Welcome to the
Three Habits of Successful Writers - READ - WRITE - PLAY
Some say there are only two ways that writers can improve their craft
But there is a third method, one
Studies have shown that play has a direct effect on our brains in many positive areas. It improves cognition, creates new synapses and connections, improves language skills and memory, and promotes creative problem-solving. While it's vital
Village Square offers - the Leisure Arena. A place where we can stop and recharge. Each month we offer entertainment in the form of games, vocabulary builders, puzzles, author spotlights, and polls. All designed to take our minds off the reading and writing
MEME-RABILIA
By Louise Sawyer
Fiction Cryptogram
by Louise E. Sawyer
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An Interview with Gayle
by Brigitte Whiting
My name is Gayle, same as my WVU username. I live in Barbados, was born there and I really have not lived outside of the island for an extended period though I travel a lot for work. I work in Emergency/Disaster Management, with a background in Environmental Management specializing in Climate Change. Currently, my work focuses on disaster management education and training.
Tell us something about yourself. What do you bring from your background into your writing?
In primary and secondary school, I liked reading and writing stories. I loved science fiction, fantasy, and comics. My father bought Time or Newsweek magazines, and my sister and I learnt current affairs and geo-politics.
I went to a school where it was mandatory to study English Literature at O’Levels— novels, short stories and poetry and the literary analysis of these forms. In addition to the recognized greats of ancient and modern English writing (Shakespeare, Austen, Twain etc.), we studied West Indian/Caribbean writers, a comparatively small but difficult body of writing. However, there were enough to fill up a large portion of the O’Level book list and we poor fourteen-year-olds had to slog our way through Jamaica Kincaid and Derek Walcott, Samuel Selvon and Olive Senior. I think this is where I came to think of stories and poems as a reflection of the history and culture of a society, and as a way to dissect and understand society and the people who live in it.
As we progressed through school, we were streamed into one of two general directions—science or humanities and the arts. While I was happy to study in both areas, sooner or later the timetable didn’t allow for it. By A’Levels, most people did either science or humanities/arts. I chose science and left creative writing far behind.
All of these experiences and learning—science, world affairs, history, culture, literature—find their way into my writing and my learning to write.
What do you write? Specific genres?
I prefer to write in the science fiction and fantasy genres and am interested in writing mystery novel— I love a good whodunit.
I am interested in how society, culture and politics combine to affect lives. I think that if stories are about people and their societies, then the same themes will emerge in genre fiction as in literary fiction.
What do you bring from your background to your writing?
I have found my background in sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Environment, to be useful for writing science fiction, and in building magic systems for fantasy worlds. My interest in current affairs, history and how societies work help with worldbuilding.
What classes are you taking at WVU, and how have they helped your writing?
I keep a list of new things to learn and made the firm decision to tick off “Creative Writing.” I joined WVU a few years ago. I’m working on the MFA.
Have you published anything? What are you working on now?
I haven’t published anything yet.
My major WIP is a fantasy novel and have a couple of sci-fi novels plus a growing mass of unfinished or unpolished stories, and half-formed or random ideas. But I am not a prolific writer, and it takes me a long time to write stories. My schedule leaves very little space to sit and write, so I like taking WVU courses and writing events like NaNoWriMo, where I can consciously make a space for writing, and devote attention to my WIPs.
What is the biggest surprise you've experienced at WVU?
I was a bit surprised by how much learning content there is at WVU and how flexible everything is.
A writer's tip or two you'd like to share.
Write what you want to write; there is someone out there who will like it. Here are a few quotes from Caribbean writers to inspire or just to encourage:
“Express everything you like. No word can hurt you. None. No idea can hurt you. Not being able to express an idea or word will hurt you more. Like a bullet.” ~ Jamaica Kincaid
“Create dangerously, for people who read dangerously. ... Writing, knowing in part that no matter how trivial your words may seem, someday, somewhere, someone may risk his or her life to read them.” ~ Edwidge Danticat
Like all artforms, writing expresses something about the human experience. Don’t negate your experience/culture/words; they are as valid and valuable as any others. Maybe you want to write a bestseller. That is fine. And maybe you don’t. That’s fine, too.
Photograp: Chalk Mount Evening
The view is of the east coast of Barbados taken from a place called Chalky Mount in the parish of St. Andrew. The photo credit is: Gayle Drakes 2012.
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An Interview with Lolla Bryant
by Joyce Hertzoff
First, a basic question, what does a facilitator do? How much do they bring to the class?
