Romance Writers of America - Aloha Chapter, Hawaii

Meetings

"Meet you at Starbucks...
I'll be the one with
writer's block"

Meetings 2012
Aina Haina Library, Honolulu (except for Feb., March, and April)
Second Saturday of each month, 10 a.m. to noon

March 10 - Laureen Kwock, author of 20 books, shares her strategies for plotting a novel and characters in a scene. Bring 20 or more sheets of filler paper for one of the exercises. Time: 10 a.m. to noon. Location: Calvary by the Sea Church and School/Loft Room, 5339 Kalaniana`ole Hwy. Within walking distance from the Aina Haina Library. Across the street on the ocean side about one block down toward Hawaii Kai.
February 11 - "Romancing Your Sweetheart Through Stories and Poem" - Kapolei Library and Aloha Chapter present a Saturday morning talk and reading at Kapolei Library, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Leslee Ellenson,Carol Catanzariti, Winona Prette, Lynde Lakes, and Michael Little will talk about romance in fiction and poetry, and will read excerpts from their published works and works in progress, and invite questions. Visitors welcome!
January 14 - On Saturday morning, January 14 (10 a.m. to noon) at the Aina Haina Library, Aloha Chapter kicks off 2012 with its first monthly meeting. Visitors welcome! Bring your favorite romance novel: tell what is compelling about the story line, the characters, and the writing.

Meetings 2011
Aina Haina Library, Honolulu (except for Feb. and March)
Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon

October 1 - Techie Tips for Writers: Lots of helpful tips on hardware, software, organizing your writing (from draft to final; computer files and folders), backing it up, formatting it to make it comply with standard and special requirements. Make your manuscript look professional. Tips on copy editing your writing. Everything from the "em dash" to headers and footers and pagination and fonts. Share your own tips.
Anybody writing with pen/pencil and yellow pad? Some very successful writers do (they usually have some wonderful person to do their typing). Most of us, however, have embraced the keyboard. What do you use? Desktop, notebook, something new and wonderful? The technology changes about every 10 days. Where do you find free software? You don't have to spend a small fortune anymore for hardware and software! Research is easier these days too. What did we do before the Internet?! Share your favorite Internet sites, from the obvious (wikipedia and dictionary.com) to the more exotic (try googling "exotic" and see what pops up!).
September 10 - Jill Marie Landis visits to discuss her secrets on the elements of craft in her novel Heartbreak Hotel. To get the most out of this session, read the novel and bring it to the meeting.

August 6 - "Sunset Inn: Stories of the North Shore" - continuing with the planning and writing that began on July 9 ... a chance to help plan, brainstorm, and begin writing stories for Aloha Chapter's 2012 anthology. Workshop leaders: Lynde Lakes and Leslee Ellenson.
July 9 - "Sunset Inn: Stories of the North Shore" - a chance to help plan, brainstorm, and begin writing stories for Aloha Chapter's 2012 anthology.

June 18 - "Building Tension" - writers workshop led by Sally Sorenson.

May 7 - "Scene and Sequel" - writers workshop led by Leslee Ellenson.

April 23 - "Reading Aloud" - Craig Howes (UH, Aloha Shorts, and more) and Jo Pruden (Hawaii actress) share their "secrets" for reading aloud.
March 5 - "Humor Workshop" - Pablo's Cantina in Ward Centre: writers workshop led by Michael Little, followed by lunch at Pablo's.

February 5 - "Checking Out Romance" - Kapolei Library and Aloha Chapter present a Saturday morning talk and reading at Kapolei Library, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Sally Sorenson, Winona Prette, Lynde Lakes, Leslee Ellenson, and Michael Little will talk about romance fiction and what we learn from it, and will read excerpts from their published works and works in progress, and invite questions. Visitors welcome!
January 8 - On Saturday morning, January 8 (10 a.m. to noon) at the Aina Haina Library, Aloha Chapter kicks off 2011 with its first monthly meeting. Visitors welcome! We're in for a treat with Mary Lou Sanelli as our guest speaker.

