Update

During our last meeting Westside Writers decided to change our format. We are no longer a critique group and won't be accepting new members at any time in the foreseeable future. However, if we hear of openings for other writing groups on the western end of the Portland (Oregon) metro area, we'll post them here. Happy writing!

Oregon Authors Fair - Sat 25 Apr - Bvrtn City Library

Get to know Oregon authors and learn about their writing. Over 23 participating authors will be available to meet readers and have their work available for purchase.

For details, click here.

Beaverton Writers' Group

Sunday, October 12, 2:00 PM?-?3:00 PM Please join us at the Beaverton City Library's writer's group. We envision this group as a forum where writers can present their work to a friendly, supportive community of fellow writers. For more info, please contact Jim Edgington at 503-350-3614 or jedgington@beavertonoregon.gov

New Writing Group at Beaverton Library

The Beaverton City Library is starting a writer's group. We envision this group as a forum where writers can present their work to a friendly, supportive community of fellow writers. We will hold an introductory meeting on Sunday, May 11th at 2PM in the Administrative Conference Room on the second floor of the library.

See the library website for more information.

update: For more info, please contact Jim Edgington at 503-350-3614 or jedgington@beavertonoregon.gov

Forest Grove Writing Group Forms

Westside Writers welcomes Washington County's newest writing group!

New Evening Writer’s Group Forming in Forest Grove

Forest Grove, OR. – C.J. Stuart will gather local writers at McMenamin’s Grand Lodge (3505 Pacific Ave.) at the main restaurant on May 29th at 6:45 p.m. We will continue to meet on the second and fourth Thursdays. There are no genre restrictions. At the first meeting we will introduce ourselves and discuss the main goals of the group.

Washington County Writer’s Mission is to provide an evening venue for adult writers that already have a novel or short story in progress. We want to share constructive critiques and motivational support for each other while building our skills and having fun. A good fit with one another is essential since decisions will be made by consensus.

Membership is limited therefore an application process of submitting an email of 500-1000 words is required. This is your chance to showcases your skills. Please also include your writing goals. Upon invitation attend the meeting. (Future meeting times and places are subject to change depending on the needs of the group.) 

We reserve the right to ask any member to leave if the group determines they are not a good fit. Writing can be a lonely road and we want to ensure everyone in the group gets to share and give feedback in a supportive environment.

C.J. Stuart has published poems and several articles and has been a member of various writers’ groups in the Northwest for many years. Her background is in art and anthropology.

For more information, email C.J. Stuart at washingtoncountywriters@yahoo.com

All About Verb Tenses

Okay, at the last meeting there was a desire to see some 'quick and dirty' explanations of the various verb tenses (in English) and how they are used/what differentiates them. A very quick poke at Google has yielded the following:

TYPES OF VERBS
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/types.html
The menu on the left of the page lists the various tenses. Clicking provides information about how a tense is used and examples. Thorough, but not the handiest cheat sheet type tool.

THE 12 VERB TENSES - USAGE
http://www.easypacelearning.com/images/12tensesandtheirusages.jpg
Quick and dirty graphic

THE BASIC FORMS OF THE ENGLISH VERB TENSES
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/support-files/all_tenses_form_cheatsheet.pdf
Quick chart with constructions and examples.

ENGLISH VERB TENSES
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/verb-tenses.html
Page with links. More detail, more clicking/navigating back and forth.

Hope this helps. If not, there is a tanker truck load more to be had by searching Google for "all about verb tenses".

Trying to find the right word for a sound?

Then give the Onomatopoeia Dictionary a shot at www.writtensound.com.

Welcome Marilyn!

Westside Writers welcomes our newest member - Marilyn Guldan - to the group!

No Longer Accepting Introductions

We've been excited by the response to our Open Membership. However, we are no longer accepting new introductions. If you sent in a sample of your work (any maybe also the sample critique) you will be hearing from Thomas within the next couple of days.

If you missed this chance, we might have some news that will interest you. Please visit this blog the first few days in April for more information.

Write on! Washington County!

Coming to Paperback

April Aasheim's The Universe is a Very Big Place is available for Kindle at Amazon.com. On the first of April, a paperback will also be available from Amazon for $12.99. April reports she's hopeful to be in local bookstores by summer.

