Upcoming WordPlay



 THE COASTAL WRITING RETREAT: Connect with Your Creativity at the Sunset Inn 

Renew yourself, whether you are a practicing writer, closet writer, or as-yet-to-pick-up-the-pen writer.The techniques and prompts we'll use will spur your imagination, and can be used to create nonfiction, fiction, and/or poetry -- the choice is yours. There will be ample free time to savor your  private room with king-sized bed, private bath and balcony, the large porches with rocking chairs and swings, and the coastal setting. The Sunset Inn is a five-minute walk from Sunset Beach and is next to a peaceful marsh where herons and cranes live. You'll have your choice of rooms, each with its own distinctive style and color scheme. You'll return home refreshed, with new ideas and energy for your writing. $438 includes writing sessions, two nights' lodging, two breakfasts and Saturday lunch (hotel tax and Saturday dinner at a local restaurant not included).

WHERE: The Sunset Inn, 9 North Shore Dr., Sunset Beach, NC 28468 
WHEN: Friday, November 1 - Sunday, November 3, 2013*
OR Friday, November 8 - Sunday, November 10, 2013*
(*Two separate retreats.Please note that Friday, November 8- Sunday, November 10 will be a PROJECT BOOK Retreat with additional focus on the process of bringing a book into being.)
TO REGISTER: Contact the Sunset Inn at 888.575.1001 or 910.575.1000 (if you would like to handpick your room, view your choices here first, then call). Because the Inn is holding rooms for you, our participants, they are blocked off as unavailable online. Register soon by phone - this is a popular event and there are only 8 spaces available each weekend. The Inn will hold your reservation with a credit card.

See http://wordplaynow.com/current.htm  for more details and more WordPlay opportunities. 

WordPlay Success Story

"[Maureen] encouraged us all along the way."

Meet Joan Lafleur

In addition to writing, Joan has taught French, English, and English as a Second Language for a total of 30 years at Mars Hill College, Forsyth Country Day, Providence Day, West Charlotte, and South Meck High School. She retired from teaching in June 2013, and is looking forward to being a tutor at International House, helping immigrants learn English and prepare for the citizenship exam.

WHAT JOAN SAYS ABOUT WordPlay:

For many years I have played around with writing (poetry and nonfiction mostly), but I never thought of myself as "a writer" until I started taking WordPlay classes about six years ago. I enjoyed the first class I took with Maureen through the Continuing Education program at Queens University so much, I took an essay class and began to stretch myself even further and gain more skills to help me teach essay writing to my ESL students at South Meck High School.  

I began to feel a strong kinship with Maureen and the other writers I met. The third series of classes was at St. John's Baptist Church, where we had a truly special group of writers that shared our heartfelt experiences, our love of writing, and our love for Maureen, who encouraged us all along the way. 

I was a part of this writing group for two years. During that time I wrote an essay about an inspiration I had while visiting the local Wal-Mart at Christmas that was included in an anthology called Imagining Heaven. The culmination of this opportunity to be a writer was a chance to read my essay at the literary festival at CPCC in 2011. Maureen made that thrilling experience possible for me.  

Now that I have retired from teaching and have more time to devote to being a writer, which has become a "full-blown dream", I am beginning a process of writing some family stories based on old photographs. I also hope to put together a book of my poetry. I am sure that Maureen, as an editor and mentor, is the person to help me go forward with these writing dreams. Her love, dedication, and knowledge are an inspiration that I value very much.

Featured Writing

"What If..."

by

Joan Lafluer

The following was written as I was anticipating reading my essay  at the CPCC Literary Festival in 2011.

                        What if . . .

You wanted to look like an artist

and opened your closet full of clothes

that weren't artsy but practical, just

slacks and blouses and sandals and

athletic shoes. What if it was an

important occasion and people who'd

never seen you before would form an

impression from how artistic you looked,

and you woke up in the middle of the night

to the dread of just looking average or

frumpy or so out of date that they would

not look past the shoes or the lack of

luminosity. What if you didn't give up

trying to find the right clothes to light up

your spirit and make you feel confident

and make you connected to something as

 deep as your art, like your mother's crystal

necklace. What if you found something that

would do pretty well and went with the necklace

 and sparkled and told you that luminous is

possible and just what you wanted and maybe

you'll feel good when you stand up to speak.

What if your mother could see you all shiny and

happy and listen and say she thought the necklace

looked perfect. What if you felt a dream had come

true and didn't mind that the shoes were not dressy

enough but knew that an artist knows how to make

the ordinary shine.

Two Publishing Workshops

For more information, contact: gmsyverson@bellsouth.net

Registration can be mailed to

         Gilda Morina Syverson, P.O. Box 1307, Cornelius, NC 28031

Please specify which course you are registering for. Or use PayPal links below the course description.

Taking Your Essay or Story from the Page to Publication

          co-partners Jodi Helmer & Gilda Morina Syverson

You have captured an experience and committed it to paper - now it's time to get it out of your notebook and into the pages of a newspaper, magazine or literary journal. In this workshop, we'll walk you through the process of publishing your essays. You'll learn what editors are looking for, how to submit your work and where to find the best markets for publishing essays.

Date: Saturday, September 28th, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Cost: $50

  https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscrcmd=_sxclick&hosted_button_id=T5VBADRB9MQGQ

Selling Your Story

          co-partners Jodi Helmer & Gilda Morina Syverson

After years of writing and rewriting, you're thinking about publishing your memoir. Not sure where to start? We're here to help! In this workshop, you'll learn the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing (and how to choose which path is right for you), how to research publishers and agents and what it takes to get your book on bookstore shelves.

Date: Saturday, November 16th, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Cost: $50

 https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=NNCU22QJDTTXC

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!