Writing Critique Group

This week at Pages is our last gathering before summer break. It's also the last evening of our current series, The Writer's Toolbox. We will conclude this month by test-driving a revised-for-our-community edition of a Critique Group Procedure shared with me by Mary DeMuth. If you plan to attend Pages on Wednesday, please read over the Critique Procedure, basically, it's how the night will flow, what to bring and what to expect.

Know that you can come to Pages and take part in the critique of other's work even if you don't plan to have your work critiqued.

See you at 6:30 PM in the large conference room at LWCC!!
grace & peace,
deAnn

April @ PAGES: The Writers' Toolbox

"I want to suggest that to write to your best abilities, it behooves you to construct your own toolbox and then build up enough muscle so you can carry it with you. Then, instead of looking at a hard job and getting discouraged, you will perhaps seize the correct tool and get immediately to work." Stephen King, On Writing.

April @ Pages we'll be looking at our individual writer's toolbox, see if we have it adequately stocked and see what tools need to be shifted from the bottom to the top shelf. Heck, we may even find tools in the box that we had forgotten about.

This Pages will function unlike any other Pages in its history and we totally excited about the new format. We are asking you to peruse your written pieces and pick out one (under three pages in length) and bring a hard copy with you to Pages tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 4. That's all I'm sharing at this point - the rest is a surprise!

Reminder:
Pages meets every Wednesday of April (and every other month following) from 6:30-8:00 PM in the Large Conference room of Living Word Community Church. Bring a writing notebook, pencil/pen and your chosen written piece. Zip me an email if you plan to come.

grace & peace,
deAnn

May Writers' Retreat

Boy, I feel really bad about having to cancel the March Writers' Retreat. For the handful of you that were able to attend I hope you keep that writing-date on your calendar and use those priceless hours to meet with God through the gift of writing that He's given you.

I've scheduled the May Writers' Retreat for Saturday, 5/12 from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. We'll meet in the Life Center then break out into our times of writing. Pack a lunch and bring your laptop &/or writing notebook. If you have a project you are working on, bring that or if you'd prefer more guidance, writing prompts will be given.

Also, we are in the process of putting together a Writing Critique Group. Stay tuned for more info on that!

Grace & peace,
deAnn

Writers' Retreat

Our first Writers' Retreat in January was a big hit so we are offering one again this month.

Saturday, March 24

8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Living Word Community Church

Coffee Bar area

Bring your laptop or notebook

Pack a lunch

Maybe you are working on a project and you just need to step out of the busyness of your life for a few hours so that you can write. Perfect, the Writers' Retreat is for you.

On the other hand, maybe you feel the desire to write but would rather have prompts given to you. Perfect, the Writers' Retreat is for you.

If God has laid on your heart a passion to communicate via writing - exploring your world, making sense of it, where you see God at work in your life, recording family history, memoir, fiction or non-fiction writing...the bottom line is - God laid that passion on your heart. What, now, will you do about it?

The Writers' Retreat is a place of encouragement, a time carved out for you to be in the presence of your Creator and to practice the gift of writing that He's given you, to be in a community of other writers' of faith, and hopefully, a place of inspiration.

Coffee, juice, and some breakfast sweets will be provided in the morning. Pack your lunch for the afternoon.

Please RSVP via email or call deAnn at 717-755-0089 x126.

Hope to see you on March 24th!

grace & peace ~
deAnn

Roadblocks to Writing

Ever feel that way while writing? You scream on the inside for help because creativity is not flowing. Or you want to write but you procrastinate by checking your email first or you hop on Facebook for a quick sec. Only to realize you've chewed up all your writing time by NOT WRITING.

There are many roadblocks. Each of us may experience different blocks: distraction, procrastination, emptiness, to name a few. My thought is that the evil one wants to do everything in his power to keep us from using the God-given gifts that we have. You may not think that writing is very important - it's just a "hobby" or something wanted to do but chalked it up to a childhood dream. However the desire to write, to express yourself, still exists no matter how hard you try to ignore it. Well, don't ignore it. Pay close attention to that desire - it's a desire placed in you by God. Embrace it, Trust Him. And write.

