Having trouble viewing this zine in its proper format? Read it online at http://www.aweber.com/t/70BaM
Dear ,
Did you love to read when you were a kid? Do you have any young readers in your life? If so, then I think you'll enjoy this week's featured WordPlayer, Christy Lynn Allen.
Christy is creating a series about a young sleuth named Samantha Green. In her first book in the series, Samantha discovers, when she goes undercover to solve a case involving a librarian and a haunted pumpkin, that you can't judge a book by its cover.
In this middle grade detective story, Samantha is a member of the "Serious Reader Club," and thanks to Christy, a young reader in your life can be, too, as she's offering a free membership kit filled with goodies for 8 - 12-year-olds who have a WordPlayer in their life. Thanks, Christy!
How can I not be on board when a writer not only writes a fun story and creates a cool creative writing workbook for kids, but encourages kids to be serious readers? There's no mystery to uncover here!
Here's what's included in the Serious Reader Club Membership Kit: · Samantha Green Mysteries Book Bag
· SRC Flashlight · SRC Notebook w/Pen · Creative Writing Workbook (50 pages packed with comprehensive writing exercises)
· Reader's Journal (50 pages for tracking and journaling about favorite books) SRC Website: http://www.samanthagreenmysteries.com/src
Sign-up Form: http://samanthagreenmysteries.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=80f67fac7293e94cfa4c7a505&id=171e8c0c68 (Enter "WordPlayer" after Last Name to claim free offer) You can read more about Christy (and Samantha) below.
And what about you? Are you ready to recover some writing energy and momentum? I've got you covered! Check out the upcoming WordPlay, and this week's writing prompt.
What new writing territory will you cover in the months to come?
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
COASTAL WRITING RETREAT AT THE SUNSET INN,
SUNSET BEACH, NC
(Writing as Renewal and Inspiration)
Back by popular request: a weekend writing retreat full of activities to reconnect you to your creativity. Renew yourself, whether you are a practicing writer, closet writer, or as-yet-to-pick-up-the-pen writer. $378 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, February 22 - Sunday, February 24, 2012
TO REGISTER: Contact the Sunset Inn at 888.575.1001 (if you would like to handpick your room, view your choices here first, then call). Register soon -- only one spot left!
PROJECT: BOOK AT THE SUNSET INN, SUNSET BEACH, NC (Writing as Renewal and Inspiration WITH a bonus: Resources and Information to Help You Complete Your Book-length Writing Project) / 1 weekend session
In addition to the fun, stimulation, and satisfaction of creating new work through a variety of prompts and techniques, there will be support offered for writers who would like to write and/or publish a book and 1) don't know how, 2) don't get around to it, 3) feel a) intimidated, b) confused, c) overwhelmed, d) uninspired, 4) all of the above! In a beautiful coastal setting, you will gain knowledge of the steps you need to take to write and publish a book and begin creating your own personalized plan. Note: Class doesn't include critique of your book manuscript.
WHERE: The Sunset Inn, 9 North Shore Dr., Sunset Beach, NC 28468
WHEN: Friday, March 1 - Sunday, March 3, 2012*
TO REGISTER: Contact the Sunset Inn at 888.575.1001 (if you would like to handpick your room, view your choices here
first, then call). Register soon -- there are only 4 spaces left.
New Offering!
JUMPSTART! (Generating New Writing; Learning New Ways to Enter the Writing Process) One or more sessions
Painters have colors. Potters have clay. And we writers have words. Our job - and what a lovely job it is - is to love them. If you've forgotten the joy of language, join me to jumpstart your writing in this workshop filled with wordplay. After all, play is the way we learn best -we're free to question, to experiment, to break through to something new, all our own. Surprise yourself! If you don't yet have Spinning Words into Gold, you'll need a copy, available for $23.54 (includes tax).
WHEN: Wednesday, March 13, 10:00am-12:30pm
WHERE:
Queens Sports Complex on Tyvola Road near Fairview, Charlotte
TO REGISTER: http://www.queens.edu/Academics-and-Schools/Continuing-Education/Program-Categories/Writing---CE/Writing---Jumpstart-with-Maureen-Ryan-Griffin.html New Offering!
SPINNING WORDS INTO GOLD (Fulfilling Writing Dreams and Goals; Creating New Writing; Revising and Polishing Your Writing) / 6 sessions
Does writing fulfill you? Do you wish you were writing more? Jumpstart your writing life and learn to keep your words flowing. Learn specific techniques and exercises to create nonfiction, poetry and/or fiction. Whether you would like to keep a journal for your own personal growth, spin stories for your loved ones, or further a career as a professional writer, experience the satisfaction of developing a writing practice that works for you-come spin words into gold. You'll need a copy of Spinning Words into Gold, available for $23.54 in class (includes tax).
WHEN: Thursdays, March 28 - May 2, 1 - 3 p.m.WHERE: Queens Sports Complex on Tyvola Road near Fairview, Charlotte
TO REGISTER:
http://www.queens.edu/Academics-and-Schools/Continuing-Education/Program-Categories/Writing---CE/Spinning-Words-into-Gold.html
For details about more 2013 offerings, visit www.wordplaynow.com/current.htm.
|
WordPlay Success Story
Maureen's teachings have revealed to me that my writing is a living, breathing part of me that deserves my dedicated attention...that a writing life is not only a "helpful outlet," but a calling...and that (who knew?) a calling-turned-career can be an awful lot of fun.
