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Grist for the Muse #28 -- January/February 2006	mich-@flashwriting.com
	Jan 25, 2006 19:05 PST

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Issue # 28 January/February 2006

In this issue:

. Musings

. Writing Jumpstarts

. Shameless Self Promotion

. Muse Reviews-The Writing Life by Ellen Gilchrist

"Family and work. I can let them be at war, with guilt as their nuclear
weapon and mutually assured destruction as their aim, or I can let them
nourish each other."

-- Ellen Gilchrist, The Writing Life

Sorry for the missed issue last month. I wanted to make sure that this new
template was working right and, let's face it, even I need a break
sometimes. Let me know what you think of the new logo, layout and color
scheme. I'm still tweaking it and working out some of the bugs that always
seem to crop up when I get this in HTML and ready to send out...

Enjoy this month's issue and check out the upcoming classes for February,
March and April!

Musings

Finding the Middle Way

The first essay in Ellen Gilchrist's collection of essays entitled: The
Writing Life (see the book review below) is named "The Middle Way" and talks
about her struggle to balance her life as a mother and an artist.

This is indeed a struggle that I have to face as well. Except that I see my
struggle as more of a love triangle between the roles of parent/spouse;
writer; and employee. Work takes a lot of time out of your day. You have
eight hours on the clock, an hour off for lunch and then a couple of
additional hours each day in commute time, preparing for work, etc. The
salary never seems to be enough to account for the increase in gas prices
(both natural gas and unleaded), the need for expensive orthodontia, a new
hot water heater and dryer when the old ones simply expire within a week of
each other, but we juggle and scrimp and find a way to make things work.
Borrowing from savings here, using a six-month same as cash payment plan
there, and somehow it all works out.

The need to make money always is going to supersede the art. It would be
great if I could quit the day job and simply make six-figures by the
brilliance of my fiction alone, but let's be realistic: There are only a
couple of hundred writers in this country that can do this. Most of them
supplement their incomes with a working spouse, a part-time teaching
position, or a full time job.

When you are done with the "day-job" you have to go home to your spouse,
significant other, and possibly your kids (or pets). These people can not
be simply be put in stasis while your muse erupts. There are crises that
must be dealt with that cannot be rescheduled for a more convenient time;
sudden outbreaks of the stomach flu, the dramatic death of a hamster named
Daisy, a birthday party for an excited 6-year-old at the Burger King with
the multi-story indoor play land and trip to Target to pick out his own
birthday present to be done.

There are many other things that are just being part of a relationship that
must be attended to despite the time commitment that it takes: Vacuuming the
living room, replacing the florescent bulbs in the closet, rinsing the
dinner dishes, and reorganizing the basement. These tasks can be
never-ending and sometimes are, for those of us who use them to avoid the
muse.

Finally when you are done with these commitments, whatever energy you have
left is then devoted to your craft, the writing. I make things even more
complicated by dividing up this remaining time for writing with another one
of the great joys I have in life, teaching.

Most of the time, the conflict takes place in the domestic arena where my
writing time conflicts with my family time. Here's the bottom line: If I
don't force myself to write (and I do have to force myself to put my butt in
a chair and write) I feel guilty and think about what I should be writing
about the entire day. If I am finally sitting down to write, I feel guilty
about the dinner dishes sitting on the counter from the night before, about
saying no to Benjamin when he asks me to play Burnout 3 with him on the
Playstation 2, and every time I look at the downspout that needs replaced,
the basement stairs that need to be vacuumed, etc. There is no situation
where I can do both things guilt-free.

This is what Ellen Gilchrist was talking about in "The Middle Way" when she
relates the story of a Scotsman who lived in two worlds. A life as a
Sheppard high up in the mountains where he grew to appreciate the sky and
the flock and learning to build extraordinary lung capacity in the thin air,
and a farm in the lowlands where he came to appreciate a connection with the
land and growing things and grew hard and strong from the labor. Both worlds
were equally wonderful and he couldn't decide between them. One day, he met
a bagpipe player sitting on a fence halfway up the mountain, and begged the
man to teach him how to play, and there he lived for the rest of his life,
where he could see both the mountains and the farmlands and where his music
could be heard in both places due to his strength and lung capacity.

