10 Years and Counting…

April 4, 2018Announcementadmin

We’re approaching the date that the founder of SnoValley Writes!, yours truly, decided to do her best to gather all the writers in her little Cascade foothills community together to help form an encouraging group to learn, grow, network, and generally be literary geeks surrounded by natural Pacific Northwest beauty.

As of today, the group is still very loosely together, more friends than simple writing compatriots in a formal group. Not what we were, yet better. We still see each other most Wednesdays and Fridays.

This page, however, remains as a memorial and place marker if modern life should ever allow the group to return to a more formal requirement.

Here’s to all the literary peaks we climbed separately and together, and ti the valley that we love.

What did you write today?

~Casz

Writing Prompt — July 5, 2017 Edition

July 5, 2017Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

A down-n-dirty prompt today, which continues in our “Level Up Your Writing” learning track. I want you to take the book from the author you admire. Find page 13. Read it. Now try to rewrite it. Change the description, ante up the dialogue, use all those things we’ve been studying all year. Bring this with you to our workshop on July 15 (North Bend Library, 10:30 a.m.).

Now your moment of Zen: “No one’s gonna give a damn in July if you lost a game in March.” ~Earl Weaver

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What did you Write today?
~Casz

Casondra Brewster
Moderator/Founder
Sno Valley Writes!
Helping Writers Reach New Literary Peaks Since 2008
http://www.snovalleywrites.org
Check us out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SnoValleyWrites

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~ Lord Byron

Writing Prompt – June 28, 2017 Edition

June 28, 2017Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Greetings Writers:

Hope you’re well into enjoying summertime. I am suffering from post-son’s-wedding brain (someone got married on a Tuesday? Sure, why not? Heck, I got married on a Thursday…), so forgive the numbered style of this communique.

1. Wine and Words tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at The Black Dog Arts Cafe in Snoqualmie. Spoken word, novel excerpts, poetry, it’ll all be on stage featuring our own member, Rachel Barnard, and other SnoValley Writes! authors. Sponsored by Free Valley Publishing. Please be there and support your fellow writers. There’s no cover and there’s wine specials! Good home-crafted food, too! Come on down!

2. Next workshop is July 15. Please take some time to go to our website and make sure you’re all caught up on assignments. If you have specific questions, please email me and I’m happy to answer them for you. I will review all the assignments in a separate message next week. What I can tell you is that those who are doing the assignments are finding it very helpful and is improving their writing. What I can also tell you is that Level Up Your Writing will be the last workshops en gratis pro bono, as they say, that I’ll be doing. So take advantage now. I’ll be moving to teaching online and in one-off lectures after this Level Up Your Writing learning track is finished.

3. Enjoy summer. Write. Observe. Write some more. Revise. Live. Write. Rinse. Repeat.

4. Now your moment of Writing Zen: “The masses do not see the Sirens. They do not hear songs in the air. Blind, deaf, stooping, they pull at their oars in the hold of the earth. But the more select, the captains, harken to a Siren within them… and royally squander their lives with her.” ~ Nikos Kazantzakis

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What did you Write today?
~Casz

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~ Lord Byron

Weekly Writing Prompt — June 14, 2017 Edition

June 14, 2017Weekly Writing Promptmake mundane interesting, updike, words, writing workshopadmin

Today’s prompt is simple: do what you can to attend this Saturday’s writing workshop.

10:30 a.m. to Noon

North Bend Library Meeting Room

You, Me, Other Writers, Words.

Hope to see you then.

Now your moment of Writing Zen:

“We’re past the age of heroes and hero kings. … Most of our lives are basically mundane and dull, and it’s up to the writer to find ways to make them interesting.”
—John Updike.

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What did you Write today?
~Casz

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~ Lord Byron

Weekly Writing Prompt — June 7, 2017 Edition

June 8, 2017Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

Well, after that brutally long winter and interrupted spring, it appears that summer is here. For me that presents all new challenges for writing time as beds need to be weeded and my son has baseball game after baseball game and late-night walks with my husband are a treat I can’t miss. But it still has to get done. How we fit it in is always the challenge, but the goal is to fit it in. So today’s prompt is to remind you about ‘pocket writing.’ It means pulling out a small moleskin (journal, napkin, used envelope, whatever), and writing in those moments when you’re stuck waiting for your teenager at the dermatologist, are waiting for the water to boil for pasta, those last moments before you absolutely have to get stuff done. We’re not all able to schedule our writing time, although, that certainly is the most effective strategy. Yet when we can’t pocket writing does the trick. Every sentence, every new paragraph, every thought, moves us forward. So, please carry a small notebook, or at least a pen and grab whatever scrap you have and write.

Our next workshop is June 17 at 10:30 a.m. in the North Bend Library room. Bring your chosen texts. Bring your homework. Catch up over at our website.

