Tag: books

The Benefits of Participating in a Critique Group

Over the last several years, I have been a member of Women Writing the West which hosts an annual conference each year. I am looking forward to the online conference this October 2025. The title of the conference is From Quill to Keyboard. The online conference offers two days of workshops and networking opportunities. WWW also offers the Willa Literary Award, the Laura Short Fiction Award, and the Downing Journalism Award. Additionally, the organization has an active listserv on which members share ideas and advice. The group also organizes critique groups. I have participated in one for a few years.

Our WWW critique group began with four participants who were writing drafts of their novels. Eventually, this group devolved into just two of us, who have continued to work together on our drafts. We meet monthly on Zoom with the expectation that we will each provide about 2000 words for critique. The benefits I have derived are multiple. First, having a monthly critique meeting ensures that I will keep up with my writing in a steady fashion. Secondly, I have learned a lot from my partner who has already published two novels. And, thirdly, I feel that our regular meetings have provided personal as well as professional support—in fact, we have become long-distance friends.

Recently, I joined a poetry organization, Columbine Poets of Colorado, which offers a workshop and a critique group each month. The meetings have from four to eight participants. The participants are experienced poets and share helpful feedback and encouragement. What I have found is that listening to the types of feedback given and to who pays attention to what and how they express their opinion is teaching me about poetry in ways that are novel to me. Regarding the feedback that I have received personally, I value the fact that it points me to a need for careful research on the topics about which I am writing. It also expands my awareness of how I might select topics and forms.

While participating in a critique group can be helpful, it is important to consider which benefits you would like to incur from participation. First, identify which aspects or forms of your writing you would like to submit for a group review. Next, you might want to identify opportunities through local writing groups, think about whether you might prefer an in-person or online group, select a group that you think will meet your needs, and study how to provide useful and effective feedback. For example, check out a variety of books that have been published about critique groups. And, last, upon joining the group and participating in it for an appropriate amount of time, evaluate its effectiveness for you and for the other members.

My Writing Goals for 2025

1.     Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets:

Bardic Trails: The Talking Gourds/Bardic Trails is a monthly Zoom presentation of poets, followed by an open mic, which is broadcast from Telluride, Colorado. The well-loved Art Goodtimes is the host. On July 1, the speaker was Black Atticus (Joseph Woods), who is serving as the current Poet Laureate (2023-2025) of Knoxville, Tennessee. His poetry includes rap and spoken-word performances.

The Colorado Poetry Center: Beth Franklin, the director of the Colorado Poetry Center, offers an in-person, monthly session at the Boulder Bookstore. In June 2025, the CPC featured Emily Perez and Aimee Herman. Emily Pérez is the author of What Flies Want—winner of the Iowa Prize and a finalist for a Colorado Book Award; House of Sugar, House of Stone; and two chapbooks. She is co-editor of the anthology, The Long Devotion: Poets Writing Motherhood. Aimee Herman is the author of the young adult fiction novel Everything Grows, which won the Forward Reviews 2019 Silver Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. Aimee has also published two books of poetry: to go without blinking and meant to wake up feeling.

Columbine Poets: In June, I attended a Saturday workshop with the Columbine Poets led by Julie Cumming that focused on a deep dive into writing a villanelle—a form I had tried before. The workshop was excellent and improved my understanding of the form. I also submitted a poem and attended a critique group on July 5th.

Cannon Mine Poets: The Cannon Mine Poets group in Lafayette is hosted by Larry LaVerdure and in June featured Douglas Jackson who had mentorships with the poets Yakshi Vadeboncoeur and Will Staple in Camptonville, California. Doug writes about his wanderings in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Mojave Desert, and the Rocky Mountains. I admired his work and his style of reading aloud.

Naropa Poetry Readings: In June, Naropa holds the Summer Writing Program. I attended readings by both students and visiting faculty on different evenings.

2.    Finish my first novel and query agents (IW): Nothing accomplished.

3.    Finish my second novel (G): Nothing accomplished.

4.    Continue to work on my third novel (PW): Nothing accomplished.

5.    Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:

Boulder Writers Alliance: I attended our monthly happy hour. I also enjoyed Gary Alan McBride’s Writers Who Read session in which we discussed Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe—a book that merits an attentive read.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers: I read the newsletter.

Women Writing the West: I registered for the upcoming online conference. Our critique group did not meet.

6.  Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month in 2025:

Today is July 7, 2025. I am posting my seventh blog for this year. Boulder has had an unusually rainy May and June, thus the foothills and surrounding areas have been a vibrant dark green. I live in a beautiful area for hiking and being outdoors. As I watch the news of devastating storms and floods across the nation and the world, my goal of lowering my personal carbon footprint becomes stronger. I drive as rarely as possible and I haven’t flown anywhere for about five years.

