May the 4th Be With You.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Today I want you to reach for the stars and make a little war up there
amongst the planets and nebula and black holes. Give me your best
spaceman story. Can be anything you want. “I don’t write science
fiction!” you say. I don’t write romance either — but I wrote an
entire book in the romance fiction. It taught me A LOT. Let this
exercise teach you at least. Make your space story more literary. Make
it more romantic. Just your setting has to be out there in the Milky
Way — the universe that is, not the candy bar. (hehe)

Write and Write and Write until you can’t write any more. Remember
we’re starting to get pieces together to be available for future
SnoValley Writes! events and publications as well as to send it out
into the world!

If you need direction on where to send a piece, feel free to Email me
and I’ll be glad to help. Need some one-on-one help? Be sure to take
advantage of the Writers Cafe stuff. If you’re not on the email list
to receive the notifications regarding them, and want to get the
reminders about the details, let me know.

Don’t forget! SnoValley Writes! is participating as a volunteer group
in the Warrior Dash. We are concentrating on getting volunteers for
the early morning on Saturday, July 16. It could mean quite the bounce
for our resources to receive the stipend as a non-profit and really do
some great literary good in our community.  I have 10 volunteers so
far. I need 15 more. 16 years and older is what is necessary. Can you
spare 4 hours on a Saturday morning in the summer? Please consider it
and if you want to join in on the fun, let me or any of the board
members (April, Sheri, Vicky or Sheila) know.

No Regular Work session this Sunday. Enjoy your Mother’s Day. Maybe
write a poem for mom? Write a story for her? Give her something truly
from your creative heart.

Our next regular work session and big annual meeting is May 22 (3 p.m.
North Bend Library Meeting Room). Please be there — consider this
your opportunity, too, if you’re one of our “lurkers.” We don’t bite.
We have a lot of fun and we give you permission to write! What’s there
to be afraid of — except that you might actually get to do what you
love to do!

And now your moment of Writing Zen:
“Ever failed. No Matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” ~Samuel Beckett.

*PS. Saturday is free comic book day:  Participating comic book shops
give comic books away absolutely free. freecomicbookday.com (and by
the way, comic book companies hire writers, too.)

—
—
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

Greetings Writers!

I hope the rainy spring hasn’t made your writing spirit soggy and you
had a great holiday weekend.

More minor holidays are approaching. Mother’s Day (May 8). It would
have been our regular work session, but most of the responses I have
gotten speak to unavailability. So we will not be meeting for our work
session. The following we will meet and we will have our annual
meeting for the first :30 minutes of the session. The last hour we
will be working hard — I promise! We will be reviewing our goals and
doing some reading out loud.

Speaking of Mother’s Day, I want you to take a look at this quote and
create a piece of work from it — matters not if it is poem, short
story, play, etc.

“With what price we pay for the glory of motherhood.”  ~Isadora Duncan

Your SnoValley Writes! Board of Directors will be meeting at 1 p.m. on
Friday at Toad’s in North Bend if anyone cares to join in. All are
welcome. We will be discussing future endeavors to include the Warrior
Dash, Word Jazz and Festival at Mount Si.

And now your moment of Writing Zen:

“The position of the artist is humble. He is essentially a channel.”
~Piet Mondrian.

Now, go, write. Live life at full throttle and write your buns off about it!

—

—
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

Writers:

For everything this day is suppose to signify, the most important is your reminder to make your art a priority in your life. That’s why you get this little note. To be sure that you are carving out even just :20 a day to write and create.

Reminder that our work session Sunday is simply a write-in, much like you would experience at the Bindlestick or Toad’s or any of the other spots we’re known to plop down and write. Feel free to bring Easter Treats to share. Same time – 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Same place — North Bend Library Meeting Room. Please let me know if you plan to attend so we can make appropriate accommodations.