And now your moment of Writing Zen:

“It is precisely the possibility of realizing a dream that makes life interesting.” ~ Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

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What did you Write today?
~Casz

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~ Lord Byron

Weekly Writing Prompt — May 17, 2017 Edition

May 17, 2017Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Friends:

I come to you today with some inconvenient news. I will be unable to teach on Saturday morning because I have pneumonia. The diagnosis came in yesterday and I’m receiving treatment. As many of you know I’ve already been ill for more than two weeks. However, the doctors have put me on bed rest along with some intense medicinal therapy. After just 24 hours of the new med regime, I feel loads better (it helps if one can sleep). However, my presence on Saturday is not going to happen. Therefore, on Saturday morning you will all receive an email with some “homework” to substitute for the lesson we would have held at the library. Now if anyone needs any heads-down writing time or editing time Saturday between 10:30 a.m to noon, the room will still be available for Sno Valley Writes! purposes, so please feel free to use. Just please return the room to better than what you found it when you are done.

In the meantime, I expect everyone to have caught up on your homework, have finished reading or re-reading your text, and studied the links on themes in literature.

That’s your prompt. That and do something for yourself today that adds to your health. Take your vitamins. Get good sleep. Go for a walk. Release any negativity in your life. Please do whatever self-care is necessary to keep yourself healthy and thereby your stories get out into the world. Your stories matter. But you can’t tell them if you’re not healthy.

Again, I beg your forgiveness for not being able to be there Saturday, and I hope we can reconvene on June 17th for a new round of write-life learning.

Now your moment of Writing Zen:

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

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What did you Write today?
~Casz

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~ Lord Byron

Weekly Writing Prompt — May 3, 2017 Edition

May 3, 2017Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

Anyone else feel like it’s the beginning of November and not May? Man, this weather.

At any rate, we’re ramping up for the May 20th workshop (10:30 a.m. at the North Bend Library Meeting Room). Hope to see you there.

In preparation for that, I want you to do some DIY research on literary themes. Here’s a few links to get you started:

https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/common-themes-in-literature

http://www.learner.org/interactives/literature/read/theme1.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4qME64SkxM

In the meantime, I want you to look hard if you’re following the guidelines of the Artist’s Way — morning pages, artist’s date, and even minimizing the crazy makers in your life.

Now your moment of Writing Zen:

“There are no laws for the novel. There never have been, nor can there ever be.”
—Doris Lessing

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What did you Write today?
~Casz

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~ Lord Byron

Weekly Writing Prompt — April 26, 2017 Edition

April 26, 2017Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

Spring Break is far behind us and we are knocking on May’s door, which means that our May workshop is quickly approaching. That means you have only have a couple more weeks to get caught up on your homework. Check out the website for past writing prompts for information, if you’re that far behind. If you are caught up you need to be searching and notating themes in your text. Don’t know what a theme is? Check out this list and compare it to your text.We’ll be discussing the themes and the like on May 20th at the North Bend Library at 10:30 a.m. This is not as scary as it sounds, and what you find as a theme in the story, may not be what others find. To some extent, there is no wrong answer if you have proof in the text for it. Like I said, we’ll be deconstructing and discussing on May 20.

Next, and very important, please consider attending the new literary event coordinated by our sister organization, Free Valley Publishing, tomorrow night, Thursday, April 27, 2017, 6 p.m. at The Black Dog Arts Cafe: WINE AND WORDS. Come drink some wine, listen to stories, and hang out with fellow writers, poets, and other storytellers. We’re trying hard to make sure this is a quarterly event for all of you to showcase your work locally and increase literary awareness in our community. I’ll be there. I hope you will, too. Take a respite from the workweek and bring on the weekend in authorial style! Oh, Look! It’s Wine and Words O’Clock!

And now your moment of Writing Zen: “Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.” ~Pete Carroll

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What did you Write today?
~Casz

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~ Lord Byron

Weekly Writing Prompt — April 20, 2017 Edition

April 20, 2017Weekly Writing Promptfree valley publishing, norwescon, open mic, spoken word, wine and words, Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

My apologies that this is delayed. I had a very ill son yesterday and it ate my entire day just trying to get him access to medical care. All is on the mend now, so back to writing life efforts.

If you happened to take advantage of the head-down writing time at the library meeting room last week, please email me and let me know. I need to get numbers to the library.

The conference was overwhelmingly inspirational and I encourage you to chat me, Takako, Sheri, Maureen, or Rachel up about our experience.

Your prompt this week is to don one thing: Be at the Wine & Words at The Black Dog in Snoqualmie on Thursday, April 27 at 6 p.m. It will be a great evening of story, wine, and writerly connection. “It’s like Live Audio Books!” Hope to see you there. You’ll be there, right? Please be there. We’re trying hard to stick to our mission of raising literary awareness in our community. This event is one that does just that. A big thank you to Sheri J. Kennedy and Free Valley Publishing for leading the charge on this one.

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What did you Write today?
~Casz

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~ Lord Byron

Weekly Writing Prompt — April 12, 2017 Edition

April 12, 2017Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

Quick reminder: This Saturday’s workshop is only a heads-down writing time for those that need it to catch up on Camp NaNoWriMo or your Level Up Your Writing homework. Or you can join myself and many of the rest of the group at NorWesCon.

Now your moment of Writing Zen:

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” — Goethe

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What did you Write today?
~Casz

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~ Lord Byron