Monday, April 16, 2012

Writing and Other Marathons

On April 7, I, along with Sioux Roslawski, Bea Siros, Jennifer Hashieder, Marcia and Jim Gaye, Kathleen Kaiser, Barbara Hedges, and Rebeca Wise, participated in the Saturday Writers First Annual Writing Marathon.

Our group of intrepid writers met around 9 a.m. on the corner of Boone's Lick and First Street near the Trailhead Brewery then proceeded to walk down Main Street.

This was my first writing marathon, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but Sioux Roslowski provided excellent direction and guidance. Sioux (with blue scarf) and Bea Siros (in pink hat) are in the photo on the left. They were dedicated to their task of writing.

I was more in an observational mood and wanted to visually record the event, but sadly, this photo is the only photo that came out unblurry. The batteries on my camera were out of juice, and the other photos I took looked like they were washed in honey.

As we strolled along Main Street, the sights and sounds elevated my mood. Most of the stores hadn't open yet, so the view of the homes and stores was clear. I stopped to read some of the placards on historical buildings, and Spring had definitely made its presence known. The dogwoods, red buds, and tulips were in bloom. 

I  ran into a former co-worker opening her shop on Main Street. We chatted about the good old times--not at work--but when her children visited our farm when they were teenagers. We caught up on what we'd been doing lately and how our lives had changed. Mostly we talked about our daughters. She and I lost our daughters in motorcycle accidents, two years apart.

My thoughts turned to wondering about connections--how certain people come into our lives for reasons we might not realize until years later--as we near the finish line of the marathon called our personal histories.

When our group convened for readings, we sat on stone benches alongside the Homestead Store and Grandma's Cookie Shop. The sun made its presence known, crowds of shoppers grew, and chippies scavenged for bits of cookies on the cobblestone sidewalks while we shared our works. The talent of the marathon writers was inspiring.

After our readings, a handful of us stopped in an outdoor cafe called Braden's for Mimosas before visiting the Oil and Vinegar store. I bought a bottle of specialty cooking oil to give to Walt for Easter.

Because of a soccer tournament clear on the other side of the river, I wasn't able to stay for lunch, but I heard later that it was fun and the limericks were a blast. My impression of the writing marathon was that it was both relaxing and exhilirating--an attractive combination of experiences--that I hope to repeat soon.

14 comments:

  1. That sounds like a lot of fun, Donna! Though I don't think I'd get much writing done. I have enough trouble keeping focused in my cubbyhole at home--;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cathy,
      It was fun, and once the stores opened I did more shopping than writing, but I did get some ideas for an essay during the marathon.
      Donna

      Delete
  2. Very interesting! We just discussed writing marathons at last guild meeting on Thursday. So were you to find some topic on the walking or were you to bring an idea already? Any word count goals?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Claudia,
      Our "rules" were pretty open. We divided into groups, depending on if we wanted to do more people watching, sightseeing, or writing.
      Here's a synopsis of our Writing Marathon guidelines: Each group will head off in their own direction and pick a place to begin and write for 30 minutes or so. Then the group will reconvene and share what they've written without comment or critique. After that they will head to a different spot and repeat the process.

      At noon we were all to meet at a restaurant for lunch and Limericks. I couldn't stay for lunch but I heard it was lots of fun!

      Hope it helps. You should try it!
      Donna

      Delete
  3. I had to go out of town and missed the fun! :(

    Pat
    Critter Alley

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a lovely idea and activity! And of course, whenever a group of writers comes together the time spent is never boring.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Donna, I too believe that people come into our lives for reasons sometimes not revealed until much later. The event sounds like fun.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a great idea and a neat way to get the creative juices flowing. The fellowship sounded like a good time too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Donna, I'm so glad you came for at least the time you could. I also would enjoy doing this again. And Lunchtime Limericks should be a usual addition now to any group lunch. It would have been a hoot if you had read some of yours to get us started.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Linda,
    People coming into our lives for reasons is a lesson I've learned many times.

    Hi Sally,
    The creative juices did flow during the marathon.

    Hi Marcia,
    It was a blast, and Jim's poem was a hit! I do hope another marathon is planned, and I promise to bring a Limerick or two.

    Donna

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm sorry I missed it, too, Donna! But, we had our family Easter get-together that day. I'll definitely come along, next time!

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a fun day. And Donna, I'm so sorry about your daughter. I would imagine you would have quite a connection with another mother who lost her daughter too... in the same way. Love to you.

    ReplyDelete

Mysteries of the Ozarks, Volume V - Interviews with Lonnie Whitaker and Dr. Barri Bumgarner

Here is the second installment of interviews with contributors who have stories in Mysteries of the Ozarks, Volume V , from Ozark Writers, I...