Using Creative Writing to Explore Ethical Issues: An Educational Partnership

Yesterday, February 5, Indiana Writers' Consortium members presented a workshop at Purdue University Calumet on "Connectivity: How to Write Creatively from Literature--A Fresh Look at The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." IWC co-sponsored the workshop with The Writing Center at PUC as part of a year-long One Book/One University project in which PUC freshmen read and discuss The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

Written as creative non-fiction, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks takes the complicated and often boring subjects of cell cultures and scientific research and turns them into a fascinating story about one cell donor and her family. The book explores the ethical issues involved when taking living cells from a donor without her consent and using those cells to produce medical advances that benefit millions.

The IWC workshop looked at using creative writing to explore ethical issues and promote social justice. PUC students attended one of three breakout sessions: Fiction, led by Meggie Tolkland; Creative Non-Fiction, led by Janine Harrison; and Poetry, led by Kathryn Page Camp. The workshop ended with volunteers reading what they wrote during the breakout sessions.

IWC looks forward to partnering with other Indiana organizations to inspire and build a community of creative writers.

Marketing Advice

Looking for ways to market your book? Here is some advice from author and IWC member Meggie Tolkland.

• Consider selling your book on craigslist. It's free! The best times to post your book are just before people get paid--i.e., Friday mornings and the 15th and 30th.
• Promoting your book on social media? Make your posts just after breakfast, when most people are checking into Facebook or Twitter to start their days.
• Put book club discussion questions on your website--it's a great tool for marketing your book to book clubs.
• Having difficulty reaching editors or reporters? Try contacting freelancers. They get bombarded less.
• LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest are all ways to market your work through your existing social network--and they're free!

Learn more about Meggie and her current book on the IWC's author, speaker, and store pages. Or visit her website at www.tolkland.com.

Upcoming Events

Indiana Writers' Consortium Member Meggie Tolkland will conduct a FREE workshop on all stages of publication, including publicity, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, January 10, at the Munster Library, which is located at 8701 Calumet Avenue in Munster, Indiana. Young people are encouraged to attend, and the workshop is open to all, regardless of the town of residence. Registration is requested; call 219-836-8450.

As previously announced, IWC's Fifth Annual Banquet will be held on October 10, 2013 with Karen Kovacik, Indiana's Poet Laureate, as the keynote speaker. She will be speaking on "Falling Through Time: Writing the Self into History." This talk is focused on fiction and nonfiction as well as poetry and has a broad appeal. Save the date so you can benefit from Karen's insights.

We would like to include your events in future posts. Just send an e-mail to indianawritersconsortium@gmail.com several weeks in advance.

Time to Write

by

Meggie Tolkland

 

If you'll forgive me for sounding like an old coot, during my 30 years of professional writing, I've learned one truth.

 

The good news? Anybody can become a great writer, talented or not.

 

The bad news? Becoming a great writer takes prolonged hard work and discipline.

 

This blog is ostensibly about finding time to write, but it's really about making writing your top priority. If you can't do that, writing's not for you. But if you can't live without the worlds in your head, it's easy to make time, regardless of how busy you are.

 

Start now. I can't overemphasize the urgency of this advice. Writing a first novel will take at least a year. Most writers claim you won't sell your first novel; I did, after revising it in places 30 to 40 times. Either way, selling a novel may take years. The production process is similarly slow.

 

This epic process, though, still breaks down into little steps. If time seems tight, create a goal to write 15 minutes a day. After a week, increase that to 20 minutes a day. After another week, write 25 minutes a day. Then, if you miss a day, tell yourself, "Oh, well. In four days this week, I made up the equivalent of one day last week, so I didn't miss any time at all."

 

• Take your laptop with you, and write during kids' rehearsals and practices.
• Waiting at the doctor's office? Write.
• Before I drift to sleep, I tell my kids I visit my "imaginary world"--really, the staging ground for my next book. If an idea is awesome enough, I jot it down with a pencil and pad I keep in my bedside table.
• While you're driving, concoct writing ideas, and scribble them at stoplights.
• When you sit before a keyboard, type on your manuscript, and stop for no reason. If you experience writers' block, ask yourself what your problem really is. Here's a secret:

Writers' block doesn't exist. The most frequent culprit is perfectionism or fear of failure. Don't be scared. Have you memorized Shakespeare's entire catalogue? Of course not. Shakespeare wrote a gazillion words, some sublime, some clunkers. People, if you write a lot, you'll improve your chances of creating soaring prose. You need practice to improve, and with practice, your first drafts will improve.

• If you procrastinate writing, pick another pastime. If you don't experience the urgency to write and the conviction you're destined to, you won't endure the countless rejections all professional writers inevitably experience. Or--be realistic with your goals. Maybe your goal isn't to write the Great American Novel; perhaps it's to entertain your family, itself a high and worthwhile endeavor.

But be your own best friend. If you miss a few days, simply resume your good habits, and congratulate yourself. You're making your dream come true, something most people never do.

I invite you to fall in love with my dream come true: The Mayhem: Roan's Story. You can order a paperback at https://www.createspace.com/3910461. To buy the e-book on Kindle, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008F2LXX8.
The book is also available at Northwest Indiana's public libraries. Alternatively, readers can enter to win a free copy on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway and at http://tolkland.wordpress.com/free-win-a-20-target-gift-card-or-the-next-novel-on-everyones-to-read-list.

My mentor told me, "Writers always help each other," and I invite you to e-mail me at meggie@tolkland.com.You can also friend me at http://www.facebook.com/readmeggie, connect with me on LinkedIn, and on Twitter @MeggieTolkland. You can also sign up for my free newsletter at http://www.tolkland.com.

Meggie Tolkland
Dangerous romantic fantasy
www.tolkland.com