Bell County Writer's Guild
1st Monday of the month
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On June 3 we studied lesson 15. Using Narrative Perspective. We took off for summer break for July to September. In October we concluded with lesson 16. Shaping Your Voice. On November 4 we gave members an opportunity to read and started on lesson 17. Writing the gutter, How not to tell a story.
On May 1 we covered lesson 14. Getting Inside the Heads of your Characters.
On May 1 we covered lesson 14. Getting Inside the Heads of your Characters.
We hope you were able to attend the Friends for the Book and Author Luncheon on February 23. The March 4 meeting was cancelled. April 1, 2019 guest speaker was Charlene Carson. She is an enthusiast of recording history through writing. Her first book was a family history book which focused on her grandparents’ immigration to the United States from Germany and eventually becoming homesteaders in Oklahoma. After she and her husband moved to Salado in 2000, she wrote the history of the First Baptist Church in anticipation of the church’s 140th anniversary in 2004. In 2014, she co-authored an Arcadia book with a friend on the history of Salado. Her newest book, Gristmills of Central Texas, was released in June 2017.This is her second publication with Arcadia. The book has been distributed throughout Central Texas all the way from San Antonio to Fort Worth.
February meeting will feature Lesson 13. Character Psychology. January Lesson 12. was Creating Compelling Characters. December Guild meeting continued with Class Lesson #11. Revealing Characters in Words and Action. November Guild meeting featured Dr. Robert E. Burke on November 5. Class Lesson #10. Putting it All Together continued our Great Course Session.
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Madison Meets Magical Morpho,
During a hike in the Costa Rican rainforest with her parents, Madison is startled by a large, blue butterfly. Her fear progresses to friendship as she finds beauty, magic, and human attributes in the Blue Morpho.
She discovers the butterfly doesnt sing like the brightly colored birds. Hes not scary like the poison dart frogs. Hes not as playful or noisy as the monkeys. He is calm, as he moves mysteriously throughout the rainforest. Madison blends magical thinking and curiosity as she learns a host of facts about butterflies and other rainforest inhabitants in her adventure. |
Dr. Robert E. Burke first book, Photo journey, Baby’s First Year was published in 2013 as a visual aid and advice for new parents. In December, 2016, he published Beyond the Quest to Become a Physician, which is autobiographical with tales providing insight to parenting, perseverance, and pediatrics. Currently he is seeking publication of a children’s picture book, Madison Meets Magical Morpho, a story about a curious, adventurous young child who discovers beauty, magic and human attributes in a butterfly. He is also kept busy by his 11 grandchildren, and his wife Bonnie.
Bob and Bonnie have travelled extensively in their motor home throughout the United States and Canada. They have been to Australia, New Zealand, Cuba, Iceland, and have visited many countries in South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. This fall they will travel to Russia, the South Georgia and Falkland Islands, and Antarctica. Some of their travels have been shared as feature articles in the Life section of the Temple Daily Telegram. He also writes healthcare topics on the Children’s Hospital news column in the TDT, and regularly blogs topics on his website: reburkemd.com.
October meeting will be held the 2nd Monday on October 8 from 6:30-8:30 at the Lena Armstrong Library, Belton TX. We will cover 2 sessions:
Lesson 8. Building Dramatic Sentences
Lesson 9. Rhetorical Devices and Emotional Impact
Bell County Writers Guild will meet September 10 instead of Labor Day.
The Writing Non-Fiction course #5 is on Cliff Hangers & Page Turners!
"The story held my interest from the first line. Anyone with an empathy for WWII survivors should read this short well crafted gem. Felicia represented a triumph in courage. Her daughter in law has done her proud." Denzel Holmes, Western novelist
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Felicia, gifted with her knowledge of European languages, flees with her toddler son from Warsaw as war rages. Her physician husband is sent to the war front as part of the Polish army.
