Join me for my January workshop

Start Close In
A Workshop by Brooke Warner
Sponsored by: Fremont Area Writers Club

When: Saturday, January 24, 2009
What: All Day workshop from 10 am-4pm
Where: The home of Evelyn La Torre, 45 Dolerita Court, Fremont, CA 94539
Cost: $65 includes materials
Bring: Comfortable clothes and your lunch
Register: Email fremontareawritersclub@yahoo.com to register, and an invoice will be sent to you from Paypal.

This workshop will work with writers around the power of starting with what you know. As all writers know, writing is a layered process that includes powerful self-discoveries. Too often we want to skip ahead to the next thing. We want to be farther along than we are. We want to have our story flow exactly as it should and we want our reader to have the perfect experience of our work. The hard part—and yet so often the most rewarding—is slowing down and enjoying the process.

Start Close In is taken from David Whyte’s poem by the same name. It encourages writers to start with what they know. Don’t take the second step, or the third, he writes, start with the first. The Start Close In workshop will encourage readers to explore what they already know, and Brooke Warner will lead the group in uncovering those nuggets of truth and insight that are just below the surface, waiting to become that first step. Often these insights and truths are things we have at our ready disposal, and yet we overlook them—perhaps they seem too obvious, or perhaps we’re sick of this story and have judgments about writing about the same old thing.

All of this and more will be explored through a profound and intuitive process called SoulCollage. Brooke will guide you through the process of creating small collage cards that are like windows into your psyche and soul. With these cards, you will discover those insights that are already right there, ready to be plucked. You will leave this workshop armed with what you need to take that first step.

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great gifts for writers---or for yourself

This year I'm encouraging everyone I know to buy books for the people on their gift list. The book industry is in a scary place right now, and so for all of us who love books, and especially those of us who want to get published, what better way to show support than to use your purchasing dollars to boost up the publishers you love.

I have a couple suggestions to run your way:

The first is that you check out the WOW! Holiday Gift Guide.

WOW! Women on Writing is a great resource for women writers, and their holiday gift guide is full of cool gift ideas.

The second is that you consider sharing with your loved ones the fact that you might love to have a book to help you with your writing. If you don't have any of the following books, I highly recommend you ask for one, or put yourself on your gift list this year:

Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg

Ready, Aim, Specialize! by Kelly James-Enger

Bird by Bird, by Annie Lamott

On Writing, by Stephen King

How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead, by Ariel Gore

This is just a short list to get you started, and inspired to start thinking about how writing might fit into your New Year's Resolution.

Until next month,

Brooke

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