The calendar is really against us this year as our next working session is Mother’s Day. I have only had one person say that they could attend. Additionally, my family is quite adamant about me being home that day, so there will be no meeting that day. Let me reiterate:  No Work Session on May 8. The following meeting will be our Annual Meeting. Please do plan to attend. That will be on May 22.

**********

Travel, it’s a wondrous thing that allows us new perspectives on the world and its inhabitants. I want you to travel in your prose, poem, blog or whatever this week. Take yourself to an exotic land, or outer space, or inner space. Become a terranaut, or a pickle salesman in the streets of Sarajevo at the turn of the century. Whatever, wherever. The point is to explore somewhere new within the pages (screen). Let your mind wander as you let your characters travel. Always wanted to hitchhike across the continent? Have your thrifty character do it for you.

**********

If you come up with something you like and you’ve spent enough time revising, send it out into the world. Find a place for it to land. If you need help with the where and who, let me know. I am happy to help,.

**********

We are still looking for volunteers for the Warrior Challenge. Please let me know if you plan to do this.

**********

Those awaiting my critiques, be prepared, this weekend is all about clearing out my “to critique” file. 😀

**********

And now your moment of Writing Zen:

“The position of the artist is humble. He is essentially a channel.” ~Piet Mondrian

—

—
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

Writers:

We have a huge opportunity for SnoValley Writes! But in order to take advantage of it — we’re going to need a good portion of our group to join the effort.

As you know Warrior Dash is coming to North Bend, WA, July 16th and 17th, 2011 and your board of directors is looking for groups to volunteers to participate on behalf of SnoValely Writes! In exchange, the organization coordinating the event will provide us with a donation of $1,000.  As volunteers you would receive a t-shirt, food throughout the day and access to all our live-music and festival-like atmosphere, in addition to earning a significant donation for SnoValley Writes!   If we’d like to double the donation — $2,250 —  our group would need to volunteer one shift on Saturday and one Sunday.

Our goal, is to at least fulfill the requirement for the $1,000 donation.
We need to pull together our Epic Writers — we need a minimum of 25 people  (at least 16 years of age — in case you were thinking you could bring family members) to staff one (or all) of the following shifts:

Saturday:
SHIFT #1:  Saturday, July 16, 2011 from 6:00am-1:30pm
SHIFT #2:  Saturday, July 16, 2011 from 12:30pm-8:30pm

Sunday:
SHIFT #1:  Sunday, July 17, 2011 from 6:00am-1:30pm
SHIFT #2:  Sunday, July 17, 2011 from 12:30pm-8:30pm
**Please note times are an approximation and subject to slight changes

Tasks for the Day:
·         Check-in / Packet pick-up (Assist in the distribution of race packets to racers)
·         Supervising course obstacles for participant safety and cheering them on
·         Stationed at Beer, Turkey Legs, Gear Check, or Merchandise
·         Start and finish lines water distribution & congratulatory section
**The above is an example of some volunteer tasks for the day.  Actual tasks may vary and will be assigned on race day.

Location:
All shifts will take place at:
Meadowbrook Farms
North Bend, WA
**Location is subject to change

What SnoValley Writes! get in return:
For each shift that your organization covers, the Warrior Dash organization will make a donation of $1,000 to our organization.   Each volunteer will receive a Warrior Dash staff t-shirt (to be worn during the shift).  They will also feature our logo on the Warrior Dash webpage with a link to your webpage.
If you are interested and available in volunteering at Warrior Dash Washington 2011 in support of SnoValley Writes!, please let me know.
**********

Now to the writing portion of this week’s creative push email.

In honor of the above’s opportunity:

Tell me a warrior’s tale.

**********

Easter Sunday (Apr. 24) is our next meeting. I know that many of you will be involved in community, church and family activities; however, we are still going to meet and take advantage of the time and space provided by our gracious King County Library System hosts. We will be there from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in a modified Write-In. There will be no moderation and no “lesson” as is typical. It will simply be a time to work together, ask or give feedback, etc. Much like our Writers’ Cafe or DayTripper Meet-Ups. I encourage all of you to take advantage of this time to make your art a priority in your life.

