DENTON WRITERS LEAGUE
FIRST EDITION
DECEMBER 2003 VOL. 14 NUMBER 12

DWL Home Page: http://byjoni.com/dwl

If you would like a copy of the newsletter e-mailed to you instead of through the US post, please contact George Avera or Joni Latham.

WHERE WE MEET AND WHEN

The second Saturday of every month, at the

Denton Library-North Branch - click here for map 
3020 N. Locust St (corner of Windsor St & N. Locust St)
 Denton, TX

General Meeting 10:30 a.m.

Lunch at Noon at the
 Evergreen Super Buffet - click here for map 
1006 W. University Dr
Denton, TX 76201

NEXT MEETING - DECEMBER 13, 2003

Guest Speakers

2003
December - Open Meeting
 2004
January - Mike & Susan Farris, Farris Literary Agency
February - Pamela Stone
March - TBD
April - Roxanne Conrad  

GUESTSPEAKER

There is no guestspeaker for the December meeting.   It will be a planning meeting for 2004 as well as general discussion.

NOVEMBER MEETING RECAP 

We had another good turn out this month, including one visitor.  Julie Rogers and June Ford's presentation covered several topics ranging from how to critque to tips on submitting your manuscript. Some of their key points were:

• Save your manuscripts in .txt or .rft formats so that they will be accessible in the future.  Someone orignal manuscripts have been lost because none of the newer word processors could open the obsolete file format.
• When critiquing, you shouldn't enjoy tearing someone else's work down.  If you do, you should remove yourself from the project.
• Copyright your book before submitting to protect yourself.  Copyright Forms- http://www.loc.gov/copyright/forms/
• Not everyone is published the first time they submitted.  Some notables that were rejected the first time are Anne Frank, e.e cummings, J. K. Rowling, and Dr Seuss.  
• Keep submitting.  Don't give up.  Submitting to more than one publisher is fine. 
• You don't have to have an agent to submit.  Many publisher require agented submission to protect themselves.  It's possible to have an attorney or another 3rd party to send in your submission. 
• Catch the present trend.  ie:  the Harry Potter series caused children's fantasy to be in great demand.
• When working with an editor, you should receive some sort of comments on your work even if it's just a "I love your work." 
• You don't have to change everything that the editor suggests but you should think about it before saying, "No."
• If your editor doesn't seem to want to work with you as a team effort, then you should find another editor.
• Even though authors shouldn't know all the guidelines in the Chicago Manual of Style, the editor should.
• Always request to see the proof-read sheets (designers proof) and read through it carefully.  Things in the manuscript might have changed and this will be your last chance to correct things or edit things before it goes to press.

Suggested Reading: Tips for Writers Group Etiquette by Julie Rogers and June Ford.

MEMBER NEWS

The Military Order of the Purple Heart, a service organization  for veterans who were wounded in combat is opening a chapter in Denton.  The first meeting of the organization was held on Wednesday, November 12.  All Denton County veterans who were awarded the Purple Heart are invited to join as charter members.  Sgt. Thomas Blevins, Lt. Col. James Wheeler, and DWL member, Cpl. Ken Wright are among the first members in the new Denton area chapter.  Articles on the new Order as well as all three men can be found in the Sunday, November 8 Denton Record Chronicle.

Thomas Pillar’s life changed the day he met Edward Solomon on a suspension bridge outside the city of Railston. In one fateful meeting a madman’s plan was set into motion and a cop’s life was shattered by a child’s death. Now, months later, it’s starting again ....This time the boy is Seth Morrissey, the only connection in a series of brutal homicides. Pillar finds himself hunting a new and deadly foe, one bent on destroying everything humanity stands for. Meanwhile, otherworldly forces—both good and evil—struggle to communicate with him. As tables turn and loyalties change, Pillar races to halt the inevitable. The journey takes him to untouched planes of reality, to unwanted emotions and truths. Can Pillar disprove the demonic prophecy? Will he have to hurt another innocent child to do it? This is Pillar’s burden. This is Pillar’s story. This is Pillar’s Fall.

Pillar's Fall written by new DWL member, Ben Eden is available from Publish America and Amazon .

May 1-2, 2004, Houston, Houston Festival of Books. Location TBA in January 04