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Grist for the Muse #24 -- September 2005
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Michael Wilson
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Sep 02, 2005 17:46 PDT
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Grist for the Muse #24 - September 2005
The monthly creative writing resource that gets you writing and keeps you
writing.
Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and
original in your work.
--Gustave Flaubert
Musings
I'm going to apologize in advance. This newsletter is breaking the first
commandment of newsletters "Thou Shalt Not Contain More Ads Than Content"
but there is a lot going on, so I'm breaking it this month. There are many
changes afoot.
I've spent the last couple of months getting "regular and orderly" in my
life. organizing my 3 full-size filing cabinets, building new bookshelves to
shelve the stacks of books cluttering my office, putting together marketing
materials for Flash Writing, JumpStart Jars, and my upcoming writing classes
and conference presentations, so housekeeping seems to have been my
obsession lately, so this is going to hopefully result in extreme creative
productivity for the next couple of months.
It is time to get serious about this newsletter. I need to make this
newsletter something that you all can count on and know that it will arrive
at a regular interval (kind of like a real newspaper or magazine), so I'm
going to go on record and state for all of you upfront that Grist for the
Muse will be published from now on - on the last Wednesday of each month,
which means you can count on seeing your next issue on Wednesday, September
28th.
I also am going to be updating the overall look of Grist over the next
couple of months. getting a new, custom designed logo. Oooh.. Ahhh! And I'm
going to update the overall layout of the newsletter so it is easier to read
and better suited to an online environment.
September is a crazy month for me. Not only do all three kids go back to
school, but Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, soccer and now Leah is starting band
this year (it is looking like she is going to play percussion. yikes). I
also am presenting at two writers conferences in the Cleveland area: The
22nd annual Western Reserve Writers and Freelance Conference on September
17th at Lakeland Community College
http://writing.shawguides.com/WesternReserveWritersFreelanceConference/?ci=3
07.396078
<http://writing.shawguides.com/WesternReserveWritersFreelanceConference/?ci=
307.396078&pi=24&q=1> &pi=24&q=1 and the Skyline Writers Conference
http://www.skylinewriters.com/index.htm at the Jesuit Retreat House in Parma
on October 1st. So if you happen to be in that part of the state and don't
have any other plans, sign-up and say "hi!" I'd love to see you there.
--Michael
STILL NEED ENROLLMENT FOR EXCITING NEW CLASS!
SIGN UP NOW! CLASS BEGINS ON TUESDAY! I am teaching a new Creative
Journaling Class at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio based on the twice
told exhibit by Lancaster native Jenny Holzer, which features journal
entries by local people who lived in Lancaster during the 19th century.
Anyone who has seen any of Holzer's previous work will appreciate the
blending of her high-tech LED message boards with historical documents that
give us a glimpse of everyday life in the 19th century. Sign up for the
class now and see the exhibit, or just come to check it out in the historic
Reese-Peters House in downtown Lancaster.
This class covers the history of journals, the basics of journal writing,
how to use your journal for problem solving, using your journal for
enhancing creativity, exploring your dreams and much more!
Call (740) 681-1423; Cost: $32 for members of the Decorative Arts Center and
$40 for non-members. See below for times and dates!
Check out their website for more details at:
http://www.decartsohio.org/daco_education.html
B&N Fiction Writers Group BLOWOUT! -- I am cleaning out the filing cabinets
and getting rid of the EXTRA copies of presentation materials from past
meetings. So stop by the Fiction Writers group at Barnes & Noble next
Thursday and pick up some good writing info for FREE!
Quantities are limited, first come, first serve.
--Michael
JumpStart Jars Update
The Basic Brainstorming and Brainstorming Boost #1 have been released and
are now available for sale!
The Fabulous Fiction jar has been a bit more problematic. (HEY! You try
making up 2,100 unique fictional elements. characters, situations,
complications, etc. It would take YOU a while to do this too. Hopefully by
the end of September, I'll have wrapped up work on this and release it as
well.
Back-to-School Special
So if you are interested in ordering a Basic Brainstorming or Brainstorming
Boost #1, JumpStart Jar, they cost $15.00 each (plus $5.00 shipping and
handling) or buy both of them for $25.00 or special combines a copy of Flash
Writing with either one of the JumpStart Jars for $25.00.
If you want to avoid shipping costs and pick up a jar from me directly at a
writing workshop or event, please e-mail me at ma-@jumpstartjar.com for
ordering details.
Sign up for the Write(Now) Newsletter
Nita Sweeney's wonderful monthly newsletter lists events of interest to
writers in the Central Ohio area, including book signings, writing classes,
writer's groups, writer's conferences, poetry readings, and more. To
subscribe click on this link: http://www.nitasweeney.com/id4.html
Writing Exercises - Courtesy of JumpStart Jar
1. Last month, I asked you to write about the droughts in your life. In
the wake of the disastrous Hurricane Katrina, floods have been on my mind.