Ellen Gilchrist is giving us one of the sacred secrets of the writing
practice that it took her decades worth of hard knocks and experience to
learn. She has had to work through an alcohol addiction, several broken
marriages, and many other setbacks in both the personal and professional
realm. She allowed the pressure for perfection to cause her family life and
the writing life to come into direct conflict.

Perfection is a prolific assassin of both writing careers and healthy family
relationships. Too much of perfection strangles the freedom that you desire
more than anything. And let's face it. If you are driven to write, you
don't really have a choice in the matter. You have to do it. But the
writing life alone isn't enough. You can't truly have a solid, fulfilling
life if EVERYTHING about your life is lived through the world of books or
entered into the word processor. And your muse will not be repressed
forever, it may manifest itself later in some eerie, Martha Stewart-like
obsession with bedroom redecorating plans or a drive to make the kid's
Halloween costumes elaborate, prize-winning masterpieces of museum-like
quality, when all that he wanted was to put on his Power Ranger costume and
be a ninja.

Find a means to live within the Middle Way. You don't have to be a super
mom to be a good mother, and you don't have to give up custody of your
children to be a good writer. Allow yourself to play your bagpipes and be at
piece.

--Michael

Advanced Fiction Writing Critiquing Class Forming NOW!

Are you ready to get serious about your fiction? Then sign up for the
Fiction Writing Critique class where you will learn how to critique the work
of others, and how to identify and fix the common problems with fiction and
narrative non-fiction. Some of the other topics addressed within the class
are; formatting your manuscript for publication, creating realistic dialog,
the basics of good description, handling hooks, pacing and progression in
your story, and more. But most of the lessons will be taught using student
manuscripts as examples. The book used for the class (not included in the
cost of the class) is Noah Lukeman's The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide
to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile (Paperback, Fireside Books, $13.00,
ISBN: 068485743X). This is a twelve hour class meeting in six 2-hour
sessions that will meet every other Wednesday from 7 to 9pm at a location to
be determined by those who enroll in the class. The cost is $75. If you are
interested in registering, contact me at <mailto:mich-@flashwriting.com>
mich-@flashwriting.com. This class will begin sometime during the month of
March, based on the preferences of the enrollees. If you are serious about
getting published, then this class is for you! Deadline for registration is
February 24th.

Shameless Self Promotion

Barnes & Noble at Easton Town Center- Fiction Writer's Group

January 12t, 2006 - 7:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction Writers
Group: UNBREAKABLE RULES OF FICTION WRITING

Fiction writing has many, many rules-Rules for creating characters, rules
for submitting your work for publication, rules for description and
point-of-view, etc. How do you know which ones to follow? Join Michael
Wilson to discover the rules of fiction writing that should never be broken.

A copy of Robert Masello's book: Robert's Rules of Writing: 101
Unconventional Lessons that Every Writer Needs to Know will be given away to
one lucky attendee. This event is free of charge!

February 9th, 2006 - 7:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction Writers
Group:
7 SINISTER THINGS THAT YOU MUST DO TO MESS UP YOUR CHARACTERS LIVES

You love your character. He or She is absolutely perfect. But, perfect
characters make for boring fiction. It is time to mess up their lives.
Learn how to bring adversity and conflict to your characters to create
interesting and dynamic fiction.

A copy of Nancy Kress's book: Character, Emotion & Viewpoint will be given
away to one lucky attendee. This event is free of charge!

March 9th, 2006 - 7:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction Writers Group:

CREATIVE HABITS OF CREATIVE WRITERS

Writers have always been a quirky group of people. Join local author,
Michael Wilson and learn about the habits, rituals and superstitions that
writers use to keep the words flowing and the bestsellers selling.

A copy of John Warner's book: Fondling Your Muse will be given away to one
lucky attendee. This event is free of charge!

Classes at Upper Arlington Lifelong Learning

CHARACTER, CONFLICT AND CHAOS

This all-day writing workshop explores how to create realistic and
multi-dimensional characters, how to engage them in interesting situations
involving conflict and how to provide a little shake-them-up chaos in the
world you have created in order to generate more interesting fiction. The
class covers the essential dynamics of character creation, how to use plot
motivation and situations to create realistic conflict and how to utilize
these techniques to help bring order back to the chaos you have created, all
the while keeping your readers motivated to the end. A workbook is included
in the registration fee. The class schedule includes a one-hour lunch break.

