A Right Writing Day

Today the local library hosted a program for writers. I'm not sure what it was called and until I got there I wasn't even sure what it was or how it would go.

What it was: an opportunity for local writers to display (and hopefully sell) their work. Each was also given some time, completed unstructured, to discuss their work and anything else they wanted to talk about. There were 7 or 8 writers who came prepared (or unprepared, in my case) to talk. Among the group was a sci-fi writer, three Inspirationa/Christian writers, a poet who also wrote Christian fiction, a fiction writer who also wrote Inspirational fiction and poetry, and me (how to classify me? Folklore writer? Poet? Nonfiction writer? Non-Inspirational writer?).

What happened: the library staff set up tables with placards for each writer. Everyone set out their books, etc in front of them and people came in and browsed and talked to the writers. I did not set up right away since I wasn't sure of what was expected. Then at 10 am the first speaker, Barbara Cozad, discussed her books and how she got them published and why she writes. With her was an elderly woman who, as it turned out, was the great-grandmother of two little boys with a rare disorder. The author was donating some of her sales to the boys' medical fund. After the author spoke, her companion talked about the little boys who have something called Sanfilippo's Syndrome. Hers was a heart-breaking story, and one that spoke to her bravery and her love of her great-grandsons.

Following her was Nancy Merical, a poet and writer of Inspirational Fiction. Nancy is a down-to-earth woman; she was forthright about the difficulties of getting published and book marketing. Nancy has quite a few books in print and her honesty about her struggles to get her work out to the public was an honest look at the challenge faced by today's authors.

Next was Fred Harrington, a science fiction writer. His talk was lively, filled with stories and humor. To hear him tell of the 5 year old neighbor child who moved in with him when the grandma who was raising the boy went to prison (no joke) just made my jaw drop--especially when he said the boy is still living with him and his wife, 6 years later. Now that is a story. Fred discussed his writing process, where he gets inspiration for his books and the company he publishes through.

I left for a bit after Mr. Harrington because our writers' group meets on Tuesday and we had some work to do. I rejoined the meeting afterward and for my segment I discussed blogging as a way to build audience, social networking, and finding new and different ways to market our writing. I don't have novels like many of the others did, and what I do is a good bit different, but some of the methods I use for marketing can work for a traditional author too.

Last of the day's presenters (I missed one lady while at my writers group and don't know her name) was Mike Anders. Mike described his path to writing his current novel about horses, Voices on the Wind, and also gave specifics about publishing an e-book on Kindle. I had not considered doing that, but after listening to Mike, I plan to look into it as a way to sell some of my short stories.

It was an interesting day. The best part was meeting other writers and hearing about their work. I was able to promote our writing group too, and we may have gained a couple new members.

I had not planned to be away all day, but in the end it was time well spent. The company of writers--a pleasure and an inspiration.

Writing News

My writing group is meeting again, as I mentioned last week. I rounded up some information to share with them and thought I'd post it here too because many of you are also writers. Then I went looking for more, so this is the expanded list!

The West Virginia Writers Inc annual contest is open for entries. Deadline is 3/15. Information about the contest is on the website. The conference, which is when the winners are announced, is usually the second weekend in June at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley, WV not far from where I live. It's a great conference, very laid back and friendly. And if you enter the contest? You win money! Well, for first, second and third places in each category, anyway. You must join WVW to enter.

First 50 is a great place to get a little writing inspiration. Virginia DeBolt offers ideas, and then you write--50 words. Just enough to get something good started. I have written several good pieces after first posting a quick response to one of her prompts.

Poetica Place is a poetry online journal, from the Middle Island Creek area of WV. There is a forum there where writers can chat; Middle Island has several new chapbooks coming out soon, and I will be reviewing them on this blog.

The West Virginia Writers Roundtable is a good place to get in touch with other writers and to find out about upcoming events and contests. Not all people on the roundtable are from West Virginia, and the conversations can get lively. Prompts are sometimes posted here too.

