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NightScripts
May 2015
Julie Kimmel-Harbaugh, Editor
Wow, what a month! It’s been a non-stop, action-packed roller coaster whirlwind since our last
meeting. We prepared for OWFI for the last several months, honing our craft, preparing our
writing contest entries, learning from each other, and becoming better writers.
Now, with OWFI behind us, I hope we can catch our breath and realize what the Tulsa
NightWriters is all about. It’s a group of individuals helping each other become better at the
thing we love—writing. I’ve learned so much from the accountability partners I’ve had, and I’m
pretty sure they’ve gleaned at least a smidgen of knowledge from me. If nothing else, I want my
partners and every other NightWriter to know you can become whatever level of writer you set
your mind to be. I’m looking forward to Friday night when I’ll meet with my partner again and
learn something new. I’ve shared my cowboy story with her and asked for an honest opinion.
Now we wait.
If you were not able to attend OWFI this year, please put it on your 2016 calendar. I was amazed
to watch our members grow at the conference. How could it be otherwise? There were hundreds
of people there, each one of us with a dream, encouraging each other, pushing each other to seek
out that one tidbit of information or that one contact that would propel us to where we want to
be. And every time a NightWriter’s name was called at the awards banquet, a sense of
accomplishment swept all of us, not just the member receiving the award. When Donna, Linda,
Rex, Nikki, Mary, Bill, Joshua, Eloise, Sarah, and Dixie’s names were called, I felt a breeze of
pride surround us as a group, not just as individuals. I think we took fourteen awards. I’m
determined to double that next year. Aren’t you? I’ve already begun to plan my entries. I figure
if I write one or two things a month, I should be able to enter a dozen categories next year.
Don’t believe it? Watch me.
But now it’s time to refocus on the business and craft of writing. Bill is drawing up the
submission guidelines for our anthology. Please start planning what you intend to submit. And
rest assured, the guidelines will be exact, so your work must be excellent. It will need to pass an
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excruciating editing process. Sub-par and non-editor ready submissions will not make the cut.
When our final product is on the market, it will be the gold standard for other clubs to follow.
Well, it’s getting late, and Julie is waiting for me to send her this article. I know I’ve rambled
but my heart is so filled with pride at the turn our club has taken these last few months. Many of
you have expressed these same sentiments to me. I believe we’re on the verge of greatness and
that many of you who’ve doubted your abilities as writers are just now realizing there is light at
the end of the tunnel. I hear it at every meeting when you say, “I’m working on this. . . .” or “I
hope one day to write that. . . .” or “I’ve always had a dream of becoming a writer. . . .” Let me
assure you, you are a writer. Your skills may wane a little, and you may still be looking for your
voice, but you are a writer. We all are.
____________________________________________________
In this Issue
The Prez Sez:
A Message from Your Vice President
Welcome, New Members!
Meet a NightWriter—May’s Featured NightWriter
2015 OWFI Conference and Writing Contest
Our Members Have Brags
Announcements
Rules for the 2015 Tulsa NightWriters Anthology
Writing Opportunities
Your TNW Officers—Contact Information
Meeting Schedule
NightScripts Submission Guidelines
How to Join the Tulsa NightWriters
Jim Laughter
Charles Betzler
John T. Biggs
Bill Wetterman
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10
14
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18
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19
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____________________________________________________
Our May Meeting
Congratulations are in order for our TNW winners at OWFI 2015. Come join the celebratory
conclave on May 19th and enjoy the festivities honoring the achievements of our fellow writers.
Explore Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction Writing
I thought I would share a Web-site that is a great resource for writers. This blog has many useful
tips and techniques. Here is the link: Writing Forward | Creative Writing Tips and Ideas.
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Stephanie Colburn
Resides in:
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Writes:
Poetry and plays
Available on Amazon: In Close Company: Poems & Memories (Kindle only. I have paper
copies.); Postcards From Basecamp
Forthcoming:
What Lies Hidden: Poems & Memories; Currents of Time
Marion Grace
Resides in:
Tulsa, Oklahoma
____________________________________________________
May’s
Featured NightWriter
John T. Biggs
johnbiggs73162@yahoo.com
http://johnbiggsoklahomawriter.com
Editor: How long have you been a NightWriter?
John: I’ve been a member for only two years. I learned about Tulsa NightWriters from Bill
Wetterman shortly after we met in a Bernhardt seminar. He told me this group was the most
active and effective affiliate of OWFI. It took me a while to join, but he was definitely on target.
Tulsa NightWriters is what all affiliates should aspire to be.
Editor: What do you write?
