A Daily-Item (Sunbury, PA) that mentions PA author W. Bryan Smith and his novel, Buddy & the Jack. Smith's latest novel, Starry Night, will be available in late summer, 2004.
Having words with each other
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By Nick Petruncio
The Daily Item
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DANVILLE — Two groups of Central Pennsylvania writers are proving that you don’t have to live in New York City to become published.
Published and nonpublished writers can meet at the Episcopal Church on Market Street or at That Bookstore in Danville on Mill Street to give and receive feedback.
"I’ve just always liked telling stories, and it just kind of grew from there," said published author Pamela Chappen Oren of Danville.
Oren is a member of the local chapter of Pennwriters, which meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays of each month at the church.
The other group, the Mill Street Writers, meets from 7 to 9 p.m. the first Friday of the month at the bookstore.
The groups attract writers all over the Central Susquehanna Valley.
Group members critique each other’s works and provide encouragement and publishing advice.
"A lot of it has to do with being in the right place at the right time," said Pennwriter Dave Freas of Mifflinville.
In case that doesn’t work, writers always can take part in the self-publishing trend in the writing field.
"A lot of people are starting their own cottage industries," said Mill Street group member Robert Bomboy.
In addition to the critiques, encouragement and advice, the groups also celebrate successes.
One celebration took place at a recent meeting of the Mill Street group.
"I have a little ‘champagna.’ I signed a contract yesterday with a New York agent. I propose a toast to our favorite muse — writing," Bomboy said.
At each group, meetings begin with small talk.
"We start out by chewing the fat. We talk about our lives," Freas said.
Then, the writers who want to read parts of their work start reciting.
Everyone is given a copy of the piece as the author reads it. Some listeners jot notes in the margins to discuss later.
When the writer finishes reading, the listeners then take turns offering praise and constructive criticism.
Currently, members of both groups write in a variety of genres, including mystery, romance, suspense and fantasy.
A writer from the Pennwriters group, W. Bryan Smith of Trevorton, recently had his novel about the adventures of a Jack Russell Terrier and a mongrel named Buddy published. The mongrel was a victim of animal abuse.
An excerpt from Smith’s book:
"The Jack was right. Buddy was blind. Two dark holes marked his face like empty graves where there once had been eyes — keen, inquisitive eyes — eyes which in his puppyhood could have traced the flight of a hawk as it skirted the peak of some far off mountaintop."
To become a member of the Pennwriters, bring five to six pages of your work, single-sided and double spaced.
More information on Pennwriters can be obtained by e-mailing Freas at hobbes17.mail.ptdprolog.net. Those interested also can visit www.pennwriters.org.
Interested writers also are invited to the Mill Street group.
That group has writing samples on its Web site at www.writers-pennsyl-vania.org. For more information on that group, you can send e-mail to authors.writers-pennsylvania.org.
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