2009 Writer Workshop Speakers
December 19
Dr. William VanOsdol
is the author of two WW II non-fiction books, "Famous Americans in WW II" and "Famous Faces of WW II" and two novels set in WW II and Post WW II, "From Whence They Fell - A Paradox of Love and War" and a sequel "The Ultimate Human Evil - ODESSA"- Organization der ehemallgen SS Angehorigen (Organization of former Nazi SS Members)
November 21
WRITING CONTEST AWARDS
October 17
Top five things you can do as a writer
to become published AND paid!
Dan Case
is currently serving as president of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.
Since 1997, the beginning of AWOC.COM Publishing and Writing for DOLLARS!, Dan Case has helped hundreds of writers become published and paid for the first time. Dan created the very first free searchable database of writer's guidelines on the Internet.
Writing for DOLLARS! was the first Internet newsletter for writers that was dedicated to the business side of writing. Starting in 2001 with the publication of The Complete Guide to Writing and Selling Magazine Articles (co-authored by Dan), AWOC.COM Publishing began publishing books. Now, having published over 60 books under 5 imprints,
AWOC.COM Publishing will publish over 20 books in 2009 alone.
Dan will speak about the top five things you can do as a writer to become published AND paid. Laced with success stories of writers that he has coached and/or met throughout his career, Dan will reveal the easiest places to get published, how to sell what you write, and write what will sell.
Related websites:
Dan Case
Writing for Dollars
Books
September 19
Road Map to Getting Published
Tell Me a Story
M.J. VanDeventer
focused on the importance of a sense of place in what we write.
VanDeventer is a grduate of Northeaster State University and Oklahoma State University.
She began her career at age ten by owning her own neighborhood newspaper. She worked on her jr and sr high school, college newspapers and yearbooks.
Previous Speaker Appearance
August 15
Choosing the Right Word, Using the Ear
Carol Hamilton
is a former Poet Laureate of Oklahoma and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize five times. Her thirteenth book, a new poetry chapbook, CONTRAPUNTAL is from Finishing Line Press in 2009.
She has won a Southwest Book Award, an Oklahoma Book Award, Chiron Review Chapbook Award, David Ray Poetry Prize, the Byline Literary Awards for both short story and poetry, and the Warren Keith Poetry Prize.
Some recent publications are in Comstock Review, Atlanta Review, Nimrod, New York Quarterly, World Literature Today, Karamu, Blue Unicorn, Sow's Ear Poetry Review, The Aurorean, California Quarterly, Xavier Review, Southwestern American Literature, Abbey, Sojourners, Distillery, Phoebe, Cider Press Review, Lyric, Baltimore Review, Pinyon, Chariton Review, and others.
Ms. Hamilton is a popular speaker at writing conferences. She has inspired both beginning and experienced poets.
Hamilton is co-chair and co-founder with George Wallace of New York City, of the Woodyfest Readers who perform each year at the Woody Guthrie Festival in Okemah, Oklahoma.
July 18
Writing Fiction from Fact
Jim Marion Etter
a product of Oktaha, Oklahoma, began his career writing for newspapers and is now a freelance writer of books and magazine articles. He roams the state for stories of offbeat incidents in out-of-the-way places.
Etter began his career writng for the Muskogee Phoenix and Times-Democrat. He later worked for a weekly newspaper and a television station in Laredo, Texas. He wrote the news and hosted a children's show. He worked at Oklahoman for twenty years as a reporter and roving feature writer.
Etter's most recent book is the second edition of Thunder in the Heartland - Parables from Oklahoma, a collection of fictional short stories based on fact.
His other books include: Ghost Town Tales of Oklahoma - Unforgettable Stories of Nearly Forgotten Places, and The Grains of Time.
He has written for Persimmon Hill, American Cowboy, Western Horseman, True West, Desert Exposure, Route 66, Oklahoma Today and Byline.
Etter said that while growing up in Oktaha, he wasn't a good student, "but I spent a lot of time reading newspapers and that made me want to become a writer."
Previous Speaker Appearance
June 20
“D-D-D-Dialog”
Dr. Terry Phelps
has been a Professor of English and Director of the Learning Enhancement Center at Oklahoma City University since 1983.
Phelps writing career began at age eighteen when he became sports editor for the Durant Daily Democrat in Durant, Oklahoma, while attended school at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He then edited base newspapers in the Air Force for four years before beginning his teaching career at Beaver High School for six years, followed by three years teaching at the University of Oklahoma, and two years at the University of Texas at Arlington.
At OCU he teaches courses in Advanced (creative) Writing, Writing for Stage & Screen, From Script to Screen, Advanced Grammar & Usage, Writing the Novel, Legal Writing, and Advanced Screenwriting.
He has also taught Business & Technical Writing. His publications include magazine and newspaper articles, scholarly articles, poetry, and short stories. He has also written and directed a musical. His current projects include a Broadway-style musical, two screen plays, a grammar book, and four children’s books. He conducts in-service workshops for teachers and the Oklahoma Educators Association, and has presented writing seminars for banks, law firms, and various corporations and other groups.
