Mini-Writers Retreat

Today is Sunday, and I am looking at the most beautiful mountain scene, golden and orange leaves on big trees guide my eyes out to Grandfather Mountain miles away. Fog has wrapped us all morning in its haunting stillness, but now the distant sky pales with wisps of clouds skimming the ridge. 

We three are not here to hike or tour the region. We have come to write, to share writing ideas, to submerge ourselves in all things “writing.” We stopped for church, for me to go to the grocery store and to the pet shop. I purchased a sweater for my puppy, Lexie. She is not a cold weather dog. The pink sweater in extra, extra small fits her and she is like a kid at Christmas. Nothing could have made this little dog happier than to put on her a warm sweater.

My good friends, authors, Deanna Klingel and Miriam Jones Bradley, joined me this weekend for time away from home and a mini-writing retreat. I always learn so much from these two women of widely varied ages and I hope they learn something from me.

Deanna Klingel

Deanna astounds me with her in-depth research for each of her novels. The next book will be a fictional history of Chief McIntosh of the Creek Indian tribe. She was asked to write this book by a historical society so that children could learn about this fascinating man of the 19^th Century.

Deanna has a way of writing about youngsters that made me ask, “How do you get into a fourteen year old boy’s head like that?”

She responded, “I raised four sons.”  I then learned she also raised two more boys who were not her biological sons, along with three girls.

Deanna’s award winning Avery series, Avery’s Battlefield and Avery’s Crossroad, about a boy who lived during the Civil War have been quite popular with middle grade kids.

I read her novel, Cracks in the Ice, a wonderfully told tale of a young girl who hopes to become a professional skater. Once again, Deanna Klingel delved into all things related to the life of this character, including uncovering what life as the niece of a mobster would be like. Yes, the heroine grows up with body guards driving her to school.  

Some more of Deanna’s books are: Bread Upon the Water, Rock and a Hard Place; a Lithuanian Love Story, The Mysterious Life of Jim Limber, the Little Beth Series: Beth’s Birds, Beth’s Backyard friends, Amanda and the Lazy Garden Fairy. Coming soon are Walker Hound of  Park Avenue and Blue-Eyed Doll. Visit her website to order these books.



Miriam Jones Bradley

Miriam Jones Bradley, is author of children’s books as well as a collection of her columns published in the Newberry Observer titled, You Ain’t From Here, Are You?. This book is a gentle but humorous observation of what a new person in the community sees and hears from the good people who greet her. Miriam writes for young adults as well as for older adults who want to leave a legacy. Check out her website to order her books.

She is also author of a mystery series, The Double Cousins Mysteries, for 7 – 13 year old readers. I picked her mind as to how she comes up with a mystery. She takes tidbits of fact and weaves that into a plot that moves along taking the reader with it.

Miriam and Deanna don’t stand still. Miriam wonders how she is going to continue to manage her school presentations, book signings, blogging and writing another book this year as well as working as a nurse two days a week. Both women travel all over the country speaking and signing their books.

Miriam is originally from the western plains and Deanna lived longest in Atlanta where she and her husband raised their children. Now she lives in Sapphire, NC. Miriam lives in Hendersonville.

 Both busy writers are dedicated to their craft and both have active writing businesses. Both have husbands who are supportive and helpful behind the scenes. I heard high praise for both David and Bruce this weekend. 

We look forward to doing this again and hope others will join us either in the mountains or at the beach. Having time to share ideas, ask questions, and discuss publishing and online media is not a luxury but a necessity for those of us who are serious about publishing our work.

My readers, have you ever attended a writers' retreat? How many people were present? Did you enjoy it?

 Other posts on this blog you might enjoy:
Coffee with the Poets and Writers

We Had Fun at the Festival on the Square

Poetry Class deadline looming. Don't wait.

NOVEMBER 2 - DEADLINE FOR KAREN HOLMES' POETRY CLASS NOV. 7

REGISTER NOW. SEE FORM ABOVE. PAY WITH PAYPAL OR WITH A CHECK. ONLY $30. 

Read more about class and instructor HERE

Visit Schedule page at link below.

http://www.glendacouncilbeall.com/p/schedule.html#.Vibs5H6rS00

Share, please.