The Writers Toolkit workshop is coming March 19. I will have to miss it--again--because I'll be giving a ballad workshop in Virginia. But it's a great, free workshop held at the Culture Center in Charleston, WV. I can't find anything more about it online, but I did hear this from a reliable source. I'll pass on more information when I find it. This is a full day of workshops from excellent instructors in one of our state's most beautiful locations, the Capitol Complex. I've only been able to attend once and it was well worth my time.

Hoot Owl Night at the Archives is coming April 1-2. I'd never heard of this, but apparently this is the 12th year?  Apparently the state archives library stays open all night so people can stay and research to their heart's content for a $25 fee. It's a great idea, especially for those who come from out of state and need to make the best use of their time.

The Dying to Write Horror Writers Retreat will be held the first weekend in April too, at Canaan Valley Resort. So if your interest is a more bloody than historical, you might want to check this one out.

The West Virginia Writers Workshop (not to be confused with the West Virginia Writers CONFERENCE) is scheduled for July 21-24, 2011 at WVU in Morgantown. The presenters have impressive writing backgrounds; this one is a little expensive if you want one-on-one time with the instructors, but otherwise it looks like an affordable, exciting conference. I have never attended this but I think I might have to add it to my calendar this year.

And of course there is the West Virginia Book Festival October 22-23 in Charleston. Last year's session with Nicholas Sparks drew thousands of people, and Diana Gabaldon was a big hit too. This year, I don't think the presenters have been announced yet, but the Festival is always worth attending, and I'm betting their authors this year will be every bit as exciting as last year's lineup. And there is that awesome book sale, too!

What a list. So many good opportunities, so little time. I hope to run into some of you at these events, because I hope to make it to a few of them myself.

In Beautiful Pocahontas County

These are photos taken yesterday and early this morning in Pocahontas county. I was there to be the Creative Writing Master for the Allegheny Echoes workshops. I didn't take many photos this trip. Sometimes I just want to live in the moment and not outside of it as a camera often requires the photographer to be.

Mouth a-runnin' as I tell some kind of tale high up on the mountain.


The heat was intense and unusual for this area of West Virginia where many people have no air conditioning because typically it doesn't get much over 80 degrees. Yesterday was 92, but the heat left with the sun and a bright, almost-full moon lit the evening wild meat cookout. Bear, elk stroganoff, deep-fried turkey, clams and clam chowder, venison chili and probably other meats were cooked by the men who supplied it. The bear was particularly interesting--it was slow-roasted in a pit in the earth, covered in red-hot coals. The final result was tender and as tasty as roast beef. We provided new potatoes and green beans from our garden, and Kirk Judd did the honors and cooked those up.

The evening's music was all flavors and levels of expertise. Master musicians such as Jimmy Costa, Tim Bing, Robin Kessinger, Jake Krack, Mike Bing, members of the Black Mountain Bluegrass Band, and many others were outside playing in jams on porches and the parking lot of the Marlinton Motor Inn, where Echoes is held each year. Beginners and intermediate players found others to play with them, or watched intently on the edges of jams, occasionally playing along when they could keep up. No one is left out who wants to play. The old-time music echoed from the hills until well after midnight. We reluctantly headed to bed at 1:30 am, knowing we had to be up early for the drive to Charleston to take me to an appointment and then to work.

Before the evening festivities, I conducted my workshop at a camp on the Greenbrier River. The views from this camp are breathtaking:

Shade gives way to field:

A bear scratched the trunk of this apple tree last winter. Look closely to see the scratch marks on the trunk in the middle of the photo.

The lovely Greenbrier River, where our sons competed in the Great Greenbrier River Race in April:

The one-lane bridge crossing the river looks right at home in its setting.

A barn with three lightning rods on Droop Mountain, between the camp and the motel:

And early this morning, The View from Little Laurel overlook on the Scenic highway (Route 150) :

A wildflower I am not familiar with. Can anyone identify this for me?

Mist was rising and flowing around us when I took this photo:

More wildflowers. I am not sure what the yellow ones are, but the red bergamot was lovely with the yellow flowerheads, white elderberry blossoms, and purple-pink crown vetch.

