Monday, February 28, 2011

Paper and Pencil

Howdy, Writers!
Today I wanted to put in a plug for two of my very best friends: Paper and Pencil. There's something magical about the scratch of sharpened graphite on an empty sheet that makes me so happy. I don't mind all the scratching out I do, all the misspellings, all the smudges and false starts. That's the beauty of the writing process right there in front of your eyes instead of tidied away by computer programs. Don't get me wrong, I could not live without word processing, but feeling the words get pulled from your brain through your arm and out the end of your pencil can be fascinating, magnetic, and uncanny.
I love a piece of paper and a pencil right before bed, when my guard is let down. Wonderful weird things happen. You should give it a try.

Friday, February 25, 2011

New Links

At the bottom of this blog I've linked to Script Frenzy and the National Ten-Minute Play Contest, and in the future there will be other links as events arise. If you have a link suggestion, let me know.
This year I will be participating in Script Frenzy, which is a month long challenge to write a 100 page script or screenplay. Two years ago, I wrote a musical complete with music and lyrics. I had a great time, and though I've never *done* anything with the script, it taught me to really pay attention to the way that people talk to each other. This year, I'm writing a screenplay about a girl named Spam.
I hope some other Lexington writers will be up for the challenge!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Why is it called The Fishbowl?

That was one little thing I failed to mention yesterday. The reason I called this blog The Fishbowl is that inside the Beaumont Branch, there is a meeting room in the center of the building and three of the walls are glass. That's where LFWG meets, and we call it the fishbowl.
Another thing I need to mention is the purpose of this blog. This blog will:
  • provide reminders about upcoming meetings
  • announce themes
  • give information on community and national writing events such as National Novel Writing Month, The National Ten-Minute Play Contest, etc.
  • present selections from our members' work
  • link to our members' blogs or other outlets for creativity
  • provide a forum for discussion, criticism, inspiration and encouragement
  • make you want to write more (hopefully)
 Suggestion are appreciated, and come to the next meeting on Wednesday March 2nd at Noon!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Welcome to The Fishbowl

This is the official blog of the Lexington Fiction Writer's Group.
We meet on the first and third Wednesdays of every month at the Beaumont Branch of the Lexington, Kentucky, Public Library. The group is open to adults of all experience levels writing fiction of all genres, and we welcome new writers. Bring your work to share with the group, and be prepared to listen and give feedback to other writers in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
Every month, members of LFWG choose a theme to get the creative juices flowing. The theme for February is Food, and the theme for March is Bugs (think insects, listening devices, computer viruses, etc.) Not all members write on the theme for the month, and not all members bring work to share at every meeting. We have a great time, and would love to see you there.