november
Guest Speaker- via ZOOM
Dennis James Sweeney
Tuesday, November 18, 7 PM
How to Submit: Getting Your Writing Published with Literary Magazines and Small Presses
Want to see your work in print?
Join author and instructor Dennis James Sweeney for an energizing talk on How to Submit—his groundbreaking guide to publishing with small presses and literary magazines.
With practical tips on cover letters, contests, and building connections—plus strategies for navigating rejection and finding joy in the process—Sweeney shows writers of all genres how to take charge of their publishing life and share their work with the world.
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Who knows, you may even win a free copy!
Details will be emailed to OIW members.
Details will be emailed to OIW members.
In-Person Event
Tim Wynne-Jones
workshop
Saturday, November 22
Writing Picture Books
JOIN TIM FOR a three-hour intensive, hands-on exploration of what makes a picture book tick. It has been said that in a picture book, the words are the story. It’s an enigmatic statement that has something to do, I suppose, with the importance of every word, not simply the meaning of it, but the weight of it, the rhythm, the energy. We are tasked with introducing a young reader to the very spirit of language on the page. While the pictures often get the attention, the writer’s job, apart from creating the story in the first place, is to entice an (unknown-to-you) illustrator to take on the job! How do you do that? Come and see!
Details will be emailed to OIW members.
In-Person Event
Annual Holiday Party & Poetry Contest
Sunday, November 30
Join fellow writers to eat, drink and mingle at our annual event. This your opportunity to meet other members and share experiences.
Our annual poetry contest will be in full swing. If you feel you have a poem full or promise, then take it to the stage!
Details will be emailed to OIW members.
Not a member yet?
Visit our Membership Page to learn all about the benefits of being an OIW member, including the opportunity to get published!
OUR MEETINGS
MONTHLY MEETINGS
OIW holds nine monthly program meetings from September to June each year on a wide variety of writing related topics, normally with a speaker and plenty of opportunity for questions.
CURRENT MEETINGS
OIW gathers every third Tuesday of the month with presentations starting at 7 pm, lasting until 8:30 pm. The meetings currently take place on the Zoom virtual platform.
Visit our membership page to sign-up now!
OUR BOARD
Meet some of the OIW Board Directors!
Bob Barclay
Member-at-Large
During my professional career I published a great many technical works, but on my retirement some 15 years ago I decided to turn my hand to fiction. With a nascent novel in hand, a quick search of resources led me to Ottawa Independent Writers, which proved to be a turning point. With the wide expertise available among the OIW membership, I was able to complete my novel, see to the formatting and cover design, and get it into print all in good order. I soon became a board member of the organization, and it is from that vantage point I can now help others who were in my situation 15 years ago. Board membership allows me to give back to the community, and I feel that many OIW members who have followed my path would find great satisfaction in membership on the board, sharing their expertise, and watching all aspects of the creative writing process from the first words on the screen to the completed published work.
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Lena Samson
Vice President
As an OIW board member, I engage with prolific writers and literary professionals whom I would never meet otherwise. My writing and editing have benefited greatly from their experience and expertise. The Board is a friendly, sage and collaborative group from which I've learned enormously and to to which I'm grateful to contribute. Every volunteer on the Board brings a new perspective, unique background and helps OIW continue to thrive.
Interested in joining the Board and giving your writing career a boost? Let us know!
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Email us at: members@ottawaindependentwriters.com