From our guest moderator...

Callahan Creative Writers Workshop

Tuesday, Sept 23, 2014

After acknowledging that yours truly was Guest Moderator, I opened with "Welcome to the alternate reality Callahan Creative Writers Workshop."

Since there were only six of us—well known to each other—I dispensed with the introductions. This may have caused some consternation. Whoops, my bad.

Surprise! Michelle N arrived. She filled us in on her health progress. She will not be with us next Tuesday, as she will be having back surgery. Everyone welcomed her in and Ollie and Matt started their usual hounding of her—which she handled with aplomb. (I'm afraid the children ran somewhat wild during my tenure. Ah, well.)

We then chose from the suggested prompts (sorry, I don't have them with me to list). In no particular order, here are the results. Connie W. read two pieces: First, was a story (based on facts) of a driver for the elderly. The routes took the bus through the very good, medium good, and the poor sections of town. What worked for many were her depictions of the elderly's attitudes—both good and bad. Second, was a piece depicting a real town matriarch who so incensed the populace with her opinions, that the townspeople turned their backs on her when she finally received her college degree.

Robert O. continued his story of Lord Volpare (sp?), Gabriel, and Tempest (young son of the Lord). What worked for many were the "flick of an ear," dialogue, and the concept of a rich kid wanting everyone to not treat him like a rich kid, but all the while, secretly wanting the rich kid treatment. Danielle T. read a story of an attempted breaking and entering. What worked for many was the response of the man asleep in the house.

Ollie M. then read his opinion piece. Many agreed that what worked were his depictions that a man's word and handshake meaning something, all on its own. In contrast, the more common "fist bump" of today means nothing. Michelle read the next piece of Richard N.'s Dodge 2 story. Everyone agreed it was short, but it flowed well.

Matt Y. finished off with his lively read. What worked for many were his "soft whispers on the wind," "the quietness before the tornado's touchdown," and "decapitating squirrels." His work was very vivid and showed an excellent grasp of situations.

~Richard N.

Note to readers: Due to a scheduling conflict with two of your moderators who work at Sonshine Christian Academy, Richard N. moderated the writing group on Sept. 23. Thanks, Richard, for your willingness to fill in for us. Thanks also to Ollie M. who agreed to moderate the group!

                                                                                   ~NB

P.S. Prompts for Tuesday, Sept. 30 are your life as a sitcom or deadbeat dad. Choose one, choose both, bring a WIP (work-in-progress) or bring something else, but please bring something you wrote. Please keep it to 1500 words or less.

Behind Enemy Lines and False Starts

Monday, September 22, 2014

We had another rainy Tuesday night in Callahan, but it didn’t stop writers from attending the workshop at the Library. Lisa began the session with warm-ups and introductions. We then enjoyed a helpful critique session.

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.             The tone-deaf musician

2.              Elevator vs. Stairs

3.              An avalanche of words

4.              A free-write on anything

After a few writers read their warm-ups, we introduced ourselves and shared good news and information.  Richard N. brought “Do You Write in Spurts?” a writing guide from a blog for the writers in attendance. Lori L. recently saw “Little Shop of Horrors” at Theater by the Tracks in St. Mary’s, Georgia. I, Nancy B., won a writing award for “Best Evangelical Film” for a screenplay.

After Ollie M., Matt Y. and Connie W. shared warm-ups, we began critiques.

 Critiques

To begin, Thomas E. read Robert O.’s continuation of his wolftaur piece featuring Tempest and Gabriel. Members said Robert’s descriptions (such as “sky blue eyes” and “Gabriel’s ear flicked”) worked. Matt Y. then shared a somewhat satirical presidential speech. The humorous way Matt presented the loss of individual freedom hit close to home and worked well, members said. Danielle T. then read a non-fiction piece about an abandoned foundry near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Members enjoyed the imager y in her piece as well as the connections she made to “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand.

Richard N. then read more of his second book featuring Dodge. Members said his piece created suspense, and it used potent verbs (such as –hover, -splashed, -scrunched). Thomas E. then read “Eden Academy,” an older piece featuring Mia and Yukine. Members said his piece featured a good balance of narration and dialogue, and it also featured excellent characterization. I, Nancy B., then read a piece from my WIP. Members enjoyed the use of the word “obstreperous.”

