Advice?

I'm soliciting opinions: Jack, you, and I think, Mary Ann and Sylvia have read my story, "A Place of Belonging" - - I know the Epilogue was an attempt at a "feel-good" ending, but I'm wondering if you think the book would lose any of its impact were I to leave off the Epilogue. Also I'm thinking of changing the title, which I've never liked. My working title during the writing process was "The Good Road." Do any of you think that would be an appropriate title?

The Epilogue ties up loose ends and continues Banks' habit of helping and/or rescuing women and girls, but I'm thinking it shouldn't be tied up so neatly. The working title emphasizes the road trip, which takes up about half the book, and serves as a metaphor for Banks, Ginger, and Mattie and their attempts to make something good of their difficult lives. But I'm undecided on whether that reference would properly encapsulate the book - - or does it matter?

Anyway, those are my thoughts as I re-write. Comments?

Proposed AAGA Creative Activities For The Future

This is a list of proposed future activities for AAGA, intended both to attract new members and to improve members' writing skills and self-editing capabilities. If you have any questions or comments, please contact one of your board members

Writing Contests:

• Listing of contests to sponsor/times held


• Submittal formats


• Screening Committees


• Judging


• Awards and Presentations

Writing Workshops:

• Categories and Combinations (Poetry, Fiction, N/F separate or together?)


• General Creative Writing Workshop
  
  
  
  • Grammar
  
  
  • Sentence/paragraph structure
  
  
  • Other creative writing aspects
  
  
  • Essay, Poem, Story, Novel structure and components
  
  
  • How-To-Critique Workshop
    
    
    
    • How noted writers write
    
    
    • Peer Critiques
      
      
      
      • How to comment in groups
      
      
      • Successes
      
      
      • Aspects to improve
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Critique Groups:

• Putting critique skills into use


• Group dynamics
  
  
  
  • Size of critique groups
  
  
  • Preparation for critique meetings
  
  
  • Effective locales for AAGA members
  
  
  
  

Book Reviews:

• What reviews are for


• How to accomplish a review
  
  
  
  • Theory
  
  
  • Components
  
  
  
  

Others –Publishing in books and Magazines/Agents/Editors/Marketing/Editorial Services

Next AAG&A Board Meeting

The Appalachian Authors Guild & Associates next scheduled board meeting is Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 1 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Cumberland Plateau Planning Commission office in Lebanon, VA. All members are encouraged to attend.