Check out LitFest on the Las Cruces Downtown Mall on June 4th. The centerpiece of the mini-festival will be the Generations Community Writing Project. It looks like it will be well-served by local bars and restaurants with literary-themed cocktails and more!…
I (Mark Davis) will host a seminar on Saturday, May 28th from 2-4 PM at Good Samaritan Village, Building E, 3045 Buena Vida Circle. I will also stream the seminar via Zoom (invitation will go out to members email list a day before).
Reaching audiences and selling books online is very 21st century, but don’t expect that if you build it they will come! In this seminar, I will give an overview of online marketing approaches and the idea of a “digital platform” that is designed to assemble an audience using a variety of tools.
This class is designed for writers of all skill levels who have an interest in marketing and promoting their books online. The goal will be to survey the available channels for reaching your audience and do a few deep dives on the technical aspects of those online systems. While some of the details may be technical, the presentation will provide both a primer for those hoping to do-it-yourself and options for those looking for assistance.
This seminar dovetails with George Pintar’s planned July seminar, Branding Your Business.
Topics to be covered:
Thursday 12 May 2022 at Good Sam 1:30 to 3:30
Call to order by acting chair Bob Worthington
Nominating committee report by David Osterhout
Treasurer report by Judy Cicero
Education report by Bob Worthington
Membership/social media/next writing seminar report by Mark Davis
Membership awards by Bob Worthington
New Business???
Marketing: George Pintar
Your branding voice and matching your brand to your content. Developing a brand voice for your book.
Writing: Bob Worthington and Efrem Carrasco
Those pesky little details that can ruin a book. First a writing exercise then an open discussion by Bob and Efrem on how to avoid incorrect details in your book. Details that can turn a reader off because he or she knows they are wrong. As the writer you must come across as an expert.
Meeting adjourned…
Our friends at Mesilla Valley Readers of Southern New Mexico will host a Zoom presentation by award-winning author Reyna Grande next Thursday. It will be close to the end of our monthly meeting but should be an engaging opportunity to learn more from an author. Check out more at Las Cruces Bulletin.
Here is the complete list of 2022 seminars. Seminars are open to all members of LCW and take place on the fourth Saturday of the month. We look forward to seeing you there!
| Date | Presenter | Topic |
| Jan | Bob Worthington | Writing as a business |
| Feb | Susan Bontly | Using computers for research |
| Mar | Bob Worthington | How to craft a story |
| Apr | Efrem Carrasco | Self-editing |
| May | Mark Davis | Online marketing and digital platforms |
| Jun | Mark Davis | How to self-publish |
| Jul | George Pintar | How to market your book |
| Aug | Karen Ray | How to write a memoir |
| Sep | Efrem Carrasco | How to develop characters |
| Oct | Efrem Carrasco | Tips for authors |
| Nov | No seminar (Thanksgiving) | |
| Dev | No seminar (Christmas and book signing) |
Navajo Tainted Beliefs by George Pintar is culmination of a yearlong project to learn the similarities and differences between the Bible and Navajo stories regarding the creation of the earth and mankind. Pintar’s fictional characters Chile Charlie and Dolly Sweet Thompson interview both Navajo Shamans and clergymen to obtain the facts about the written and oral stories. These are enticing and creative side-by-side comparisons. They are well-written and easy to understand. Here is a description of a shaman: “Blue Rope wore an authentic Kachina outfit. His face was covered with a mask, and his eyes hid behind the darkness of the mask. Under his right feather-winged hand, he carried a small gourd bucket.” Another is “Next, he created man from dust and woman from man’s rib. God did not think man should live alone. But in Navajo stories, the sun had the sole power to communicate, which was a big difference in the creation stories. One of the most striking is that a woman is made with a man in the Navajo version. They were made under the same buckskin simultaneously.
You may laugh, you may cry, and you may wonder why as you read Navajo Tainted Beliefs. Now available on Amazon Books.…
LCW’s Bob Worthington’s newest book, The Making of an Army Psychologist, is now available for pre-order from McFarland Press. Here’s a synopsis:
In the early 1970s the U.S. Army was undergoing seismic changes. The Vietnam War had ended, almost 600 American POWs were released by North Vietnam, the draft was terminated and the Army itself was in dismal shape. A decorated former infantryman turned behavioral scientist, Bob Worthington returned to active duty as a clinician and served as a senior psychology consultant, helping the Army remain an effective fighting force. His insightful memoir describes his pioneering research in PTSD, the managing of a clinical service and mental health center, his work focusing on pilots and aviators, and a stint as a sports psychologist for the U.S. Olympics.…
AGENDA FOR LCW
April 14, 2022 MEETING
MEETING START TIME 1:30
AT GOOD SAMS
REMINDER: MASKS ARE STILL REQUIRED, AND NAME TAGS PREFERRED
► Administrator Worthington will call the meeting to order.
► Membership vote on adopting By-Laws
► Tanya Dawson will present her experience of the Tucson Book Festival
► Two members will present their verbal Bio to the membership.
► Two Outstanding Service Awards will be presented.
► Bob Worthington’s Seminar Report and update.
► A call for a willingness to share expertise
► Mark Davis will provide a Website Update
► Breakout Session “Writing Tips: How writing articles sells books” led by Bob Worthington
► Breakout Session “Marketing Ideas” directed by George Pintar
► Reconvening Art Room for any additional announcements.
THE NEXT MEMBERSHIP MEETING WILL BE ON May 12, 2022, AT 1:30 AT GOOD SAMS.…
Pair up across generations to write something new and beautiful in the Generations Community Writing Project. Learn more in the Las Cruces Bulletin. Because writers can learn together.
LCW’s own Efrem Carrasco will host a seminar on Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 2:00 pm – 4:00pm.
The goal of all writers is to continuously improve their writing
Before you submit your manuscript to the publisher, you want to make sure your work is concise, tight, structurally and grammatically correct, and meets the three criteria—Flow, Clarity, and Understandability.
This class is designed for writers of all skill levels who wish to advance to the next level.
Who Should Take This Class?
You Will Learn:
Efrem Carrasco, Instructor
Only 15 seats available.
This is a stress-free class. It’s neither a Workshop nor an English Grammar class.
REQUIREMENTS: Bring Paper and Pen—for notes and practice writing.
LOCATION: Good Sam, Building E, 3045 Buena Vida Circle
…
