For an interesting perspective on the panel discussion at this year’s conference “Being a Change Agent, Writing for a Better World” read this blog post by The Writer Magazine staff writer E. Abbe Can Books Change the World?
Want a taste of the conference presentations? Check out the San Francisco Writers Conference Teleseminar Series and listen to talks from Joan Gelfand, Alan Rinzler, Chris Soth, Kevin Smokler, Michael Larsen and Elizabeth Pomoda and others.
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Over at Hubpages, I’ve posted a new hub which is an excerpt from No Red Pen. This is from the chapter on how to give feedback on the page. When part of a writer’s group, everyone reads the work of fellow members. What do you do with that piece of writing and how do you deliver the feedback? Find out at http://vickihudson.hubpages.com/.
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No Red Pen – Writers, Writing Groups & Critique is now available via smashwords. 
Everyone has a story. No one else can tell your story. The process of creating, refining and ultimately releasing it into the wild that is publication in the world needs to be a respectful one. No Red Pen – Writers, Writing Groups & Critique is not an overview of writing groups – it is a manifesto for a different paradigm for workshopping and critiquing.
No Red Pen – Writers, Writing Groups & Critique is intended for those writers looking for information on what to consider when forming or joining a writers’ group and for writers seeking tools for critiquing work in progress. This is not a how-to book for writers’ groups. There is no discussion of specific craft techniques. There are other books in the market that discuss finer points of writers group administration and many that deal with craft. This book is intended to help the reader make informed choices in the marketplace of writing group workshops and provide useful skills for critique consumers. The act of entrusting one’s written work and exposing that product of imagination, heart, and soul to the criticism of others is a risky and brave action by the writer and a privilege for the reader. No Red Pen – Writers, Writing Groups & Critique provides a toolbox for conducting a writers’ workshop and recommendations for critique that fundamentally respects the writer and the work.
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Author Nina Amir has launched the site Write NonFiction (WNFIN) in November in response to the National Novel Writing Month held in November which challenges fiction writers to write 50,000 words in 30 days in the month of November. Write NonFiction in November is not a contest but a challenge. There is no “entry” process other than to add a comment to the WNFIN blog site. That’s it. Add your comment, describe your project and do the work of creating/completing your nonfiction writing project over the 30 days of November. The rules are simple:
Start a completely new project, or revive one that has been stagnant for while, or just finish what you are slowly moving forward on now. The point is do the work!.
If inclined, participants can post updates on the status update page at WNFIN of their progress and challenges then support and receive support from others taking part in the challenge. There is no expectation or obligation to take advantage of this impromptu nonfiction writer community in the month of November. When the 30 days are over, come back to the site and post a final update if you completed your project or not. You can share additional info on what the experience of WNFIN was for you or just say if you met the challenge or not. There is no one standing over you with a gradebook, red pen, or attitude one way or the other.
Nina Amir has created a terrific opportunity for nonfiction writers to who might need a little nudge, who work best with external motivation, or who just like something a little different to shake up their writing day to day. And if you sign in on the WNFIN and take up the challenge before the end of the month, you just might find a book in the mail to you, courtesy of Nina. She will choose one of the participants that sign in for the challenge on the home page based upon their description of the complete book manuscript planned for completion in the 30 days and send them a copy of Rochelle Melander’s just released book Write-a-Thon, Write a Book in 26 days (And Live to Tell About It).
So, what are you waiting for?
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Vicki Hudson 