Word Lovers - A Space for Writers

05/24/2019

We have one room left for the Word Lovers weekend at Lakeside next weekend. Do you want to claim one?

We're featuring Sandra Gurvis, author of sixteen commercially published books and hundreds of magazine articles. Her titles include "Day Trips From Columbus," "Ohio Curiosities," "Careers For Nonconformists," which was a selection of the Quality Paperback Book Club; and "America's Strangest Museums."

Her Saturday morning workshop is "Turning Personal Experiences into Viable Prose." “Everything is material” or so the saying goes. But how can you turn life experiences into salable writing that readers can enjoy and relate to? This workshop with Sandra will focus on using anecdotes, memories, and observations to craft salable stories as well as how to distance yourself to avoid losing perspective and to protect yourself legally as well as the privacy of others.

In the afternoon, Sandra will lead a workshop called "Inventing (and Re-Inventing) Yourself as a Writer." No matter how many years you’ve been at it, writing is a continual process of discovery. Aimed at both novice and experienced writers, this workshop with Sandra helps explore the many ways you can use your skills and experiences to boost your career. Participants will get a chance to evaluate their present and future aspirations, along with finding new ways to earn income as a freelancer.

Email Claudia Taller at [email protected] to sign up.

04/22/2019

The 23rd biannual Word Lovers Retreat is coming up the weekend of May 31-June 2 at the Idlewyld Bed and breakfast. Our writers-in-residence are Sandra Gurvis and Trudy Brandenburg. Sandra will lead two workshops: Turning Personal Experiences into Viable Prose and Inventing (and Re-Inventing) Yourself as a Writer. Trudy will present her popular Fictional Character Class and switch to her birdwatching hat to take us on a bird walk. Friday and Saturday evenings will be devoted to open mic sessions and on Sunday morning, our critique and brainstorming session will send off the writers to complete their projects. Space is almost full, but we have room for a few more people. More information can be found at http://www.claudiajtaller.com/word-lovers-events-2/. Register by sending an email to [email protected].

WORD LOVERS – SPRING 2019 During the weekend of May 31-June 2, Igniting Possibilities stages its 23rd WORD LOVERS RETREAT at the Idlewyld Bed and Breakfast in Lakeside, Ohio. This spring, we …

02/18/2019

May 31-June 2, 2019, will be a weekend of writing and sharing. Writers Sandra Gurvis and Trudy Brandenburg will share what they know about writing well and being successful at it. Sign up by the end of February and get $30 off the weekend rates of $359 for a single room and $249 for a shared room. Sign up by sending an email to [email protected] or leaving a message here in Facebook.

10/30/2018

We'll talk about what Umberto Eco and E.L. Doctorow have to say about writing in the book "The Writing Life, Writers on How They Think and Work." We'll write poetry that will help heal the soul. And Deanna Adams will share her wisdom in her talk "The Pleasures, Perils, and Perseverance of Being a Writer", which will cover making choices, revising your work in progress (what to keep in, take out), publishing options, and whether getting an agent is right for you. Then, bring out the story board! You’ll work on seeing your project as an entire picture, which should help you bring all the loose pieces together. It's not too late to come to the Word Lovers Weekend at Lakeside, starting this Friday. Email [email protected] or go to http://www.claudiajtaller.com/word-lovers-events-2/.

  WORD LOVERS 2018 In 2008, I was writing for several local magazines after a creativity famine, and I still credit Julia Cameron’s 12-week Artist’s Way study with motivating me and giving me …

10/21/2018

Agenda's set for the November 2-4 weekend:

FRIDAY, 6:30 PM: Dinner followed by "reverence discussion" and project brainstorming.

SATURDAY, 8:30 AM: Breakfast, morning meditation, Deanna Adams' The Pleasures, Perils, and Perseverance of Being a Writer, and a critique session.

SATURDAY, 1:00 PM: Afternoon stretch, lunch, and a discussion of The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work by Marie Arana.

SATURDAY, 8:00 PM: Open microphone readings.

SUNDAY, 8:30 AM: Breakfast, morning meditation, poetic medicine writing, and weekend round-up.

Need more information? Go to

  WORD LOVERS 2018 In 2008, I was writing for several local magazines after a creativity famine, and I still credit Julia Cameron’s 12-week Artist’s Way study with motivating me and giving me …

10/05/2018

Join us in Lakeside in four weeks!

09/20/2018

http://www.claudiajtaller.com/word-lovers-events-2/

  WORD LOVERS 2018 In 2008, I was writing for several local magazines after a creativity famine, and I still credit Julia Cameron’s 12-week Artist’s Way study with motivating me and giving me …

09/20/2018

Word Lovers Weekend Fall 2018 is coming up!

  WORD LOVERS 2018 In 2008, I was writing for several local magazines after a creativity famine, and I still credit Julia Cameron’s 12-week Artist’s Way study with motivating me and giving me …

08/29/2018

I'm getting ready for the next Word Lovers Retreat that takes place the first weekend in November at Lakeside, Ohio's Chautauqua on Lake Erie. It's quiet in November--we'll have space to expand and the comfort of quiet. For more information on Word Lovers, go to http://claudiajtaller.com/ and click on Events. We're now in our 11th year! We'll write, walk, rock in rocking chairs, drink wine, critique and share our work, learn about writing, and maybe do some yoga!

08/24/2018

The November 2018 Word Lovers weekend is coming up fast! Claudia Taller and Mary Bodnar will set the stage during the first weekend of the month. Dee Adams again joins us at the Idlewyld Bed and Breakfast as the writer-in-residence. Her interactive program on Saturday morning, The Pleasures, Perils, and Perseverance of Being a Writer, will cover the gamut of the writing life. She’ll talk about making choices, such as changing genres, revising your work in progress (what to keep in, take out), publishing options, and whether getting an agent is right for you. Then, bring out the story board! You’ll work on seeing your project as an entire picture, which should help you bring all the loose pieces together.

On Friday night, we’ll discuss the book The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work by Marie Arana, which features a gathering of more than fifty of contemporary literature's finest voices. Authors divulge professional secrets: how they first discovered they were writers, how they work, how they deal with the myriad frustrations and delights a writer's life affords. For anyone interested in the making of fiction and nonfiction, here is a fascinating vantage on the writer's world--an indispensable guide to the craft. Read it before you arrive to get the most out of the discussion.

Right after that discussion, we’ll dig deep into your writing projects to explore what’s working and what’s not working, and get you onto the right path for the weekend. It’s our hope that you’ll write and that we’ll provide you with much-needed direction and guidance. On Sunday, before we leave, we’ll touch base again. AND, you’ll have the chance to read your writing during open mic on Saturday night.

On Sunday morning, Claudia Taller will lead a poetic medicine session. We all know that writing can be therapeutic, but have you worked through your issues in poetry? Writing together, you’ll be given exercises and asked to respond in writing. We’ll talk about how it feels to write about your feelings, whether you made any new discoveries, and if you want to share, the opportunity to read the poetry out loud.

Weekend fees remain the same (for information on past events, go to claudiajtaller.com). At this point, we're looking for a $50 non-refundable deposit and a room choice, so email [email protected].