Writing Circles

Earlier this year, I started a new writing group at one of the libraries where I work. I called it Writers’ Circle, but that was only going to be the name until the group decided on a new, original name. We came up with several really good names, but somehow, Writers’ Circle stuck.

It works. We sit in a circle…well, square really. We start with generalized life-sharing, read whatever piece/s of writing we will discuss, discuss it, and we come back around to generalized life-sharing as we prepare to head our separate ways.

Writing is a circular activity. You get an idea. It spins around in your head. You capture it on paper – or in a computer or other device. You read it. You re-write it. You re-write it again, as many times as it takes, until you are satisfied with it. You get an idea…

It is important for writers to have a safe place to spend time with other writers. It doesn’t matter if the writers in your group don’t write exactly the same kind of thing that you do. What matters is that they have a writer’s mind and soul. Writers are a special breed. If they are surrounded by non-writers, they can become frustrated and without the moral support that can only come from other writers, they could give up.

I have belonged to a variety of writing groups over the years. The first one was back in ninth grade. Two of my friends and I named our group “Pen, Paper, Pencil” or some variation of those three words. I don’t remember the exact order; it’s been a while since I was in ninth grade. Not too long ago, I found ALL of the stories we wrote. I don’t remember why I was chosen to keep them, and it is a miracle that they are still with me after almost four decades, especially considering that I lived overseas for all of the 1980s. I still have frequent contact with one of those friends. I need to reconnect to the other one, too.

The next writing group I was a part of met once a month in my neighbor’s house. I attended when I could, but when I got a full time job I had to miss many meetings. It has been a few years since I was able to go, but I will always feel that I am a member of the “Word Weavers” group. I had the chance to catch up with two other members a few weekends ago at a writing conference.

For a short time I attended another writing group that met at a library. It met at a time that was convenient for my work schedule, and occasionally I was able to go on a lunch break. I don’t remember if it had an official name, but after I moved away I had to stop going.

In my new hometown, I found a wonderful writing group at my local library. I am still a member and attend meetings when I don’t have to work during their scheduled sessions. (I have to work many evenings with my new job.) I will forever be thankful for this group. They are the first friends I made in my new town, and they truly made me feel welcome.

My newest group is the one I first mentioned. We meet every Tuesday evening. There are some people who are able to attend all of the meetings, some every other week, and others who can only be there once in a while. I am truly fortunate to have this group. The group provides solid support for its members. More experienced writers are able to offer constructive critique to newer writers, and the newer writers offer fresh energy and inspiration to us all.

It is wonderful to have so many writer friends, some I connect with online. The internet, email, and social media make it easier to maintain long distance friendships.

I will need to use old fashioned communication to reconnect to that one member of my first writing group. I haven’t seen her in a few years, but I have her address. I need to write to her. I think we should get the old group back together, probably not for the sake of writing…but for the sake of our friendship. 

After all, friendship is also a circle.

After a Few Disaterous Distractions, Time for Daydreams Is Delayed: Part III

My son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren arrived from far away Minnesota about a week before graduation. We had a lot of...

Distractions

Monday: Pony rides with the grandchildren of TWO of my best friends from high school. It was GREAT to see both of them and for our little ones to begin a third generation of friendship. Our first-born "kids" all have birthdays within 5 days of each other in late October...but in 1979, 1980 and 1981. They all played together as kids, and now their kids got to get together. It was so fun. Pony Pizza Party was awesome!

Tuesday: I had to go to a class for diabetics, so not much fun that day :-(

Wednesday: Zoo...tons of fun with my daughter-in-law and the kids.

Thursday: Mini-golfing, then baccalaureate

Friday: Graduation.Since my husband works as an administrator at the school district, he was able to hand our daughter her diploma. It was an amazing moment. And, I didn't cry. Really. I don't know how that happened, but I didn't cry at all.

Saturday: Busy, busy, busy! Last minute shopping and preparations for the party on Sunday. The kids helped too. It was a lot of fun, a lot of chaos, and a lot of love.

