Thursday, January 28, 2010

Laurie Wagner Buyer

Laurie Wagner Buyer is joining us today to talk about how she came to be involved with Story Circle Network. Laurie is an award-winning novelist and poet. Her works include Across the High Divide, Side Canyons, Spring’s Edge and When I Came West. Although she hasn’t always been a Texas girl, she is now.

Welcome, Laurie.


A Nurturing Organization

Story Circle Network intrigued me the first time I heard about the organization some years ago, but they were based in Austin and I was living in the Rocky Mountain West. Then a generous-hearted woman named Susan Albert Wittig reviewed my memoir, Spring’s Edge: A Ranch Wife’s Chronicles (University of New Mexico Press) for SCN and I paid attention again. I knew that SCN and I would cross paths at some point, though I didn’t know I would have to move to Texas for that to happen.

SCN was the one writer’s group that I knew about in the hill country area where my singer/songwriter husband and I made our new home. I kept the file card with the SCN contact information in my desk drawer for some months and then one day, hungry for contact with other women and other writers, I brought up the website and feasted my eyes on all the grand things SCN members were doing. And, best of all, the annual conference was coming up.

I emailed Susan and she encouraged me to submit a proposal to present a workshop. I wasn’t selected for that role, but I was asked to be part of the “Getting Published” panel. This, at last, was my chance to meet this wonderful group of encouraging and nurturing women, all of whom were dedicated to telling women’s stories.

I’m truly excited to be involved with SCN and I can’t wait to meet everyone at the Wyndham on February 5th. I’ll be bringing my newest release, another memoir titled When I Came West (University of Oklahoma Press), which took five years from pitch to publication to create. I’m anxious to share what I have learned about various types of publishing—including local and regional, university, national, independent, self-publishing and the newest rage, e-books.


Thank you, Laurie.

In addition to her memoir and books, Laurie Wagner Buyer also has three collections of poetry: Glass-eyed Paint in the Rain, Red Colt Canyon and Across the High Divide, which won the Western Writers of America Spur Award in Poetry and was named a Willa Cather Literary Award Finalist. Laurie has received many awards for her work.

As Laurie said, you can catch her at the fifth national Story Circle Network Conference in Austin, Texas, on February 5th. I’m moderating the Getting Published panel and am looking forward to meeting her. You’ll also find her on GoodReads. Even if you can’t come to the conference, you get to meet her here today and ask questions or just say “hi.”
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15 comments:

  1. I won't traveling to Texas anytime soon, so I'll just say hi!

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  2. There are so many publishing options out there now...it's nice that there's a niche for everyone. Congratulations on your new release!

    Elizabeth
    Mystery Writing is Murder
    Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen

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  3. I live in Austin, Texas! Wow- SCN is new to me. I'm excited to head over to the link and learn more.

    Thanks Ladies!

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  4. SCN does have a network of supportive writers. Plus, they have a lot of fun.

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  5. SCN sounds like a great organization. Enjoyed the feature post, too. Wish I could join y'all in texas!

    Marvin D Wilson

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  6. I wish you could, too, Marvin.

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  7. I keep reading about these amazing groups of writers everywhere but where I am! Geez...but seriously, I've heard of the Story Circle. I think it's a wonderful idea!!

    Happy Thursday,
    Jen

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  8. Even if you don't live in the central TX area, SCN has online groups, a newsletter, and other wonderful things for those outside of the immediate area.

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  9. Thank you for the information on Story Circle Network. My memoir is coming out this year, and I'm always excited to learn about other women who are using this story form to share their experiences with readers. It's also good to learn about writers who have published memoirs while still making important contributions in other genres as well.

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  10. My husband and I were just talking about Austin this morning. The link wouldn't work for me :-(

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  11. Interesting post and another wonderful author to check out. If I didn't live in Georgia, Texas would be the next place I'd be. I love it out there. Good luck with the conference.

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  12. Which link, Elizabeth? I clicked each one and they all worked for me. If you're talking about the one to Story Circle Network conference, a notice pops up saying hotel space is limited. Just click OK and it'll disappear and the conference page pops up: http://www.storycircle.org/Conference/

    Well, Mason, I can say the same thing. I lived in Georgia, then I couldn't, so now I live in Texas.

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  13. Thanks for the tip about the link Helen. My e-mail should come up on my blogger profile. I just got an e-mail from another blogger today so I assume it's still there. But, I am gonna go take a quick look.

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  14. Sounds like a great place to be - especially when I look outside at the swirling snow right now :)

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  15. I just tried it again and your profile came right up, Elizabeth. Hmmm.

    Jemi, as long as you're on the inside looking out at it!

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