CLASS #: 441892 A
TIME: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Saturday
DATE: March 4
LOCATION: Lower Lvl Conference Room, UA Municipal Services Center,
3600 Tremont Rd
COST: $45.00(R), $49.50(NR)

IF YOU THINK IT, YOU CAN WRITE IT

Spend a day indulging in creative thinking for creative writers. This class
seeks to answer the eternal question that all successful writers have been
asked: "Where do you get your ideas?" We explore the creative process,
examine some of the causes of writer's block and introduce fun and useful
techniques that address many of the common problems that all writers face
from time to time. We also delve into the generation of writing ideas and
inspiration. A workbook is included in the registration fee. The class
schedule includes a one-hour lunch break.

CLASS #: 441896 A
TIME: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Saturday
DATE: April 1
LOCATION: Lower Lvl Conference Room, UA Municipal Services Center,
3600 Tremont Rd
COST: $45.00(R), $49.50(NR)

There are three ways to register for classes at UA Lifelong Learning:

. Register online using your MASTERCARD or VISA, click the following
link: <https://parks.uaoh.net/VSIWEBTRAC.HTML>
https://parks.uaoh.net/VSIWEBTRAC.HTML

. Fill out a registration form here:
<http://www.ua-ohio.net/parksrec/lifelong/registration.pdf>
http://www.ua-ohio.net/parksrec/lifelong/registration.pdf and mail it to or
drop it off (with a check or money order) at Lifelong Learning & Leisure,
3600 Tremont Road, Upper Arlington, OH 43221

. Call (614) 583-5333 between 9:30am and 3:30pm weekdays to register
using your VISA or MASTERCARD

Class at the Decorative Arts Center (the Reese-Peters House) in Lancaster

Poemcrazy: Creating Visual Poetry

DATES: Tuesday, February 21, 28, and March 7, 14
TIME: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
COST: $32 for members / $40 for non-members

This four-part class is based on the book Poemcrazy by Susan G. Wooldridge.
The class explores the creative use of words and how to combine them with
other visual media to create unique poetic expressions. Learn how to create
your own "word pool" and, through a variety of exercises, use it to enhance
your creative expression and description. Learn the techniques of writing
poetry and using visual media to produce poetic art.

To register, call: (740) 681-1423

Writing Jumpstarts (courtesy of JumpStart Jar)

Quick Topics

. It shows

. Belly laughs

. More bad news

. Blow the lid off

. Intestine

. Winter jasmine

. Tackiest

. Running amok

. Tickets

. Fumble for words

. Crunchy

. Flattery

Story Starters

. You've been down.

. Five years from now.

. What we say after we hit the.

. I see it a certain way.

. I came clean.

. Why can't we stop.

Muse Reviews

The Writing Life by Ellen Gilchrist; University Press of Mississippi, 226
pages. Hardcover; 2005; ISBN: 1578067391

The Writing Life is collection of Gilchrist's essays (many of which have
been published elsewhere) about her experiences as a writer and now as a
writing teacher. The entire collection mixes practical advice (with chapters
titles like "How I Wrote a Book of Short Stories in Three Months" and "Why
Is Rewriting So Hard?) with the lessons she learned with a lifetime of,
sometimes painful, experience ("How I Got Stronger and Smarter Instead of
Stupider and Sadder"). Ellen Gilchrist won the National Book Award for her
book Victory Over Japan, but yet still struggles with the same doubt and
insecurities that all writers face when facing the blank page once again.
This book provides an intimate glimpse into a successful and
critically-acclaimed writer's life and the struggles of the writer's life
and the pleasures of reading and teaching as well. This is a good book to
read, but there is no earth-shattering insights or wise advice beyond the
obvious, so once you read it, there isn't much more that you can get from
it. It is an interesting portrait of an interesting writer, but not much
beyond that. ** - Borrow It from the Library

About Ratings: ***** -- Well Worth it at Full Retail Price; **** - Buy on
Sale/Discounted; *** - Buy Used; ** - Borrow It from the Library; * -
Waste of a Good Tree

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:
<http://www.topica.com/lists/Grist_for_the_Muse>
http://www.topica.com/lists/Grist_for_the_Muse or SUBSCRIBE via email by
sending a BLANK email to: Grist_for_the_-@topica.com

OR - If you do not want to join Topica, send an email to
gri-@flashwriting.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the header. Make sure
that I am added to your address book or your "safe" list.

