the writing show

CANCELLED! March Writing Show: Making a Scene

This Writing Show has been cancelled due to COVID-19 health concerns.

No matter what you’re writing, you need to understand the building blocks and how they fit together. A series of strong scenes can lead to an engaging larger work. What should your scene accomplish, and how can you get in and get out with the maximum impact? The literary professionals on our stage can help you map out a plan for effective scene building.

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Time: 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Doors open at 6:00; meet & greet 6:00-6:45; program starts at 6:45)

Location: Firehouse Theatre 1609 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA, 23220

Price: $12 – Members; $15 Non-members ($5 for students)

Speakers

Paula Michelle Gillison

Paula Michelle Gillison is a Richmond performance artist and writer. Her work has been published by The Billie Holiday Theater & YHMAB. She’s a member of The Writer’s Den, Tuesday Verses, Slam Richmond and teaches at Life in Ten Minutes. Her blog “For Lack Of Better Words” is read internationally. The author of “Under” and “Parables & The Gold Plated Things,” she is currently completing a book of short stories and a self-help guide entitled So Shall You Slay. (@PGArtistry)

Brandon Lamont Hughes

Brandon Lamont Hughes is a screenwriter/director, cinephile, and Richmond native. He has worked on a variety of local films and commercials, and assists at a local production office. He is currently working on his short film, Angels, about a young Black veteran battling with depression who makes the decision to end his life, until an unexpected interaction changes his perspective. (@brandonlamonthughes)

Lana Krumwiede

Lana Krumwiede began her writing career by creating stories and poems for publications such as Highlights, High Five, Spider, Babybug, The Friend, and Chicken Soup for the Child’s Soul. Her first novel, Freakling (Candlewick, 2012) was named a finalist for SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Member’s Choice Award and an honor book for the International Reading Association’s Intermediate Fiction Award. Freakling was followed by two more novels, Archon (2013) and True Son (2015). Lana is also the author of the picture book Just Itzy (2015) and editor of the anthology River City Secrets: Stories from Richmond (2016). She lives with her husband and daughter in Midlothian and teaches a novel-writing class at Visual Arts Center of Richmond. (@LanaKrumwiede)

Moderator

Rebekah Pierce

A veteran of the armed forces, educator, and prolific writer, Rebekah Pierce is a lover of mystery novels that feature protagonists fighting their personal demons as they save the day. She is the author of two historic fiction novels, Murder on Second Street and The Secret Life of Lucy Bosman. In February 2019, Rebekah released, I Love Me More, her memoir on the freeing power of self-love. (@rebekahpierce)

Brynn Markham / the writing show, Writing Show /

September Writing Show: People Skills For Writers (Path to Publication part 2)

In this second of a two-part series, Path to Publication, learn how to avoid some writer faux pas. What is sure to land you on an agent, editor, publisher’s bad side? Learn about event etiquette, how to meet your public, interact with your audience in person and online, receive tough feedback gracefully, and develop and maintain positive relationships with people who could advance your writing career.

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Time: 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Doors open at 6:00; meet & greet 6:00-6:45; program starts at 6:45)

Location: Firehouse Theatre 1609 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA, 23220

Price: $12 – Members; $15 Non-members ($5 for students)

Speakers

Professor Cristina D. Ramirez, MPA, MSLS, MA is a Library Manager, author, writer, national speaker and presenter and doctoral student in Educational Leadership. She has been teaching, presenting, and speaking on issues of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Libraries and government services for over a decade. She serves on the Board of Directors, Richmond Chapter for the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and is a member of Leadership Metro Richmond, Class 2008 and the Community Trustbuilding Fellowship, Class of 2015. She has previously served on various Board of Directors and Executive roles for Library Associations and local non profits. She spends a month in Spain every year in her family home and has a pit bull named Dolly. @cdramirez1

Erica Bauman represents a wide variety of authors for both children and adults, including acclaimed YA author Andrew Auseon and Broadway performer Tiffany Haas. Erica is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and has worked in the publishing industry for the last seven years. Before coming to Aevitas she worked at Spectrum Literary Agency. Based in New York, Erica is currently focused on representing a wide range of authors across middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction, as well as some select narrative nonfiction projects. She is most interested in novels that straddle the line between literary and commercial, imaginative tales with a speculative twist, fearless storytellers that tackle big ideas and contemporary issues, and working with and supporting marginalized authors and stories that represent the wide range of humanity. @Erica_Bauman

LynDee Walker is the national bestselling author of two crime fiction series featuring strong heroines and \”twisty, absorbing\” mysteries. Her first Nichelle Clarke crime thriller, Front Page Fatality, was a finalist for the Agatha Award for best first novel, and in 2018, she introduced readers to Texas Ranger Faith McClellan in Fear No Truth. Reviews have praised her work as \”well-crafted, compelling, and fast-paced,\” and \”an edge-of-your-seat ride\” with \”a spider web of twists and turns that will keep you reading until the end.\” Before she started writing fiction, LynDee was an award-winning journalist who covered everything from ribbon cuttings to high-level police corruption. Her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the U.S. She’s represented by John Talbot of the Talbot/Fortune Literary Agency and is an active member of Sisters In Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America, serving on the executive board for MWA’s Mid-Atlantic chapter. Aside from books, LynDee loves her family, her readers, travel, and coffee. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is working on her next novel when she\’s not juggling laundry and children\’s sports schedules. You can find her online at www.lyndeewalker.com, and connect with her on Facebook at lyndeewalkerbooks or Twitter @LynDeeWalker.

