A New Start for CCWW

Friday, January 16, 2015

Our first workshop of 2015 started with a bang, not a whimper. Fifteen writers met at the Callahan Branch Library Tuesday evening with newly-penned words in hand. 

We welcomed three new members on Tuesday-Ines R., Butch K. and Makenzie K. Please help me welcome these new writers to CCWW. Sharing writing can be an emotionally risky thing to do, so we want all three of you to know how glad we are you decided to join our group!

Here’s a recap of what happened Tuesday night along with links of interest and a prompt for next Tuesday.

Warm-ups and News

As a warm-up, each writer chose a word from a plastic butter container and completed a freewrite on the word for ten minutes. Way to recycle the plastics, Nancy! I picked the word crayons.

After Ollie M. (saxophone), Lisa C. (apples) and Matt Y. (the letter –S) shared their warm-ups, we introduced ourselves, shared good news and reviewed our critique guidelines.

As for what we are currently reading, Danielle T. is enjoying “One Thousand Gifts” by Anne Voskamp.  Connie W. recently finished “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt, which she loved. I, Nancy B., have a little more to go in the biography of Steve Jobs. Then, I’ll start a young adult book called “Variant.”

Richard N. should hear whether his first Dodge novel, “The Rosetta Assassin,” won a contest for new writers this week. His new writing group is up and running. Congratulations, Richard! 

Richard’s group, Word Weavers, meets monthly. Their next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, February 14, at North Jacksonville Baptist Church on North Main Street from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. For more information on Richard’s group, please visit http://word-weavers.com  or e-mail Richard at loco7mo@yahoo.com.

In other news, the Callahan Friends of the Library organization is currently seeking members. If you’d like to give back to our community and take part in shaping local events at the Library, please consider joining. Annual dues are $10.00, and the group meets the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. For more information, you can pick up a brochure at the Library’s circulation desk, or visit this link: http://nassaureads.com/index.aspx?NID=79.

Upcoming Events

Spoken Word Festival – April, 2015

April is National Poetry Month. Last year, we helped the Callahan Branch Librarian, Alison M., host a Spoken Word Festival.  This year, Alison is planning a bigger and better Festival.

If you would like to help with the Spoken Word Festival or take part in it, please let Nancy know. The event is still in the planning stages, and your input is welcome!

Back to the Table for CCWW

That’s right. On February 17, March 17 and March 24, CCWW will meet at the table in the open area of the library. We will be sharing the conference room with a smoking cessation group. I think that table near the circulation desk has been missing us! What about you?

Critiques

Danielle T. began the critique session with a humorous reflection on Pilates. Members complimented the tone of the piece as well as the background she gave on the exercise and the man who invented it. Connie K. then read “One Gift,” a personal piece about finding joy and gratitude in each moment of life. Members complimented her description of a Kansas sunrise as well as the solid structure of her piece. Cameron S. then shared a piece written from the perspective of a sea turtle. Members said her personification and theme worked well.

Makenzie K. then asked Lisa C. to read her poem entitled, “Strange Beauty.” Members appreciated the depth of Makenzie’s poem and the well-crafted lines. Richard N. then shared chapter four of his second Dodge novel. Members complimented his vivid verbs and descriptions as well as his inclusion of ship protocol. Connie W. then read a prompt-based (literary crushes) piece featuring the words of authors, Donna Tartt and Tom Robbins. Members loved the sample sentences she included (i.e. real courage is killing clichés and hot dogs are boneless eagles).   

Matt Y. continued by reading a piece featuring Margaret holding her grandmother’s hand in the hospital. Members connected to his descriptions (i.e. prickly stubble) and his use of sensory details. Thomas E. then asked Michele N. to read a new first person piece about a 17 year-old man emerging from ocean water after a boating accident. Members complimented the action of the piece, the intrigue and the vivid descriptions.  Butch K. then read a first-person reflection on a fire he fought in the 1970s. Members said the contrasts he used worked as well as several of his phrases (i.e. “their faces were void of expression” and “the Devil was doing his dance”).

Ines R. then read the first chapter, “Rain,” of her work-in-progress. Her sense of suspense, use of sound (i.e. web tires on gravel) and the contrast between innocence and evil worked well. Ollie M. then read a piece about freedom in which he shared his gratefulness for his blessings. Members said his piece was nicely patriotic and a good reminder of the importance of individual choice. Michele N. then read the end of her Wyatt and Katherine story. Members complimented the way she set the cabin scene and the flow of her piece. Lisa C. then read “Breaking Free,” a rhyming poem about taking risks. Members said the rhythm and the rhymes in the piece worked well.  I, Nancy B., finished the session reading “The Word and Me,” a first-person account of a day in third grade. Members complimented the biographical nature of my piece as well as some of my phrases (i.e. tenderized the meat of her inner teacher).

Excellent job, everyone!

Links of Interest

“Cobblestone Magazine”

This magazine covers American history for ages 9-14. The publication currently needs fiction, non-fiction

and poetry. Web site: www.cobblestonepub.com. Submission guidelines for “Cobblestone” and others located here: http://www.cricketmag.com/6-SubmissionGuidelines.

“Highlights for Children”

This magazine for children needs adventure, fantasy, mystery, historical and much more. Web site: www.Highlights.com. Contributor guidelines are here: https://www.highlights.com/contributor-guidelines.

Prompt and Guidelines for 1/20/15

The prompt for 1/20/15 is giraffes. You’re free to write in any genre you like (poetry, non-fiction, fiction, drama, etc.) or bring in a WIP (work-in-progress). Please keep pieces 1500 words or less. Keeping our community standards in mind, CCWW now asks writers to refrain from including gratuitous violence, vulgarity or profanity in pieces read at our workshops.

Quote of the week:

“To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.”

                                                                                                                ~Herman Melville

Until Tuesday, happy writing!

~Nancy B.