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Lisa Laing answered some questions about her writing group, the Chicago-North Chapter of the Romance Writers of America.

How did the group start?

The feature story in that issue reviewed the history of the chapter.

How did you choose where to hold your meetings?

We meet twice each month. The first meeting of the month is held at the Des Plaines Public Library. The second is at the Arlington Heights Historical Society. Site selection considerations include cost (a big factor), size of meeting room, availability on our desired days at our preferred times (very few places stay open until 10pm), and accessibility for our members. We try to choose a central location in order to make it easy for the majority of members to attend.

What’s an ordinary meeting like?

At each meeting we discuss chapter business and do a large-group critique of at least one manuscript (20 pages max). On program nights we also have a speaker, workshop, or program of some type. On non-program nights we critique a second manuscript. We also take long breaks to give members time to catch up with each other.

Do you have a limit on the number of folks who can participate?

There is no limit on our membership. We welcome both published and unpublished authors. Our mission is: “We, the members of the Chicago-North Chapter of RWA, come together to support published and unpublished writers in an atmosphere of integrity, harmony, and peace. We encourage our fellow writers with unconditional support, incisive critiques, and a professional network. Our purpose is to nurture each other as we strive for excellence and achievement of our publication goals.”

Are there expectations of participation by members?

There are no hard-and-fast rules. Some of our members have moved away from Chicago and participate only in the online e-mail discussion group. Some of our members have the time to take on a board position or to head a committee (e.g., web site, publicity, conference, contest, etc.). At meetings, some members participate actively in discussions and others simply listen and learn. We hope that everyone will find a way to contribute and that everyone will learn something new.

Do you have a waiting list? Do you vet participants?

We do not have a waiting list. We have no need to vet participants.

What good things have come out of the group?

Each year, several of our unpublished members join the ranks of the published authors. We all learn so much from each other. Those who have advanced in their careers support those of us who are following in their footsteps.

[NOTE: There are two other RWA groups in the Chicago-area:

• Love Designers Writers’ Club
  Romance Writers of America Chapter, Region 2
  1507 Burnham Avenue, Calumet City, IL 60409
  Phone (708) 862-9797
• Windy City RWA

Saw this posted on the Chicago Writers Association forum.
Schaumburg:

I think I might have mentioned this before but I belong to a writer’s group at the Schaumburg Library. We have a great core group of about 17 people and we meet twice a month - the first and third Saturday of the month from 10am - 1pm. Folks bring two pages, double-spaced of whatever they like to read, and pass around copies for everyone to write their critique on the pages. Check out their website.

Wheeling:

I [Michelle True] lead two writing groups at the Indian Trails Library in Wheeling. I started Poetic License (poetry writing) in 2003; we have 25 members and average 12-14 at each monthly meeting (last Wed. of the month, 7 p.m.). I started Write Your Life (memoir writing)in March 2007. We have 20 members and have averaged 10-12 at each meeting (2nd Monday of the month, 7 p.m.). Anyone who lives or works in the Wheeling area is welcome to join us. The library requires people to register for all meetings by calling the library at (847) 459-4100.

Des Plaines:

Romance writers of America, North Chicago Chapter.  We usually have 20 - 30 people at each meeting, and our total membership is over 80. We meet on the second and last Monday of each month (some exceptions for holidays). The details are on our web site.

Oak Lawn:

Oak Lawn Writers Groups – Year-round — If you seek motivation and support from your peers, join one of the library’s writers groups.  Their informal meetings consist of readings, critiques and writing exercises. All three groups are intended for adults high school age and up. No registration required.  Mary Nelson Room, lower level.

10:00 a.m. - noon	Second and fourth Saturdays	General Interest
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.	Second Saturdays	Screenwriting
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.	Fourth Saturdays	Writing to Sell

Lisle:

This one, Windy City Romance Writers of America, barely makes the cut since most of the meetings are NOT at the Lisle Library, but at the Municipal Center in Naperville.

 our website is:

www.windycityrwa.com

On general meeting nights, our meetings will be held from 7-9 PM at the Naperville Municipal Center. (Downtown Naperville) Generally, the first half of our meetings are slated for guest speakers and the second half for chapter business. Speakers begin their presentations at 7:00 sharp. Please arrive early enough to be in your seats by that time.

The fourth Wednesday a month is always held 7-9 PM at the Lisle Library (777 Front Street, 630-971-1701). This is our learning-the-craft night, which will entail panel discussion, critiques submitted by volunteers, as well as speakers on the topic of writing. There is no critique meeting in July, November or December.