Sanelli has earned a solid reputation in the literary and public-speaking community through a steady commitment to writing and through twenty years of successful public readings and presentations. She is the author of seven poetry collections and a recent book of essays, Falling Awake, selected as "one of the most fabulous 2008 Northwest titles" by Seattle writer/reviewer Lesley Thomas.

Among Friends: A Memoir (Aequitas Books, 2009), was #1 in Non-Fiction in December 2009 in Honolulu (Barnes & Noble). An intelligent voice. An illuminating book. Sanelli is unsparing as she explores the subject of friendship in women’s lives. This is a book of self-discovery...dauntless, smart, funny, beautifully written. "This book came along at just the right time for me." — Vicki Jewel, Honolulu Bookclub

Sanelli is a regular columnist in City Living Magazine for Seattle's Pacific Publishing Newspapers, as well as for Art Access Magazine and The Peninsula Daily News. Her recent essay/columns have appeared on the OP-ED page of the Seattle Times and in the The Seattle Post Intelligencer, as well as in Seattle Metropolitan Magazine.
She is a regular feature on KONP AM, KSER FM, and LadybugLive Radio, and her commentaries have been aired on Weekend Edition, NPR. She presents her staged reading of her book of the same name, The Immigrant's Table, throughout the country.

She also works as a dance instructor and choreographer. This training and performance experience enables her to present with skills that surpass the average author reading. She presents her work at corporate events, theaters, writing conferences & festivals, literary venues, colleges and universities, book clubs, and private events. Welcome, Mary Lou!

Meetings 2010
Aina Haina Library, Honolulu (except for February and March)
Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon

November 6 - Annual Luncheon at the Hale Koa.
October 2 - Writers Workshop: "Sidekicks: Dr. Watson, Captain Hastings, and You" led by Michael Little. This workshop will explore the role of sidekick characters in different fiction genres, from detective fiction to romance fiction (with a few side trips along the way),

This will be a hands-on workshop, with several short writing exercises. We will talk about how sidekick characters exist not only in the classic mysteries of Conan Doyle (Doctor Watson, of course, is Sherlock Holmes' sidekick) and Agatha Christie (Captain Hastings is Hercule Poirot's loyal sidekick), but also in other types of fiction in different centuries.

The role of the sidekick character is not just for humor, although that is often an important part of the job. The sidekick often takes us right into the heart of the story, and for this reason alone this is an important character for all fiction writers to understand, and to create at times in one's own stories.
September 11 - Bob Hogue, author of Sands of Lanikai, speaking on research for fiction writing and researching for Hawaii fiction.
August 7 - University of Hawaii professor Steve Goldsberry speaking on "First Pages: Introducing Your Female Protagonist.” If you would like comments on your writing, please bring 20 copies of a first page of your short story or novel, preferably a first page that introduces your female protagonist.
July 10 - Lisa Linn Kanae, recent winner of the Hawaii Literary Council’s Cades Award for Literature, will speak on how she creates her female characters. Born and raised on O‘ahu, Lisa is the author of Sista Tongue, a memoir/essay that weaves the social history of Hawai‘i Creole English with personal experience; and the critically acclaimed collection of short stories, Islands Linked By Ocean. Her prose and poetry have been published in ‘Oiwi: A Native Hawaiian Journal, Hybolics, Tinfish, Hawai‘i Pacific Review, and Bamboo Ridge Press publications. She teaches composition and literature at Kapi‘olani Community College.
June 5 - Aloha Chapter's June meeting will feature a writers workshop on “Plotting and Brainstorming” led by chapter president and romantic suspense novelist Lynde Lakes.

May 1 - Aloha Chapter returns to the Aina Haina Library on Saturday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to noon, when our guest speaker will be University of Hawaii professor Craig Howes. Craig will be talking about the history of women in fiction, giving us some historical perspective on a subject that will be the topic of other talks and workshops in the coming months.

Craig Howes has been Editor of the journal Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly since 1994, and a faculty member in the Department of English at the University of Hawaii since 1980. He teaches courses in editing, lifewriting, composition, literary theory, and drama. A past President of the Hawaii Literary Arts Council, he currently serves on the boards of Kumu Kahua Theatre and Monkey Waterfall Dance Theatre Company.

