Weekly Writing Prompt — January 18, 2107 Edition

January 19, 2017Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

Huzzah! We have a name for our special guest speaker on Saturday! Lori A. May. If you haven’t been to one of our workshops in a while, I would highly encourage you to attend this Saturday (Jan. 21) at 10:30 a.m. at the North Bend Library’s meeting room. Ms. May will be talking about pitching, getting an agent, and other writerly questions you scribes have for her. I’m hoping to continue having guest speakers as often as possible, and our reception with Ms. May will determine how often other visiting panelists would like to visit us.

Following Ms. May’s presentation, we’ll have a very short assignment to get us going on our year-long track of Level Up Your Writing. Bring the book that you plan to use throughout the year. Should be an author whose work you admire and writing style you would like to reach for (understanding, of course, that you will not BE that writer, but you can learn from them).

Then every week leading up to the next workshop there will be mini assignments in this weekly email (we will discuss further on Saturday).

Hope to see you all on Saturday and represent what a great organization Sno Valley Writes! is.

And now your moment of Writing Zen:

“To gain your own voice, you have to forget about having it heard.”
—Allen Ginsberg

Weekly Writing Prompt — January 11, 2017

January 12, 2017Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

I am afraid I must resort to bullet points this email. My brain has been eaten by pre-book launch stuff. Please forgive me.

* Workshop still scheduled at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 21 at the North Bend Library Meeting Room. We will have guest speaker to present on pitching and obtaining an agent. Please have a fiction book, not written by you, to work with throughout our learning year. This should be a book you enjoy, since you’ll be spending much time with it. Please have a physical copy of it to retain throughout the year. We’ll have a short aftermath instruction on your first “assignment” following our presenter’s time and Q&A. Please RSVP for your attendance. It’s free, as usual.

*Writers Cafe(s) continue on Wednesday evenings at Little Si Cafe (North Bend) and on Friday mornings at The Black Dog Art Cafe (Snoqualmie).

Your moment of Writing Zen:

“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one…just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald

Writing Prompt — December 7, 2016 Edition

December 7, 2016Weekly Writing Promptadmin

After years of doing this prompt, it’s amazing to see how many times our little reminder falls on a significant day. This is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. A day that will live in infamy. Having lived in a place where I could look over the harbor, this day has a notable meaning for me. How about you? What significant things in history have been woven into the fabric of your own life? Have you written about that? If not, you should. And that’s today’s prompt: pick a significant moment of history and write an essay, a scene, something that expresses your emotions and revelations about that special day.

Don’t forget, holiday festivities and celebrating the end of “From Nano to Published” season of learning comes to a close on December 17 at 10:30 a.m. Bring a holiday treat to share, and your own drink (tea, coffee, water, mimosa, whatever). Bring your finished book if you have it to show off and give each other a pat on the back.

In January we’ll have a special speaker. More on that soon (my email fell over recently and the other author and myself have had difficulties communicating). But she’s got a handle on pitching and agents and marketing and you can pick her brain for the whole January 21st session at the North Bend Library beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Writing cafes are going strong throughout the month, so we hope to see you all there.

Now your moment of Writing Zen: “Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.” ~ Misty Copeland

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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

Weekly Writing Prompt — November 2, 2016 Edition

November 2, 2016Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

Feeling a bit overstimulated from Halloween and the National Novel Writing Month kick-off? Be sure that you’re taking care of yourself, physically to not limit your creativity. Be sure you’re staying hydrated. That you’re getting enough sleep (sometimes this can be a bit out of our control, but do your best). Be sure to get up and move around, talk a walk, do some stretches. And eat healthy foods. I ran across this article today regarding using food to help boost our creativity. Since many of us are pushing hard to get a new zero draft in during the month of November, this might not be a bad idea. Take a look yourself:

https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/7-things-you-can-eat-and-drink-to-boost-your-creativity/

Also don’t forget lean proteins and complex whole grains. Remember how your mom used to tell you about brain food? Be sure that you’re refilling the reservoir that is your creative brain. Take a moment right now and eat a healthy snack, or plan the next meals in the week with that in mind. You’re not just eating, you’re fueling your creativity.