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

TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Please click here:
http://topica.com/help/unsub.html.bWt3aWxz
<http://65.54.172.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=5dee8d5aaa6a8c1d5b970b7169
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2ebm2Kjt%2ebWt3aWxz> or send a BLANK email to: Grist
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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 PUBLISHER: 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 2006 Michael L. Wilson. All rights reserved.

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<IMG height=213 hspace=12
src="cid:540544002@26012006-2291" width=378 align=left
v:shapes="_x0000_s1026">Issue #
28 January/February
2006<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>In this
issue:<o:p></o:p>
·
Musings<o:p></o:p>
·
Writing
Jumpstarts<o:p></o:p>
·
Shameless Self
Promotion<o:p></o:p>
·
Muse Reviews—The Writing Life by Ellen
Gilchrist<o:p></o:p>
 
 
“Family and
work. I can let them be at war, with guilt as their nuclear weapon and mutually
assured destruction as their aim, or I can let them nourish each
other.”<o:p></o:p>
-- Ellen
Gilchrist, The Writing
Life<o:p></o:p>
Sorry for the missed issue last month. I wanted to make sure that this new
template was working right and, let’s face it, even I need a break sometimes.
Let me know what you think of the new logo, layout and color scheme. I’m still
tweaking it and working out some of the bugs that
always seem to crop up when I get this in HTML and ready to send
out...<o:p></o:p>
Enjoy this month’s issue and check out the upcoming
classes for February, March and
April!<o:p></o:p>
<DIV
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN-RIGHT: 61.5pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: #003366 1pt solid; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #003366 .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div">
Musings</DIV>
 
