The Discovery Draft: Permission to make a mess

It's time for our "first Tuesday" meetings — midday at Sacred Heart Books & Gifts in far north Dallas, evening at the University of Dallas in Irving, November 1 at the usual times. Why not bring a sample of something you're working on for peer critique? Don't worry about bringing something that's already polished — you don't need to impress us. In fact, you'll get much more benefit if, instead of bringing a polished draft, you bring a discovery draft.

New Editing Service for Indie Catholic Authors

Recent visitors to this blog may have noticed one small, unobtrusive addition to the navigation bar above: “Need an Editor?” Clicking the link will take you directly to MiteyEditing.com, a new editing service especially for new and indie Catholic writers.

A uniquely affordable editing service

What makes this editing service unique? First, it is available only to Catholic authors who write works (fiction or non-fiction) that are in some way motivated and illuminated by the Catholic faith. Second, writers may negotiate to arrive at a fee that they can afford. The editor will do everything she can to make quality editing available to those who really want it. If you would like to know more, fill out the query form on the Mitey Editing website.

Twice-monthly meetings at the University of Dallas begin this Tuesday

The Fall schedule of DFW Catholic Writers meetings at the University of Dallas has been confirmed. This semester the group will meet twice a month, on the evenings of the first and third Tuesdays of the month.

That means that this Tuesday, September 20, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m., any Catholic writer in the area is welcome and invited to gather with other writers to share, discuss, and critique works-in-progress. There are a number of eager young student novelists from the UD population who meet along with writers from the wider community, so there is always a lively discussion. Those who wish to get feedback on their writing should bring 6-8 copies of a sample of approximately 1,000 words or less.

Will you join us? Find details on the meeting time and place here.

If you want to make sure you never miss a meeting, contact Nancy Ward  to get on the email list. You can also sign up to receive all blog posts by email. Just fill in the form in the right-hand sidebar.

New meeting place, New day ... New members?

There are lots of new things in store for the Dallas/Fort Worth Catholic Writers Group.

New meeting day and location

First, our lunchtime meetings are moving to a new day and place. From now on, we'll meet at Sacred Heart Books and Gifts in far north Dallas, on the first Tuesday of each month (from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) Bring your lunch if you wish. Sacred Heart has moved to a new, larger space (just two doors down from their former space), where they now have a community room suitable for our meetings. (Click here for a map.) We've enjoyed meeting the past three years at Half Price Books, but we are happy now to accept the hospitality of the premiere Dallas Catholic bookstore.

New status for University of Dallas meetings

Second, evening meetings at the University of Dallas will resume, now that a new academic term has begun. Dr. Bernadette Waterman-Ward, writer and UD faculty member who acted as convener for the UD meetings, is on sabbatical in Wyoming this year, however, so the group has been officially listed as a student group on campus so that it can reserve a meeting space without a faculty sponsor (non-students are still very welcome). We are not yet sure exactly where and when we will meet, but expect to be able to announce the new time and place very soon.

New members — will you be one?

Finally, we are hoping to see some new faces at our meetings this fall — or maybe some we just haven't seen in a while. We encourage active writers and aspiring writers alike to attend. If you would like to get some peer critiques from a work in progress, bring half a dozen copies to share. Even if you don't have a sample to share, you can help other writers by giving them feedback on their work. Most importantly, you can give and receive encouragement. Writing is a solitary endeavor, but it needn't be a lonely one. We all benefit from the help and encouragement of our peers.

So put our lunchtime meetings on your calendar for the first Tuesday of each month. Come and visit Sacred Heart Books and Gifts in their new digs, and maybe plan to spend a little extra time checking out their inventory, or pick out a space on their shelves where you would like to see your book someday.

If you want to make sure you never miss a meeting, contact Nancy Ward to get on the email list. You can also sign up to receive all blog posts by email. Just fill in the form in the right-hand sidebar.

Local Catholic writers interviewed on KATH 910 AM

Although we didn’t have our regular meeting during May, on May 11 Dave Palmer, general manager of local Catholic radio station KATH 910 AM interviewed several members of the Dallas/Fort Worth Catholic Writers Group during a live broadcast from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts in far north Dallas.

Dave Palmer (right) interviews writer and artist Lewinna Solwing (left)
at Sacred Heart Books and Gifts May 11.

In fact, Dave himself was the first writer to be interviewed (by Nikki White, manager of the book store). He recently published St. Thomas Aquinas for Everyone: 30 Quick and Fun Lessons, Activities and Outdoor Adventures Based on the Summa Theologica, a wonderful book that makes the Angelic Doctor’s wisdom accessible even to young children. This is just the first of eight volumes Dave has planned, which will cover the entire Summa.

5 Things to Do Get Out of a Writing Rut

Has your writing gotten stale? Are you having trouble moving ahead with a project you are working on – or wish you were working on? Maybe you need a little help getting out of your rut. Here are some techniques to refresh yourself and your writing.

