November at Writual
A lot of the writing and projects I’ve been doing the last few weeks of had something to do about “tiny.” Much of it revolved around a paper I was writing that was inspired by the podcast “Tiny Victories” but the phenomenon and the message showed up in other ways, too. One significant way was an email I got from Grant Faulkner’s weekly Substack newsletter Intimations: A Writer’s Discourse. The title was from this quote by Hannah Arendt:
“The smallest act in the most limited circumstances bears the seed of … boundlessness, because one deed, and sometimes one word, suffices to change every constellation.”
I gave this quote to one of my writing groups as a prompt and since I write to the prompt, too, I wrote this:
“But this quote revived in me the belief in the power of words—even one word. Like truth, yes, love. I feel like I’m circling something in my writing that hasn’t quite clicked yet, but it has to do with the power of one. It could be something I’m working on or something I’m working toward, because that message keeps showing up for me: the strength of small, the terror of tiny, the limitlessness of little. I don’t know if I’m just making all this up or if whatever this premonition is will reveal itself, but I am certain writing will uncover it. So that’s what I’ll do. It’s not like I’m going to stop.”
And that’s my appeal to you—don’t stop. Keep writing, even if it’s just a few words at a time. Write in the minutes, the margins, the stoplights. Your words will get you to where you need to be.
I believe that.
Writing Groups & Classes
The Saturday AM Writing group continues to meet regularly from 10-11:30am 3 Saturdays a month. If you’re interested in the Sat. AM group, click this button:
I continue to hold the Writing Through Grief workshop in Southbury, CT at the Vicinanza Studios & Gallery. It’s open to new members, too, if you’re in the area and would like to join us, click below. Or message me with any questions.
Other Writing Opportunities & Events & Writers
Each month I like to highlight other workshops and writers—and I will continue to do so! But this month I’m going to use this space to promote me 😬. Now, I could barely even write that, much less do it, but that’s the bane of writers these days—self-promotion. Those of us who would rather sit behind a computer or at a pad of paper are forced to “put ourselves out there.” Why would we do that? Why do they think we became writers in the first place??
I gag like Leslie Higgins when I even consider trying to ask for something or promote my work (as seen here in (I Don’t Want to Go To) Chelsea S3E2) But I’m giving it a try by having a . . .
Subscription Drive!
In an effort to make this platform a way to support my work, I am having a subscription drive. It’s not fancy—I don’t have mugs or totebags (thank goodness! Don’t we all have enough totebags by now??) Substack offers a paid subscription option and many other newsletters have tiered plans with different types of content available to paying subscribers. But my newsletter isn’t really all that complicated—or tiered. I wrote a little bit about getting rid of the paywall last March—because I want everyone to have access to my work—that’s why I’m publishing it!
But, as a way to build up my paid subscriber list, I thought I’d offer a little incentive. I do have a new book out (see below), so here’s what I thought I could do: If you upgrade your subscription to Paid or become a new Paid subscriber, click the Message Cindy button below to let me know and I will enter your name in a Drawing for a signed copy of my new book! There might even be some additional swag included! I know paid subscriptions aren’t for everyone—not all the subscriptions I have are paid ones—so please…no pressure. But, if you feel like supporting an awkwardly introverted writer so she doesn’t have to ever do this again, let me know! I’ll do the drawing in the first week of December when I send out next month’s Writual. I’m looking forward to it!
While I’m asking…(does this never end?? 😣) I’d like to politely ask all of you who have picked up a copy of my book to consider leaving a comment or review on the site of your choice. If you click on the book below, it will bring you to the distributor’s site where you can choose the bookseller you prefer. The number of reviews and comments contribute to how easily the book is made available to readers searching for similar topics. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy review—a few sentences about what you thought of it will work! Thanks!
Still have questions, suggestions or comments?
OR Comment here . . .
And finally, thank you—all of you—for your support & love. I appreciate all of it and couldn’t do it without you.
xo
Cindy