Notes from Dec. 17, 2012 WbtR Meeting

Key Announcements

1. NEXT write by the rails MEETING – Thurs., Jan. 17, 2013 at 7 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church (Upstairs in Welcome Room), 9325 West St, Manassas  The next meeting of Write by the Rails will feature Bill Golden who has kindly offered to teach us about the mysteries of blogging with Wordpress.  Bill said in lieu of payment, members may donate to a charity of choice.  Thank you, Bill, for your generosity.    
2. Please help spread the word about the VWC Young Writers Golden Nib Contest!

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WbtR Officers: Cindy Brookshire – President/Treasurer; Linda Johnston – Projects Manager/Liaison to Virginia Writers Club; Katherine Gotthardt – Liaison to PWC Arts Council; Carol Keily – Keeper o’ Membership List   

Present – Tracey Brooks, Cindy Brookshire, Gary Caruso, Myrina Cordella-Marenghi, Patricia Daly-Lipe, Chip and Cathy Deyerle, Leigh Giza, Katherine Gotthardt, Ressurrection Graves and Deven Smith, Linda Johnston, June and Fred Kilpatrick, Claudia LeFeve, Alan Meyrowitz, Jan Rayl, Denise Roosendaal, Lisa Shaeffer, Yvette Soliz, Dan Verner & Val Wallace. 

Anthology – Editorial committee will meet for “lessons learned.” Denise Roosendaal suggested promoting anthology in VRE’s newsletter. Cindy will contact gotrains@vre.org; Fifty copies are still available at $3 each (contact Cindy). We’ll vote in 2013 on use of $151.80 in royalties so far.  

Richmond Book Festival - Leigh Giza & June Kilpatrick participated. Suggestion: at any sale, no more than 2 writers per table (room for display materials). Next Meet and Greet is Tues., Jan. 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Panera/Merchant Square Plaza, Lake Ridge (where PW Pkwy splits from Old Bridge Rd).  

PWC Arts Council will vote on our application to become a group member on Jan. 8. Virginia Writers Club dues are due. Paid membership is encouraged (no dues for Write by the Rails). Linda Johnston will handle getting our chapter info on state website. 

Speakers @ WbtR meetings – Denise Roosendaal is looking for a speaker for the Feb. 21 meeting at 7 pm at Trinity. writebytherails@gmail.com – Katherine, Leigh, Dan and Cindy need to check it once a week.  

Chip Deyerle has volunteered to take Author Head Shot photos of any authors when he returns to Virginia after April. Dan Verner will bring VWC’s Golden Nib Writing Contest for middle/high school students to attention of school admins; Leigh Giza will contact libraries. Everyone encouraged to distribute flyers to church youth groups, 4-H, Scouts, Boys & Girls Club, etc. Deadline is March 1, 2013. Learn more about the Virginia Writers Club Young Writers contest ("Golden Nib")!

Arts Alive! on April 14, 2013 at Hylton Center – Ressurrection Graves, Claudia LeFeve and Pat Daly-Lipe volunteered to plot out youth/adult involvement (pending Arts Council approval). Suggestions: Open mic, teaching haiku (Leigh Giza?) or 15-min Yes! You Can Write Now! prompts (Sheila Lamb?), acting out a poem or script. Lisa Schaeffer suggested shooting a 30 sec promo for Arts Alive!  

Woodbridge Writers Retreat is May 15-18, 2013 with authors Robert Bausch, Richard Bausch and Tom Zoellner. Cost is $650. Only 18 slots are available. www.robertbausch.org.