A Poem for July

The Hunter

By William Carlos Williams (1883–1963)

In the flashes and black shadows
of July
the days, locked in each other’s arms,
seem still
so that squirrels and colored birds
go about at ease over
the branches and through the air.

Where will a shoulder split or
a forehead open and victory be?

Nowhere.
Both sides grow older.

And you may be sure
not one leaf will lift itself
from the ground
and become fast to a twig again.

Living and Blogging in Distressing Times

 

Each of us is an individual. Most of us have a devoted family. We have close friends. We belong to groups and organizations that we love. Personally, at the family level in the last two years, I have lost the three people closest to me which has been heartrending and leaves me with no one whom I can talk to at any minute I so choose. At the friendship level, I am in a book club that I started with a friend several decades ago. Our group, which has been meeting on Zoom since the Covid lockdown, is an intimate and supportive group of women. We all know each other’s life stories and have known each other’s partners and children as well. For this group who loves to read and discuss literature, I am thankful. I am in another women’s group in which one year we host and the following year we present a paper. The papers expand my knowledge into areas that are often unknown to me. As a professional, I have participated in several organizations. Thus, I have a strong professional network of individuals that I can trust and talk to about many different issues.

 Currently, I am a member of the Boulder Writers Alliance which provides around ten different activities for members each month. The group is fascinating in that the age span of men and women involved varies from the twenties to the eighties. We have a book discussion group, a meet for drinks and dinner to continue the discussion group, a poetry group, a happy hour group, several critique groups, and several silent writing groups. Participating in groups that have a focus on writing is a fulfilling activity for me as I learn so much from the others.

Family, friends, and professional colleagues are a delight in happy times. They provide inspiration, collaboration, and support. Our small and large networks of reliable and likable people are essential to our well-being. Participation and sharing build our skills and our sense of belonging. Remember this, and rely on your, as the French say, “semblables” during the stressful days and months that our nation is encountering as I write this blog.

My Writing Goals for 2025

1.  Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets: I forgot to log on to Bardic Trails in February and thus missed the presentation by Wendy Videlock who is the Western Slope Poet Laureate, however, I did read her books. The Colorado Poetry Center monthly readings which feature a poet, have an open mike, and take place at the Boulder Bookstore have been enjoyable. The Boulder Writers Alliance Poetry Circle featured Abigail Seber who has published three full-length books of poetry. Abigail combines physics, painting, and poetry. As for my poetry project goals, I have managed to write one poem each week so far in 2025.

2.  Finish my first novel and query agents (IW): I met with my critique group and presented a new section.

3.  Finish my second novel, (G): I did not work on this novel this month.

4.  Continue to work on my third novel, (PW): I did not work on this novel this month.

5.  Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:

a.  Boulder Writers Alliance:  I attended BWA’s Writers Who Read discussion, led by Gary Alan McBride, of Good Material by Dolly Alderton. The critical content of the discussion was quite knowledgeable. Our January BWA Happy Hour was entertaining. I did not attend a silent writing session this month. I organized the BWA Poetry Circle for both January (which featured Abigail Seber) and February which will feature Brenda Wildrick.

b.  Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers:  I read the newsletter and various emails.

c. Women Writing the West: I read the newsletter and attended our critique group.

6. Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month in 2025:

Today is February 7, 2025. I am posting my second blog for this year. My original positive outlook for 2025 has been squelched by shocking political events over the last few weeks. As I try to remain calm so that I can focus on my writing, I feel compelled to follow the national news. My advice is: Writers Unite; Take Up the Fight!—but find your compatriots in writers who write for democracy.

Some Lines from the Poem Bibliography by Nikki Giovanni (1943–2024)

There is a bat

In Chile named

Micronyteris giovanniae

Dr. Robert Baker named it

After me. He discovered it

While studying bats

And thought the big ears

Were just like me

Maybe if the bat wrote

She would be

A poet

Radical Acts of Optimism

I enjoy watching the award shows for cinema—the European Film Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Oscars. Because Emilia Perez won Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Screen Writer, and Best Editing late in 2024 at the European Film Awards, I streamed the film to watch it. It is a powerful story. This week, it was also awarded Golden Globes for Best Musical or Comedy and Best Non-English Language Film, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Song. 

When Jon M. Chu accepted the award for Cinematic and Box Office Success at the Golden Globes for his film, Wicked, he made an inspirational comment that caught my ear, he said, “a radical act of optimism.” For the rest of 2025, I will keep this statement in my awareness and attempt to be a writer who engages in radical acts of optimism.

