for the week of August 11 and details about the October Workshop. Details about both events will be posted in early June.
June 28 - Works in Progress. "Saturday Writers Cafe" Members read their works in progress at an open mike session. Come read, come listen, just come and enjoy good works. This annual meeting is dedicated to showcasing the talents of our members. It is a special opportunity to listen to our members read from their works in progress.

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2007 Events that have occurred:

We thank Amy Harke-Moore for her vision, dedication, and leadership during her two years as president.

We welcome 2007 and Amy Willoughby-Burle as our new president.

January 27 - Inspiration 101 Panel, featuring Amy Willoughby-Burle, Amy Harke-Moore, and Margo Dill Balinski.

Do you make a resolution every year to lose weight, work smarter, WRITE MORE? Has another year flown by and you really didn't make a change in your writing career? Here's your best first step to making this year the year you really see a differnce. Inspiration 101: Published & experienced writers here in your midst talk how they made the jump from
"wanting to" and "doing it." You'll get the inspiration you want and the practical tips you need to make this year the year you keep your resolution to write. You'll hear: "Writing Through the Changes in Life.","Light Bulb Moments & How to Change a 40 watt bulb to 300 watt.", "Excuses, Excuses, Excuses & the Medium Method." and "Two Keys to Staying Motivated."

Members of the Inspiration 101 Panel will share their stories on what inspired them take their writing to the next level, the "ah ha" moments in their lives where they realized something important to their writing career, and where they go to get inspiration. Bring your pen and paper and be prepared to be enlightened, entertained, and inspired!

Amy Willoughby-Burle is a tranplanted member of the GRITS society (Girls Raised in the South) now living in Missouri and learning, finally, to love that season called "winter." Her fiction has been published in Potomac Review, Sycamore Review, & Cuivre River Anthology. Her Non-fiction has appeared in Family Digest, Natural Health Magazine and I Love Cats.
Amy Harke-Moore lives and works on her family's dairy farm in eastern Missouri, a great place to collect stories, she says. Hers have appeared in Chicago Quarterly Review, The MacGuffin, Permafrost, Grit, Writers' Journal, Spring Hill Review, and Bellowing Ark. Currently she is working on a suspense novel set in the early 1900s.

Margo L. Dill-Balinski is a freelance writer and editor and a substitute teacher in Champaign, IL. She will discuss Writing Through the Changes in Life. Newlywed Balinski, who recently moved from Columbia, Missouri, to Champaign, llinois, will talk about how major changes in her life have not kept her from writing. In fact, some of these changes have been inspirations for her stories. She has been published in magazines and anthologies such as: Cuivre River, Echoes of the Ozarks, Grit, Pockets, On the Line, ByLine, The Storyteller, Octavo, Living by Faith and God Allows U-Turns Vol. 4. Her first on-line picture book, Operation Color Change, has been accepted by the educational company, Reading A-Z. She has upcoming articles in Highlights for Children and Fun for Kidz. Margo is also member of the SCBWI, Ozarks Writers League, and the 1st VP of the Missouri Writers' Guild.

February 24 - Bob McEowen, Photographer and Managing Editor of Rural Missouri Magazine, will talk about "The Ins and Outs of Freelance Writing." McEowen has been to just about every little place you can image taking photos and writing articles for Rural Missouri. He's now the managing editor and a guy who doesn't just know how to tell other people what to do--he knows how to do it. Click on Bob McEowen's name to see some images he has had published in Rural Missouri Magazine.

March 31 - Flash fiction and short story writer, William J. Donnelly, will talk about "What To Do When the Engine Stalls: Pressing Past Writers Block." Donnelly is a 29-year-old fiction writer from Gainesville, Florida. His work has appeared in "Quick Fiction" and "Jump! Magazine," and he was a finalist in the 2005 "Many Mountains Moving" Flash Fiction Competition. He teaches English literature at the University of Iowa and is currently studying at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

April 20-22 - No Saturday Writers meeting due to MWG conference.

May 26 - Works in Progress for May. "Saturday Writers Cafe" Members read their works in progress at an open
mic session. Come read, come listen, just come and enjoy good works. This annual meeting is dedicated to showcasing the talents of our members. It is a special opportunity to listen to our members read from their works in progress. Contact SW President Amy Willoughby-Burle to sign up. president@saturdaywriters.org

June 30 - Literary Potpourri: College Writing Teachers Answer Questions About Their Craft. This is a special opportunity to get first-hand advice from writing "prose" (and poets, too). Whether you write fiction, non-fiction, or poetry, our panel of award-winning writing teachers (and editors) will inform, educate, and inspire. Be sure and bring a pen and paper--you'll want to take lots of notes!

Literary Potpourri Panel Members:

Dianna Graveman: Dianna's writing has been included in newspapers, literary journals, anthologies, and magazines. She recently received two Missouri Writers' Guild awards and was recognized by the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada for Best Short Story in a Magazine. Dianna will talk about "five common-sense hints for writing and selling short fiction."

