Here are the highlights from the WWG Meeting this past Saturday at Waconia library! Happy writing!

Writer’s Block happens to us all!

At the request of one of our members, the group shared some of our tips on how to get unstuck:

• Try stream-of-consciousness writing! Write down the first thought that comes to your mind. Then the next thought. Wherever your mind takes you, write it down. Don’t worry about whether it makes sense, or if it relates to the project you were trying to work on before you got stuck, just let your brain develop its muscle memory for the ACT of getting words onto paper. Then, when you’re ready, head back to your project.
• Find a new place to write for a while… a change of scene can help, especially if you’re used to writing in a particular room/area of your home.
• Pick a random object within your line of sight, and start describing it. See where it goes.
• Frame your writing goals differently. Instead of saying “I need to write for an hour,” or, “I need to write 3 pages,” try: “I’m going to write something” … take the pressure of expectations off yourself. At the end of your writing session, did you write one sentence? GOOD JOB! That’s one sentence you didn’t have before.
• Watch out for that pesky inner editor! Tell him/her to hush for a while while you get the first draft written. We’re all guilty of this. Inner Editor is really good at reinforcing the idea bottleneck, where you have the idea in your head but you’re so focused on finding the right words right away, that none of the words come. Keep in mind that you will be able to go back and pick the “right” words later, but you can’t do that if you have don’t have any words written down in the first place.
• Book recommendations: Check out a few inspirational books on writing, written by authors for authors! You can find them on WWG’s Writer Resources page.

The group shared writing prompt pieces:

We had a wide variety of genres (humor, poetry, YA fiction, and memoir) and inspiration from this meeting’s prompt! Everything seems different at night, indeed!

Call for WWG Anthology contributions and meeting plans:

• We confirmed our first anthology-focused group meeting, planned for this Tuesday, July 10, at 6:30pm, in The Crossings Apartments’ first floor community space. Signs will be posted for building access.
• We have several wonderful contributions so far and are excited to highlight more beautiful writing from our members!
• Jen will resend the emailed link to the anthology brainstorming Google Doc, if members want to add potential titles to the running “Table of Contents” at the end of the document.

Writing Prompt for Sunday July 22nd meeting:

Find the sinister in something ordinary.