So this month, write about disasters or instances in your life where you
have been "flooded" or overwhelmed by circumstances beyond your control.
Quick Topics
* Snarl
* Never mind
* Mingle
* Gunfight
* Cache
* Gravity
* Forsaken
* Boston
* Duffel bag
* Hardships
* Macho
* Lot of heat
Story Starters
* That's him.
* Is there trouble?
* I felt sad.
* Please kill me now.
* What's your drink?
* When we worked on.
Shameless Self Promotion
Barnes & Noble at Easton Town Center- Fiction Writer's Group
September 8, 2005 - 7:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction Writers
Group: RANDOM WRITING
Are you stuck? Having trouble coming up with writing ideas? Learn how to
create your own writing topic pool and use it to keep you writing during the
moments where you find yourself stuck or blocked.
The Fiction Writers Group is a facilitated writing group that meets at
Barnes & Noble at Easton Town Center on the SECOND Thursday of each month at
7:00pm and is hosted by writer and teacher Michael Wilson. A JumpStart Jar
will be given away to one lucky attendee.
October 13, 2005 - 7:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction Writers
Group: WRITE A NOVEL IN ONE MONTH
November is National Novel Writing Month, and to celebrate it we are going
to prepare to write a novel in one month. Is it possible? Join us to prepare
for writing your novel this November and get some tips on making it happen!
A copy of the book First Draft in 30 Days will be given away to one lucky
attendee.
November 10, 2005 - 7:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction Writers
Group: Basics of Critiquing
We will be critiquing an attendee's story during tonight's session! Learn
the basic do's and don'ts of critiquing, and get a feel for what agents and
editors (as well as readers) are looking for in your fiction. A copy of the
book How to Write and Sell Your First Novel by Oscar Collier will be given
away to one lucky attendee.
The Fiction Writers Group is a facilitated writing group that meets at
Barnes & Noble at Easton Town Center on the SECOND Thursday of each month at
7:00pm and is hosted by writer and teacher Michael Wilson. A copy of the
book How to Write and Sell Your First Novel by Oscar Collier will be given
away to one lucky attendee. This event is free of charge!
Creative Journaling Techniques (NEW CLASS!)
Location: The Decorative Arts Center (in Lancaster)
Date: 4 weekly sessions beginning Tues, Sept 6th to Tues, Sept 27th
Time: 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Cost: $32 for members / $40 for non-members
To register: Call (740) 681-1423
This 4-week class will review the traditional uses of the journal, guide you
through the journaling process, teach you to discover writing topics,
capture vivid details with your writing, and use your journal as a tool to
help work through problems and decisions, expand your creativity, and
explore your dreams. This class will include a workbook with plenty of
suggested journaling prompts.
For more details and a proposed syllabus for the class, e-mail me at
mich-@flashwriting.com.
TO SUBSCRIBE: If someone you know would like to check out Grist for the Muse
have and possibly subscribe to it, go to the web at this URL:
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SUGGESTIONS or COMMENTS: Please feel free to e-mail me with ideas,
suggestions, questions, or smart alecky remarks. I love to get feedback, and
I do give all comments serious consideration. Send them to
gri-@flashwriting.com
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SUBMISSIONS: Do you have an event you want to promote? Do you want to see
yourself in print? Send me a short article or writing exercise ideas. I
can't pay you anything yet, but maybe someday soon. Please send an e-mail
with date, time, place, cost and contact information to
gri-@flashwriting.com with SUBMISSION in the subject line. Editor reserves
the right to revise submissions.
ABOUT THE EDITOR: Michael Wilson has been teaching creative writing classes
and facilitating writer's groups for almost a decade and was an
award-winning Contributing Editor for The Writer's Block at Suite101.com. He
has a BA (with Honors) in English from Ohio University, and has been a
featured guest speaker at the Thurber House, the Maumee Valley Writer's
Conference and the Columbus Writer's Conference. He is also the publisher
and editor of Grist for the Muse a free monthly creative writing
e-newsletter. His first book: Flash Writing: How to Write, Revise and
Publish Stories Less Than 1000 Words Long, was published in October 2004.
You can get additional information about him at www.flashwriting.com
<http://www.flashwriting.com/> .
Copyright 2005 Michael L. Wilson. All rights reserved.
Michael L. Wilson, Publisher Grist for the Muse
Grist for the Muse is your FREE monthly creative writing e-newsletter
designed to get you
writing and keep you writing. To sign up, go to the web at this URL:
http://www.topica.com/lists/Grist_for_the_Muse OR send email to
gri-@flashwriting.com
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