As facilitators, we basically set up and manage the classroom for the duration of the course. For literature classes, we research the author and their work to provide thorough information for those taking the course. After setting up the classroom and providing the necessary information, facilitators answer any questions the students may have, keep track of who does and doesn’t post their assignments, manage feedback required for course participation, and provide progress reports and reminders for students to complete classwork. We do this for the duration of the courses, which range from 1 to 16 weeks. It is because of our detailed involvement that I believe facilitators bring a tremendous amount to the class.
When did you start facilitating classes at WVU? Do you only facilitate MFA classes? Give us an estimate of the number of classes you’ve facilitated. Do you prefer to facilitate Literature or Core classes?
I completed the facilitator’s course in November 2018 and facilitated about 3 MFA classes shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, circumstances forced me to step away from WVU within a few months of that time until 2021. Since then, I have facilitated about six classes. I try to volunteer when I see the need but usually someone beats me to it (you know how wonderful our facilitators are). I facilitate all types of classes. MFA, Literature, and Core courses; whatever the need is.I can’t say I prefer a particular type. Although, I can say that facilitating Literature courses is a good way to ensure I get them completed.
What have you learned from facilitating? Would you recommend that others take the training class and facilitate classes?
Facilitating has taught me the value of experience. In the beginning, I was afraid to facilitate classes because I didn’t want to make some sort of mistake and have my classmates pay the price. I know, I know. I overprocessed that way too much. But for a short time, I let that fear deter me from volunteering as much. But I am so glad I didn’t let that stop me because the experience I’ve gained cannot be valued. I am more confident, not just in the WVU classroom, but in my professional life as well. I’ve also learned that the best way to learn something is to teach it to others. For that reason and the fact that there are few of us and many students, I recommend others take the training and begin facilitating classes. There is plenty of need for more.
How much time do you generally spend on each class, including preparation time and research? What kinds of things do you search for to add to the class?
That depends on the type of class and the length of it. I would estimate that for a 2-week class, I spend about 2 hours setting things up, answering questions, and monitoring feedback. For a 6 – 8-week class, that time increases (because of the additional weeks) to about 5 hours because those usually have more students attending which increases the feedback and questions, as well as more time researching or ensuring archived materials are up to date. I research things such as magazine articles about an author/subject, interviews by an author, and video clips available that may explain or enlighten students about a subject or author. A lot of information is archived but as I mentioned before, I have to research and be sure that information is still up to date before posting it in the classroom. We’ve all clicked on a provided link and found it no longer available. It is my responsibility to try to minimize that as much as possible.
How do you keep track of which students complete their assignments AND give sufficient feedback? What do you expect the feedback to include?
To keep track of students and assignments, I first make a list of who has posted their assignments. Then I go through and provide feedback for each assignment while noting which students have posted feedback for that post on my list of posted assignments. I also always check to see if the feedback word count required for the class is met. For an essay, I expect feedback to include the student’s thoughts and ideas concerning the topics and significance of their classmate’s post. It should be an exchange. I encourage them to ask questions of each other. For a short story or first draft, there is a list of suggestions I provide to assist with how to leave feedback. I expect a respectful evaluation of what they just read. What did they think of the technique used? Did the point-of-view impact the telling of the story? Is there a theme that stands out? Basically, things pertaining to the story’s structure.
What’s the hardest part about facilitating?
That would be the diplomacy of it all. I ask for respect for each other, the authors, and their work. There is a fine line between directness and rudeness (real or perceived). I do my best to ensure no one feels singled out or talked down to by minimizing posting individual directions or needs for modifications for a particular student in the classroom unless necessary. I send a personal message at least twice before doing that. Depending on what the issue is, I may reach out to their advisor to have a word with them. I’ve found this helps a lot with running a smooth classroom.
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Glenda Walker-Hobbs: Waldron Avenue Cat Poems: the sequel, (2023).
Nazia Kamali: Beyond the Interregnum. Published by Extasy Books, (August 14, 2023). ‘What do you do when you end up in an alternate dimension? What if they hate humans?’
Sarveswari Saikrishna: Daughter of the River. Published in Usawa Literary Review. (December 21, 2023). ”Mari had never hated his mother more than now when she lay dead on the rope cot.”
Miriam Manglani: Acceptance. Published in Literary Yard. (February 27, 2024) “Linda didn’t ask for a stepdaughter with Down Syndrome when she married Allen six months ago.”
Frank Richards: Angeleno. Published in Fiction On The Web. (March 1, 2024) “Even after working here for seven years, I had the feeling I didn't quite fit in.”
Miriam Manglani: Invisible Lines. To be published by Kelsay Books
Willy J: Tadberry Makes New Friends. Published by Francis Seifert (June 14, 2024) “Tadberry is the story of a young restless toad seeking adventure.”
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