Alyssa McKinley
Join us at Handley for our new Writers Group for adults, lead by Project Write!
See the list of dates in our calendar here. Each meeting begins at 11 AM and end at 1 PM on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, January through April, 2025. This is a group for adult writers of all genres and backgrounds who want dedicated time for writing and peer feedback. You do not need to attend every week. The first hour will be devoted to writing with optional prompts. The second will be used for sharing and feedback, also optional. Bring your preferred writing notebooks or devices. A list of prompts is included by date below.
Facilitator: Stelleda (Star) Friend
Teacher Consultant
Project Write
friends@projectwrite.org
Tentative schedule/agenda:
Jan. 4
Optional prompts:
- Free write/sharing
- Create a timeline of no more than 12 important events from your life
- Choose one event and write about it, beginning in the moment - first person, present tense
Jan. 18
Optional prompt:
“Morning Pages” concept - Complete three pages of free writing every day. The topic(s) are up to you.
Feb. 1
Optional prompt:
Epistolary writing - Write letters to a person or people you know, real or fictional. You can update them on your life, express feelings about the relationship, and include details about your daily encounters, current events, the weather, etc. Tell them what you are looking forward to. What are you worrying about? This concept can build to a climax over a series of letters or not. Consider Valentine’s letters to spouses, real or fictional, or friends.
Feb. 15
Optional prompt:
Make a list of things you did, saw, and heard over the past week. Draw a sketch of an image that stuck in your mind. Choose one of the events from the past week and write about it in-depth. What stood out to you? Do you have questions surrounding the event?
March 1
Optional prompt:
Trade one-word or question prompts with group members or choose one from the “Storymatic” deck.
March 15
Optional prompt:
Generate a narrative using an object in the tradition of Billy Collins’ The Lanyard. Participants can choose an object of their own or choose from one of the items provided to write about a memory tied to the item.
April 5
Writing marathon - Participants will meet at the library and then embark on an hour-long journey through downtown Winchester. The idea is to use the setting for inspiration. We will meet back at the library at noon to share.
April 19
Optional prompt:
Nature writing - Choose an element of nature (plants, animals, weather, seasons, etc.) for inspiration. You can go outside for ideas if you want. We will meet back at the library at noon to share.
Recommended Reading
Check out the advice for writers in these books:
- Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
- Syllabus by Lynda Barry
- Immediate Fiction by Jerry Cleaver
- The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron