Reflections and October Branch Meeting

Our October 6th chapter launch workshop was a great success. We all worked hard preparing our notes and had the pleasure of an inquisitive and positive audience. We also had the extra pleasure of a visit from some guests from PWAC National: Tanya Gulliver, President; Lauren Stewart, Associate Director; and Christine Peets, Editor of Contact. Also, Nate Hendley, our Regional Director came and joined the others in wishing us well in our new endeavour.

Our branch meeting next week will include some well-deserved pats on the back but will also focus on what’s ahead for us. What do we want from our monthly meetings? What new things do we want to learn? How can we learn and grow as freelancers? And, of prime importance—when and where will we hold our holiday get-together?

Please click on the links on this page to find out more about PWAC or drop us at line at waterlooregionpwac@gmail.com to ask about our local branch activities

Chapter Launches with Writing Workshop

PWAC Waterloo Region is celebrating its launch with a writing workshop on October 6th at the Forest Heights Branch of the Kitchener Public Library, 251 Fischer-Hallman Road, Kitchener. Open to experienced and novice writers alike, our workshop Freelance Writers Share Successful Strategies gives us the opportunity to share our knowledge and meet interested writers in our community.

Our professional writers will present their insights into the following:

• Writing Persuasive Web Copy: know your client's client and write winning copy
• The changing face of book publishing
• Travel Writing: a changing market
• Small Magazines & Trades: break in and stay in
• Twitter and blog your way to writing gigs

Admission is $30 for PWAC members and $20 for the public.

The workshop begins at 7 PM and runs until 8:45 with presentations, Q & A, and a breakout session so that participants can meet the individual speakers.

If you are interested in attending or have any questions about PWAC or membership, please drop me a line at waterlooregionpwac@gmail.com.

Hope to see you on October 6th!

Heather Wright, President


Photo: Writing Challenge from www.flickr.com - Starbuckguy

Where You'll See Us This Fall!

Daina Feick

• Waterloo Region Record; Builder of the Week feature; published every Saturday, one to two features per week, including photography. Ongoing/weekly.
• MOST magazine; October/November issue/assignments: Where are they now? (feature article), Pink Slip Survivor (feature article), Women and snoring (feature article), ‘It’s never too late to …’ (a new ‘in every issue’ feature being introduced this fall).
• Ideal Homes magazine: Two features for next issue (Adelaide Custom Homes, Claysam Homes).
• New Homes and Condos magazine, bi-weekly publication: Three features for September 22 issue (Esquire Homes, Fusion Homes, Terra View Homes, including photography); more assignments expected throughout the fall.
• The Home Magazine: assignments (including ‘Editor’s Message’) expected shortly for October/November issue.


Lisa MacColl

• profiled Cathy Jenkins, a retired teacher now living in Rwanda for September Grand Magazine.
• helped a University of Waterloo student with a series of appeal letters
• blogged about Wii Fit, and "real" parents on www.lisamaccoll.blogspot.com
• is researching the Laurentian Terrace, a boarding house for single female civil servants in WW II in Ottawa
• is beating her 3 day novel draft from 2008 into a workable novel manuscript
• asked teachers about best gift ideas for December Readers' Digest


Helen Lammers-Helps

• discusses ways to conserve electricity on the farm for the September/October issue of Small Farm Canada
• describes pollinator-friendly gardening in the September/October issue of Small Farm Canada
• provided three tasty tomato recipes for her Second Helpings column in the August 25th issue of Ontario Farmer
• is working on a story about the influence of generational differences in the workplace for the November issue of Country Guide


Sharon Blomfield

• spent three weeks this summer researching and photographing the Beaujolais wine region of France and another week in a French Alpine cheese-making valley
• completed an article, Beaujolais Villages: More than Just Wine for the November issue of MOST magazine
• continued work on her book-in-progress


Heather Wright

• is interviewing lawyers and writing articles about drug crime, appeals, personal injury law, joint care and custody, and immigration for Lawyershop.ca
• is writing web copy for a law firm in Sudbury
• is writing web copy and promotional material for an Ontario producer of wind turbines
• started her own blog called Needles and Yarns for knitters who love to write—and vice versa!


photo published under Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/linlaw39

Getting into Gear

PWAC Waterloo Region is getting into gear for our first 'official' meeting and our first public workshop.

