Archive: 2010 - 2016
The Chaffee County Writers Exchange
Archive 2013 - 2016
December 13, 2016, CCWE President, Jen Sweete Owens and Member Chair, Maria Weber lead our 2nd Annual Cocoa-Loco Fireside Holiday Celebration writing session at Creekside Gathering Place in Buena Vista, Colorado. It was an evening to celebrate with a final write of 2016.
November 14, 2016, Nicole Parsons, author of the novella Little Fire, writer, editor and storytelling teacher. "Snapshot Storytelling Toolkit" using a photo/image to connect a story you want to write.
October 24, 2016, Bar Scott, Author of The Present Giver, led us to build a Time Capsule in a 6"x 8"x2" book.
September 24, 2016, Doris Dembosky, columnist and blogger who taught composition & creative writing at Pueblo Community College, led us in learning how to fictionalize a true story.
August 15, 2016, Laurel McHargue, Author of Haikus Amuse, led us in learning how to write Haiku poetry for fun and introspection.
July 11, 2016, Marcy Adams, MA combines her degrees in education, counseling, and working with people. Using exercises from her book, The Gate: Finding Wisdom Within.
June 20, 2016, Kate Bell, Teacher, poet, mother, hiker and wildflower lover. led us in Crafting Characters using prompts to create intriguing, vital, and timeless characters.
March 7, 2016, Jane Provorse, Writer Extraordinaire and CCWE Member-at-Large, led us with"Point Of View" and how to use 1st, 2nd, and 3rd point of view to get our point across.
January 25, 2016, Maria Weber, artist, writer, poet and potter, and author of I'll Be There to Write the Story used the art of coloring for inspiration to lead us into this New Year of writing!
December 15, 2015, Celebrating at the First Annual WE Cocoa-Loco Fireside Holiday Writing Session - a cathartic writing experience about the winter holidays.
November 7, 2015, Jennifer Sweete used music and sound effects to alter mood and perspective for character development, and plot development.
September 21 2015, Barbara Ford asked us to bring dictionaries and thesauruses to expand our vocabulary.
August 24 2015, Laurel McHargue advanced our writing skills using visual arts to inspire our ability to see the world through new eyes.
April 27, 2015, Buena Vista. Marsha Sherry dared us to "shake loose our minds and get beneath the skirts of our thinking."
March 23, 2015, Salida. Laura Hendrie gave tips on how to create and revise dialogue as an expression of character.
February 21, 2015, Buena Vista Gathering Place. Four leaders (Marilyn Miller, Jane Provorse, Nancy Walters, and Maria Weber) presented a variety of prompts.
January 19, 2015, Salida. Susan Tweit asked us to dig deeper to find stories withing. She gave us a mapping exercise and advice to incorporating our senses.
December 8, 2014, Salida. Ron Slaughter, writer and photographer, displayed photographs and played guitar to stimulate our flow of ideas.
November 17, 2014, Buena Vista. Brian McCabe, editor and reporter for the Mountain Mail, creating characters in our writing from Orson Scott Card's book, Elements of Fiction: Characters and Viewpoint.
October 20, 2014, Salida. Paul Goetz, editor of The Mountain Mail, led us in exercises for nature writing.
August 25, 2014, Buena Vista. Carrie Unkelbach asked us to list alphabetically what we "sensed" in August.
July 28, 2014, Leadville. Annie Livingston-Garret helped writers open creativity and vanquish writers's block using the "power of the other hand."
May 12, 2014, Salida. Jane Provorse conducted "fairly easy" exercises that got everyone's pen moving freely.
April 14, 2014, Buena Vista. Audrey Smith encouraged us to imagine plot twists and the conclusion for either one of two published books.
March 3, 2014, Salida. Joan Hannie helped us explore the five senses from a book by Sol Stein: Stein on Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers Our Century.
January 27, 2014, Buena Vista. Nancy Walters introduced us to a pattern for developing stories: Separation - Initiation - Return, based on Joseph Campbell's book, Hero with a Thousand Faces.
December 9, 2013, Buena Vista. Stephanie Frykholm had us do exercises to discover the space within our reach.
October 28, 2013, Salida. Carolyn Barnett asked us to imagine future travels by describing the destinations in sensual detail.