Each year Dr. Terry Phelps represents the Oklahoma Writing Project in Washington, D.C., for the National Writing Project Spring Meeting, including visits with the Oklahoma delegation in Congress. He has written numerous songs and performs weekly at Kamp's restaurant and Grateful Bean restaurant. He has conducted three workshops for Oklahoma City Writers, Inc.
2007 Speaker Appearance
May 16
Creativity Games for Writers
Romney Nesbitt
Romney will lead us in creativity games designed for writers. Learn how to tap into your intuition, use a digital timer to increase your productivity, listen to your inner Muse and use hindsight to guide you toward future successes.
These original games were part of her workshop at OWFI and come from her 2008 non-fiction book Secrets from a Creativity Coach by Buoy Up Press.
Romney is a creativity coach, public school art teacher, ordained minister and President of Tulsa NightWriters. She teaches writing and creativity classes for Tulsa Community College and writes an advice column for Art Focus Oklahoma magazine.
Contact Romney
April 18
UFO Visions or Visitors
Hayden Hewes
Aside from a critical analysis of the industry, Hayden Hewes is well known for his honesty & Integrity. His seminars across the United States have been described as simultaneously interesting and imaginative. He is a respected author. He has authored several books and published over 300 articles of which two served as the basis for motion pictures. Considered a media icon, he has been a guest on over 1000 radio and television programs including Real People. Presented over 800 seminars and appeared and portrayed himself in several motion pictures. In 1994, Mr. Hewes was featured nationally on the FOX Network and more recently on the NBC Nightly News, Extra, Looking Beyond, the A&E Network and taped a segment for Dateline. His weekly radio show had an audience of over 1 million listeners and his national column was read by over 12 million weekly. The publishers of Who's Who in America announced Mr. Hewes' inclusion in the 23rd Edition. Currently Mr. Hewes has been seen on the History Channel and the National Geographic Channel.
March 21
Zack the Prairie Dog
S. Charles Decker
wrote this book entirely in rhyming verse for the benefit of children with special needs and for the enjoyment of all. His book began as a story for his children. However, it evolved into a passion to inspire all kids with special needs and to change the world’s perception of them.
This book began as a story for his children. However, it evolved into a passion to inspire all kids with special needs and to change the world’s perception of them.
Zack the Prairie Dog is a heart-warming and inspirational book that is sub-titled, "A prairie tale to promote autism awareness and the acceptance of differences, in yourself and in others." A prairie dog with autism and a storm-weary dachshund meet on the prairie after being rejected by their own kind. They see in each other the things they have in common, rather than their differences, and through their friendship, become heroes.
To order this book, go to Zack the Prairiedog
February 21
Anna Myers
is the author of seventeen novels for young people, all published by Walker and Company of New York, most are historical fiction. Number eighteen will be published fall, 2009.
Awards for her books include three Oklahoma Book Awards, Parents’ Choice Awards, American Library Association Quick Pick, Independent Publishers’ Award, New York Public Library’s Books to Read and Share, American Bookseller’s Pick of the List, Bank Street College Children’s Books of the Year, New York Public Library ‘s Books for the Teenage, a Crown Award, and inclusion on children’s choice lists more than twenty-five times.
Born, in Texas, she grew up in Oklahoma, where she graduated from Chandler High School and the University of Central Oklahoma. She has been honored by both schools with a with a distinguished- alumina award.
She is the mother of three adult children and lives in Chandler, Oklahoma, with her husband John Calvin. She serves as Regional Advisor for the Oklahoma Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and is a lifetime member of Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc.
January 17
Greatest Problems of Writing
and the Writer
-- and What to do About Them
Carolyn Wall
is the author of the novel Sweeping Up Glass, which recently sold as paperback edition in the US (with audio rights), Canada, and Europe. Bantam will release the hardcover edition of Sweeping up Glass in early summer, 2009, and the paperback edition and Wall’s second novel, The Coffin Maker, in 2010. Wall served as Fiction Editor and columnist for ByLine magazine and Senior Staff Writer for Persimmon Hill. She is freelance writer and international lecturer. Wall conducts workshops in Fiction, Short Story and Feature Writing, Journaling, Writing for Children and “How To Write What You Feel”. In 1995, she edited the book Braced Against The Wind, the only literary history of the bombing of Oklahoma City. In the fall of 1998, she wrote, produced and recorded The Journaling Tapes: Writing From The Heart, a six-weeks’ course in daily journaling.
BUY
Sweeping Up Glass
|
PAST SPEAKERS 2009
PAST SPEAKERS 2008
PAST SPEAKERS 2007
PAST SPEAKERS 2006
PAST SPEAKERS 2005
OKLAHOMA CITY WRITERS CONTEST
OKLAHOMA CITY WRITER
CONTEST RULES
Writer Website Listings
Send website URL to
get listed here
|
