Support for Writing On

provided by

Write-On, Hoosiers

 

Write–On, Hoosiers, Inc. has been offering education, friendship, critique, assistance, and book promotion to fellow writers in northwest Indiana for 26 years.

 

The organization meets at the Lake County Library in Merrillville every 1st and 3rd Thursday from 6 p.m. – 8:15 p.m., except in December when an annual banquet is held. All area writers’ groups are invited to this annual festive event not only for a delicious meal and entertainment, but also to meet other northwest Indiana writers, and see or buy what they have published.

 

W.O.H. has embraced the social media scene with gusto. Not only do they have a traditional website, but a blog, two Facebook Pages, and a group page that is open by invitation to both members and non-members.

 

Being an affiliate of organizations such as The National Writers Association, The Association of Authors and Publishers for Special Sales, and Indiana Writers’ Consortium, Write-On, Hoosiers provides members with discounts on services and events through their affiliation with these organizations.

 

W.O.H. has occasional speakers at their events and banquets, and some outreach programs; but they have scaled back on these in order to allow their writers do what they do best – write, critique, get critiqued and hone their work.

 

W.O.H beginnings: It was because of the abundance of writing talent in the area and the magnitude of novice writers seeking help and encouragement, that Write-On, Hoosiers, Inc. was founded in 1989 by Sharon Palmeri, at the request of her creative writing students.

 

The group became a 501c3 tax exempt organization in 1992, and had sprouted two additional chapters besides the Main chapter in Hobart, Indiana. A Westlake chapter in Munster and a Journal chapter in Schererville were added.

 

The organization has not only been a writers’ critique group, but also has hosted abundant writers’ outreach projects and events. The group published two annual Hoosiers Horizon magazines, one for children and one for adults and young adults. It also held regional poetry contests for elementary children, state-wide contests in fiction, nonfiction and poetry for young adults and adults, and local photography contests for its magazine covers. Winners were published in the magazine -- and honored at Awards Nights and Banquets.

 

Radio shows were also written by members and aired on a local radio station. Members and contest winners were also interviewed several times on local radio and television programs.

 

In addition to W.O.H. contests and awards banquets, many workshops, such as Midwest Writers Mini Workshops, The Write Passage, and other niche workshops were sponsored or co-sponsored. The group also had its own Sunday column in the Post Tribune called “The Writers’ Palette.”

 

In addition, when Sharon Palmeri founded the Indiana Writers’ Consortium in its infancy in 2007, she encouraged several W.O.H. members, as well as her past students to become involved in this new writers’ outreach and education-based organization. The creation and purpose of I.W.C. is  to inspire writers, and sponsor writers’ events, workshops and conferences in northwest Indiana, allowing writers’ groups such as Write- On, Hoosiers to ease up on organizing their own workshops and return to the art of honing their craft and concentrate on publication of their works.

 

For more information on Write-On, Hoosiers, Inc. visit their website: www.writeonhoosiers.org or their blog: www.writeonhoosiers.blogspot.com and check out their Facebook and Write-On,  Hoosiers group pages.



Supporting Poetry in Northwest Indiana

                        NWIPS

 

North West Indiana Poetry Society

presents poetry in most all varieties

from sonneteers to sestina stanzas

some are sung like Mario Lonza’s

 

We meet in Lowell on Saturday three

in a meeting room, Lowell Library

amateur or pro, the poems are good to know

with bumps in some, fast or slow, though most do flow

 

In the morning, ten a.m. bright and shining

each poet reads a poem their taste inclining

a critique if wanted say yes or no

suggest a word, out of place or doesn’t go

 

Poetry in rhythmic beats or rhyme replete

Socialize, meet and greet is a real treat 

                                                                     © 2015 by Tom Spencer

 

The Lowell Public Library is located at 1505 West Commercial Avenue in Lowell, Indiana. Tom Spencer has provided the following additional information for anyone who wants to read at a meeting:

 

An original poem or one from a favored poet is welcome. We ask that the poem be no longer than two pages to give time for all to read. A portion of an epic poem may be read, however no more than two pages at a single session.  To be fair to all, compose in Times New Roman size twelve font. We try to end each session at 11:30 a.m.



"Oh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read the printed word."

by

Hayley Morris

 

A highly regarded group, Magic Hour Writers is a cherished part of the writing community and continually supports IWC. Because of their value within the NWI community, earned from dedicating time and resources to promoting literacy and writing for children, IWC is highlighting the Magic Hour Writers this week.

Magic Hour Writers primarily work with children’s writing. Its mission statement is: “To encourage and promote excellence in writing for children through friendship, education, and peer support among writing colleagues.” According to Judy Whitcomb, the group’s name was taken from a quote from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, “Oh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read the printed word.” Judy said this quote represents why the group writes for children.