Connie W. then shared a continuation of her hemp rope story. Members complimented her descriptions of Irish agricultural life. Cameron S. then read a vampire piece featuring characters named Zane and Tommy. Members complimented Cameron’s powerful scene-setting and descriptions. Lisa C. then shared “The Operation,” a prompt-based (behind enemy lines) poem. Members enjoyed the soldier’s perspective she used.  Ollie M. ended the session by reading an interpretive history of race relations. Members said his piece touched on several truths.

Nice work, writers!

               

Links of Interest

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

For those of you interested in writing a novel during the month of November, please check out this site. You can sign up, choose the amount of words you write each day and receive support from an online writing community.

Read more here:

 http://nanowrimo.org/

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Stage of Life Writing and Blogging Contest

Here’s a contest with no entry fee. You’re asked to write about your life’s journey. Deadline is at the end of December.

Read more here:

http://www.stageoflife.com/Writing_Contests.aspx

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Score a new mattress in exchange for a little writing

Mattress Firm is giving away mattresses. All you have to do is describe why your mattress is keeping you up at night.

Interested? Read more here:

http://contests.about.com/od/cashsweepstakes/p/141028-mattress-firm-terrific-wonderful-awesome-very-good-night-contest.htm

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Prompts for September 23

Prompts for September 23 are Good vs. Evil and to write a commercial. 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:

“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters I am not. I write to explore the things I’m afraid of”

                                                                                                                   ~Joss Whedon

Until Tuesday, happy writing!

~Nancy B.

P.S. Lisa C. and Nancy B. will be out this week due to obligations at SCA. Thanks in advance for helping your interim moderator run an effective workshop.

Fine Print and Caves

Sunday, September 14, 2014

The rain may have kept some writers at home, but we had a wonderful group attend Tuesday’s workshop.

Warm-ups

The warm-up prompts are listed here, in case you’d like to write to them at home:  

1.                  Lost

2.                  The clumsy magician

3.                  Swamp fever

4.                  A free-write on anything

After a few writers read their warm-ups, we introduced ourselves and shared good news.  Richard N. entered his Dodge novel in a contest.  We’re proud of you, Richard, and welcome back!

Lisa C. is now teaching creative writing classes to elementary students at Sonshine Christian Academy (in addition to teaching middle and high school students). Way to go, Lisa!

Critiques

Lori L. began by reading a first person account of a woman meeting a man from Wyoming. Members said her descriptions of the man and his love for his lady worked well. Cameron S. then shared a continuation of her Sophie and Jack story. Members said her descriptions (“freedom and joy in her older brother’s dark eyes”) worked. Connie W. then read “Fine Print in the Cave,” a piece about Ariam Kiflemariam and her studies of cave paintings. Members enjoyed how well-written and informative Connie’s piece was.

Lisa C. then shared a true account of a caving expedition. Members said her realism and her word choice (“none of them had been cursed genetically”) worked. Thomas E. then asked Oliver M. to read a story continuation. Members said Thomas’s use of sounds (“footsteps echoed in 1-2 tempo”) worked. I, Nancy B., then read a chapter from my young adult novel. Members said my characterization worked.

Robert O. then asked Thomas E. to read a continuation of his “wedding bells” piece. Members complimented Robert’s pacing and descriptions. Richard N. asked Lori L. to read the first chapter of the sequel to his Dodge novel. Members loved Richard’s writing, especially his descriptions of Washington D.C. Danielle T. then shared a piece about aging. Members complimented her descriptions (“look in mirror and see our parents staring back at us”) and the thought-provoking truths about growing older her piece presented.

Matt Y. then shared a prompt-based piece (fine print) written from the perspective of a private detective. Members complimented Matt’s powerful writing (“cat hair stuck to her dress) and said they’d love to hear more. Oliver M. then shared two pieces-a sermonette about individual responsibility and a riddle. Members complimented the wittiness of his pieces and said they worked.

Wonderful work, everyone!

               

Links of Interest

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

For those of you interested in writing a novel during the month of November, please check out this site. You can sign up, choose the amount of words you write each day and receive support from an online writing community.