From the book description:

As the daughter of a fortune-telling mother and a scam artist father, Spring Ryan wants nothing more than to leave her past behind, fall in love, and live a nice, normal life. But the Universe had other plans.

For starters, the man Spring fell in love with, Trevor Donnelly, has disappeared off the face of the earth. To make matters worse her mother Lanie, an eccentric nudist, moves in ‘just until she’s done with menopause’, and her boss, Kimberly, has asked her to escort a life-sized condom around town to promote teen abstinence.

See more at Amazon.com

Or visit April's website, Pieces of April.

Membership Open During March 2013

Please Note: We are no longer accepting new member introductions. See details.

Greetings from Westside Writers! Thank you for your interest in our critique group. If you wish to join, please read the page “About Us” prior to submitting your email introduction. If you have any questions, feel free to either comment on this post or email WestsideWriters503@gmail.com.

We understand that few writing groups ask potential members to apply, however we are looking for members who are serious about their work. We will accept requests for membership during March 2013. And remember, prior publication is not a requirement for membership, but you must have work in progress.

To request membership, please send an introductory email to WestsideWriters503@gmail.com and include the following:

1. Your real name and pen name 
2. Where you are at as a writer? (eg: just starting, completed first novel, published, etc) 
3. What you are looking for in a critique group? 
4. Have you been published? If so, where? 
5. What are your plans for publishing? 
6. Please attach a 500-1000 word sample of a recent piece of your work in either DOC or PDF format. [Note: This will NOT be critiqued. It is your chance to provide members with a sense of your writing style and interests.] 

When your application is received, we will forward a 250 word piece of flash fiction for you to read and critique. There is no correct critique. We wish to see how you react to an example of our work and what suggestions you provide to the author to make the piece stronger.

Once you return your critique to WestsideWriters503@gmail.com, it and your introductory email will be forwarded to all members of the group. We will provide an email response within fourteen days to all who request membership. We hope to invite most who are interested in membership to attend an upcoming meeting, but please remember actual invitations will depend on the number of requests received and interest expressed.

From each of us at Westside Writers, we wish you both success and great personal satisfaction in your writing.

Writer's Retreat in Gaston

The Writing Retreat Weekend is a two-day opportunity to learn and practice the basics of writing good fiction, to write one short story and to generate future story ideas. The weekend alternates between dedicated periods of time to write and interactive mini-workshops on the craft of writing fiction. - See more at: http://anandalaurelwood.org/program/writers-retreat-weekend/ 

When: Friday, March 8, 2013 at 4:00 pm – Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 1:30 pm
Where: Ananda Center at Laurelwood, 38950 SW Laurelwood Rd, Gaston, OR, 97119 (Map) Contact: Reservation Desk efl@anandalaurelwood.org
Phone: 503.746.6229

Click here for details

Member Publishes Short Story

Westside Writers member Vanessa has a story in the current issue of Bohemia (read online free). It's on page 20 "Infallible Universal Order".

Visit Vanessa's blog for more information.

Fiction Divas Debutes

An exciting new blog made its debut at the close of November. Fiction Divas features writing by, about, and for women who love to read. The site will feature a wide selection of flash fiction, short stories, and novel excerpts as well as occasional interviews with Fiction Divas' contributors and other authors.

Submission guidelines are available on the blog here.

It is edited by Westside Writers member and coordinator April Aasheim.

You can also "Like" Fiction Divas on Facebook.

New website live

Hillsboro Writer is now known as Kaleb Lynn Thomas. Please visit his new website at www.kaleblynnthomas.com.

Kaleb has been with Westside Writers since 2010 and currently coordinates the group with the assistance of April Aasheim.

YA Publishing Links

From Westside Writers member Walt:

Besides Duotrope, the following may be of interest:

Beyond Centauri (note: the web navigation is a bit basic)  
... (print magazine)
... (guidelines)

Spaceships & Spidersilk (ditto on the note)                      
... (on-line)
... (guidelines)

Perfect - Episode 1

Westside Writer Chris Thomas announces his serial story set in a Utopian Future: Perfect. Read below for the first episode. (Link included at the end for other episodes)

EPISODE 1

Luis rested in his ergonomic chair watching as the pro forma financial statements closed. His workspace was uncluttered even though he had three wall panels on which to display data. He thought, “NABCo System logoff Luis Antas.”