Hope to see many of you tonight at Little Si Cafe for our weekly Writers Cafe, albeit it will likely be quieter than usual as so many of the regulars will be doing much more heads-down writing than is traditional. All Hail NaNoWriMo and its motivation to get things done.

Now your moment of Writing Zen:

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” ~Virginia Woolf

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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 — October 26, 2016 Edition

October 26, 2016Weekly Writing Promptfirst steps, NaNoWriMo, writing weatheradmin

Writers:

Whoo! What a blustery day here in the Snoqualmie Valley. Really hammers home that heavy writing season is upon us. Not sure about the rest of you, but I’m kind of an outside junkie. When the weather is nice, I have a hard time keeping my butt in the chair to write.

So here we are, rain, and wind, and gray, and…time to write!

If you’re prepping for NaNo, which I encourage all of you to attempt, I posted a couple of blog posts on our Facebook page for your inspiration and organizational pleasure. Be sure to check it out. Also, the calendar for the Snoqualmie Valley Region is up on the nanowrimo.org site. Register, log in; and home with our region for all kinds of encouragement and writing opportunity. Our Municipal Liasons, Quinnleeeee and Tam Borgia are the best. I am HeroProtagonist on the site. Buddy up with your M/Ls and myself and the rest of the Snoqualmie Valley region. It’s fun. It’s productive. Hey, it’s writing!

That’s your prompt today. Get involved for National Novel Writing Month. Keep an eye on the SnoValley Writes! facebook for nano-centric articles. And plan on going to the kick off, both soft and actual.

Now your moment of Writing Zen:

“First steps are always the hardest but until they are taken the notion of progress remains only a notion and not an achievement.”
― Aberjhani, Illuminated Corners: Collected Essays and Articles Volume I.

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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 — October 19, 2016 Edition

October 19, 2016Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

So much is happening.

Sheri Kennedy aka Kennedy J. Quinn just received her proof copies for her latest release and she and her fellow Free Valley Publishing folks will be doing a spoken work event coming up. Also, Rachel Barnard has events and books coming out. And last but not least our dear fellow writer, Vicky Bastedo, has a new book out this week. Here’s links for all…

Sheri Kennedy

Rachel Barnard

Vicky Bastedo

Everyone has been so busy. That’s great. As always, if there is something you want to share with the group, please let me know. I have this virtual megaphone, you see…

Don’t forget that NaNoWriMo is coming up and that there’s still two more sessions with Tara Brouwer and Sheri on NaNo to Publishing — Nov. 19th and Dec. 17th.

In January, I will be returning to help guide and cheerlead you all to success. And on Jan. 21, 2017, we’ll be starting off with a visiting author who will present something special to all of you — more news on that soon.

In the meantime, keep pumping out those words. Attend a writers cafe. Go to a book launch. Buy a Book. Review it. Blog. Keep writing.

Now Your Moment of Writing Zen:

“Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”
― Plato

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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 — October 5, 2016 Edition

October 5, 2016Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

There are some days where I feel like I’m typing these words into an abyss and no one reads the words or digests them. Those days do happen, I’m sure. Then there are other times, when a nice note back is filled with its own sort of inspiration. To those that take the time to respond to these missives with blog links or even a small thank-you, you are why SnoValley Writes! continues on.

Today your prompt is to send me your success. I want to be able to tell everyone about book launches, contracts, readings, etc. And then have the group show up en mass to such occasions/postings/events. But I need to know who is doing what and how it is going.

So send me your squee and let me squawk for you.

Now your moment of Writing Zen:

“The trouble is that we have a bad habit, encouraged by pedants and sophisticates, of considering happiness as something rather stupid. Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting. This is the treason of the artist; a refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

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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

Writing Prompt — September 28, 2016 Edition

September 28, 2016Weekly Writing Promptadmin

Writers:

Oh, you don’t think you’re a writer? You’re just a wannabe? FALSE! If you’re writing. You’re a writer. The rest is just gravy. Yes, special sauce, friend. If you let doubt and fear mince words and define who you are, you won’t reach your goals. So lock that inner editor away and write on!

