Dear , It's October and there is a party! (A leaf party, that is!)
Did you, by any chance, like me, read George Cooper's "October's Party" in one of your elementary school "readers"? It made me a forever fan of October, and of poetry.
Who could resist Miss Weather, Professor Wind, and the lovely Misses Maple who
"in scarlet looked their best"? (If you've never read "October's Party," or would love to read it again, scroll on down -- it's the featured writing this week.)
And here's a joy-filled invitation to a "WordParty" I'm giving this October!
I would love to have you join me for a Fall Writing Retreat WordParty Playdate on October 27th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m in South Charlotte. It would be delightful to spend the day with you and your writing, in community with other kindred writers!
Seasonal one-day retreats are opportunities to create new pieces of writing and/or new possibilities for your life. Enjoy various Autumn prompts in a warm, supportive community of writers; they have not failed to elicit beautiful material that can be shaped into essays, poems, or stories. After a communal lunch (provided with the discounted WordParty Playdate rate of only $67 until Saturday, October 13th), you'll have private time that can be used to collage, (yes, SoulCollageTM, too!), 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. Click here for safe, quick and easy registration via credit card or PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=N2BUJZ5HEQT4C
Click here to download a mail-in registration form:
http://wordplaynow.com/WordPlayRegistrationForm.pdf But do register soon! The rate goes back up to $97 after Saturday, October 13th (postmark/PayPal deadline).
I am wishing you all the best this beautiful time of year has to offer and I do hope you join me for my Fall Writing Retreat Playdate.
(And if you live too far away to come but wish you could, email info@wordplaynow.com and you'll receive a special WordPlay October writing prompt near the end of the month.)
Love and light,
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
For more information about these and other offerings, visit www.wordplaynow.com/current.htm
THE FALL WRITING RETREAT, OF COURSE!
(See details above)
THE FIRST EVER WordPlay "STEP INTO YOUR WRITING DREAMS" COACHING PROGRAM
Here's just some of what you'll get to support you in taking your writing dreams seriously and bringing them to life: * Six training/coaching teleclasses you can participate in via phone, web, and/or replay. These are
as participatory as you would like them to be, with writing exercises, opportunities to get your
questions answered, and much more!
* Six weeks of "week-daily" coaching/writing lessons (presented in audio and written form)
* Weekly accountability check-ins
EARLY BIRD BONUS!
The first six people who register will receive the opportunity to get feedback from me on a 750-word (or shorter) piece of writing (any genre)! Each week, one of these writings will be shared with your fellow participants to illustrate the revision process.
The cost for this program is $197.
WHERE: The comfort of your own home.
WHEN: October 29th - December 10th (The teleclasses are on Monday evenings from 7 to 9)
TO REGISTER:
Register online via PayPal or with a credit card by clicking this link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=676KAX8MULV4Y
(Or paste it into a browser.)
Or, if you'd like to use the time-honored method of mailing in a check, email
info@wordplaynow.com for instructions.
THE COASTAL WRITING RETREAT
Renew yourself in a lovely coastal setting, whether you are a practicing writer, closet writer, or as-yet-to-pick-up-the-pen writer!
WHERE: The Sunset Inn, 9 North Shore Dr., Sunset Beach, NC 28468
WHEN: Friday, November 2 - Sunday, November 4, 2012
OR
Friday, November 9 - Sunday, November 11, 2012
(Two separate retreats; choose the dates that work for you)
TO REGISTER: Contact the Sunset Inn at 888.575.1001 or 910.575.1000
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Featured Writing
October's Party
by George Cooper
October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came-
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.
Then, in the rustic hollow,
At hide-and-seek they played,
The party closed at sundown,
And everybody stayed.
Professor Wind played louder;
They flew along the ground;
And then the party ended
In jolly "hands around."
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 "party."
Such interesting things happen at parties! A party is a perfect setting for a scene that can move a plot forward, and rich fodder for memoir, essay and poetry as well. What's the best party experience (or a really good one) you or your main character has ever had? What's the worst (or a really bad one)? What got started at a party? What ended?
Mull these questions over, throw in a few more of your own if you like, and write at least 500 words that capture a memorable part experience.
Want to be featured in a future Word-zine?
Send in a piece of your writing that you think could inspire other WordPlayers to write. 500-word limit, please.) You can send something inspired by this writing, or anything else of your choosing. Email your words to info@wordplaynow.com
and your piece may be chosen for a future Word-zine.
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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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