Please RSVP regardless — so we can insure that enough space (tables and chairs) are readily available and because, as always, I am beholded to give a count to the library, both before and after the event.

The following work session is scheduled for May 8. This again is presenting challenges with attendance due to the Mother’s Day holiday. I need a pre-count to see who might be able to attend. Worse case, we will again provide the space and time for writing, critiquing and just making writing a priority in our life. However, if there are enough people — we will continue our focus on critiquing — this time focusing on verbal response. So let me know if you think you will be able to make it on May 8th and more information will follow as attendance deems it appropriate.

**********

And now your moment of Writing Zen:

—

—
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

Oh my fellow creative souls!

Happy National Poetry Month! Bonus points if you have read these poets:  Armantrout, Gibson, Lasky, Manguso, Schomburg, Wier, Collins, Kaminsky, Lyalin, Phillips and Spicer. If you haven’t — get on it! Being a good reader helps you be the best writer.

Life just seems to constantly remind us that everything that has happened — ever turn, every hill or valley, each choice at the fork in the road has brought us to this point. At this point, I can feel the electricity of Spring and all the creative energies that have been bound up all cold and stormy winter are ready to come shooting out through the earth in our souls and bursting out and blooming into an explosion of colorful treats.

What dirt and dust will you brush away in your writing? Will you work to make it beautiful? If you want to reach new literary peaks this year come join us Sunday at the North Bend Library Meeting Room at 3 p.m. for our regular work session.  You will need to bring a piece you’ve done from one of the prompts — Again, you can find them all on the Web site blog or under the Notes section on our Facebook page. I really want to spend time on the critiquing process Sunday. Oh, you’ll write, so don’t forget the journal and pen or power cord and lappie (either is acceptable). Do please RSVP — so I may plan accordingly. For instance, if we have 5 people I will schedule our time differently than if there is 15 of us — make sense?

*********

This week’s prompt comes to you from my personal month-long Noir film festival. Write a poem or a story from this phrase:  A stranger came to town…

Besides our Sunday work session, you can use those poems and stories to enter/submit to the following:

Spring Garden Press Poetry Award. Prize is $500. Deadline is April 15. See submission requirements at www.springardenpress.com/spg/contests/html

Lois Cranston Memorial Poetry Prize

CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women is pleased to announce the Tenth Annual Lois Cranston Memorial Poetry Prize judged by award-winning poet Sidney Wade.  The contest runs from March 1 to May 31, 2011.  First prize is $300 and publication in the journal.  Complete guidelines are available online at http://www.calyxpress.org/Cranstonprize.html

Aesthetica Creative Works Competition
The 2011 Aesthetica Creative Works Competition is now open for entries! Aesthetica Magazine is inviting all artists, photographers, writers and poets to submit their work into the Creative Works Competition. Now in its fourth year, the competition is dedicated to celebrating and championing creative talent across the disciplines and welcomes entries from poets and writers working in short fiction!
The Competition has three categories, Artwork & Photography, Poetry and Fiction.
Winners and finalists are published in the Aesthetica Creative Works Annual.
Winners of each category receive £500 prize money (apx. $800) plus other prizes.
Entry to the Creative Works Competition is £10 (apx. $16).
The entry fee allows the submission of 2 images, 2 poems or 2 short stories.
The deadline for submissions is the 31st August 2011.
More guidelines on how to submit can be found online at http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm

The Crazyhouse/Tupelo Press Award – Prize is $3,000 and publication. Deadline April 15. See www.tupelopress.org for details.

Nimrod Literary Awards. Prize $2,000. Deadline is April 30. See submission details at www.utulsa.edu/nimrod

And for those who want something light-hearted and fun:

By April 15 get your entries into The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. Award is “a pittance.” Your submission should be a single, unpublished (bad) sentence — strongly recommend to not be longer than 50 to 60 words. Multiple entries OK. See submission details at www.bulwer-lytton.com
**********

And now your moment of Writing Zen:

“The aim of literature … is the creation of a strange object covered with fur
which breaks your heart.
”
— Donald Barthelme

—
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

Greetings Writers!

