Monday, October 27, 2014
Song Lyrics, the Virus and more on NaNoWriMo
Monday, October 27, 2014
I’m always surprised by how much I miss our weekly workshops
when a session ends. What about you?
Do you write more when we’re in session than you do when we’re
not? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below or on our
Facebook page.
I’ve been busy the last couple of weeks, and I’m thankful
for a little time today to catch up on CCWW’s goings-on. Today’s post includes
a recap of our last session on October 14, reminders about our participation in
NaNoWriMo in November and information about our Christmas party.
In the coming days, I’ll post members’ work for our
enjoyment.
Warm-ups
The warm-up prompts are listed here, in case you’d like to write
to them at home:
1. Sugar Substitutes
2. Reality Check
3. This time her boss had gone too far…
4. A free-write on anything
Ollie M. shared a warm-up using the
first three prompts. Matt Y., Richard N. and
Robert O. also shared their warm-ups.
We then
introduced ourselves and shared our good news. Richard N. is starting a new chapter of Word Weavers (www.word-weavers.com), which will meet
at North Jacksonville Baptist Church the second Saturday of every month. Way to go, Richard!
Thomas E. now has Tuesday evenings free.
Yay, Thomas!
Critiques
Robert O. started the session by asking Thomas E. to read a poem about time.
Several members said Robert’s piece was well-structured and used excellent
rhymes. Cameron S. then read a
thought poem about sections of the school band. Her descriptions of trumpet
sections, drum lines, tuba players and more rang true, according to members. Matt Y.
then read three short pieces: the first was song-like, the second was based
on “Little Boy Blue,” and the third, “Problems,” was simply a list of words. Members
commented on how well-written all three pieces were.
I, Nancy B., then shared part of a new piece. Members said the humor between students and teachers
worked. Connie W. then shared a first
person piece about being sick and buying medicine. Her humorous use of a
Jackson Browne song worked, according to members. Richard N. then shared a continuation of his second Dodge book.
Members said his use of sensory details and his sense of suspense worked very
well.
Ollie M. then read a piece of social
commentary. Members agreed his pieces should be published in various newspapers
and magazines. Thomas E. then asked Matt Y. to read his piece about two
friends finalizing their plan of escape on a college campus. Members said Thomas’s
use of sensory details worked.
Lisa C. then
shared “Game Changer” and “Verse,” both diamante poems. Members commented on
her skillful use of the poetic form. Danielle
T. then read a continuation of her true invasion story. Members
complimented the piece’s structure as well as the imagery she included.
Superb writing,
everyone!
Upcoming Events
As you probably know by now, November is National Novel Writing Month.
Our Callahan Branch Library has asked us to help promote this wonderful event
by taking part in three Write-Ins in November.
A Write-In refers to a time and place writers get together and write.
The first Write-In includes a Kick-Off party with refreshments from
The Sweet Spot and Callahan Barbecue. At subsequent Write-Ins, the Callahan
Friends of the Library will provide refreshments.
The dates and times for the three Write-Ins are:
Tuesday, November 4 – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
NaNoWriMo
Kick-Off Party and Write-In #1
(Please
note: The Library will be closed Tuesday, November 11, for Veteran’s Day).
Tuesday, November 18 – 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
NaNoWriMo
Write-In #2
Tuesday, November 25 – 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
NaNoWriMo
Write-In #3
The following CCWW members have signed up to participate in the
Write-Ins:
Tuesday,
November 4
1.
Michele N.
2.
Matt Y.
3.
Connie W.
4.
Richard N.
5.
Thomas E.
6.
Nancy B.
Tuesday,
November 18
1.
Connie W.
2.
Richard N.
3.
Thomas E.
4.
Michele N.
5.
Nancy B.
Tuesday, November
25
1.
Connie W.
2.
Nancy B.
3.
Thomas E. (possibly)
We are also planning a Christmas party for Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 6 pm
until 9 pm at Nancy B.’s house. We’ll send out a food sign-up sheet soon. Also,
please bring a gag or “white elephant” gift.
Quote of the week:
“Half of what I write is garbage, but if I don’t write it
down, it decomposes in my head.”
~Jarod Kintz
Have a great week!