Then we had to quit fooling around and make some time getting back to our home territory. It is always difficult to leave Pocahontas county, and even more difficult to leave when so many good friends and great music are still there. Next year, I hope I can once again attend the whole week of workshops. There is nothing quite like a week in the mountains with musicians and artists, natural scenery all around, and long summer nights of music and laughter.

If you ever wanted to learn to play or write or sing, check into Allegheny Echoes. I can guarantee you will go home with the knowledge and creative energy you need to be successful. Not to mention a lot of new friends and memories that will bring you back like a homecoming to the Pocahontas county mountains.

On the Road: Marlinton

We're off again, this time to Marlinton, West Virginia where I'll be the creative writing master, teaching a class for the Allegheny Echoes Workshops.

I am looking forward to this: my plan is to center the discussion around food and the role it plays in our Appalachian culture, not just at mealtimes but in all aspects of our life.

I am thinking about kitchens, cellars, smokehouses and Mom and Pop restaurants.
About canning and drying and pickling and freezing.
About hunting and fishing and foraging.
About beans and new potatoes.
About favorite, passed-down recipes and legendary family cooks.
About funerals and weddings and reunions.
About picnic tables, kitchen tables, and porches.
About manners, folklore, and cures.
About farmers markets and roadside stands.
About chickens, pigs and milk cows.
About bulimia, anorexia and the obesity epidemic.
About woodstoves, Hoosier cabinets and microwaves.
And so many other things in our lives that begin with our need for nourishment, for both body and soul.

We'll string a few beans at first while we talk, then put them on to cook with new potatoes while we explore, discuss and write. I have stacks of poems to share, and these will be the jumping off place for us to write.

I think this is going to be interesting. While I'm gone, here's one for you to ponder:

Cider Apples

When God had made the oak trees,

And the beeches and the pines,

And the flowers and the grasses,

And the tendrils of the vines;

He saw that there was wanting

A something in His plan,

And He made the little apples,

The little cider apples,

The sharp, sour cider apples,

To prove his love for man.

Unknown (from the website Food Reference).

On the Storytelling Trail: Moundsville and Benwood-McMechen

Today I presented two entirely different programs. The first was a creative writing workshop, as part of the Get Creative! Summer Reading theme that is being used at many West Virginia libraries.


For this program I created small journals with writing prompts. We used some of the prompts today, and the rest are for students to take home and write whenever they feel the urge. We wrote list poems, acrostics, flash fiction and a nonfiction piece about how we got our names.

I also had some "five senses" items on the tables--the participants could touch, smell, taste, or see the objects; the hearing part was our discussion of each item. The items included a glass ball that belonged to my parents, a small Navajo pin that was my grandmother's, a jar of cinnamon, one of dried dill and one of pickling spice, a velvet burnout scarf, an appliqued dishtowel from the 50's, a small wooden vase given to me by my sister Theresa, and several kinds of candy.

There were some talented writers in the group, and I hope they continue to use the journals and find opportunities to write.

We left Moundsville and headed up the Ohio River to the communities of Benwood and McMechen. These little towns adjoin each other so closely it's difficult to know where one ends and the other begins. The children at the program could tell me quickly, however!

This program included storytelling with puppets, including my two Create-A-Puppets that make the most bizarre monsters. Two boys made monsters prior to the program and we used them in a cracked version of City Mouse/Country Mouse. (City Monster/Country Monster!). We told two other stories with puppets, and almost every child in attendance was able to be part of at least one of the stories.

After the stories, it was puppetmaking time! We made a grand and glorious mess with felt, yarn, pompoms, sequins, feathers, jewels, peel-and-stick foam sheets, and other craft supplies.

Look at them working!

And here are a few results of their efforts: these, I was told, are a chicken and a squirrel. Who am I to argue?

The group of middle-school-age kids got crazy with the yarn and made "hairy" puppets, with lots of feathers. Creative? Absolutely.

So now I'm home again and getting ready for the next performance Friday night. I'm excited about this one too, a program of Celtic-Appalachian stories and songs with two musician friends for a Celtic Festival at Prickett's Fort State Park. Stories and music--can there be a better combination? (Well, kids and puppets come a close second in my book.)