Her neutral haven is soon taken over by Russian military. They arrest her and put her and her son on a cattle car train that ends up in Kazakhstan, Central Asia, at a Russian-run prison camp. After Russia is invaded by Hitler, an amnesty is declared. The prisoners fortunes change for the better. In an astonishing twist, Felicia and her camp friends are all eventually allowed to return to Poland on a fascinating train ride. Concerned about her prospects, she seeks refuge elsewhere, for a time in France and, eventually, in America. About Bell County Writers' Guild member Marjorie Hope
Marjorie Hope grew up in Western New York and graduated from the University of Buffalo in 1965, She worked in the field of public health. Married to Ted who became a physician, she acquired a mother-in-law. Felicia, who was a teller of real-life stories. The book, Stalin's Feisty Guest is about Felicia's life.
Marjorie lives in Central Texas with her husband. They have two grown children. Marjorie is a "people person" who hardly ever meets one she doesn't like. She likes to read and travel. She appreciates art and enjoys touring galleries and museums. |
August 6 speaker will be local author, Carol Wilson, on the 1913 McKinney Store Collapse!
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A powerful vibration, a deafening noise and a swell of thick dust brought residents of McKinney pouring into the public square on the afternoon of January 23, 1913. What they saw was horrifying--an entire building had collapsed, demolishing two popular retailers, the Cheeves Mississippi Store and Tingle Implement Store. Their contents, including many shoppers and clerks, spilled out into the streets, where layer upon layer of debris settled into a massive, ragged pile. In spite of a herculean rescue effort, eight people perished. Carol Wilson sifts through the disaster and its aftermath, dredging up some troubling facts about how the tragedy might have been prevented.
Carol has also published In the Governor's Shadow: The True Story of Ma and Pa Ferguson. In 1915 Governor James Ferguson began his term in Texas bolstered by a wave of voter enthusiasm and legislative cooperation so great that few Texans anticipated anything short of a successful administration. His campaign was based on two key elements: his appeal to the rural constituency and a temporary hiatus from the effects of the continuous Prohibition debate. In reality, Jim Ferguson had shrewdly sold a well-crafted image of himself to Texas voters, carrying into office a bevy of closely guarded secrets about his personal finances, his business acumen, and his relationship with Texas brewers. Those secrets, once unraveled, ultimately led to charges brought against Governor Ferguson via impeachment. Creative Writing Class --- Show, Don't Tell
July 2, 2018 - Juanita Smith will use some of her Professor English Teachers skills to walk us through an exercise on Show, Don't Tell. A Writing Assignment was emailed to the members.
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June 4, 2018 - Guest Speaker --- Nancy Kelsey
Bell County Writers Guild Guest Speaker will be Nancy Kelsey. Over the years, Texas natives Michael and Nancy Kelsey of Belton have collected a wealth of local history and genealogy information. The Kelsey Collection includes books, documents, and photos from numerous sources.
They have published thirteen books. Six of these books focus on the history of Bell County, Texas. They will begin selling their latest book Empresario’s Son: E. S. C. Robertson of Salado in June 2018. Information about each book is available at the Books tab @ http://www.mnkelsey.com
They have published thirteen books. Six of these books focus on the history of Bell County, Texas. They will begin selling their latest book Empresario’s Son: E. S. C. Robertson of Salado in June 2018. Information about each book is available at the Books tab @ http://www.mnkelsey.com
Don't forget the Book and Author Luncheon on February 24, 2018.
Reservations required by 2/20/18.
Creative Writing Classes begin March 5, 2017
Writing Creative Nonfiction Course -
contains 24 lectures 30 minutes each
The Guild will view the first 2 video downloads and will have discussion and feedback afterwards.
1. Welcome to Creative Nonfiction
2. Finding the Story
1. Welcome to Creative Nonfiction
2. Finding the Story
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These 24 lectures by award-winning writing instructor and Professor Tilar J. Mazzeo of Colby College, a New York Times best-selling author, are a chance for you to explore the entire process of writing creative nonfiction, from brainstorming for the perfect idea to getting your final product noticed. Filled with helpful tips and techniques, memorable examples from well-known writers, and engaging exercises, it's a learning experience that proves that—with the right instructor—writing creative nonfiction can be mastered, practiced, and enjoyed by anyone with a desire to share his or her personal story.