Aloha Chapter is delighted to welcome back Craig Howes!
April 3 - Aloha Chapter meets at Kapolei Library on Saturday, April 3, at 10:30 a.m., to welcome New York Times bestselling author and Kauai resident (and long-time Aloha Chapter member) Jill Marie Landis. Jill will be leading a writers workshop on planning a novel and answering questions.

For more about Jill and her new novel Heart of Stone, visit www.jillmarielandis.com, and read Jill’s take on “Make ‘Em Laugh" in the March issue of Words of Paradise. Jill was the featured speaker at the Aloha Chapter luncheon last November. It is always a special treat to welcome Jill to Oahu!

March 6 - On Saturday, March 6, Aloha Chapter will host romantic suspense writer HelenKay Dimon at Hickam AFB. HelenKay is an award-winning author of more than a dozen novels and novellas. Her first single title, Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy, was excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine in August '07 and spotlighted at E! Online. She made Cosmopolitan a second time in December 2009 with her novella "It's Hotter At Christmas" from the Kissing Santa Claus anthology. Her books also have been published by Doubleday Book Club and Rhapsody Book Club and translated into several languages.

To read more about HelenKay Dimon, check out www.helenkaydimon.com, where you’ll discover that after twelve years as a divorce lawyer specializing in unhappy endings, HelenKay now writes romance for a living.

February 6 - Aloha Chapter presents a Saturday morning talk and reading at Kapolei Library, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Lynde Lakes, Leslee Ellenson, and Michael Little will talk about writing first chapters, read excerpts from their published works and works in progress, and invite questions. Visitors welcome!
January 9 - On Saturday morning, January 9 (10 a.m. to noon) at the Aina Haina Library, Aloha Chapter kicks off 2010 with its first monthly meeting. Following a short business meeting, Michael Little, author of Queen of the Rodeo and Chasing Cowboys, will be leading a dialogue workshop on "Rewriting Dialogue." Visitors welcome!

Meetings 2009
Aina Haina Library, Honolulu
Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon

NEW: Flyer with 2009 Schedule

January 10 - “Firing Up Our Muse "
Aloha Chapter’s January meeting will include a Query Letter Contest and a Finish the Book Contest. Also, a chance for all members to read aloud some of their writing.
February 7 - “Reading at Kapolei Library"
Two Cowboys, a Lawyer, and a Poet! Featuring five writers from Aloha Chapter: Carol Catanzariti, Leslee Ellenson, Lynde Lakes, Michael Little, and Madalyn Purchell. Begins at 10:30 a.m.
March 7 - “Writer's Workshop: Finding Your Voice"
Workshop leader: Michael Little. Writers hear voices! A discussion of the writer's voice, the narrator's voice, and the character's voice. Will include a special section on book design with graphic artist Stephanie Chang: imagining your book and matching design with voice.
April 18 - "The Art of Story"
Guest speaker: Margaret South, teacher and film producer. South has developed television and feature-film projects, including Bette Midler’s Beaches. She also teaches “The Art of Story” master writing classes and founded “Kids Talk Story,” a program offered in schools in Hawaii and nationwide.
May 9 - “What an Editor Looks For"
Guest speaker: Frank Stewart, editor of Manoa magazine
June 6 - “Marriage and Divorce: an Attorney's View"
Guest speaker: Madalyn Purcell
July 11 - Jane Porter!
Aloha chapter member Jane Porter, author of Flirting With Forty, will be our guest speaker. See the July Words of Paradise for more details.
August 1 - Susan Schultz, founder and editor of Tinfish, will be our guest speaker. A non-profit organization founded in 1995, Tinfish Press publishes a journal of experimental poetry from the Pacific, including Hawai`i, New Zealand/Aotearoa, Australia, California, and western Canada. The press also produces books and chapbooks of poetry and experimental prose, some of it written in Hawai`i Creole English (Pidgin).
September 12 - Victoria Kneubuhl, acclaimed local playwright and novelist (Murder Casts a Shadow), will be our guest speaker. Click on "What's New" for details.
October 3 - "Mystery!"
Chip Hughes will speak at the October meeting of the Aloha Chapter, Romance Writers of America, at the Aina Haina Library. Visitors welcome! He has taught courses at the University of Hawaii in American literature, writing, and popular fiction, including the mystery. Chip, author of the Surfing Detective Mystery Series, including Murder on Moloka‘i, will talk about TV and movie options.
November 14 - Annual Luncheon at the Hale Koa

