This Sundayis our first truly public event. Sure we invite all writers to Writers' Night Out, but this Sunday we are opening our door to the public. This has motivated us to finish the interior of our building. Richard is pulling double shifts to finish the kitchen, Nancy and Gordon have really stepped up to build our library shelves, and I'm doing all I can to make our "club house" as attractive and functional as possible. Sunday afternoon we will celebrate the completion of all this hard work at a wine and cheese reception for Ray Worsnop and Mary Smith.
I'm sothankfulfor all of you, my precious Village Writers and our Friends. I'm sothankfulto have survived the first growing pains, to have found this building, and most especially for the amazing love and energy with which you have embraced me and this program. Every time I was ready to throw in the towel, here would come one of you in person or via an email. Just when I needed you the most.
2014 is going to be an AWESOME year for us. Those of you who have caught fire will only get better through your practice and through the roster of speakers and teachers lining up on our calendar. Many of you who are just beginning will cross that line to regular writing and seeing your work improve weekly.
2014 is the going to be the Year of the Short Storyfor us, and I'm excited to launch that a little early with our Sunday Roundelays led by Wendy Taylor Carlisle. What is a roundelay? See the link below.
It's a huge mistake to separate poetry and prose, because the skills of vivid,succinct language, which we need for prose, must be on steroids in poetry. Wendy is an excellent critiquer, and we will be bringing not only poetry but also short prose pieces (under 250 words) to the roundelays, which will be held once or twice a month on Sunday afternoons from 2-4 pm. This is a GREAT opportunity to polish a piece for publication, because microfiction is really hot right now. We are combining our first Roundelay with our reception this Sunday afternoon. The roundelayers will attend the cheese and wine reception and then slide into our newly finished library for their gathering.
This is our last meeting in November; we won't meet again until Writers' Night Out on December 5. Hopefully, we'll spend that in-between time with our families and our writing. That's my plan.
So take a little time on Sunday to stop in and see the building at its best, to greet our Welsh visitor and appreciate his photography. You don't have to buy a book or a print, though you might get some Christmas shopping done early. Stay for the roundelay if you can, or bring friends and family by to just say Happy Thanksgiving.
I'll be raising a glass to you, Village Writers and Friends.
O P E N M I C
for Holiday Stories & Children's Stories
We posted on FaceBook that this coming Thursday we would discuss what you ABSOLUTELY should be able to do with your computer. But there were so many people who wanted to attend that but who couldn't be here this week, that we postponed that discussion until after Thanksgiving.
THIS Thursday, we will be working on our holiday stories and our children's stories. We'll have an OPTIONAL open mic for anyone who wants to share his story and practice his delivery skills. If you want to just talk about your story, we can do that, too.
When we first arrive at 5 pm, we can order pizza delivery. We'll start the readings right away and then break and socialize when the food arrives. As always, you can bring your own grub.
Children's Writing News
Alison has arranged with the Head of School at Clear Spring for the Children's Writing Group to "test drive" their stories with reading groups at the school. She will arrange times for this when you feel your story is ready.
Last Call for Holiday Writers
If your name is not on this list and you want to help someone preserve a holiday memory, let Alison know ASAP. (Even if you've told her before, if your name is not on this list, email her again. She keeps feeling as if she's forgotten someone, and she certainly doesn't want to do that.)
PEACHTREE: Jude, Linda H., Linda M., Nancy, Alice, Pammie, Cris, Valerie
GREEN ACRES: Darlene, Carmen, Luanne, Tom
This is not a huge project. Just 500-1000 words about one incident.
It's a great chance for us to get out of ourselves and to polish a short story.
F r i e n d o f t h e V i l l a g e
We are fortunate to welcome KIMBERLY CLARK to our community as a Friend of the Village. Kimberly is a visionary, teacher, and friend. She has donated time and money to the Village Writing School because she believes in our mission.
Kimberly describes the Village Writing School as a Eureka Treasure—a friendly place that provides creative educational opportunities and honors diversity and community. She says, “Alison is great at community building, providing an array of opportunities for the literary arts.”
Kimberly was born in Ft. Worth, grew up in Little Rock & Hot Springs, graduated from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, and lived in Eureka Springs for many years.
Kimberly says her biggest accomplishment is her daughter, Ariel, who lives in the world with grace and beauty inside and out. Ariel’s father, Kimberly’s husband, was the priest at St. James Episcopal Church, the original one-room school house in Eureka Springs.
Kimberly has used her B.A. degree in Interior Design to build and enhance many communities. Currently, she is involved in building small inter-generational communities-within-communities that meet the needs of individuals and systems who are ready to move from the pyramid to the emerging-circle model--a place to live, earn, and grow. Expect to learn more about this in the coming months.
W I N S L O W R E T R E A T
It was as fun as it looks.
Destination and Famous View
Wonderful Pizza Supper
Our Beautiful Jane Our Beautiful Nancy with Frank Who Was His Exuberant Self
Waiting for Crescent & Crow Crescent & Crow
Breakfast Tacos
Writers' Circle in Chris' Cabin with the Great Stone Wall
A H a p p y B u n c h !
Update on Building
The big building news this week is the fabulous bookcase for our library built and stained by Village Writer Nancy Harris and Village Husband Gordon Harris.
Now we can have a REAL library for writing craft books, poetry, literary journals, and memoir.
If you have any of those to donate or loan, bring them in. Nancy, our librarian, will keep track of who owns what book and who has borrowed it.
Upcoming Events
EVERY THURSDAY
Writers at Work Night Out NEW TIME: 5 - 7 Everyone Welcome
WRITERS' CIRCLES SATURDAY December 7
NOVEMBER 24
Wine & Cheese Reception and Book Signing
2 -4 p.m. at Village Writing School
Public is Invited
Poetry Roundelay
2 - 4 p.m. at Village Writing School
Poetry and Short Prose (Flash Fiction)
ONGOING FROM NOW THROUGH DECEMBER
Writing Christmas Stories - A free gift from the Village Writing School
JANUARY 18, 2014
Getting Started
The first 2 pages, research, to outline or not, story arc, writing rules to live by.
For more information or to register for any workshop, contact Alison at alisontaylorbrown@me.com or 479 292-3665.
You are receiving this email because you asked to be kept informed about writing workshops and coming events.