But roadblocks will still come. How do you move past them? This is the topic at Pages for the month of February, "Roadblocks to Writing." I hope you will consider joining us every Wednesday in Feb (2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, and 2/29). We meet in the large conference room at LWCC, room 112 from 6:30-8PM. Bring your notebook and writing utensil. Laptops are alright too, as long as they are on "mute." There's nothing like a quiet writing time interrupted with a loud "ding!" notifying everyone in the room that you just got mail. :0)

The Pages writing community is going rapidly. If you know you will be attending in February, please email me (deAnn) as I may have to get a larger room. I love it!

Hope to see you next Wednesday!

grace & peace,
deAnn

First Writers' Retreat

Infuse[d] Arts hosted its first Writers' Retreat on Saturday, January 14 from 8:00 am - 12 pm. Nineteen writers attended the "two-in-one" retreat: work on a writing project or meet with others in a more structured, prompt-driven, intimate group. I'd say it was about 50/50.

The connecting time as a whole group was inspiring. The project people shared what they are working on which lead to great conversation. The group writers' time was powerful and we saw God moving in big ways around that large table.

In my next post, I'll feature the video I showed to kick off the morning. It's a thing of beauty and many people shared that it really touched them deeply. It was just a really sweet sweet morning.

The biggest request I saw from the evaluations is the desire for a full day retreat. A close second was "can we have a retreat each month?" At this point, the retreats will be every other month (I'll looking for a date in March) and it will be a full day. So be prepared for lots of inspiration, connecting with other writers, big chunks of time to write and times to share. We learn so much from one another.

The desire you have in your heart to write is a desire placed there by God Himself. It's easy to listen to the all the negative "voices" that say you can't write, you shouldn't write, who's going to read your stuff, what you want to write has been written about a thousand times before. But if you quiet yourself before your Creator, Father God, He will surely tell you that He has given you a one-of-a-kind voice, a unique style, and a passion to communicate something of importance. Listen for His still small voice of encouragement, of love, and inspiration. May His voice be the prominent voice you hear as you continue your journey as a writer in this life.

Check back to this blog for details on March Writers' Retreat.

Grace & peace,
deAnn

Author Georgia Shaffer @ Pages!

Georgia Shaffer, author, life coach, and speaker.

We are so excited to have Georgia Shaffer share with us how God called her into a writing career. It's a great story!

Join us at a special Pages on Wednesday, December 14 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM in Living Word's coffee bar rooms A & B.

It is a privlidge to host Georgia as she shares about the early parts of her writing journey. She's a respected author and speaker and you don't want to miss this.

Hope to see you there.

Grace & peace,
deAnn

Time to Write ~ Pages Tonight

Tonight at Pages, Lisa Long will give us very tangible ways to "find" time in our busy lives to write. A gift left unused tells the giver "thanks, but no thanks." Our writing talent and desire is a gift from God. Let's develop and use that gift and please the Giver of all good things. :0) Plus, we gain so much by using our gift as well. It's a win-win situation.

See you tonight in the large conference room at 6:30 PM for Pages! Bring your writing notebook and writing utensil.

Grace & peace ~ deAnn

Pages - Creating a Space to Write

Wow - a whole room dedicated to reading and writing!

Having a comfortable place to create, whether you are a visual artist or writer, is quite important. But it can also hold you back from fully using your gifts. What I mean by this is, I'll use me for example and the abuse, I have a small house - filled to the brim with life. There is literally no "extra" bedroom or general space to set up a quaint writing studio or arts studio. I too often allow that reason to keep me from writing or creating art. Sometimes I feel I need a dedicated creative space in order to create. But if I'm really honest with myself, that is a cop-out attitude. It's laziness. It's a lack of trust in my gifts. It's a reason to procrastinate. "I'd like write more, but I just don't have a space that makes me feel inspired."

Inspiration is necessary to create. And spaces can certainly be inspiring or uninspiring. The images below appeal to me as inspiring places to create. However, even having a nice place to write doesn't change my heart. I need to want to write. How badly do I want it? Will I write only if I have a spiffy place to do it? Or will I be creative with the space I actually have. My house. My little humble home... will I choose to look at my spaces differently and see possibility instead of frustration.