*First order of business…say this out loud three times:  I AM A WRITER.

…

Did you say it?

Good.

Now Believe it. Do it. Live it.

**Today’s prompt to kick your muse in high gear is about strategy.  Whether it’s the strategy you have to make writing a priority in your life, or the strategy of a business person’s plan, or the strategy of a sport’s coach…it evades all our lives and is something for which we must take note.

What strategies do your characters employ to get what they want? Is there a strategy by some other character is tactically implementing to prevent your MC from getting it? What’s your strategy for telling that story? For the poets, can you dissect the word:  strategy (and not strategery…that isn’t a word, sorry folks)? Investigate what it means to be strategic, to apply a strategy. Does nature have a strategy. Ask yourself, write the answers as you see it.

Think. Strategize. Write.

***Feel free to bring whatever you compose based upon this prompt to share at our next work session, which is this Sunday, March 27 at 3 p.m. at the North Bend Library. Please RSVP with me by Friday night so I can plan accordingly. Topic is going to be discovering and examining theme in our work. Hope to see a record crowd this week!

****We are still looking for a volunteer who resides further “north” in the valley to organize at least a bi-monthly Writers Cafe in the Fall City/Carnation/Duvall area. If you’re interested in doing something like this, which provides important creative time for our northern valley members, please Email me. I will answer any questions you may have and assist in any way possible.

*****There are several community event opportunities that need volunteers and project managers. Those interested in spearheading a) Writing Contest b) Word Jazz and c) Festival at Mount Si Arts Festival, please email me with your desired volunteer level. I do tend to have more soldiers than generals in these call outs. I would love to see some generals step up. There are some highly capable and energetic people in our dear SnoValley Writes! membership; don’t be shy. The learning potential and networking with the larger arts community abound within these opportunities.

******And now your moment of Writing Zen:

“You must write for children the same way you write for adults, only better”  Maxim Gorky

—

—
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

Welcome to February Writers!

A few deadlines to keep in mind today:

Feb. 13th – Jane Austen Short Story Competition

(http://www.zimbio.com/Jane+Austen/articles/tLicCUWELbU/Jane+Austen+Short+Story+Contest+Submission)

Feb. 18th – PNWA Literary Contest Deadline (see http://www.pnwa.org for details)

There are plenty others, this is just a smattering. Check out the latest issue of Poets & Writers for other submission calls, writing-in-residence programs and contests, too.

Get it out there!

**********

Your prompt today comes to us via the historic demonstration in Egypt this past week plus. I want you to take a historic event — one you have had great interest in and create a character to experience it. This may lead to a little bit of research, but don’t let it overtake your writing time. Just get enough so it can seem historically accurate. Remember fiction can have the “It’s a Magic Train” element to it. For those that don’t know what I’m talking about regarding the Magic Train, you should really break out of your writing shyness and join us during one of our Bi-Monthly Writers Work Sessions. But back to the prompt, get your story going, remember to keep the personal element in the story. What happens to your character during the American Revolution, a day watching the guillotine at work in Paris, or on a ship sailing for the great Silk trading routes? Work on your story  until you think that it’s good enough to send out. Then do it. Send it out!

**********

Next Writers Work Session is Feb. 13th at the North Bend Library Meeting Room at 3 p.m. Bring something to revise.

**********

And now your moment of Writing Zen:  Poetry is just the evidence of life.  If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.  ~Leonard Cohen
—
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

Writers:

Illness seems to be swirling all around us. My neighbor lost his battle yesterday and is off to a less painful place (at least in my mind). My entire household has battled with colds and flus and infections. Which made me begin to think about how a writer describes illness. How can we make it seem real for our readers and dig deep? I’ve been doing lots and lots of revising lately. Revising is about going deeper. But, shouldn’t we also look at going deeper in our first draft — especially when it’s a subject that’s painful — like illness? Yes we should! So that’s what this week’s prompt is about.

