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PENS OF PRAISE CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP
March 19, 2019 Tuesday 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Faith Church 2201 42nd Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220 Faith Church is located next to Festival Foods Not far from the Manitowoc exit off Interstate 43 EAGLE EYE OR BOUNDLESS BLOOPERS is our lesson this month. Susan Marlene will direct this class concerning tools and skills to make professional writings for publication. Resource books on this important topic will be examined. Bring paper and pen or your computer for the writing exercises. An inspired reader given excellent take-away = return readers! PROMPT: Use your favorite genre to write a one-page piece on spills or spillage! Let Susan Marlene know if you will attend so that we can provide a printed lesson for you and also save a seat for you! We are a safe place to share. Bring your favorite coffee or tea with you! J As always, if you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to contact Becky McLafferty @ rebeccamclafferty@gmail.com or Susan Marlene@ susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com
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UPPING YOUR VERBIAGE & WRESTLING A THESAURUS by Susan L. Fink
Thank you Susan for your timely lesson and skill at leading this very useful lesson! My mind is still running over your assignments and words of wisdom! Anyone can visit Susan L. Fink at: https://susanlfink.blogspot.com/ WELCOME TO PENS OF PRAISE CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP Tuesday, February 19, 2019 Introductions for new guests. Pass around sign in sheet. PENS OF PRAISE STATEMENT OF BELIEF: Pens of Praise Christian Writers Group is a fellowship of word-loving communicators who provide encouragement, education, and listening ears to those writing clean and encouraging communication. We support the development of skill, attention to detail, and professionalism necessary to obtain personal and public publication. We are a group not limited by age, so even very young writers are welcome. We support Christian values and therefore do not share sex or overtly violent scenes, which would not be in keeping with Christian values concerning entertainment or enlightenment. WRITER’S PRAYER (by Rebecca McLafferty) Dearest Father God, I come before you this day with thanksgiving, knowing that you are here with me. I pray that you will use my writing to glorify you. May my words, both spoken and written, honor you. When I am unsure of what to write, encourage me, Lord. May your love, peace, and hope shine through my writing to touch lives—even the lives of those who don’t know you. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen Devotion—by Naomi Raddatz GRAMMAR TIDBIT: HYPHEN VS. DASH hyphen (-), en dash (–), and em dash (—) By Rebecca McLafferty Let the teaching begin! UPPING YOUR VERBIAGE & WRESTLING A THESAURUS Susan Fink will direct our class this blustery month of February. Susan will provide information about interactive writing with information about excellent resource books on this important topic. Remember, leaving your reader inspired with an excellent take-away is like an open invitation for your reader to return! We will also llow 5-minute readings from our writers as time allows at the end of the teaching. PROMPT: Use your favorite “Big Word” and write what you please! ANNOUNCEMENTS: Let’s Keep In Touch: If you have a WEB page, blog, social media address, or other online personal information to share with Pens writers, please send to susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com so that contact information can be added to the announcement and handouts. Becky McLafferty writes on Thursdays for “Fill My Cup, Lord” (A FB page.) Becky McLafferty https://www.beckymclafferty.com/ Susan Marlene www.susanmarlene.com; Susan Fink https://www.facebook.com/susan.l.fink https://susanlfink.blogspot.com/ Kate Jungwirth https://www.facebook.com/kate.jungwirth.7 Debby Erdmann https://www.facebook.com/debby.erdmann?fref=pb&hc_location=friends_tab You are invited to visit and make a comment! That would be especially nice! 😊
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January 15, 2019 Tuesday 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Faith Church 2201 42nd Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220 Faith Church is located next to Festival Foods Not far from the Manitowoc exit off Interstate 43 Brick by Brick – Building Social Media is our lesson this month. Susan Marlene will direct this class of social media tips. How to start and grow in your social media reach. Susan will provide information about some popular how-to books on this important topic. Also, reading-share-time allotted for those who attend! Pens Assignment: For Fiction and non-fiction writers wishing to participate with reading their work: Edit your pages and share a scene or selection infused with purpose- who, what, where, when, and or why. Remember, leaving your reader inspired with excellent take-away is like an open invitation for your reader to return! PROMPT: Use at least three of these words to create your prompt—nullify; annihilate; praiseworthy; promise; pledge; sympathy; future; imminent. Or write to this: My word for 2019. Let Susan Marlene know if you will attend so that we can provide a printed lesson for you and also save a seat for you! We are a safe place to share. Bring your favorite coffee or tea with you! As always, if you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to contact Becky McLafferty @ rebeccamclafferty@gmail.com or Susan Marlene@ susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com The Chicken Buzzer Meeting of Readings & Insights by Susan Marlene
