Quit Whining Start Writing - October 2016 Writer's Conference

Hey Writers! Sorry for the last minute notice, but I just came across a writer's conference happening in Michigan this week. Take a day and head over to Grand Rapids for the Quit Whining Start Writing Writer's Conference which features keynote speakers, writing workshops and more.

For more information: http://www.splatteredinkpress.com/writers-conference-2016/

Writing Through It

Lately I have felt paralyzed by the darkness in our world. Each time I get inspired to write, I open my laptop and make the mistake of tuning into Facebook or browsing the news feeds and suddenly I am not writing. I am reading about a mass shooting or a political scandal and the inspired me is shriveling and shrinking and crawling back inside so that I don't have to think about it. You see, good writing comes from that deeper self that is connected to it all. The self that feels huge love and compassion and fear and gratitude and hope and apathy and rage. The self that is a reflection of my truth and that cannot look upon these horrors and remain unaffected. Instead, I look and recoil and then try to back away. Rather than feeling inspired to write something positive to balance the energies of all that negative, I feel scared.

I am a new mother. I am a daughter, a wife (sort of), a sister, a grand-daughter, an aunt, a cousin, a friend. Like most of the world, I love. When I read about the death of a child, it reaches into the depths of my being and squeezes until I have to rip my attention away and put it somewhere else. Tragedy is hard, but when it is intentional, when it is committed by a person or persons with malice, it becomes this horrifying enigma. Now I am looking - not only at the injustice for the victim and the grief for the family - but also the motivation of the person who acted out their cruelty. Why did they do it? This is the cycle that cripples me. It is here in this tornado of shock, sadness and ultimately questioning, that writing becomes less than secondary. I can barely think of writing. I wonder what's the point? I might pen something that inspires hope, but will it merely be buried beneath the onslaught of another day's darkness?

Yes, it probably will. But still I do it. Not always, sometimes I just watch a movie and snuggle my baby and pray that love wins. But writing is my way out of that confusion. It is also this hugely powerful tool to influence the world in a positive way. Just as my heart breaks when I read about tragedy, it soars when I read a beautiful poem or laugh at a funny story. The pen is mightier than the sword. We can see that when we are broken by the stories of these tragedies. We were not shot, attacked or abused, but collectively we feel beaten when we're constantly steeped in the stories of those who were. It is our job - and by our I mean the whole of humanity - to cast our awareness onto all that is good and beautiful. We have to write about the love in those moments when we feel lost.

Marketing and Sales Opportunity for Michigan Authors

Hello Michigan writers! Read below for an opportunity to sell and showcase your work at Arts and Greens, the Huron Valley Council for the Arts: Annual Holiday Fair: 
     The Huron Valley Council for the Arts is currently looking for talented authors of books for children and teens for our annual holiday fair, Arts & Greens. We would like to invite you to apply to be a part of this unique show; applications are now up on the HVCA website, huronvalleyarts.org, under Artist Opportunities. Arts & Greens Holiday Market is held inside the gorgeous Bogie Lake Greenhouses. Guests can shop the artist and author booths nestled between festive displays of poinsettias and other holiday greens. The unique setting makes this holiday show a must for many Oakland County residents. In addition , visitors can also enjoy live music ranging from the Huron Valley Community Chorus to the ever popular Tuba Christmas performance. The talented staff of Bogie Lake Greenhouses will be conducting free holiday greens-arranging classes throughout the weekend, where they will be teaching visitors the fine art of creating that perfect table centerpiece or festive holiday decoration. Arts & Greens will be celebrating its 12th anniversary this year; come and be part of the unique holiday show! If you have any questions please contact the Arts & Greens team at ArtShop@huronvalleyarts.org Kind regards, Sybil Phelps, Authors Coordinator Arts @ Greens

Create Content that Reader's Want

Trekking the Self Publishing Mountain

In April I am having a baby. This is a pretty big deal as life stuff goes and an especially big deal in my world because this will be my first child, which means I'm embarking on an entirely new adventure that I hadn't necessarily anticipated for this lifetime. I'm excited and nervous and 10,000 other emotions that I probably don't need to list since many of you may have already had the experience. One of the major changes underway is that I will be leaving my current jobs to care for the new little guy sharing our apartment. This pending change has inspired me to return to writing as a more full time gig. For the last couple of years - since Ula got published - I've been working primarily in the psychology/social work fields - in addition to teaching yoga. I've continued to write - my Born of Shadows sequel Sorciere is currently in edits with the publisher and I'm in the process of writing Book III; however, I have not been living as a working writer. I intend to change that.

