Photo by Vitolda Klein on Unsplash.
May 2024
Hello Writers!
We hope April’s showers are bringing May flowers to your writing life. We anticipate full blooms at our May member meeting when we will be joined by author and professor, Angela Jackson-Brown for a special fiction workshop. In anticipation of a magical evening, we bring you this inspiring Q&A with Angela. So that we have an accurate headcount, please let us know if you plan to attend by sending an email to . We hope to see you there!
Q: Can you give us a sneak peek of the workshop you are leading for Women Who Write on May 14?
A: In the realm of writing, there exists an elusive art of crafting prose that not only communicates but enchants, leaving readers spellbound by the magic woven into every word. Join us for “Making Magic with Your Words: Writing Lyrical Prose,” a transformative workshop led by the author and professor, Angela Jackson-Brown.
In this immersive session, participants will embark on a journey to unlock the secrets of evocative prose, learning techniques to infuse their writing with lyrical beauty and captivating imagery. Angela will illuminate the power of viewing each sentence as a story unto itself, guiding attendees through exercises designed to spark creativity and deepen their understanding of narrative alchemy. Through a blend of instruction, exploration, and hands-on practice, writers will discover how to breathe life into their prose, transforming ordinary sentences into shimmering tapestries of enchantment.
Whether you’re a seasoned wordsmith seeking to refine your craft or a budding writer yearning to imbue your work with an ethereal allure, this workshop offers a sanctuary where magic and creativity converge. Join us as we embark on a quest to unlock the mysteries of lyrical prose and unleash the spellbinding potential of your words.
Q: Your next book, Untethered will be released in December of this year. What inspired you to write this book? Were you originally from a small town yourself? What kinds of themes are central in this book?
A: The idea to write about this 40-year-old, single Black woman who is the executive director of a group home for boys, actually came to me when I was in my 20s, but I never did anything with it until now, which is good because my 20-year-old self would not have been able to do justice to this character’s story. I actually went to college in the town where the novel is set, Troy, Alabama. Troy is about 12 miles from where I grew up in Ariton, Alabama. The novel is set in 1967-68 during the Vietnam War, and my character’s family is struggling with one family member being MIA and another struggling with PTSD. My protagonist, Katia Daniels, also deals with issues related to sexism, racism, and ageism. She is a fat Black woman who struggles to be at peace with her body and the fact that she cannot have children. Her love interest in the novel is an amazing ex-Marine who loves Katia exactly the way she is but it takes her some time to believe in that love and attraction.
Q: Untethered is your sixth novel and you have published in a variety of publications and received numerous accolades for your work. How do you find yourself evolving as a writer? How has your journey been gratifying and challenging?
A: Every day I learn something new about myself and my craft because I am always in student mode. I never look at myself as having figured this all out. Every book teaches me something for the next book I write, and I am constantly reading to learn from the Masters, like Alice Walker, Percival Everette, Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison, but I am also learning from newer writers I admire like Tomi Adeyemi, Jesmyn Ward, and Colson Whitehead. I am grateful for the opportunity to tell stories. I am always excited when a new story finds its way to me. I always thank the ancestors for sending me another story to marvel over, unpack, and ultimately share with others.
Photo by Susan Q. Yin on Unsplash.
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS
We meet on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 in a Louisville public library. We welcome potential members to attend two meetings before paying the $50 annual membership fee.
Our Tuesday, May 14 member meeting will begin at 6:30 PM at the St. Matthews library branch at 3940 Grandview Avenue. In lieu of peer critique, we will be welcoming Angela Jackson-Brown with a special fiction workshop: Making Magic with Your Words: Writing Lyrical Prose. More about the workshop in the Q&A above. So that we have an accurate headcount, please let us know if you plan to attend by sending an email to .
Our Tuesday, June 11 member meeting will also take place at the St. Matthews library branch. If you’re interest in receiving a peer critique on June 11, please bring 8 printed copies of the manuscript you want us to read. No more than 1300 words (4-4.5 pages double-spaced) for prose, or two pages of poetry. Let us know you’d like to share your writing by noon the day of the meeting by email: .
On Saturday, June 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., we will host a writing retreat at the Valaterra retreat center in Lagrange. Mark your calendar and keep an eye on your email for registration details. Space is limited.
Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash.
THE WRITING PROMPT
All writers love to read, right? But what if you had to choose? If you could only do one for the rest of your life – write or read – which would it be? Take the question and turn it into an essay or a story or a poem that explains which one you’d choose and why. Or simply choose one and write about it – what it means to you, why you can’t live without it, what a good writing / reading day looks like for you. Take this simple “would you rather” to new creative heights.
Photo by Luke Lung on Unsplash.
WE WANT TO SUPPORT YOUR WRITING LIFE
Members, if you have a website or social media platform dedicated to your writing, share it with us so we can share it with our Women Who Write community. Send your details to and we will share in a future newsletter.
Members, write a poem, story, or essay for the Women Who Write website blog. No more than 2,000 words, please. Publishing on our blog will expand your writing platform. And you’ll help WWW show off the variety of talents within our writing community! Browse our web blog now! For more information, email and pitch your story or poem—the one you’ve written or the one you want to write! We may provide suggested edits, for flow and clarity.
The Carnegie Center in Lexington has writing classes and workshops (some are virtual), plus the Books in Progress Conference will take place May 30-June 2, with keynote speaker, George Ella Lyon. For more information, about the conference, click here. For classes, workshops, and more, go here.
Submit to Gotham Writers’ “A Very Short Story Contest” through May 31. The contest is based on Ernest Hemingway’s very short story: “For sale. Baby shoes. Never Worn.” More information here.
Salamander Magazine is accepting submissions for its 2024 Fiction Prize, with Contest Judge Kevin Wilson. More information here.
Spalding University’s Good River Review website indicates that its submission period is “open and ongoing.” More information here.
Vestal Review is accepting submissions of flash fiction (500 words or less) through June 10. More information here.
HerStry literary essay/memoir blog seeks to empower women through their writing. Find submission information here. In addition to accepting personal essay submissions four times per year, HerStry accepts submissions on “monthly themes” that are intended as prompts for writers to tell their stories. More on monthly themes here.
SUPPORT OUR WRITING COMMUNITY!
Become a member or renew your membership. As a community, WWW strives to nurture your writing life. We hope you choose to join or renew as a member and participate in our monthly meetings, author talks, retreats, and workshops. Our membership coordinator will notify anyone due to renew. Regular annual membership is $50. Student annual membership is $25. Scholarships are available. Membership entitles you to discounts on workshops and retreats.
Attend our monthly member meetings on the second Tuesday of each month for a brief program, peer critiques, and conversations about the writing life. Not currently a member? You can attend two meetings before deciding to join.
Visit our web page: WomenWhoWrite.com.
Visit our Facebook Page: @womenwhowriteky. Don’t forget to like us and follow us.
Thank you, WWW members, for joining our nonprofit group, for sharing your unique voices, and for supporting each other with open hearts and minds.
Your Leadership Team
Megan, Erin, Katie, Ashley, Irene, Nancy, Holly, and Colleen