“Collaborative workshops and writers' peer groups hadn't been invented when I was young. They're a wonderful invention. They put the writer into a community of people all working at the same art, the kind of group musicians and painters and dancers have always had.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin, Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew
I’ve been meaning to start a newsletter for the past few months, knowing I would set it up at Substack eventually. I’m a reader of newsletters here (separate post on which newsletters) but when I saw the Coffee Times Challenge, I realized I want to create a community like what is happening over there at Coffee Times.
With so many new features being added to Substack, this is the time I start building. I want this space to be for all of us as a place to find writing inspiration, collaborations, and most of all, support.
A community of writers practicing what we love to do, write. But in a space that doesn’t feel intimating for any level of writer.
My Beginning
Because of Covid, I journaled my building anxiety and felt myself looking deeper into a void. As a mother of two boys entering their teenage years, I needed to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. For me. Not as a mother. Not as a wife.
I journaled, asking myself, “What did you want to do as a child? What were your dreams?” They seemed so long ago.
Writing and editing. Working in publishing. Anything surrounding books.
The summer before Covid began, I graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in technical communication, but I still felt lost. I liked to write instructions and articles but still craved more.
I want to write a book, I whispered to myself.
For some reason, the impractical side of me has always warned, “You can’t write a book! That’s for people really good at writing.”
That voice has been stuck in my skull since I can remember.
Something about being in a lockdown, made me decide I don’t care what THAT voice has to say to me any longer. So I started taking creative writing classes online. To dip my toes back into that kind of writing. It had been so long.
Then a new voice entered the picture, why not get your MFA in creative writing? Yes I know you don’t need a degree to write but I also want to teach at the college level one day.
It took me three tries to get accepted into the MFA program but I did it. It feels surreal as I finish writing the first draft of my book. Am I really doing this?
Over the past year and a half, I’ve been writing every day. Don’t get me wrong some days, the writing is nothing much but a journal entry, if even that. Some days a scene for my book. And some days, nothing.
The point is to be a better writer you need to write as much as possible. And if you can find a supportive writing community, filled with writers all at different levels who can give each other ideas to strengthen their work, then even better.
Enter Running with Sparklers!
I want this space on Substack to be for all of us, not just me promoting what I write. As the editor of a Medium publication, called Flint & Steel, I’m blown away by the writers I get to read each day. I love being a part of a writing community, like my graduate program, on Medium, and even on Twitter.
I have a lot of ideas for this space floating around in my head so I’ll tackle them one by one over time.
Writing Prompts & Exercises
First I’ll be posting writing and journaling exercises. These types of exercises are what I use to generate ideas for fiction stories, Medium articles, and for my novel.
Readers will be able to post snippets of what they write if they want feedback.
Writing Classes
I want to lead writing courses here through this newsletter. My question for you is what writing topics are you interested in? Let me know in the comments here or on the above article.
Writing Opportunities
I’ll be posting writing collaborations that I’m interested in doing and also writing opportunities and contests I find around the internet. No matter what type of writer you are, there are so many interesting opportunities you never know where they may take you as a writer.
I’m excited to go on this writing adventure with you and don’t forget to grab a sparkler on your way out!
✨ Ellie