What will I be optimistic about? My writing, my life, and the world around me. I noticed recently that I tell myself, “I have to write.” I realized that it sounds like a command, so I will change this statement to “I love to write and I will reserve time to do so.” My life has been quite different over the last two years because of the death of loved ones. This year, I will be more appreciative of all my living loved ones and let them know that I think about them and love them. Given the shift in politics in the world around me, I have wondered what is wrong with average citizens who make terrible choices in elections. This year, I will focus on clarifying traditional democratic values when I can do so.

My Writing Goals for 2025

1.  Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets: Attend Bardic Trails, Cannon Mine Poetry, the Colorado Poetry Center events, and the Naropa events. I will also lead the BWA Poetry Circle and write one poem each week.

2.  Finish my first novel and query agents( IW): Reorganize to clarify the plot and the storyline for each character, write necessary chapters, and edit existing chapters to fit the reorganization.

3.  Finish my second novel, (G): Reorganize to clarify the plot and the storyline for each character, write necessary chapters, and edit existing chapters to fit the reorganization.

4.  Continue to work on my third novel, (PW): Reorganize to clarify the plot and the storyline for each character, write necessary chapters, and edit existing chapters to fit the reorganization.

5.  Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:

a.  Boulder Writers Alliance: Attend Writers Who Read, the BWA Happy Hour, at least one silent writing session each month, and organize and lead the BWA Poetry Circle: I attended our first meeting of Gary Alan McBride’s Writers Who Read 2025 which provided a detailed analysis of Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr!

b.  Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers: Pay dues and follow the newsletter.

c. Women Writing the West: Attend the online conference and continue to work with our critique group each month.

6. Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month in 2025:

Today is January 7, 2025. I am posting my first blog for this year. Despite my concerns about national politics, I am feeling positive and hopeful for 2025—I like the number! I am more comfortable in my own skin than I have ever been. I enjoy my friends and colleagues. I appreciate the wonderful individuals that I have met and worked with this past year and look forward to deepening these relationships. I enjoy the service activities that I accomplish. My knowledge of the local and state-wide poetry world has broadened considerably. The Zoom workshop I lead through the Boulder Writers Alliance Poetry Circle offers the opportunity to meet and collaborate with amazing poets. The other organizations I belong to offer friendship and remarkable connections.

A Line from an Inspirational Poem

When I was a high school senior, I represented my school at the State Speech Meet. The poem that I recited from memory was Renascence by Edna St. Vincent Millay—a serious poem for a seventeen-year-old. Here are a few lines from this long poem:

From Renascence (1917)

“…I know not how such things can be;
I only know there came to me
A fragrance such as never clings
To aught save happy living things;
A sound as of some joyous elf
Singing sweet songs to please himself…”

May you, my reader, sing happy tunes to yourself throughout the coming year!

Winter Writing Can Conjure Up an Army of Writers

What could be more lovely than to sit by a glowing fireplace and write? Maybe sitting by a cheery fireplace and reading while one listens to classical music trilling from the stereo system? As I grow older, nothing seems more perfect to me. Here I sit, cuddled up in a warm soft blanket, my toes tenderly warmed by the radiating warmth of the fire. Nevertheless, I have found it difficult to work on my creative writing lately.

Even though it has been more than a month since the national elections in the USA, my artistic juices have congealed. I sit down to write a new sentence, a new page, a new chapter, and find myself looking out the window at the gentle falling snow. In frustration, I realize that if I am incapable of creativity, I might as well do some reorganization. I pull up my Xcel spreadsheet and fumble around for a bit—my organizational skills seem to have flown out the window to drift down on a snow-covered bush in the garden. I refuse to pick up my cell phone this evening. I have squandered too much of my life over the past month scrolling to distract myself.

Instead, I will reflect a bit on what is weighing me down. I have always been a positive, forward-looking person. I have always been confident that I can solve my personal challenges and resolve difficulties with acquaintances. I have always believed in the greater goodness of the United States of America and had confidence that Americans are pleasant and dependable human beings. I have always believed that democracy in our country is as solid as the Rocky Mountains which tower above the area where I live. The outcome of the last election challenges everything in which I have ever believed. Politics has exploded my once-held beliefs into scattered whisps much like a thundering herd of buffalo crush the grass into fragments. As a writer, I feel compelled to “do something.” But I am unsure of what impact I could have in the grand scheme of things. While I have always been an active voter, I have never been a marcher, a demonstrator, or a protestor.