I place the chicken timer on the table—it’s time to share a read and then explore some information by those teachers of ‘brain science’ on how to write page turners! My thoughts in blue type. READY SET—WHO WILL BE FIRST TO READ? (Chicken set for 5 minutes!) Wired For Story by Lisa Cron: …story told us what to hang on to. Story is what enabled us to imagine….1 When we turn pages with enthusiasm it is possible to not realize why. Revisit favorite authors and keep a notebook where you can write down the emotionally driven thoughts or concepts that stir you and pull you into story. This is good for fiction and non-fiction. Read page 4 third paragraph in Lisa Cron’s book. We want the real life feel to our stories, but without the mundane activities that are so common place and unimportant to the story purpose that they would steal our plot and character—interaction word count. Write three elements of story that cause you to NOT want to leave a story? What are three elements that cause you to WANT to leave the story? READY SET—WHO WILL BE FIRST TO READ? (Chicken set for 5 minutes!) The FIRST 50 PAGES by Jeff Gerke shares wonderful insights on starting a novel with all the right elements that agents, editors, and readers need to be engaged in your story. Gerke states, “In good dialogue, dialogue with subtext, the characters aren’t responding to what the other person says, but to what they think the other person means.”2 In non-fiction, I know I’ve scanned the contents to see if I can relate to what the chapters offer. You must immediately grab the attention and need that your particular reader has. Offer something unique and worthwhile. Now or at home -write how you could add those three elements to your story. What three elements do you use that cause you to enjoy your story? READY SET—WHO WILL BE FIRST TO READ? (Chicken set for 5 minutes!) Wired For Story What matters most is that the story “engender a sense of urgency from the first sentence. Everything else—fabulous characters, great dialogue, vivid imagery, luscious language—is gravy.” Again, even for non-fiction the importance of writing to topics that matter and offer help and direction to your reader is vital to a successful book. READY SET—WHO WILL BE FIRST TO READ? (Chicken set for 5 minutes!) Wired For Story—Lisa Cron shares, “the real story is how what happens affects the protagonist, and what she does as a result.” I also heard in a teaching by Randy Ingermanson that the way that reactions are recorded in a scene could muddy the read if the author writes what happens out of order. Your reader may not ‘know’ how it should be written, but they can sense when what is written is out of step with real life happenings. We don’t jump first and then hear glass shattering. READY SET—WHO WILL BE FIRST TO READ? (Chicken set for 5 minutes!) The FIRST 50 PAGES--Jeff Gerke states, “There is power in your hero’s dreams that may not be immediately evident…is the basis of that high-sounding term, the story question.” The inward motivation and unmet desire at the beginning of the story (realized or unrealized by the heroine/hero) is the fuel that drives the character to achieve that outward goal. The outward goal is very much linked with the inward need, that will be challenged along the story journey. For non-fiction writers, what dream are you targeting that could assist or direct your reader to discover what they need for a better life? READY SET—WHO WILL BE FIRST TO READ? (Chicken set for 5 minutes!) If we have extra time then I can read from sections from these books for those who are interested. The books I’ve referenced have so much to offer for those seeking to write with excellence and build their skills to communicate story at their very best! If you don’t wish to purchase them you can always request them at your local library. 1 Wired For Story by Lisa Cron, page 1 2 The FIRST 50 PAGES by Jeff Gerke page 29 3 Wired For Story by Lisa Cron page 21 4 The FIRST 50 PAGES by Jeff Gerke page104 PENS OF PRAISE CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP MEETING
Tuesday, November 20, 2018 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Faith Church 2201 42nd Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220 Faith Church is located next to Festival Foods Not far from the Manitowoc exit off Interstate 43 The Chicken Buzzer Meeting of Readings & Insights is our topic this month. Susan Marlene will direct this class by staggering 5 minutes of reading shares with 5 minute instruction on perfecting the craft by using brain science. We will keep this writer/teaching/writer pattern flowing during our teaching segment. Pens Assignment: For Fiction and non-fiction writers wishing to participate in reading their work to the group: Pick up to five pages and edit them before Pens to reading at Pens. Write a scene or sample with purpose- who, what, where, when, why. If the action or dialogue or information doesn't move the story forward then cut that before the meeting. What does the antagonist want? What gets in the way? What is his/her reaction and feelings and thoughts about what happened? Or for non-fiction—What is your topic, who are you reaching and what is the message focus for tonight? Susan will provide information from a popular how-to book on writing. Remember, leaving your reader inspired with excellent take-away is like an open invitation for your reader to return! PROMPT: Truly Thankful or Turkey on the Rise We are a safe place to share. Bring your favorite coffee or tea with you! As always, if you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to contact Becky McLafferty @ rebeccamclafferty@gmail.com or Susan Marlene@ susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com Greetings All, First of all, I want to assign homework for those attending the November Pens meeting. For those who wish to participate in reading their work to the group:
 From Sarah Grosskopf-- in case anyone is interested, the Silver Lake English Community is hosting a writing and art workshop at Woodland Dunes Nature Center this Saturday, November 3rd from 10AM to Noon. I went last year and it was fun. Don't know if including the facebook link will work: https://www.facebook.com/events/1029263453921975/ Details: Join the editors of The Novice for a drop-in poetry and visual art workshop at Woodland Dunes Nature Center any time between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday, Nov. 3. This free workshop is open to the public and is geared to anyone interested in writing and visual art in the Manitowoc and Two Rivers area. We're looking forward to a creative morning! Activities/stations will include the following: --haiku --found poetry --nature rubbings --sensory writing Thank you, Sarah! Okay that is all for now! Blessings and Joy! Sue  We enjoyed our meeting at Pens of Praise Christian Writers last night, especially because of Kathy Leist’s offering of BARA BRITH (SPECKLED BREAD) the recipe found in our latest Pens Readers novel of choice. The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz was so deeply thrilling to those of us who joined in the read this time around. Kathy’s appreciation of the novel and the recipes tucked inside spilled over into baking this special treat for our Pens meeting “Three Months of Four” by yours truly! I have posted the teaching on www.susanmarlene.com.
If you only had three or four months to leave a legacy, write a message, a song or book, what would you spend time on? What would be so important to say or be remembered? Let’s ponder and explore time honored questions that could zap our writing ideas to life and stir up goals that would otherwise lie dormant! Ready?
How would you decide what to write? That seems like an excellent place to begin.
What does your ordinary day entail? When are you most focused and have freedom from interruptions? What amount of time can you easily schedule? Are there days when you can bump up writing time to gain more imagination, word count, or edit accomplishments? Using a calendar, stop watch, or closed door is helpful! Carrying a notebook and pen with you can be useful if you are in a long line or waiting in a doctor office instead of allowing frustration to rise over wasted time or watching the clock that doesn’t seem to be moving. ;) Recording your thoughts with your phone or a device is handy also. You can trap your thoughts when you park your car, or wait in a room -when no one is around! 😊 Reward Your Efforts: Motivation is VIP and if you drive yourself into the ground with work, work, work you will lose steam. Write a list of motivators such as: coffee shop visit with friends, reading a good book with a hot chocolate beside you, an outdoor activity…Chose something you’d really look forward to! Be delighted with life and that delight will reward your pages! How Do You Estimate ‘How Much Time’ for Researching Your Project? Research time can be tricky to plan as far as my experience goes. There are bunny-trails waiting to waylay the most interested writers. One piece of info leads to another and another. But you must be firm with yourself and yet have a flexible goal for what info you wish to acquire by the end of the day, week or other. True, some bunny-trails are useful and time-well-spent in the end. Just be cautious and aware. J
For our class I made a simple chart for us to organize our thoughts and write down our goals and ideas. It didn't copy well here- be inventive and create your own personal chart for I believe it will solidify your goals and aim your dreams into a doable worthy project! PENS OF PRAISE
CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP October 16, 2018 Tuesday 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Faith Church 2201 42nd Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220 Faith Church is located next to Festival Foods Not far from the Manitowoc exit off Interstate 43 Three Months or Four: What if You Only Had This Much Time is our topic this month. Susan Marlene will teach this class on picking your focus and making it happen! We are a safe place to share. We invite you to bring your WIP (Work in progress!) for a five-minute read. The prompt for September is… “If I wouldn’t have been so scared…”. or “Should I choose __________ or _____________?” Use your imagination and your genre preference to share your thoughts with fellow writers! We will share a couple of book titles that research writing mystery and integrating emotion for your WIP! Bring your favorite coffee or tea with you! J As always, if you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to contact Becky McLafferty @ rebeccamclafferty@gmail.com or Susan Marlene@ susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com |
Words are not just words. They are thoughts and inspiration that have been behind every relationship and every deed--good or bad throughout time. If you have that burning desire to communicate and explore, come peruse my pages, teachings, and short stories. Allow inspiration to anchor your dreams on the written pages of memoirs, devotions, poems or stories, both short or long! Luxuriate in the creativity you were born to share! Archives
May 2019
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