Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Clumsy Ballerinas, Cookie Jars and Visits from Mermaid and Princess Buttercup!



January 27, 2016

Hello, writers,

I don’t know about you, but I really enjoyed our CCWW Celebration at Ines R.’s house on January 12. I loved hearing everyone share his or her favorite book or book series.  Thank you for hosting us, Ines R. and Irina R.

I was not at the January 19 session at the Callahan Branch Library, so I do not have notes to write a recap. I was, however, in attendance last night (January 26), and I thought everyone shared powerful pieces. The recap is below.

Meanwhile, if any of you are interested in serving as judges, please let me know. We currently need judges for a formal academic debate in February, a writing contest in April and a Reading Fair in April. Some of you have already spoken to me about this. If you’d like to judge, just shoot me an e-mail, a Facebook message or give me a call.

And now, without further ado, is our recap.

Recap of January 26 CCWW

As moderator, Lisa C. began the session introducing prompts for the warm-up. After Connie W., Matt Y., Richard N. and Danielle T. read their war-ups, we started our critique session. The warm-ups, in case you’d like to write something at home, were:

1.       Wrinkles
2.       Shoestrings
3.       “In sickness and in health….”
4.       Freewrite

Irina R. began the session by reading a fiction piece featuring her character, Zoe, receiving a phone call. Members complimented Irina’s descriptive phrasing, such as “felt a bit flimsy” and “drumming on the steering wheel.” Lisa C. then read a prompt-based poem (“the clumsy ballerina”) about a clumsy ballerina. Not only was Lisa’s poem humorous, but as usual, her rhymes (such as halt/fault) worked really well. I, Nancy B., then read “Knitted in Love,” a piece I wrote to a prompt I can’t remember. Members complimented some of my phrases, such as “the mixture of bleach and air freshener” and “unresolved chord.”

Danielle T. then read a continuation of her story featuring Mary Lou, who decided to leave her husband. Members complimented many things about Danielle’s piece, but especially her use of strong imagery, such as “cracked orange vinyl” and “greasy hand prints left by a toddler.” Michele N. (a.k.a. Princess Buttercup) read her freewrite about wrinkles. Members loved her “time marching across your face” tribute to the movie “Steel Magnolias” and her honest response to seeing her age in print on the back of a race number.  Cameron S. then shared an autobiographical piece about a recent hospitalization. Members complimented her descriptions, such as the “blue napkin” of a hospital gown and her powerful descriptions of the hospital itself.

Connie W. then read a prompt-based piece (“the clumsy ballerina”) featuring Debbie, an 18 year-old ballerina who got a part (possibly through her mayor-father’s connections) in “The Nutcracker.” Members said Connie’s connection to the hippos in “Fantasia” and her descriptions of Debbie as a “cookie-loving daughter” worked well. Ines R. (a.k.a. Mermaid) then read chapter nine of one of her WIPs featuring Alyson and Frank being reunited on a rainy evening. Members complimented Ines’s beautiful, flowing prose, such as “all races have a finish line” and “the sky settled into forced night.” Ashley T. then shared the second part of a new WIP featuring Ravenwood, William and Bruno. Members absolutely loved this piece from characters and setting to descriptions and plot!

Richard N. then shared a continuation of his WIP featuring Monty. Members complimented Richard’s syntax, his thoughtful use of the word “prison,” and his creation of suspense throughout the piece.  Ruth A. finished the evening’s session by reading a prompt-based piece (“the cookie jar) on her grandmother’s cookie jar. Members complimented Ruth’s use of a simple item, a cookie jar, to bring honor to the person who owned it.

Excellent writing, everyone!

Picture of the Week



Prompts for this Session

January 19 – “what the Jell-O said”
January 26 – “the clumsy ballerina” or “the cookie jar” 
February 2 – “the color wheel” or “Southern hospitality”
February 9 – “the nose job” or “stationery”
February 16 – “sirens” or “cold medicine”

Links of Interest

1.       Writers and Editors Annual Writing Contest (for poetry, nonfiction and fiction)
                Deadline:  March 15, 2016
                Please click here for more information. 

2.       American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW)

For a reasonable annual fee, members can access critique groups, contests, writing classes and more. Please click here for more information.

3.       Fiction Writing Contests from About.com

 If you’re looking for a place to enter your fiction, you might want to click here for several upcoming contests with March deadlines. 

Quote of the Week

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”
                                                                ~Richard Bach

Until next week, happy writing!
~Nancy B.