Meeting Sunday, April 22nd

We discussed the success of this past Thursday's Open Mic Night and the talented writers we heard read that evening.

A member of the audience from the Open Mic Night visited our group with some questions about how she was going to fill a 45 minute presentation on poetry. It was suggested that she read a couple of poems and then provide the members of the group with a couple of prompts to write their own.

Prompts

Virginia provided the prompts this week, admitting that she got carried away into the stories as she came up with the prompts. All or part of a prompt may be used.

1. Joey thought it was the best April Fool's joke ever, but I was not amused.

2. T.S. Elliott said "April is the cruelest month". Cruel doesn't even begin to describe it.

3. He was running as fast as he could, but it wasn't fast enough. With a slurping sound, the thick mud swallowed his right shoe. He didn't even try to retrieve it. He struggled on.

4. I woke to the sound of ice grinding as it tried to push its way downriver. Huge chunks would shriek as they pushed against the granite cliffs and shout with voices of thunder as they hammered against their neighbours'. Even louder was the roar of the river, an over-bearing father hurrying his progeny along, pushing and pulling on them to get them to their destination.

5/ My grandfather has been gone for decades, but I can still hear his homilies, as though he were whispering in my ear. There's no time like the present. A stitch in time saves nine. Time waits for no man. I could go on all day, but you get the idea. They all seem to apply in my present situation.

6/ People said Nellie was crazy. A crazy witch. That's right, witch. Because Nellie could run her hands over an animal that everyone had given up for dead and whisper into its ear, and it would open its eyes and somehow stagger to its feet and start to recover. No one knew what she whispered because she never would work on people. She didn't like people much. But she loved animals, so she healed them. And after a while, people started to think she was the one who had made them sick in the first place. Cursed them, most likely.

7. If you ask people if they believe in magic, they will most likely tell you "no". They will lie. Because deep down inside, we all know magic exists. It is all around us.

8. If you could have a fabled creature as a pet, which one would you pick?

9. I was going down Yonge Street, carried by the river of people rushing back from their lunch breaks. The flow pushed against people surging in the opposite direction, their eyes distant and unseeing, as though they were already working on that spreadsheet or making that sales call. The street people were fallen branches impeding the current that eddied impatiently around them, their eyes dead and hopeless. Except for one.

10. When I was a child, I wanted to be....

Next Meeting, Sunday, May 6th, 1:30pm

Patricia will be leading.

Meeting Sunday, April 8, 2018

There was some discussion about the Headwaters Writers' Guild publishing another anthology. More research needs to be done. This issue has been tabled for the time being.

Writing Prompts

1. The thoughts and actions of a large domestic cat as he approaches a small dog on a leash tied to a telephone pole.

2. The thoughts and actions of a dog when she discovers a cat sneaking through her backyard.

3. You drop your 12 year old child off at school one morning, only to find her later that afternoon at your local mall.

4. You find a note on your young teenage daughter's pillow telling you that she has left home and will be in touch with you the next day.

5. Write a short story about the most eccentric person from your past.

6. Finding a bag in the basement of an old abandoned church with the logo RBC stamped on it.

2nd Annual Open Mic Night

On Thursday, April 19th, we had another great turn-out this year at our 2nd Annual Open Night Mic in cooperation with the Orangeville Public Library. Many thanks to the library for staying open when we ran overtime.

Dufferin County Poet Laureate Harry Posner hosted again this year. He opened with some poetry consisting of "Every Year", written as prompted by the recent spring storms; and "I want" about poetry. He also announced the upcoming Day of Poets taking place all around downtown Orangeville on Saturday, May 5th, from 11am to 4pm.

First up was Clare McCarthy, columnist for The Orangeville Banner newspaper and Headwaters Writers' Guild member, who read a short story he wrote from a writing prompt at group entitled "It's in the Bag".

Darlane Rogers-Wardle read a poem about turning 49, and another poem prompted by a fellow teacher who had passed away but wrote as if it were she who died. She then read a humourous children's short story called "I'm In The Play".

Newest Headwaters Writers' Guild member Ron Langevin read a set of triptych (3 separate panels related by theme) short stories. The theme of Traffic consisted of the humourous stories "Stop Already", "Psychics" and "Guardian Angels". We are fortunate to have Ron join the Headwaters Writers' Guild.

Headwaters Writers Guild founder Nancy Rorke read the story "Broken Promises" which won the Click, Create, Celebrate contest through the Caledon Library, and was published in In The Hills Magazine.

We welcomed Matt Griffin back again this year. Always entertaining, he showed his wide range of talent through a comedic essay wherein he regaled us with the voices of Jimmy Stewart, Pee Wee Herman, Bruce Lee, Neil Young, Stompin' Tom Connors, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Pink Floyd, and Andy Kaufman.

Headwaters Writers' Guild member Marilyn Kleiber read from her new book "The Arrival". Writing under the name L.M. Tibbott, she took a page from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling wherein she didn't want readers of this fantasy novel to know the gender of the author. "The Arrival" is now available at Amazon and at the independent book store The Bookshelf in Guelph.

Well known Orangeville author Diane Bator read an excerpt from her very first publication, a novella entitled "Murder on Manitou". She has since published 7 mystery novels.

At intermission this crowd were given the opportunity to speak with the authors and purchase some of their publications. Thank you to those who supported our local authors.

After intermission Patricia Gallant spoke briefly about her 14 years of experience with the Headwaters Writers' Guild (photo not available). Harry Posner read a poem he wrote about Leonard Cohen.

We welcomed back local author M.J. Moores a hybrid author of new adult speculative fiction and romantic suspense. She is an active member of Writer's Ink, Caledon, the Bradford Writers' Circle, and is Chairperson for the Writers' Community of York Region. She read an excerpt from "Proprietary Measures" to be published in November 2018.

Winston Uytenboogaart returned this year to share some poems he had published as a result of reading at last year's Open Mic Night.

Natalie Merritt-Broderick, writer of novels and poetry, read some poetry on her interpretation of life. "The Dot", "A Christmas Memory", "Flower Power", "Understanding", "Standing Tall", and "Freedom" were among the poems she read.

Jonathan Neville was very animated with his random thoughts about life. He teaches Ballroom, Latin, Swing, Blues, Gymnastic, Square and Circle dances, as well as Creative Workout fitness classes, helping people grow imagination while they grow fit. Harry Posner described his presentation as a metaphysical swing dance.

Headwaters Writers' Guild member June Duncan read from her upcoming fourth novel "From The Junk".

David McGuinn is an aspiring writer & poet who recited from memory an assortment of entertaining poems.

Thank you to everyone who chose our 2nd Annual Open Mic Night over the Toronto  Maple Leafs playoff game. We look forward to another successful event next year!

Please remember the Day of Poets on Saturday, May 5th throughout downtown Orangeville from 11am to 4pm.