Tag Archives: feedback

Weekly Writing Prompt — May 14, 2014 Edition

SEO-Travel-WritingGreetings Writers!

Are you working on your snap writing? Remember, last week I told you to carry a small notebook and pen with you to write whenever you got an idea or had 5 minutes or more to spare? Snap writing is a great way to keep plugging along on a project and keep the creativity juices flowing and steady. Please keep working on that. I saw lots of photos of notebooks. Now, send me photos of them being filled up. 😉 Think of snap writing as Whenever and Wherever writing. W2 writing. It’s done in a snap. Before you know it, you’ll have made headway in your writing life.
We talked at last night’s workshop about finding more quality time for your writing and identifying your productivity zone. Don’t deny your desire to write. Give in to it. There’s a story or stories that need to come out. Your story is important. So if you have to get it out by doing snap writing, do so. But know when you’re most creative — likely when you’re groggy — and go with it. Chunk it out in 15-minute time intervals if necessary.
Bottom line is that writers write. If you’re not writing, then perhaps you’re blocked and need to go back through the steps in The Artist’s Way? Forgive yourself and restart the forward momentum. But, you need to write. Trust me, you’ll feel better.
Today’s prompt is to identify a piece of work — either a short story, or a chapter of a larger novel, or a couple of poems, or article and work on it for our May 27th workshop. Be prepared with at least two hard copies of that work. We’re going to focus on feedback. What it is. How to give it. How to receive it. And then we’re going to read and give feedback. It’s one of the most important tools for growth a writer can give and receive. We need to get back to that. So, be ready. Two copies of something you want feedback on, a pen, and you at 6 p.m. on May 27th at the North Bend Library Meeting Room. Hope to see a big group for this.
Our redo of the Solidifying Your Online Presence workshop will be June 10th.
Now your moment of Writing Zen:

“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

― Winston Churchill


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 — April 23, 2014

Writers!

Wow! We’ve had a busy writing-centered week. Love it. Poetry on Monday. Work shop on Tuesday. And tonight is Writers Cafe at Jay Berry’s.
Congratulations on a great event on Monday! The library seemed fairly happy with the participation — both from poet and audience. Feels good!
Last night’s workshop helped our authors focus in on what to do and not to do to be a better candidate for an agent to notice:  Do’s and Don’ts and things to do before you knock on the agent’s door. Now, go get ’em gang!
Our May 13th workshop will be on Finding Time for Writing. Over the past few months at workshops and cafes I keep hearing folks make a comment about writing time getting pushed down in the priority list. We’ll go over strategies to make time for writing, juggling your writing needs and family/work/community responsibilities. For some it will be a repeat, but it seems we all need it, including myself. I also have learned a few more things that I will share with you during this time as well. Oh, and we’ll also write.
There is some desire from the groups for me to repeat the “Solidifying Your Online Presence” work shop. So, I’m going to put that on the calendar for May 27th.
Our first June workshop, June 10, will be on critiquing. Be prepared to bring a few copies of one of your short stories, sample chapter, or a few poems (not more than 5 pages) to exchange with a couple of the group. Remember, we practice a creative safe zone tactics. Don’t know what that is? Then plan to be at this work shop.
Please put these dates on your calendar and be there. As always, 6 p.m. at the North Bend Library meeting Room, until about 7:30. Last night we went over a bit, but dealing with agents is kind of intense. 🙂 I’m always happy to stay later (we have the room until 8) to answer questions.
Today’s prompt is a straight-up prompt getting you to just pause and get words down.
Start your piece based upon this sentence:  The janitor finds something interesting in the accountant’s waste basket.
Go.
Write.
Don’t just stare at the screen, go write. After you write you can get your Moment of Writing Zen:
“You need three things to become a successful novelist: talent, luck and discipline. Discipline is the one element of those three things that you can control, and so that is the one that you have to focus on controlling, and you just have to hope and trust in the other two.”

 

― Michael Chabon

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 — April 11, 2012 Edition

Greetings Writers!

We will depart, as they say, from our regularly schedule program today to allow those who participated in or attended Word Jazz to reflect on the experience and provide feed back. It will also give everyone a chance to actually catch up on work we’ve been doing on our creative recovery journey ala The Artist’s Way. There were a good chunk of exercises in last week’s prompt, so I hope everyone will go back and work on those exercises.
So today’s prompt is to do a check in:
1.  How many days this week did you do your morning pages? How as the experience for you? I’m bad this week — yes I have bad week’s, too. And I notice my creativity suffers for it. I’m 3/7 this week. I could blame illness (2/3 kids sick this week), crazy schedule (conference, Word Jazz), but they really aren’t barriers, when I think about it; I’m just being lazy. But today is a new day.
2.  Did you do your artist date this week? What did you do? How did it feel? I had three artist’s dates in a row, since I went to NorWesCon. I love conferences, it always fuels the creative fire, even if physically they wear me out.
3.  Affirmative reading? Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant for your recovery? Describe them. As for me, I’ve had two separate epiphanies as it were this week. I will blog about my thoughts later today and you can read them there, if you’re interested.
Now onto comments, questions, concerns, suggestions, etc. for Word Jazz.
Please tell us (via email here) what you liked. Please tell us any suggestions for improvement you may have. Those who keep blogs, I encourage you to write about your experience either as participant, volunteer or audience member.
Our next regular work session will be April 22 at the North Bend Library Meeting Room at 3 p.m.  Until then …
Friday:  DayTripper’s @ Toad’s in North Bend 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. (ish) (if you’re the first one there, please secure the large table in the very back).
Monday:  Midday Muse @ Toad’s in North Bend 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. (ish) (if you’re the first one there, please secure the large table in the very back).
Tuesday:  Writers’ Cafe @ Carriage Insurance House – 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. (byo-beverages and snacks)
Keep writing and send it out!



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