If anyone has more library writing groups to add, just leave a comment and I’ll be happy to do it. Thanks!

Acts of kindness can be hard to come by. Shouldn’t be that way, but it often is. I’m pleased to tell you that you can watch my book trailer on Chris’s site today because she’s committed herself to posting trailers on Tuesdays. Trailers from members of the Chicago Writers Association, that is.

The CWA forum has a lot of very talented folks who produced their own trailers or they know very talented folks who produced the trailers for them. Mine? Well, for a first-time amateur pass it’s okay. Hardly worth the exposure that Chris is giving it. But don’t think for a minute that I’m not grateful — I am!

To my way of thinking, Chris’s gesture represents a spirit of generosity that is missing too often when we authors get behind the wheel of our own promotion.

Randy Richardson just sent this photo. A.D. Moore (left) and Cheryl Hagedorn (me, on the right) had the first two-hour shift on Saturday. Jen Wilding (center) and Randy were event coordinators for the Chicago Writers Association.

When I was setting up my virtual book tour, I looked at a lot of senior citizen sites. That’s how I found headrambles.com with Grandad. It’s also how I found something called GoingLikeSixty. The header of the blog has a picture of some folks white-water rafting, then a picture of a truck? with flames behind it, then a text panel which reads, “When I hit sixty, I thought I had patience. Turns out I just didn’t give a crap.”

I had no idea what the connection was between the 2 pictures and the text. But I totally agreed with the “Turns out I just don’t give a crap” sentiment. I was weary of looking for hosts for the tour and with one serendipitous email I established contact with owner of the site.

“Heck, yes!” He would be happy to have me and promptly sent off these questions.

Nope, hang on. I’m gonna make you guess at one of them. Here’s some hints:

• 1) it involves headgear
• 2) think 1956-1964 TV show
• 3) I could win a washer and dryer.

Did you guess it? Here’s the questions (#5 was the one I was hinting at):

1. 1. Other than your writing, what do people compliment you on?
2. 2. What books are your guilty pleasure?
3. 3. What is your most painful high school memory?
4. 4. Writing is hard, why are you going like sixty?
5. 5. If you were Queen for a day, what would you do? (remember Queens have no real power)

If you go to the site, you’ll see that I answered these somewhat bizarre questions — but you have to play a game of associating the answers to the questions!

The fellow who owns the GoingLikeSixty site has a number of links to senior sites and his anecdotes are unfailingly funny and poignant. I invite you to check out more than just my interview. On the other hand, here’s what he looks like - it will give you an indication of what sorts of things you might find.

There was some good-natured bantering about what he had asked. A good example is our most recent exchange. I asked if he was going to post picture of Queen for a Day, since he uses a lot of gimmicky-stuff on his site.

He sent back this photo:

I found my own photo from the tv show and tied into a wonderful personal essay about a fellow whose mother was on the show.

Chicago Writers Association

Jen Wilding, A.D. Moore   Cheryl Hagedorn

Jen, Randy Richardson, A.D.

We were just across from a building with some extraordinary decorations:

Mystery Readers International has the following groups listed for Illinois:

• * Carol Stream: IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT evening mystery book series meets at the Carol Stream Public Library, 616 Hiawatha Dr., on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. For more information e-mail cstream@cslibrary.org or call 630-653-0755.   
• * Forest Park: CENTURIES & SLEUTHS mystery reading group. 7419 W. Madison St.; 708-771-7243. Third Saturday at 2 PM. Books are available at Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore the month prior to the reading. Registration required; e-mail augitraj@aol.com.
• * Peoria: BOOK.EM mystery readers discussion group, sponsored by the Peoria Public Library, meets the 3rd Sunday of the month at 2 PM at the Lakeview Branch Library. For more information call Trisha at (309)672-8841 or e-mail trishanoack@ppl.peoria.lib.il.us.
• * Rockford: MYSTERY READING GROUP meets in the mystery section of Barnes & Noble on East State St. on the third Wednesday of the month, except December, at 7:30 PM. For more information, e-mail mysteriesnmoggys@hotmail.com and please reference the reading group in the subject line. New members welcome.
• * Winnetka: SCOTLAND YARD mystery book discussion group, led by Judy Duhl, at 556 Green Bay Road. For more information, call 847-446-2214.
• * Northern Illinois: MYSTPALS BOOK CLUB, mystery reading group, meets in Northern Illinois. Everyone welcome from southeastern Wisconsin or Northern Illinois/Chicago. Meetings held every 6-8 weeks, usually a Saturday afternoon. Contact Cynthia Kilian at CKilian@seic.com or 815-337-6334.