Sunday: Graduation PARTY! We had a nice pavilion (with electrical outlets!) at a nearby park, by a lake. The weather was perfect! We had enough food. We had enough cold beverages. A good number of people showed up. As far as I can tell, everyone had a good time. I know I did. Then came clean up time...and...

Disaster Two

Everyone else had taken just about all of the party food and supplies to the cars to take home while I stayed at the pavilion with my four year-old grandson. When he went with his parents, I looked at what was left, two coolers full of ice and soft drinks and the extra crock pot, which was nearly full of meatballs.

I was told to just go back to the cars, but felt guilty about letting everyone else do all the work, so when I was alone, I picked up the crock pot and started on my way.

Tripped.

Fell.

HARD!

My knee hit the concrete hard...yes, the arthritic one that began this whole series of posts

My opposite elbow hit even harder.

I also hit my head and side of my face.

Next thing I hear is my son saying, "MOM, is that blood?"

I was sprawled out on the concrete in a puddle of sauce...and, yes, some of it was blood. I guess I wasn't alone after all.

Later, he said that he actually saw me go down..."like a felled tree" and ... apparently ... I "bounced" <sigh>

My left knee swelled up instantly. So did the left side of my face. My right elbow bled freely and was also swollen and both forearms were scraped and swollen. The arms would both develop bruises of their own.

My five year-old granddaughter said, "Grandma, next time, just drop the crack pot and save yourself!" To be honest, I really hope there is never a next time. But, if there is...I'll drop it.

The next day we had planned to go to Kennywood. I hated to ruin the fun, so we went. I hobbled about fairly well, considering. We talked about renting one of those electric scooters, but I managed much better than I thought I would.

Tuesday: We finally had a day of rest and relaxation.

Wednesday: They went back home.

Thursday: We had to go to college registration, an all day event.

The next Monday, I started my new job. Knee was still swollen and all the colors of the rainbow. Elbow still wouldn't stop bleeding (but not a lot) every single time I bent it. Face, luckily, was looking fine the day after the fall. The new job involves a lot of standing and walking. Thankfully, it also has some sitting time.

Today is two weeks since the fall. Knee is still swollen and achy. Elbow still wants to bleed, but only a little bit a few times a day. It is still swollen and very sore...and missing a chunk right at the tip. Things are improving. Slowly.

I am supposedly writing. I guess I am. I'm not writing what I'm supposed to be writing, though. I have four days to complete a friendly challenge. I accepted the challenge before things were so chaotic with a houseful of people, a new job, and injuries.

 I had some daydreams. I had some disasters. I had some distractions.

Habit, Habit, Who's Got the Habit?

New habits are hard to create. Sometimes it feels like getting a new habit to be a habit (rather than just a plan of action) is one of the hardest things to do, especially a good habit. It can be even harder than stopping a bad one. I wonder if it would be easier to start a bad habit. hhhhmmmmm…

The habit I am aiming for is right here. I want to develop the habit of writing on a daily basis. It is easy enough to do. It just isn’t a habit yet. It’s still just a plan of action. I think about it a lot. I have a lot of time to think in my commute, but when I arrive at a place where I can transform those thoughts and plans into actions…well…I get distracted by other things that have higher priority, and then I forget about all the great ideas and plans I came up with in the car. I don’t completely forget them. I remember them again when I can’t do anything about them; while driving, at the grocery store, in the middle of the night. Those places and times are ideal for executing the plan, if by that I mean “kill” the plan. If I want to execute the plan as in “implement, complete, fulfill” etc., then those are not the best of times to be remembering.

In my last blog I talked about NaPlWriMo. Yeah. Well, those ten pages I was so pleased with…that’s all I have. I kept forgetting to do more, plus I was busy and distracted by more important things. What could be more important than my writing goals? Family visiting from far away, work, sleep, breathing…lots of things.

To be fair to myself, I do write every day. I write about things that matter to me. I write about important things. I also write the things I have to write for work and whatever things might need written for home…like grocery lists and to-do lists. But work-writing, keeping up with friends and family via email and social media, and reminder lists do not count as the kind of writing I mean when I say that I want to do on a daily basis.

