Venue Vitae

I won't say it was with great sadness, but it was with surprise and disappointment that after Thursday's meeting we pulled up to the St. Pete Diner and found it closed. Back to Po' Folks we went for some after meeting socializing.
I always enjoyed the food there as they had a nice variety and friendly, if sometimes slow, service. Plus, it's proximity to the library made it convenient. I thank April for initially mentioning the place as a possible meetup.
We held two Christmas parties there, but even if they hadn't closed last year's would have been the last, as I want to find a nice place to hold a party this December. If anyone has a preference you can email me and we'll get it on the list to choose from. I'll also send out an email to the group for input.
I knew people in other areas of my life that also enjoyed the diner, and one of our critique groups met there for a while as well.
As in life, change is inevitable and this is just another one. It reminds me of when I was driving yesterday with my son and we passed a buffet near our house that we had visited several times and heard great reviews from others, too. It was almost 7 on a Saturday night, and the parking lot was empty. I told my son, 'Wow, I didn't expect them to close.'
Change. That's story. That's what you write. Keep on writing.

Workshop Review

Just a word on how the summer workshop went. Great!
We had 16 people attend one, two, or all three sessions and covered defining your story, writing scenes, and adding emotion. Handouts were sent to participants and to those who signed up. Feedback has been positive, and the hope is that this can be developed into something to present at future workshops and conferences.
I, personally, had a lot of fun with it and enjoyed the back-and-forth critiques by the writers as they listened to each others' works. I heard some great stories as well, from futuristic fantasy, thriller, personal drama, humor, and more that sounded very solid and promising. I met new and interesting people, including some I had had conversations with through email.
Thanks to those who attended! It was you who made it great.

Journey through Journaling

Linda Burhans spoke to an attentive group on Thursday, August 9th, about journaling and how it can help you as a writer. In addition, she focused on how everyone has a story to tell, and a journal is a way to tell that story. Sharing her own story with the group included a mixture of touching loss and laughing discovery. It's a journey we all know to some degree.
One thing powerful in journaling is its ability to heal. Linda uses multiple journals to separate her different feelings or focus so they won't 'contaminate' each other. This way she can choose to burn her journal of anger without anyone seeing it, and still share her one of joy with those closest to her.
I've attempted journaling in the past, but always felt it was more like keeping a diary, and was something I'd never want revealed. Linda showed that a proper journal can become a book of universal truth and experience, something that can be used by others to confront their own story.
And finally, a journal can be a gift, a memory of those we cherished, to be shared with those we love.