I was at the Plumb Library in Shelton recently, as the featured speaker for the monthly meeting of SW CAPA, the SW chapter of the Connecticut Authors & Publishers Association. I gave a talk about Overcoming the Obstacles to Getting your Work Published, and you can watch the YouTube video here. Go to minute 16, to avoid listening to audience chitchat before the main event! If you’d like a copy of my notes, with links to all the helpful sites I mention, email me via the contact page, and I’ll be happy to send them to you. (And if you’d like to sign up to follow my blog, that would be lovely too. )
And on Sunday, December 8 at 5:30pm, I’ll be interviewing author Rochelle Almeida at the Pequot Library about her memoir The Year the World Was Mine: An Anglophile Hits a Half Century, which details what happens when a mid-life matron, who loves all things British, leaves home and hearth to spend time working in her dream location, London. I’ll be asking her about the bizarre encounters and hair-raising adventures that came flying at her…
And now back to the monthly update:
First, some congratulations are in order: member Elizabeth Chatsworth recently signed a contract for publication of her book, The Brass Queen, in July 2020 by Equinox Books. Fantastic!

Member Alison McBain was awarded the Literary Classics International award in the fantasy division for her book, The Rose Queen. Well done! Literary Classics are awarded for young people’s fiction (picture books through YA).
Blue Pencil Agency in Britain is running a competition for un-agented writers looking for representation for an unpublished work of adult fiction. Submission deadline: November 24, so you need to move fast. The judge is Nelle Andrew, a leading literary agent at Peters Fraser + Dunlop, and there will be prizes for up to 10 writers, including a pitch to Nelle Andrew, editorial feedback and a one-on-one meetings with Nelle in person or via Skype. They need the first 500 words and a 300 word synopsis. You need to have written at least the first 10,000 words of the novel although they only require the first 500 words. £10 to enter. More details here.
On November 29, day after Thanksgiving, The Fairfield County Writers Studio will be open for anyone wanting to return to writing in peace and quiet after the holiday. They’re calling it a Post-Turkey Write-a-Thon & Holiday Happy Hour, which sounds good to me. The Studio opens at 10am, and the Happy Hour is in fact, two hours from 4-6pm. The event is free for Fairfield County Story Lab members, and $10 for guests. (Must be at least 21 years old to attend.) Kindly RSVP, so that they know how many of you to expect.
Byrd’s Books  in Bethel is a wonderful small indie bookstore that supports local authors. They’re joining in the town’s all-day Winterfest the day after Thanksgiving (November 29) as they launch the holiday season in style. Horse-drawn carriage rides and hot cider included. NaNoWriMo leader and one of the founders of the Fairfield County Writers’ Group, R.J. Theodore, will be signing the latest book in her series, Salvage, from 1-2 pm.
Starting December 3, novelist and journalist Judith Marks-White hosts a weekly writing evening at Panera in Westport. It takes place every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm, and offers writing to prompts with an opportunity for feedback. No need to register. $20.
Now through December 2, join NYWIFT (New York Women in Film and TV) during our Fall Membership Drive and save 50% off the initiation fee ($135 reduced to $67.50) and attend the Muse Awards on December 10 at the member price of $199. Details here.
The Westport Library offers a regular series of how-to classes in technology. The upcoming Anyone can use Canva on December 6, at 11am is particularly interesting for those of you on social media. Canva is a software that makes it relatively easy to add words to your photos. Easier if you know how, I suspect, so I’m going for a refresh of my abilities. Sign up at the link above.
Also at the Westport Library, on December 8 at 12pm, Join New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars) for a conversation with top thriller writer Wendy Walker for an event focused on the release of Shepard’s new book, Reputation.  Registration, $25, required and includes a copy of the book.
Part 2 of the blog will follow on Monday. In the meantime, keep writing!