Our first meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 15th at 7 PM. If you are interested in joining PWAC Waterloo Region and would like to see if we are a good fit for you, we welcome prospective members to one free meeting. After that, you need to be a member. If you are interested in attending, please drop me a line at waterlooregionpwac@gmail.com. For information about joining PWAC, check out the membership page at PWAC National's site: www.pwac.ca/joiningpwac

Looking ahead, we are preparing for our workshop on October 6th at 7 PM at the Forest Heights Branch of the Kitchener Public Library. Freelance Writers Share Successful Strategies is designed for both new and experienced writers. We'll be offering short talks about persuasive writing for the web, travel writing, Twitter and blogging, writing for small magazines and trades, and the changing world of book publishing. A question and answer session will follow, after which attendees will be able to talk to individual presenters about the business of freelancing in Waterloo Region. The cost is $30 for the general public and $20 for PWAC members. If you have any questions about the workshop or want to reserve a place, please send a note to waterlooregionpwac@gmail.com with "workshop" in the subject line.

All the best in your writing endeavours.

Heather Wright

President

PWAC Waterloo Region

photo published under creative commons licence: http://flickr.com/photos/fpsurgeon/2384525600/

Read all about it! PWAC is growing and PWAC Waterloo Region is the latest addition to the Ontario roster.

Here's the joint notice that went out to PWAC Guelph and PWAC National members:

Several PWAC Guelph members from the Kitchener-Waterloo area have decided to take the risk and start a new chapter to serve Waterloo Region—and to shorten the drive to get their monthly PWAC hit of advice, inspiration and friendship.

What does this mean?
More choice for you: When you renew your PWAC membership on September 1st, you’ll have two local chapters to choose from. You’re free to join whichever chapter makes most sense for you, regardless of where you live or work.

More opportunities for you: Ties will remain strong between the two groups. We’ll be establishing a reciprocal arrangement where members can attend each other’s meetings at no cost. We also plan to hold joint social events and pool resources for in-house and public workshops.

More growth for PWAC: We expect the launch of a chapter in Waterloo region will attract new members to PWAC, increasing the strength of our organization as a whole.

Mark your calendars
PWAC Waterloo Region will be meeting the 3rd Tuesday in the month, beginning in September. To get the group off to a strong start and to begin recruiting new members, they will be holding a public workshop, “Freelance Writers Share Successful Strategies,” at the Forest Heights Branch of the Kitchener Public Library on October 6.

PWAC Guelph will continue meeting the 2nd Tuesday of the month, with the exception of August, when we’ll be skipping the meeting and holding our annual summer BBQ on Tuesday the 18th instead.

Want more information?
To find out more about PWAC Waterloo Region check out their website at http://waterlooregionpwac.blogspot.com/ or contact Heather Wright at heather dot wright at wrightwriter.com. Keep up to date with Guelph PWAC at http://guelphpwac.blogspot.com/ or contact Julie Stauffer at jstauffer at gto dot net.

While change always involves some challenges, both groups look forward to growing and thriving in the year to come. Support, encouragement and a commitment to sharing have always been the hallmark of PWAC Guelph, and PWAC Waterloo Region is committed to carrying these traditions forward into their new adventure.

We wish you all a wonderful summer.

Nate Hendley, Ontario Regional Director
Julie Stauffer, President PWAC Guelph
Heather Wright, President PWAC Waterloo Region.

Photo © http://www.flickr.com/photos/wili/. Published under a Creative Commons License.

Summer Thoughts

Since summer often signals a change of pace, why not try a change of pace in your writing as well. Once in a while, leave the keyboard and the screen on the desk and try the feel of pens and paper again. You might build new connections to your imagination that you can't find by clicking keys and gazing at a screen.
Once upon a time, you took your first steps toward become a storyteller with a pen or a pencil in hand. Claim those tools again and enjoy the freedom to scribble, write in any direction you want, squeeze words in between the lines, draw arrows and flowers and hearts, and be creative with more than just tidy black marks on a white background.
Hold a pen in your hand again and see what doors you can open to your creativity--and to your summer thoughts.

What our members are doing this month.

Sharon Blomfield

• researched the Hmong culture of northern Viet Nam and wrote marketing materials for a corporate client
• read (or will read) one of her travel stories at the KPL's Writers Collective Readings on May 13

Julia Browne

• recreated the medieval ambiance of the French town of Sarlat for Grand magazine
• reported on the Open House of the Civic District latest planning phase for Community News

Helen Lammers-Helps

• wrote about coping with Difficult People for the Spring issue of Country Guide magazine
• described the projects of the LIFE renewable energy co-op in the April issue of the Out Here newspaper
• summarized 10 Tips for Organizing Your Family for the April issue of Country Guide magazine
• wrote about using solar power on the farm in the April 14 issue of the Ontario Farmer newspaper

Lisa MacColl

• wrote about the Great Cookie War and the Mennonite CentralCommittee for the Mennonite Heritage Project

Heather Wright

• wrote about the lure of orchid growing for Grand Magazine. Her article "One May Not Be Enough" is in the May/June issue.