John: My fiction doesn’t fit cleanly into a genre. It’s been classified as literary and also as
speculative. I call it magic realism and let people figure out what that means for themselves.
Almost everything I write has a contemporary Native American content.
Editor: Have you published anything?
John: I’ve published about sixty short stories; two novels, Owl Dreams, and Popsicle Styx;
and two short story collections Southwest Gothic Tales (Free on Smashwords) and Sacred Alarm
Clock (coming out in June). I also have two novels with uncertain release dates, Cherokee Ice,
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which should come out later this year, and What Kills you Makes You Stronger, tentatively
scheduled to come out in January 2016.
Editor: Have you won any awards?
John: I’ve had some luck with contests. My short story, “Boy Witch”, won the grand prize in
the 80th annual Writers Digest Competition. My story, “Twenty Percent Off” was the 2012
OWFI Crème de la Crème winner. “Soul Kisses” won third prize in the 2011 Lorian
Hemingway Short Story contest. “Footprints” was a Storyteller Magazine Peoples Choice
Award winner. Popsicle Styx was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award. There have been
others, but those are the most notable. As you’ve probably guessed, I went through a period of
submitting a lot of manuscripts to contests.
Editor: What do you love most about writing?
John: There is nothing more seductive than experiencing life inside the mind of another
person. I’ve always been a daydreamer. Writing lets me refine those dreams and share them.
Editor: What are your favorite books? Who are your favorite authors?
John: I usually really like what I am currently reading. Right now that is A Killer in Time by
Jim Laughter. I will also rush to my Kindle and download anything Bill Wetterman writes. The
most influential authors of my youth were Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, and Harper Lee.
Editor: What advice would you give to other writers?
John: As that great baseball player and philosopher Yogi Berra once said: “You can observe a
lot just by watching.” Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Try to understand why people do
the things they do. Eavesdrop whenever possible. Steal scenes from life and make them more
complicated.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00GW5A1QU
(Click on the last two book covers to open the Amazon hyperlinks.)
______________________________________________________
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Congratulations
to Tulsa NightWriter delegate
Tony LoPresti
on being elected President
of the Oklahoma Writer's Federation, Inc.,
for 2015 - 2016!
We know he will do an excellent job. We're looking
forward to having him visit us sometime later this year.
2015 OWFI Writing Contest Awards
Congratulations to everyone who entered the OWFI Writing Contest this year. There were
over 638 entries. Of the thirty-five categories, members of the Tulsa NightWriters took awards
in thirteen. Our totals included three 1st place, one 2nd place, four 3rd place, and six honorable
mentions, for a total of fourteen awards. First-, second-, and third-place finishes had checks
attached to them.
We’ll be celebrating our award winners at our May 19th meeting, so come prepared to
party! If you weren’t at the conference, then we will have your certificates and checks at the
meeting. If you were at OWFI, then please bring your certificates with you.
And the Tulsa NightWriter winners are. . . .
Category 2 – Poetry, Unrhymed-Long – 37 Entries
Sarah Lonelodge * 3
rd
Honorable Mention * “Widow”
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Category 3 * Poetry, Rhymed-Short * 29 Entries
Nikki Hanna
2nd Honorable Mention, “The Not So Great Outdoors”
Category 6 * Technical and/or How-To Article *
18 Entries
Nikki Hanna
3rd Place, “How to Capture a Life Story”
Category 7 * Feature Article: Nonfiction *
11 Entries
Nikki Hanna
1st Honorable Mention, “My Wish for You”
Category 6 * Technical &/or How-To Article *
18 Entries
Donna Welch Jones
1st Honorable Mention, “Teens Join the Fight:
Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Project”
Category 11 * Flash Fiction * 46 Entries
Bill Wetterman
3rd Place, “Modern Hook-Up”
Category 19 -- Play, Film, or TV Script – 9 Entries
Joshua Danker-Dake * 1 Place * “Good Fences”
st
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Category 21 * Middle Grade Book: Fiction
or Nonfiction * 11 Entries
Mary Coley
3rd Place, “The Dragon’s Lair”
Category 22 * Young Adult Novel: Fiction
or Non Fiction * xx Entries
Mary Coley
2nd Place, “The Summer My Life Went Up in Smoke”
Category 24 – Mainstream Novel: Fiction – 12 Entries
Dixie Maxwell * 1 Honorable Mention * “Wish You Were Here”
st
Category 25 * Romance Novel * 7 Entries
Linda Trout
1st Place, “Tangled Promises”
Category 26 * Historical Novel * 9 Entries
Rex Griffin
1st Place, “Wolves at Their Heels”
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Category 27 – Mystery/Suspense Novel – 10 Entries
Eloise Needleman * 3
rd
Place * “Devil’s Plaything”
Category 28 – Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel – 11 Entries
Joshua Danker-Dake * 1 Honorable Mention * “Grassland”
st
Thank you to our 2015 OWFI Writing Contest Sponsors!
