Volume III, Issue 29 August 18, 2014
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Dear ,
Are you a fan of Westerns? While it's not my favorite genre, I do find them fun. Dodge City, Kansas, a hot spot setting for early- to mid-20th century westerns, along with the TV
show "Gunsmoke," gave us a great catchphrase: Who wouldn't love to tell a villain or two to "get the 'heck' out of Dodge"?
I'll be working hard on my new poetry collection, Ten Thousand Cicadas Can't Be Wrong, which will be coming out this fall. The writer's cabins at Wildacres have no Internet access, and no cell phone reception, so I will have no distractions.... and no
excuses!
But no worries, because Morgan will be holding down the fort while I'm gone. Just email info@wordplaynow.com if you need assistance. Meanwhile, fall classes are right around the bend. You can check them out below if you're in the Charlotte area.
And if one of the things you dodge is sitting down to write, don't despair. You are not alone.
Right
now, open up your calendar and make an appointment with yourself to write. Choose a block of time that works for you--anything between 15 minutes and a week-long writing retreat. The easiest way I know to begin is to set a timer and "Sprint" for at least five minutes, beginning with the phrase "I want to write about..." or "I remember..." (Bonus points if you work in the word "dodge"!) If you're new to WordPlay, "Sprinting" is my term for writing nonstop for a self-determined amount of time. Just set a timer and keep your hand moving until it goes off, repeating the phrase you chose as many times as needed if you temporarily run out of things to say. Every literary masterpiece begins with a single word
-- there's no dodging that fact. And now I'm off to finish packing. This week's prompt is below. Enjoy!
Love and light,
Maureen Upcoming
WordPlay
THE GIFT OF MEMOIR: WRITING PERSONAL AND FAMILY STORIES
(Preserving Family History; Writing for and about Your Family; The Art of Memoir) Starts September 4th!
Our life stories are a precious legacy. Putting them in writing is a gift to all who know and love us-they can be treasured and enjoyed for generations to
come. It is also a gift to ourselves. As best-selling author Rachel Naomi Remen says in her book Kitchen Table Wisdom, facts bring us to knowledge, but stories bring us to wisdom. If you are interested in writing family and/or personal life stories-those significant tales of adventure, transition, love, loss, and triumph, as well as lovely
everyday moments from times past or the present, come learn specific tools and techniques to retrieve and record them. WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead St., Charlotte, 28204. Click here for
map.
WHEN: Thursday mornings, September 4 & 18; October
2, 16 & 30; November 20; December 4 & 18. 10 am - noon.
COST: $259 for 8 sessions.
TO REGISTER: Email info@wordplaynow.com or phone 704-494-9961 for details on registering via mail or in-person. Or register online here.
-------------------------------------------------------------- UNDER CONSTRUCTION: YOUR WRITING
(Fulfilling Writing Dreams & Goals; Creating New Writing; Revising & Polishing Your
Writing)
Starts September 3rd or 4th!
This class is designed to fulfill your writing dreams and projects. You'll set goals and support structures and watch your writing flow! You'll also get feedback on your
work (any genre) and learn revision tools. Jumpstart your pen and receive the knowledge and inspiration you need to write, whatever your preferred genre. Each week, writing prompts will generate material for new writing or further a piece in process. Through examples of accomplished writers, you'll learn techniques to aid you right where you are in the process.
WHERE: Both classes will be held at Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead Street, 28204MORNING CLASS:
WHEN: Offered Wednesday mornings on the following dates: September 3, 10 &17, October 1, 8, 15 & 29, November 5 & 19, December 3, 10 & 17, 10 am to noon.
COST: $395 for 12 classes
TO REGISTER: Register online here.
Or email info@wordplaynow.com or phone 704-494-9961 for details on registering via mail or in-person. EVENING CLASS: WHEN: Offered Thursday evenings on the following dates: September 4, 11, & 18; October 2, 9, 16, & 30; November 6 & 20; December 4, 11, & 18. Hours: 7 to 9 pm
COST: $395 for 12 classes
TO REGISTER: Register online here. Or email info@wordplaynow.com or phone 704-494-9961 for details on registering via mail or in-person. -------------------------------------------------------------- WRITE LIKE A GENIUS (Expanding Our Creativity; Learning New Tools for Our Writing and Our Lives; Creating New Writing) Discover your own genius as you learn to apply seven fascinating approaches of Leonardo da Vinci to your writing at a week-long writing class in the North Carolina Mountains. These techniques enliven non-fiction, poetry
and fiction. Expect fun, inspiration and writing galore in your preferred genre, with opportunities to share your work. The John Campbell Folk School is a wonderful place to spend a week --think summer camp for grown-ups, with delicious, healthy food and creative
people of every ilk from all over the country. $594 for one week-long session, plus lodging and meals. WHERE: John Campbell Folk School, 1 Folk School
Road, Brasstown, NC 28902.
WHEN: Sunday, September 21 - Saturday September 27, 2014.
TO REGISTER: Click here.
More WordPlay opportunities here
WordPlay Now! Writing Prompt
This is WordPlay -- so why not revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's
"dodge." What have you (or one of your characters, real or imagined) dodged? There's the proverbial bullet, which has great metaphorical possibilities. And what else? Spend ten minutes exploring this question in a list, a free write, or any other way you like. (I enjoy starting with a list to get the ideas flowing, and then picking one to "Sprint" with.)
Then read what you wrote out loud with kindness and curiosity. What phrases "sing"? What possibilities do you see? Type
up what you wrote as is, or take what you like from it and begin crafting it into a piece of writing.
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MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and two collections of poetry, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that serious "word work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn -- and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours! |
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