My memoir, STRUCK, is complete. Still, moments from the early 70s come back to me often. I write them down in my writing practice. Writing practice is a daily practice that generates ideas and story. This is how I write my novel drafts: Celia’s Heaven, “Ghost Rocks,” “Raven Medicine,” Whispering Idaho, and more. If you are a writer, my virtual class Wild Mind Writing may be of interest to you. It begins February 17th. Please signup for Wild Mind Writing through Whatcom Community College.
Writing Practice begins with three exercises that help the writer let go and write stream of consciousness. At the end of a timed write, we call back images that stand out for class members. This trains writers to listen well. It also trains writers to keep judgement out of their feedback…reflecting an image or two that stood out. This practice origninated in Natalie Goldberg’s class in Taos, New Mexico in 1997. That’s when I decided I wanted to become a writer.
If you are a beginning to advanced writer, these four classes will help generate new material. Class begins January 17th from 6-8PM. It is virtual…allowing people from around the country to join in. I will also introduce Aristotle’s Incline, a ploting method helping writers organize their story. The class is fun and inspiring. Please signup here.
Award winning writer, Nancy Canyon, holds the MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University. Her novel, Celia’s Heaven and book of poetry, Saltwater, are available at Villagebooks.com. Her eBook of fiction short-shorts, Dark Forest, is available at Amazon.com. Nancy coaches for The Narrative Project and teaches writing for Chuckanut Writers. She is a visual artist working in the Morgan Block Studios in Historic Fairhaven. She lives near Lake Whatcom in Bellingham, WA, with her husband, Ron Pattern. To contact Nancy, canyonwriter@gmail.com