I have “real” writing that I need to get back to. There are several unfinished plays, as well as a few that could use some polishing. I started a BIG project way back in high school and I really want to finish it. I’ve completely re-written and revised the parts of it that I have done over the years…my characters call and talk to me all the time…when I’m driving, or at the store, or asleep, or in the middle of something else that I can’t stop. That is the kind of writing I mean. And poetry. I don’t write poetry on purpose, but it attacks at will, and I have to let it out.

Poetry is the one kind of writing that I cannot put off. I keep paper and writing tools in the car…just in case. I don’t recommend writing while driving. I also don’t recommend photography while driving. That doesn’t mean that I never do either one. You can check out some of the things I’ve captured by pure luck.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.247820683199.172656.605003199&type=1&l=ba6b2dd454
I might use my camera in the car, but I don’t take time to focus or even aim. I see something I like and I point the camera in that general direction and click. Sometimes I get great pictures. Sometimes I get the dashboard or some other close up of the car. I don’t post those anywhere, but I do keep them as proof of my method. I write poetry in the car in much the same way. I scribble the words on a notebook, and sometimes by the time I can pull over or park I can still remember them. My handwriting for notes is hard enough to read when I am looking at it. It’s amazing that I can decipher the driving notes at all. Usually I can’t.

I really need to find time to write each day. It is important to me. Time. We never get enough, at least I don’t. I spend 8 hours a day at work, 3 hours in the car getting there and home again. I need to sleep. There are everyday life things that I have to do at home…and then I am tired, and sleepy.

Time. If anyone knows where I can get more time when I am able to be productive, please let me know. I have some other habits I’d like to develop, too. I think it is important to get the habits going now, rather than waiting for New Year's resolution time. Resolutions are easy to break. Habits, if developed the right way, become part of who we are not, just something that we do.

I am open for suggestions...how do you develop good habits? Or, should I just give up and start up a few bad ones?

Peer Pressure = The Library Made Me Do It

Well, maybe not exactly. The library is not my peer.

The library is a building, made from the usual building materials. You know the kind, bricks, concrete, wood, plaster, windows, doors, plumbing, wiring...etc. It could be anything. But, it is filled with books, movies, magazines, and a myriad of other media...all there waiting to be read, borrowed, and otherwise used. For free.

Yes, free. Hopefully libraries can stay free and available for communities to use and enjoy. Not only are they full of all those great books (and some boring ones, too) they also offer many wonderful programs for the people of all ages in their communities. Most libraries offer story time for little ones, many offer a variety of reading clubs/groups for those who like to read and discuss certain types of books. My library offers a writers' group for writers or people are interested in becoming writers. We meet twice a month to offer each other support, suggestions and constructive criticism. We also have fun.

It is good to be able to meet with people who share the love of words. Even though what we write varies drastically, the need TO write brings us together. Some write science fiction, others fantasy. Some write poetry others create personal journals to share their life story with their friends and family. Some write plays or draw cartoons, and almost all of us do more than just one kind of writing.

We challenge each other to write things we don't usually do, to grow out of our comfort zone, to try more...and always to keep on writing. One recent challenge was to start a blog if we didn't already have one. I've considered blogging for several years but never could think of a title that I knew I could live with.

I should be working on a play right now. I've committed myself to participate in NaPlWriMo (National Play Writing Month) with a goal of 75 pages of either one play or a combination of shorter pieces between November 1 and 30. I find myself easily distracted. (I'm sure I must have AADD) Instead of writing the play (I do have 10 pages, though) I've been doing housework. Usually it's the other way around, if I have to do housework I'll be writing or reading, daydreaming, or anything else.

I also have been undergoing some painful dental procedures. I should be resting. I should be doing housework, I should be writing a play, I should be starting a blog...oh...wait. I guess I did.

Thanks to the peer pressure...at the library...I was forced to do some serious thinking and came up with the blog. I think I can live with it.