I'm late blogging today. Only one more hour left of the day. But it's been busy, writing-focused one. Thanks to NOWW (Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop). This morning I attended Angie Abdou's interesting workshop, then this evening I went to Write NOWW LitFest 2018, the 20th Literary Awards Dinner. A day immersed in writing and the writing culture. Divine and enriching. The workshop offered lots to think about and we played with 'freefall' writing. Between three timed writing exercises, I created an intriguing idea for a short story. Bonus! Then this evening we had a delicious dinner, then heard Angie Abdou speak about her love of writing, how she came to actually write rather than living a parallel life and how ultimately she writes for herself. She writes because she feels compelled to, because she has to, because, like reading, it helps her make sense of or helps define the lives we live. Next the Kouhi Award (presented to Ruby Slipperjack) and the Phillips Award (presented to Eleanor Barr) and the writing contest awards (the nail biting part for me!). The people's choice 10 x10 play by local playwright Amanda Doig. had everyone laughing. We left to soft disco lights swirling across the ceiling and a few people twirling across the dance floor. Fellow writers won. Their words inspired me. Their stories and poems ignited my imagination, made me want to read more of their work. Congratulations echoed throughout the room. Always reassuring, always a wider validation of a writer's work to win something, that recognition is priceless on the days when the words won't come or on the nights alone at the keyboard. The writing touched someone somewhere.
I won 3rd place for my memoir, 'The Penpal'. Yay! But the most fulfilling part of my evening was when Jean E Pendziwol introduced me to someone, a young woman, Autumne, who had read my flash fiction story, 'The Last Thing on my List', on the NOWW website. She apparently loved it and wanted to know who I was. I didn't know what to say. She was lovely. I felt very flattered. "I wrote a comment," she told me. How kind. Now, alone at the keyboard close to midnight, I check the NOWW website and read her comment: Wow. The Last Thing On My List left me breathless. I absolutely adored every word. --Autumne And I know I will write again tomorrow.
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AuthorWelcome! I'm Sue Blott: a writer of all things, a poet at heart, mom, wife, daughter, step-mom, grandma, tea drinker, tai chi-er, mystic, artist, dreamer...and now a blogger! This is my world. Categories |