Milwaukee Writers Workshop

Hello everyone,

As we come to the end of another year, I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to everyone who has been or become a member of the Milwaukee Writers Workshop over the course of the year.

Here's what we've done:

In 2009, the Milwaukee Writers Workshop branched off in January to create our Short Story group, our Poetry group, and our Novel group. We were very pleased to have a good turn-outs for all of our groups this year, and we hope that it will continue to grow over the course of the years to come. We also added a group in Grafton late this year, and that has been going well.

Also, we held the first WriteCamp Milwaukee with resounding success. With 80 attendees, 15 sponsors, and a day full of wonderful sessions, we were very happy with what has definitely been the highlight of the Milwaukee Writers Workshop for 2009.

Here's what we're doing:

2010 will be no different than this year. We will be looking to create our Scriptwriting group again. We'll also be holding WriteCamp Milwaukee 2 in May or June of 2010. Keep your calendar clear!

MWW's big change:

Our biggest news of 2010 will be the organizational change. As we begin to grow and expand our services and the members who come to join us, it has become apparent to me that the Milwaukee Writers Workshop needs a home. To do this, I feel that the Milwaukee Writers Workshop would best be served to become part of The JB Dryden Company in order to use some of the profits from both to benefit the organization as a whole.

What does this mean?

The critique workshops that we have always provided will continue to be run and will continue to be FREE. There will, however, be a number of additions to the Milwaukee Writers Workshop's services, such as short story classes, poetry classes, seminars on marketing your novel, building a website for authors, and workshops on self-editing (along with a host of others). We'll be offering a variety of membership prices to offer a variety of services. I've put this information up at www.milwaukeewritersworkshop.com/content/mww-memberships. Please visit it and have a look over the table that's been added; if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me and ask.

What's coming up?

Mechanics of the Short Story -- a 12-week course on the basics of writing a short story
Self-editing for Writers -- a one day workshop on some tips for self-editing

Volunteers

Because we'll be offering a few new things, and we'll be hoping to branch out even more than we already have, there will be some great opportunities for folks to volunteer for the Milwaukee Writers Workshop. If you're interested, I will be holding two meetings in January on what that will entail. Please email me if you're interested, and I will let you know the two dates as soon as I have solidified them with the venue.

I am happy with the new direction of our writers group, because I believe in the power of community and the good things that we have been doing over the course of the three years that we have been in existence. It my goal to continue that sense of giving back to the writers who have made us who we are and to the community of literary creation that keeps us going.

As always, please feel free to email me with any questions, concerns, or comments related to the Milwaukee Writers Workshop or The JB Dryden Company (which you can visit at www.jbdrydenco.com). I wish you all a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year. Great things are on the horizon for the Milwaukee Writers Workshop, and you are a part of that. Thank you.

Cheers,
Boone Dryden
Director, The Milwaukee Writers Workshop
Owner, The JB Dryden Company

MWW: Short Story Group

Here is the information for the upcoming session:

Time: 1pm-4pm
Day: November 8
Place: Anodyne Coffee Roasters


Material: Too Close to Nothing & Westward Expansion


Workshop Topic: NaNoWriMo write-in!


As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to Contact Me.

Beginning November 5th (that's this Thursday), every 1st Thursday of the month, MKE POETICA will bring poetic goodness to Walker's Point Center for the Arts.

This open mic series and writers circle provides a space for poets of ALL ages to create and share work in a supportive environment.

The writers circle will begin at 6:30 PM, so bring a poem that you have been craving feedback on or just a blank page and pen to build.

Afterwards, poets are invited to share their work on stage alongside a featured local youth poet and a local or nationally recognized adult poet.

NOVEMBER FEATURES

Adult Feature:

BLU TEAM: Three of the freshest poets on the Milwaukee scene, Nigel Wade, Bobby Drake, and Remy the Gambit form this dynamic collective.

Youth Feature:

Khalil representing Wauwatosa West High School

writers circle begins at 6:30pm
open mic begins at 7:30pm
$3 cover, all ages

Walker's Point Center for the Arts is located at 911 W. National Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53204. You can also reach them at 414.672.2787 or by visiting www.wpca-milwaukee.org.

Time: 6PM to close
Place: Alterra Coffee Roasters on Humboldt and Chambers

What is Co-Working?

Co-working is an idea started within the tech community to bring designers, programmers, and developers together in a shared space to work on projects. For us writers, it's the same idea: bring a project you're working on, thinking about working, or whatever else you've got going on, and we'll all gather together to discuss, work, and support.

With NaNoWriMo (www.nanowrimo.org) coming up in less than a week, we'll be focusing on some planning for everyone's novels.

MWW: Short Story Group

Here is the information for the upcoming session:

Time: 1pm-4pm
Day: October 25th
Place: Anodyne Coffee Roasters


Material: "Too Close to Nothing" by Ian Jackson and another story, to be determined (will be updated)


Workshop Topic: Language and Usage; we'll be discussing some syntax and grammar techniques to vary language.


As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to Contact Me.