Writing and Writers

Back row: Roger Carlson and MC Brooks
Front row: Dottie Wershing, Carol Gladders and Brenda Kay Ledford

In the photo above you see five of the eight students who were enrolled in my memoir writing class this fall at Tri-County Community College in Murphy, NC

Four of these students have taken my classes several times. It is inspiring to see the improvement each has made since that first class. Two of them published this summer. Roger submitted an op-ed piece to his local newspaper and it was accepted. MC Brooks submitted one of her family stories to an anthology, It's All Relative, Tales from the Tree, edited by Celia Miles and Nancy Dillingham. You can find MC's personal narrative on page 29. 

In this class all students were intermediate or advanced. When students come back again and again to take my classes, I consider it a great compliment to my skills and my ability to help them enjoy learning. I was once told that one of my greatest talents was creating an environment of safety and comfort that enabled new writers to share their poems or stories without fear. 

I know that is important because I have been that new writer, that new poet, who felt terrified when asked to read my work out loud to a group. I have been that person who was not sure if my writing had any promise. Sharing writing is a bit like handing off your first-born to a stranger and hoping he will handle her with love and care. 

I also know that even the most experienced, published writer still sweats out each new submission whether it is a short story or a manuscript for a book. No one wants to face rejection. Once I learned that, I became much stronger when faced with rejection of my work. We have to know that an editor's rejection is not personal and we must not have our feelings hurt. The rejection is probably because the work doesn't fit the editor or publisher's needs at the time. 

A beginning writer faces the challenge of submitting work with no previous publications on his resume'. He hopes an editor will read his story or essay and like  it enough to give him a chance. Today we hear that editors Google a writer's name first to  see if he has anything online that shows the editor that he will bring readers to the publication. That seems unfair. 

Some publishers, however, say they don't want to know what you have published, they want your writing to impress them and if it does,  it will be accepted. I wonder if that is the exception.

We write because we love it and sometimes because we can't not write. I know excellent writers and poets who don't care about seeing their work in a book other than for their family. Whether we publish our work or write for our own satisfaction, we write. But to have our work read and appreciated by other people is the goal of most writers. I hope to communicate with readers whether in my family essays, short stories, poetry or on this blog. 

I appreciate your reading my posts. I hope you enjoy them and I love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment or send an email.

Writers' Night Out in Blairsville GA sponsored by NCWN West

Tomorrow night in Blairsville, GA at the Union County Community Building, Steven Harvey, author of the Book of Knowledge and Wonder, a memoir I recommend to anyone who likes to read about interesting people and their true stories, will be featured at Writers' Night Out.

Steve takes us on a search with him as he looks for and discovers the young mother who took her life when the author was only 11 years old. As he says, this is not a sad book, but is a book of wonder as he learns who this lovely woman was. He celebrates her in his book and we see how devastating mental illness can be, not just to the individual, but to those who love the afflicted person. 

The book is filled with photos that bring the reader right into the story.
Come early, at least by 6:00 p.m. if you plan to eat at the grill before the reading. And, remember, we have open mic. You can read for three minutes. Sign up at the door.
I hope to see you there!!
Glenda

Borrowing from your Favorite Poet with Karen Holmes

Karen is one of my favorite people. I took a course from her at the Folk School just this past spring and know she will do a good job for your group.  Bob Grove, author

Karen Holmes
Saturday
November 7, 2015
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Fee: 30.00  (You can pay with PayPal. See sidebar)
Borrowing from Your Favorite Poet

Bring a poem that was inspired by a favorite poem. Your poem should use a favorite line from the other poem as your title, as an epigraph, or as a line within your poem. Allow your poem to take on its own life -- it does not need to be about the same subject as the original. We’ll read the inspirational poems and workshop the one you wrote. You’ll also receive some prompts inspired by other great poets, so you can go home and write even more great poems of your own. 

Karen Paul Holmes of Atlanta and Hiawassee, Georgia has taught writing at national conferences and at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Her full-length poetry collection, Untying The Knot, was published by Kelsay Books (August 2014) and recently received an Elizabeth George Foundation grant for poetry. Publishing credits include Poetry East, Atlanta Review, POEM, The Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, and Southern Poetry Anthology Vol 5: Georgia (Texas Review Press).