“The principals for nonfiction writing are about 95% the same as for fiction writing. We're all going to have a good time in this course,” said supporter Denzel Holmes, guild member and local author of his latest book, LITTLE STONE MOUNTAIN, with its roots in the original novel, “The Horse Thief and the Lady, part of the Mitt Stone series. |
The Great Course on Writing Creative Nonfictions is a series of 24 lectures by award-winning writing instructor and Professor Tilar J. Mazzeo, as listed below:
1. Welcome to Creative Nonfiction
2. Finding the Story 3. Honoring the Nonfiction Contract 4. Writing Great Beginnings 5. Show, Don’t Tell 6. Launching a Narrative Arc 7. Cliff Hangers and Page Turners 8. Building Dramatic Sentences 9. Rhetorical Devices and Emotional Impact 10. Putting it all Together 11 Revealing Characters in Words and Action 12. Creating Compelling Characters 13. Character Psychology 14. Getting Inside the Heads of your Characters 15. Using Narrative Perspective 16. Shaping Your Voice 17. Writing the gutter, How not to tell a story 18. Dialogue Strategies in Creative Nonfiction 19. Researching Creative Nonfiction 20. How to not have People Hate You 21. Revising Your Work 22. Building Your Audience 23. Getting Published 24. Being a Writer |
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Local author James L. Hatch's latest book called Ordinary People; Extraordinary Lives will be presented on December 4th. The book is about two local people, one who taught at Temple College for 25 years and one who became mayor of Bartlett. Their stories are a snapshot of the best of America.
Ordinary People; Extraordinary Lives chronicles the struggles of Harold Whittington and his brother, Otto, from birth through the Great Depression and on to WW II. Otto joined the Army and subsequently endured the surrender of Bataan and the Bataan Death March. During Otto’s 3.5 years as a Japanese POW, he was a slave conscript for building roads in the Philippines. Few POWs survived that duty. Later, after a harrowing trip from the Philippines to Japan on a “Death Ship,” Otto was a slave in the Japanese steel mills. Somehow Otto survived two near beheadings, beriberi, malnutrition, malaria, and torture—and twice the steel mills where he labored were targeted for nuclear destruction. Otto could hear the B-29 circling overhead; only the weather spared him. While Otto struggled through severe torture and sickness, Harold joined the Navy and searched for Otto throughout the Pacific theater whenever his supply ship put into port. After the second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Otto escaped the POW camp and made his way to a small POW collection point outside Manila. His exit from Japan was also remarkable because the aircraft just ahead of his exploded about 100 feet off the end of the runway. Harold subsequently located his brother in Manila, although, after years of torture, Otto did not recognize him. |
Harold and Otto returned to the USA after the war. Otto became an attorney and Harold became a professor of sociology at Temple Junior College. The incredible lives of these men, fraught with daunting labor, terror, and pain, serves as a poignant example of why they, and others like them, are called “The Greatest Generation.”
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Mobley Family History
On November 7, 2017 Shirley Mobley presented "Historical context through the eyes of the Mobley family history." This topic included a brief Genealogical History of Eleazer Eldridge Mobley, an oratorical speech from an inaugural address compared to an oratorical speech by Comrade E. Mobley, delivered as an Address in Atlanta, at an Annual Reunion of Old Newnan Guards, August 9, 1895. Shirley expanded upon this with current historical context in Texas, Bell County, and Belton TX. at 254-231-1843.
Turning Your Scars Into Stars
Bell County Writers Guild Guest Speaker Dr. Sue Hamby is scheduled for 6:30-8:30 on October 2 at the Lena Armstrong Library in Belton. The Dr. is retired from Dept of Veterans Affairs and has a degrees in Nursing, Psychology, Counseling, & PhD-Texas A&M.. She is co-author of two books, "Road to Success" and "Globetrotting 101" and author of “Turning Your Scars Into Stars.”
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The death of a child at any age, shatters the parent’s heart and causes a complicated grief which never goes away. Dr. Sue Hamby found the murdered body of her only child, Russ, on March 21, 2013, and started on a difficult and painful grief journey. She realized she would never get over the death of her child but had to learn to absorb the loss into her life until it became a part of who she was. Because of her faith in God, her mourning was eventually transformed into joy and her scars became stars. In her book, she touches the depths of your heart and soul by sharing her traumatic grief journey and how her painful scars of grief, bitterness, and brokenness were turned into stars for God’s glory. Her story offers hope and healing to those who are struggling with grief and learning how to navigate the grief journey, using God as their GPS.
