Birmingham

See Jane Eat Drink Read Write



Last weekend I rededicated myself to a promise I made years ago. 

No, I didn’t renew my wedding vows.  I decided to renew my efforts to fall in love with the city of Birmingham. I spent last Friday night and Saturday and Sunday afternoons at the Sidewalk Film Festival, an annual independent film festival held in various venues of downtown Birmingham. (I wrote stories on the film Our Mockingbird and the short documentaries produced by University of Alabama at Birmingham students for Magic City Post.) I had a blast and the weekend made me realize that Birmingham really can make me happy if I give her a chance.

So, this fall I plan to attend as many events as I can. Just around the corner is the Birmingham Public Library’s second Eat Drink Read Write Festival, which is set for Sept. 8 – 15, 2012. The Birmingham Public Library has joined forces with several Birmingham food organizations to present this year’s event. Presentations will include good food and good conversation from national and local food and beer experts. All events are free and will feature food tastings, a cooking class, a food documentary and more. Events will be held at the downtown public library, Pepper Place and the Desert Island Supply Co. in Woodlawn.

I would love for some of the ladies of See Jane Write to join me at some of the Eat Drink Read Write Festival events such as Food Stories, set for Wednesday, Sept. 12 at the Desert Island Supply Co., 5500 First Ave. North. For this event participants will have five minutes to tell a true, personal story about food. No notes allowed. This presentation is modeled after National Public Radio’s “The Moth: True Stories Told Live.” Birmingham Originals member restaurants will provide refreshments. Reservations are required so visit http://foodstories2012.eventbrite.com/ to register today. Then RSVP at the See Jane Write Facebook group page to let me know you’re coming. 

And please join me Friday, Sept. 14 at Bards & Brews. It’s really a shame that I have yet to attend the library’s popular poetry performance and beer-tasting event. On this night, Chef Corey Hinkel of MIX Bakery and Cafe will discuss beer and cheese pairings. Chef Chris Dupont of MIX Bakery and Cafe and Cafe Dupont will prepare appetizers, using ingredients donated by Whole Foods Market. There will also be a poetry slam and prizes to the top three winners. Avondale Brewing Co., Back Forty Beer Co., Bell’s Brewery and Good People Brewing Co. will furnish the beer. The Reflections, a band made up of library employees, is also set to perform.

Reservations are not required for this event, but please RSVP at the See Jane Write Facebook group page to let me know you’re coming so I’ll keep an eye out for you. 

Click here for a complete list of events.  

See Jane Write presents A Ghost Story

Are you looking for new ways to earn money as a writer? 
If so, you need to mark your calendar for the next See Jane Write event, set for Tuesday, Aug. 28 at 5:30 p.m. at Matthew’s Bar & Grill. 

Author and freelance writer Nancy Dorman-Hickson will present “A Ghost Story: My Life as a Co-Writer and Print/Web Writer.”  She’ll include fun experiences she’s had as a writer such as the strangest places she’s taken her laptop or conducted an interview; techniques for capturing a personality; and the ego-boosting (and ego-crushing) acts of creating personal bios and author photos and participating in book signings. 
Before freelancing, Dorman-Hickson was an editor for Southern Living and Progressive Farmer magazines during which time she received praise for her writing from Harper Lee, Pat Conroy, Naomi Judd, Fannie Flagg and many more. She is the ghostwriter of a book on family violence and the co-author of Diplomacy and Diamonds, the best-selling memoir of Texas socialite Joanne King Herring, who was portrayed by Julia Roberts in the movie Charlie Wilson’s War. You can learn more about  at Dorman-Hickson at http://www.NancyDormanHickson.com.
Ghostwriting may be something you’ve never considered because there’s no fame or glory in this line of work. “In fact,” Dorman-Hickson said, “ghostwriters sign contracts agreeing not to tell anyone that they worked on the book at all, thus the term ‘ghost.'”

So why would anyone want to be a ghostwriter? For the money, honey! 

“It can be a lucrative field,” Dorman-Hickson said. “The figures are all over the board. I’ve heard everything from $2,500 to $100,000, but those high-figures come about only after a writer has deep experience and a lot of luck.”
Still, if ghostwriting is completely out of the question for you, there’s always collaborative writing, such as Dorman-Hickson’s project with Joanne King Herring. On the cover of that memoir you’ll also find Dorman-Hickson’s name. 

“It can mean good money in a time when writers are having a hard time getting assignments and being paid adequately for their work,” Dorman-Hickson said. “Also it is fulfilling to complete a book, especially when it bears your name.”
For those wondering if ghostwriting or collaborative writing is for you, Dorman-Hickson said, “If you are a writer who enjoys knowing what you’re going to be writing and what you’re going to be working on for a long period of time, book-length projects are ideal. They provide security in the topsyturvy world of freelancing. You use the same skills you use with other types of writing. You just use them for a longer period of time focusing on the same subject.”
Dorman-Hickson will have copies of Diplomacy and Diamonds for sale (cash or check only) for $25 at the event. 
In addition to information on ghostwriting and collaborative writing, Dorman-Hickson will also discuss how to freelance for magazines, websites and other publications and how to build your brand as a writer.

