First things first, y’all: my writing group previously known as the Local Writers of Cherokee County (utilitarian, but kind of boring) has had a name change. We are now the Southern Scribe Society! It feels very fancy and official to have such a high-brow name, but we’re still the same group of writers who cram into the back of coffee shops or reserved rooms at the library. (And who mildly panic about every detail of our projects!)
Which leads to the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!
It’s happening, people! A real-life, in-person writing retreat! March 1-3, 2024! In Ellijay, GA! At a beautiful 5 star Airbnb! ALL THE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!
The women that are active in the Southern Scribe Society have the first opportunity to sign up, but we will have space leftover, and I wanted extend the invite to y’all as well! If you’re interested, here is a link to the retreat info! We will have very limited space, so be sure to fill out the interest form if you think you may want to come :)
These cuties will be there.
Can’t you imagine yourself writing the next NYT Bestseller here?
I am seriously SO. STOKED. There will be food provided, ample space to write, beautiful amenities, writing prompts for those interested, and an opportunity to dig deep into your WIP. This is for any female writer regardless of publishing status, and all genres are welcome!
I am so excited to share all of this with y’all! And I am also pretty excited to be done making the website because, due to user error, I had to make it 3 times. It was beyond frustrating and one day, when I am somehow independently wealthy, I’m hiring some kind of IT team to follow me around.
So if you think you’d like to come hang out with us, fill out the interest form, and I will be in touch!
LISTENING/READING/WATCHING/WRITING
LISTENING:
As I’ve mentioned this here before, The Innis Forgettance is an incredible podcast. Leah Noel released the final episode on Sunday. GO LISTEN NOW. The story is fantastic, the production is top-notch, and everything about it is worth a listen! These characters have become friends, and I’ve rooted for them from the beginning.
READING:
I finished Clint Smith’s Above Ground, and it was such a moving and thoughtful poetry collection that will pull on your parental heart-strings and make you cry and chuckle in the same stanza. There were so many poems that I reread just to try and remember the phrasing and the rhythm of his words. I checked this one out from the library, but I would be so happy to give it a permanent spot on my shelves.
WATCHING:
If you are like me (and the rest of the world) I watched Shiny Happy People on Amazon Prime. I am so horrified by a lot of what I saw, and so much of it was familiar. My family was not like theirs, (Thank GOD!) but so many people that I knew grew up in a Bill Gothard-lite situation. Behavior modification is not the end goal of Christianity, and legalism breeds shame, not holiness. If you haven’t seen it, take care watching because it’s VERY disturbing, especially the parts about Josh Duggar and his hidden life, as well as the parenting techniques described.
WRITING:
I am working on my blackout poetry manuscript. It’s fun and overwhelming because there are so many little pieces of paper and they’re all starting to look the same before I black out the words! I’m also struggling with staying motivated with it at times because I’m doing some fun background work on my River Woman project. My friend Lauren from Southern Scribe Society (still so fun to say!) gave me some cool ideas on how to get to know my main characters Laurel and Jacob. (I may still change his name though, so I can’t get too attached.) So now I get to ask myself, what is in Laurel’s purse? What kind of music is on Jacob’s Spotify? How did he get that scar on his hand? It’s so fun AND counts as writing, even when my word count is stagnant. It’s pretty cool that whether I’m working on my blackout manuscript or my River Woman project, I’m still writing and making progress.
I love y’all!
Love,
Tristan
P.S. Make sure you fill out the interest form for the retreat found here.