September 23, 2013, Buena Vista. Marge Dorfmeister led us down memory lane with prompts for "music, light, and action."
August 19, 2013, Salida. Jane Provorse, using the topic "Letters of Life," talked about the dying art of letter writing.
July 8, 2013, Leadville. Kate Bell discussed the "Common Threads" of powerful writing: Image, Rhythm, Voice, Implication, and Meaning.
May 15, 2013, Salida, Barbara Munyon led us on the path of action asking us to explain how "writing is in our heart" and "writing is our struggle."
April 1, 2013, Salida, Barbara Ford had us bring examples of humor writing and encouraged us to write our own humorous piece.
March 4, 2013, Buena Vista, Pat Clark led us in an entertaining session on "Picture This!"
The Chaffee County Writers Exchange
Archive 2010 - 2012
December 3, 2012, "Show Don't Tell." Tom Rampton demonstrated what this advice means to writers and language quirks.
October 29, 2012, "Open the Gate." Marcy Adams directed our writing based on the theme of opening gates.
September 24, 2012, "Swimming in Your Imagination." Debby Cason prompts based on her book, Swimming with Glory.
July 16, 2012, "Writing a Short Non-Fiction Story, with Publishing Possibilities." Laurel McHargue shared her experiences in teaching writing and using a publishing syndicate.
June 11, 2012, "Revisiting Natalie Goldberg." Ann Cogswell had us laughing as we wrote using Goldberg inspired pieces.
May 14, 2012, "A Surprise Topic." Lisa Marvel told us two unrelated stories. Then asked us to write, combining themes from her stories.
April 2, 2012, "Landscapes." Stephanie Frykholm had us list words applying to landscapes and use them to describe natural landscapes, our physical landscape, and the landscape of a relationship.
February 27, 2012, "Every House Has a Story." Using word prompts, photographs, and music, KM Joffe led us to write about houses and their occupants.
January 16, 2012, "New Beginnings." Cary Unkelbach and Joan Freeman prompted us to write positive and negative approaches to the New Year.
December 5, 2011,"Opening Pandora's Armoire in the Dark to Find Your Private Vein of Gold." Barbara prompted writing a movie script on our worst job, breaking a bad habit, and a forgotten time.
October 31, 2011, "Shades of Halloween: The Telltale Art." Maria Weber warmed us with Horrorscopes then chilled us with themes from Edgar Allen Poe.
September 26, 2011, "Heading out from Home." Doann Houghton-Alico, write what travel means and places to go,
August 29, 2011, "Inspired by Nature." Pat Clark and Nancy Walters led us in writing about nature, a field trip to McPhelemy Park and Cottonwood Creek.
July 25, 2011, "Body Parts." Jessica Saunders teased us with a quiz on identifying body parts found in nursery rhymes, maxims, and cliches.
June 27, 2011, "Writing Books for Children." Kathy Keidel discussed types of children's books and writing for this market.
May 23, 2011, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Marcy Adams shared us visual prompts, from one image to another.
April 25, 2011, "The Seasons of Comedy, Tragedy, and Romance." Maria Weber and Audrey Smith led us in writing in each genres.
March 21, 2011, "It's a Surprise!" John Skinner planned to lead with with a creative agenda.
January 24, 2011, "Who's Reading and Why?" Nancy Walters presented marketing techniques to define readers and characters.
December 6, 2010, Jane Provorse and Cary Unkelbach led exercises on Holiday Perspectives.
October 25, 2010, After a tour of the Salida Historic Museum, John Skinner presented a list of topics to guide our writing about exhibits.
September 27, 2010, Maria Weber led "Writing Your Journey" with exercises from her book, I'll Be There to Write the Story: A Mother-Daughter Journey Beyond Death.
August 23, 2010, Buena Vista Public Library. Barbara Ford led "Taking the Shortcut to Lookout Point in a Borrowed Vehicle."
July 19, 2010, Jane Provorse and Lori Hardin led "Armchair Adventures."
June 7, 2010, Amy Frykholm led "Empathy, Imagination and Research: Writing Living History," based on Amy's experience writing her book, Julian of Norwich: A Contemplative Biography.
May 3, 2010, at Pat Clark's home. Nancy Walters led "Developing a Sense of Place in Fiction and Non-fiction."
March 29, 2010, at Salida Cafe.