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Meetings 2008
Aina Haina Library, Honolulu (except April and November)
Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon

October 4 - Guest Speaker: Chip Hughes

On Saturday, October 4, Aloha Chapter will be thrilled to welcome local writer and teacher Chip Hughes, author of the Surfing Detective Mystery Series. Chip will speak on “The Making of Murder on Moloka’i,” which provides a cautionary tale on how not to become a writer (Chip says he did it “the hard, stupid way”) and also on doing on-site research in Hawai’i.

Chip Hughes grew up in Southern California and learned to surf in San Diego in the 1960s. After earning degrees in business, humanities, and English, culminating in a Ph.D. from Indiana University, he moved to the Islands in 1981 to teach at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, and to take up surfing again. At U.H. he has taught courses in American literature, writing, and popular fiction, including the mystery.

His publications include Beyond The Red Pony: A Reader’s Companion to Steinbeck’s Complete Short Stories (1987)—translated into Japanese in 1990; John Steinbeck: A Study of the Short Fiction (1989); and numerous essays and reviews. He has spoken at conferences on Steinbeck and other topics. His photos and writing have also appeared in Porsche Panorama, national magazine of the Porsche Club of America, and he is copy editor of Sonne Porsche, the PCA-Hawai‘i newsletter.
Chip is an active member of the Private Eye Writers of America. He lives in Lanikai in windward O’ahu with wife Charlene. They have a grown son, Nathan, and two retrievers, Boomer and Princess. Chip is a member of the Outdoor Circle and the Labrador, Golden Retriever, and Porsche clubs of Hawai‘i. He surfs when time allows at various spots around O‘ahu.

To find out more about Chip Hughes and the Surfing Detective Mystery Series, visit http://surfingdetective.com/.
September 13 - Fiction Writers Workshop: "Writing Short Stories"
Workshop leaders: Michael Little and Wendy Miyake

Where do short stories come from? How do they differ from novels? What are Kurt Vonnegut’s rules for writing short stories? Why is short good (let me count the ways, including the joy of reading aloud)? Begin to bring your own short story to life.
Share the fun ... bring a friend to this workshop.
Wendy and Michael are past winners of the Honolulu Magazine Fiction Contest (Wendy for “GetMyMoi.Com” and Michael for “Walter! Walter!”). Wendy is the author of the short story collection Beads, Boys and the Buddha (2006), as well as The Bodhisattva Club: Adventures in France with the Great Mother (2008). Michael’s first novel was Queen of the Rodeo (2001); Chasing Cowboys is due out later this year. His short story “Seven Ways to Tell If You Married a Cosmo Girl” appears in the latest Bamboo Ridge collection, issue 91.
August 2 - Guest Speaker: Bev Motz

On Saturday, August 2, Aloha Chapter welcomes Bev Motz (The Islander Group, Bess Press, Borders). Bev will be speaking on the book publishing business.

This should be very informative and especially relevant for local writers. Bev is a terrific speaker, so mark your calendar! Aina Haina Library, 10 a.m. to noon.
July 12 - Guest Speaker: Katharine Osborne

Computer guru Katharine Osborne gives good advice
for writers at the keyboard ...
with tips on avoiding computer madness ...
plus promotion for writers ...
and creating a good web presence.
June 7 - Guest Speaker: Dennis Carroll
At its June 7 meeting, Aloha Chapter welcomes Dennis Carroll, Professor and Director of Theatre, University of Hawaii, speaking on how fiction writers can make scenes actionable, active, and alive. Professor Carroll founded Kumu Kahua Theatre in Honolulu in 1971. Kumu Kahua specializes in producing plays by Hawaii playwrights and featuring themes and stories of Hawaii's people.
May 3 - "Fiction Writers Workshop: Writing Erotic Scenes"