Will I recover? Will I stabilize? Will I be able to view the horizon of the next four years with hope? I cannot continue to be overwhelmed by gut-level emotions that paralyze my creativity. What can I do to make sure that our democracy holds fast despite the outrage that has occurred against it?

One step I can take is to express my thoughts through writing. I can clarify, reflect, question what is happening, and search for concrete connections that will sustain me and others. As I write, I imagine forming an army of writers who would join me in our paper protests. Writers who could set the goal of connecting across the nation through the power of writing.

As Margaret Atwood said, “A word after a word after a word is power.” Imagine what might occur if writers harnessed their powerful words for positive change, for the preservation of democracy, and for the return of normalcy where individuals fill roles for which they are prepared and proficient?

When I went to bed last evening, I could not fall asleep which is usually an easy slide for me. My thoughts would not stop or calm down. My mind resolutely began an incessant chant, “Writers Unite, Take Up the Fight!” I chuckled to myself and answered, “OK, Subconscious, I guess you are speaking to me.”

My Writing Goals for 2024

Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets:

In November, I attended Larry LaVerdure’s Poetry Party at The Collective in Lafayette. A grant funded the event which included a workshop led by Seth Harris, an open mike for student poets, and three featured poets: Valerie Szarek, Zbass, and M. D. Friedman, as well as treats and a fun discussion during the get-together afterward. I’ve met so many poets over the last two years that I knew many of the attendees and enjoyed chatting with them and learning more about their lives. Plus, the readings were all exceptionally good.

Sadly, I forgot to log on to Bardic Trails this month.

Finish my first novel and query agents:

I worked with my critique group.

Continue to work on my second novel:

I talked to a fellow writer about this novel.

Continue to work on my third novel: 

I made no progress on this one.

Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:

Boulder Writers Alliance: I attended the BWA Happy Hour in late November. I also attended this past week’s Writers Who Read session with Gary Alan McBride in which we discussed Jesmyn Ward’s Let Us Descend—the emotional level of which matched my own.

Denver Woman’s Press Club: I read the newsletter but did not attend any meetings.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers: I read the newsletter.

Women Writing the West: I looked over the new website which is nicely designed.

Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month in 2024:

Today is December 7, 2024. I am posting my twelfth blog of 2024. I have now been writing this blog since 2018—a full seven years! I have enjoyed composing my musings about writing, the built-in goal setting which helps me focus and refocus, and having a fixed date for publication, which is the seventh day of each month. While my blog is a way for me to encompass my writing and my goal-setting in a single document, it is also a tool to help me contemplate writing as a profession and a nudge to keep me on track and working at my desk.

Writers who were born in December that I particularly enjoy:

Jane Austen, Carlos Castaneda, Willa Cather, Arthur C. Clarke, Joan Didion, Gustave Flaubert, Rudyard Kipling, Edna O’Brien, and James Thurber

Poets that I admire who were born in December:

Alfred de Musset, Emily Dickinson, Paul Éluard, Rainer Maria Rilke, Christina Rossetti, and John Greenleaf Whittier

Creativity in a Stressful Time

This past month, I have found it difficult to concentrate on my creative writing. I have spent hours listening to talk shows and pundits. I finally resorted to watching all the available versions of Matlock with Kathy Bates in one sitting. The writing, acting, and filming of that series are remarkably good. Kathy Bates’ performance is phenomenal. I was entranced by a TV show for the first time in years.

Creative writing requires a mind that is rested and not distracted and, in particular, a train of thought that is not interrupted with “What if?” I managed to eke out one short poem in the last few weeks. However, I have not yet written the pages for my November critique group next week. On November 5, I simply sat at my computer and read various weak and unsatisfactory commentaries by various news outlets.

I keep asking myself: what has gone wrong with education in the USA? Whose voices and whose writing can a wise person follow to understand current affairs? When and where can an everyday citizen be involved in stabilizing our struggling democracy? What can writers do to have an impact? Which kinds of stories can we tell that expand readers’ ability to recognize facts, identify lies, and interpret what they read? How can we help regular readers select reliable sources of information? How can we assure readers that all issues are not divided into “two sides”? How do we prevent division and separation among family members, former friends, and former colleagues? What is the common good that might unite?

At the moment I have no answers—only questions.

My Writing Goals for 2024

Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets:

In October, I attended the excellent Colorado Poetry Center poetry presentation by Kathryn Winograd at the Boulder Bookstore.

I also participated in a poetry reading with Larry LaVerdure’s group in Lafayette and read one of my recent poems.

