The Room to Write

We are waist deep into our Senior and Veterans Writing Workshop series taking place at the Wakefield Senior Center and we are happy to say that fifteen participants showed up for that first introductory session and then returned even after being warned that poetry would be on the menu for the second session. Colleen Getty facilitated the Portrait Poetry workshop and we hear from a reliable source that she is very fond of the poetic form. She actually thinks it's fun and at the very least cathartic .  Participants were walked through a simple brainstorming process and then invited to put words down on paper. It was that simple. Getting what is in your head or heart down on paper where you can shape it in a tangible way using words. Sometimes you really have to hunt for the right word. Throw one out, pick another one up or pull something away so that a word that really works is allowed to shine and make a point. That's poetry. It's the whiskey of the writing world, if you w...

 

Anytime you can try to block all else out and focus on your writing, that's a good thing. If you can do it with other writers--that's even better! One way to try to surround yourself with other writers and creative minds is to join various groups and participate in creative events or opportunities. SCBWI (Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) is one of those groups that people don't always hear about and then don't know how they didn't know about it after they do. Often times you will need to leave the confines of your home, go out into awkward situations where you don't know people, do your best to be friendly, ask questions and share a bit of yourself. Sometimes you're simply networking, and other times you're actually making friends or colleagues that will be a consistent presence on your journey.  This past weekend I had the good fortune to participate in a Writers' Retreat organized by the wonderful Shawn Anderson , a volunt...

We had a great time at the Middlesex 4-H Fair in Westford, MA on Sunday, August 28th. The weather was perfect with some sleepy morning clouds breaking way to blue skies and sun that gave us a good excuse to get one of those shaved ice treats they were serving at one of the tents.  Yum!  David Watts, Jr. and Neil Lander , of the Boston Pen People , invited The Room to Write to share their table this year at the fair. They brought their amazing pens and were joined by another pen aficionado named Karen about halfway through the day. She added some glass dip pens and glitter to their already amazing collection. We sat, we ate, kids dipped into various colors of ink and wrote, then typed and went away smiling. It's always fun to present writing and creative drawing through a few more unexpected avenues than young people are always used to. My daughter, Alice, helped out at the table and enjoyed trying out the various pens and typewriters as well. As people tried out the pens we ...

We are so grateful to the Town of Hamilton's Holly Erickson , Wenham Museum's Kristin Noon , and The Room to Write's Linda Malcolm for the generous collaborative spirit that made The Room to Write's July Writers and Illustrators Meet & Greet a success.  Pictured (left to right): Colleen Getty and Linda Malcolm, The Room to Write; Holly Erickson, Town of Hamilton's Patton Homestead; Kristin Noon, Wenham Museum; and Sandra Haupt and Robert Pushkar, writers in attendance. Twelve creative minds came out to gather, connect and enjoy an absolutely beautiful summer evening in the lovely and historically significant Patton Homestead. The inspirational space was made even more interesting by the invitation to take a glimpse into the Archives. Kristin Noon and Maj. Paul Cancelliere answered questions and pointed out highlights.  Learning about the Patton family's military history, vast equestrian knowledge and involvement, passion for sailing, as well as their connec...

The Journey of a Story went "on the road" to meet children's picture book author Valerie Bolling in Connecticut to discuss her journey to publication. Valerie explains the need for a Submission Package, shares the value of setting incremental goals, and the perspective that sometimes poor cell service is good for the creative process. Her writing journey begins with love and is grounded in community, giving way to her debut picture book Let's Dance , her recently released Together We Ride and more planned publications to come. Learn more about Valerie and her books Let's Dance , Together We Ride , and all the wonderful projects she's working on by clicking here ! Watch her video interview below:) Thank you so much to Wakefield Community Access Studios for making The Journey of a Story series possible and for Valerie Bolling for trying something new with us by conducting her interview remotely.

It's always a pleasure to step into the WCAT (Wakefield Community Access Television) Studios tucked behind the high school where visitors are surprised to see such a professional and impressive space dedicated to film and audio media.   During my most recent visit to the studios I interviewed local writer, illustrator and animator Sarah Lynne Reul .  Sarah is one of only a few illustrators I have interviewed in the space and so I was eager to learn more about how she creates the characters readers see in her many published books for children, including:  The Breaking News, Allie All Along, Nerp!, Farm the Farm, Pet the Pets and her Fall 2022 release of Bubbie & Rivka's Best Challah Ever (So Far!) . We talked about how all of us often start out liking to draw as children, but how as we get older we draw less and less until we're convinced we don't like to draw or that we can't draw well. Sarah's offers viewers inspiring advice about how much practice plays a...