The idea for Magic Hour Writers emerged in 2009 when Judy Whitcomb and Jackie Huppenthal took a children’s writing class from Sharon Palmeri. The group’s meetings began in January 2010. Along with Judy and Jackie, five other founding members were in that same children’s writing class. The group averages about 11 members per year.

As creative writers, Magic Hour members are involved in events and activities throughout the year to promote and encourage children’s writers. Members of the group have provided support for the Power of Poetry Project (P.o.P.P.), which is sponsored by IWC and primarily funded by the Crown Point Community Foundation. This year, four of the members volunteered to judge flash fiction and poetry entries by middle school and high school students for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

In order to stay in touch, the group meets on the second Thursday of each month. But, to keep communication open and make sure that members are up-to-date, Jackie and Judy send daily/weekly emails that inform members of contests, new publishers, agents looking for clients, etc., so that members do not miss any valuable opportunities.

During each meeting, the members work together in different ways to ensure that the group fulfills its mission statement. They work as a team, with many subgroups that make up the entire group. During the critique group session, there is time to read and critique each other’s work. Though the main focus is on children’s writing, if a member has another piece of writing to share, the group eagerly critiques and provides feedback for that piece as well. For yearly educational goals, the group brings in speakers to their meetings from time to time, and they purchase books annually which become part of a lending library for member use. Members provide peer support to each other by having a directory that indicates what the members are interested in and what they are working on, which allows sharing of information. If other members come across something that another member may find useful in their work, they send it along.

The community built within this group is one of admiration. It is always comforting surrounding yourself with people who have the same interests as you. This group does just that, with its main focus on promoting reading and writing for children. Magic Hour Writers, in fulfilling its mission statement, is making a better community for children and children’s writers. 



Encouragement, Critique, and Networking for Creative Writers

by

Hayley Morris

 

IWC would like to highlight the Highland Writers Group this week.

I spoke with Gordon Stamper of Highland Writers Group (HWG) and would like to share some more information about the group and what they do.

The group was first established by Larry and Sharon Ginensky in 1997; however, six years ago, Gordon and his wife, Heather, took over the co-moderating duties. Gordon said, “…although we have changed over time and may meet in different locations, the dues-free and free-spirit attitude of Highland Writers Group still abides.” While the group does not have a specific mission statement, Gordon added that the group is here to “provide encouragement, critique, and networking for creative writers who are serious about exploring their craft.”

HWG meets on Saturdays. Meetings are held at the Grindhouse Café in Griffith at 3:30 pm on the first and third Saturdays of the month. On the second and fourth Saturdays, the meetings are held at the Blackbird Café in Valparaiso, also at 3:30 pm. At the weekly meetings, members generally socialize for the first half hour and talk about writing news. HWG members then pass around copies of their writing pieces and read them aloud to other members. This, then, is followed by a section of critique for the member’s work, and this cycle is repeated until the members have finished. Typically, meetings end around 6:00 and last no later than 6:30. Highland Writers Group members write in all creative genres—short and novel-length from creative nonfiction to poetry and fiction. Three hours of quality reading and writing, and a community of writers sharing their work—what could be more rewarding than this?

In addition, as an affiliated group of Indiana Writers’ Consortium, members of HWG have, in the past, served as officers, board members, and active volunteers in the organization. HWG also has special holiday editions of its meetings. Gordon said, “This year, HWG will have special Saturday meetings marking the unique poetic and storytelling possibilities for St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween.”

All of Highland Writers Group’s activities and the events they participate in are valued highly as ways to encourage, critique, and network with creative writers. HWG works together to do all of those things, “and we try to do it with a sense of humor when we can,” Gordon adds.

This kind of community creates an environment that allows creativity to flow and inspires new creative works—which keeps writers writing and encourages writing enthusiasts to emerge.



Call for Classic Writing Advice

IWC’s July blog posts will call on past masters of the writing art for their advice. We are looking for 200-800 word passages from well-known (and preferably long-dead) writers. If you submit a passage and we use it, you will receive a very generous payment: the blog post will acknowledge that you submitted it. Oh well. It isn’t all about the money.

Please submit your suggestions, with full text, to indianawritersconsortium@gmail.com by May 31, 2015, and put "Classic Writing Advice" in the re line. The first publication date should be before 1923 for copyright reasons, and original source information must be included. This does not mean reference to BrainyQuote or some other website.

There are other instances where the material may be in the public domain, but the rules for material published in or after 1923 become more complex. If you want to submit material that was not published before 1923, please provide the original publication date, the date of the author’s death, and a description of the source (including length). This information will help our copyright advisor determine whether the material is in the public domain or publishing the quote would be a fair use. 

Writers Seeking Writers

by

Sarah White

 



After I graduated from Bowling Green State University with my Bachelor of Fine Arts, I prowled the streets of my hometown desperate to find fellow writers in my community. 

In the newspaper (people read those back then), I found an advertisement about a writing group. It met at the local library twice a month. Immediately, I called the number and found out what days and times. The man was welcoming and eager to have a new member. 