I attended Bardic Trails, a program on the Western Slope, on Zoom. This month it featured two readers from the Navajo Nation: Zoey McKenzie of Las Cruces, New Mexico whose work can be viewed at: https://saaniidotcom.blogspot.com, and Milton Bluehouse, Jr., who is the son of a former Navajo leader and Tribal Chair, a hunter, rancher, and poet. He has worked in tribal, federal, and state inter-governmental relations, including facilitating and mediating multiple Indian Country issues. He has also provided relations training for federal and state agencies, private corporations, and non-governmental organizations.

Additionally, I invited Bobby Parrot who has published hundreds of poems to read for the BWA Poetry Circle. Bobby’s work can be viewed in various online journals including: https://www.exactingclam.com/contributors/bobby-parrott/

Finish my first novel and query agents:

I drafted new pages for my critique group.

Continue to work on my second novel:

I talked to another writer about this book.

Continue to work on my third novel:

Even though I really liked the new BWA literary critique group, I decided that I could not manage another meeting, nor could I read more manuscripts at this point. So, with regret, I dropped out.

Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:

Boulder Writers Alliance: I attended the BWA Happy Hour in October and Gary Allen McBride’s group this week in which we had an energetic conversation about Stephen King’s Holly.

Denver Woman’s Press Club: Our 100th-year celebration was held in October.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers:  I read the newsletter and chatted with folks who had attended the conference.

Women Writing the West: I could not attend the conference because I was sick. It was a big disappointment.

Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month in 2024:

Today is November 7, 2024. I am posting my eleventh blog of 2024. October was unseasonably warm—I continued to harvest beans and corn from my garden until October 18th. My flower garden lasted until Halloween when we had our first freeze. Our first feathery snowfall covered my garden with snow flowers this week.

Writers who were born in November that I particularly enjoy:

Margaret Atwood, Roland Barthes, Fyodor Dostoevsky, André Gide, Nadine Gordimer, Margaret Mitchell, Helen Hooven Santmyer, Mark Twain, Voltaire, and Kurt Vonnegut

Poets that I admire who were born in November:

William Blake, Marianne Moore, and Anne Sexton

Lessons in Writing

Bonnie Garmus, the author of Lessons in Chemistry, and an enthusiastic supporter of libraries was the featured speaker at the local Boulder Public Library Gala in September. With attendance at close to 400 supporters, our Boulder Writers Alliance group was fortunate to have good seats close to the dais. Maeve Conran from KGNU conducted an insightful interview with Bonnie. The interview will be broadcast on October 24, 2024, at 9 AM, on KGNU Community Radio 88.5 FM on Radio Book Club, a collaboration between KGNU and the Boulder Bookstore.

The next morning, I joined a small group from the Library Foundation and their supporters to meet with Bonnie for breakfast at a local venue. Bonnie spoke about how important both the school librarians and the local public librarians in her town were to her as a child. Her interest in reading and writing blossomed under the guidance of attentive librarians who gave her interesting tasks to do. Thus, she has chosen to be an active supporter of libraries as an adult. Throughout her career, Bonnie worked as a copywriter. Honing her skills for editing and accuracy proved invaluable to her work as a novelist. She added that her experience in marketing was beneficial when she began to collaborate with her publisher. She also emphasized that she goes through many drafts before publishing—up to fifty! I am looking forward to her next publication.

My Writing Goals for 2024

Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets:

This past month, the Jaipur Literary Festival Colorado was held at the local public library. I attended several sessions with visiting and local poets, including Rohan Chhetri, Jovan Mays, Reiland Rabaka, and Anne Waldman.

I also participated in a workshop at Naropa University led by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer who was San Miguel County’s Poet Laureate from 2007-2011 and the Western Slope Poet Laureate from 2015-2017. Moudi Sbeity, a poet who is a writing instructor at Naropa University, joined Rosemerry for the session. The following evening, they both read their work at the Colorado Poetry Center’s reading at the Boulder Bookstore. I found both the workshop and the reading to be exceptionally warm, personal, and instructive.

I also attended Bardic Trails, a program on the Western Slope, on Zoom. This month it featured Eirene Hamilton, a poet who writes in both Diné Bizaad and English. Eirene’s integration of nature, humor, and her people’s culture into her poetry was delightful.

Additionally, I invited David Jilk to present for the Boulder Writers Alliance Poetry Circle in September. He discussed and read from his newest publication. Dave is the author of Epoch: A Poetic Psy-Phi Saga, two collections of lyric poetry, co-author of The Entrepreneur’s Weekly Nietzsche: A Book for Disruptors, and lead or co-author of several academic papers on cognitive neuroscience and on existential concerns related to artificial intelligence.