5 Ways to Get Out of Your Writing Rut

1. Journal. If you’re suffering from writer’s block, it’s probably because of some anxiety or dilemma about what you are writing. Spend some time writing about what you think is causing the problem, and brainstorming ways past the problem. I do this when I’m planning a new scene or trying to bring a character to life – I just write about what I want to achieve, or why I’m having trouble achieving it, and often find that a solution comes to me quickly. This kind of journal writing is low-risk (no one but you will see it), and often frees the mind to explore possible solutions without anxiety. And it gets you writing. Block gone!
2. Read. Sometimes writers just run out of ideas. But ideas aren't something we manufacture out of thin air -- they come from our creative mind applying itself to a given task. One often neglected way to stimulate our creative mind is to feed it some good reading material. Read just for your own entertainment and amusement – a great way to stimulate your writer’s imagination. Or, if you find you are making writing progress, but find your writing flat, clumsy, or uninspired, try reading a book or article on the craft of writing, and use the advice to polish your current work-in-progress. Sometimes we spend so much time writing we forget that great writers are always great readers first.
3. Imitate. Not only is imitation the sincerest form of flattery, but it’s also a great way to learn from other writers. Pick something by a writer whose work you admire and try to imitate it as closely as you can. Do you like their fun, punchy style? Try it! Do you admire their moving examples? See if you can come up with some of your own. Maybe you like the way a favorite writer gets right to the point. Try revising something of your own to be similarly direct. Great writers and other artists have honed their skills by deliberate imitation for thousands of years, and you can, too.
4. Ramble. Working smart is better than just working hard. Smart writers remember that creativity often happens when we are not trying to force ourselves to write. So take a ramble – not in your writing but in the great outdoors. Go outside, pick a pleasant path, and just walk at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery and letting your thoughts run free. This is my favorite way of getting out of a writing rut. I always return to my keyboard not only refreshed but refocused, as if my unconscious was working on my writing problem while the rest of me was enjoying a pleasant perambulation. Other physical activities, such as crocheting or mowing the lawn, can also allow your mind and your body to un-kink, leaving you refreshed and restored.
5. Sleep. While we’re on the subject of letting our unconscious mind help us out, I’ve got to mention my favorite one, sleeping on it. When I'm having trouble getting my thoughts straight – or coming up with ideas– right before I go to sleep at night, I just remind myself of what I want to tackle in my writing project the next day and, almost always, I wake the next morning with a fresh idea that I can’t wait to get to work on. Sometimes I keep my Kindle tablet beside the bed so that I can jot ideas down before I even get out of bed. In fact, most of my best ideas and solutions to the most tedious problems spring to mind right after a good night’s sleep. I bet it will work for you, too.

As it happens, there will be no meeting of the DFW Catholic Writers Group in May – the fourth Tuesday meets at the University of Dallas have finished with the end of the spring term, and the usual second Tuesday meeting at Half Price Books will not take place this month.

So why not use the extra time to refresh your self? Then come to our next “second Tuesday” meeting, June 14, at Half Price Books and show us what you’ve been working on. We look forward to seeing you then. Here are the details of time and place. We hope to see you there!

If you want to make sure you never miss a meeting, contact Nancy Ward  to get on the email list. You can also sign up to receive all blog posts by email. Just fill in the form in the right-hand sidebar.

Catholic writers encourage and learn from one another

There will be two meetings of the D/FW Catholic Writers Group this month: our usual second Tuesday lunchtime meeting at the usual time and place, Tuesday, March 8. However, since our “fourth Tuesday” evening meeting would fall during Holy Week, a busy time for us all, we've decided to push it back to the fifth Tuesday the following week, March 29. It will take place as usual in room 42 of Haggarty Science Center on the University of Dallas campus, 7-9 p.m. Here are the details of time and place.

Our meetings serve several purposes. First, they give us a chance to get out of our “writer’s cave” and connect with other writers. Writing is naturally a solitary endeavor, and can be a lonely one without the support and encouragement of others who understand our trials and challenges. Family and friends may be supportive, but they often don’t understand “why it’s taking your so long” to finish honing your work. Other writers will understand that, and may be able to offer you strategies from their own experience that will keep you going when you get discouraged.

Another important purpose of our meetings is to provide peer critique. When you spend hours, days, weeks working on a writing project, you may get so close to your project that you have trouble seeing it with fresh eyes. If you bring copies of a current work-in-progress to a meeting, you can get valuable input from other writers who can bring a fresh perspective on how your work appeals to readers, and offer suggestions on how to improve. I’ve heard that some critique groups can be quite brutal in their “honesty,” but I’ve never found critique sessions in our group to be anything but charitable and helpful. So if you are looking for kindly, but honest, feedback on your writing, the DFW Catholic Writers Group is a good place to get it.

And we are, of course, not just any writers group, but a group of Catholics, who are motivated by a desire to dedicate our talents to God and to infuse our writing – whether it is intended for a religious audience or not – with a Christian vision. When we help and encourage each other, we act out of a sincere desire to help each member communicate their own vision clearly and effectively through the written word.

I can tell you that I come away from every meeting reinvigorated and eager to get back to my own writing projects.  I think the same will be true for you if you join us. And remember, you have two opportunities this month: Tuesday, March 8, at lunchtime in Dallas, and March 29 in the evening at the University of Dallas in Irving.  I hope we see you there!

If you want to make sure you never miss a meeting, contact Nancy Ward  to get on the email list. You can also sign up to receive all blog posts by email. Just fill in the form in the right-hand sidebar.