Thursday, February 6, 2020
February Meeting
The February meeting of the WhipCity Wordsmiths has been scheduled for Saturday, February 29th at Blue Umbrella Boks, 2 Main Street, Westfield at 3PM to approximately 5PM. Bring a piece of your work to share- past, present or in progress.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Articulture 2020
Artworks of Westfield has announced that the 2020 edition of Articulture will be held Friday, May 1st and Saturday May 2nd at a new, larger venue in Westfield- Amelia Park. Artists and musicians will be in the empty ice rink which is large enough to accommodate 60+ artists. Authors will be in the two adjoining conference rooms with the diving wall between them opened up so we'll all be together in one location this year. This will be like an author's fair with space for 24 authors. I have 12 tables reserved for WhipCity Wordsmith authors. Richard Wayne Horton has been working to fill the remaining 12 tables and has them nearly all spoken for. He is tapping into the Easthampton/Northampton/Greenfield pool of authors and publishers he is more familiar with. It will be good for the Wordsmiths to rub elbows with other area local authors to expand our contacts and network. I have six of our tables booked already by Wordsmiths who responded to an initial posting I put on the facebook page. If you're interested in having a table, I will need to hear from you soon!
Artworks has been growing with every annual show. This year we are trialing the larger venue in order to bring more people to Westfield to expose them to local art, literature, and music. Westfield used to have WestFest back in the late 80's early 90's. I remember taking Kelly to that event held at Stanley Park in the playing fields. It drew thousands of people. We're working our way, year by year, to building Articulture into that kind of community event.
Artworks has been growing with every annual show. This year we are trialing the larger venue in order to bring more people to Westfield to expose them to local art, literature, and music. Westfield used to have WestFest back in the late 80's early 90's. I remember taking Kelly to that event held at Stanley Park in the playing fields. It drew thousands of people. We're working our way, year by year, to building Articulture into that kind of community event.
January 2020
The year did not start out well for me. I've been dealing with several health issues, and then fell victim to an upper respiratory virus that rampaged through the medical office where I work. Needless to say, the month is nearly over and I haven't set any meeting dates yet. I apologize for this.
I have Andrew's book to beta read. I've met with Huyen to talk about the stories she's writing. I've been working on a novel I wrote nearly 20 years ago for a good friend for her birthday, but never gave it to her because it had turned into a massive epic that overwhelmed me. From time to time I dug it out and read it, and finally found sort of its natural end point nearly 170,000 words in. I lopped off the other 230,000 words and have periodically worked on edits. There are a lot of continuity issues because I would just sit down and write when I had time and never had an outline or jotted down notes, so time shifts crazily and unrealistically throughout the novel which actually takes place over a span of a year and 21 months, not 7 as it at first seemed. I cleaned it up some more, had a mock-up printed, and have just gone through it again working on the continuity issues and the revisions to bring it into the 2020s...it was woefully dated it was written so long ago! I'll be fixing up the manuscript into February while recovering from everything that hit me at once this month.
Blue Umbrella's financial stability is still questionable, although there are events scheduled. I need to go down there and schedule out next meeting. Hopefully we'll be able to meet in the coming month and get back on track. I'll post the next meeting date here, on our facebook page, and send an email which should cover about everyone. I'm hoping I'll be able to get out of the house this Saturday to get a meeting date scheduled.
Meanwhile, keeping writing!
I have Andrew's book to beta read. I've met with Huyen to talk about the stories she's writing. I've been working on a novel I wrote nearly 20 years ago for a good friend for her birthday, but never gave it to her because it had turned into a massive epic that overwhelmed me. From time to time I dug it out and read it, and finally found sort of its natural end point nearly 170,000 words in. I lopped off the other 230,000 words and have periodically worked on edits. There are a lot of continuity issues because I would just sit down and write when I had time and never had an outline or jotted down notes, so time shifts crazily and unrealistically throughout the novel which actually takes place over a span of a year and 21 months, not 7 as it at first seemed. I cleaned it up some more, had a mock-up printed, and have just gone through it again working on the continuity issues and the revisions to bring it into the 2020s...it was woefully dated it was written so long ago! I'll be fixing up the manuscript into February while recovering from everything that hit me at once this month.
Blue Umbrella's financial stability is still questionable, although there are events scheduled. I need to go down there and schedule out next meeting. Hopefully we'll be able to meet in the coming month and get back on track. I'll post the next meeting date here, on our facebook page, and send an email which should cover about everyone. I'm hoping I'll be able to get out of the house this Saturday to get a meeting date scheduled.
Meanwhile, keeping writing!
Sunday, January 12, 2020
On the Instability of our Home Base
Since the founding of this group we have called Blue Umbrella Books our home base and held all our meetings and author events at that location. As you must all be aware by now, the book shop is in a dire financial crisis and may have to vacate the premises in the near future. If the shop goes under it won't be the first business to do so in downtown Westfield, or anywhere else in this city. (I just heard that Kelly's on route 20 is closing. The site will be utilized for the expansion of the Shortstop Bar & Grill/Planet Fitness complex according to plans I've heard about in the past.
Therefore, I'm looking for suggestions for alternate meeting sites for the group. If you have any suggestions you may message me, post them on the group's facebook page, or comment on the blog. Thanks!
Therefore, I'm looking for suggestions for alternate meeting sites for the group. If you have any suggestions you may message me, post them on the group's facebook page, or comment on the blog. Thanks!
When the Dog Bites by Glen Ebisch
I just bought Glen Ebisch's new mystery novel featuring lawyer Madison Revere, When the Dog Bites. I'm almost finished reading it and have been enjoying this novel which features new characters in the town of Shore Side, New Jersey where his Pastor Clarissa Abbot mysteries Ocean Blues and Seaside Secrets are set. If you haven't read any of Glen's books, start here. Pick up When the Dog Bites and give it a read!
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