Meetings
Midwest Fiction Writers meet on the second Saturday of every month (except December) via Zoom.
Guests may attend two meetings free of charge before becoming a member.
July 9, 2022
9:30 am – 10:00 am ~ Business Meeting
Break
10:10 am – 11:15 am ~ Program
Break
11:25 am – 12:00 pm ~ Social
July 9, 2022
RWAU: Workflow for Project Management
with Mindy Klasky
This is a recording of an RWA University class “Setting Up Your Workflow for Project Management.”
Presentation date: September 1, 2016.
June 11, 2022
Self Editing Your Style and Syntax with Jeanne De Vita
This is not a basic course on commas! Join developmental editor, copyeditor, and writing and editing instructor Jeanne De Vita for a primer on self-editing. Topics covered will include:
•Understanding the various POVs; knowing how to choose the right one for your story and cues for finding breaks in your work; what are the rules around POV within a book, a chapter, a scene?
•Verb tenses: how to use them and use them consistently and correctly
•What is a dialogue tag and how does it differ from an action beat? When to use which? And how to correctly punctuate them!
•Dangling modifiers… or how not to break your future editor’s brain.
•Punctuation and CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style) basic FAQs.
May 14, 2022
Focus on Story Issues with Jen Graybeal
Sometimes it is the little things that block progress and sometimes there’s a boulder on the path. Whether you are developing big story elements or identifying the small details that make the story special, there’s nothing quite like the frustration of knowing something is missing. Let’s bring those issues to the table and talk about how to solve them. This session with presenter Jen Graybeal will include time to dissect real issues from the participants as well as a discussion of techniques for when you're alone
April 9, 2022
Before You Quit: Minimizing Anxiety and Maximizing Joy in Your Writing with Olivia Dade
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.
March 12, 2022
Social Media and Tactical Networking with Xio Axelrod
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.”
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."