The Writers’ Nook is a place where we, as a group, can provide a safe and positive environment in which to encourage one another and hone our own writing skills.
The Writers’ Needs
I’m pretty ordinary. A decent mind, not great but decent, not too much razzle dazzle in my personality. Why would anyone want to read what I’ve written? We all feel that way sometimes but, why DO we write? We write because we have something we want to say, or some idea that’s wanting to be made into a story. And we want to share it with others; that’s what makes it special.
Never forget Henry Van Dyke. He said that “The woods would be silent if no bird sang but the one that sang the best.”
This meeting was held via zoom at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022 Blind Bay Time (aka Vancouver Time). If you would like to join our group, please contact us. Your first meeting is free.
Your Challenge
Before the next meeting on March 16th, write about an idea, or a thought, or write a poem, a story or an essay. Write with adventure in mind. Write with enthusiasm, excitement and abandonment. Say things and use words and phrases you’re not used to using. Write for fun, and pleasure and who cares what you write? Nobody’s going to see it but we few. Let’s see what comes of this challenge!
Alternatively, submit anything that you’ve written recently that you’d like to share with us.
Responses
The Legend of Sam Stone By Tom Wainwright
When I Grow Up by Shirley Bigelow DeKelver
Okay. Uhm. by Karen Lesli
Grenville Grocery by Tom Wainwright
They live in the dell by Joyce Adrian Sotski
When I Grow Up by Karen Lesli
Dichotomy by Kevin Gooden
Hi Tom,
Lovely how you kept the rhythm of the story/poem woven with character narration and real geographical locations. All kinds of minerals in them there hills in the Kootenays. One cannot miss the tap into Sam McGee but you’ve kept your own voice and story. It would read aloud well.
Hi Shirley,
Good use of anaphora! I like the personalization of being a tree along with the interpretation of the environmental need of trees. You have made the poem personal and the environment around us, around the world is very personal, so, quite appropriate. The introduction of rough skin does draw curiousity. Geez do we have to grow up? 🙂 Lots of imagination.
Tom, The Legend of Sam Stone: I think you should go camping more often. I love the rhythm, the rhyming, the beat, the story and everything else about this poem. Our assignment from last week was to write with adventure in mind — with enthusiasm, excitement and abandonment. That’s what this story is, a little frisk on ‘that’ side of life. I have no suggestions for improvement.
Shirley, When I Grow Up: A poem is fairly unusual for you. It’s wishful and wistful and delicate, and I love it. It feels unedited and fresh from your keyboard. I enjoyed it very much.
Karen, Okay. Uhm.: A picture says a thousand words but to my mind, these 68 words conjure up 12 different pictures. I’ve been looking at birds lately too as they’re getting their nests ready for spring. Very timely and I enjoyed it.
Tom, Grenville Grocery: I think this is a good story. You have tension, humour, and emotion. The only thing that bothered me as I read through it was that I felt as if you were trying to be both the scriptwriter and the director. Maybe it’s the ‘giggle’ word that’s throwing me; it doesn’t seem appropriate. (Personally, I see this woman in a Lily Tomlin style, or maybe be a hoity-toity well dressed woman with her nose in the air style.) So my suggestion, right or wrong, would be to allow the director to use their own vision and interpretation of your play to direct the actors. If the play is well written, and I think this one is, the character development will show through in the script. In my opinion it’s the combination of the scriptwriter’s story, the director’s vision, and the actor’s talent that enriches the story and makes the work a collaborative effort. I think this is a good script.
The Legend of Sam Stone. Tom, I enjoyed your poem as Sam’s voice and actions kept the reader reading for more. It was imaginative and creative, well done.
Okay, Uhm: Karen, being a birdwatcher and photographer of our feathered friends, I enjoyed your poem, and got a good chuckle at the end.
Granville Grocery: Great script Tom. The mother was an original character, keeping the reader entertained. She was feisty and wickedly sharp in her quest to visit with her son, at the expense of the poor security man.
Tom, Realistic humourous possible. The narration flows naturally, though stretching the reader’s belief about the date rape, it also allows us to accept the absurdity and determination of the mother. Possibly add the word “staff” after security when asking him to leave. This script would work well with Joyce’s drama group.
I agree with everything you said Karen but would like to give credit where credit is due. Tom is every bit as much, and probably even more, involved in this drama group as I am. He also has much more experience in the acting aspect of drama than I have. I hope he brings this script to the group.
Joyce, I liked the mythical sense, your sentences flowed and connected. The oral connection of stories told. What can you see when you can’t see? Or what can see you when you aren’t looking? I don’t know if it should be lifes or lives. The imagery of green and enclosed in the imagined or real environment is well desribed.
Tom—“The Legend of Sam Stone”—What a fun, poetic story! I could hear the grizzled gap-toothed miner telling it. It took me a second look to clue into your multiple rhyming schemes, which I quite like and appreciate they must have added another layer of difficulty (no, no, FUN!) to the writing.
“Grenville Grocery”—funny story wrapping the hard truth of kids that are too busy. “Mom” is a fun character… date rape drug, LOL! Couple of minor details: The security person saying almost exactly the same description of his role twice seemed a bit unrealistic, and it used to be that shoplifters had to be outside the store or about to exit before they could be apprehended. Regardless of those, however, this tale gave me some good chuckles.
When I Grow Up: Karen, all I can say is WOW.
They Live in the Dell: Joyce, what beautiful, mystical writing. I followed your journey through the forest, ached when the worm died. This is one of your better submissions.
Dichotomy: Kevin, your essay is insightful, humourous, sadly a little scary (if the truths or untruths were to be told), and extremely well written.
Shirley—“When I Grow Up”—Nice one Shirley, though I didn’t know you were bent on being an Ent! (Lord of the Rings humour) ‘Remain rooted’ and ‘snow…like tiny razors’ were a couple of favourite descriptions.
Karen—“When I Grow Up”—Don’t know what TYPE of piece this is called, and some of the formatting is quite unusual, BUT… I love the vibe and message of this piece. “…blast upward out of the duct tape of conformity…” is but one of many striking examples in this ‘gloves-off-boxing and light-the-dynamite-fuse’ powerful write.
Joyce—“They live in the dell”—A beautiful literary piece with wonderful descriptions like “staircase …made of jade and hidden…” and “…string of white rocks…set like pearls…” Comprehensions that live from one life to another? Great concept (Buddhist?) and wonderful writing!
Karen, When I Grow Up: Way to state and stand up for what you believe in! Hurrah! And so well written. It’s one of those pieces that we should tack onto the wall in our own private space and hope we can remember this wisdom, and minic this chutzpah, when the time comes to use it. An impressive piece of poetry.
Kevin, Dichotomy: Very effective opening paragraphs! As soon as I read them I knew something worthwhile was coming up in the remainder of your post. You have a wonderful sense of humour. I enjoyed every minute of the read and given the ‘spontaneity’ of the writing, I cannot think of any suggestions for improvement.