 How? Well that's where it gets sticky. My love is fiction and that is always my primary focus; however, after publishing traditionally, I feel that self-publishing is most definitely worth a try. I have a novel that I wrote three years ago that I've just begun to edit. It's in the chick lit genre and as far as self publishing goes, I am a novice. I've been on an information binge, consuming podcasts, articles and interviews about the self publishing process and to be honest, it's a tad overwhelming. Despite the brain overload, I feel pretty excited and inspired by all of the success that self published authors are experiencing. I hope to share the journey with all of you and I would love your tips, feedback and insights as well. Thanks for reading and writing and Happy 2016!

Self Publishing Help

Perhaps you've been sitting on a book for years and have been unable to secure a publisher or an agent. Or maybe 2016 will be the year that you write your novel. Whatever the situation, self publishing offers every writer the opportunity to make their book available to the world. Check out this quick infographic for some self publishing tips.

Self Edit

One of the most important, and often difficult, aspects of the writing process is editing. The following infographic is a quick guide to simplify your editing experience. 

Writing Contests: Summer 2015

There's really no end to the many avenues that writers have to improve their skills in the realm of writing. Blogs, articles, short stories, writer's prompts, novels and even greeting cards offer us a seemingly endless supply of ways to pluck from our imaginative pool and twist our words into a stream of prose meant to delight, inform or even terrify our readers. Contests provide us with an opportunity to meander off our finely beaten writerly paths and foray into a new genre - perhaps with a bonus at the end of publication or prize. Try your hand at one of these upcoming writer's contests below....

TLR Prose Poetry Contest: Accepts prose poems. Deadline 8/1/15

The Barthelme Prize for Short Prose: Accepts poetry, flash fiction and micro-essay. Deadline 8/31/15

The Sixth First Line Contest: Accepts starter sentences. Deadline 9/1/15

NANO Fiction Prize: Fiction works of 300 words or fewer. Deadline 9/1/15  

Cahoots Collaboration Contest: Must include a literary element. Deadline 10/1/15

War and Peace Fall Essay Contest: Accepts essays up to 3,000 words. Deadline 10/12/15

The Writer's Rule Book Infographic

The Writer is a Dreamer

Are you looking for some deeper truth in your writing? Try recording your dreams and crafting them into stories. Dreams remove us from the mundane. Time and place become fluid and the self dissolves into a myriad of symbols that our conscious mind often cannot see. Through the recording of our dreams, we shine light into our writing and we also illuminate the darkness within ourselves. 

Voices of the Middle West Festival: Ann Arbor

If you're looking for some writing inspiration, mark your calendar for the Voices of the Middle West Festival held on the campus of the University of Michigan on Saturday March 21st, 2015. The festival brings together a variety of Midwest authors and writers including U of M faculty, students and additional writers and press. The festival will be headlined by award winning author and poet Stuart Dybek.

Voices of the Middle West Festival

Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Date: March 21st, 2015

Time: Begins at 10 am

Cost: FREE

For more information visit Midwestgothic.com/voices/

Never write anything that does not give you great pleasure. Emotion is easily transferred from the writer to the reader. -Joseph Joubert

Elizabeth Gilbert TED Talk

This TED Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert is fabulously inspiring and it reminds us to recognize the divine energy at work in our lives.  

Yoga and Creative Writing Workshop in Traverse City

For you Michigan Writers who reside in the beautiful Traverse City area of North Michigan, I am offering a workshop that integrates yoga and creative writing. We will meet for five weeks with the intention of tapping into your authentic voice. This is not a critique workshop, but rather an opportunity to dig deeper and release your words and stories in a spontaneous way.

Peaceful Prose:

A Yoga and Creative Writing Workshop

Join author and yoga teacher Jacki Erickson in a five-week workshop integrating yoga and creative writing.

We will explore postures, chakras, breath-work and meditation with an emphasis on discovering our authentic voice. Writing exercises, prompts and journaling will offer a structure to share our insights and hone our craft.

Who Should Attend? This workshop is designed for anyone who wants to spark their creativity and dive deeper into the practice of yoga and writing. Beginning writers and those new to practicing yoga are encouraged to attend.

