Click HERE for information on the next meeting.

NOTE: MEETING TIME HAS CHANGED. The meetings now start at 6:00. PLEASE CLICK ABOVE FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION.

The 26th annual NETWO conference continued the tradition of excellence. The faculty was second to none. Headed by Jodi Thomas, the premier romance writer in the country, the speakers provided good advice, encouragement, and complete access. Jodi gave a two hour workshop on Friday and then a presentation on Saturday. Both received an enthusiastic response from the audience.

Jaye Wells presented the other Friday workshop and added a presentation on Saturday. Two New York agents not only made top-notch talks, but held one-on-one interviews with anyone who wanted one.

Corey Mitchell offered a plethora of encouragement and advice to the attendees, and was generous with his time for as long as people wanted to visit with him. Sylvia Dickey Smith also spoke about her journey to becoming a published author.

Two small, independent publishers )(4RV Publishing and TAG Publishing) were there and took interviews with many of those in attendance. All agreed that the caterer was very good. And the new venue, the Mount Pleasant Civic Center, offered first rate facilities. All in all, the 2012 conference has to be rated among the best ever. Congratulations to NETWO for putting on such an informative and friendly event.
James Callan presents Poet Award to Skip Hughes (Left picture) and longest travel award to Laurie Macafee (right picture)
The May issue of With Pen in Hand has a wealth of pictures from the conference, both at the beginning and then again several pages into the newsletter. They're fun. Go take a look. Click on "Newsletters" on the left hand column of this page. then select the May, 2012 issue.

With an excellent group of short story entries, the three judge panel had a difficult time selecting the winners. But, after much deliberation, here are the results.

First Place - The Battle of the Piano by Elizabeth Klein of Dallas, Texas
Second Place - Virtual Charlatan by Brandi Barnett of Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Third Place - Velvet’s Valentine by Martha Lea Bryant of Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Fourth Place (a tie) A Crack in the Wall by William Carl of Texarkana, Texas and
The Betrayal of Melissa Jane by Phylis Warady of Grass Valley, California

Honorable Mention awards were given to:
Mike Clifton of Mount Pleasant, Texas for The Good Son
Heath Dollar of Haslet, Texas for At Roberts Cut off and Thunder Road
Heath Dollar of Haslet, Texas for A Love Supreme in Old Shalem
Wayland Stallard of Roanoke, Virginia for You Wonder Who They Are >br> Richard L. Hollingsworth of Longview, Texas for Being Ozrky and
Sharon Black of Clarksville, Texas for The Fallen Sparrow

Winners were announced at the conference awards dinner. $350 in prize money was distributed, with the first place winner getting a check for $150, and an offer of publication in The Story Teller.

NETWO will hold another short story contest in 2013. So, start polishing up a story to enter – and win.

NETWO presented its fall workshop October 22 and by all accounts, it was a great success. Speakers Stephen Woodfin, Caleb Pirtle and Rusty Shelton gave impressive presentations on the changing world of book publishing to a full house. And they made a strong case that there has never been a better time for the author.

Woodfin gave facts and figures to illustrate the rising importance of e-books. Pirtle discussed the emergency of the small, independent publisher. He also explained how Gallivant Press publishes e-books, and actively markets not only the books it publishes, but also paperback and e-books issued by other publishers.

Shelton explain the changing landscape in book promotion and what the author can do to lift his or her book above the horde. All three speakers answered questions from the audience.

Comments after the workshop, which ran from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., were enthusiastic. Here are a few of the e-mails already received from attendees.

