News

2018 Authors Conference: Thank Yous

2018 Authors Conference - Food Donations and Preparations for Lunch - Lorelle VanFossenOur first conference, the 2018 Authors Conference, on January 27, 2018, was a resounding success in so many ways, it’s hard to know where to start first. First are the thank yous.

Thank you to all the Writers in the Grove members and their families who gave up so much time, energy, feet, and backs to help us make this possible. It is amazing how much can be done with so many eager volunteers. We actually had the Center cleaned up and restored to normal in less than 45 minutes after the end of the event, which is saying plenty!

Thank you to the speakers who shared their powerful perspective on the publishing industry in workshops and open panel discussions. Chip MacGregor, Holly Lorincz, Kristin Thiel, Deborah Reed, MaryJane Nordgren, and Jessica Morrell helped many many find their footing in this new technological world of publishing and push their story ideas and characters even further. Paulann Petersen again swept away cobwebs and restraints to help writers tap into their muse to find the words to share their thoughts, dreams, and stories through the magic of her inspiration.

Thank you to the participants. Your ticket donation helped us raise about $3,000 for the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center to keep their ongoing projects and outreach programs vital, supporting our community. The feedback was amazing. Everyone was so appreciative to have such an exceptional program and group of speakers in Forest Grove. They soaked it up and are eager to get to work writing.

2018 Authors Conference - Food Donations for Lunch - Lorelle VanFossenTo the donors who gave so much to help us feed and keep our participants happy, we are so grateful.

  • Raeann Johnston and FGSCC
  • Bill Stafford
  • BJ’s Coffee
  • Chuck Pritchard and family
  • Diana Lubarsky
  • Diversity
  • Elmer’s
  • Fred Meyer, Cornelius
  • Godfather’s Pizza
  • Jan Spoelstra /Carolyn Bradley
  • Jennings-McCall
  • King’s Head
  • Lela Baskins
  • Lorelle Van Fossen
  • M.J. Nordgren
  • Maridon’s
  • Parks and Paula Adams
  • Prime Time
  • Safeway
  • Schmidlin Angus Farm
  • Susan Field
  • Urban Decanter
  • Walmart
  • Yellow Llama

To the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center, we are beyond grateful for your continued support and encouragement of Writers in the Grove, our activities, and now our special events. The work the staff and volunteers of the Center provide to the community continues to amaze. The senior and community services, affordable meals, Meals on Wheels, bread-baking services, outreach programs, and other social services makes the Center an invaluable resource for our community.

To Lorelle VanFossen for helping with the logistical arrangements of the event, we are very thankful. She kept everyone and everything on time, on track, and mischief managed throughout the entire process.

To Susan Field, our amazing promoter. The event was featured in newspapers, newsletters, posters, signs, and everywhere around Washington County, even in the local utility bill. The success of the sold out program is thanks to her incredible determination to spread the word in spite of life getting in the way. Thank you so much for everything you do for us.

To Diana Lubarsky, our cheerleader, we thank you. Thank you for helping us keep our heads together with your strong leadership qualities. You keep us smiling in spite of ourselves.

To MaryJane Nordgren, our fearless leader, we are eternally grateful. You had a vision for this group from the very beginning. Your determination to provide a safe and supportive environment for creative writers in Forest Grove, outlets for their work through public readings and collaborative published works, and educational opportunities for writers is a testimony to your faith as well as your legacy. You’ve changed this community, added value, and lifted us all up to be better, as people as well as writers. Thank you for believing and trusting us.

I know we’ve forgotten some people to thank. Know that you are not forgotten in our hearts. We could not have done this without you.

Thank YOU!

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2018 Authors Conference: Donors

Thank you so much to everyone and all the companies who donated to help make the 2018 Authors Conference a success.