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Sirena the Indian Mermaid was cancelled and will be reschedule at a later time..
Guest Speaker for September 4, 2017 is Dr. Robert E. Burke,
author Beyond the Quest to Become a Physician
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Guest speaker is Dr. Robert E Burke. Before retiring as Vice Chairman of Pediatrics at Scott & White at the end of 2014, Dr. Robert E. Burke first book, Photo journey, Baby’s First Year was published in 2013 as a visual aid and advice for new parents. In December, 2016, he published Beyond the Quest to Become a Physician, which is autobiographical with tales providing insight to parenting, perseverance, and pediatrics. Currently he is seeking publication of a children’s picture book, Madison Meets Magical Morpho, a story about a curious, adventurous young child who discovers beauty, magic and human attributes in a butterfly.
Bob writes healthcare topics on the Children’s Hospital news column in the Temple Daily Telegram, and regularly blogs topics on his website: reburkemd.com. Some of their travels have been shared as feature articles in the Life section of the Temple Daily Telegram. Bob and his wife Bonnie have travelled extensively throughout the United States and Canada. They have been to Australia, New Zealand, Cuba, Iceland, and have visited many countries in South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. This fall they will travel to Russia, the South Georgia and Falkland Islands, and Antarctica. He is also kept busy by his 11 grandchildren, and his wife Bonnie. |
Employed at Scott &White from 1985 to 1989, Bob returned to PA to work with the Geisinger Healthcare System as a solo pediatrician in a rural community, Philipsburg, for almost a decade. He re-joined in 1998, treating patients, teaching students and residents, and serving many administrative roles.
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Guest Speaker for August 7, 2017 is the Wolfman, Wally Montgomery.
Myths and misinformation keep the imaginary “big bad wolf” alive, polarized, and politicized. No animal has ever been so falsely vilified and unjustly persecuted as the wolf. All are invited to Waldo Montgomery’s presentation, The Wolves of Yellowstone—A Visual Journey in Search of These Iconic Animals.
Waldo, better known to family and friends as “Wally,” is a retired Army officer, a retired staff member of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, the author of several published works of fiction, and an advocate for America’s endangered wolves. Wally spends considerable time writing Letters to the Editor of various Texas newspapers promoting truth and understanding about wolves, encouraging coexistence, and inspiring people to take action to protect these amazing animals.
Wally and his wife, Bunnie, attended Wolf Week in April at Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, MT hosted by National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. Wolf Week offered a unique opportunity for Wally. He met and heard presentations by authors and Emmy Award film producers Jim and Jamie Dutcher, world-renowned Yellowstone wolf biologist, Doug Smith, and other well-known Yellowstone wolf experts.
In recent years, Wally has supported the reintroduction and continued protection of wolves throughout the United States. In 2013, Wally testified in support of wolves at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Public Hearings held in Denver, CO and Albuquerque, NM. At least twice a year, he makes a pilgrimage to Yellowstone National Park to view and film wolves in the wild. For the past four years he has represented “Living with Wolves,” a national non-profit wolf advocacy organization, in the Belton July 4th parade. As a boy, Wally lived in northern Manitoba, near the small town of Churchill on the Hudson Bay. Today, Churchill is heralded as The Polar Bear Capital of the World; however, it was wolves, not polar bears, which fascinated him and ultimately became his passion.
Waldo, better known to family and friends as “Wally,” is a retired Army officer, a retired staff member of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, the author of several published works of fiction, and an advocate for America’s endangered wolves. Wally spends considerable time writing Letters to the Editor of various Texas newspapers promoting truth and understanding about wolves, encouraging coexistence, and inspiring people to take action to protect these amazing animals.
Wally and his wife, Bunnie, attended Wolf Week in April at Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, MT hosted by National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. Wolf Week offered a unique opportunity for Wally. He met and heard presentations by authors and Emmy Award film producers Jim and Jamie Dutcher, world-renowned Yellowstone wolf biologist, Doug Smith, and other well-known Yellowstone wolf experts.