Read more here:

 http://nanowrimo.org/

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The Caregiver Story Contest

Here’s a contest about caregiving. There’s no entry fee. Deadline is Nov. 30.

Read more here:

http://www.freelancewriting.com/freewritingcontests/FWC-caregiver-story-contest.php

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Write essays? Here’s a contest for you.

Here’s an essay contest with no entry fee. Deadline is Sept. 30.

Interested? Read more here:

 http://www.freelancewriting.com/freewritingcontests/FWC-payton-james-freeman-essay-prize.php

Prompts for September 16

Prompts for September 16 are behind enemy lines and a false start.  Feel free to bring in a WIP (work-in-progress) if you’d rather not write to one of the prompts. Also, please keep pieces 1,500 words or less.

Quote of the week:

“Writing is like a contact sport, like football. You can get hurt, but you enjoy it.”

                                                                                                                   ~Irwin Shaw

Until Tuesday, happy writing!

~Nancy B.

Fool's Gold and Nosy Neighbors

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Though our numbers were down, CCWW writers brought excellent pieces to the Callahan Branch Library Tuesday night, September 2.  

Warm-ups

The warm-up prompts are listed here, in case you’d like to write to them at home: 

                1.                 Yearbook

                2.                 You can’t beat that with a stick

                3.                 Cancer

                4.                 A free-write on anything

After Matt Y. read his warm-up using “yearbook,” “You can’t beat that with a stick” and “cancer,” Connie W. read two poems. The first was “1969, But First a Poem,” and the second was “The Crash,” written by her son. We then introduced ourselves and shared good news.  

Critiques

Matt Y. started the session singing “Wurnos,” a humorous piece he wrote to kill time at work. His clever lyrics were sung to the tune of “Come on, Eileen.” Oliver M. then read a crime report. Members said his piece read like a first-person police report. Lori L. then read a continuing piece featuring Sienna and Grace. Members complimented her word choice (“spilled out her treasure”) and the skillful way she let the reader figure out what was going on.

Robert O. continued the session by reading “Wedding Bells,” part of a warm-up from last week. Members complimented his imagination and description of Gabriel the wolftaur. Connie W. then read a continuation of her hemp rope story in which Leary teaches Aiden about the retting process. Members said her research of rope-making and Irish history showed throughout the well-written piece. Thomas E. asked Oliver M. to read a continuation of his Calvin story. Members complimented Thomas’s balance of narration and dialogue.

Danielle T. then read “Fool’s Gold,” a piece featuring a married couple who must deal with infidelity. Members complimented Danielle’s imagery (“first ring turned my finger green) and the message of forgiveness her piece skillfully showed. Lisa C. then read “Deal or No Deal,” a poem about what we value in life. Members complimented her rhymes and her cadence as well as the moral of her piece. I, Nancy B., then shared “Camp Connect” a short story I wrote for a contest. Members said the piece reminded them of a “Goosebumps” book.

Ashley T. then read an intriguing piece featuring Penelope and Felix (from a long ago prompt). Members loved her characterization of Penelope and her imagery (“silver dagger under each of her boots”). James B. visited the group and finished the session reading a free verse poem about a girl with auburn hair and green eyes. His piece featured powerful imagery, members said, and strong emotion.

Excellent work, everyone!

               

Links of Interest

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

For those of you interested in writing a novel during the month of November, please check out this site. You can sign up, choose the amount of words you write each day and receive support from an online writing community.

Read more here:

 http://nanowrimo.org/

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Iowa Short Fiction Award

Here’s a contest for a collection of short stories. There’s no entry fee. Deadline is Sept. 30.

Read more here:

http://www.writermag.com/contests/iowa-short-fiction-award-3/

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Dialogue Only Fiction Contest

Here’s a challenge. It’s a dialogue only fiction contest with a Sept. 14 deadline.

Interested? Read more here: http://www.writermag.com/contests/sixth-annual-dialogue-contest/

Prompts for September 9

Prompts for September 9 are fine print and in the cave. Feel free to bring in a WIP (work-in-progress) if you’d rather not write to one of the prompts. Also, please keep pieces 1,500 words or less.

Quote of the week:

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

                                                                   

                                                                                                                     ~Benjamin Frankllin  

Until Tuesday, happy writing!

~Nancy B.