Strathcona Writing Group

After a long day in the lice trenches, my darling husband insisted that I still head to Sherwood Park for my writing group meeting at the library. It turned out to be a welcome end to the day.

The Strathcona group is different from the Fort group. The Fort meetings are more structured. There is a presentation often times and someone leading the meeting. I took my turn last week and talked about publishing options and blogging. Strathcona has more writers who seem to be actively working on novels and we spend more time listening to each other’s work. They also self-publish with an anthology and organize writing workshops that are held at the library. I like both groups. I like the people and I take something from each experience.

Last evening I am afraid I monopolized a bit because I have been very busy writing since Christmas: poetry for an on-line magazine that was seeking submissions, another short story for my sci-fi story series, two pieces for a flash fiction contest, the start of my haiku’s for another e-zine and then finally a short based on a story Rob told me about Shelley. The group really likes my sci-fi series and I admit I am proud of it myself. Rob and Jordan have been reading pieces as I finish too. I think Jordan likes them a little more than Rob but it is the kind of subject matter that she finds more appealing than he does.

One of the comments I get from the Strathcona group often is that I have a strong voice as a writer and it lets me get away with breaking the sacred writing rules of fiction. Most notably the “show don’t tell” rule. Much as I love the compliment, it makes me wonder about this “voice”. Who I sound like that is so different from me and where does it come from? Being able to write is a gift, I know, but I still wonder about it.

In addition to my readings, Nathan read a poem that he’d written inspired by a Canadian Armed Forces recruiting commercial. Nathan is an interesting young man. He might be Farron’s age. He lives at home with his parents and his mother also attends are writing group. He has a limp which I am not sure if it is related to his short stature or not. He appears to be a little person but again it’s just an observation and not based on anything he has said. He’s very smart with a wicked sense of humor that I think Jordan might appreciate, but I am not in the match making business where my step-daughters are concerned. I think they are perfectly capable of meeting young men on their own. Match-making is a dangerous pastime anyway. After Nathan, Rebecca read her latest revision from a fantasy novel she is working on based on World of Warcraft characters she has created. I believe she is on her second revision. She is a very visual writing. She creates elaborate settings and is quite well versed in mythology. I love listening to her read. She has a Dutch - maybe - accent that really lends to the writing she is doing. Finally Heinz read a couple of his poems. He is an older German man who always seems to have very sad love poems to read. Makes me wonder what his story might be.

The first part of group was catching up and the last part of group was devoted to up-comings. There are workshops starting next month again and running into April. There are several that appeal to me but Rob doesn’t have the timeline for Texas yet and I don’t know when he will start traveling for work, so I am not committing to any but the first workshop on plot right now.

When I got home, I found two very tired lice warriors. One at the computer in the kitchen and the other barely awake upstairs after a trying bath and nit-picking sessions. Which reminds me that I have laundry still and hair to check. So far Rob and I are clean. Fingers crossed that we stay that way.