Books-A-Daisy, LLC, sponsored the contest category 22, Young Adult Novel: Fiction or
Nonfiction for ages 12 and older, at OWFI this year.
The Tulsa NightWriters sponsored the Crème de la Crème Award.
Thank you, Karen Marie Graham and Books-A-Daisy Publishing, LLC;
Garret Creek Wine and Spirits; Oklahoma State University;
and Full Circle Bookstore!
Karen Marie Graham served as the event coordinator for Friday Night's Masquerade Contest at
the OWFI conference. She and Books-A-Daisy Publishing® organized the event and cosponsored the baskets with Garret Creek Wine and Spirits, Oklahoma State University, and Full
Circle Bookstore.
Cheers to Rex Griffin,
winner of Best Male Mask
at Friday night’s
masquerade event!
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Hats off to Dallas Adams (left),
a recipient of the
memorial scholarship established in
honor of former Tulsa NightWriter
Peggy Fielding.
Mark your calendars now
for the 2016 OWFI Conference,
which will tentatively be held
the second weekend in May.
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Mike Koch
Short Story Publication
Mike Koch has a new short story titled,
“Momo: The Missouri Monster,”
published in Big Muddy: A Journal of
the Mississippi River Valley. The
publisher is Southeast Missouri State
University Press, and is edited by
Dr. Susan Swartwout.
Mary Coley
Book Award
I'm proud to announce that I have been selected
to receive the Creative Women of Oklahoma
award for Young Adult books from the Delta
Kappa Gamma International Society! This
award is for my book Cobwebs: A Suspense
Novel, which came out in 2014. I will receive
the award, make a presentation and sign books
at the Society's Oklahoma conference on June
12 in Oklahoma City.
Nikki Hanna
Tulsa City-County Library
Adult Creative Writing Contest Awards
Nikki Hanna received honorable mention in three categories of
the Tulsa City/County Library Contest: Poetry, Essay, and Short
Story.
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To the Everlasting
by
Sarah Renee Lonelodge
New 4-Star Review
New 4-star review for To the Everlasting, by Sarah Lonelodge: short, insightful book
appropriate for a christian book club.
By Charlie on April 13, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
It's a short book but it does give you pause to reflect on your own life. It is about two people who
die together and have to review their lives and what one big mistake they have made that caused
them to not live their life to the fullest. It would be good for a book club and has a Christian
theme to it.
Fall From Grace
by
Tammy Lynn Acuff
New 5-Star Review
New 5-star review for Tammy Lynn Acuff's Fall From Grace, "Serial Murder in a small town
By judy smith on April 15, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this story. I liked the characters. The story was told without curse words. I never
guessed "who done it"The story flowed well from beginning to end. I look forward to seeing
more from this author."
Media Interview
Books-A-Daisy, LLC author Tammy Tammy Lynn Acuff was interviewed by the Sequoia
County Times! So proud of her!
http://www.sequoyahcountytimes.com/news/article_a3a6030a-df8d-11e4-b5f6-4f0fa44ace3a.html
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Karen Marie Graham
of
(Click on the above graphic to open the hyperlink.)
New 5-Star Review on Amazon
New 5-Star Review on Amazon! for Karen Marie Graham's
Thank You, God, For Everything: A Nursery Rhyme Picture
Book.
By SKM on April 1, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
My 2 year old granddaughter enjoyed it
New 5-Star Goodreads Rating
A new 5-star rating for Karen Marie Graham's The Promises You
Keep, from Caroline Milne! Thanks!!!
http://www.goodreads.com/…/…/15733816-the-promises-youkeep…
Audio-Book Release
Karen Marie Graham's The Promises You Keep was released as an
audio book on April 8th on Audible.
http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/The-Promises-YouKeepAudiobook/B00VQUX0O6/ref=a_search_c4_1_2_srTtl?qid=14
28451381&sr=1-2
Media Interview
Karen Marie Graham was on Good Day Tulsa, Channel 8 this morning with author Jennifer
McMurrain speaking about the upcoming OWFI conference!
http://www.ktul.com/…/11411…/oklahoma-writers-federation-inc
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Jim Laughter
www.jimlaughter.com
Jim Laughter's true-crime novel From Victim to Hero—The Untold Story of Steven Stayner,
reached #16 on the Kindle best-seller list the first weekend of May, climbing all the way from
number 360,000 to 461 on Kindle worldwide. Also, his climate fiction novel, Polar City Red,
will be used as part of a Cambridge University project study on the effects of global warming
and climate change this summer.
