The Salem Chapter offers monthly meetings and occasional workshops. Meetings are normally held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Salem Public Library (Central Library, Anderson Room B).
You can join a monthly meeting even if you’re not a member (see details below). Read on to learn about us, and join our mailing list to keep in touch. Become a Willamette Writers Member today to enjoy membership benefits (like free meetings) and to support our community of writers.
Willamette Writers Chapters are local writing communities where writers improve their craft and acquire the career skills required in today’s publishing world.
Upcoming Meeting
Salem Meeting: “What Novelists Can Learn From Screenwriters” with Cynthia Whitcomb
On Wednesday, September 20th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. (talk begins at 7 p.m.), Cynthia Whitcomb will present to our chapter at the Salem Public Library (Anderson Room A), 585 Liberty St SE.
A few of the many things novelists can learn from screenwriters are Three Act Structure, Subplots, Dialogue, How to Combine Right Brain and Left Brain strengths. Set ups and Payoffs. Visual symbols.
Cynthia Whitcomb is a playwright, screenwriter, and author. She has sold over 70 feature-length scripts, 30 of which have been produced, 7 of them at the acclaimed UCLA Film School. Her work includes Buffalo Girls; Selma, Lord, Selma; I Know My First Name is Steven; and Mark Twain and Me. She has been nominated for many awards, including the Emmy, the Edgar, WGA and the Humanitas. Her new book The Heart of the Film came out May 2017, on writing love stories in screenplays. She teaches screenwriting courses twice a year through Willamette Writers. She has a new screenwriting class beginning Sept. 23 in Wilsonville.
For more: willamettewriters.org/salem/ or email salem [at] willamettewriters.org.
About the Salem Chapter Meetings
Unless otherwise stated…
When and Where
We meet on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Salem Public Library (Central Library, Anderson Room B).
Meeting Format
6:30-7 pm: social time, including news and member announcements*
7-8:30 pm: speaker’s presentation followed by Q&A and book sales/signing
* We have snacks, but if you want coffee or water, please bring it with you.
Cost
Free for members of Willamette Writers (all chapters). Free for full-time students under 22 years old. Guests of Willamette Writers members pay $5. Non-members pay $10 to attend meetings
Connect with the Salem Chapter
We think writers are awesome!
- Join our meetings and workshops if you’re a writing enthusiasts from the Salem area, if you happen to be in the area, or if you are interested in a specific topic/speaker.
- Like our Facebook Page to keep in touch.
- Explore our blog.
- Join our mailing list to learn what’s coming up next for the chapter.
- Find a local critique group or announce your group.
- Contact us privately if you have a specific inquiry or an announcement to share with the chapter.
All writers welcome. Join us!
From Our Blog
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Authors: Use a Logline to Describe Your Book (screenwriters have been using them for years…)
Do you have a logline for your story? Screenwriters have been using loglines to sell their scripts for years. Authors can use them too. Wait, what’s a logline? A logline is the shortest good response to the prompt: “tell me about your book.” Here is the...
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Up and Coming Award Winner 2016 – Heidi Schulz
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