I want you to either pick up a project that talks about illness, or write a new scene that describes it. Pull from everything you know about being sick, make it raw, make it real. It may be hard for some of us to do this scene, but you may find some healing on the other end of it.

**********

Here is a chance for another conference. Check it out. Several of our folks have gone to this in the past and really got a lot out of it. It’s a shorter time commitment than the PNWA conference and more affordable. So think about it. Although, if an agent is what you’re looking for, the PNWA conference has lots of opportunities.

Also, Jan. 31 is the deadline for the Glimmer Train proposal. Feb. 18 is when the PNWA conference writing contest stuff is due. So get your stuff out there!

**********

If anyone on this list outside of the board members and those already expressing interest were planning on attending tonight’s board meeting, please Email me. There’s some caveat’s to the meeting tonight, so want you to be aware. Nothing technology can’t fix (yay for living in 2011!).

**********

And now for your moment of Writing Zen:

Writing is the hardest work in the world. I have been a bricklayer and a truck driver, and I tell you – as if you haven’t been told a million times already – that writing is harder.  Lonelier. And nobler and more enriching.
~Harlan Ellison

Greetings SnoValley Writes! Writers!
 
I know many of you are swamped in National Novel Writing Month. I have descended into the second week sucking chest wound of word count deficeit. However, I’ll be working hard tomorrow to catch up. I get to live tomorrow — our national holiday of Veteran’s Day — as I wish, as a full-time writer. Seeings as I’m a veteran, I feel it’s only right I get to spend one day a year doing as I wish. I’ll take my combat ears, messed up neck, back, pelivs and cow knees for a walk with my new puppy and get the delta brain waves of creativity engaged first thing in the morning and then meet all those who care to at Isadora’s for a double-your-word-count day beginning at 9:30 a.m.  Won’t you join me?
 
*********
 
Invention.
 
Said to be the mother of necessity.
 
Therefore today’s prompt is about invention. Write about it. Create your own. Show how an invention either negatively or positively impacted your main character. Need some inspiration — watch a little TED tv on YouTube. Go back in history. Write about man discovering fire or the wheel or gunpowder. Get at least one scene out. If you have the luxury to not stop until you reach “the end,” do so.
 
**********
 
Writer’s Digest’s Short Story competition deadline is Dec. 1.  Here’s the details. Would love for you all to enter and ….make great things happen for your writing.
 
*********
 
And now your moment of Writing Zen:
 
“Young Castle called me “Scoop.” “Good Morning, Scoop. What’s new in the word game?”

I might ask the same of you,” I replied.

I’m thinking of calling a general strike of all writers until mankind finally comes to its senses. Would you support it?”

Do writers have a right to strike? That would be like the police or the firemen walking out.”

Or the college professors.”

Or the college professors,” I agreed. I shook my head. “No, I don’t think my conscience would let me support a strike like that. When a man becomes a writer, I think he takes a sacred obligation to produce beauty and enlightenment and comfort at top speed.”

I just can’t help thinking what a real shake up it would give people if, all of a sudden, there were no new books, new plays, new histories, new poems…”

And how proud would you be when people started dying like flies?” I demanded.

They’d die more like mad dogs, I think–snarling & snapping at each other & biting their own tails.”

I turned to Castle the elder. “Sir, how does a man die when he’s deprived of the consolation of literature?”

In one of two ways,” he said, “petrescence of the heart or atrophy of the nervous system.”

Neither one very pleasant, I expect,” I suggested.

No,” said Castle the elder. “For the love of God, both of you, please keep writing!”
— Kurt Vonnegut (Cat’s Cradle)

—

Casondra Brewster
Writer/Editor/Literary Mentor
 
http://www.casondrabrewster.com
http://www.martiuscatalyst.com
http://www.snovalleywrites.org
 
“If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don’t write, because our culture has no use for it.”
Anais Nin