Moderator

Roben Farzad is the host of public radio’s Full Disclosure and author of the book Hotel Scarface: Where Cocaine Cowboys Partied and Plotted to Control Miami. @RobenFarzad.

JRW is proud to be a part of artoberVA.

Brynn Markham / agents, Audience, Publishing, the writing show /

July 2019 Writing Show: Defining and Finding Your Audience

Teens or tweens? Book clubbers or occasional readers? Gen X or Gen Z? We can help you figure out who your audience is — and understand why that knowledge matters when you’re trying to sell and market your work.

Date: Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Time: 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Doors open at 6:00; meet & greet 6:00-6:45; program starts at 6:45)

Location: Firehouse Theatre 1609 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA, 23220

Price: $12 – Members; $15 Non-members ($5 for students)

SPEAKERS

Franklin jin Rho

Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Franklin jin Rho is currently a writer on Pachinko, an Apple TV+ limited series based on the bestselling novel by Min Jin Lee. The child of Catholic Korean immigrants, Franklin found refuge from all of that guilt in a steady diet of the X-Men, auteur-driven arthouse films, and Ultimate Frisbee. A graduate of William and Mary and the American Film Institute, Franklin\’s previous writing credits include The Exorcist and Swamp Thing.

Twitter: @franklinrho

Pam Webber

Pam Webber is author of the bestselling debut Southern novel, The Wiregrass, a Historical Novels Review Editors’ Choice, and Read of the Month at Southern Literary Review. Her second novel, Moon Water, is being released August 20th. An invited panelist for Virginia Festival of the Book, Pam has also published extensively in nursing and is an award-winning educator and family nurse practitioner. She and her husband, Jeff, live in the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

Twitter: @pamwebber1

MODERATOR

Patricia Smith

Patricia Smith is the author of the novel The Year of Needy Girls (Kaylie Jones Books), a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her short fiction has appeared most recently in the Masters Review, and her nonfiction has appeared in several anthologies and literary magazines. Twice nominated for a Pushcart, she has been awarded writing fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA) and the Row-land Writers Retreat. She teaches at the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School in Petersburg, VA.

Twitter: @pattysmith711

JRW is grateful to O\’Hagan Meyer for sponsorship of the July Writing Show.

Brynn Markham / genres, Publishing, the writing show, writing /

June 2019 Writing Show: Building Relationships with Bookstore Owners and Librarians

No one knows the literary scene like bookstore owners and librarians. They can help you connect with an audience, network in publishing, and promote your book — but you have to get to know them first! Are you approaching them the right way? Learn how to build relationships with local bookstore owners and librarians — and how you can support them in turn.

Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Time: 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Doors open at 6:00; meet & greet 6:00-6:45; program starts at 6:45)

Location: Firehouse Theatre 1609 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA, 23220

Price: $12 – Members; $15 Non-members ($5 for students)

SPEAKERS

$\"Kelly$ Kelly Justice bought The Fountain Bookstore in January 2008 after managing it since 2000, and she has been a professional independent bookseller since 1989. Kelly is currently serving a third term on the board of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance and works regularly with the American Booksellers Association serving on various committees and is a regular speaker at bookseller gatherings on topics ranging from brand building to utilizing the newest technologies for bookstores. In 2019 she was awarded a scholarship to the Turin Book Festival where she addressed Italian booksellers on the topic of Amazon\’s effect on the American bookselling market and the potential threats posed by Amazon on international markets in the future. She loves to talk to folks about books, audiobooks, and the book business, food and bev, business and management theory in general (a real geek about that, actually), cats, overproduced action movies, and life. Just ask!

$\"Liz$ Liz Hottel is the Director of Events and Marketing at Politics and Prose Bookstore. In that capacity, she oversees the curation, production, and marketing of over 1000 author events a year. Her background is in television production and writing, including programs for NBC, BBC, Arte, and Travel Channel.

$\"Nancy$ Nancy Buck has been a public librarian for over 35 years with experience in adult literacy, accessibility, and community partnerships. Nancy currently serves as Collection Development Manager for Richmond Public Library.

MODERATOR

$\"Sharvette$ Sharvette Mitchell helps entrepreneurs who struggle with attracting attention and exposure for their brand and who want to build their online platform. In working with Sharvette, her clients generate more revenue and increase brand awareness. She provides web design services, social media consulting and coaching on digital product & course creation. She is the co-author in two books, Mogul In the Making and Get It Done! Design The Business of Your Dreams and the Visionary author for the upcoming release of the anthology, Propel. Lastly, Sharvette hosts her own radio show each Tuesday that airs on iTunes, her mobile app and internet radio. To find out more, visit www.SharvetteMitchell.com. @sharvette

Brynn Markham / marketing, promotion, the writing show, TWS /