The North American Banking Company System returned the response thought, “NABCo System logging off Luis Antas at 17:07. Goodbye.” The panels of Luis’ workspace changed from his preferred Caribbean blue to black: the entrance to the smallish, door-less room illuminated.

Luis grabbed a lightweight, weatherproof jacket from a storage cupboard to the right of the entrance, slipped it on, and left only the chair in view of any passersby. He navigated a quiet corridor lined with similar workspaces, some still in use, before passing into the departmental lobby. Workers from higher floors and other companies made room in the elevator: they descended sixty-three floors and exited the building.

It was a pleasant walk though there was a bit of a chill in the air and the sky hung heavy with dark clouds. He joined the thousands of other office workers making their way to various transit stations. The Unity Plaza Station was a relaxed five minutes away. He elected to use the stairs to descend to the lower platform that served the northbound Flower Line.

The platform was bright, clean, and full of patient commuters. Luis examined the current mural of fresh winter snows giving way to the exuberant colors of springtime as it traveled the length of the station’s walls then turned white again. He thought, “Status Willem.”

His Informateur returned the thought, “Willem is at the Hartfield Central Library. His status is unavailable.”

“Leave message, ‘Lunch tomorrow? You set time.’ End.”

“Message left.”

“Weather forecast for this evening in Roseville.”

“The weather report for Roseville is brought to you by McStarMart, your one-stop shop for anything you need, when you need it, made as you like it. McStarMart, now open in the Grand Concourse of Roseville Station.

“The weather in Roseville will be clear tonight with an occasional light breeze, south to southwest. Temperature at 1800 hours will be twenty degrees falling to an overnight low of fourteen. Sunset will be at 1806 and twenty-three seconds. Tomorrow…”

The message terminated when Luis thought, “Message stop. Play La damnation de Faust, first act, by the Lyric Opera, Letiffa Smithson conducting.”

A moment later the melody played by symphonic strings was joined by a melancholy tenor contemplating nature. The words might be incomprehensible, but even in the Perfect Age the emotion of the music stirred him.

As peasants began singing joyfully the “Ronde des paysans,” Luis felt the press of wind as the train glided into the station. The waiting crowd made room for those alighting to slip past before entering the open doors. Luis shuffled down the aisle, all the seats taken, and found a bit of wall to lean against. He closed his eyes and settled in for the twenty minute, 125 kilometer ride.

The music dimmed and he understood, “Approaching Roseville Station in one minute. Thirty-three credits will be deducted from your account when you leave the station.” The music returned.

Exiting the train, he opted for the nearest stairwell then strode down the Grand Concourse ignoring the shops and restaurants. Luis passed the Local Produce Market before he reached the station doors. Outside it seemed too dark and a gale blew rain sideways under the walkway lamps.

“Current conditions.”

“Current conditions at the southeast entrance to Roseville Station Grand Concourse are clear skies, wind calm, temperature…”

Luis shook off the erroneous information, turned, and glanced at the beautiful local produce for sale. If only there was space to prepare food in his apartment!

“Continue music.”

He crossed the concourse, climbed another flight of stairs, and walked down the platform for trams to the southeast quadrant. The crowd was heavier than normal – no doubt owing to the weather. He had to queue for the third tram before he was able to board.

The tram whisked its passengers from the station to highrise to sports center to towerblock, each separated by wide expanses of meadows and parkland. Luis was unable to concentrate on the music as he stared out the window at the rain-battered ball fields and a wind-tossed faux Asiatic garden. How could the Informateur be so wrong?

Rolling along its elevated track, the tram slowed into the station in the second story lobby of his building. He crossed the platform to the lift and rode with a few other residents, exiting on the thirty-fifth floor. Turning left, he walked down the extended, immaculate, featureless corridor. On his right side a door slid open revealing his warm, lit room. He entered the space and the door slid shut. Outside the storm obscured the rays of a setting sun.

