Jul 21

Meeting July 17: Publication News

At the meeting were six attendees: Tim, Kook-Wha, Jon, Claire, K.L., and John. We did feedback rounds for two submissions.

Jon’s piece was the setting for a story about climbing a mountain in the North-East of the US. It was a foreshadowing of a more difficult climb of the same mountain a year later. We explored the balance of details and context with setting the scene for the dangerous and dramatic climb up and the return.

The second piece was by John. It was an opening to a story about hunting vampires. The group talked about how word choice helped to elevate a sense of tension and horror. There were areas to improve, which the group provided helpful details.

The author, K.L. Baxton shared a copy of her physical book, The Book Witch, that recently launched on Amazon. The reviews are positive for this engaging book. She is working on social media marketing to improve its reach.

The Book Witch by K.L. Baxton

Lastly, the group began conversations about the focus of the next anthology. There was consensus to identify one to two themes to incorporate as the focus of our next anthology. Lots of ideas were shared. We are hoping to decide by the end of our meeting in the third week of August. Check in then 🙂

Jul 16

Meeting July 2: Anthology Publication

Re-Collections: A Deadwood Writers’ Group Anthology Series book 1 is live on Amazon. This is the group’s first anthology, which is a collection of stories, articles, and memoires. They went through a rigorous editing review to be in their best polished format. There is something for everyone. Our goal for future anthologies is to experiment with different themes and topics. Try it out. If you enjoy at least one story, please give us a 5 star review 🙂

Book cover of Re-Collections: A Deadwood Writers' Group Anthology

During the meeting we discussed different marketing plans. Getting reviews posted on Amazon was one important step. Another was setting up this kindle version as part of the Amazon program. This means that if you have Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited subscription you can get this book for free. Or, as of this publication, you can purchase a copy for $1. Proceeds go to supporting the group, such as this website.

Jun 10

Meeting June 4: The Art of Feedback

Meeting Minutes by Claire Murray:

The Deadwood Writers’ Group met tonight, June 5, at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Livonia. It was a good meeting!

Feedback Sessions

We had two pieces of writing to review. One was by Tim Franklyn and the other by Claire Murray.

The feedback for Tim Franklyn’s piece focused on whether or not we noticed any foreboding in the story as well as what did we see as suspenseful? We also talked about what genre we thought his piece would fit in.

The focus of the feedback for Claire Murray’s story focused on whether the readers found the story interesting. And, what could be done to make the story more interesting? Also, would the people giving feedback like to hear more? If so, would they prefer it in story form or as an essay?

After the feedback session, the meeting was adjourned.

Takeaways

Note by John McCarthy:

Giving feedback at the Deadwood Writers’ meeting is a process that is honed and polished from over 23 years of practice. Sessions begin with the author sharing up to 3 areas that they would like feedback from the group. Each area or goal must be specific. For example, instead of saying, “Give me feedback about anything in the draft,” they can ask, “Did you notice any foreboding in the story? If so, please share references. Also share how any spaces where ‘foreboding’ could be improved?”

By asking for feedback in specific areas of the draft, the author sets the focus. This enables readers to hone in on up to 3 specific areas, leading to a rich conversation.

While the group dialogs about the draft, the author remains silent and takes notes. This is a fishbowl where the group talks inside the bowl and the author is on the outside as a spectator.

Finally, the author joins the group to reflect about the feedback. The focus is on what they took away, not on justifying decisions that the readers critiqued. Sometimes more topics for feedback arise that the author asks for during this post-feedback conversations.

Join us for the experience. See what you think.

Next Meeting Information

Wednesday, June 18, 2025
at 7:00 pm in the Cafe
Barnes and Noble in Livonia, MI (map)
17111 Haggerty Rd., Northville, MI 48168

Looking forward to seeing everyone then!

May 29

Meeting May 21: Unpacking Meaning

Feedback Sessions

We had five submissions to review. We discussed three of the submissions and will dialogue about the other two at the next meeting. The first two talked about were both by Richard — Coward and Bonamoki. Coward was a short piece packed with drama and tragedy as it told the story about the emotional journey of Raul. The emotional ride kept everyone engaged. Due to it’s short length, meaning through spare use of words was important to the telling. The group shared questions about author decisions about descriptions and omissions for such a compact story.

Point of view was another area of conversation. Participants wondered how readers would react to the story if it were told in first person instead of third person. Would the emotional charge be stronger? As always, it’s the author’s decision as to what to experiment and explore with their writing.

