WRITING PROMPT 01/30

What is forbidden for one person may not necessarily be forbidden for another... or seen as forbidden. Write about something that is forbidden for you.

Quote of the Day 01/30

All good writing is built one good line at a time. You build a novel the same way you do a pyramid. One word, one stone at a time, underneath a full moon when the fingers bleed. – Kate Braverman

Another Anthology: Cup of Comfort

The Cup of Comfort series of books is also looking for submissions for upcoming titles:

• A Cup of Comfort for the Grieving Hearts: deadline Feb 15, 2009
• A Cup of Comfort for Fathers: deadline Apr 1, 2009

Check out their website for more details: http://www.cupofcomfort.com/CallForSubmissions/

Call for Submissions: Chicken Soup for the Soul

There are lots of Chicken Soup books in development.

• A Book of Miracles: deadline March 31, 2009
• All in the Family: deadline June 30, 2009
• Christmas and Holidays: no deadline
• Dieting and Fitness: deadline June 30, 2009
• Endurance Sports (run, swim, cycle): deadline June 30, 2009
• In Harm's Way - Honoring Our Military: deadline March 31, 2009
• Not Really Retired: deadline June 30, 2009
• Teachers: deadline June 30, 2009
• Thanks Dad: deadline June 30, 2009
• Tough Times, Tough People: deadline February 28, 2009
• What I Learned From the Cat: deadline March 31, 2009
• What I Learned From the Dog: deadline March 31, 2009

For more details on any of these books, see the Chicken Soup website: www.chickensoupforthesoul.com

Here's some more detailed information on the What I Learned From the Cat title:

Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned From the Cat
101 Stories about Life, Love, and Lessons

Cats have always been wonderful companions and playmates that brighten
and enrich our lives but they are also amazing teachers. We want cat
lovers, both lifelong and reluctant, to share the lessons they have
learned about life from their furry companions. The stories in this
book will delight readers with the often humorous, heartwarming,
poignant and always inspiring lessons taught to us by our feline
friends and family members.

We are looking for true stories and poems written in the first person
of no more than 1,200 words. Stories can be serious or humorous, or
both. Remember, these stories should be about lessons learned from
your cat rather than general stories about your cat.

Here are some suggested topics, but we know you can think of many
more:

Learning to heal
Learning to forgive
Learning to know who is really in charge
Learning how to not take yourself so seriously
Learning to put things in perspective
Learning about unconditional love
Learning to overcome adversity
Learning about loyalty
Learning to be kinder
Learning to say goodbye
Learning about family
Learning to have courage
Learning about humor
Learning that beauty is in the eye of the beholder
... Anything else you think is interesting and inspirational
about our feline teachers

If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio
will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a
check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100.
You will retain the copyright for your story.

My Retirement Speech

This is a blog after all....

For those of you who were not in attendance at Sunday's session, I wrote, from a prompt, a retirement speech. I brought it home, polished it and submitted it to Triond. You can read it here:

http://www.authspot.com/Biographies/My-Retirement-Speech.480885

Thanks for your support. Every view and "I like it" click helps me get paid.

Keep happy!

ORANGEVILLE LIBRARY NEWSLETTER

Thanks Pat for taking care of this matter for us. I appreciate all your hard work which allows all of us extra writing time. YOU'RE THE BEST!

ED WILDMAN

Nancy,

I immediately went to the website and what I found was the most sincere, poetic and soulful tribute to Ed. Thank you. Thank YOU for understanding HIM, thank you for honouring him. And remember, he got at least as much, or more, from his sessions with all of you.

I will forward the website link to his daughters. It will be very meaningful for them.

With appreciation,
Frances

Orangeville Public Library Newsletter

I want to inform you all that I have been contacted by the Orangeville Public Library regarding including information about our group in their newsletter. I told them I was unaware there was a newsletter. Anyway, I sent them a little blurb about our group including the web address and my contact info. (Apparently they have been receiving a lot of inquiries about the group, particularly from people with no internet access).

I was also asked if the group could provide a Valentine's poem or something. Since it is very short notice I could not have the group work together on this. I looked at the poem we wrote collectively awhile back. Each attendee at that session wrote a 5-line verse. I felt that was too long. So I provided a short love poem I had written for my husband awhile back. I am not trying to step on anyone's toes or put myself at the forefront here. She was on a deadline and she wanted something for Valentine's Day. I did ask if they would like us to provide something for future newsletters (ie a poem written by a different member every edition - not sure if it's monthly). She is going to check with her superiors and get back to me on that.

I was advised to grab a newsletter next time I'm in the library. I guess they keep them on the counter as well as pinned to the bulletin board. My poem may not even be included, but information on HWG will be. So watch for the newsletter next time you're there.

This coming weekend we have a gab session on Saturday at noon at the Coffee House.

Keep happy!