~Nancy B.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Accidental Conference Calls and a Nano Kick-Off Party
Monday, October 13, 2014
It’s hard to believe we’re at the end of our eight-week fall
session, but Tuesday, October 14, marks the last official meeting of the year. If
you’re looking for a place to continue your writing in November, consider
joining CCWW members for Tuesday night write-ins in November.
November means National Novel Writing Month. The other way
to say it is, NaNoWriMo, and there’s tons of information on their web site
here: www.nanowrimo.org. More details
are below in the Links section.
Before we started Tuesday’s session, Alison M., Callahan Branch Librarian, shared some ideas about how
we can help foster more writing in the Callahan area. She invited all of us to
attend Tuesday evening write-ins in November. None of us is required to write a
novel, she said, but she encouraged us to write in the library to let others
know about NaNoWriMo and our writing group.
We’ll have a NaNoWriMo kick-off party (with yummy treats) on
Tuesday, November 4 around 6 pm. Hope you can come and support writing in our
community!
I passed around a sign-up sheet for the Tuesday evening
write-ins in November. Several of us signed up to attend one, two or three Tuesday
evenings. I’ll bring the sign-up sheet to our workshop tomorrow night in case
you still want to sign up.
Meanwhile, ten writers attended Tuesday’s workshop at the
Callahan Branch Library. I don’t know about you, but I thought everyone brought
stellar pieces.
Here’s a recap.
Warm-ups
The warm-up prompts are listed here, in case you’d like to write
to them at home:
1. Poverty vs. Prosperity
2. Sierra possessed wisdom beyond her
years…
3. Three things you can’t go without
4. A free-write on anything
Ollie M., Matt Y. and Connie W. shared their warm-ups. Robert O. received a promotion at work. He
is now Automotive Tech at Wal-Mart. Way to go, Robert. I, Nancy B., am now a contributing writer with Jax4Kids, a monthly
parenting publication. Yay!
Lisa C. moderated the meeting. Connie W. selected the order of writers.
Thanks, Lisa C. and Connie W.!
Critiques
To begin, Matt Y. read “Loveless Letter,” a Bob
Dylan-esque poem/song with a double-edged love theme. Members said his piece
was publishable and thought-provoking. Lori
L. continued by sharing a piece about teaching Sunday school to teenage
boys. Members said her piece rang true and allowed the reader to connect the
dots in the piece. Richard N. then
read a continuation of his second Dodge novel. Members enjoyed the sensory
details he included (i.e. hiss sound and vivid description of Malphus).
Lisa C. then asked members to read, “The
Accidental Conference Call,” her prompt-based script. Members complimented Lisa’s
use of humor and realism as well as her storyline. Ollie M. then read a thought piece on freedom. His strong imagery
(such as “womb of freedom”), and his ideas about freedom requiring responsibility
resonated with many members. Thomas then
asked Nancy B. to read a revised piece
featuring his character, Mr. Larson. His piece presented the care and concern
caregivers provide for their patients in a realistic way, members said.
I, Nancy B., then read another chapter
of my WIP. Members said my strong verbs (i.e. lugging) and my description of an
e-shaped ash tray worked. Danielle T. then
read a piece about her husband and his barber. Members enjoyed the humor of her
piece and its authenticity. Robert O. then
asked Thomas E. to share more of “The
Furry Writing Group.” Members said conversation between Gabriel and Larson
worked. Connie W. fished the night
sharing another segment of her hemp rope piece. Members oohed and aahed over
the introduction of freed slave, Caleb Jackson, his son, Joshua, and Caleb’s
mother.
Spectacular
writing, everyone!
Links of Interest
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
If you’re interested in writing with us, please go ahead and sign up
for NaNoWriMo. We’ll be meeting at the Library on Tuesday evenings in November
to write, write, write! Kick-off party is scheduled for Tuesday, November 4 at
6 pm. Hope you’ll join us!
Read more and sign up here:
__________________________________________________________________________________
Like to write essays? Check out
Ninja Essays
Here’s a chance to win some cash for your words. There’s no entry fee!
Deadline is November 1.
Read more here:
http://www.ninjaessays.com/blog/essay-writing-contest
___________________________________________________________________________________
Sitcom writing contest
I’ll leave this one here another week because it looks so fun. There’s
no entry fee. Deadline is in early 2015.
