******** The Write Stuff ********

The Newsletter of the Ventura County Writers Club

“What to do When Your Manuscript is Finished”

There is always something to say about quotes such as “God never gives us more than we can handle,” or “spare the rod and spoil the child.”

Marion  Witte, our February speaker, has written a book regarding the extremes to which she suffered in regard to both of these phrases.  Hers is not the first tale, nor will it be the last, of strict immigrant parents who came to this country for  the benefits it had to offer. Ms. Witte’s life of extreme childhood  abuse, which she endured as it moved from past generations into hers, became the challenge that made her strong. Her memoir, Little Madhouse on the Prairie, brings to light the dark past through which she traveled, the enlightenment she sought, and the freedom she now has to pursue her passion for helping similarly affected youths. In  recognition  of her  outstanding  memoir, last month Independent Publisher Magazine bestowed upon her its Editor’s Choice award.

Marion will speak to us on the topic “Your Manuscript  is Done and That Was the Easy Part!”  She will discuss the steps she took  from writing a  personal  essay through the  evolution of a frank,  published  novel,and will cover such subjects as: the changing world of publishing, options for publishing your book, turning your manuscript into a book (design, cover, editing), social media marketing, book promotion  activities, and niche and local marketing.

Marion lives near her daughter, Angela, in Ventura, where she works to aid disenfranchised children who are sorely in need of a compassionate spokesperson. The Angel Heart Foundation, which she established, has the mantra that “All children deserve a safe and just world.”