A Poem About Writing Group by Wendy Bartlett

2004
Alone at Roma

I sit and wait and wonder why
The writers' group ain't comin' by
I scribble here to pass the hour
And wonder why they missed their power.

I know I'm here for myself first
The tea I bought will calm my thirst
For words that get stuck in my pen
I ask myself, do I need them?

I glance up to the door in hopes
That I may feel I'm not a dope
To think they might come here and write
And do their writing like a right.

If they and I remember well
For years all women couldn't tell
The truth that lurks in every vein
That must be written to make a change.

Again I glance up to the wall
A painter friend has come to call
Not me, but him, to show her art.
She's put the horse before the cart.

I nod and say, 'are these by you?'
She smiles and I can say with truth
The paintings here light up the place
And put a wide smile on our face.

For she's a woman who held her brush
Through all her life, in spite of the rush,
And saw her work as but life's cheer,
Her paintings, flawed, but shown and here.

But where is my dear writers' group?
Some are traveling, some out of the loop,
I hope they're scribbling in a coffee bar
In another part of the world, no matter how far.

San Francisco Writing for Change Conference

I spent the week-end as a volunteer at the Hilton in a wonderful atmosphere of writers, editors, agents, and entrepreneurs. The only problem I found was that I wanted to be everywhere at the same time. There is so much information coming out of the mouths of the speakers that you, as a writer, want and need to know. The frustration is now abated by your ability to go to the San Francisco Writers University, a new online University where you can download free and also pay for audios and videos of the lectures. http://www.sfwritersu.com/

NaNoWriMo Who me write a novel in a month?

After a long while, I am back to say that somehow I am starting to write my next book. It is social pressure. Writers I know keep asking me if I am doing the write-a-novel-in-the-month-of-November thing. No, I say. I couldn't possibly. I only got 30,000 words done last year. But my daughter, Elizabeth Stark, (www.elizbaethstark.com), even though she has two three year olds, is doing it and also helping others to do it at the same time! I said to her, heck, what can I do to help? So I am babysitting soon to give her more time. Meanwhile, something clicked and here I am again, writing up a storm. I missed one day already, but, again, what the heck, just like my credit card, I will pay it down a little every day. This is such a discipline, but the results are amazing. No criticism: just write, write, write. In thirty days, presto, 50,000 words. (You do the daily math, please!)