IN THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER
BRINGING OUR MEMBERS TO THE FOREGROUND
GET TO KNOW YOUR ORGANIZERS
Katina is a French Canadian freelance writer, translator, and the organizer of Atlanta Writes. In 2012, she inherited the group (formerly known as 10 Days Before…) from previous organizers and has kept it going with the help of other dedicated members who’ve joined the AW team.
She is published on WritersDigest.com, WriterUnboxed.com, and in Vinings Lifestyle Magazine. Her current interests in creative writing revolve around short stories, flash fiction, and fast-paced writing contests.
Terra has written for humorous websites, professional blogs and has been a ghostwriter for CEO’s of several technology companies. She recently served as the Director of Awards for the Georgia chapter of Romance Writers of America, and she volunteers regularly at the Atlanta Writers Conference.
Her unpublished novel, Cutting Chords, is already a 2019 Maggie Award finalist, and winner of the 2018 Fool for Love contest.
Beyond the pen, Terra is a coffee addict and an inactive activewear wearer.
Mary has been hosting the Thursday critique sessions since 2015. She loves getting to know local Atlanta writers and hearing their stories (fact or fiction). She’s been published in Deep South Magazine and has had a short play produced at the Atlanta Cuban Club (thanks to the wonderful talent behind Merely Players Presents). She’s currently working on achieving her 2019 New Year’s Resolution — finish the stinkin’ novel before the end of the year!
DeShawn is a novelist, avid traveler, and a little bit of a daredevil. She began her writing career in 2010 and continued to build a career as a freelance writer, going on to publish several works including, novels, short stories, and a series of children’s books. Her most recent adventure has landed her in Sydney, Australia where she continues to host meetings under Atlanta Writes and while continuing to pen stories colored by her travels.
ADDITIONAL EVENT ORGANIZERS
Lee enjoys meeting others with a shared interest in writing. She knows that in order to become a better writer, one has to write; so with this in mind she hosts Write-In sessions every Sunday morning. Join her once a week to make progress on your current work, or create something new based on the writing prompts we provide. Click here to view our calendar of events and RSVP for the next Write-In.
Amber loves the Atlanta literary scene and wants writers to draw inspiration from the many events happening locally. From stand up comedy to the showdown at Write Club, if Amber posted it to the Meetup Calendar, it’s worth checking out!
Marc is a tabletop role-playing game enthusiast who knows firsthand how much writing goes into putting a campaign together. He is inviting old-school dungeon masters and new school game masters to join him for round table discussions and writing sessions. Click here for more info.
A MESSAGE FROM KATINA
Hello to all,
This newsletter is long overdue!
Last year was a pretty difficult year for a lot of us and, for some in particular, those difficulties continue even into this year. However, it seems that brighter times are ahead, and we’re excited to continue our mission of supporting you in the literary arts.
For those that have lost loved ones over the course of this pandemic, my heart goes out to you. I’ve worried about family members who were hospitalized, but made it through, and have also said goodbye to people I wish I could see again.
For what it’s worth, you are still here, still standing and still capable of expressing your love, your pain, and your creativity through your writing.
Atlanta Writes wants to keep the fire burning in you. Here is how we intend to do that…
BRINGING OUR MEMBERS TO THE FOREGROUND
A few years back, we rolled out a plan to expand AtlantaWrites.com in three phases. We’re excited to announce that the second phase is upon us; we’re launching the AW blog!
We’re looking to publish articles written by our members covering topics related to writing, publishing, and more. Our goal is to create a platform that gives members greater visibility and, perhaps, their first writing credits.
So far, we have a few articles in the pipeline already, and we’re looking for more. If you’re interested in writing for AtlantaWrites.com, please read our submission guidelines and consider the following tips:
- Get creative! Find those angles on common topics that no one else is covering.
- Incorporate your art, photography, or anything that will make your content stand out.
- If you’re not ready to write, no worries. We invite you to use the suggestion box and write “Article Idea” in the subject field to propose topics we could cover in the blog. We want to write articles that are of value to you!
- New blog articles are scheduled for publication every Wednesday.
- New writing prompts will continue to be published every Friday.
- As we receive more submissions, the frequency at which we publish new articles may increase.
SOCIAL MEDIA
We’ve finally created social media accounts for Atlanta Writes on Twitter and Instagram. I know, we’re late to the game, but we’re on the field now and looking to make up ground. We would love to connect with each of you! Be among the first to:
Follow us on Instagram @AtlantaWrites
Follow us on Twitter @Atlanta_Writes
We also have a Facebook group where we share some of the latest news on writing and publishing. Join our Facebook Group today!
IN-PERSON MEETINGS
Now that vaccines are available to everyone, we feel comfortable initiating in-person meetings. We’ve scheduled our first in-person critique sessions for Thursday, July 15, 2021 (new location), and Saturday, July 17, 2021 (new time). Check our calendar of events for all the specifics.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
- Gov. Kemp has lifted the mask mandate and social distancing requirements, but local restaurants and bars are still free to implement safety measures as they see fit. This includes requiring both staff and patrons to wear masks and limiting access to their venues.
- Not everyone wants to be vaccinated and, given the new mandate regarding masks, no one is obligated to wear a mask. Please do not attend any of the in-person meetings if you’re not comfortable being around members who may not be vaccinated or who do not wear masks. We will continue to host online virtual meetings for anyone who is not ready to meet in person under the current circumstances
Many venues have changed their physical setup to comply with the safety measures required for serving the public. As a result, there are probably more outdoor spaces where we can meet. If you know of a nice place for writers to gather, please send us a tip via the suggestion box.
STILL ON THE HORIZON
AW CONTESTS
We are still working quietly behind the scenes to set up future writing contests and events that celebrate the talent in our community.
CLOSING REMARKS
We hope to be an important part of your development as a writer. As always, please reach out to your organizers with any questions, suggestions, or concerns.
Thank you for being a part of Atlanta Writes and contributing to what makes this meetup so special.
Happy reading, happy writing and, above all, keep safe.
About Post Author
Glad to see you’re re-entering the newsletter zone! Also glad to see that in-person meetings will resume. I have a short piece for your next newsletter, if you’re interested. I hope you guys have been doing as well as possible during this lousy time.
Hey Karla,
Yeah, we’re playing the best we can with the cards we’re dealt 🙂
And we’d love to check out your short piece! Send it to submissions@atlantawrites.com.
Looking forward to seeing you some day.