A Flying Affair
by
Carla Stewart
carlastewart.com
Review from Publisher’s Weekly for A FLYING AFFAIR
PW Review: Stewart (The Hatmaker’s Heart) continues her rich creation of the Roaring ‘20s,
this time exploring women who fly. Mittie Humphreys, an adventurous and skilled Kentucky
horsewoman dreams of flying her own plane with the likes of Amelia Earhart. Torn between her
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passion for the air and letting down her parents, Mittie remains close to her beloved show horses
even as she pursues aviation. When Ames Dewberry, the dashing barnstormer and performance
pilot, introduces her to stunt flying and air races, Mittie begins flying lessons with the handsome
British pilot Bobby York. As she moves into serious competition with other women aviators,
Mittie is caught between the two men, as well as between her family’s expectations and her own
dreams. Danger, thrills, and heartache come as she opens new vistas with a growing sisterhood
of courageous female pilots. Compelling action scenes, clever dialogue, and believable
characters add spice and depth to a multidimensional tale. Though faith plays a backseat role and
the main character is less well developed than others, the historical detail and vivid action scenes
anchor an enjoyable story.
BOOKS BY CARLA STEWART
The Hatmaker's Heart (FaithWords)
Sweet Dreams (FaithWords)—2014 Oklahoma Book Award Finalist
Stardust (FaithWords)—2013 Oklahoma Book Award Finalist; INSPY Short List
Broken Wings (FaithWords)—2012 Finalist, Oklahoma Book Award; 2012 Inspirational Reader’s Choice
Award (RWA)
Chasing Lilacs (FaithWords)—Finalist, Oklahoma Book Award; 2011 Best Fiction Book, OWFI
Coming June 2015: A Flying Affair (FaithWords)
____________________________________________________
Rules for the
2015 Tulsa NightWriters Anthology
by
Bill Wetterman
bwetterman@cox.net
http://theheartofanovelist.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com
Rules for the Tulsa Nightwriters Anthology:
Inside the Crazy World of Words—Short Stories by The Tulsa NightWriters
Qualifications for Submissions: You must be a member of the NightWriters and OWFI.
Your story or poem must be your original work and must not have been published in any form.
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The submission must be publish-ready. Use the easy-to-read 12-point font Times Roman,
approximately 250 words per page—about 25 lines per page.
For short stories: A short story is a brief piece of fiction or non-fiction pointed and more
economically detailed as to character, situation, and plot than a novel. They often revolve
around a single theme, one climactic event developing a single character in depth. Narrower
than a novel, a short story contains these basic elements: characters, setting, plot, conflict,
resolution, climax, dialogue, protagonist, and antagonist. All short stories should present the
major character with an important problem that the character must struggle to solve, and engage
the reader in caring about whether the character achieves that goal by story’s end. 1500 to 3500
words.
For poetry: A poetry submission may be rhymed or unrhymed to a maximum of 35 lines.
To keep the anthology at plus/minus 80,000 words, we will accept only 26 stories. Our goal is to
feature an equal mix of published and unpublished authors. This means that 13 or more
members will be able to say, “I’m a published author.” We will consider any fiction genre,
except that involving pornography, incest, or other socially unacceptable-sexual-oriented
material. We will also consider any nonfiction submission, with the same disclaimer.
All material must be in the hands of Bill Wetterman, by e-mail, no later than August 15,
2015. This gives you time to put out your best work.
____________________________________________________
STOP THE HEAD HOP
For writers who don't want to make their readers dizzy.
Learn how to write from one person's perspective,
or add more viewpoints without confusing the reader.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
10:00 a.m. to Noon
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
$20 per person
For more information, visit the Web-site:
http://jespiddlin.com/designingtheworldwithwords/stoptheheadhop.html
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AUTHOR FAIR
Saturday, May 9, 2015
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
AUTHORS
Mary Coley*Bill Wetterman*Linda Trout*Donna Welch Jones
Beth S. Wilson*Jim Laughter*Tammy Mullins*Pamela Wetterman
J. L. Brook*Gloria Teague*S. Griffin*Brandi Angel
********
GENRES
Inspiration*Romantic Suspense*Mystery*Psycho-Thrillers*Women’s Fiction
Humor*Nonfiction*Children’s*Science Fiction*Paranormal*Memoir*Fantasy
********
OKLAHOMA AUTHORS
71st & Memorial/Tulsa, OK/Woodland Hills Mall/Center Court
__________________________________________________________
OKLAHOMA TOURING AUTHORS
A Sharing Resource for Oklahoma Authors
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OklahomaTouringAuthors
Donna Le
Writing Workshop
Donna Le will present a writing workshop from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. on
June 9 at Guthrie Public Library, located at 201 North Division
Street. Le will address writing techniques and practices to assist
writers of all levels. Le is published in Shades of Tulsa, Oklahoma:
The Fountain of the Heartland, and Beads on a String.