To his left along the eggshell-white wall was a single bed elevated above a turquoise sofa which opened into a full-sized futon. Both were well-lit. Between this unit and the glass wall that opposed the door was a two-meter-square space where an assortment of houseplants grew. Each container received water and nutrients from supply tubes that ran under the window and behind a large, wood-grained shelving unit and cabinet which took up the entire wall to his right.

“Set window to view out only.” The change was imperceptible where Luis stood, but he knew it was impossible for anyone to see inside his unit. Luis opened a cupboard door, undid his fly, and released the fruity, vitamin juice he drank that afternoon into the goblet-sized urinal. Thus relieved, he remained in position as soap dripped then water streamed from a nozzle just above the receptacle. He washed, rinsed, and a blast of warm air dried his various appendages.

Luis closed the door to the comfort closet as he took a step to the left and opened another. His clothing was neatly arranged: shirts and jackets hanging on top, pants and shorts neatly folded on the middle shelf, a drawer for socks and odds-and-ends, and below that a shelf for footwear. He removed his work clothes, dropped them into a chute at the very bottom of the wardrobe, and dressed in heavier, taupe, canvas slacks and one of his old, blue and white, rugby jerseys. A large, black number ‘five’ had been appliquéd on the back.

Closing that door, he examined the shelves to the left. Books were the one luxury he allowed himself in this impeccable, paperless world. Extremely rare and even more expensive, Luis enjoyed the sensation of turning well-used pages and the look of the black letters on the yellowing paper. Sure, he could interact with any existing piece of literature on the Informateur choosing from a wide assortment of synthesized voices to read to him or simply by sensing the words in his mind; but he preferred the shear pleasure of reading the way people did centuries ago.

Alexander Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin – the corners were rounded, the grayish-brown cover was well-worn with only a touch of gilding left in the thinnest parts of the embossed letters – had cost him almost a week’s salary. He turned towards the door. A bookmark guided him to the eleventh stanza of chapter five. Luis read of Tatyana’s dream unphased by the door sliding open, the lights dimming, and the door slipping shut behind him. He read of snow and a great bear as he strolled down the corridor and waited for the elevator. Stepping inside and thinking “public dining room,” the doors closed. The elevator glided downward.

Luis did not look up as the doors opened and two other men his age entered the lift. Their privacy interrupted, the three rode silently to the floor above the tram station. “After you,” one of the strangers offered.

“No, please, after you.” Luis held out an open hand, smiled, but just glanced at them not wishing to lose his place. He followed them out of the elevator, finished the stanza, closed the book, and looked around the room. Unable to spot any familiar faces in the crowd, he approached an unoccupied food preparation window.

“Tuscan chicken,” he started thinking, “with spinach pasta, grilled vegetable anti-pasto, and a glass of Vernaccia di San Gimignano.” This was a meal that Willem had prepared one summer evening in his little place in the city. While Luis knew tonight’s formatted dinner could never compare with the real thing, the nutritionally balanced, low-fat food product would remind him of that meal he had enjoyed with his best friend last year.

The window closed and a couple minutes later reopened to reveal a tray with a linen napkin, stainless flatware, the food served on china, and the wine in sommelier-style piece of stemware. “Seventeen credits will be deducted from your account. Buon appetito!”

He carried the tray across the room until he found an empty table with two chairs on either side. He removed his table setting and food from the tray, arranged it on the table with the book just above the plate, set the tray on one chair, and sat in the other. “Set noise level to low.” The numerous conversations surrounding him became imperceptible. He opened the book to where he had left off, took a sip of wine enjoying the dry, full-bodied taste, and started reading again. The poetry was more engaging than the food.

As he finished his meal, he understood, “Neighbor Nakajima Toshiro approaching.”

“Set noise level to conversation.”

He stood up, palm extended in greeting. “It’s been a while, how are you Nakajima-san?”

“Very well. Was away on business. Some of us are going to the comet viewing tonight, and since you seem to be on your own, I was wondering if you would like to join us.”

“With the weather what it is, I was thinking of going to the observation deck upstairs.”

“Yes. That would be pleasant, but local officials from De Authoriteit are hosting an invitation-only dinner. Do you know not any members of the building council?”

“Can’t say I do.”

