The Halloween treats are collected, the clocks are set back (for those of us observing those holidays), and it’s time for the fall harvest in this part of the world. I hope all of your writing projects are prospering and bearing the fruit of your hard labors.
November meetings
WOTA in the afternoon will meet in room 201 of Musser Public Library on Thursday, November 7 from 1 – 3 pm. This gathering is small and informal, so bring a few copies of work to share. We look forward to seeing you!
The evening meeting will take place in room 17, the Makerspace, of Musser Public Library on Tuesday, November 19. We’ll conduct business at 5:30 pm and have it out of the way by 6. Bring a pen, a friend, and a short work to share. New members are always welcome!
Other events
The 6th Annual Book Bums Workshop will take place at West Liberty Public Library on Saturday, November 9 from 9 am to 3 pm. Established authors will speak on panels addressing the topics of crafting suspense, creating memorable villains, and publishing and marketing your work. An author fair between 11 and noon will give attendees the chance to get books signed and talk one-on-one with favorite authors, while a meet-and-greet from 3 to 3:30 pm will give writers a chance to meet and mingle with others sharing their interests. The workshop is free, but you can register and reserve a seat on the website. There’s a great roster of regional writers you won’t want to miss!
It’s NaNoWriMo, and if any of you out there have set your caps on the goals of writing 50,000 words this month, we want to hear about it! Pop over to our Facebook group to find a NaNoWriMo buddy or just share your feelings about this long sprint. Good luck!
Save the date for the WOTA Holiday Party on Tuesday, December 17 from 6 to 8 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church, 211 Walnut St. (right across the street from Musser Public Library). We’ll have treats, an open mic, and a chance to celebrate another year. Free & open to the public, so bring your family and friends as well as your appetite and your voice, as we’ll have our self-authored Christmas carols to sing!
Elections are approaching!
And we don’t mean November 5! The biannual elections for officers will take place at the December meeting/holiday party/open mic. All positions on the board are open–president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer–so if you feel called to serve, get your name on the ballot now! Self nominations are accepted! All dues-paying members are eligible to vote and to hold a position. Keep WOTA going in its mission as an Iowa nonprofit corporation dedicated to supporting writers & the literary arts in and around Muscatine!
Word challenge
And of course we can’t let a month pass without partaking of the monthly word challenge! The October folks generated these words: Thanksgiving, pilgrim, prudence, unknown, withered, histrionic, and crucible. Those should set your imagination boiling and bubbling! Write a poem, a drama, a story, an essay, or something unique & in-between and bring it to the December meeting to read aloud!
Other news
If you submitted something to the WOTA 30-year anthology, you should be hearing back soon about your submission. Thanks for your patience! We’re still in search of a title for this anniversary anthology celebrating WOTA voices old and new, so if you have ideas, let’s hear them. A publication date of February 2020 is anticipated to observe 30 years of Writers on the Avenue inspiring Muscatine writers and creating community. We hope to keep it going for 30 more!
Writers on the Avenue 