On July 26, four Village Writers will be at the Universal Unitarian Church in Eureka Springs where we will talk about the power of words to
Heal Connect Empower.
If you would like to book one of our free presentations at your library or club or church, email Alison.
Writers' Night Out welcomes anyone with an interest in writing. Dinner begins at 5.
A Healthy Writer is a Productive Writer!
This Thursday, Jessie will serve the ultimate salad bar.
Our speaker will discuss the use of natural products to address a variety of health issues. (Our director is a fan of the migraine prevention product.)
From the Director . . .
Things that Hold us Back
This is the first of a series of articles on things that hold us back from writing and from publishing. I'm not going to sugarcoat any of these, but I will say that I'm writing a lot from my own experience.
The first thing that holds us back is that chip on our shoulder.There are as many kinds of chips as there are shoulders to bear them. Here are some forms a chip might take, though this is not a comprehensive list.
I go through life generally annoyed because I think I'm a better writer than most of the people who get published.
I disparage advanced degrees because I think that "talent cannot be learned." Or (flip side) I disparage writers who don't have academic credentials. Or I disparage writers who haven't yet published or who write in a genre I consider "inferior" to mine.
Whenever anyone I know achieves a measure of writing success, I appear happy but in my heart I'm vexed.
I never take workshops because I think I know more than that teacher.
I think my work is good right out of my head and pay no attention to any suggestions made for improvement.
I'm convinced that getting published is all about "who you know." So I never submit anything.
I have to stop now because all this negativity is bringing me down.So what's the opposite of a chip on the shoulder? A generous humility that recognizes that:
I don't know it all.
I might learn or be inspired by any writer at any time.
There's an incredible pool of energy that exists when other generous, humble writers congregate.
There's enough success to go around and the other person's success in no way diminishes me or my chances of success. In fact, it's to my advantage to know as many successful writers as possible to learn as much as I can from them.
If you want to be happy as a writer and a human, don't be weighed down by a chip.
Even if you are factually right about your talent being greater than someone else's, we can all learn, grow, and thrive as part of a creative community.
Fellowships, grants, contests, markets
and other monetary opportunities for writers.
Q u o t e sOn Writing
My little dog—a heartbeat at my feet.
--Edith Wharton
Meet a Village Writer E. Anne Roberts
E. Anne Roberts attended Tom's workshops in Maumelle as a chauffeur for her mother, Ruth. But she caught the writing bug and is now working on a memoir about an adventure in parenting. Anne thoroughly enjoyed getting a master's degree in English literature. In her past lives, she practiced environmental law, was a full-time mom, and taught college English.
Eureka Springs.
Maumelle/Little Rock
Rogers/Bentonville
Fayetteville
Twenty-three writers gathered to hear June Westphaltalk about the history behind her books.
We also celebrated Jessie's one-year
anniversary with cake, a gift, and tons of
appreciation for her amazing work
(and meals).
An Excited Visitor from Texas
When a grandmother and her seven-year-old grandson drove by our school, she said they had to stop in. This little guy said, "I want to be an author."
Jessie gave him a signed copy of Mimi Martin's story, Song of the Eagle. He left with a big smile with his new book and the new hat he just picked up, which went with the time period of the book.
Hang on to that dream!
The Little Free Library could use some children's books.
Email Jessie to drop them at the Village Writing School in Eureka Springs.
The Maumelle Program will be on break until September 1 while Tom takes a writing retreat to Wyoming to work on his next short story collection, under contract to High Hill Press.
Tom will continue to mentor his students and make suggestions on their work while he is gone.
Creative Writing 1 and Publishing will start fresh in Maumelle in September.
The MISSION of the Village Writing School is to foster a vibrant literary community in Arkansas and
to provide resources for ALL writers who seek to improve their craft.
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Donate as Little as $10 per Month
WE GROW THROUGH YOUR SUPPORT
THANK YOU TO OUR 2015 FRIENDS: David Auernheimer, Tandy Belt, Wendy and David Carlisle, Jean Elderwind,Crow Evans, Alice French, Valerie Fondetti, Linda Harrison-Gracia, John & Nancy Grosella, Gary Guinn,Nancy Harris, Kate Lacy, Shirley Lamberson, Gail Larimer, Judith McCartan, Richard Schoe, Shiva Shanti, Greg Sherar, Cris Senseman, Judith Ulch, Brent Wendling
The Village Writing School is a 501c3 organization.
You are receiving this email because you asked to be kept informed about writing workshops and coming events.
Publisher: Alison Taylor-Brown
Editors: Alice French & Jessie Rex
A Healthy Writer is a Productive Writer!