Quote of the Day 01/27

I get up in the morning, torture a typewriter until it screams, then stop. - Clarence Budington Kelland

KPL Writer in Residence

Kitchener Public Library welcomes Nino Ricci as the 2009 writer in residence. As always, there will be lots of great (free!) workshops and an opportunity for a one-on-one critique. For more details, please see the KPL website.

Dr. Ross Pennie

Some of us attended a wonderful workshop this past Sunday. Brian Henry spoke about writing memoirs. His guest speaker was Dr. Ross Pennie who wrote his memoirs about his experience as a doctor in New Guinea. I sent Dr. Pennie an email thanking him and sent him copies of some pictures I took. Below is his response.

Dear Pat;Many thanks for the photos. I enjoyed meeting you and the other participants very much. It was a fun afternoon for me. And a tricky drive home in the snow. But the weather cleared about half-way there. All the best to you for success in your writing. It's a wonderful journey of fellowship and self-discovery.Cheers, Ross Pennie

Quote of the Day 01/21

James Blish told me I had the worst case of "said bookism" (that is, using every word except said to indicate dialogue). He told me to limit the verbs to said, replied, asked, and answered and only when absolutely necessary.
- Anne McCaffrey

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy 71st Birthday LEN on Monday, January 26.
All the Best!

Quote of the Day 01/18

I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear. - Joan Didion

Amazon Novel Contest

Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award

Check out the link to this contest:

http://www.amazon.com/b?node=332264011

Quote of the Day 01/14

No one is asking, let alone demanding, that you write. The world is not waiting with bated breath for your article or book. Whether or not you get a single word on paper, the sun will rise, the earth will spin, the universe will expand. Writing is forever and always a choice - your choice. - Beth Mende Conny

Quote of the Day 01/12

Most of the basic material a writer works with is acquired before the age of fifteen. - Willa Cather

Quote of the Day 01/10

Reading and weeping opens the door to one's heart, but writing and weeping opens the window to one's soul. - M. K. Simmons

WRITING PROMPT 01/08

DESCRIBE THE WEATHER OUTSIDE. USE ALL FIVE SENSES: WHAT DO YOU SEE, SMELL, HEAR, TASTE, HOW DOES IT FEEL? TRY AND USE MORE THAN JUST "BBBRRRRR".

Quote of the Day 01/08

Name yourself writer. When people ask what you do, say, “I am a writer.” Writing may not be the way you support yourself, but identifying yourself by your day job doesn’t give your writing the position it deserves. One person may say, “I’m a writer who supports herself as a paralegal.” Another, “I’m a writer. And I earn a living as a masseuse.” When you name yourself writer first, you affirm the place writing holds in your life. – Judy Reeves

Brian Henry's Literary Blog

Thought you all would be interested in the link to Brian Henry's Literary Blog

link to Quick Brown Fox literary blog
http://quick-brown-fox-canada.blogspot.com/

The link is also on the website
Enjoy:
Shirley

Quote of the Day 01/06

Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance. – Samuel Johnson

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNDA LOU!

We hope you had an awesome day.

We missed you on Sunday!

Blessings

WRITE YOUR LIFE -- Writing Workshop

The Headwaters Writers’ Guild presents…
“Writing Your Life” ~ and other true stories ~

Sunday, January 1810 a.m. - 4 p.m.Oddfellows Hall Association, 24 Elizabeth Street, Orangeville
Have you ever considered writing your memoirs or family history? This workshop will introduce you to the tricks and conventions of telling true stories and will show you how to use the techniques of the novel to recount actual events. Whether you want to write for your family or for a wider public, don't miss this workshop.

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for 25 years. He teaches at Ryerson University and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Sudbury. He has helped many of his students get published, including our guest speaker, Ross Pennie.

Our guest speaker will be Dr. Ross Pennie, author of The Unforgiving Tides, a doctor’s memoir of Papua New Guinea (Manor House Publishing). He has also just signed a contract with ECW Press for three mystery novels. Dr. Pennie will speak on how to turn ordinary life into dramatic material and will answer questions about how he wrote his memoir and got it published.

Fee for members of the Headwaters Writers’ Guild: $35.34 plus gst = $37 paid in advance
Or $42.86 plus gst = $45 paid at the door
Fee for the general public: $39.05 plus gst = $41 paid in advance or $42.86 plus gst = $45 paid at the door

To register, please make out a cheque to Brian Henry and mail it to…
Brian Henry, 110 Reiner Road, Toronto, ON M3H 2L6

Quote of the Day 01/05

A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing. - Eugene Ionesco

Quote of the Day 01/02

At one time I thought the most important thing was talent. I think now that the young man or the young woman must possess or teach himself, training himself, in infinite patience, which is to try and to try until it comes right. He must train himself in ruthless intolerance--that is to throw away anything that is false no matter how much he might love that page or that paragraph. The most important thing is insight, that is to be--curiosity--to wonder, to mull, and to muse why it is that man does what he does, and if you have that, then I don't think the talent makes much difference, whether you've got it or not. - William Faulkner

WRITING PROMPT 01/02

Write about accepting loss.