Interested? Read more here:
Prompts for October 14
Prompts for October 14 are song
lyrics or the virus. Feel free to
bring in a WIP (work-in-progress) or another piece of your choice if you’d
rather not write to the prompts. Also, please keep pieces 1,500 words or less.
Quote of the week:
“When all the details fit in perfectly, something is
probably wrong with the story.”
~Charles Baxter
Until Tuesday, happy writing!
~Nancy B.
P.S. Hope you’ll join us for the NaNoWriMo Kick-off party on Tuesday,
November 4. Help us support writing in the Callahan community!
P.P.S. Please be thinking about whether you’d like to attend a
Christmas party this year. If so, where would you like it to be held? We’ll
talk about a holiday party on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Sitcoms and Deadbeats
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Twelve writers attended Tuesday’s workshop at the Callahan
Branch Library. Along with plenty of jokes and laughter, writers shared
wonderful pieces and offered valuable critiques.
Here’s a recap.
Warm-ups
The warm-up prompts are listed here, in case you’d like to write
to them at home:
1. In the Wild
2. The Dream
3. Just one look took my breath away…
4. A free-write on anything
Thomas E., Cameron S., Oliver M., Matt Y.,
Danielle T., and Connie W. shared
warm-ups.
We then introduced
ourselves and shared good news. Cameron
S. shared her gong is currently broken. Robert
O. said he’s getting a promotion at work. We hope your gong is repaired
soon, Cameron! Way to go, Robert!
Moderator Lisa C. then began the critique session.
Critiques
To begin, Danielle T. shared a continuation of a
piece she started last week. Members said her narrative about a robbery offered
potent descriptions (ex. white Audi) and presented good time flow. Connie W. then shared a prompt-based
(sitcom for her life) piece. Members said her humor worked as well as her “corny
pone” one-liner. Lori L. then read a
piece featuring a female narrator. Her piece sounded realistic, members said,
and her descriptions of weather worked.
Richard N. continued by reading a
romantic date scene from his second Dodge novel. Members said his verbs (such
as skirting, dripped, encased, forked, etc.) worked as did his descriptions
(such as “cobalt blue top with undulating ruffle”). Matt Y. then read his piece written from a high school student’s
perspective. Members said his sarcastic
tone and his relatable topic (bored kids in classrooms) worked. Thomas E. then asked Cameron S. to read a piece he wrote a
while ago. Members complimented his powerful writing (such as “dreams
disappearing like a seasonal flu”) and his realistic dialogue between the two
teenagers.
I, Nancy B., then asked Matt Y., Cameron S., Ollie M. and Lisa C. to read parts in, “A Little
Culture,” a prompt-based (sitcom for my life) piece. Members said the humor in
my piece worked. Robert O. then asked
Thomas E. to read a continuation of
his story about the furry writing group. Members said his dialogue flowed
because it was smooth and flowing. Cameron
S. then shared a piece about a trumpet-playing street performer dropped off
at the Jacksonville Landing. Members wanted more of her piece and complimented
her powerful writing.
Lisa C. then shared “Epic Fail,” a
prompt-based (deadbeat dad) poem. Members complimented her rhymes (such as
child/wild) and suggested she turn it into an award-winning country music song.
Ollie M. ended the session with a
strong opinion piece comparing modern America to Rome. Members said his piece
was thought-provoking, chilling and martial.
Good work,
everyone!
Links of Interest
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
If you’re interested in writing with us, please go ahead and sign up
for NaNoWriMo. We’ll be meeting at the Library on Tuesday evenings in November
to write, write, write! Hope you’ll join us!
Read more and sign up here:
__________________________________________________________________________________
Hidden Prize for Prose
Here’s a contest with no entry fee. Deadline is at the end of
December.
Read more here:
___________________________________________________________________________________
Sitcom writing contest
This one looks fun and there’s no entry fee. Deadline is in early 2015.
Interested? Read more here:
Prompts for October 7
Prompts for October 7 are the
accidental conference call and the
ruins. Feel free to bring in a WIP (work-in-progress) or another piece of
your choice if you’d rather not write to the prompts. Also, please keep pieces
1,500 words or less.
Quote of the week:
“To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it’s
about, but the music the words make.”
~Truman Capote
Until Tuesday, happy writing!
~Nancy B.
P.S. We have only two more sessions this fall-October 7 and October
14. Next set of sessions will begin in early 2015.
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