Word Wranglers
brought to you by My Writing Shed and Lit. On Fire Books
A book club for writers about writing!
Word Wranglers meets in-person the first Wednesday of even months at 6:30 PM.
The dates for 2023 are Feb 1st, Apr 5th, Jun 7th, Aug 2nd, and Dec 6th. Mark your calendar!
Anyone with a Writership can sign up. Tickets are also available for purchase to attend without a writership.
What to expect…
Not every piece of advice resonates with every writer and what works for one writer doesn’t work for another. Our informal discussions focus on three areas:
1.What did you learn and/or love?
2. What didn’t resonate with you?
3. What will you carry forward in your writing or writing process?
August 2nd @ 6:30 PM
August’s selection is “Gentle Writing Advice: How to Be a Writer Without Destroying Yourself” by Chuck Wendig.
“Finally--a book of writing advice that accounts for all of the messy, perverse, practical, and inexplicable parts of being a human who writes
The truth is that all of the "writing rules" you've learned are bullshit. Sure, they work for some people, but the likelihood that they'll work for you--unique butterfly of a person that you are--is slim.
That doesn't mean you're out of luck! There is meaningful advice to be had in the writing world, and Chuck Wendig is here to deliver it. In this hilarious guide, Wendig will help you discover more about yourself as a writer, parse through your quirks and foibles, and help you figure out the best way for you to get words on the page--without destroying yourself along the way.
With behind-the-scenes stories of Wendig's own writing struggles, sections on debunking popular advice, self-care tips, and more footnotes than are strictly necessary (or legally recommended by scientists), Gentle Writing Advice will give the unvarnished truth about the writing process and remind you of what's actually important--taking care of the writer. (That's you, by the way.)”
June 7th @ 6:30 PM
June’s selection isn’t a book, but rather a topic and an article. AI has been all over the news with the growth of ChatGPT, Midjourney, and others. We’re using this opinion piece, “AI Will Kill Literature, and AI Will Resurrect It” by Michael O. Church, as a discussion starter.
April 5th @ 6:30 PM
April’s selection is “Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel” by Lisa Cron.
“It's every novelist's greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page one rewrite.
The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot). Story coach Lisa Cron has spent her career discovering why these methods don't work and coming up with a powerful alternative, based on the science behind what our brains are wired to crave in every story we read (and it's not what you think).
In Story Genius Cron takes you, step-by-step, through the creation of a novel from the first glimmer of an idea, to a complete multilayered blueprint--including fully realized scenes--that evolves into a first draft with the authority, richness, and command of a riveting sixth or seventh draft.”
February 1st @ 6:30 PM
Our first book club adventure is “Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within” by Natalie Goldberg.
“With insight, humor, and practicality, Natalie Goldberg inspires writers and would-be writers to take the leap into writing skillfully and creatively. She offers suggestions, encouragement, and solid advice on many aspects of the writer's craft: on writing from first thoughts (keep your hand moving, don't cross out, just get it on paper), on listening (writing is ninety percent listening; the deeper you listen, the better you write), on using verbs (verbs provide the energy of the sentence), on overcoming doubts (doubt is torture; don't listen to it)--even on choosing a restaurant in which to write. Goldberg sees writing as a practice that helps writers comprehend the value of their lives. The advice in her book, provided in short, easy-to-read chapters with titles that reflect the author's witty approach (Writing Is Not a McDonald's Hamburger, Man Eats Car, Be an Animal), will inspire anyone who writes--or who longs to.”