In recent years, Wally has supported the reintroduction and continued protection of wolves throughout the United States. In 2013, Wally testified in support of wolves at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Public Hearings held in Denver, CO and Albuquerque, NM. At least twice a year, he makes a pilgrimage to Yellowstone National Park to view and film wolves in the wild. For the past four years he has represented “Living with Wolves,” a national non-profit wolf advocacy organization, in the Belton July 4th parade. As a boy, Wally lived in northern Manitoba, near the small town of Churchill on the Hudson Bay. Today, Churchill is heralded as The Polar Bear Capital of the World; however, it was wolves, not polar bears, which fascinated him and ultimately became his passion.
Guest Speaker Denzel Holmes to present at the Bell County Writers Guild July 3, 2017
Denzel’s list of novels includes the Mitt Stone series of five: Horse Thief; Last Race Sunday; Big Cypress; Concho; and Phantom Herd. This year Denzel dared to try something different. He wrote A modern day adventure/mystery, which he entitled LITTLE STONE MOUNTAIN. Like the Mitt Stone series, its roots are in the original novel, “The Horse Thief and the Lady.” A scene in “Horse Thief” has Mitt Stone dropping off two thousand dollars in gold coins at the family ranch out of Uvalde TX. The family is to hide the money to protect them from the hardships to come during the Civil War. Nothing else is said about the gold for 153 years. And now, the last surviving possible heir to the fortune learns that the coins may still be there, thirty miles from his home.Denzel will talk about his new novel but also bring us up to date on his experiences on the road selling his novels.
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Denzel Holmes retired from Federal Civilian Service in Temple twenty years ago and went to work on his dream of writing. His rural background from tiny Sheffield, Texas, near the Pecos River naturally led him into a love of Western fiction. The first novel he drafted was eventually published as “The Horse Thief and the Lady.” It became the flagship novel for five more books, which he calls his “Mitt Stone Series.” He was inspired to write “Horse Thief” based on tales handed down to him by his father who was raised by Denzel’s great grandfather, Mitt Holmes. The name “Mitt Stone” was used to appeal to publishers who didn’t want to publish a book of “family memoires.”Before “Horse Thief” found a home, Denzel met up with a man who wanted to co-author a novel about the German immigration to Texas in the mid-1800’s. As a result, their joint effort, TEXAS VICTORY, was published before “The Horse Thief and the Lady,” but was written later. See http://www.denzelholmes.com
Why Your Story Matters
Bell County Writers Guild Spring Open House will be held Monday April 3 6:30-8:30
Thatcher Freund, a journalist and memoir writer, will talk about the importance of stories in our lives both to ourselves and to the culture we live in, and why it matters so much that we preserve them.
Thatcher is a graduate of Stanford University with a B.A. in History, and the Columbia School of Journalism, and was born and raised in Austin. His published work includes The Python Trail, the story of an immigrant’s journey from Cameroon to America, and Objects of Desire: The Lives of Antiques and Those Who Pursue Them, which follows the lives of three pieces of American furniture from their creations in the 18th century to their sales at Sotheby’s 250 years later.
Besides his speaking engagements, Thatcher helps people to write their own memoirs and teaches workshops on memoir writing.
Thatcher is a graduate of Stanford University with a B.A. in History, and the Columbia School of Journalism, and was born and raised in Austin. His published work includes The Python Trail, the story of an immigrant’s journey from Cameroon to America, and Objects of Desire: The Lives of Antiques and Those Who Pursue Them, which follows the lives of three pieces of American furniture from their creations in the 18th century to their sales at Sotheby’s 250 years later.
Besides his speaking engagements, Thatcher helps people to write their own memoirs and teaches workshops on memoir writing.
Guest speaker, Cynthia Bowen, author of Proud Flesh, will speak on her experience as an advocate for special needs children, foster care and adoption.
Set in Galveston and Central Texas, PROUD FLESH is about a baby with life-threatening third-degree burns who was abandoned by his family. State and local agencies were unwilling to help due to the severity of Baby B’s injuries.
