Senior News November, 2003 Vol. 24. No. 11

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Book Arts Guild meets monthly to create and learn

Are we meeting the challenges of serving rural seniors?

California Senior Legislature meets in October

From Sunday jams to public performance, the Jefferson State Boondock Band plays on...

CR did an outstanding job on the third annual event

Come to first membership meeting of new nonprofit

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Northcoast Redwoods Writers' Conference
CR did an outstanding job on the third annual event
by Virginia Hinkley

In 2000 I organized the first Northcoast Redwoods Writers' Conference and had a dream that it would become an annual event-and it has. College of the Redwoods took it over this year and did an outstanding job.

In September's opening session retired physician and memoir writer Dr. Albert Halls, our MC, introduced me as the founder, and the event began. He announced the winners of the essay/poetry contest and the Virginia Hinkley Scholarship award, and winners were invited to read their work.

In the keynote address, novelist Jody Seay started the conference off with a lot of humor and good old common sense for a writer to succeed in the world of writing. Then we went to our chosen workshops to learn how to write our award-winning and best-selling novels.

On Saturday we assembled in the college library to listen to publisher Robert McDowell. He told us how to get a publisher's attention, and that even though it is difficult it isn't impossible to become a published author.

Two workshops were scheduled after the keynote speech, and I made my way to the Larsen/Pomada workshop where I found one of my favorite writers, Lucile Manley. Larsen and Pomada are agents from San Francisco. Later in the day Pomada told me that she and Larsen were organizing San Francisco's first conference and asked for my help. That really made my day.

Then it was to Teresa Tsalaky's workshop. Teresa is the publisher of The Daily Triplicate. Her workshop was about self-publishing.

A delicious lunch was catered by Julie Valente, and Julie outdid herself. All of the guests were impressed because Julie uses real china, real flatware and linen napkins. After lunch, I attended John Pritchett's workshop on syntax. John was the Triplicate editor for more than eight years.

The conference was a big success and already the plans for next year have started.

Virginia Hinkley lives and writes in Crescent City. Her e-mail is Hinkleyv@aol.com.