Finish my first novel and query agents:

I drafted new pages for my critique group.

Continue to work on my second novel:

I did not work on this book this month.

Continue to work on my third novel:

Our new BWA literary critique group met to work together. Three of us were present on Zoom and we all expressed our appreciation for each other’s work. We also made comments and made helpful suggestions.

Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:

Boulder Writers Alliance: I attended the BWA Happy Hour in September and our Writers Who Read session led by Gary Allen McBride this week in which we had a lively discussion of Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake.

Denver Woman’s Press Club: I read the newsletter and decided which sessions I could attend this fall.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers:  I read the newsletter and followed the RMFW Colorado Gold Conference on Facebook.

Women Writing the West: I am looking forward to the annual conference which takes place this month. I sent in my pages for the critique group being held at the conference.

Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month in 2024:

Today is October 7, 2024. I am posting my tenth blog of 2024. September was beautiful and mostly warm. Because of our exceptionally warm autumn, my flower garden is still in full bloom today, adding color and richness to my days.

Writers who were born in October that I particularly enjoy:

Jill Kerr Conway, e. e. cummings, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, Ursula K. Le Guin, Doris Lessing, Katherine Mansfield, François Mauriac, Terry McMillan, Arthur Miller, Ivan Turgenev, and Oscar Wilde

Poets that I admire who were born in October:

John Keats, Sylvia Plath, Arthur Rimbaud, Wallace Stevens, and Dylan Thomas

Writing in July

This past month I have continued working on revisions of the novel that takes place in the county where I live. One advantage of the month of July is that it is easier to drive up into the mountains and explore the area about which I am writing. It is fun to take photos of late 19th-century and early 20th-century homes, churches, and stores, and think about which ones match up best with my characters’ lives and activities. World-building for a time before my own lifetime is tricky because I must be accurate about the townspeople’s homes, modes of transportation, clothes, activities, jobs, and necessities. Because a sense of place is also important to me, I integrate accurate descriptions of plants and the seasons they bloom to add color and accuracy to the story. Thankfully, I have a friend who has spent years creating a log and website of, particularly, the flowering plants and their growing seasons in the elevations I am writing about. During July, I plan to spend more time in our local history library as well as take several drives up into the mountains for a photo shoot. My characters are starting to seem like old friends to me because I have been working on this project for several years. As I rewrite and revise, I notice things that I skipped over before so I am trying to fill in the gaps, smooth out the rough spots, and make sure that what I am writing is visualizable and of interest to the reader.

My Writing Goals for 2024

Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets:

BWA Poetry Circle takes the summer season off. I do plan to attend several local poetry readings during the summer.

During June I attended several of the excellent faculty and student readings that are open to the public at the Naropa Summer Writing Program.

Finish my first novel and query agents:

I worked on scenery and flowers for the novel. I met with our critique group.

Continue to work on my second novel:

I attended several sessions on Zoom related to the main theme of this novel.

Continue to work on my third novel:

I reviewed old photos for reference for this story and took notes.

Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:

Boulder Writers Alliance: I attended our BWA Happy Hour and enjoyed the discussions with other writers. I also attended our Writers Who Read Summer Chat Fest and began reading the books for our group discussions this fall.

Denver Woman’s Press Club: I read the newsletter and plan to attend an event this month.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers:  I read the newsletter and renewed my membership.

Women Writing the West: I prepared my pages for the June meeting and we worked on two members’ pages.

Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month in 2024:

Today is July 7, 2024. I am posting my seventh blog of 2024. Summer is wonderful. Life is easy. The sky is blue. I’m outdoors more often and it makes me cheerfully creative.

Writers who were born in July that I particularly enjoy:

Emily Bronte, Zelda Fitzgerald, Natalia Ginzberg, Lauren Groff, Ernest Hemingway, Herman Hesse, Bharati Mukherjee, Iris Murdoch, Marcel Proust, J. K. Rowling, George Sand, and George Bernard Shaw

Poets that I love who were born in July:

Tristan Corbière and Jean de la Fontaine whom I studied in graduate school. Pablo Neruda and Wislawa Szymborska are both evocative wordsmiths that I love to reread. And, Yevgeny Yevtushenko whose live performance I attended years ago was electrifying and makes my heart skip a beat when I think about it.

More on Revision

This month I worked on an introductory chapter that I had drafted a couple of years ago. It reminded me of how much I want to write this story and how committed I am to being a faithful portrayer of the setting and the characters. This reread reenergized my work. Then, because as I mentioned last month, I had to move my timeline back a bit, I looked up some historical data to make sure that I am correct about the details I am inserting into the manuscript. I was able to conceptualize a scene that would fit well, set the mood, and provide a good base for the novel. I added in some characters that I had developed before but who had only appeared occasionally in other chapters. So, despite a month full of activities and spring garden planting responsibilities, I made some progress on this book and feel good about what I am writing.

