Wednesday, November 21, 2012
SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE COMMUNITY WRITING CENTER CELEBRATES TEN YEARS
A DiverseCity Writing group becomes a family, a writing coach a trusted friend, a workshop a safe haven.-Faye Fischer Writing Assistant & DiverseCity Writing Series Coordinator
I don't recall how I heard about the Salt Lake Community College Community Writing Center but remember being present as copies of the first sine cera anthology People Are Strange were being pulled out of boxes in preparation for an upcoming reading. I became a card carrying member in 2003. A laminated, rectangular piece of green construction paper with my card number written in black marker on one side and the words- I Write Stuff on the other has been in my possession ever since. It serves as a constant reminder that everybody can write and encourages me to don the descriptor with pride.
In addition to using open space available for writing and computer access the Community Writing Center provides opportunities to enhance writing ability through writing workshops. I registered for a writing workshop taught by Professor Melissa Helquist. I very much enjoyed meeting her brother Brett Helquist, illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Author of sixty-two books on Goodreads with 756982 ratings, Lemony Snicket's most popular book is The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #1). Brett diagrammed his process and when asked why he chose to share his experience and knowledge with our small group expressed sincere belief in Zig Ziglar's philosophy- YOU CAN ONLY GET WHAT YOU WANT, IF YOU HELP ENOUGH OTHER PEOPLE GET WHAT THEY WANT. Though not an illustrator myself, I can scarcely trace, a sense of community was palpable. It felt good to know there are artisans who believe in giving back.
In 2006 I was elected Chapter President of the Oquirrh Writer's group, as such responsible for planning monthly meetings. Writing Center Program manager, Jeremy Remy, agreed to give a presentation on Horror during our October meeting. He used visual aids including short film clips to demonstrate the diverse sub-genres of Horror fiction. These and more examples of volunteerism fueled my own desire to help others who longed to be heard, but were limited by ability or educational background. This spurred me to attend a volunteer training and orientation. Writing coaches provide one on one collaborative assistance, offering helpful feedback in a supportive environment. Everybody can write for practical needs, civic engagement and personal expression. Types of writing include letters, resumes, essays, and short stories.
In 2011 I took a bite out of procrastination by challenging myself to write 50,000 words in thirty days. The Community Writing Center partnered with nanowrimo.org and hosted NaNoWriMo workshops to celebrate November as national novel writing month. I used Woody Allen's quote, "Eighty percent of success is showing up." to prod myself when my inner critic set up mental roadblocks in an effort to discourage me from attending workshops. Meeting other frantic novelists and facilitators, also participating in NaNoWriMo, provided support through the highs and lows this kind of insanity condones. We explored inventive ideas and made a commitment to set aside time each day for writing. A white board, graphed each writers progress- number of words produced. My inner critic wanted to beat me up for failing to reach my goal. I exercised him by creating his likeness on paper, surrounded by bubbles filled with negative feedback. Chuck, as I like to call him, didn't give up! He started criticizing my illustration. Now he was out of my head. I tore up the paper and threw my inner critic away. During our final meeting we reviewed lessons learned, prompted each other with future goals and celebrated our successes.
I am a long time participant in the DiverseCity Writing Series and co-mentor the Gay Writes group with Toastmaster extraordinaire Doug Woodall. This month the writing center celebrated sweet success with a dessert party in our honor. Volunteers were thanked for being a driving force to all the center's achievements. John Wilkes has been participating since the center opened in 2002. His is a true success story, but I'll let him tell it.
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