Area 2 Newsletter
April 2024
Pennnwriters Area 2 Happenings and News
I'm Katie Yelinek, the Area 2 representative. Please email me at area2rep [at] pennwriters.org or kathryn [at] kathrynyelinek.com if I can help you in any way.
The Area 2 critique group is currently alternating between meetings in Danville and Berwick. For information about the next meeting, contact Dave Freas, quillracer [at] pa.metrocast.net.
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Congratulations to Maxim Furek, who was recently featured in a front-page feature article in the Citrus Chronicle (Florida) newspaper. Max presented a program titled Flying Saucer Esoteric: The Altered States of Ufology at the Coastal Region Library in Crystal River, which drew over 50 people. Max is currently working on his seventh book, The Lost Tribes of Bigfoot.
Coming up fast! The next Area 2 meeting will be Tuesday, April 16 at 7pm. Join area member and published author Cassandra O'Sullivan Sachar as she gives tips on querying both fiction and nonfiction. Bring your querying questions! Here is the Zoom information:
{Zoom info redacted for web. Contact Katie Yelinek for the link.}
Pennwriters Organization-wide news
Thank you to everybody who voted in the Pennwriters elections in March. Area 2 had the second highest participation rate. Not bad for our small but mighty group!
Don't forget... Registration for the 2024 Pennwriters conference is open! It is coming up May 16-19, 2024 in Lancaster. The Friday keynote speaker will be Hank Phillippi Ryan. The Saturday luncheon speaker will be Timons Esaias. We also have some awesome pre-con intensives, if you're interested. I'm already registered, and I hope to see a bunch of you there since it's on our side of the state this year.
Pennwriters needs you! We have three openings to fill:
- First, we need an Online Course Coordinator. The current coordinator has done a fabulous job of building our online courses, and we are looking for someone to continue this work. The person in this position is a voting board member, receives a discount to the conference, and get access to all of the online courses for free.
- Second, we need a Coordinator of Internet Activities. This person works to make sure Pennwriters has a consistent and coordinated online presence. The person in this position is a voting board member and receives a discount to the conference.
- Third, we need Conference Coordinators for 2026. You receive two free conferences and have lots of help from committee chairs.
- Interested in either of these? Contact president@pennwriters.org
The April course is Writing Romance Novels That Sell with Abigail Drake. It runs Tuesdays from 7-8pm. There is no May course--join us at the conference instead!
Upcoming courses are:
- June – Writing Diversity: A Character Workshop – Wednesdays 7-9pm Zoom – Gold Level Instructor Fritze Roberts
- July –Christmas in July: Creating a Holiday Reader Magnet that Works with What You Write - Mondays 7-8pm - Kathleen Shoop
- July/August – Developing the Television Pilot – Tuesdays 7-9pm Zoom – Gold Level Instructor Diana Botsford
- August – I Think I have a Book: Successful Strategies for Preparing Your Poetry Manuscript – Wednesdays 7-8pm Zoom – Silver Level Instructor Keith Kopka
- September – Weaving History Into the Historical Novel – Sundays 1-2pm Zoom – Gold Level Instructor Kathy Otten
- October – Writing Meaningfully in an Election Year: The Poetry of Politics and Witness – Wednesdays 7-8pm Zoom – Silver Level Instructor Keith Kopka
- November – Mastering the Mystery of Crime Fiction – Saturdays 1-2pm Zoom – Gold Level Instructor Annette Dashofy
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Reminder that area member Mark Boerma shared with me this non-Pennwriters event that might be of interest to Area 2 folks:
- Calling all writers, poets, playwrights, and more. If you love to write and want to spend some time being inspired by fellow writers and people who love writing, join us this June on campus for a writer's retreat. For the third consecutive year, King's College will be offering Leo's Writing Retreat and play host to writers and want-to-be writers for a weekend that offers time to learn, reflect, and most importantly -- to write! The event happens on campus, starting Friday, June 7 at noon and ending on Sunday, June 9 after lunch. This year, not only are alumni encouraged to join but non-alumni are welcome as well! https://alumni.kings.edu/e/leo-s-writing-retreat-2024/
Terry Friedman, Area 7 Rep, shared these resources:
That's it for now. Happy writing.