Volume IV, Issue 49 December 7, 2015 Word of the Week: unsuspecting Dear ,
Okay, I admit it.
I'm a control freak. Such a control freak that, as soon as I start to get worried about the characters I'm reading about, I jump to the ending just to make sure they're going to be okay.
Crazy, yes? Maybe not. The real world, after all, is full of dangers we don't know enough to be suspicious about. Surely today, the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, is a good reminder of that. I tend to do all I can to avoid being unsuspecting.
But I'm beginning to change my stripes. (Or at least
try to.) Because it seems to me that, while many of us worry about bad things that may happen, we often don't put enough energy into being excited about what might come to us all unsuspecting. Like, for example, the day back in 1982 that I met my future husband in a Harris-Teeter. No way could I have expected that, and yet there it was—one encounter, both of us unsuspecting of all the joys and blessings that would grow from that
moment. Likewise, the day Mary Killian walked into my Gift of Memoir class, back in the fall of 2013. When I first saw this sassy redhead, her arms snaked with tattoos, I must admit I felt a bit of trepidation. I was totally unsuspecting that, two years and a few months later, she'd be publishing a book of prayers and reflections about her adventures in recovery. Congratulations again to Mary! Here's a photo I snapped off some of the revelers gather to
help her celebrate last Saturday. And I have to include this photo of the two of us together. In that same vein, today's featured writing by WordPlayer Amy Schroeder is an excerpt from her children's book, The Unsuspecting Day:
Judah and the Freckled Whale, about two unsuspecting characters who are about to have their lives changed for the better. I was completely charmed by it. How could I resist these words? “This
was no ordinary library, though. It smelled of adventure
and sweets and spoke about everything good. There was a
book for every single question ever asked by every single human
being during every single time period from ancient to eternity.”
I'm sharing Amy's book with you below in case you have any children you love to read picture books to (or if you yourself are a picture
book aficionado).
Come to think of it, meeting Amy at a writing workshop I led for a local church was another unsuspectingly serendipitous event.
How about if you and I spend a bit of time this week
practicing enjoying being unsuspecting, as in anticipating that something wonderful is right around the corner?
Upcoming
WordPlay
WINTER WRITING
RETREAT
Two spaces left!
(Writing as Renewal/Creating New Writing/
Tools for a Writing
Life)
Renew and delight yourself. The Winter Writing Retreat is an opportunity to create new pieces of writing and/or new possibilities for our lives. Enjoy various seasonal prompts; they elicit beautiful material that can be shaped into essays, poems, stories, or articles. After a communal lunch,
you’ll have private time which can be used to collage, work with a piece of writing from the morning, or play with a number of other writing prompts and methods. You’ll take home new ideas, new drafts, and new possibilities. $97 includes lunch and supplies.
WHERE: South Charlotte area. Details
will be provided upon registration.
WHEN: Saturday, December 19th, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
TO REGISTER: To pay with a check via mail, email info@wordplaynow.com for instructions. To pay online with your credit card or PayPal, click here.
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AN UPCOMING OPPORTUNITY, TAUGHT BY WORDPLAY CREATIVE COMRADE WENDY GILL* THE ARTIST'S WAY: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity (Expanding Our Creativity;
Creating Joy and Fulfillment in Our Lives)
Are you ready to discover the joy of creativity? Using the proven tools and structure of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, this course will spur your imagination and guide your journey toward creative
self-expression.
Our 2-hour sessions include weekly check-ins, hands-on activities, and creativity exercises. The encouragement and support of this small in-person community (what Julia Cameron calls a “creative cluster”) will help you fully experience the power of The Artist’s Way.
COST: $260 for 13 classes, if registered on or before
December
20, 2016 (Early Bird Special) $295 for 13 classes, if registered after December 20, 2016 WHERE: Downtown Matthews, NC WHEN: Session A: Thursday mornings, 10 AM – Noon, January 14 – April 7,
2016 Session B: Thursday evenings, 7 PM – 9 PM, January 14 – April 7, 2016
TO REGISTER: For
more information or to register, please email Wendy directly at Wendy@ProfessionalCommunications.com.
*Wendy H. Gill was a special education teacher for 22 years. One of her greatest joys as an educator was adapting stories, rhymes and songs to engage her students and instill a love of books. She left full-time teaching in 2000 to create a literacy enrichment program for young children. She is currently a writer, producer, and
the owner of Professional Communications, a creative video production agency. Her poems and essays have appeared in a variety of regional and national publications.
More WordPlay opportunities here. And 2016 classes will be appearing in the zine (and on the website) soon! WordPlay Success Story
"Maureen has a very warm and inviting nature that refreshed me so. Leaving her class I was reminded of how important it is for me to stay connected with a writing community."
Meet Amy Schroeder
Amy Schroeder grew up in the farm country of Southern Illinois. She was encouraged from a very young age to use her imagination and she did just that.
She took adventures on snow horses out to the west, she made friends with the stars, and learned to speak by observing. Her stories draw out her deep love for nature and her whimsical view of life.
She now resides outside Charlotte, NC on her farm with the
love of her life. She loves to hang out in her teepee dreaming up stories and trying to convince the fire ants to stop bothering her and her friends.
What Amy says about WordPlay
"I have been writing stories ever since I
can remember. One of my earliest memories in fact is telling my Aunt Cathy about one of my stories and she told me to never lose “that imagination of mine.” I didn’t.
I have some formal training in writing, including college classes, technical classes, and classes by individuals, including Maureen’s. Do to the nature of my job (I own and work a small farm which requires all my attention til
the cold hits) I have only had the opportunity to take one of her classes. This is about to change though. Hallelujah!
Maureen has a very warm and inviting nature that refreshed me so. Leaving her class I was reminded of how important it is for me to stay connected with a writing community. I felt recharged and ready to get back to my stories. I also love hearing other people’s stories and being
in a group of writers-no matter what their previous experience. I am very excited to have had the opportunity to meet Maureen and am excited for the cold weather so I can take more of her classes."
You can purchase An Unsuspecting Day: Judah and the Freckled Whale 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
"unsuspecting."
PROMPT:
Write about an unsuspecting moment in your life (or one of your character's lives) and what grew out of it.
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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