Word Lovers will Rev You Up!

SPRING 2012 WORD LOVERS RETREAT

IDLEWYLD BED & BREAKFAST AT LAKESIDE, OHIO’S CHAUTAUQUA

Friday, June 8, through Sunday, June 10, 2012 

Igniting Possibilities announces the Spring 2012 Word Lovers Retreat. Writers are encouraged to bring their works-in-progress to refine their writing. Once again, we convene at the Idlewyld Bed and Breakfast, a historic home just blocks from Lake Erie. Come early on Friday to work hard, then join the group on Friday evening to get feedback on your concept, title, and jacket-cover presentation. Les Roberts (http://lesroberts.com/) will be the writer-in-residence and will be available for individual critique sessions for a $30 fee.

Saturday's schedule begins with Debbie Alferio (http://www.freewebs.com/debsbooks/), who will lead a program on characterization. Writer Kelly Ferjutz (http://bookmechanic.wordpress.com/) will lead a workshop on scenes and bringing the reader into the story. At the end of the day, Les will then bring us to focus on plot and dialogue. You will want your manuscripts handy to mark them up throughout the day. Above all, remember it’s your weekend--you can choose to sit out any programming that gets in the way of the muse.

The rest of the weekend is yours, for writing, star gazing, porch rocking, and street walking!  While the weekend will focus on elements of fiction, some may prefer to work on non-fiction and take what they need from the fiction workshops. Make Lakeside your weekend escape to get some work done in the company of other writers. You can set your own pace for writing, taking clues from the muse.

Weekend Fees are $120.  Registration is limited to twenty participants. Rooms are available at the rates charged by the Idlewyld (http://idlewyldbb.com). Reserve your space by contacting Claudia Taller at claudia.taller@yahoo.com or at 440-554-6406.

Word Lovers Retreat - June 8-10, 2012

The spring retreat will be a project-based weekend at which everyone should bring writing in progress to work on throughout the weekend. We will begin on Friday evening by explaining our projects in jacket-cover format, as if you're trying to sell the book to a publisher, and the group will give you feedback on the concept, title, and presentation. While the weekend will focus on elements of fiction, some may prefer to work on non-fiction or fiction collections.

Les Roberts will be the writer-in-residence and will be available for individual critique sessions for a $30 fee. Saturday's tentative schedule begins with Debbie Alferio's talk on characterization. Kelly Ferjutz will lead a workshop on scenes and bringing the reader into the story. Les will then bring us to focus on plot and dialogue. The rest of the weekend is yours, for writing!

Reserve your space at the Idlewyld by sending a $50 check to Claudia Taller, 26408 Chapel Hill Drive, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070.  Indicate which room you would like at the inn (http://idlewyldbb.com/) when you send your deposit. Space is limited.

Eat, Pray, Love and Find Your God Connection 2012

We will take Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love a bit further this year while sticking the heart of her story. We’ll start with a feast, continue with some prayer, and end with love. The food will be good, and some of it will be prepared by you. The prayer will include some of the concepts in Sue Monk Kidd’s When the Heart Waits because we sometimes need to be quiet and wait for our lives to unfold, like the butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Immerse yourself in love of self, others, and God with poetry and music and art.

This is my way of uniting my church home with my friends from the fall Sharing Our Gifts weekend in Lakeside. The way we come together to share our gifts each year is remarkable, and just being able to do that is a gift. We all have God-given gifts, and it's our job to embrace them.

The cost for the afternoon is $30 and includes lunch. Please send a check for $30 to 26408 Chapel Hill Drive, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070 to help me pay for the upfront costs. We’ll gather from 12-4PM on February 18. Updates on programming will follow.

100-Plus Villages in Italy

I invited Anthony Scaravilli, a photoartist, to the Fall Word Lovers retreat because I remembered visiting his gallery in Little Italy and enjoying the bicycles he often used as centerpieces for his images.  We became acquainted because he has lots and lots of design-enhanced photos that he wants to put into a book, and I get to write the words!  Check out the photos that we will become immersed in at Scaravilli Design. He took this photo while in Lakeside.

Giving it All, and At Peace With It

Joan and Dan Barris took a big chance when they purchased the Idlewyld Bed and Breakfast in Lakeside a number of years ago.  The place was a dump, but they saw it as more than a rundown rooming house.  Today, the house is lit up like a beacon at night--and it should be, it's so beautiful.  Faith and hard work and determination and the ability to turn off that voice that says "I can't" made the Idlewyld a dream come true. We love that front porch.

WOW Photography

I can't say enough about Pat Washington's photos.  I know she likes to write, but her photos exude talent. She seems to catch the world at just the right moment. November Sky on her Slices of Life blog is beautiful.

Vibrant Wind Dancers

Those of you who have been to Word Lovers know my friend Mary often co-hosts the weekends. Artist, writer, dancer, and all-around creative person, Mary's energy is catchy.  Wanna dance? You can always join Mary's dance troupe, Vibrant Wind Dancers and explore what your body can do with Middle Eastern dancing. If you want to get moving with Mary, contact me at claudia.taller@yahoo.com.