Category Archives: Programs

8 Reasons to Come to JRW’s 8th Annual June on the James Soirée

On Thursday, June 6, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., friends and fans of James River Writers will once again gather at Dominion’s beautiful Riverfront Complex, 120 Tredegar Street to celebrate all things literary. We hope you’ll join us!

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Don’t miss the chance to…

1. Rub elbows with famous writers, past and present.

2. Have your fortune told by a literary muse.

3. Bid on unique items in our best-ever silent auction.

4. Enjoy tasty food and beverages.

5. Celebrate the winners of the Emyl Jenkins Award and the finalists of JRW’s Best Unpublished Novel Contest.

6. Watch artist Eugene Vango capture the scene on canvas.

7. Channel your next character with fun costume and photo opportunities by Mara Dovis Photography, and hear the sweet tunes of the Cary Street Ramblers.

8. Feel good knowing you are making JRW’s literary programs possible!

 

Reserve your space today!

 

We extend a special thanks to our event chair, Shann Palmer, and to our Hosts and Sponsors.

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Maya Payne Smart interviews Virginia Pye, author of River of Dust

VirginiaPyeforWeb2Richmond’s own Virginia Pye is the author of River of Dust, to be released on May 14 by Unbridled Books and selected as an Indie Pick for May 2013. Maya Payne Smart interviews her for a glimpse into the discussions JRW will have with Virginia at this month’s Writing Show and our Annual Conference in October.

How did your debut novel arrive on the windswept plains of northwestern China in 1910? Despite the foreign terrain, in what ways were you writing what you know?

My father was born and raised in China as the son of Congregational missionaries in the early twentieth century. I grew up in a household decorated in part with Chinese objects and old, brown-tinged photographs of my grandparents. I have never been to China, but I have an impressionistic sense of the place. Also, I read my grandfather’s journals which document the eerie beauty of that region and some of the customs of the people there. I did some research, but I also relied a lot on my imagination. Apparently, I had a stored up sense of what China felt like at that earlier time.

For years, you approached your writing with great discipline and now you have six manuscripts and many stories and poems to show for it. How did you sustain such motivation over the years and largely on your own? What’s your daily writing routine? How does your short fiction experience inform your novel writing? (more…)

River of Dust: The Gritty Truth About Editing

The Writing Show

Thursday, May 30, 2013
6:30-8:30pm
Children’s Museum of Richmond
2626 W Broad St, ample lot parking

Description

Have you reached the point when you can’t look at your manuscript a moment longer? It may be time for a fresh pair of eyes—and not just anyone’s. But what does working with a professional editor entail, and how will you feel about the result?

The latest in James River Writer’s Writing Show series delves deep into the editing process that resulted in the publication of Virginia Pye’s debut novel. River of Dust, selected as an Indie Next Pick and to be released on May 14, has been hailed by Annie Dillard as “terrific, tremendous, wonderful…a strong, beautiful, deep book.”

Pye, local to Richmond, and her editor, visiting award-winning author Nancy Zafris, a manuscript consultant and series editor for the Flannery O’Connor award for short fiction, will share the details of their successful collaboration. Patty Smith, a short fiction and nonfiction writer and teacher, will moderate the discussion about what had to change and Pye’s 20-year writing journey.


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Writing Show Recap: The Writer Whisperer

How do you respond when the little voice inside your head tells you your writing is awful? This voice, of course, is the same one that—just the night before—assured you a Newberry Award was within reach. What do you do when you can’t stop revising the same sentence? How do you feel when a potential agent rejects your manuscript as “unrealistic”—and he is talking about your autobiography?

Published authors Valley Haggard, Eliezer Sobel and Louise Hawes—with award-winning writer Gigi Amateau serving as moderator—discussed such maddening moments at JRW’s Writing Show on Thursday, April 25 at the Children’s Museum of Richmond. While each of these writers tackles stumbling blocks in a different manner, they all advocate clearing the mind to make way for creativity. The brain is like a rusty faucet, Sobel told the audience. You have to let the brown water run a while before clear liquid can emerge. (more…)

Short Story Structure and Brainstorming with Nancy Zafris

Nancy Zafras for webAward-winning author, series editor for the Flannery O’Connor award for short fiction, and manuscript consultant, Nancy Zafris will offer a fun and challenging workshop examining short story structure and using in-class prompts to generate new work. Over 40 stories written in Nancy’s workshops from her unique prompts have been published in print and online journals, including The Kenyon Review, The Journal, Mid-American Review, StoryQuarterly, and many others.

Friday, May 31
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
2nd floor lobby of The Children’s Theatre of Virginia
1601 Willow Lawn Dr, Richmond, VA
Registration deadline: Friday, May 24

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The Art of the Narrative with David L. Robbins

David Robbins

Best-selling and award-winning author, professor of creative writing, and co-founder of James River Writers and The Podium Foundation, David L. Robbins will conduct a series of eight short fiction workshops weekly for advanced adult writers. The focus will be on craft, self-editing, and the structural components of good storytelling.

Wednesday evenings, June 19–August 7
6:30 p.m.—9:00 p.m.
VCU’s Honors College Building
703 E. Grace St., Richmond, VA
Registration deadline: Wednesday, June 5  (more…)

The Writing Show Recap: Killing Your Darlings: How to Handle Violence in Your Stories

JRW’s March Writing Show presented a panel of authors discussing violence in writing, a topic influenced by the recent school shootings. The panelists included Bill Blume, Howard Owen, Hermine Pinson, and Mary Burton. Moderator Douglas Jones guided an exploration of subjects ranging from audience, accuracy, and what it’s like to kill your characters. During the last part of the show, audience members seized the opportunity to ask their own questions. (more…)

The Writer Whisperer:
Therapeutic Advice for All Manner of Writerly Woes

The Writing Show

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Recap

Pencil by Kathleen Sams Flippen

Description

Are you exhausted by your own mind? Struggling with writer’s block? Dejected by rejection? Do you need encouragement and solutions? Learn from writers who have been there and come out the other side. Join us for this month’s Writing Show for a healthy dose of inspiration on how to cope, from storming through that first draft to facing the publication process.
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Writing Show Recap: Beyond Hollywood

201302WritShow01aFor February’s Writing Show, JRW partnered with the Richmond International Film Festival to present a panel of local and indie filmmakers: Imogene Drummond, Michael Gibrall, Brent Martz, Scott Mathias, and Ron Newcomb. Julie Geen moderated the discussion. Panelists tackled major topics like dialogue, plot and pacing and more film-specific questions about spec vs. shooting scripts. During the second half of the show, attendees had the opportunity to pitch their own script ideas to the panel. (more…)

Killing Your Darlings: How to Handle Violence in Your Stories

The Writing Show

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Recap

Pencil by Sheila Sheppard Lovelady

Description

When it comes to showing violence in your story, how much is too much? Whether you’re writing about a soldier on the battlefield or a shooting at a school, there’s a fine line between showing your reader what’s happening and being insensitive to those who suffer these experiences in the real world. At this month’s Writing Show, we’ll show you how to keep your story exciting without resorting to exploitation.
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