"READ DATING" FOR WRITERS - VPL's answer to speed dating

Wed.  Feb 15
6:30 - 8:30pm
Downtown Central Branch
in the Alice MacKay room on the lower level


Are you single and aged 55 or older?  Do you enjoy reading?  Want to meet others who are interested in the same thing? 

Come to our fun and casual Read Dating event for up to 17 dates in one night. 

This Read Dating event is a fun and easy way for singles to meet lots of potential dates in one evening. 

Participants are given 4 minutes to chat with each person, and will be provided with a temporary email to exchange. 

Bring your favourite book, DVD, or CD to discuss.

Registration has been underway since Jan.16th at the Popular Reading info desk on Level 2.

More info: Popular Reading Library
T:  604-331-3691

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Today's free-write prompt at Grind Writers - Jan 21, 2012

If you need more information on doing free-writes before you start - see "Free-writes, how-to" post of Jan 21, 2012.

Our prompts today come from EMOTIONAL CURRENCY (Kate Levinson, PhD. Berkley: Celestial Arts; 2011). The subtitle on this is "A Woman's Guide to Building a Healthy Relationship with Money" -- but most everything in this book applies pretty equally to men as well.

Prompt questions to write to around you + the cash:

1. What 3 things has the culture you grew up in taught you or conditioned you to believe about money?
2. Are you comfortable with your level of spending? (If not, how would you like it to be?)
3. What kinds of things are you seduced to buy?
4. What messages did you receive about being a man/woman in relation to money--making it, spending it, saving it, sharing it and giving it away, investing it?
5. Were money matters discussed in your family? In what manner were they discussed Did your parents retreat to discuss money in private, or did such discussions take place openly.
6. What relationships do you have that involve money?  And..?

Ok. Now, as Natalie Goldberg loves to say:  "Go: 10 minutes!"

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Margo Lamont

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Free-writes - how to

1. Set aside 10 to 15 minutes per prompt.
2. Select a prompt to write to. Do not spend too much time on this. It can be as easy as opening a book at a page, jabbing some line with your finger - then writing to that. Many writing-prompt sites online. Or get a book of prompts. Or randomly choose a photo in a magazine, or a newspaper headline.
3. Once you have a randomly chosen prompt, write to it. 
4. Write straight for 10 to 15 mins., no stopping. Pen does not leave the paper or hands do not leave hte keyboard. Just keep on pressing forward, writing whatever comes out. Whatever! Because this is just a draft, you might even write about what you want to write about around that prompt. Doesn't matter - just keep writing.
5. DO NOT EDIT as you write. Generating the words and editing them are 2 entirely different processes. They need to be kept separate. Repeat: write, do not edit.
6. Even if you hate your prompt, or do not feel like writing -- keep writing. Write about how much you hate the prompt or why you don't feel like writing.  Don't worry about language or grammar. Just write.
7. Don't have any expectations for this piece of writing to "be" anything.

Now you have something. A whole lot of drivel. A draft. Some ideas. A scene. Maybe a scrap of dialogue you'll use later.

Do a free write at least every day.  You'll be surprised what happens.

And read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron about writing your Morning Pages and you can refine this.

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Margo Lamont


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