Writers’ Mill Minutes, April 27, 2025
Cedar Mill Library, Beaverton and online Zoom
Ten participants attended online, and eight were present in the library meeting room, for a total of eighteen. We welcomed four newcomers to the group. Ron led the meeting in Sheila’s absence from the meeting room (she was present online.) Matthew assisted Librarian Christine Wong with technology. Jean took Minutes. Our guest speaker Carolyn Martin greeted everyone, and Ron introduced this month’s contest/ezine host Mary B to announce the awards.
Ezine/Contest Information
Mary thanked all who submitted entries for the “Art in Life, Life in Art” theme, and said that all are winners and inspirational. She commented that the group exemplifies multi-genre writing. There were several ties this month, as we count the number of “favorite pieces” votes. Please note, despite the LONG voting time this month, the number of voters was nearly the same as always and barely matched the number of authors entered in the contest. We (as writers) really do value your votes and comments (as readers), and please note, this is YOUR FREE monthly ezine, and one of the best way to improve as writers is to read regularly.
This Month’s Results
Please note, we are trying not to include surnames, except where they might be desirable, for our members’ privacy. Please help me by letting me know when I fail to do this correctly!
MOST VOTES went to
- David F for “Sculptor’s Surprise”
SECOND MOST VOTES (Tied) went to
- Sara F for the essay/prose poem “Arms of Light” (on her first entry to our ezine)
- Gary R for “Twelve-Twelve, or Twelve Twelve?”
THIRD MOST VOTES (Triple Tied) went to
- Lyndsay for “Ekphrasizing ‘Work’”
- Karin for “Summer of ‘66”
- Sheila for her poem “Ode to a Graduation Photograph”
OTHER ENTRIES (winners all) were
- Dancing at Bougival, poem by Jean
- Kitkit and the Catty-Can by Sheila
- Long Way Home by Judy
- Mater Dolorosa, poem by Lyndsay
- Mixed Memories by Jessie
- Variations on a Theme by Peter
- And the opening essay by Mary B – Art in Life and Art as Life
Upcoming Writing Prompts
UPCOMING CONTEST: Peer IN or Peer OUT, there are stories to tell!! (essays & poems too) https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/contests/may-2025-ezine-contest-page/
- You have ONLY ONE week to prepare your entries (less than a week now) because our meeting for on a 4th Sunday instead of a 3rd.
- May Contest deadline is the end of this next Sunday, May 4th
- Theme: Peering Through A Window
- Host: Ruth
June Contest deadline is Sunday, June 1st
- THEME: Sun, Sea, Sky
- Host: Sheila
July Contest Deadline is Sunday, July 6th
- THEME: Write a piece that occurs entirely (or almost entirely) in a moving vehicle
- Host: Steve
DETAILS for UPCOMING CONTESTS can be found on the page with that heading under the CONTESTS/EZINE header https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/contests/upcoming-contests/
Send entries to contest @ portlandwritersmill . org (remove spaces)
Book News
Mary announced that her chapbook, Songs from the Multiverse by her pen name, M. L. Lyons, is now published by Finishing Line Press, and she will soon plan a book launch party. Mary says:
M. L Lyons is a poet, writer and arts advocate and a proud member of Cedar Mills Writers Group. Her poetry collection, “Songs from the Multiverse” is forthcoming in May 2025. (Orders now available online through Finishing Line Press: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/songs-from-the-multiverse-by-m-l-lyons .) Rose City Pub will also host her book launch, reading and party including an open mic. All Cedar Mills writers are welcome to attend. Details to follow in the coming months.
Anthology Reminder
Ron mentioned rules for submissions to our 2025 anthology (limit of 5 entries per person and 5000 words total – see https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/22/anthology-call-for-submissions/ for more details). Entries are being accepted from now until the deadline of first Sunday in August. Send entries to anthology @ portlandwritersmill . org (remove spaces). Once entries have been collected, they will be combined into a single file with consistent styles and symbols. Volunteers will (lightly) edit for typos, format, and readability. Other volunteers will choose a comfortably readable order for the pieces and come up with a title. If we choose to include images, more volunteers will research and create these. And yet more volunteers will format the final document for print and ebook publication. The book will be uploaded to Amazon (before your very eyes) at November’s meeting, ready for Holiday gifting.
Next Meeting News
Our speaker next month will be Cindy Brown, author of Macdeath and other cozy mysteries. Find her and her books at https://www.cindybrownwriter.com/ or search for her name on our website (use the search box!). There you’ll find her presentations from 20203 (https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/21/what-novelists-can-learn-from-the-movies-presentation-by-cindy-brown-2023-02-19/), 2021 (https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/16/mystery-writing-workshop-with-cindy-brown-may-21st2021/) and 2020 (https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/20/mystery-workshop-with-cindy-brown-july-19th-2020/)
SPEAKER:
Ron introduced our speaker, the poet Carolyn Martin joining us, appropriately, for National Poetry Month. Search for her name on our website and find links to many previous, much-loved, and seriously helpful presentations from her. And find details of Carolyn’s presentation this month at https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/29/poetry-workshop-with-carolyn-martin/ It is well worth clicking on the link!
Dates to Remember
- Thursday evening, May 1st, 7-8:30 pm at SW Bible Church, Joe Mendez’ (free!) Road 2 Hope concert
- Later in May, the release of ML Lyons’ Songs from the Multiverse: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/songs-from-the-multiverse-by-m-l-lyons
- End of NEXT SUNDAY (May 4th) is your deadline to send in submissions to our “Peering Through a Window” ezine. Send submissions to contest @ portlandwritersmill . ord (remove spaces)
- End of Thursday May 15th is your deadline for voting and leaving comments on May’s ezine. Please do your best to help your fellow writers by taking part in the vote-and-comment stage.
- Sunday May 18th is our next meeting, with popular mystery author Cindy Brown
- Sometime in June (?), Rose City Pub launch and open mic for Songs from the Multiverse
- End of Sunday August 3rd is your deadline for anthology submissions. Send to anthology @ portlandwritersmill . org