From the calm of the Galveston beaches to emergency preparedness for Hurricane Rita, Bowen and Baby B manage to ride the alternating currents of peaceful and drama-filled days, creating a bond that would weather more than they’d ever dreamed.
From the calm of the Galveston beaches to emergency preparedness for Hurricane Rita, Bowen and Baby B manage to ride the alternating currents of peaceful and drama-filled days, creating a bond that would weather more than they’d ever dreamed.
Cynthia Bowen is a writer, poet and former court-appointed advocate volunteer. She devotes her time to advocating for special needs children, foster care and adoption. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, Lawrence. She will be reading and signing books at the Guild meeting.
Karen Gaus to be guest speaker at Bell County Writers Guild November 5th
Bell County Writers Guild will meet on November 5th from 6:30 to 8:30 and is open to the public.
The Guild meets at the Lena Armstrong Library at 301 E 1st Street, Belton, TX.
Karen Gaus will be the guest speaker for the event and is a Temple author.
Karen’s speech is entitled Goals and Strategies for your Writing Career. She will share about her writing journey then give tips and discuss successful techniques for setting goals and strategies for your writing. Based on Karen’s attendance at a large writing conference in Dallas in September, she will also share some of the latest news from successful authors and publishers in the field.
Karen grew up the fifth child in a family of six, attending public school in charming small Texas towns during her youth. Her interest in storytelling began in third grade when her teacher and fellow classmates requested her stories during free time at school. Karen has won several first place and finalist awards in competitions such as in the 2015 Love Inspired Blurb-to-Book contest, 18th Annual Writer’s Digest International, Texas Christian Writers Conference, Austin Manuscript Contest, and Barclay Literary Competition. The slogan for her novels is Escape to a World of Romance and Adventure.
The Guild meets at the Lena Armstrong Library at 301 E 1st Street, Belton, TX.
Karen Gaus will be the guest speaker for the event and is a Temple author.
Karen’s speech is entitled Goals and Strategies for your Writing Career. She will share about her writing journey then give tips and discuss successful techniques for setting goals and strategies for your writing. Based on Karen’s attendance at a large writing conference in Dallas in September, she will also share some of the latest news from successful authors and publishers in the field.
Karen grew up the fifth child in a family of six, attending public school in charming small Texas towns during her youth. Her interest in storytelling began in third grade when her teacher and fellow classmates requested her stories during free time at school. Karen has won several first place and finalist awards in competitions such as in the 2015 Love Inspired Blurb-to-Book contest, 18th Annual Writer’s Digest International, Texas Christian Writers Conference, Austin Manuscript Contest, and Barclay Literary Competition. The slogan for her novels is Escape to a World of Romance and Adventure.
Guest author at the Bell County Writers Guild is Lynn Wooley! The Guild meets every first Thursday at the Lena Armstrong Library 301 E. 1st Belton, TX .Lynn is the Radio Talk Show Host at Lynn Woolley Show and at KTEM News Radio 14 with your Logic Minute, BeLogical and writer of Clear Moral Objectives: Perspectives of a Texas Talk Host, Last Great Days of Radio, The Death of Talk Radio? Lynn Woolley analyzes vital issues of the day through his talk radio program and as a political writer in Central Texas. His biggest concern is that problems within our democracy threaten our very future. In Clear Moral Objectives, he examines the nation’s twelve biggest challenges in clear, logical terms and maps out his proposed remedies for a healthier nation.
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http://www.denzelholmes.comTexas Ranch Roundup
MultiPurpose Events Center, 1000 Fifth St. Wichita Falls, Texas, August 14-15 |
Francis Louis Guy Smith passed from this earth on September 22, 2015.
Guy was a credit to the all writers and will be missed at Bell County Writers Guild! This event was cancelled till further notice! 
Ghosts of Salado's Chisholm Trail
Francis Louis Guy Smith September 26, 2015 7:30 Pm July 2nd meeting of the Bell County Writers Guild at the Lena Armstrong Library in Belton, TX will host Guy Smith. Presentation will be interesting in that he will discuss his experiences with more than twenty Book Covers he has authored. |