Finding the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:Street
w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Middle
Way</st1:address></st1:Street><o:p></o:p>
The
first essay in Ellen Gilchrist’s collection of essays entitled: The Writing Life
(see the book review below) is named “The Middle Way” and talks about her
struggle to balance her life as a mother and an artist.
This
is indeed a struggle that I have to face as well. Except that I see my struggle as more of
a love triangle between the roles of parent/spouse; writer; and employee. Work takes a lot of time out of your
day. You have eight hours on the
clock, an hour off for lunch and then a couple of additional hours each day in
commute time, preparing for work, etc.
The salary never seems to be enough to account for the increase in gas
prices (both natural gas and unleaded), the need for expensive orthodontia, a
new hot water heater and dryer when the old ones simply expire within a week of
each other, but we juggle and scrimp and find a way to make things work. Borrowing from savings here, using a
six-month same as cash payment plan there, and somehow it all works
out.
The
need to make money always is going to supersede the art. It would be great if I could quit the
day job and simply make six-figures by the brilliance of my fiction alone, but
let’s be realistic: There are only
a couple of hundred writers in this country that can do this. Most of them supplement their incomes
with a working spouse, a part-time teaching position, or a full time
job.
When
you are done with the “day-job” you have to go home to your spouse, significant
other, and possibly your kids (or pets).
These people can not be simply be put in stasis while your muse erupts.
There are crises that must be dealt with that cannot be rescheduled for a more
convenient time; sudden outbreaks of the stomach flu, the dramatic death of a
hamster named Daisy, a birthday party for an excited 6-year-old at the Burger
King with the multi-story indoor play land and trip to Target to pick out his
own birthday present to be done.
There
are many other things that are just being part of a relationship that must be
attended to despite the time commitment that it takes: Vacuuming the living
room, replacing the florescent bulbs in the closet, rinsing the dinner dishes,
and reorganizing the basement. These tasks can be never-ending and sometimes
are, for those of us who use them to avoid the muse.
Finally when you are done with these commitments, whatever energy you
have left is then devoted to your craft, the writing. I make things even more complicated by
dividing up this remaining time for writing with another one of the great joys I
have in life, teaching.
Most
of the time, the conflict takes place in the domestic arena where my writing
time conflicts with my family time.
Here’s the bottom line: If I don’t force myself to write (and I do have
to force myself to put my butt in a chair and write) I feel guilty and think
about what I should be writing about the entire day. If I am finally sitting down to write, I
feel guilty about the dinner dishes sitting on the counter from the night
before, about saying no to Benjamin when he asks me to play Burnout 3 with him
on the Playstation 2, and every time
I look at the downspout that needs replaced, the basement stairs that need to be
vacuumed, etc. There is no situation where I can do both things
guilt-free.
This
is what Ellen Gilchrist was talking about in “The Middle Way” when she relates
the story of a Scotsman who lived in two worlds. A life as a Sheppard high up in
the mountains where he grew to appreciate the sky and the flock and learning to
build extraordinary lung capacity in the thin air, and a farm in the lowlands
where he came to appreciate a connection with the land and growing things and
grew hard and strong from the labor. Both worlds were equally wonderful and he
couldn’t decide between them. One day, he met a bagpipe player sitting on a
fence halfway up the mountain, and begged the man to teach him how to play, and
there he lived for the rest of his life, where he could see both the mountains
and the farmlands and where his music could be heard in both places due to his
strength and lung capacity.
Ellen
Gilchrist is giving us one of the sacred secrets of the writing practice that it
took her decades worth of hard knocks and experience to learn. She has had to
work through an alcohol addiction, several broken marriages, and many other
setbacks in both the personal and professional realm. She allowed the pressure
for perfection to cause her family life and the writing life to come into direct
conflict. 
Perfection is a prolific assassin of both writing careers and healthy
family relationships. Too much of
perfection strangles the freedom that you desire more than anything. And let’s face it. If you are driven to write, you don’t
really have a choice in the matter.
You have to do it. But the writing life alone isn’t enough. You can’t
truly have a solid, fulfilling life if EVERYTHING about your life is lived
through the world of books or entered into the word processor. And your muse
will not be repressed forever, it may manifest itself later in some eerie,
Martha Stewart-like obsession with bedroom redecorating plans or a drive to make
the kid’s Halloween costumes elaborate, prize-winning masterpieces of
museum-like quality, when all that he wanted was to put on his Power Ranger costume and be a
ninja.
Find
a means to live within the <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Middle
Way</st1:address></st1:Street>. You
don’t have to be a super mom to be a good mother, and you don’t have to give up
custody of your children to be a good writer. Allow yourself to play your
bagpipes and be at piece.
<o:p> </o:p>
--Michael
<DIV
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Advanced Fiction Writing Critiquing Class Forming NOW!</DIV>
 
