President Barbara Rollins called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Guests and visitors were introduced.

Minutes from July meeting had been posted to the website and were approved.

Financial Report:

The starting balance for August was $2,280.56. We received $2,325 worth of contest entries for an ending balance of $5,168.02.

Announcements

• Barbara Rollins has the new name tags ready.
• Becky Haigler's poetry critique group is going well. If you are interested in joining, they meet on the first Saturday of the month at 8:30 a.m. at the Bean Counter on South 14th Street in Abilene.
• Elaine Coleman's dad had heart catherization, but he seems to be recovering well.
• Augustine Tennant is doing better and hopes to be out of the hospital by the first of September.
• The new Members Only section of the AWG website is under construction but up for the members to review.
• AWG will have a table available at the West Texas Book and Author Festival for any members who wish to sell or display their books.
• The North Texas Christian Writers Conference will be held on September 9-10, 2005. Postcards were made available to anyone who desired more information.

Brags and Sags

• Becky Haigler had a story entitled "Gates of Eden" accepted for publication in an anthology.
• Marv Johnson will have a story printed in the Abilene Reporter News on his WWII experience.
• Richard Pickett submitted 3 scripts accompanied by songs to a new television producer. This producer sent him an encouraging letter, promising to contact Richard when it comes time to hire staff writers.
• Betty Thomason serves on the research committee for Edwards Plateau and will be writing up citations for the Edwards Plateau historical publication.
• Jim Johnson brought copies of his book, The Soldier and the Lady, to sign.

Annual Workshop and Contest

The contest deadline has passed, and the numbers are in. We had 404 entries in the annual contest this year. The money earned from the fees will be sufficient to cover the cost of the judges, prize money for each category, and postage. We received entries from 33 of the 50 states as well as from Italy and the Dominican Republic. Here is the breakdown:

• 39 entries for the Mainstream/Western/Romance Novel category
• 22 for the Science Fiction/Horror/Mystery Novel category
• 40 for Short Fiction
• 55 for Memoirs
• 28 for the Inspirational category
• 59 Children's stories
• 64 for Rhymed Poetry
• 75 for Unrhymed poetry
• 22 Articles of General Interest

Jan Carrington announced that AWG has found a sponsor to help underwrite the cost of the Annual Contest and Workshop. University Place has agreed to sponsor the Memoir category. If any members know of anyone who would like to sponsor a category, please let one of the Board members know.

Don't forget that Michelle Medlock Adams will be here for the Annual Workshop. She is a top quality speaker who is being made available to you for a low price. Sign up for the Workshop and Awards Luncheon soon.

Program

John Matthews grew up in Haskell before leaving Texas to work in New York City as an editor. He has edited and written numerous books and articles. He returned to the Abilene area to retire and continue his writing and editing work thanks to the wonders of technology.

Mr. Matthews presented a program on informational writing. He cited several markets for this type of writing such as the AAA magazine, Texas Journeys. Writing a good "how to" article is like writing a recipe. For the best effect, you must include all the details in a short, easy-to-read manner.

Using the listing technique can be a powerful way to catch the reader's eye and draw them into an article. They can see at a glance what you are discussing and can determine immediately if they are interested. Pull out quotes and bullet points also achieve this objective.

Add summary lists or glossaries to your articles as a sidebar to show the editor that you understand what the reader is looking for, and that you are willing to save the editor time and money by supplying that information yourself. The list must highlight the main points of the article and cover the actual material being discussed. Otherwise the reader will feel betrayed and will be less likely to trust you in the future.

You don't have to be an expert to write a "how to" article. Do research and learn about your subject. Then write your article. Often newcomers are more aware of the details and are less likely to gloss over smaller steps.

The program concluded with a writing exercise on how to explain tying a shoe. Remember, don't take anything for granted, give all the details, and have fun spicing it up with humor.

Minutes respectfully submitted by:



Karen Witemeyer
AWG Secretary