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MEETINGS

Our meetings are held the third Saturday of the month, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Country Kitchen Restaurant located at 5030 N.E. 14th street,Des Moines, Iowa. We feature a writing program followed by a guest speaker. There's a buffet lunch ($8 plus gratuity) and networking afterwards (or come early for the buffet breakfast, too).

Our programs are varied and cover everything from fiction writing basics and getting published to the business side of your writing career, and everything in-between. Members attend free.  Guests are allowed to attend two meetings free before they decide to join our group.

Check out our line-up for

2010

Jul 17-  Creating a Personal Vision Board for Writers. Athletes do it; olympic winners do it and writers do it, too. Vision coach and healing arts practitioner, Angela Clark, will guide you through creating your own personal vision board. It might be helpful to read "The Law of Attraction" by Esther and Jerry Hicks and "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne before the meeting.

 

Aug 21-  Eric Hall West. Author Eric Hall West will present a program about his recent book. TRUCK is, as simply as possible, a year in the life of an American Trucker—though it isn’t nearly that simple. For starters, Eric West had not driven the stick shift of anything, let alone a 40-ton rig. He had, in fact, never sat in a rig. In place of ability, he had curiosity. Instead of familiarity he had determination. The intention was to document everything he saw, every person he met from the perspective of someone who had no business being a “professional driver”, but in time, almost without realizing it, became one. Albeit a comically bad one – a fact made painfully obvious all too often.

 

Sep 18-  Researching via the Web for Writers. Author Francesca Hawley will discuss how to conduct research for your upcoming book via the internet.

 

Oct 16-  GRAPHOLOGY. Victoria Masterson studied under Nadelle Claypool, her mentor and expert in this field, for four years while living in Denver. Ms Claypool’s certification, experience and program developments in this field are impressive. Too long to list here, more information will be available at the meeting. A few of the highlights of Ms Claypool’s career which certify her as an expert and contributor to this field is her development of programs on Behavior Graphology, Identifying Psychopathic Personality Traits, Universal Symbolism of Handwriting as it relates to Mind Control, and Locus of Control (handwriting). She is certified by the American Association of Handwriting Analysts and the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation to name a few. Ms Claypool's practice includes criminal and behavioral profiling for Law Enforcement agencies; consulting on psychopathic personalities, deviant ritualistic abuse and multiple personality disorders; employment screening in the Corporate sector; and much more. In her own Interior Design business, Victoria has put handwriting analysis to use as an assessment tool for the express purpose of reducing the potential liabilities and risks inherent in today’s work environment.

 

Nov 12-  Annual Retreat - (For members only) This is a fun-filled weekend for members only. We get away from the everyday world and seclude ourselves with computer, works in progress, ideas, and plenty of chocolate and then we write all weekend long. No distractions.

 

Nov 20-  Web Page Design and Building Your Web Presence. We will be joined by "Starzend Web Design" for an indepth discussion on the ins and outs of web design. Author Maggie Rivers will also discuss "Strategies for Promoting Yourself".

 

Dec 4-  Awards Banquet (For members only) - We celebrate our members' yearly accomplishments at a yearly banquet and awards ceremony. This is our time to socialize, have fun and relax with our fellow writing friends.

 

Check out some of our past 2010 programs.

January 16, 2010 - Timothy Johnson -from Carpe Factum. Mr. Johnson will be speaking on "Carpe Factum" which is Latin for "Seize the Accomplishment". He coaches companies and executives on accomplishing something significant for their businesses or their lives. He will be coaching us on accomplishing our goals as writers.

February 20, 2010 - Rescue Personnel. Three rescue personnel, who, on June 30, 2009, rescued a woman from the Des Moines river after a failed attempt to rescue her husband during the same crisis, will tell what it takes to rescue people from life-threatening situations. They'll explain the before, during and the after of a life-saving attempt.

 

Mar 20, 2010- Kevin Clark spent 26 months, 3 weeks and 4 days in Federal custody. Find out what it's like to be without "freedom", behind bars in a world unto itself. Learn what it takes to survive in that world. Then learn what it takes to survive outside that world in an everyday world that's different from yours and mine.

 

April 17, 2010-  TRRA member Jan Schliesman will be presenting the program.  Details to follow.

 

May 15, 2010-  Social Networking for Writers. Author Francesca Hawley will be presenting a program on how to build your social network using Facebook, Twitter and other social pages.

 

Jun 19, 2010-  How to do a Critique and Book Review. Romance writer, Emma Robuck, will point out the do's and dont's of how to critique another writer's manuscript and how to do a book review.

 

Check out some of our past 2009 programs.

June 20, 2009 – Donald Harstad – a former deputy sheriff with over 26 years in the Clayton County Sheriff’s Department. Harstad wrote his first book "Eleven Days " in 1998. The book was written in 11 days.

 

July 18, 2009 – "What We Learned from Mary Buckham and Diana Love-Snell's Break Into Fiction® Power Plotting Workshop." Presented by Maggie Rivers, Emma Robuck and Jordan Meryl. Read Mary and Diana's recently released book "Break Into Fiction®".

August 15, 2009 - Francesca Hawley – Writing Erotic Love Scenes – No Holds Barred - Adults Only. Erotic Romance Author Francesca Hawley is the author of several books. Check out her website at www.francescahawley.com/

October 17, 2009 - Sherry James along with her co-presenter, Julie Miller , will be presenting a program entitled "Kiss the Frog." How to fight procrastination and find time to write in the real world. Previously presented at the Romantic Times convention in Orlando.

 

November 21, 2009 - Lois Greiman – Ms. Greiman sold her first book in 1992. She writes in numerous genres including paranormal, mystery, historical and romantic comedy. Check out her website at http://www.loisgreiman.com/

She will be speaking on "Hog Tying the Damn Muse".