My Writing Goals for 2024

Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets:

During May, I hosted a BWA Poetry Circle that featured Kathryn Winograd who discussed her methods, explained her experiences with publishing poetry, and read from her newest book, This Visible Speaking: Catching Light Through The Camera’s Eye.

I also submitted my recently published book, Moonglow, to a poetry competition. I attended a Colorado Poets Center reading which featured Nicky Beer, who has won multiple awards and fellowships for her poetry, at a local bookstore. Three poets, Larry LaVerdure, Dave Jilk, Mary Bridges, and I read at the Poetry Rodeo at the Mercury Café in June.

Finish my first novel and query agents:

I interviewed a young man who is a specialist in the field I am writing about. In one short hour, I learned a considerable amount, part of which required a revision of my timeline.

Continue to work on my second novel:

I took a workshop this month that will help me better depict the characters in this novel.

Continue to work on my third novel:

I reread what I have written and was pleasantly surprised.

Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:

Boulder Writers Alliance: I attended our BWA Happy Hour at the Hotel Boulderado. I also attended Gary Alan McBride’s Writers Who Read discussion of Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright which is an entertaining and educative read.

Denver Woman’s Press Club: I read the newsletter.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers:  I read the newsletter.

Women Writing the West: I prepared my pages for the June meeting.

Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, writing one blog per month in 2024:

Today is June 7, 2024. I am posting my sixth blog of 2024. The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year and I intend to enjoy every new minute of daylight leading up to it! I am gratified that my flower garden is colorful and my tiny vegetable garden is productive. There is something about working in the garden that makes my brain more creative when I sit down later to write.

Writers who were born in June that I particularly enjoy:

Jean Anouilh, Pearl S. Buck, Octavia Butler, Thomas Mann, Salman Rushdie, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Poets that I love who were born in May:

Gwendolyn Brooks, Alan Ginsberg, Nikki Giovanni, and William Butler Yeats

Revision of a Novel in Progress

My Excel spreadsheet idea for revision is working. I love the fact that I can cut and paste the lines and columns to rearrange what I am doing. It has helped me revise my timeline and the age of some characters, and shift chapters into better positions. The spreadsheet also continues to show me where I need to add a scene or a chapter.

I also spent an hour interviewing a knowledgeable expert about an important aspect of the story that I wanted to portray accurately. For example, he clarified for me how many staff members the protagonist would need to have on board. He was familiar with one of the references I was using. We also discussed a particular kind of competition that I intend to include.

As we chatted, I realized that I needed to move the beginning of the story back several years to make it fit historically. This meant shifting part of my timeline and altering the ages of my characters. It will also require me to do additional reading about the period. I went back to my spreadsheet, moved my timeline backward, and tucked in ideas for the chapters that needed to be developed.

My Writing Goals for 2024
Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets:

During April, I hosted a BWA Poetry Circle that featured a fascinating speaker— Peter Saint-Andre, a retired philosopher, technology expert, poet, and translator of Sapho, Horace, and Nietzsche’s poetry. His books, Ancient Fire: Poems and Translations and Songs of Zarathustra: Poetic Perspectives on Nietzsche’s Philosophy of Life are available on Amazon.

I also attended the monthly online Bardic Trails Poetry Night hosted by Joanna Yonder of the Wilkenson Library. Each month, Bardi Trails features a poet/speaker and offers a “talking gourd poetry circle” for attendees who want to read their own poems or a poem by another poet aloud to the group.

Additionally, I worked with Sandra Jonas Publishing to finish and publish my second book of poetry. Moonglow is now available in print and as an e-book on Amazon.

Finish my first novel and query agents:

Our critique group gave me feedback on about 2000 words of the novel I am currently revising. I also prepared another 2000 words for our meeting next week.

Continue to work on my second novel:

I made an Excel spreadsheet to see how many words I have in total for this novel. It is about right at 96,800 pages.

Continue to work on my third novel:

I spent some time going over my files for this novel and surprised myself. I have written more than I realized. I also looked over some of the reference material that had been recommended.

Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:

Boulder Writers Alliance: I attended our Happy Hour at the Hotel Boulderado. I also attended Gary Alan McBride’s Writers Who Read discussion of Yellowface by R. F. Kuang, a fast-moving novel about authors, authorship, and the publishing business. I also listened to an interview with the author and was intrigued by how she described her writing and her love for literature. Since one of BWA’s members has started “Write Together” sessions at a local venue, I decided to join the group for an afternoon. I was able to focus on my novel. It is the first time since the beginning of Covid 19 that I have gone to a café to write. It was relaxing and productive.

Denver Woman’s Press Club: I am preparing for our next committee meeting.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers:  I read the newsletter and forwarded information about the Colorado Gold Conference 2024 to our Boulder Writers Alliance group.

Women Writing the West: Two of us from the critique group met and discussed each other’s pages. It was fun to see a complete rewrite of a chapter my colleague had rewritten since our last meeting. We also had an informative discussion about where our books fit genre-wise.

Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month in 2024:

Today is May 7, 2024, and I am posting my fifth blog of 2024. I am relieved that it is finally spring here. Flowers are blooming, rain is falling, and the grass is gloriously green. I feel the thrill of new energy coursing through my body. I hope that energy floods over into my writing.

Writers who were born in May that I particularly enjoy:

Mikhail Bulgakov, Honoré de Balzac, Daphne Du Maurier, and Ralph Waldo Emerson

Poets that I love who were born in May:

Robert Browning, Adrienne Rich, and Walt Whitman

Revisions, Revisions

This past month, I had to present a paper for a local group I belong to so my creative writing time was squeezed into the last week of March and the beginning of April. I am enjoying being in the first revision stage of my most complete novel. My Excel spreadsheet has presented good opportunities for understanding what I must change, add, revise, and improve. It has made clear to me how much work remains for me to do.

I realized that my timeline was off considering the ages of my characters. I had to go back and spend time better defining when they were born so their ages and knowledge of the world would make sense for my story. I went back to my original character outlines and did some serious revision. I had to redefine the age of my main characters in my own mind, not necessarily writing their ages into the novel but clarifying for myself. I also had to move their marriages and the birth of their children in my story back by eight years.

Using the spreadsheet to examine the scenes in my novel, I also realized that I needed to add four new scenes to the beginning of the story for it to make sense. Building a novel is like fitting the pieces of a puzzle together—but first, you must create the pieces.

My Writing Goals for 2024

Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets:

Over the past month, I attended a Colorado Poets Center reading at the Boulder Bookstore which featured Art Goodtimes and Judyth Hill. I also hosted a BWA Poetry Circle with the singer, songwriter, and pianist, Karen Karsh. My book-producing editor/cover designer has created a beautiful design for the poetry book I am preparing to publish. I am hoping that it will be printed in time to submit it to a contest this spring.

Finish my first novel and query agents:

Our critique group gave me feedback on about 2000 words of the novel I am currently revising. I also prepared another 2000 words for our next meeting.

Continue to work on my second novel:

I downloaded some supportive information to use for this novel.

Continue to work on my third novel:

I had a discussion with a knowledgeable person about the time and the area where the novel takes place. She recommended references. I also studied up on costumes for the era which will help me visualize my characters and the scenes they are in much more clearly.

Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:

Boulder Writers Alliance: Participation in our monthly Happy Hour at the Hotel Boulderado has grown. The writers who attend have fascinating discussions. I also attended Gary Alan McBride’s Writers Who Read discussion of Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld. The novel was a rollicking read.

Denver Woman’s Press Club: As a participant on the membership committee, I responded to edits on the new bylaws regarding membership.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers:  I read the new president’s newsletter. I also decided not to attend the conference this coming fall.

Women Writing the West: Our critique group met and critiqued each other’s pages. When I joined this group, I never dreamed that I would learn about ghosts locking houses and about a dam being blown up in California! We do have interesting discussions that revolve around the fiction we are writing. The other readers give me helpful feedback. I also reserved my room to attend the fall WWW Conference in Denver.

Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month in 2024:

Today is April 7, 2024, and I am posting my fourth blog of 2024. A month that starts off with a “Fool’s Day,” is bound to be full of surprises. It has presented several: a little snowstorm, a few nice spring days with a Colorado blue sky, and a terrible windstorm here this weekend. Thousands of houses in my area have been without power. Fortunately, we have had electricity and heat. I am looking forward to seeing the eclipse on Monday, or rather the shadows it casts, as we have no eclipse glasses on hand.

Writers who were born in April that I particularly enjoy:

Hans Christian Anderson, Samuel Becket, Charlotte Bronte, Isak Dinesen, Henry James, Harper Lee, Vladimir Nabokov, William Shakespeare, and Eudora Welty

Poets that I love who were born in April:

Maya Angelou, Seamus Heaney, and William Wordsworth