____________________________________________________
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Sleuths’ Ink 2015 Whodunnit Contest
Deadline: May 31, 2015
GUIDELINES
WRITE a short, solve-it-yourself mystery of no more than 700 words of the type published weekly in
WOMAN’S WORLD magazine. The count must include both the narrative and the solution. (Check out
an issue of Woman’s World to get a feel for the story type and presentation. The magazine leans toward
“fun” stories rather than “dark” stories.)
SUBMIT your entries via email in an attached Word Document to whodunnitcontest2015@gmail.com no
later than midnight, May 31, 2015. Do NOT put identifying information (name, address, etc.) on the
document itself, but DO include, in the body of the email, your name, address, phone number, e-mail
address. IMPORTANT—Please indicate, in the e-mail, your method of payment. (Check or PayPal).
ENTRY FEES: Submit as many times as you like, but each submission must include an entry fee of
$5.00. Make checks payable to Sleuths’ Ink and mail to: Toni Somers, 1338 S. Fairway, Springfield,
MO, 65804, or pay via PayPal at the Sleuths’ Ink Web-site: http://sleuthsink.blogspot.com/ or
http://bit.ly/1BtbISQ.
PRIZES: Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three entries as follows: First—$100.00, Second—
$50.00, Third—$25.00. Fourth and Fifth place entries will each receive an Honorable Mention
Certificate.
BONUS FOR ALL ENTRANTS: Each entrant will receive feedback from one or more of the judges,
who are all published writers.
QUESTIONS? E-mail Toni Somers at whodunnitcontest2015@gmail.com.
____________________________________________________
Accepting Short Stories and Poems
Heartland Fountain, LLC
Oklahoma: The Fountain of the Heartland
Submission Deadline: August 8, 2015
Donna Le, as chair of Heartland Fountain, LLC, reminds NightWriters that the group is currently
accepting short stories and poems for a second volume with a theme of Oklahoma: The Fountain
of the Heartland.
This link goes to our announcement about the anthology:
http://oklahomaheartland.com/2014/10/04/submission-deadline-extended/
And this link goes to the web page containing guidelines for submissions:
http://oklahomaheartland.com/2014/04/08/ready-to-write-2/
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Jim Laughter
President
Charles Betzler
Vice-President
Bill Wetterman
Treasurer
2015 TNW Officers
Contact Information
President………………..Jim Laughter
jimlaughter@att.net
Vice-President…………Charles Betzler
e_tech1950@yahoo.com
Treasurer……………..Bill Wetterman
bwetterman@cox.net
Hospitality…………...Pam Wetterman
pwetterman@cox.net
Editor…….….Julie Kimmel-Harbaugh
juliekh314@cox.net
Pam Wetterman
Hospitality
Julie
Kimmel-Harbaugh
Editor
2015 TNW MEETING SCHEDULE
April 21
Bill Wetterman
The Most Common Mistakes Writers Make
May 19
OWFI-Conference Awards Celebration
June 16
July 21
August 18
September 15
October 20
Dusty Richards & Casey Cowan
(Saddlebag Dispatches & Oghma Creative Media)
November 17
OWFI-Contest Winners Panel
December 15
Click on this image to connect with
TNW on Facebook.
This Web site is for the networking
and news about members ONLY.
PLEASE NOTE: We welcome any
writers who want to join our Facebook
group, but be aware that joining this
group on Facebook does not mean you
have joined the Tulsa NightWriters.
Christmas Party
Installation of New Officers
TNW Flash Fiction Contest Results
TNW-of-the-Year Award Presentation
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From Your Editor
NIGHTSCRIPTS SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Deadline:
1st of the month
Specifications: Times New Roman, 12-point
Single-space
Attach graphics and/or photographs
Send to:
Julie Kimmel-Harbaugh at juliekh314@cox.net
____________________________________________________
Do you have an idea for strengthening Tulsa NightWriters?
Send any ideas, suggestions, speaker recommendations, etc., by e-mail,
to the officer of your choice.
(Right click on this banner to visit the Tulsa NightWriters Web site.)
____________________________________________________
If you’d like to join
please contact TNW Treasurer Bill Wetterman at bwetterman@cox.net.
We’d love to welcome you as a member!
____________________________________________________
The End