Heads up: Many in our fold have books being released in October and November, so stay tuned for that goodness. Helping fellow authors is part of the job of being a writer. So get ready to read, review, and post about that.

Let’s do an Autumn Check-Up on your Writing Life:

1. Are you doing your morning pages?

2. Are you keeping artists dates for yourself?

3. Are you attending literary events (writing cafes count!)

4. Are you keeping the crazymakers at bay?

5. Are you guarding your writing time like a fiery dragon?

6. Are you reading daily?

7. Where are you on your goals?

8. What should you do today to get back on track?

Do this check up, reassess, and get back to implementing the plan.

And now your moment of Writing Zen:

“Sometimes I feel like relationships consist of telling your same life stories to different people until someone finally appreciates them.”
― Kate Rockland, Falling Is Like This

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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

Writing Prompt — September 14, 2016 Edition

September 14, 2016Weekly Writing Promptfrom nano to publish, learning track, level-up your writing, what did you write todayadmin

Because Summer time always makes things a little hectic, our eighth anniversary as Sno Valley Writes! came and went. Hopefully you were writing, editing, or thinking up new stories during it. But, I just wanted to say thanks to all those that help make this group so awesome, progressing, and positive! Here’s to many more years together creating new literary peaks!

This Saturday, Sept. 17, our learning track, From NaNo to Published, headed by Tara Brouwer will continue in the North Bend Library Meeting Room at 10:30 a.m. Just a couple more months and National Novel Writing Month will be upon us and many will be diving into new projects just as old projects come out in new shining books. I’ve had the pleasure to read many of them and I’m so proud of everyone’s hard work and my reading list is so extra long now! That is excellent! Keep up the hard work and take advantage of everything you can learn from Tara.

Beginning in January we start a new learning track, with yours truly heading the platform. In 2017, our monthly workshops will be: Level-Up Your Writing. This learning track will push folks to a new mastery level, with emphasis on directed reading, enhancing our literary community, and concentrated writing. If you always wanted to take an MFA in creative writing, but couldn’t, this learning track is for you. We meet the 3rd Saturday of every month at the North Bend Library’s meeting room at 10:30 a.m. until Noon. First class is January 21st.

In the meantime, our writing cafes on Wednesdays at Little Si Cafe beginning at 6 p.m. and at The Black Dog on Fridays at 9:30 a.m. continue. This is a great way to build your literary community, network, and get inspired. Make time for one or both!

Last week you needed to work on getting a misty morning in your story. Did you do it? If so, post it on your blog, your facebook page, or comment on this thread on the SnoValley Writes! blog (easy link on our facebook page). That’s your prompt today. Post your work from last week. Let’s see all your brilliance.

Now your moment of Writing Zen:

“Tears are words that need to be written.” ~Paulo Coelho

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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

Writing Prompt — September 7, 2016 Edition

September 7, 2016Weekly Writing Promptemotions, fall, foggy, getting words down, mist, pluviophile, rain, sensesadmin

Ahhhh….the quiet of the morning when the kids are off at school. If you know such a joy, just one word: enjoy it.

Today’s prompt is about misty fall mornings. I want you to write a scene where you concentrate on describing a misty fall morning. How does the weather make the people in the scene feel? Use all the senses — smell, sight, sound, taste, and touch. What kind of emotion does it stir up? Does it make them feel safe and secure (many a pluviophile in this group knows what I mean)? Apprehensive? Melancholy? How does the emotion spur the character(s) actions? When you’re done you should have a good 500 words — maybe more.

Don’t forget, workshop is next week — Sept. 17th at 10:30 a.m. until noon at the North Bend Library’s meeting room. Be there, or be stalled in your work. 😉

Now your moment of Writing Zen:

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” ~ Ashley Smith

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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