“We are going to catch the tram in about fifteen minutes. Please to join us.”

“Let me clean up here and grab a jacket. I’ll see you on the platform.”

“Yes. See you shortly.”

Luis queried the Informateur, “Status Hale and Hearty Comet viewing in Roseville.”

“Hale and Hearty Comet viewing festival in Roseville Plaza to begin in twenty-five minutes. De Authoriteit encourages all able-bodied citizens to attend and reminds employers this is an officially sanctioned observance. Festivities include…”

“Weather forecast for Roseville Plaza in twenty-five minutes.”

“In twenty-five minutes the weather in Roseville Plaza will be: skies clear, temperature nineteen degrees, wind calm with slight occasional breeze from the southwest.”

Luis looked across the room and out a window. The rain beat against the panes of glass. He shook his head as he placed the dirty dishes on the tray. His book under his arm, he walked towards a cleaning station.

Click here to see all six episodes of Perfect! Perfect

Just Published

Westside Writers' own April Aasheim recently announced the publication of her book The Universe is a Very Big Place, available now for Kindle at Amazon.com.

As the daughter of a fortune-telling mother and a scam artist father, Spring Ryan wants nothing more than to leave her past behind, fall in love, and live a nice, normal life. But the Universe had other plans. 

For starters, the man Spring fell in love with, Trevor Donnelly, has disappeared off the face of the earth. To make matters worse her mother Lanie, an eccentric nudist, moves in ‘just until she’s done with menopause’, and her boss, Kimberly, has asked her to escort a life-sized condom around town to promote teen abstinence. 

Still trying to salvage a normal life Spring agrees to marry Sam Wayne, a banker with an appreciation for books, God, and a well-mashed potato. He may not be Prince Charming, but at least he can give her the normal life she has always dreamed about. 

But as her nuptials with Sam draw nearer, Spring’s life becomes even more complicated. She soon finds herself involved with three men, and has no idea what to do with any of them. It seems the Universe has a sense of humor...and just maybe, a better plan for Spring than the normal life she's always told herself she wanted.

Visit April's Author Page and visit her blog Pieces of April.

Westside Writers Spring 2012 Challenge

Westside Writers, a writing critique group that meets in the Reedville area of Hillsboro, issues the following challenge to other Washington County writers. Create a piece of short fiction, post it on your blog or ours, and read some other local writers' work. Don't forget to leave the author a comment letting her know you read the piece and what you thought of it. To view challenge submissions, just click here.

Here are the details:

What: Create a piece of short fiction (300 word limit) based on the following prompt (idea from How to Write a Damn Good Thriller):

Write a diary entry, first person, from your villain/antagonist's POV. They can even address the author if you want. Try to get to really know who the character is, why they are the way they are and why they chose to do the things they do. If you don't have a villain in mind, then do it from your hero/protagonist.

When: The deadline will be 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on Wednesday 23 May 2012

Who: Any resident of Washington County, Oregon or participant of a writers group that meets in Washington County, Oregon

Why: To have a bit of fun and share some of your writing with other Washington County writers and visitors to our blog (westside-writers.blogspot.com)

How: Submissions can be made either by: 1) adding your story to your blog or website, then sending a link to that post or page to WestsideWriters503@gmail.com. Please include a statement that you either live in Washington Co or attend a writers group in Washington Co, Oregon. OR 2) Email your submission to WestsideWriters503@gmail.com with a statement that it may be included on our blog (westside-writers.blogspot.com), include any identifying and copyright information you wish to have included on the blog post with your submission (name, web address or Twitter/Facebook/etc profile/name).

NOTE: Westside Writers may decide not to include your link or story if it doesn't meet any criteria listed in this post or if it violates our Taboo Topics as discussed on http://westside-writers.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html.

If you have any questions, please comment or email WestsideWriters503@gmail.com.

Conversations With Writers

Monday March 26, 2012

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Contact Fred Melden

The event takes place on the last Monday of each month, each time with a different guest presenter(s). A monthly event inviting writers to read and discuss their work with the audience. Not an open mic, not a reading, but something different. We, the audience, ask questions of the writer about their work, their style, the reasons for their choices. Influence Music Hall, 135 SE 3rd Ave, Hillsboro