[Had a great time at Jeff's blog yesterday! Thanks to everyone who visited and to those who left comments.]

I thought that I’d give you a heads-up about tomorrow’s interview by Michael Burke. Anyway, Mike gave me 10 questions to answer. This is number 7:

7. Who would win — and why:
     Ernest Hemingway vs. F. Scott Fitzgerald
     Lillian Hellman vs. Mary McCarthy
     Gore Vidal vs. Gore Vidal

I wrote back:

I have a confession to make about the authors you mentioned (this can be on the record or off).

The only thing I know about Mary McCarthy isn’t about her but her novel, The Group. Devoured the book, was thrilled with the movie.

I’ve heard of Hemingway. Who hasn’t? But the only thing that I have read of his is a short story, “A Clean, Well-lighted Place.”

I saw a PBS documentary on F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I recognize the name Gore Vidal and might guess that he’s a writer if someone asked me what he did.

Lillian Hellman rings no bells. At all.

Feeling embarrassed, I did, however, do some research into these folks. Would I be wrong in stating that they all wrote social commentary?

I realize that at the very top of your blog you use the words “social commentary.” In some sense of the phrase, I believe that my book falls into that category, perhaps stumbles into it would be more accurate.

I don’t have an English degree — my master’s is in writing (DePaul). They took any bachelor’s degree as a prerequisite. Mine is in Pastoral Theology.

I also have serious gaps in my reading as your questions pointed out. That said, I’m a fan of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. However, I only just discovered them in my fifties.

My partner is a mystery reader and I occasionally sneak one from her bag of library books. My own preference is for biography or autobiography, like A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett.

I’m writing a biography of Theodora Van Wagenen Ward, one of the few women involved early on in bringing Emily Dickinson to the public. Trained as a musician, then as an artist, Teddy taught herself to read Dickinson’s peculiar handwriting and used the discrepancies to date manuscripts which she had in her possession. Based on the level of skill which she had acquired, she was invited to help date the Poems, garnering credit as Tom Johnson’s associate. By the time the Letters came out, she was billed as Assistant Editor.

Sorry, I guess I was rambling. All that just to say this — I can’t answer your question #7 because I haven’t got a clue.

You might not have a clue on question 7 but you’ve introduced me to Theodora Van Wagenen Ward and made me realize I don’t know anything, really, about Emily Dickinson or Walt Whitman. And I even spent a good hour in the Walt Whitman exhibit last year at the Library of Congress in D.C. so I have absolutely no excuse!

The upshot? To hell with question 7. A cheap attempt at cleverness, anyway, and cleverness — as opposed to true wit — is always the writer’s enemy. (Oh, that’s good. I’ll have to use that somewhere.)

Please feel free to answer the other questions — and even add a few, if you’d like. Certainly mention Teddy somewhere … Hey, this is fun. Thank you for finding ChicagoWriter!

P.S.: You might really like Lillian Hellman, playwright and memoirist. “The Children’s Hour” was her first play, about lies and lesbianism, a scandal in its time but it reads rather stiffly now. A better play is “The Little Foxes.” Her two most famous memoirs are “Scoundrel Time,” about her refusal to testify during the McCarthy era, and “Pentimento,” which contains a recollection titled, “Julia,” which Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave appeared in when it was made into a movie called “Julia.”

Hellman was also mystery writer Dashiell Hammett’s long-time lover … Hellman and Mary McCarthy had a famous feud that goes back to old lefty politics but boiled over when McCarthy was on the old Dick Cavett television show and said something like, “Every word Lillian Hellman ever wrote is a lie — even and and the.” Hellman sued. Lots of fuss. In the end, McCarthy died broke, I think. But it did come out that Hellman fabricated a lot of her memoirs, including much of “Julia.” Ah, the literary life …

My virtual book tour continues!

June 4 - Monday Lesa’s Book Critiques with Lesa Holstine This is a blog to discuss books read, with an emphasis on mysteries. So let’s do some discussing! Lesa began her Library career as Director of a Public Library on the shores of Lake Erie at the age of 22. Her husband & she lived in Florida for 18 years, where she was a Librarian/Administrator, before moving to beautiful Glendale, AZ. She is presently a Library Manager and a contributing Book Reviewer for Library Journal and various websites.

You can also catch Lesa at CrimeSpace.