When I went to the public library for the first meeting, I was ecstatic.  I was finally going to rejoin with a group of fellow writers who shared each other’s love of language and story.  In college, I had had workshops, deadlines, readings—a nurturing, artistic environment.  When it all suddenly stopped, I felt adrift, almost depressed.  But, here, I had found this group! 

I looked around and around at the various tables, and there, in the back of the library, were my two people. 

The woman was probably in her early 70’s and she wrote lyrical poetry with a staunch rhyme scheme and all the “thees” and “thous” she could muster.  She firmly believed that all love stories should focus on “beautiful people” because “nobody wants to read a romance about ugly people.”  I’ll never forget that. 

The man hovered in his early 50’s and he wrote stories about middle-aged male protagonists struggling with marriage and sex, sort of a blend of American Beauty and just about any Michael Douglas movie.  I’ll never forget that either. 

And, then, there was me—a 24-year-old who wrote literary stories that teetered on purple prose. 

This was my writing community. 

Eventually, the group dwindled down to just the man and me.  His critiques were helpful, and I learned a few things, but this was not the robust group of people starving and bleeding for their craft that my young imagination had hoped to find.

Being a part of a good writing community is necessary for every writer, regardless of his or her abilities, publication record, or education level. As previous posts have mentioned, writing groups provide with us networking, the chance to “break bread” with fellow artists, and the opportunity to have our work read and critiqued by peers.

We should never take a strong writing community for granted.

One of my favorite quotes is attributed to C. S. Lewis: “We read to know we’re not alone.” 

Isn’t it ironic that writers sit alone in front of typewriters and blank computer screens only to reach through space and time to let another person feel less alone?

Writing groups, likewise, let writers know we’re not alone. We may tell our stories in solitude, but it is always with the hopes of that story being read.

As Stephen King tells us: “Write with the door closed, and rewrite with the door open.”

Open up the door and join the IWC at one of its many reading and writing events!

Doing so may just give you a good story to tell.



An Interview with Tom Spencer

by

Jackie Huppenthal

 



 

This year, IWC’s Power of Poetry Project instituted a special award to be given when a student writes a poem that is an exemplar of the highest quality poetry. The picture above shows Tom Spencer with fourth grader Gloria Radford, the first winner of the Tom Spencer Award.
 
Tom Spencer is a published poet and writer who has been writing for over 50 years. He is the founder of the Northwest Indiana Poetry Society and belongs to several other writing groups. Tom is also active in the Indiana State Federation of State Poetry Societies.
 
When did you start writing poetry?
 
It was in the 8^th grade. I got glasses and was finally able to read and catch up on what I had been missing. My teacher, Alice Peterson, introduced me to poetry. I read it excessively and started writing poetry immediately. Not too long ago I talked to an older woman who came to listen to my poetry and we talked about Alice. It turns out she was my elementary school principal.
 
Do you have a favorite poet? / poem?
 
My favorite poem is “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe. He composed the last stanza then worked backwards to write the story. I memorized it in its entirety back then and even named my daughter Lenore after the “radiant maiden” in the poem.
 
What topics do you write about?
 
I write about ecology to world affairs, love and romance, but I prefer to write about social responsibility. I wrote poems to my wife even before she was my wife.
 
What is your favorite poetic form?
 
I enjoy all forms of poetry but my favorite is the sonnet. It is the basic core. It has a beginning, middle, end, and a twist.
 
How many books have you published?
 
I have published two books. The first was Word Castles, a collection of poetry published in 2000 by Writers’ Village University. It was reprinted in 2007. The second was America on Fire, which was coauthored with Dr. Jaswinder Singh. It is “a Poetic Tribute to the Memories of September 11, 2001.” Both of us did intensive writing for over a month to get the book published by the end of the year.
 
How many groups do you belong to?
 
I currently belong to about eight writing groups including Indiana Writers’ Consortium and Write-On Hoosiers.
 
What advice do you have for kids who are interested in writing poetry?
 
Ninety-nine percent of writing is reading. Read often, write what you feel. I write every day. The poems I write come from short stories. The short stories are written more for me but the poems are for everyone.
 
How do you feel about having a children’s poetry award in your honor?
 
It is an overwhelming honor. I had no idea I was this well respected. I was nominated for Indiana Poet Laureate a decade ago and had 76 letters of support from around the world. This, however, is a bigger honor to me.
 
What other accomplishment are you most proud of?
 
I brought the National Federation of State Poetry Societies national convention to Merrillville, Indiana in 2012. It was a wonderful experience.
 
Tom, you have been an inspiration to me and many others. I keep a quote from you propped up in front of my computer and look at it daily:
 

“A poem captures the rhythms of life in words.” Tom Spencer

 

It certainly does. Thanks for sharing your time and talent! Now, let’s take a selfie.

Tom Spencer's first Selfie
with Jackie Huppenthal