November 29, 2011
Black New Treasurer, Jones Takes Over Contests
 Membership Renewals Need to be Addressed Accordingly

The time is upon us to start writing out those checks for our membership renewals and there are a couple of changes that have occurred that are important to take notice of before putting that check in the mail.  Brenda Black has succeeded Brenda Brinkley as the OWL treasurer for 2012.  All new and renewal memberships should now be mailed to Brenda Black.  The forms under the How To Join section of this website have been updated with her address to reflect this change.  Please, make sure you have the correct address on your envelope before sending your payment out.

In addition to stepping down from her position as OWL president, Delois McGrew has also handed over the reins as our contest chair to Pam Jones.  Pam will now oversee your contest submissions and will be your point of contact for your contest questions.  She will also be the one to talk to about sponsoring contests for 2012.  There are multiple opportunities available to sponsor a contest for next year and it is a very rewarding experience.

We welcome Brenda Black and Pam Jones to their new positions and thank them for taking on such responsibilities within OWL.  On behalf of all OWLs, we also want to thank Delois and Brenda for their service.  Without the sacrifices of time they have made, OWL would not be nearly the organization it is today.  We are forever in your debt.


November 2, 2011
Norris, Horner Featured at November OWL Conference
 Focus On Editing Theme for Month

Teddy Norris will start the November one-day conference with ―Editorial Expectations: Enticements and Turn-Offs.‖ She’ll discuss editorial expectations and some simple things that give writers an edge when submitting their work. She will also share her experience of participating in manuscript preparation workshops.  Teddy is Professor at St. Charles Community College where she teaches creative writing and poetry, as well as literature and composition courses. For five years, she also edited Mid Rivers Review, the College’s literary journal. Her poetry has won contests and has appeared in various journals and anthologies, including
Cuivre River. She loves Elizabeth Alexander’s definition of poetry as ―language that shimmers‖ and believes this should be a goal of all good writing. There’s a possibility she may present her audience with an ―exercise,‖ if there’s enough time—something that always stretches our minds and writing ability.

 

Mary Horner will present the afternoon program in November. Her subject, ―Editing for Clarity, Style and Meaning,‖ relates to a problem writers frequently face. Learning to edit your work will increase its effectiveness and improve readability. Her presentation will help writers strengthen their craft by learning tips and strategies that may translate to more publishing credits.
Designed to teach how to remove words and phrases that don’t carry enough weight, and how reading aloud helps catch those pesky dead words and phrases that get in the way of effective writing, her subject is one all writers—fiction and non-fiction alike—can benefit from.  Ms. Horner is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in more than two dozen publications. She is the former managing editor of Solutions Magazine and the Journal of the American Optometric Association. She also won the ―Most Informative Article‖ award from the National Safety Council. She earned a writing Certificate from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and an editing/writing certification from the American Medical Writers Association. She teaches Communications at St. Louis and St. Charles Community Colleges, and blogs about writing at writRteachR.blogspot.com.