I'm pretty sure we'll never be financially set to afford a writer's or artist's shed on a melancholy beach overlooking the grey seas in Nova Scotia. Or have an English country backyard with vines and ivy growing over tall wooden fences like a secret garden. So, I must look again at home on Main Street, ask God for inspiration to create a lovely space with what I have and then ask Him for more inspiration to do the hard part - writing.

Yes, what I am saying is that I often use the excuse of not having a space to create to justify why I don't create. Oh, I feel the conviction right now settling in on my heart. I sense God saying to me, "Use your gifts where you are." Okay Lord. You are right. But it would be lovely to have one of the spaces in the images below. :0)

Tomorrow night at Pages, Emily will be covering this topic in more depth. I hope you can join us! We meet at 6:30 PM in the large conference room at LWCC. Bring your notebook and favorite writing utensil. See you then!

I could handle this space.

Very Hobbit-ish. I like it!

I can see a Monk sitting at this window pondering the sensations of his heart and love for God.

PERFECT!

Sorry for the "advertisment." But I just LOVE this little writing shed!

From Your Heart to the Page

We kicked off Pages last Wednesday night with a full house! Many people are listening and responding to the nudge in their heart that is calling them to the paper. We continue with Pages every Wednesday of October, 6:30 - 8:00 PM in the Large Conference room at LWCC. There is still room so please come if you are interested in being part of a Christian community of writers.

The October theme of Developing a Writer's Life will continue into the December Pages. It's just such a big and expansive topic. Due to the holidays in December we are only meeting the first two Wednesdays that month, so it just made sense to fold those nights into the October theme.

Please bring a notebook and your favorite writing utensil to each Pages gathering.

Grace & peace - and SEE YOU on Wednesday night!

deAnn

NOTICE about PAGES tonight

Hello writers,

I've tried hard not to cancel Pages tonight, but I'm afraid I need to. I've felt bad all day and have finally made a decision that I need to cancel. I'm so sorry for the short notice!!

I hope you get this in time. If not, what I was going to do was have everyone contemplate each "station" of the exhibit and write what comes to mind and heart. Easter is just next weekend and to reflect on Christ's passion is a powerful way to approach Good Friday.

Again, I'm sorry for the short notice...I was really trying to make it tonight, but I think I need to stay in bed.

Grace & Peace,
deAnn

A Special PAGES Gathering

Hello writers!

Next Wednesday, April 13, is Pages and I hope you can make it. As the Lenten season winds down, I have a special evening planned for the April Pages. Bring your writing journal, if you use one in prayer time. Otherwise, your laptop will do.

Looking forward to see you all… and if you think of it, please let me know if you are coming so I can plan. Thank you!

Grace & peace,
deAnn

reminder: Pages is from 7-8:30 PM in the coffee bar rooms, E & F.

Why Do You Write?

Tonight's PAGES gathering was a small one. But I expected that with the sudden change to Wednesday night and last night's snowfall making some challenging driving this evening. But, God showed up tonight in a powerful way...

We started off by reflecting on the John O'Donohue poem, "For A New Beginning." Since we are only twelve days into a new year, I thought it was appropriate. What would it look like to dive into the next twelve months and explore, further develop the gift of writing that God has given you?

I asked the question, "Why do you write?" So, we took some time and actually wrote out why we write. This was actually a very telling exercise for each of us. It became clear that I write to know. To know God. To know myself. And with so much busyness this past year, I've not taken the time to write as I once had. Because of this lack of writing in my life, I've lost time getting to know God. I've lost time getting to know myself. My soul feels it too. I must get back to writing regularly = daily. (In a future post, I'll share what I wrote and what I discovered through this exercise.)

Around Christmastime we had some intensely cold weather with driving winds. Our pipes froze. Once my husband thawed them out, he said we need to let the water drip out of the faucet so that there is activity in the pipes. This will keep them from freezing. Well, writing daily, is like the dripping faucet...it keeps the flow going and it's less likely we'll "freeze up." Needless to say, my writing pipes have been frozen shut for several months now. I feel a thaw coming on and tonight's PAGES is a big part of that.

In 2010 it's safe to say that I squandered some of the talents God has given me. Like the parable, I've taken the talents and buried them for "safe keeping." Yeah, right. I buried them because I'm lazy, because I've let life distract me from using and developing that which God has graciously given to me. In 2011, I commit to multiplying the talents given to me. One way to do this is by writing daily and I'm committing to 30 minutes each evening.