Are
you ready to get serious about your fiction? Then sign up for the Fiction
Writing Critique class where you will learn how to critique the work of others,
and how to identify and fix the common problems with fiction and narrative
non-fiction. Some of the other
topics addressed within the class are; formatting your manuscript for
publication, creating realistic dialog, the basics of good description, handling
hooks, pacing and progression in your story, and more. But most of the lessons
will be taught using student manuscripts as examples. The book used for the
class (not included in the cost of the class) is Noah Lukeman’s The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to
Staying Out of the Rejection Pile (Paperback, Fireside Books, $13.00, ISBN:
068485743X). This is a twelve hour class meeting in six 2-hour sessions that
will meet every other Wednesday from 7 to 9pm at a location to be determined by
those who enroll in the class. The cost is $75. If you are interested in registering,
contact me at <A href="mailto:mich-@flashwriting.com">mich-@flashwriting.com</A>. This class will begin sometime during the month of March, based
on the preferences of the enrollees. If you are serious about getting published,
then this class is for you! Deadline for registration is February
24th.<o:p></o:p>
<DIV
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN-RIGHT: 61.5pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: #003366 1pt solid; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #003366 .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div">
Shameless Self Promotion</DIV>
<H2 style="MARGIN: 12pt 222pt 3pt 0in">Barnes &
Noble at Easton Town Center— Fiction Writer’s Group<o:p></o:p></H2>
January 12t,
2006 – 7:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction Writers Group:
UNBREAKABLE RULES OF FICTION
WRITING<o:p></o:p>
Fiction writing has many, many rules—Rules for creating characters, rules
for submitting your work for publication, rules for description and
point-of-view, etc. How do you know which ones to follow? Join Michael Wilson to discover the
rules of fiction writing that should never be broken.
A
copy of Robert Masello’s book: Robert’s
Rules of Writing: 101 Unconventional Lessons that Every Writer Needs to Know
will be given away to one lucky attendee. This event is free of
charge!
February 9th, 2006 –
7:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction Writers Group: 7 SINISTER THINGS
THAT YOU MUST DO TO MESS UP YOUR CHARACTERS LIVES<o:p></o:p>
You
love your character. He or She is
absolutely perfect. But, perfect
characters make for boring fiction.
It is time to mess up their lives. Learn how to bring adversity and
conflict to your characters to create interesting and dynamic
fiction.
A
copy of Nancy Kress’s book: Character,
Emotion & Viewpoint will be given away to one lucky attendee. This
event is free of charge!
March 9th, 2006 – 7:00 p.m. To
8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction Writers Group: CREATIVE HABITS OF CREATIVE
WRITERS<o:p></o:p>
Writers have always been a quirky group of people. Join local author,
Michael Wilson and learn about the habits, rituals and superstitions that
writers use to keep the words flowing and the bestsellers selling.
A
copy of John Warner’s book: Fondling Your
Muse will be given away to one lucky attendee. This event is free of
charge!
<H2 style="MARGIN: 0.25in 221.75pt 3pt 0in">Classes at
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Upper Arlington</st1:place></st1:City>
Lifelong Learning<o:p></o:p></H2>
CHARACTER,
CONFLICT AND CHAOS<o:p></o:p>
This
all-day writing workshop explores how to create realistic and multi-dimensional
characters, how to engage them in interesting situations involving conflict and
how to provide a little shake-them-up chaos in the world you have created in
order to generate more interesting fiction. The class covers the essential
dynamics of character creation, how to use plot motivation and situations to
create realistic conflict and how to utilize these techniques to help bring
order back to the chaos you have created, all the while keeping your readers
motivated to the end. A workbook is included in the registration fee. The class
schedule includes a one-hour lunch break.
CLASS #:

441892 A TIME: 
9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Saturday DATE: 
March 4 LOCATION: Lower Lvl
Conference Room, UA <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Municipal</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Services</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address
w:st="on">3600 Tremont Rd</st1:address></st1:Street> COST: 
$45.00(R), $49.50(NR)
IF YOU THINK IT, YOU CAN WRITE
IT<o:p></o:p>
Spend
a day indulging in creative thinking for creative writers. This class seeks to
answer the eternal question that all successful writers have been asked: "Where
do you get your ideas?" We explore the creative process, examine some of the
causes of writer's block and introduce fun and useful techniques that address
many of the common problems that all writers face from time to time. We also
delve into the generation of writing ideas and inspiration. A workbook is
included in the registration fee. The class schedule includes a one-hour lunch
break.
CLASS #:

441896 A TIME: 
9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Saturday DATE: 
April 1 LOCATION: Lower Lvl
Conference Room, UA <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Municipal</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Services</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address
w:st="on">3600 Tremont Rd</st1:address></st1:Street> COST: 
$45.00(R), $49.50(NR)
There are
three ways to register for classes at UA Lifelong Learning:
·
Register online using your
MASTERCARD or VISA, click the following link: <A
href="https://parks.uaoh.net/VSIWEBTRAC.HTML" target=_blank>https://parks.uaoh.net/VSIWEBTRAC.HTML</A>
·
Fill out a registration form here:
 <A href="http://www.ua-ohio.net/parksrec/lifelong/registration.pdf"
target=_blank>http://www.ua-ohio.net/parksrec/lifelong/registration.pdf</A> and mail it to or drop it off (with a check or money order)
at Lifelong Learning & Leisure, 3600 Tremont Road, Upper Arlington, OH
43221
·
Call (614) 583-5333 between 9:30am
and 3:30pm weekdays to register using your VISA or MASTERCARD
<H2 style="MARGIN: 0.25in 56.9pt 3pt 0in">Class at the
Decorative <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Arts</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType> (the Reese-Peters House) in <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Lancaster</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></H2>
Poemcrazy: Creating Visual Poetry 
<o:p></o:p>
DATES: 
Tuesday, February 21, 28, and March 7, 14 TIME: 
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. COST:
$32 for members / $40 for non-members 
This four-part class is based on the book Poemcrazy by Susan G. Wooldridge. The
class explores the creative use of words and how to combine them with other
visual media to create unique poetic expressions. Learn how to create your own
"word pool" and, through a variety of exercises, use it to enhance your creative
expression and description. Learn the techniques of writing poetry and using
visual media to produce poetic art.
To register, call: (740) 681-1423<o:p></o:p>
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Writing Jumpstarts (courtesy
of JumpStart Jar)<o:p></o:p></DIV>
 