Meet Christy Lynn Allen
Christy Lynn Allen is the author of Samantha Green Mysteries, a new series for middle-grade readers. She facilitates creative writing workshops for children and runs the "Serious Reader Club," a free online book club for kids, including bimonthly newsletters, videos, and discussion guides. SRC book choices are screened to ensure they are age-appropriate for ages 8-12, and enriching as well as entertaining. Monthly book selections are voted on by club participants and vary in terms of reading level, genre, and message. Email Christy at Christy@SamanthaGreenMysteries.com for more information, or visit her website: http://www.SamanthaGreenMysteries.com.
What Christy says about WordPlay
On March 14, 2013, I will celebrate my first anniversary of leaving corporate America, after a seventeen-year internal battle ("I'm successful, so why am I so unhappy?"). The wake-up call began four years ago, when the mounting anxiety and discord of living an unclaimed life manifested physically. I began work-life balance counseling, meditation, and volunteering. Then a friend recruited me as a mentor for a nine-year-old girl (Shaquetta) whose father had been incarcerated since her birth. Little did I know then, this act of service would crack open the door to my creative spirit and light the first steps toward my soul's calling. A few months later, I had a first draft of a novel for middle-grade readers, Samantha Green and the Case of the Haunted Pumpkin.
At first I didn't take my writing seriously. I thought of it as a helpful outlet to counter the chaos of work. But as the universe tends to do once it has your attention, it presented me with people, tools, and invitations to explore my writing more deeply. A friend gave me Julia Cameron's The Right to Write, helping me to shed my hang-ups about who and what a "writer" should be. Another friend introduced me to Maureen Ryan Griffin's Spinning Words into Gold. Maureen's teachings have revealed to me that my writing is a living, breathing part of me that deserves my dedicated attention...that a writing life is not only a "helpful outlet," but a calling...and that (who knew?) a calling-turned-career can be an awful lot of fun.
After springing from cubicle life, I took my first workshop with Maureen. I was surrounded by people who, like me, loved and reveled in the magic of words. My purpose was a shared purpose. The community was a safe one, where I could go deep and exorcise demons, or simply romp and play. Maureen has shown me that "play" in my new career is not only a "nice-to-have," but an absolute necessity.
Featured Writing
An Excerpt from
Samantha Green and the Case of the Haunted Pumpkin
by Christy Lynn Allen
I was glad the rain was pounding on Jenn's green machine and that the windshield wipers were loud and cranky. It put off the lecture that was sure to follow my closing performance at Serious Reader Club tonight. If only I had kept my nose in my book and paid attention to the discussion-my mind and my eyes wouldn't have wandered, and I wouldn't have screamed at the sight of green, warty, witchy Mrs. Finkel. Yes, that's right. Screamed! I could make a good case to Jenn, though. I mean, we had been poring over Edgar Allan Poe's terror-filled suspense stories-who wouldn't be on edge? The green machine groaned as it climbed Laura's driveway.
"Thanks so much, Jenn," Laura yelled as she stepped out into the rain. "Appreciate the ride and everything. Great discussion, Sammy! See ya later." "Okay, La! Thanks for coming tonight. We'll see you this weekend at the parade," Jenn called. I smiled and waved to Laura as she passed my door. (She had even let me ride shotgun again. That's how cool these SRC girls were.)
"Well, Samantha," Jenn began, as she carefully backed out of Laura's driveway. To my disappointment, the rain had let up a little, making it easier to talk over the drops striking the car. "First, let me say what a stellar job you did at your first Serious Reader Club meeting. I'm impressed. Three Edgar Allan Poe stories under your belt and some terrific observations." "Thank you," I said, beaming, despite my fear of what was coming next. "Second, I'm not upset with you for your 'audible' at the library. Frankly, Mrs. Finkel did look awfully scary in her witch's costume, Halloween or not." I chanced a giggle, and Jenn smirked.
"But, I do have a request," Jenn said seriously. "Yes?" I responded. Anything! I thought to myself. Anything to get back in your good graces forever! "I'd like you to practice your SRC oath. Do you remember it?"
I did. "You mean, 'NJBC?'" I asked. "That's right," said Jenn. "Never judge a book by its cover." I nodded, though I wasn't sure I fully understood. "What I mean, Sammy, is I know how easy it is to go along with all the other kids and make fun of Mrs. Finkel. And I know she...well...she has her odd moments." I listened.
"But, you're better than that," Jenn said, glancing at me with kind eyes after turning onto my street. "There's more than meets the eye to Mrs. Finkel. There's more to her story." I nodded and looked down at my hands, wondering what Mrs. Finkel's story might be. "Am I making sense?" Jenn asked. "Yeah," I said. "The plot is thickening."
~ Christy Lynn Allen
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 "cover."
1. I'm a big believer in the power of the imagination. So this week, just for fun, imagine a cover for the book you are writing -- or would love to write. You don't have to be a great artist, and you can use any kind of computer program to help you make a mock-up. Magazine pictures are fine too. Have fun with it, and put your cover somewhere near your work area where it can inspire you. 2. Write about a time you (or a character) realized that "judging a book by its cover" had been a mistake.
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 WordPlay here and your piece may be chosen for a future Word-zine.
|
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! |
|
