Dear Word Pirates,

This is a reminder that we’re having a meeting on June 1. No one has yet to tell me they can’t make it, so please let me know if this is the case.

At this meeting, we are going to discuss whether it would be better to make WP a monthly thing. The question I would like you to consider is:

a. is a bi-weekly meeting too much of a commitment for you and

b. if so, which Thursday of the month (first, second, third, forth) works best for you.

Marcia and I realize that people are busy and that the beginning of summer is a bad time to start a group. As such, we certainly don’t blame you if you have to miss meetings. However, we’re taking the heavy attendance/light attendance/heavy attendance/light attendance pattern of the meetings as a sign that WP may work better if we are monthly. We would really like your feedback on this.

Our prompt this time is going to be fun. Remember to bring a paper and a pen.

Thanks,
Joy Lanzendorfer

On May 16, Word Pirate Leona Laurie read at Soho’s, previously Zebulon’s. She was great, although my picture of her definitely wasn’t.

Brendan Riley was also there, so I got a blurry shot of him as well.

Dear-Word-Pirates-Who-Probably-Never-Come-Here: I have launched my professional site with a collection of my clips and a blog. Please check it out.

Last night the Word Pirates had their very first critiquing session. Each author brought in an essay-in-progress and read it aloud to the group. Following that, we spent some time on each essay, talking about what the author wants to do with it, how it might be improved, and possible markets that might take the piece. It was a pleasant, mutually beneficial meeting. Join us for Critiquing Session #2, to happen in the future!

Meeting at Joy’s house.

Come watch Leona read at Livewire Literary Salon at Soho’s (formerly Zebulon’s Lounge) in Petaluma.

Time: 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free!

Check out the Sonoma County Writers’ Guide. Local links/writers/etc.!

At Thursday’s meeting, after getting a chance to catch up, each Word Pirate read something to the group. Some were based on our first writing prompt (pick a random sentence from a book and write based on it), others were based on past writing group exercises or personal experience. Though the formats varied — stories, essays, poetry — the common thread was that they were all engaging. Can’t wait till the next meeting. Once we have more Word Pirates prompts under our belts, we hope to expand the discussion period about our work. Any Word Pirates who would like to post their work on this site are very welcome to do so!

We went with a two-part writing prompt. For the first part we talked about where our ideas come from and how we manage them. Then we made a list of all our ideas for personal essays and shared some with the group. Next, we spent 15 minutes getting started on one idea so that we can bring a draft of the essay to the next meeting. Anyone who couldn’t make it to the meeting and would like to talk about ideas so s/he can participate in the reading next meeting is welcome to contact us.

The good folks at Timothy McSweeney’s Internet Tendency are always good for a giggle. Here are some excerpts from a list they did that had me laughing out loud. Enjoy!

From “Thirteen Writing Prompts” by Dan Wiencek:

Write a scene showing a man and a woman arguing over the man’s friendship with a former girlfriend. Do not mention the girlfriend, the man, the woman, or the argument.

…

Choose your favorite historical figure and imagine if he/she had been led to greatness by the promptings of an invisible imp living behind his or her right ear. Write a story from the point of view of this creature. Where did it come from? What are its goals? Use research to make your story as accurate as possible.

…

Write a story that ends with the following sentence: Debra brushed the sand from her blouse, took a last, wistful look at the now putrefying horse, and stepped into the hot-air balloon.

…

Imagine if your favorite character from 19th-century fiction had been born without thumbs. Then write a short story about them winning the lottery.

…

A husband and wife are meeting in a restaurant to finalize the terms of their impending divorce. Write the scene from the point of view of a busboy snorting cocaine in the restroom.

If you write something on any of those prompts, I demand you send it to us so we can post it here.

Click here to read the full list.

You may also click here for another writing-related funny from McSweeney’s.

Meeting at Joy’s house.