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A MESSAGE FROM ALISON --
At the beginning of the year, I wrote a column saying that a successful writer needs three things: Craft, Community, and Commitment. I think we cover craft pretty well in our workshops, and I've been thinking for over a year about the Community part.
One of our students likes to say that Eureka Springs is "a bunch of people living separately together." I love that because it conjures up the idea of all these artists working away in their solitary studios and then coming together at shows and social events. I'm not a part of them, but it seems the visual artists support one another pretty well. I don't see anything for we artists of the word.
So, let's try something. Let's set aside one night a week to just hang out together. We'll have a brief planned activity, a writing exercise or a 20-minute speaker. But mostly we'll just talk about writing. Our frustrations, our challenges, our heady moments.
I've made arrangements with Lana at the Garden Bistro for a special "starving writer" menu, though we can order off the regular menu if we want. We'll have the back room and can bring our own desserts and snacks. And she has a cash bar.
I envision this as a kind of drop-in thing from about 5-9, so that people can come by after work for a little while or come early before they go to something else.
I plan to start our Writers at Work Night Out (Wawnu—not any sillier than Kiwanis, an Indian word meaning "we have a good time, we make noise. And they do good things. A great combination in my opinion.) the week of August 4-10.
We have to decide the night, and so I'm going to take a poll. Email me your preference.
I know weekly is frequently, and I don't expect everyone to come every time. Some of us will. But I think we just need to know that there is a place, one night a week, where we can talk writing to people who really get it. Of course, spouses and dates will be welcome if you can drag them in.
This is not a critique group or a writing circle. Those are other times. This is strictly social. Community. Which, hopefully, will build commitment.
In our first few gatherings we are going to explore how to dedicate time regularly to our writing. It's the writer's first, biggest, and ongoing challenge.
Occasionally, there will be an open mic. There will be games, contests, prizes, food, liquor, and writing. A carnival every week. Just for us.
-- Alison
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