Midwest Fiction Writers meet on the second Saturday of every month (except December) via Zoom.

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Guests may attend two meetings free of charge before becoming a member.

9:00 am – 9:30 am ~ Social 

Break

9:45 am – 10:15 am ~ Craft

Break

10:25 am – 10:50 am ~ Business Meeting  

Break

11:00 am – 12:30 pm ~ Program

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April 9, 2022

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Before You Quit: Minimizing Anxiety and Maximizing Joy in Your Writing

with Olivia Dade

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Olivia struggled with anxiety for most of her life, although she didn’t recognize it as such until she began writing—most notably, when she spent over a month in 2016 frozen by worry, watching HGTV instead of meeting her deadlines. And once she finally completed her contract, she thought hard about how she could ensure that didn’t happen again. She began to study the conditions under which she wrote most easily and happily, and then she considered whether she could feasibly recreate those conditions in future contracts and/or in self-publishing. After creating a plan that better met her needs, she began writing again and found the process much, much more joyful. If you’re struggling too, you may want to study your own triggers and needs before creating a similar plan—so you can (hopefully) find yourself writing with more ease and less anxiety, rather than quitting the profession entirely.

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March 12, 2022

Social Media and Tactical Networking with Xio Axelrod

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Do you dread every time you have to log into Twitter or Facebook? Do you feel that no one is engaged in your Instagram posts? Xio Axelrod has worked with retailers, financial institutions, artists, and authors to help them navigate web marketing for their brands. Xio will show you ways to identify your target reader, expand your social media reach, and market yourself using social selling methods. And all without spending every minute of your precious time online. (And without a ton of cash.)

 

February 12, 2022

Using Character Archetypes with Hope Ramsay

 

Every romance requires a journey for the hero and heroine. While the plot is happily moving along with suspense, humor, vampires, pirates, bad guys, or other complications, the hero and heroine need to be falling in love. And in order to fall in love the hero and heroine have to learn something important that makes them worthy (or able) to give and receive love. This hands-on workshop will give writers at every level some valuable tools to help them develop three-dimensional characters that have room to grow and develop and fall in love. Attendees will learn how to use the positive and negative traits of personality archetypes to develop a strong, emotional love story.”

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January 8, 2022

Keep Readers Coming Back for More with Melanie Harlow

 

A break-out hit is one thing, but what can you do to keep readers invested in your books over time? Most readers say that the author's name is the single most important factor in determining whether to purchase or download a book. During this webinar, Melanie Harlow will explore ways to use craft, branding, and marketing to put yourself on the path to becoming a "one-click author."

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