Part 1 of How to Form and Facilitate a Critique Group I presented the non-fiction critique workshop at the Catholic Writers Guild Live Conference on August 1. I drew from my experience as facilitator and co-facilitator of two different critique groups to demonstrate how a critique group works. I encouraged […]
Guild Committee Activities Report for August, 2014
The Guild Blog infrastructure has expanded to meet an influx of submissions. Members that had not previously posted, have now shared their work. Others wait in the queue for a posting in the near future. Every Guild member, after checking the Guidelines, may contact Kathryn Cunningham (submissions @ catholicwritersguild.com) with […]
An Invitation to the Blog
The Guild Blog Team Since Guild members actively assist each other, the Catholic Writers Guild officers agreed that the CWG Blog would benefit from increased participation and that a larger team of editors would share the responsibility for inviting and posting contribution from the 500+ Guild members. […]
What – Why – How I Write #MyWritingProcess
Is your writing your hobby or your passion? Soul-searching time comes when you are confronted with four questions about your writing. Here’s my response to Sarah Reinhard’s challenge to these four questions: 1. What are you working on? With a couple of trips coming up, I’m blogging ahead using my […]
Committee Report for May, 2014
At their April gathering, the officers discussed the history of the Catholic Writers Guild. Originally, its small but active membership pitched-in to share administrative tasks. It had the feel of a Guild, a confraternity or sorority that developed the professional skills of its members, while advancing the goals of […]
The End: Sweet Words for an Author, Sweet Experience for a Reader
The end. Two of the most satisfying words a writer can tap onto a keyboard. We’ve all dreamed of typing those six letters, and many of us have been fortunate enough to have achieved that particular success. In my past few posts, we’ve discussed beginnings and middles. Let’s talk about […]
Books, and Toned Middles
Last month, I talked about beginnings and how important they are to drawing the reader in to your book. It seems appropriate to continue on to story middles today. Middles ought to be pretty simple. After all, it’s the stuff that happens between the beginning and the end. Many authors, however, struggle […]
Red Pen 10-Point Clipboard Checklist
How to Edit Your Draft (Expanded from CWG blog guidelines.) Print this form out for each chapter or blog post and attach it to a clipboard. The first few items are usually done on the computer, but I still use the clipboard checklist to track my progress. I usually have […]
In the Beginning…
The most important part of your novel, short story, or even nonfiction piece is the beginning. What compels the reader to keep reading? How do you craft a beginning that doesn’t bog down, one that keeps the reader engaged? There are several schools of thought regarding beginnings. Depending on the […]
Writing a Book: Beta Readers
One of my dubious distinctions as a writer is being lumped in the group of Authors Who Have Long Boring Acknowledgements Pages. These lists are no fun to read unless your name is on the page somewhere; even then, you skim right to your own part and skip the rest. […]