To support fellow writers, Holmes, a Georgia representative for North  Carolina  Writers' Network originated and hosts a critique group in Atlanta and Writers’ Night Out in Blairsville, GA. A former VP of Communication at ING, a global financial services company, she now leads “a kinder, gentler life” as a freelance writer, poet and teacher.

No Such Thing as a Bad Day: A Memoir - a book I highly recommend

Jordon and President Carter

When I travel in my car, I often listen to audio books. Recently I listened to a memoir, my favorite genre lately, No Such Thing as a Bad Day: A Memoir by Hamilton Jordon. For those who might not remember, Jordon was Chief of Staff for President Jimmy Carter’s administration. He worked with Carter when he was governor of Georgia. Jordon graduated from Albany High School which I attended, but I never knew him personally. Evidently he developed interest in politics early on as he mentions that he was an intern in Washington DC for Senator RichardRussel of Georgia.

But this book is not all about politics, although I did get a kick out of Jordon’s early opinion of Bill Clinton before most of us had ever heard of him. I was not surprised to learn that Clinton set out to charm Carter and his people when Jimmy was on the verge of becoming president, wooing his favor. 

Hamilton Jordon said he was more impressed by Hilary Rodham in her thick glasses and nondescript dress who criticized Governor Carter for not doing more to improve the lot of women in Georgia when he had 

The major impact of this book for me, having watched two loved ones die of cancer, had to be the detailed and touching manner Jordon discussed his three bouts with cancer; Lymphoma, melanoma and prostate cancer plagued him throughout his adult life after being exposed to Agent Orange in Viet Nam. My friend’s husband fought cancer brought on by Agent Orange which was sprayed on everything over there and exposed our military as well as non-military to this devastating chemical.

Jordon was advised early on to take charge of his health as he fought these battles. I found that to be true as well. A patient must learn all they possibly can about their illness and the possibilities out in the world of a cure or the best treatment available. When he was told he had lymphoma, he didn’t follow blindly the words of his doctor who didn’t give him a very favorable outcome. Jordon researched hospitals, talked to people and finally decided to leave Atlanta and the doctors there to go to Maryland where new treatments were becoming known.

I fought tears when I heard him tell about his fear of not seeing his little boy grow up and how he held him and cried. I know my husband had fears that he would not talk about. Most men don’t want to show weakness to their family, their wives. But, these kinds of tears are healing and we should not mind shedding them. Hearing Jordon reflect on his thoughts as he waited for a doctor’s report, watched his wife as she waited, and one time hearing on television, a false diagnosis of himself as he lay in a hospital bed – a terrible report of his health. He had not heard anything yet from his medical team, and was happy when they came in soon after to give him a more positive diagnosis.

I found a new respect for people in the public eye after Jordon told of the lies spread about him and Jody Powell, another man in the Carter administration. How do you fight outright lies that are spread all over the world by the media? Even in the NY Times article about his death, they made it sound as if those lies were true before saying differently. 

it was almost a year later that he and Powell were completely exonerated. No one paid much attention to that news. 

Coincidentally, I saw in my hometown newspaper yesterday that Jordon's three children had come to Albany to visit the family home where their father grew up. He reared his family in Atlanta. I learned that Jordon fought three more bouts of cancer in his life before he succumbed in 2008, the year before my husband died of lymphoma. Hamilton Jordon worked for cancer research, and I hope his efforts and those of others will some day bring about a cure.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book even though the author was the reader. Sometimes I am not fond of an author's reading.

If any of you have read this book, let me know what you think about it. I plan to read or listen to the new book which his daughter edited after his death. It will be out soon.

Looking into 2016

Writers Circle around the Table, my studio in Hayesville, NC, will not hold a writing class in October. In November, Karen Holmes will teach a  poetry class. See more on the Schedule Page.

Students gather around the table for class at Writers Circle

We already have two instructors on the calendar for 2016. A poet, publisher and visual artist, for the first time, will join our group of writers and poets who have taught here in the past six years. 

Jonathan Rice, publisher of Iodine will hold a workshop in June. 