Tricia Grissom: Tricia is a Lindenwood University English instructor and freelance writer. Her writing will soon be appearing in Missouri Life, Fiery Foods & BBQ Magazine, and the online parenting magazine Babble.com. She also created and maintains a blog for the Coffee and Critique Writers Group at coffeeandcritique.blogspot.com. Among the topics Tricia will discuss are: researching your writing projects, finding ideas for articles, and creating a writer's blog.

Mary Horner: Mary has worked for several local and national publications as a writer and an editor. She also worked for the City of St. Peters as a communications specialist. She teaches oral communications at St. Charles and St. Louis Community Colleges. She is currently writing a bad novel. Her presentation, "What I wish someone had told me about writing before I started writing," will focus on nonspecific and somewhat warped ideas regarding the non-fiction process.

Teddy Norris: Teddy is an Associate Professor of English at St. Charles Community College, where she teaches Intro to Creative Writing, Intro to Poetry, plus various literature classes. She edits Mid Rivers Review, St Charles Community College's literary journal, and hosts the SCC Coffeehouse. She was recently named a finalist in the Writers Exchange Contest, sponsored by Poets and Writers, Inc. Teddy will discuss poetic forms and scansion as it relates to sound in poetry, etc.

July 28 - "The Business of Writing" As busy writers, our creative sides work overtime pumping out books, short stories, articles, memoirs, and poems. Yet we often overlook the business aspect of writing, which is so critical not only after our works are finished, but even before the creative process is engaged. The business end of writing involves strategies and tactics to make money as writers, tips on how to sell our works once they have been written, and suggestions on how to target markets for our works even before we pick up a pen or sit down at our PCs. Panelists will field questions such as: How do I find a market for my article, poem, short story, etc.? What can I do to get attention for myself and my book by the media? What writing-related expenses can I claim on my taxes? Is there an easy way to keep track of my expenses? What' the best way to contact a bookstore to set up a book signing? A panel of writing-related business specialists, including a marketing whiz and business owner, along with an attorney, who also happens to be a writer, will discuss "The Business of Writing."

*****

July 28 - Right before or right after our meeting, hurry over to Barnes and Noble on Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters to catch Bobbi Smith's Book signing, where Bobbi will be signing copies of her latest novel from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

*****

August 25 -

DICK WEISS is a journalist and writing coach with more than three decades at American newspapers. Weiss will talk about "Telling Stories in a Media World Turned Upside Down and Inside Out." He will share with us storytelling techniques and how they can be adapted to the new media environment. To contact Dick, e-mail him at weiswriter@gmail.com

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Sep 8 -SPECIAL BOOK SIGNING EVENT to help fund Saturday Writers' literacy efforts, which include our annual children's and teen's writing contests.

Jamie Duly, proprietor of Dahlia's Distinctive Designs, 525 S. Main Street in St. Charles (across from the Crow's Nest,) has opened the doors of her lovely shop, which is rumored to be haunted, for a book signing. This special event will be from noon until 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sep 8, and will feature some local contributors to the CUIVRE RIVER ANTHOLOGY.

The following contributors are scheduled to be there with Sharpies ready to sign copies of the anthologies: Louella Jo Turner, Amy Harke-Moore, Dianna Graveman, Tricia Sanders, Joy Wooderson, Doyle Suit, Candace Carrabus Rice, Jerry Swingle, Julia Failla Earhart, Diana Davis, and Donna Volkenannt.

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2007 EVENTS

Sep 29 - SUSAN KIRKPATRICK, editor and publisher of OZARKS MAGAZINE, will talk on "Everybody Fishing in the Same Pond."

SUSAN KIRKPATRICK

(Photo courtesy of Susan Kirkpatrick)

Susan's presentation will cover :

* Query Letters - Do's and Don'ts

* The difference between a magazine/newspaper feature

* How to make your submission sparkle

* Targeting your article to the right publication

* What editors like (and what they hate). Samples of query letters that don't work, plus ones that do!

SUSAN KIRKPATRICK IS A FIFTH GENERATION OZARKER WHO VACATIONED AT THE LAKE OF THE OZARKS ALL HER LIFE. Her mother’s family hails from Dade and Lawrence Counties. Tradition has it that one of her great, great, great grandfathers was a Cherokee Indian who came down the Trail of Tears. Her family has had a place on Mill Creek at the Lake of the Ozarks since she was a child. She is a former reporter for the Springfield News-Leader, where her job was to “stay out of town,” so she traveled the Ozarks and wrote stories to keep the surrounding area in the paper. She and her husband Joel bought the place next door to her family property about 10 years ago, remodeled it and moved in full time three years later.

Susan’s career includes being a reporter in St. Louis and Springfield, and a newspaper column in south Texas. She has authored a book on Route 66. For 20 years she worked as a corporate public relations executive in St. Louis, Europe, and Chicago; most recently as vice president of Sandoz Agro, Inc., a Swiss company. She also owned her own PR and writing firm in Chicago and Houston, where she wrote executive speeches, published corporate magazines, and wrote annual reports. Ever since Susan was a reporter in Springfield, she wanted to own a magazine in the Ozarks. About five years ago she realized she’d better get with it. And the result is Ozarks Magazine.

