Writing to Please Yourself

A couple weeks ago, I was delighted to be the keynote speaker for the June meeting of the Ventura County Writers Club. I had an absolutely wonderful time and met so many fun, friendly, creative and driven people! I focused my talk on "writing to please yourself," which was inspired by a piece of advice I received from novelist Elizabeth Berg, who I met a few years back at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. My brother Greg was kind enough to record the first part of my talk, so now I can share it with you! Please spread the link to anyone you think would enjoy it!

To the Class of 2011: Follow Your Dreams, No Matter What!

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking to students at Lillian Larsen Elementary School in San Miguel, California. My wonderful boyfriend was sweet enough to come along and pose as my "publicist" (as the students called him) and film part of my talk, which you can watch on YouTube via the link below.

Teacher Carolyn Loughridge sent me a very nice note afterwards, writing:

Thank you for taking time to share your passion with children who truly need it the most. After talking with the other teachers, the only way we can describe how our students reacted was magical. I have never seen so many students here take pride in what they have written. I sincerely hope you find time next school year to pay us a visit.


I'd love to visit your school, club or community group! Schedule a talk by emailing me at dallaswoodburn@aol.com. Read more testimonials here.

Guest Speaker at Ventura County Writer's Club Meeting

One of my favorite parts of being a writer is getting to interact with other writers -- whether it is at a writers conference, book festival, or club meeting. I have been a member of the marvelous Ventura County Writers Club since I was in middle school, and was delighted when they invited me to share the story of my writing journey as guest speaker at their meeting last Tuesday night. They were such a welcoming and attentive audience -- some people took notes, others nodded at my talking points, and many even chuckled at my attempts at humor. :)

I loved being able to chat with members of the Ventura County Writers Club after my talk. To be sure, one disadvantage about writing being such a solitary endeavor is that it is easy to feel very alone, especially when dealing with an especially tough case of writer's block or a disappointing rejection letter. Which is why it is so important to have writer friends -- people to turn to for support and encouragement, who have been in your shoes and understand, indeed who are likely going through the very same thing themselves.

Looking to meet more writing friends? Find a local writing club in your area -- libraries and bookstores are great places to check out for possible club meetings. Search online for critique groups. Join an online writing community like http://www.absolutewrite.com, http://writersontherise.com, or my own http://www.zest.net.writeon. Subscribe to writing magazines and online newsletters (to subscribe to my Write On newsletter, simply drop me a line at dallaswoodburn@aol.com.)

And, of course, if you are looking to meet other writers, go to talks by authors at local bookstores, libraries, or events. Many newspapers list "Literary Happenings" and bookstores print up calendars of events. This is a terrific way to not only gain advice and inspiration for your own writing endeavors, but also to meet other writing and reading enthusiasts. And think of it as good karma for when you embark on your own book talk tour!



Thanks again to Lisa Baretto, Greg Elliot, and the Ventura County Writers Club for having me as a speaker!