Quick
Topics<o:p></o:p>
·
It shows
·
Belly laughs
·
More bad news
·
Blow the lid off
·
Intestine
·
Winter jasmine
·
Tackiest
·
Running amok
·
Tickets
·
Fumble for words
·
Crunchy
·
Flattery
Story
Starters<o:p></o:p>
·
You’ve been down…
·
Five years from now…
·
What we say after we hit
the…
·
I see it a certain
way…
·
I came clean…
·
Why can’t we stop…
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Muse Reviews</DIV>
 
The Writing Life by Ellen Gilchrist;
University Press of Mississippi, 226 pages. Hardcover; 2005; ISBN: 1578067391<o:p></o:p>
The Writing Life is
collection of Gilchrist’s essays (many of which have been published elsewhere)
about her experiences as a writer and now as a writing teacher. The entire
collection mixes practical advice (with chapters titles like “How I Wrote a Book
of Short Stories in Three Months” and “Why Is Rewriting So Hard?) with the
lessons she learned with a lifetime of, sometimes painful, experience (“How I
Got Stronger and Smarter Instead of Stupider and Sadder”). Ellen Gilchrist won the National Book
Award for her book Victory Over
Japan, but yet still struggles with the same doubt and insecurities that all
writers face when facing the blank page once again. This book provides an intimate glimpse
into a successful and critically-acclaimed writer’s life and the struggles of
the writer’s life and the pleasures of reading and teaching as well. This is a good book to read, but there
is no earth-shattering insights or wise advice beyond the obvious, so once you
read it, there isn’t much more that you can get from it. It is an interesting portrait of an
interesting writer, but not much beyond that. ** —
Borrow It from the Library
<o:p> </o:p>
About Ratings: ***** -- Well Worth it at Full Retail Price;
**** — Buy on Sale/Discounted; *** — <A name=OLE_LINK4></A><A
name=OLE_LINK3>Buy Used</A>; ** — Borrow It from the Library; * — Waste of a Good Tree
<o:p> </o:p>
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: <A name=OLE_LINK2></A><A name=OLE_LINK1></A><A
href="http://www.topica.com/lists/Grist_for_the_Muse">http://www.topica.com/lists/Grist_for_the_Muse</A> or SUBSCRIBE via email by sending a
BLANK email to: <A
href="mailto:Grist_for_the_-@topica.com">Grist_for_the_-@topica.com</A><o:p></o:p>
OR – If you
do not want to join Topica, send an email to
gri-@flashwriting.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the header. Make sure that I am added to your
address book or your “safe” list. <o:p></o:p>
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 <o:p></o:p>
TO
UNSUBSCRIBE: Please click here: <A
href="http://65.54.172.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&;lah=5dee8d5aaa6a8c1d5b970b7169a803ec&lat=1076887042&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2ftopica%2ecom%2fu%2f%3fa2jb2H%2ebm2Kjt%2ebWt3aWxz"
target=_blank>http://topica.com/help/unsub.html.bWt3aWxz</A> or send
a BLANK email to: Grist <A
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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.<o:p></o:p>
ABOUT THE
PUBLISHER: 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 <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Ohio</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, 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 <A
href="http://www.flashwriting.com/">www.flashwriting.com</A>.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Copyright 2006 Michael L. Wilson. All rights
reserved.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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