Born in Berkeley, CA, Susan grew up in Kirkwood, MO. Her education credentials include: graduate of Kirkwood HS (for St. Louisans), BS Purdue University, MA Saint Louis University, and Certificate, Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business

Susan is married to Joel L. Kirkpatrick, Ph. D. Susan and Joel have three children: Brendan Kelly, Kaylee Kirkpatrick, and Bradley Kirkpatrick. No grandchildren, two dogs & one cat. Her favorite pastimes: Italian cooking, travel, investigating the Ozarks.

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Oct 27 - Saturday Writers' Annual Workshop. This year's workshop features Gail Galloway Adams.

WALK-IN REGISTRATIONS ARE WELCOME!!!

Galloway Adams is an Associate Professor at West Virginia University, and author of the Purchase of Order, winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction. Spend the day at the St. Peter’s Community and Arts Center with Gail Galloway Adams. An exciting combination of lecture and “pen to paper” on-site writing that will send you home with knowledge inspiration, and the beginning of your next masterpiece. Lunch provided. This is one event you won't want to miss!!!

Here's an what Julianna E. Thibodeaux had to say about Gail in a conversation published in The Kenyon Review.

"Writer Gail Galloway Adams has a distinctive voice. Reflective of a reverence for hard-edged beauty and poignant humor, Adams deftly unearths hope even in the face of loss. One could say this beauty is another way of getting at truth, her characters “real” people whose lives are anything but indifferent, frequently characterized by some subtle revelation."

December 8 - "Get Real: Using Life Experiences to Craft Fiction Stories for Readers of All Ages," presentation by BARRI BUMGARNER. Workshops by Barri, MARGO DILL BALINSKI, and Saturday Writers board members Patricia Sanders, Amy Harke-Moore, Tricia Grissom, and Donna Volkenannt.

Third and Fourth Grade Workshop Leader:

Margo L. Dill-Balinski is the children's events coordinator for Saturday Writers. She is a freelance writer and editor and a substitute teacher in Champaign, IL. She has been published in magazines and anthologies such as: Cuivre River, Echoes of the Ozarks, Grit, Pockets, On the Line, ByLine, The Storyteller, Octavo, Living by Faith and God Allows U-Turns Vol. 4. Her first on-line picture book, Operation Color Change, has been accepted by the educational company, Reading A-Z. She has upcoming articles in Highlights for Children and Fun for Kidz. Margo is also member of the SCBWI, Ozarks Writers League, and the President of the Missouri Writers' Guild. Her middle-grade novel, Finding My Place, is due out in 2008 by White Mane Kids.

Flash-Fiction Workshop Leaders:

Four Saturday Writers board members will discuss these elements of writing short-short fiction: Generating Ideas, Characterization, Theme, and Plot.

Newsletter Editor Amy Harke-Moore lives and works on her family's dairy farm in eastern Missouri. A great place to collect stories, she says. Hers have appeared in the Chicago Quarterly Review, The MacGuffin, Permafrost, Grit, Echoes of the Ozarks, Writers' Journal, Spring Hill Review, Bellowing Ark, and forthcoming in The Writer magazine. Currently she is working on a suspense novel set in the early 1900s. Visit her website at www.thewritehelper.com. Amy will talk about "Generating Ideas" for fiction.

President Patricia Sanders is a former instructional designer and corporate trainer who has been writing since she received her first chubby pencil and Big Chief tablet. Her first short story Christmas in July was published when she was in fourth grade. She is the 2008 President of Saturday Writers and lives with her family in Foristell, Missouri. Her essays have won numerous awards and have appeared in ByLine, Sasee, The Cuivre River Anthology II and III, Magnolia Quarterly, Great American Outhouse Stories; The Whole Truth and Nothing Butt and the 2007 Seven Hills Review. She is currently working on a novel-length murder mystery set in St. Charles, Missouri. Patricia will cover "Characterization" in short stories.

Website Editor Donna Volkenannt lives in St. Peters, Missouri, with her husband and grandchildren, who give her great joy. Since retiring as a management analyst with the Department of Defense, she has devoted herself to raising her grandchildren--and writing in her spare time. Her words have been published in: A Cup of Comfort for Women, A Cup of Comfort for Christmas, Mysteries of the Ozarks, Echoes of the Ozarks, Cuivre River Anthology, Writing on Walls, Mid Rivers Review, Sauce, ByLine, Storyteller, Ozarks Mountaineer, and other publications. She currently reviews books for Bookreporter, Kidsreads, and Teenreads.com, while very slowly working on a middle-grade mystery set in St. Charles. Her writing has received numerous awards, including honorable mention in the national Steinbeck short story competition. She is a founding member of Saturday Writers, co-founder of the Coffee and Critique Writers’ Group, and a past president of the Missouri Writers’ Guild. Donna will tackle "Theme" as it relates to short fiction.

Publicity Chair Tricia Grissom has published articles in various food and lifestyle magazines. Her essays have been read on NPR's St. Louis on the Air and published in the parenting ezine Babble.com. She teaches English at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO, and manages the Coffee and Critique Writers' Group blog coffeeandcritique.blogspot.com. Tricia's workshop presentation will be on "Plot."

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Sheila Wood Foard