The June 6, 2004 meeting was memorable for two reasons. First, I received an email from Frances, Ed Wildman’s partner, who said that Ed wasn’t feeling well and would be unable to attend our meeting.
I emailed her back and asked if I should pray for Ed. She didn’t think it was serious.
(The first three members of the Headwaters Writers’ Guild had attended Ed’s writing workshops in Honeywood. We didn’t have a name in the beginning but that’s another story.)
On Broadway on the way into the library, I passed by a woman with two children and wondered if she might be our new member. Down in the basement of the Orangeville Library, the woman introduced herself, as Pat Gallant.
We started with Goldberg’s recommended prompt, what I don’t remember is. And the second prompt was what I remember is. (We used to use this prompt for all new members.)
What I remembered the most about Pat is that she went for the jugular just as Natalie Goldberg suggested in her book, Writing Down the Bones. (Our meetings follow Natalie Goldberg’s workshop that Ed Wildman attended.) She didn’t hold back and she went where her pen took her and she read her writing.
I’ve never figured out why this prompt leads people to write dramatic incidents of their life. Maybe it’s our soul prompting us to remember the stories of our lives that we’ve forgotten.
New members often ask if they can pass and not read their raw writing. Often they say, “It’s too emotional.”
Pat mentioned that she’d completed her first novel. She also told us that she was encouraged to continue writing as her poem had been published in the Toronto Star when she was a young writer. Now we had three members with completed novels and a published writer.
Writing is a lonely life and I believe it helps to ease the loneliness when you spend time with other writers. From the first meeting that Pat attended, it felt like she'd always been a member and a friend.
Now, we had seven members. But it wouldn’t be long before the membership changed.
Showing posts with label HWG History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HWG History. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
When I started this group
When I started this writing group, none of us were published. Six years later, most of our members are published.
I believe it’s with the support and encouragement of fellow writers that helped us to achieve our dreams.
When I was a beginning writer, it was difficult for me to believe in myself. I think it’s beneficial to have others believe in you until you arrive at the place where you can acknowledge to yourself, I am a writer.
Don’t forget, if you write, you’re a writer.
Last week, I crawled out of bed only to go to work. I didn’t blog last week but I’m grateful that Pat has published some posts.
I believe it’s with the support and encouragement of fellow writers that helped us to achieve our dreams.
When I was a beginning writer, it was difficult for me to believe in myself. I think it’s beneficial to have others believe in you until you arrive at the place where you can acknowledge to yourself, I am a writer.
Don’t forget, if you write, you’re a writer.
Last week, I crawled out of bed only to go to work. I didn’t blog last week but I’m grateful that Pat has published some posts.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
HWG - BEGINNING
How was your drive into work today? If this had been Tuesday, December 9, 2003, possibly the first Headwaters Writers’ Guild session might not have happened.
The drive to Honeywood in the winter was horrendous and often the late Janet Bellinger and I would write at Coffee Way (now Duca). "It's too bad we don't have a writing group in Orangeville." Janet planted the seed for our group.
For almost two years, Janet Bellinger and I continued to take workshops from the late Ed Wildman. Janet and I would be up early on the day of the workshop, editing some of our writing to read at the group. Ed believed that it was paramount for a writer to read their work aloud. He followed Natalie Goldberg’s advice.
Ed would always serve us coffee and dessert during a fifteen-minute break. Sometimes I brought muffins and Janet brought cake, and occasionally we had a potluck lunch.
Michele joined Ed’s workshop in 2002, and J.C. in April of 2003. Ed’s last workshop was in early September 2003.
By the end of October 2003, J.C. missed going to Ed’s workshops and he begged me to start a new writing group in Orangeville.
We’d called the Grand Valley Library and they offered us a room for our sessions. But we didn’t relish the drive to Grand Valley in the winter.
In mid November, while I was in the process of starting the group, Michele emailed me complaining about withdrawal pains re the writing workshops. Another member of Ed’s writing group was supposed to join us but we had conflicting schedules. Finally, I emailed Michele, who had four children, to pick a date and J.C. and I would attend.
On Tuesday night, December 9, 2003, J.C., Michele and I sat at a long table upstairs at the Orangeville Library and began the first session of the Headwaters Writers’ Guild, although at that time we were nameless.
Ed was unable to attend our first writing session.
The drive to Honeywood in the winter was horrendous and often the late Janet Bellinger and I would write at Coffee Way (now Duca). "It's too bad we don't have a writing group in Orangeville." Janet planted the seed for our group.
For almost two years, Janet Bellinger and I continued to take workshops from the late Ed Wildman. Janet and I would be up early on the day of the workshop, editing some of our writing to read at the group. Ed believed that it was paramount for a writer to read their work aloud. He followed Natalie Goldberg’s advice.
Ed would always serve us coffee and dessert during a fifteen-minute break. Sometimes I brought muffins and Janet brought cake, and occasionally we had a potluck lunch.
Michele joined Ed’s workshop in 2002, and J.C. in April of 2003. Ed’s last workshop was in early September 2003.
By the end of October 2003, J.C. missed going to Ed’s workshops and he begged me to start a new writing group in Orangeville.
We’d called the Grand Valley Library and they offered us a room for our sessions. But we didn’t relish the drive to Grand Valley in the winter.
In mid November, while I was in the process of starting the group, Michele emailed me complaining about withdrawal pains re the writing workshops. Another member of Ed’s writing group was supposed to join us but we had conflicting schedules. Finally, I emailed Michele, who had four children, to pick a date and J.C. and I would attend.
On Tuesday night, December 9, 2003, J.C., Michele and I sat at a long table upstairs at the Orangeville Library and began the first session of the Headwaters Writers’ Guild, although at that time we were nameless.
Ed was unable to attend our first writing session.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)