Local Writers: Listen Up and Gather 'Round!
Writing can be a solitary act. Sitting in front of your monitor or staring at the blank page of a notebook can be lonely and taxing. This is an extreme downside of the act of writing. Now, let's talk about the other side of the writing habit. Writing is a creative and intense way for us to give form and structure to our thinking. The very process of writing can lead the mind to deeper levels of insight and imagination than you ever imagined possible. You thought you were going to write about a chance encounter with a friend and suddenly you are writing about a rain-drenched day as a child when you lost your way in a shopping mall. Many writers often talk about the unexpected twists and turns that happen on the page or screen when they allow their writing to move forward uninhibited by doubt.
Another plus to writing is that it can bring people together. Writing Groups allow both for socializing with others interested in exploring writing and helping writers stay on target, stay productive and keep receiving a steady flow of feedback.
On Wednesday, February 27 author Anna Jean Mayhew will present Writing Groups That Work at Main Library from 2:00 - 4:00 PM (Bostick Auditorium on the Garden Level). If you are currently in a writing group, thinking about starting one or simply interested in what it takes to keep your writing steady and moving forward, please join us for this event. Ms. Mayhew, author of the novel The Dry Grass of August will share what works both as a member and a leader of writing groups.
Here at Richland Library, we are looking into ways to actively support local writers--whether you are writing for the pleasure or seeking publication. One direct way we are beginning to support local writers is by encouraging the use of our Richland Library locations as the regular meeting place for writing groups. If you have a writing group and would like to find out more about how you can book a space for your group, please call 803.929.3457. We consider the workshop Wrting Groups That Work as our official launch for a more assertive approach to supporting local writers. Come find out some of the ideas we have as well as share your own, and stay tuned to find out more about local writers at your library.
I asked Ms. Mayhew for some of her go-to favorite resources for writing inspiration and keeping up-to-date about the Writers' World. Below are some of her favorites. We'll be adding more recommended resources for writers in the future here at richlandlibrary.com. Simply search these key words: local writers.
Tony T. Says: This popular and inspiring book is both practical and a joy to read.
Amazon Says: "Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. [It] was due the next d...
Amazon
Amazon Says: "If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write." In 1999, Stephen King began to write about his craft -- and his life. By midyear, a wid...
Amazon
Amazon Says: A tribute to the brilliant craftsmanship of one of our most distinguished writers, providing valuable insight into her inspiration and her method Joyce Carol Oates is wid...
Amazon
Amazon Says: In her 93 remarkable years, veteran freelance writer, memoirist, and writing teacher Brenda Ueland published some six million words. She once said there were two simple rules ...
Amazon
- Poets & Writers
The online presence of the nation's largest nonprofit organization serving creative writers is a tremendous resource that offers tools for writers, information on writing contests as well as workshops, retreats and residencies across the United States. - Absolute Write
This website offers interviews with authors, current commentary and inspiration as well as links to helpful resources for writers.