  • Raeann Johnston and Forest Grove Senior and Community Center
  • Parks and Paula Adams
  • Lela Baskins
  • Susan Field
  • Diana Lubarsky
  • M.J. Nordgren
  • Jan Spoelstra /Carolyn Bradley
  • Bill Stafford
  • Lorelle VanFossen
  • BJ’s Coffee
  • Diversity
  • Elmer’s
  • Fred Meyer, Cornelius
  • Godfather’s Pizza
  • Jennings-McCall
  • King’s Head
  • Maridon’s
  • Prime Time
  • Safeway
  • Schmidlin Angus Farm
  • Jan Spoelstra /Carolyn Bradley
  • Urban Decanter
  • Yellow Llama
  • Walmart

Donations include food, snacks, drinks, gift certificates, volunteer sweat and tears, and an amazing level of community support and encouragement.

Thank you to all! We couldn’t have done it without you.

2018 Authors Conference: Chip MacGregor

Foot steps on leaves and announces Writers in the Grove 2018 Author Conference.

Chip MacGregor - Literary AgentChip MacGregor, founder of MacGregor Literary, an author agency, will be speaking at the 2018 Authors Conference on January 27, 2018, in Forest Grove, Oregon.

MacGregor’s work as an author agent and representative helps authors in the memoir, spirituality, self-help, Christian, true crime, romance, and literary fiction genres publish their books and negotiate movie and television projects. His company represents a wide range of authors including an astronaut.

Chip MacGregor will be presenting workshops throughout the day on Querying and Finding an Agent, Writing a Proposal, and Creating a Pitch, and participating in the afternoon panel session where you can ask questions of our speakers.

He joins a group of extraordinary professional editors, writers, and poets in our first writer’s conference. Other speakers include Paulann Petersen, Deborah Reed, MaryJane Nordgren, Holly Lorincz, Kristin Thiel, and Jessica Morrell.

Register today to learn from Chip MacGregor on professional editing and writing at the 2018 Authors Conference in January as space is limited.

About Writers in the Grove 2018 Authors Conference

This is a fundraiser for the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center, a non-profit community center and the host of Writers in the Grove weekly meetings. The Center provides free and low cost meals through their dining services and Meals On Wheels outreach program, as well as a wide range of educational, recreational, wellness, and community events and educational opportunities.

Writers in the Grove is a free weekly workshop for those wishing to develop their creative writing skills. The group meets Mondays at the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center on Mondays from 9-11am, and on the second Saturday of the month at the Forest Grove Public Library from 10:30-noon. Writers in the Grove supports the freedom of expression and creative writing spirit in Forest Grove, Oregon, and around the world.

2018 Authors Conference – Optional Special Sessions

We have four optional special sessions available to attendees of our 2018 Authors Conference on January 27, 2018, in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Attendees may register for each of these special sessions upon arrival the morning of Saturday, January 27.

Private individual consultation sessions require you bring a number of printed pages (2 copies minimum) for the consultant to read and review. These should be printed on one-sided white paper in black 12pt Times Roman or equivalent font, double spaced, with a 1 inch margin all around.

Time Special Session Fees Speaker Requirements
10:50AM Practice Pitching
(small group session) 		$10 Kristin Thiel
1:30PM Memoir or Fiction
(private consultations of 15 minutes each) 		$10 Jessica Morrell 5-15 printed pages of current novel
1:30PM Story Ideas and Plot Points
(private consultations of 15 minutes each) 		$10 Holly Lorincz 5-15 printed pages of current novel

2018 Authors Conference Schedule

Here is the schedule and details you may need to know for the upcoming 2018 Authors Conference by Writers in the Grove in support of community writers and authors and the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center on January 27, 2018.

We are so pleased to have such excellent speakers representing the publishing industry and the Pacific Northwest, especially Oregon. This is a rare opportunity to find them all in one place sharing their wisdom with our writing community.

Lunch is included. It is being donated by Forest Grove merchants and restaurants and we’ve done our best to meet most dietary restrictions and needs. If you have special dietary restrictions, please feel free to bring your own food.

Registration for the special paid sessions are additional and paid at the door. Please bring cash, credit card, or check payable to FGSCC to pay for the session. You will also need to bring printed copies of your written pages for private critique sessions, including a copy for yourself to make your notes.