Location: Shanti School of Yoga, 2074 West South Airport Road, Traverse City, MI

Dates and Time: Five Fridays February 20, 2015- March 20, 2015 from 4pm-5:30pm.

Cost: $125

Please Bring: A yoga mat, journal, writing utensil and an open mind.

Sign up online at http://shantischoolofyoga.net/ 

Contact me at JackiRErickson.com

Jacki Erickson (J.R. Erickson) is the author of Ula: Born of Shadows; a fantasy novel series published by Bluewood Publishing in 2012. The release of her second novel Sorciere is expected in 2015. Jacki has been writing most of her life and has published articles and short stories in a variety of publications.

Jacki is a 300-HR certified yoga teacher through Hilltop Yoga in Lansing, Michigan. She currently teaches at Shanti School of Yoga in Traverse City.

2015 Michigan Writing Events

Connect with other writers, workshop your material, improve your technique and simply delve a little deeper into the writing life with these 2015 Writing Events in Michigan.


A Rally of Writers (Lansing Writer's Conference): April 2015


Rochester Writer's Spring Conference: April 2015


Interlochen Writer's Retreat: June 2015


Bear River Writer's Retreat: June 2015


Glen Lake Writer's Retreat: June 2015


8th Annual Rochester Writer's Conference: October 2015

You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.

Stephen King

Silence of Reading (Independent Bookstores in Michigan)

I owe my post title today to poet Rg Gregory whose lovely poem Silence of Reading gives us a beautiful, but brief glimpse into the experience of another reader, an experience that is oft reflected in our own reading experience. I will include the entire poem at the bottom of the post; however, I am writing today to connect all of you inspiring Michigan Writers with some inspiring Michigan reader's retreats. These little havens, also known as bookstores, give us a place to investigate the world through the words of others. 


Let's pay homage to the writers who have given us their voice and to the amazing people that house those beautifully bound books in a place worthy of their messages. These bookstores are small, community driven businesses that choose people over profit. Visit them and be grateful for their existence in our world. 

Books and More: Albion

Blue Phoenix Books: Alpena

Aunt Agatha's: Ann Arbor

Bookbound: Ann Arbor

Crazy Wisdom Bookstore: Ann Arbor

Literati Bookstore: Ann Arbor

The Dawn Treader Book Shop: Ann Arbor

Nicola's Books: Ann Arbor

Squirreled Away Books: Armanda

Tattered Pages and Tea: Bay City

Horizon Books: Cadillac, Petoskey and Traverse City

Safe Harbor Books: Cedarville

Taylor's Books and More: Coldwater

John K. King Used and Rare Books: Detroit

Archives Book Shop: East Lansing

Curious Book Shop: East Lansing

Saturn Booksellers: Gaylord

Evolve Books and Gifts: Glen Arbor

The Cottage Bookshop: Glen Arbor

Between the Covers: Holland

BookBug: Kalamazoo

Kazoo Books: Kalamazoo

Buy The Book: Kawkawlin

Everybody Reads Books and Stuff: Lansing

Leelanau Books: Leland

Snowbound Books: Marquette

Bestsellers Books and Coffee: Mason

Sleepy Hollow Book Shop: Midland

Book Nook: Monroe

The Book Nook and Java Shop: Montague

The Next Chapter Bookstore and Bistro: Northville

Oak Park: Book Beat

Triple Goddess Bookstore: Okemos

Great Northern Bookstore: Oscoda

Mclean and Eakin Booksellers: Petoskey

New Horizon Book Shop: Roseville

Forever Books: Saint Joseph

Mother Moon - Metaphysical Books: Saugatuck

Books Connection: Shelby Township

Lowry's Books: Sturgis

Brilliant Books: Suttons Bay

That Used Bookstore: Tecumseh

The Bookie Joint: Traverse City

Brilliant Books: Traverse City

Higher Self Bookstore: Traverse City

silence of reading by Rg Gregory

i like the silence of reading
flat on my stomach on the woollen floor
my legs waving upwards like the fronds of ferns
and in my mind
gigantic screaming monsters
or the mystery ship
scuttling crablike to the shore

i am lost to the spell of words
the enchantment of sea in the silent shell
i hear nothing apart from that racing world
alive in this room through my staring eyes
and the hush of my stifled breath
i miss the passing of time
the gale outside
and the very loud knock at the door