Beginnings are the hardest part of writing. Alice will share some suggestions and tips on how and where to start your book.
May Meeting-Where is the beginning? And how to find it with Alice Brock
Have you ever sat with your fingers hovering over the keyboard, staring at a blank, terrifying
white screen? All your wonderful ideas for a gripping first line have vacated the premises. So, you type the title. Then…nothing.
Alice Brock has had many beginnings torn to shred but developed a tough hide and learned a few things. In this meeting, Alice will share some suggestions and tips on how and where to start your book.
About Our Speaker
Alice V. Brock, from the Brazos Valley area of Central Texas, is a Western fiction writer of mid-grade novels. Her three novels have won or placed for the Western Fictioneer’s Peacemaker Award and the Will Rogers Medallion Award.
Alice bases her writing success on the skills she learned through the numerous workshops and seminars she has attended over the years. The willingness of others to share their experiences and knowledge inspired her to do the same.
As a retired teacher of 34 years, she shares knowledge naturally and willingly. She not only
writes about Western life but also lives it. She and her son operate a ranch East of Bryan/College Station. She taught second grade in a rural community, and the cowboys and cowgirls that galloped through her second-grade classroom are the inspiration for her characters.
General Meeting Information
Our meetings are free and open to the public. We encourage you to invite members of the Brazos Valley writing community to join us!
Our regional meetings feature guest speakers sharing writing and illustration tips as well as industry news and social time for members to meet and network. Meetings are preceded by a gentle critique (see below). Meetings are streamed via Zoom and available for replay. Login details and replay links are available on each meeting's event page.
Meeting times:
Last Wednesday of each month (minus July, Nov & Dec)
10 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Critique Group (learn more here)
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Guest speaker/featured activity
12:30 p.m. - Social time followed by lunch at a local restaurant (meal not covered by SCBWI)
Location:
The Arts Center of Brazos Valley, 4180 Hwy 6 South, College Station, TX 77845.
Zoom link in our newsletter & under My Events in your SCBWI profile once you register.
Critique Group info:
Critique groups are a fantastic way to take your work to the next level, no matter where you´re starting. Come join us and improve your craft under the gentle guidance of our critique group coordinator, Kathryn LeRoy. Please bring a few copies of your work in progress to share. If you do not have anything to work on, you are still free to join in! For information on how to deliver and receive critique, be sure to check out the Essential Guide to Publishing for Children.
Want to be a guest speaker?
If you’re passionate about a specific kid-lit-related topic, feel free to pitch it to us! Guests can present in person or via Zoom and receive $50 compensation as well as lunch after our meeting. Presentations take place on the last Wednesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and can be in the format of workshops, interviews, slideshows… you name it! Pitch us your ideas at [email protected].