8:30 Doors Open
9:15 Welcome
9:30 Workshops:
Querying and Finding an Agent with Chip MacGregor
Pitfalls You Can Avoid with Kristin Thiel
Practicing Opening Lines: Hooks with MJ Nordgren
10:40 Break
10:50 Workshops:
Character Arc with Jessica Morrell
Preparing a Manuscript with Holly Lorincz
Special Session ($): Practice Pitching with Kristin Thiel
Noon Lunch: Lunch has been donated by various Forest Grove area merchants, and should meet most dietary restrictions.
Keynote: Deborah Reed
1:30 Workshops:
Poetry Workshop with Paulann Petersen
Writing a Proposal with Chip MacGregor
Special Session ($): Memoir or Fiction with Jessica Morrell
Special Session ($): Story Ideas and Plot Points with Holly Lorincz
2:05 Creating a Pitch with Chip MacGregor
2:40 Break
2:45 Panel: Ask Any Question with Jessica Morrell, Holly Lorincz, Kristin Thiel, Chip MacGregor, and Deborah Reed
4:00 Closing

If you haven’t registered yet, do so as soon as possible as we are getting close to filling the seats.

2018 Authors Conference: MaryJane Nordgren

Foot steps on leaves and announces Writers in the Grove 2018 Author Conference.

Author and writing coach, MaryJane Nordgren, will be speaking at the 2018 Authors Conference on January 27, 2018, in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Mary Jane Nordgren AuthorMaryJane Nordgren is a published author of novels, plays, and memoirs, and publisher of the Seeds of… anthologies. Her books, Early: Logging Tales Too Human to be Fiction, Quiet Courage, and Frail the Bridge.

She is also the leader of Writers in the Grove, a free and open-to-the-public creative writing workshop held Monday mornings from 9-11am at the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center and the second Saturday of the month at the Forest Grove Public Library.

MaryJane will be presenting a practice session on writing open paragraphs and hooks.

She joins a group of extraordinary professional editors, writers, and poets in our first writer’s conference. Other speakers include Paulann Petersen, Deborah Reed, Chip MacGregor, Holly Lorincz, Kristin Thiel, and Jessica Morrell.

Register today to learn from MaryJane Nordgren on professional editing and writing at the 2018 Authors Conference in January as space is limited.

About Writers in the Grove 2018 Authors Conference

This is a fundraiser for the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center, a non-profit community center and the host of Writers in the Grove weekly meetings. The Center provides free and low cost meals through their dining services and Meals On Wheels outreach program, as well as a wide range of educational, recreational, wellness, and community events and educational opportunities.

Writers in the Grove is a free weekly workshop for those wishing to develop their creative writing skills. The group meets Mondays at the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center on Mondays from 9-11am, and on the second Saturday of the month at the Forest Grove Public Library from 10:30-noon. Writers in the Grove supports the freedom of expression and creative writing spirit in Forest Grove, Oregon, and around the world.

Monday, January 15, 2018, Meeting At Adams Family

Due to the the Martin Luther King Holiday, the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center will be closed. Writers in the Grove will be meeting at the home of Paula and Parks Adams in Forest Grove. Please contact us if you need the address.

Also, volunteers are needed to help with the upcoming 2018 Authors Conference on January 27, 2018. We need a kitchen czar to manage the kitchen, food, and setup during the event. We need a couple people to help collect the food from the donors as well, so transportation is important. Volunteers will likely miss some or all of the event, so we are also looking for friends and family to pitch in to help make this a success. I’ve volunteered my husband. Got another family member to spare? 😀

2018 Authors Conference: Additional Special Sessions

Foot steps on leaves and announces Writers in the Grove 2018 Author Conference.

As a reminder, in addition to our top notch speakers on writing, editing, poetry, and publishing at the 2018 Authors Conference on January 27, 2018, in Forest Grove, Oregon, we are offering special and optional private and small group consultations with some of our faculty for an additional fee. Registration for these optional consultations will be the morning of the event.

The special sessions are:

  • 15 minute professional consultations (Cost: $10):
    • Jessica Morrell on a single sample of a memoir or fiction piece.
    • Holly Lorincz to talk through a story idea, plot points, and non-fiction scope and sequence.
  • 45 minute small group session for practicing pitching (Cost: $5)
    • Kristin Thiel

These sessions are in addition to the workshops and presentations by our group of extraordinary professional editors, writers, poets, and speakers including Paulann Petersen, Deborah Reed, Chip MacGregor, Holly Lorincz, Kristin Thiel, MaryJane Nordgren, and Jessica Morrell. The conference also includes lunch.