• "Thank YOU NETWO, Stephen, Caleb, and Rusty! This was a terrific,eye-opening, shove out of some comfort zones day. ..." - Donna
• "I second Donna's comments!! It made me realize I really need to change the way I approach getting my children's book published! " - Dorthy
• "I've been to a lot of conferences in my time in the book biz...A LOT! But this weekend was absolutely one of the most informative, useful and inspiring I've ever attended. And I am not just saying that...I mean it most sincerely. I drove home thinking that this may well be the beginning of some of the best times to be a writer in the history of the written word. Great job...great speakers. Thank you so much." - Ginnie
• "I agree that the workshop on Saturday was really great, and thanks so much to all at NETWO who organized it." - Maryann
• "The enthusiasm from the attendees was probably the greatest of any workshop we have produced." James R. Callan
• "I don’t usually attend workshops because I find them boring and full of redundant information. This one was in an area where I find myself pathetically lacking. It was informative, and interesting...thanks for the invite." - David

Stephen Woodfin & Caleb Pirtle        Rusty Shelton  

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Officers		Chair Persons
President - Skip Hughes		Publicity Chair - Karen Watt
Vice-President - Karen Watt		Membership Chair - Earlene Callan
Secretary - Joy Chitsey		Communications Chair - Susan Royal
Treasurer - Bryan Freeman		Conference Director - Pattie Ball

Conference Consultant - James R. Callan

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Tribute to Ted Rankin, former President of NETWO

Tribute to Georgia Henson, Charter member of NETWO

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On-Line Critique Group

NETWO has set up an on-line critique group. This will allow writers to get written critiques on their work, and to help others by critiquing the work of others. The rules it will work under are simple.

• The writer will query the group to see who feels qualified/interested in the piece and can devote the time necessary for a thorough critique. The writer should state the genre and the approximate length of the work. If a large number reply, then the writer can choose however many people he wants to see his work. The key element is communication.
• If you accept a piece to critique and circumstances arise which are going to delay your review, by all means let the writer know immediately so that he can go to someone else.
• Make comments within the work using different color font. At the end, make general comments concerning story line, characters, etc. If you do not want to use this method, then use something else....we are not going to make this a show stopper.
• Please make your critique within seven days or notify the writer that you will delayed.
• No particular style will be used (i.e. Chicago, AP, etc).

If you want to participate, send your name and e-mail address to Paul Paris at: pnp3421@aol.com.

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NETWO Awards

Click HERE to see various awards and publications for NETWO members.

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A Treasure Box,
NETWO's latest anthology, is available,
and everybody is talking about what a beautiful, well-produced book it is. And, as award-wnning author Jory Sherman says, if you write, you can learn from this book. If you haven't gotten yours yet, order one on-line by clicking here or, pick one up at the next NETWO meeting. Not only will you be supporting your writers group, but you will read some terrific stories and poems, and learn more about the creative process.

Editor James R. Callan suggested these make terrific gifts. It is a beautiful book, it's interesting, and it encourages reading - something all writers should do.

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The Northeast Texas Writers' Organization is a group of northeast Texas area persons interested in the craft of creative writing, or the support of that endeavor. We accept all members, regardless of age or persuasion, in the belief that variety enhances learning. Included in the group are writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, scripts, and journalism. Under fiction, many different genres are represented for both adult and children. In non-fiction, the interests range from medical and technical writing to memoirs, from religious to nostalgia. Any phase of the writing craft is welcomed. Many of the members of NETWO have been published, but many have not been - yet.

The purpose of the Northeast Writers' Organization is to promote literary pursuits in this area. Some of the activities include critique sessions, lectures, book signings, publishing, and writers' workshops and conferences.

Members are encouraged to submit items for our newsletter, With Pen in Hand, including their opinions concerning programs we have had or should schedule, short works of most any kind, brief bios, notices of writing contests and conferences, and just about any news of interest to our members.

The Northeast Texas Writers' organization meets on the second Thursday of each month, except December. Click HERE for detailed information on the next meeting.
A short business meeting begins at 5:30 pm. A program follows the business meeting. This may consist of a critique session, a speaker, a tutorial, or a workshop.

NETWO is always looking for new members. If you have an interest in writing, come visit a meeting and see how friendly and helpful NETWO members can be. Click HERE for information on the next meeting. For more information, call Galand at 903-572-0580 or 903-563-1352.