See Jane Write August Event 
What: Nancy Dorman Hickson presents A Ghost Story: My Life as a Co-Writer and Print/Web Writer
When: Tuesday, August 28 at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Matthew’s Bar & Grill, 2208 Morris Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35203

This event is free, but registration is required. Register by visiting aghoststory.eventbrite.com

Special thanks to our venue sponsor Matthew’s Bar & Grill. Please support Matthew’s by purchasing food and/or drinks at this event. 

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pens

Writing often feels like a solitary act, a lonely occupation. Many of us create our best work in moments of quiet solitude, rubbing our tired eyes as we stare at a bright computer screen in a dimly lit room.

But any writer who thinks she can do it all on her own is kidding herself. As author Natalie Goldberg has taught me, writing is a communal act. Sometimes we need someone to help us banish writer’s block or to make us submit that article, short story, poem, or proposal. Sometimes we need someone to tell us to stop talking about being a writer and actually write something for heaven’s sake!

This is why I have a writing partner. For the past month or so I’ve been meeting with my writing partner every Tuesday afternoon at a local coffeehouse. For two hours we just sit together and write. And it is wonderful. It’s hard to explain how much I enjoy our time together, but I know it simultaneously feels like recess and worship. Each pen stroke is an act of prayer and a moment of play.

I recently helped some members of See Jane Write Birmingham find writing partners and blogging mentors within our group. I call this little literary matchmaking program  The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pens, a name for which I cannot take credit (Thanks, Erin). Last night a few of the women in The Sisterhood got together for dinner at a local pizza parlor. Over slices of warm pie and glasses of cold beer, we chatted about our writing goals and the books we’re reading. We dished about family drama and confessed our Twitter obsessions. And in just two hours we felt like family and were trying to figure out when we’d do this again.

Irene Grubbs, Glenny Brock, Javacia Harris Bowser (me!),
Mimi Latoine, Mindy Santo, Jennifer Dome, and Amber Roberson
Writing partners Mimi and Mindy share a laugh. 
The reaction when Glenny revealed the topic of the book she’s currently writing.

The hilarious Sherri and Irene

Amber and Sherri

Cross-posted (with larger pictures and a bonus photo) at The Writeous Babe Project.


Remembering Nan



The women of See Jane Write were hit with horrible news yesterday when we learned that author, artist, and filmmaker Nancy Stricklin was killed in a car crash Tuesday night.


Stricklin, known as Nan to friends and Nan Lin on social media networks, was an active member of See Jane Write and an inspiration to writers and artists all over the city.


On Tuesday evening, Stricklin died after her car left I-459 near Parkwood Road and hit a tree. News about her death was reported yesterday on al.com. She was 31.


Between 2008 and 2011, Stricklin wrote and filmed two short films, wrote five books, and saw her paintings showcased — twice — at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Stricklin had also received recognition for her work with On the Set Summer Film Camp, which teaches children about filmmaking. Last year for the camp she wrote the script for “The Hop Off,” which starred actor Kadeem Hardison. She was working on another script for the camp this year. 

Stricklin was also busy raising funds and creating a buzz for her first feature film “Beautiful Disaster.” The work she was doing to bring this dream to fruition was truly an inspiration and a prime example of her dedication to her art. 


On the homepage of her website, Stricklin left us with these wise words: “NEVER be afraid to live your dreams. Life is but a moment. Make it an amazing one.”  


To learn more about Stricklin’s life and work: 
Birmingham filmmaker and UAB graduate Nancy Stricklin is remembered for her talentsBirmingham Exam: Nancy Stricklin, author, artist, filmmaker

Let’s Eat at #AlaBlogMeet

Alabama Bloggers


Birmingham resident Rachel Callahan had made connections with writers all over the world, thanks to her popular blog Grasping for Objectivity. But she knew very few bloggers in her hometown. She searched for a website that helped local bloggers connect, but with no luck. 


“So I decided to create one,” Callahan says. 


Callahan launched Alabama Bloggers in May of 2009 and eventually took these online connections to real life with regular meetings now known as #AlaBlogMeet. The next meeting is at 11:30 a.m. Friday at The Silvertron Cafe, 3813 Clairmont Avenue in Birmingham. I’ll be there and I hope those of you in town will join me. 


“When I started the site, I said that I would provide meet-ups, but I didn’t really mean it,” Callahan confesses. “I was scared to death to meet people in real life! But one of the original members called me on it and offered to host the first one. We had 19 people show up, and I enjoyed every minute of it.”


Since then the group has had a meetup at least every other month. 


What can you expect if you’re a first-timer? 


“Lots of laughter, banter, and some really good blogging advice mixed into the cracks,” Callahan says. “You’re sure to walk away with some new friends. And we always have at least one first-timer at every meetup, so don’t be afraid!  You’re always welcome.”


Click here to RSVP if you plan to attend the Alabama Bloggers June #AlaBlogMeet. 

Crossposted at The Writeous Babe Project.