Register today for the day-long conference on professional publishing, editing, poetry in January as space is limited.

About Writers in the Grove 2018 Authors Conference

This is a fundraiser for the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center, a non-profit community center and the host of Writers in the Grove weekly meetings. The Center provides free and low cost meals through their dining services and Meals On Wheels outreach program, as well as a wide range of educational, recreational, wellness, and community events and educational opportunities.

Writers in the Grove is a free weekly workshop for those wishing to develop their creative writing skills. The group meets Mondays at the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center on Mondays from 9-11am, and on the second Saturday of the month at the Forest Grove Public Library from 10:30-noon. Writers in the Grove supports the freedom of expression and creative writing spirit in Forest Grove, Oregon, and around the world.

2018 Authors Conference: Jessica Morrell

Foot steps on leaves and announces Writers in the Grove 2018 Author Conference.

Author and writing instructor, Jessica Morrell, will be speaking at the 2018 Authors Conference on January 27, 2018, in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Jessica Morrell Author PhotoJessica Morrell will be speaking on developing a character arc for your story and novel.

Jessica is a long-time favorite speaker and teacher on writing fiction, and an accomplished author. Her books, Thanks, But This Isn’t for Us, A (sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing is Being Rejected, Between the Lines, Bullies, Bastards, and Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction, and Writing Out the Storm continue to be textbooks for writers determined to improve their writing and get published.

She joins a group of extraordinary professional editors, writers, and poets in our first writer’s conference. Other speakers include Paulann Petersen, Deborah Reed, Chip MacGregor, Holly Lorincz, Kristin Thiel, and MaryJane Nordgren.

Register today to learn from Jessica Morrell on professional editing and writing at the 2018 Authors Conference in January as space is limited.

About Writers in the Grove 2018 Authors Conference

This is a fundraiser for the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center, a non-profit community center and the host of Writers in the Grove weekly meetings. The Center provides free and low cost meals through their dining services and Meals On Wheels outreach program, as well as a wide range of educational, recreational, wellness, and community events and educational opportunities.

Writers in the Grove is a free weekly workshop for those wishing to develop their creative writing skills. The group meets Mondays at the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center on Mondays from 9-11am, and on the second Saturday of the month at the Forest Grove Public Library from 10:30-noon. Writers in the Grove supports the freedom of expression and creative writing spirit in Forest Grove, Oregon, and around the world.

2018 Authors Conference: Editor Kristin Thiel

Foot steps on leaves and announces Writers in the Grove 2018 Author Conference.

Editor Kristin Thiel will be speaking about the pitfalls of common writing errors and how to avoid them at the 2018 Authors Conference on January 27, 2018, in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Kristin Thiel Publisher - photo by BC Debney, 2017.As a full-time professional writer and editor for fourteen years, Kristin Thiel works with writers, publishers, and other businesses to improve their professional writing skills with a goal toward publishing.

She’s also an avid hiker, backpacker, and “yes-sayer” to Northwest fun and exploration.

She joins a group of extraordinary professional editors, writers, and poets in our first writer’s conference. Other speakers include Paulann Petersen, Deborah Reed, Chip MacGregor, Holly Lorincz, Jessica Morrell, and MaryJane Nordgren.

Register today to learn from Krtisin Thiel on professional editing and writing at the 2018 Authors Conference in January as space is limited.

About Writers in the Grove 2018 Authors Conference

This is a fundraiser for the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center, a non-profit community center and the host of Writers in the Grove weekly meetings. The Center provides free and low cost meals through their dining services and Meals On Wheels outreach program, as well as a wide range of educational, recreational, wellness, and community events and educational opportunities.

Writers in the Grove is a free weekly workshop for those wishing to develop their creative writing skills. The group meets Mondays at the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center on Mondays from 9-11am, and on the second Saturday of the month at the Forest Grove Public Library from 10:30-noon. Writers in the Grove supports the freedom of expression and creative writing spirit in Forest Grove, Oregon, and around the world.