By Mary Wernke
Letter Perfect Communications
Inside most people is a story, waiting to be told and, in many instances, you may be the one to tell the story. But, writing and telling stories can be a lonely craft with little input until your baby is out there for all to love or hate.
A local group wants to provide support and networking for writers in Box Butte County. The newly-formed Box Butte County Writers’ Guild will meet twice a month to share their stories with one another and improve their craft. There are no dues, mandatory attendance or required sign up with obligatory private information.
The benefits of a writing group are fresh perspectives, thicker skin, encouragement and support and the chance to improve your writing. Two local authors, one a veteran and the other a complete newbie when it comes to novel craft, have set a first meeting date for Saturday, January 26 at the Alliance Public Library meeting rooms.
The group will continue to meet on the second and fourth Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the fourth Saturday meetings at the library and the second Saturday meetings at the Newberry’s Coffee Shop in downtown Alliance. Refreshments will be offered for the first meeting only and agendas will be at the will of the group.
Veteran novelist Jen Ponce has published eight novels, two short story collections and written for eight anthologies, all exclusively through Amazon, but her books are also available in paperback. She provides writing feedback for newcomers to the industry, like former journalist-turned-blogger and author, Mary Wernke.
Wernke has recently completed her first novel, an historical fiction piece based on a distant family member who survived the Titanic. Wernke’s book is not yet published.
Inspired by the camaraderie between the two women and writers’ guilds at a state level, the pair hope to gather local writers of all genres to meet and share ideas. While they recognize fiction, poetry, memoirs and books of prayer are vastly different genres, there are some commonalities to all writing that may be shared and subgroups may develop.
For more information on the group, please attend the first meeting this Saturday or call Ponce at (425) 761-2831 or Wernke at (308) 760-6397.