In July, we will welcome back the terrific writer and instructor, Steven Harvey, author of his most recent publication, The Book of Knowledge and Wonder. The comments from his class here this year were the class was not long enough, and this was after a three hour class.

We hope to  have Tara Lynne Groth back to speak on another subject. Her class on marketing and publishing made our heads swim with all the information she had to offer. 

Let us hear from you, our readers, on what you think about these instructors on our schedule for 2016.

We appreciate our loyal writers who come to classes at Writers Circle. Each class we hold is designed with you in mind. 

Voice from the Grave

If you aren't already a follower of Abbie Johnson's blog, Abbie's Corner. I hope you will click on the first link below and hear her sing this beautiful song. She has a pure voice like a fresh mountain stream, clear as it ripples over smooth rocks. The song is haunting and touches me deeply.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15213189/wherever%20you%20are.mp3

Visit Abbie's blog here:  https://abbiescorner.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/anniversary-gift/

You can now pay for classes with Paypal

Check the sidebar today. Something new has been added. 

You can now pay for classes with Paypal. If you usually order online with your Paypal account, you can now pay for classes at Writers Circle with your Paypal account.

Click on the button and the fee for Scott Owens' class appears. I hope this makes registration for classes much, much easier. If you have any problems, let me know.

I thank Karen Holmes who pushed me to get this done. I hope you all appreciate it and will use it.

Thank you, Karen, and thanks to all of you who support Writers Circle around the Table. Without you, we would not open the doors nor bring these excellent writers and teachers to our area in Western NC.

I really appreciate you.

Glenda

How Leadership Helps You as a Writer - Seven Tips

Leaders become influencers. Leaders pave the way for themselves and others.

If you are a writer, it is likely you don’t want the limelight. You work best in the quiet of your own space. You don’t need people around and you don’t want to be bothered. You are happy working on your book – whatever it may be.

But eventually you have to think about what you will do when the book is finished, published or ready to be read by the public. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just mail the manuscript to someone who would take over and print it, promote it, sell it, and send you a big fat check each month? You could just write and write and never leave the house.

I see many writers who believe that is the life of an author. Sadly, that's one of the myths the public has believed for years. In today’s world the author must be seen and heard. The author is the one who markets his/her book.

Painless methods an author can use to reach an audience. Take on a role of leadership. Don’t volunteer for more than you feel comfortable doing, but try the following suggestions.

1. If there is a writing organization in your town or area, join and attend the events. If you don't feel you will gain any new knowledge, you will likely be surprised. You can offer encouragement and good advice. People will remember how you make them feel.
2. Find ways you can serve the organization – lead a critique group, become the helper to the leader, and if there is no job, make one, then do it.
3. Offer to do the publicity for your writing group. Write articles about the members and publish them in the local newspapers with your name listed as guest writer. Be the one to put your local literary group on the map. Use photos with each article.
4. Join your state literary group. Connect with the leadership and staff. Call or email and tell them that you appreciate their work for members. 
5. Become a mentor for beginning writers. Don’t fear being unprepared. If you have been writing long enough to complete a book manuscript, you know more than a fledgling wanna-be poet or writer.  
6. Hold an open mic event in a local coffee shop or book store once a month. Write an article for the local newspapers about who attends and who reads, and be sure to write about the event on social media. 
7. Promote other writers and poets on social media. Be generous with your appreciation and congratulations to writers you know. Send notes or emails when you hear of someone's successes. Write to authors and tell them how much you enjoy their books or stories you have read. In your signature on your email, be sure to list your position with your organization.

Karen Paul Holmes joined NCWN West after taking a poetry class taught by Nancy Simpson, original leader of NCWN West.

 Karen Paul Holmes now leads Writers Night Out, another writing group in Atlanta, and serves writers in North Georgia as NCWN representative. She is also a member of the Georgia Poetry Society. She schedules readings throughout the mountains and in Atlanta. Her first poetry book, Untying the Knot, was recently published, and the book is getting much-deserved attention. 

Karen connected with poets on Social Media who then offered to interview her and promote her book through their blogs and websites. Through NCWN Karen networked with other influential writers, too. Karen promotes other poets and supports literary organizations online. She is a perfect example of what I am writing about today. 

Writers today must build a reputation with the public in order to build a readership for their work.