I’ve gotten the green light from the owner of our local bookstore, Readers’ Books, to initiate a writer’s group. I’m excited about what it might generate in terms of new friends and writing production. I’m beginning to wonder when I’ll ever get back into the fiction writing groove. This writers’ support group could get me on my way. I created a flier to let people know what I had in mind, and in the e-mail I made it clear that the group was not going to be a class, there would be no instruction nor advise. It’s a support group. I said how I find I write more when I know somebody is going to hear it. I said, “Whether you are currently writing or simply curious about what might happen if you tried, this group is for you. I’m calling the group WORDer, because similar to bird lovers who seek, discover, and enjoy birds (birders) I hope similar wonder and discovery over words will infuse the group.” So far three people have signed up. This is what the flier had on it:
WORDer – Writing as Discovery
Find the story in you by participating in this
six-week writing commitment.
Group size limit: Ten
Cost: $50
Time: Every Monday for six weeks from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M.
Start: September 13th 2010
End: October 18th 2010
Where: The patio at Readers’ Books
Format: Greetings
Ten minute writing exercise
Read from works-in-progress
Receiving feedback is optional
All Feedback Is To Be Positive Only
What you liked.
What stood out.
What you remember.
What you’ll need: Writings, writing tools, and personal comfort items (pillow, slippers, warm coat, etc.).
What’s provided: Cold water, hot tea, small snack, patio heater, and a supportive group.
Registration Contact:
Terry Sue Harms
(Author of Pearls My Mother Wore)
terrysh@sonic.net
Another current bit of book excitement came yesterday when I found myself in our local Sonoma newspaper, The Sonoma Sun. If anyone is visiting this blog for the first time as a result of the article, welcome! The article announced my up and coming event at Book Passage. It included a 4″ x 3 1/2″ picture of me, and this is what it said:
“Five years ago, in reaction to the last-man-standing/reality TV craze, Terry Sue Harms made a casual statement to one of her hairdressing clients that she would like to see something “where the losers were the winners.” Little did she know that the creative muse must have been listening, because, on the heals of that thought, the storyline for Pearls My Mother Wore was born into her imagination and wouldn’t let her go.
The story is about a young woman whose husband dies without warning, and just as suddenly and unexpectedly, her wayward, bad boy nephew shows up looking for yet another helping hand. Although complications arise, eventually they help heal each other. “Ultimately this is a story about loss and recovery, resentment and forgiveness,” says Harms.
Harms speaks at length about waking up in the middle of the night with the complete story line springing from her mind. After attending a writer’s workshop at Book Passage, she decided to take the leap and begin writing.
Harms will be sharing the book at her biggest author event to date – at Corte Madera’s Book Passage on Saturday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. She’s already done a reading here in Sonoma at Reader’s Books where she said the audience was as warm and supportive of her as it was of her literary journey. The book is available at Reader’s as well as at Sonoma Bookends. More about the novel and Harms can be found at pearlsmymotherwore.com.
“As a full time hairdresser, this book has been a journey that my clients have gone on with me,” said Harms. “Sonoma is magical in its enthusiasm for the arts. There is an exciting, supportive energy here and getting to read my book at Book Passage is the icing on the cake.””
The whole thing has been icing on the cake. Again and again I find myself filled with gratitude for the support and encouragement I have received.
I’ll catch you up on the next-latest next Friday. Until then, have a great week, and thank you in advance for any comments you may feel like posting. They’re all welcomed and enjoyed. Any Green Lights going on in your world?