New year, new writing resolutions

Happy New Year everyone!!

I don't really believe in new years resolutions. The way I see it, if you need 365 days to pass before you alter your goals, well, you're certainly leaning heavily on social expectations to shape your life. That said, this is one of the times of the year I think about ways to finally reach or reset those goals gathering dust in my journal pages.

If you feel like you need a group of fellow writers to join in the merriment of your writing process, perhaps the Calgary Writing Collective is for you. Of the 5-10 folks we regularly see once a month, many say they enjoy having a community to laugh at their jokes, offer constructive feedback and of course, wash it all down with a pint of their favorite lager.

So what are you waiting for? Start writing, and if you want to swap stories or talk with other writers, come on down. All are welcome :)

The next Calgary Writing Collective is coming up next week:

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 7 p.m.

Auburn Saloon (163 - 115 - 9th Ave SE bottom of the Calgary Tower)

Meeting the second Tuesday each month, the Calgary Writing Collective is a friendly meet-up for writers at any stage of a literary project (short stories, novels, screenplays etc.) Bring anything you wish to share, a notepad for inspiration and impromptu writing exercises and your imagination.

Guest author: Andrew Wedderburn Tues. Dec. 8

Just a heads up since December gets pretty busy. Perhaps, a time out with your favourite local writers might be just the distraction you need between drunken, awkward office eggnog parties and family guilt-trips, I mean, holiday celebrations, ahhem.

The next Calgary Writing Collective:
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m.
Auburn Saloon (163 - 115 - 9th Ave SE bottom of the Calgary Tower)

Special guest: Andrew Wedderburn, author of The Milk Chicken Bomb
http://www.chbooks.com/catalogue/milk-chicken-bomb

Andrew Wedderburn has worked in community radio and co-operative bookstores, slung martinis and was briefly a moderately successful Name That Tune host. Now he explains stock photography for a living. His rock’n’roll outfit, Hot Little Rocket, has played across Canada more times than he can keep track of and performed for two weeks in Beijing in 2005. The Milk Chicken Bomb is his first novel. He lives in Calgary.

Meeting the second Tuesday each month, the Calgary Writing Collective is a friendly meet-up for writers at any stage of a literary project (short stories, novels, screenplays etc.) Bring anything you wish to share, a notepad for inspiration and impromptu writing exercises and your imagination.

See you on Tuesday!

Author reading: Tues. Oct. 13 with Wanda St.Hilaire

At our next meeting on Tuesday, October 13, the Calgary Writing Collective will feature its first guest speaker: Wanda St.Hilaire, author of The Cuban Chronicles: A True Tale of Rascals, Rogue, and Romance. Having just met Wanda at her September book launch at Indigo, I was intrigued by her sense of adventure and enthusiasm for writing and travel. Wanda will give a short reading from her new book and discuss her publishing process with the group.
If you'd like to know more about Wanda, check out her site Destinations Extraordinaire.

If you have an idea for the next 10-minute writing exercise (and I do mean any kind of inspiration: photo, pocket squares, pigeons, prosciutto or anything else that may or may not start with 'p'), please e-mail me alisonbracegirdle@gmail.com

If you're heading to the Calgary International Film Festival starting this week, make sure to check out the CIFF blog (he, he, I'm one of the bloggers).

The Calgary Writing Collective is a friendly meet-up for writers at any stage of a literary project (short stories, novels, screenplays etc.) Bring anything you wish to share and a notepad for inspiration and impromptu writing exercises.

See you next month:
Tuesday, October 13 7 p.m. at the Auburn Saloon (163 - 115 - 9th Ave SE bottom of the Calgary Tower)

Collective meets tomorrow

Hello there brave wired scribe.
Maybe you know all about us, maybe you don't. The Calgary Writing Collective meets the second Tuesday of every month, which means, drumroll please... we're meeting tomorrow.
The Calgary Writing Collective is a friendly meet-up for writers at any stage of a literary project (short stories, novels, screenplays etc.) Bring anything you wish to share and a notepad for inspiration and impromptu writing exercises.

See you tomorrow!

FFWD Calgary Writing Contest... sans vowels

Drew Anderson, the Arts and Lifestyle Editor from FFWD magazine, just passed on news of a writing contest. FFWD is running a writing contest to launch Christian Bok's new edition of Eunoia.
There will be an ad in Thursdays paper, but the rough deal is: write 200-300 words in the style of Eunoia. In other words, without using a vowel of your choice throughout. Winners (top three) will be printed in the October 8 issue and will have the opportunity to join Bok on the 8th for the launch at Pages.
Unless otherwise indicated this week, send entries to danderson@ffwd.greatwest.ca

bst of luck ;)

An exerpt from Never hurt her by Joey Stadelmann

Hi everyone,
Two weeks ago the Calgary Writing Collective met up at the Auburn Saloon. Between trying to disturb a dry geologists meet-up and sampling a few house ales, we took turns sharing our latest works.
One of my writers, who has been with the Collective since its June 2008 inception, is Joey Stadelmann. Every week, with a devilish grin, he pedals his latest short story with plenty of well-developed characters. His descriptions always paint images in my head and lure me into his tales.
Joey wanted to share this story called Never hurt her. The full story is available on DeviantART but here's an excerpt to get you started...

“I promise I will never hurt her.” I tried to breath. The pine fresh air of the campground was a murky sludge dribbling down my throat. I swallowed, and felt sick from the effort. Scott and I stood there, staring at each other, both waiting for the other to say something. I could feel my cheeks getting warm, my blood rushing under my skin, reddening my face. What the hell was I supposed to do now?

He said it, and he said it right to my face. Of their own accord, the fingers in my right hand slowly flexed into a fist, the knuckles crackling like gunshots. I forced them to straighten. My teeth ground together. Scott stood there, a weak, pleading half smile on his face.

Walk away, I thought, One of us, just please walk away. … Goddamnit, he’s not leaving until he gets a response.