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Study Hall: #AmWriting, #AmWandering & Following the Story

Last Sunday I met with a few writers online and in the studio for another session of Study Hall: #AmWriting.

I’m still early into this venture, so each time we meet there’s another tech issue to consider, maybe something with the sound, maybe recognition that camera placement is everything; I like for all writers to see or be seen, so setting the laptop in a perfect position matters.

(I apologize to those online this time, who saw mostly my chin and a dramatic wave of hand and my beauty mark…aka. my mole…aka. call-me-Cindy-Crawford-and-we’ll-all-feel-better.)

Annnyway, what isn’t new to the venture is the way writers come together in community. The way a simple nudge from a prompt will spur a full 10-minutes of pen to paper.

The way one story unfolds into another.

It’s what Beth Kephart talks about in her essay, “And There’s Your Mother, Calling Out to You: In Pursuit of Memory.”

Memoir is, among many other things, about what we remember; it is also about how memory is returned to us. About where we go to access the past and what we do when it floods straight through us.

We spent two hours exploring that idea, moving from one prompt to the next, letting a phrase or an image from the last 10-minute free write grow into the next 10-minute free write. And several of us were surprised at where our pens took us.

It’s what Dan Chaon illustrates in his story, “Shepherdess.”

This is one of those things that you can never explain to anyone, that’s what I want to explain—one of those free-association moments with connections that dissolve when you start to try to put them into words

But I consider it for a moment, trying to map it out. Look: Here is a china knickknack on my mother’s coffee table, right next to her favorite ashtray. A shepherdess, I guess–a figuring with blond sausage curls and a low-cut bodice and petticoats, holding a crook. a staff, in one hand and carrying a lamb under her arm….

Take a minute to read both Kephart’s essay and Chaon’s story. Think about how one image in your day tugs at your memory and another image rises to the surface, then another memory, and another. Join us for the next Study Hall on June 3rd.

You can participate if you’re writing nonfiction or fiction or poetry–the point is, you’re writing. Who knows what stories will fall onto your paper in the company of others.

(Details on dates, times, and links to register can be found HERE.)

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Study Hall: #AmWriting
Information & Registration on a Writers’ Meet-Up

The day job, kids’ activities, that book I long to read, an evening to binge on my favorite TV show, some days just a fear of failure. Reasons vary but the effect is always the same: it can be difficult to set aside time to write–just write, whether the goal is to revise an old piece or simply to engage with the page and create something entirely new.

Here’s what I’m guessing: I’m not alone.

Here’s what I know: with space, an invitation, and a gentle push from another writer facing similar challenges, we are more likely to show up at the table and set pen to paper. We are more likely to encourage the writer across from us and–together–create more art.

Here’s my invitation for you….

Study Hall: #AmWriting

Once a month, I’ll host a Study Hall, where we will meet for two hours to touch on an aspect of craft and incorporate different techniques designed to get our pens moving. Because we will gather for a chunk of time, there will be room at the end for discussion about the craft, the process, and a chance to revisit one of those brand new pieces (or an ongoing story, essay, or poem) and revise.

And the best part? You can participate in person or online, which means camaraderie and the creative spirit are at your fingertips, no matter how near or far.

Meet in person at the studio: 1500 S. 73rd Street, West Allis, WI
Meet online via Zoom
~
Sundays, 3-5pm (CST)
April 8, May 6, June 3
July 15, August 12, September 9

The first Study Hall is coming up in just a few weeks! Links to register are below. Give one session a try for $10, the cost of which covers online meeting software, space, and snacks if you come to the studio. Or sign up for a Punch Card for a bundle of sessions (buy 3 get 1 free; buy 4 get 2 free).

Once you register, you’ll receive an email with the option to choose specific dates if you signed up for individual sessions and information on your Punch Card if you purchased a bundle.

Individual Sessions & Punch Cards




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Your Next #Writing Move

Drawing of online connectionIn teaching courses online, I’ve been asked about the options of creating an outside opportunity for connecting during the course or even after the course. Some suggestions have included setting up a social media group, but not everyone is on social media or wants to interact over social media. Never mind that, depending on the metrics, posts may be visible or not in one feed or another. Still, after spending several weeks of (often intense) writing and critique, the desire to stay connected remains.

Red Oak Writing logoWhen writers are local, I never hesitate to spotlight Red Oak Writing as one of my favorite ways to connect with others. There’s a strong community of writers who move in and out of Red Oak’s studio, and Kim Suhr, the director, offers an ongoing rotation of writing & critique groups (online or in-person) plus plenty of Saturday workshops for anyone looking to hone their craft.

But I have been playing with the idea of setting up a different kind of group, one that functions between courses and critiques in a casual and generative kind of way, one that aims to satisfy parts of Forest Avenue Press’ Main Street Writers Movement pledge:

to encourage my neighbor writers in creative art.
to foster…
to support…
to introduce new friends to  my core community….

I know how difficult it can be to break away from the daily routine. If there’s a space, an invitation, and a gentle push from another writer facing similar challenges, I’m more likely to show up, put the kettle on, and set pen to paper. I’m more likely to encourage the writer across the table from me, and we–together– will create more art.

But here’s the thing: does this need to be in-person only? Is there even any interest in arranging another opportunity outside of the ones already found in your local area and mine? This is where you come in. If you’re itching to connect with other writers but are wondering how, if you’re local and just want space and a warm cup of tea at the ready, if you are willing…fill out a few questions via the survey below. Let’s talk about your next move…our next move.

Here’s the link >> Writers Meet-Up Survey.

(The survey is anonymous and will be open until February 17, 2018.)

If you’re not local to the Milwaukee area but are still interested in the possibilities, go ahead and click the link and take the survey. There’s a space for that kind of conversation as well.