Bonamoki is a longer piece that tells the story of Joe, an older man who recently retired, or perhaps semi-retired. He reminisces about his life, both past and present touched several topics about life that people of different generations could relate to and think about from where they stand. Some topics included one’s inherent value once retired with much work experience, value of one’s time, and engaging with grand children. Richard takes an interesting approach of telling the story through Joe’s reflections about his life, it’s meaning, and purpose.

The next draft came from John, who wrote an article, PfISD Esports Program Promotes Student Engagement and Career Skills. The article was for educators and their local community to explore the benefits of esports for students. PfISD is a school district in Austin, Texas that John worked with, and wanted to highlight what they were doing. The group thought that it met it’s intended audience. However, there were several areas for opportunities to expand on the ideas. For example, the original document included a bulleted list of beneifts:

  1. Social Connections
  2. Club and Team Leadership
  3. Casual Competitions through Intramurals
  4. Serious Competitive Play between Schools
  5. Early Marketing and Production Experiences

The group asked for more information about how these points connected with the article focus. Based on their feedback, John added more explanation for each in the final article version.

The blog post is now live on his website and via LinkedIn.

Takeaways

Meaning takes on many different styles and structures. While details are important for fleshing out a piece, word choice and point of view amplify meaning. Having a target audience in mind effects our choice of phrasing, examples, statements, and from what point of view. The three pieces were each different in style and application of these ideas. All succeeded with their intension. Being mindful of the shape and use of words and phrased based on point of view is important to consider in any form of written, recorded, or verbal communication.

Invitation to Write

For the next meeting, each person will bring at least one page of writing on any topic or genre that they choose. Perhaps consider your audience when you write to make you’re own meaning.

Next Meeting Information:

June 4, 2025
Barnes and Noble in Livonia, MI (map)
17111 Haggerty Rd., Northville, MI 48168

May 11

Meeting May 7: Show Don’t Tell and Book Launch

Member Updates:

The Book Witch: An Urban Fantasy Coming-of-Age Novel, written by K.L. Baxton from our group, is published and available on Amazon. Over part of 2024 and 2025, the group read and discussed the chapters as they were shared. The compelling storytelling led to praise and spirited conversations about author craft ideas. Finally, the book is available for purchase so that the wider audience can enjoy what the Deadwood Writers experienced. Already, the reviews are promising for the novel. Congrats!

Feedback Sessions:

We had two drafts to discuss. Because one writer was not able to attend, we had an engaging conversation about author’s craft regarding Tim’s piece. His story was an action thriller with traces of humor revolving around a man, haunted by choices he made in the past. When he opens his door, the bill may have come due.

Based on Tim’s direction, the focus of our conversation dealt with the concept of “show, don’t tell.” He explored theme, imagery, and word choice in several places of the story to present the main character without directly telling the audience what’s what. For the most part, he nailed it. There were some side bar conversations about the ending of the story, as a cliffhanger or the ultimate show don’t tell mystery, when the final scene shows the main character with the villain pointing a gun at him. However, on the main focus, there were rich moments in the story that the group delved into for conversation about the use of craft. One example that was compelling to me is the poignant memories of his father’s voice from the past juxtaposed with the theme: what does it mean to be a hero? The approach was thoughtfully crafted without heavy handed messaging.

Takeaways:

Stories are created in many ways. One approach is what I call triangulation of ideas. For example, a writer has a character in mind, a situation, and a theme. That combo could be the start of a story. This is not a new idea, but remains relevant. It is a way to get started composing.

What if the triangulation of ideas was combined or enhanced with a classic story premise? For example, there are many books that use the premise of characters thrown into a battle royale.  A group goes into the arena, but only one comes out alive. For example: The Squid Games (show), The Hunger Games (novel), Battle Royale (manga), Lord of the Flies (novel), gladiatorial battles (Roman history). Each holds the same premise, yet stand on their own with different characters, situations, settings, and motivations. However, all are remembered by a fan base.

Invitation to Write

For the next meeting, each person will bring at least one page of writing on any topic or genre that they choose. Consider trying the triangulation approach based on a classic premise.

Or not 😉

Join us

Next meeting: May 14 at BN

We meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. 

Time: 7pm up to 9pm
Location: 
Barnes and Noble in Livonia MI (Map) in the Spring/Summer/Fall
Virtual meetings in the Winter