So, why do you write? Take some time and write why you write. Like me, like Ryan, maybe you'll discover something significant and be filled with gratitude for the One who gives gifts so freely and generoulsy.

Grace & peace~
deAnn

Pages is Moving

Writers & Poets:
How’s 2011 going so far for you? Are you inspired? I have been, a lot, lately. Which is so lovely.
Beginning this month, PAGES is moving from Thursdays to Wednesdays and from the large conference room to the Coffee Bar rooms E & F.

So here’s the new scoop:
PAGES
Wednesday, January 12
(Second Wednesday of every month)
Meet in the Coffee Bar rooms E & F
7:00-8:30 PM

Here are the 2011 dates:
Jan 12
Feb 9
Mar 9
Apr 13
May 11
Jun 8
Jul 13
Aug 10
Sep 14
Oct 12
Nov 9
Dec 14

I hope this isn’t an inconvenience for you. And I hope to see you this week – Wednesday, Jan 12 in E&F. Bring your laptop or writing notebook ~ Let’s start off the new year with 90 minutes of creativity!

Grace & peace, deAnn

P.S. due to the pending snow this week, be SURE to check this Blog AND call the church main office (755-0089) to see if the building is closed do to inclement weather. Call at least 30 minutes before Pages begins for an accurate message.

Pages - Cancelled tonight - SO SORRY :0(

Hi writers & poets,

Let me start off by saying I'm praying 2011 will be easier on me, health-wise. Geez. I'm battling a ridiculous cold virus that has left me totally wiped out. I worked today and just can't muster up the energy to stay until 9pm tonight. Please accept my apologies. I feel like a flake. And a crumb at the same time.

I'd rather not give you what I have, just in time for the holidays to get into full swing.

I'll be in touch,
Enjoy the evening with family or writing silently in a quiet corner of your house or Borders or Starbucks or Panera... :0)

grace & peace,
deAnn

Thursday Pages - Tomorrow!

Hello writers and poets!

If you aren't busy shopping, decorating, or wrapping Christmas gifts, please come do what you love: write.

Tomorrow, Thursday, December 9th, is our monthly writers group - Thursday Pages. Just bring your notebook and favorite writing utensil OR laptop and a desire to be with other writers. We meet from 7:00-8:30 PM in the large conference room across the hall from the church kitchen. There will be a sign on the door.

Hope to see you there!!

grace & peace ~ deAnn

Thursday Pages - Cancelled

Hi there writers and poets - I am sorry but I'm going to cancel Thursday Pages tonight. My surgery went well on Tuesday but I'm more wiped out and sore than I anticipated. I hope you still take the hour and half that you had set aside for tonight and spend time writing, developing the voice God has given you.

See you next month!

thank you for understanding...

grace & peace ~ deAnn

Thursday Pages

The months are clicking by faster than I can keep up! This week, Thursday, November 11, is our monthly Thursday Pages writer's gathering from 7:00-8:30pm in the large conference room across the hall from the church kitchen. Bring your laptop or notebook and favorite writing utensil.

NOTE: Please check back to this blog on Thursday to be certain that Thursday Pages will in fact happen. I am having surgery tomorrow (Tuesday) and presume I'll feel up to faciliating on Thursday. If I'm not able to, I'll post it here. Thanks for understanding!

God willing, I'll see you on Thursday.

Grace & peace,
deAnn

Tandem Journey

Renee B. is a sweet and gentle woman. I first met her on Easter of this year. Now we see each other at least two times a month for Thursday Pages and The Studio, both of which are artistic communities here at LWCC. Recently she started a blog called Tandem Journey and I'd like to share it with everyone. Please take a look.

Grace & peace ~ deAnn

Thursday Pages!

This Thursday, October 14 at 7:00 PM is the monthly writing group, Thursday Pages. Bring your notebook and favorite writing utensil or laptop... or even a typewriter! Remember those?

We meet in the large conference room across the hall from church kitchen. Do you have a writing project in the works? Do you have an idea that needs to be poured onto paper? Bring them or we'll provide you with writing prompts if you want something fresh to spur on your creativity.

Hope to see you there! Contact me, deAnn, if you have any questions.

grace & peace ~ deAnn