Awakening the Creative Spirit

 


Learn and practice strategies to jumpstart your creative process, whether you are just starting out with artistic expression, experiencing art block, or want to rejuvenate your journey of self-development.

In CCC’s art studio, we will create mandalas, journey circles, and ensos as methods of calming, reflection, creative meditation, and self-definition. You will also learn techniques for centering and focusing to find and harness the flow in your creative process.

Register for $55

Every Wed from Jul 12 - 26th, 2023 

3:45 - 5:45 pm
@ Lone Tree Campus


Dr. Michelle Gray has over 40 years of experience in Expressive Arts and Coaching. She has used Depth Psychology and Mindful Living practices, both professionally and personally in her adult life. She has recently retired from her Psychology and Marriage and Family practices and is now focusing on bringing health and well-being coaching practices to those making transitions (retirement, kids launching, divorce, new career, new environs). Michelle is a member of the International Coaching Federation, which is the Gold Standard for Coaches.

AZ Authors Literary Contest

  

AZ Authors Association Literary Contest and Awards

***Entry Form***

Unpublished                                                                 Published                                                                              

Poems                                                                                                Fiction
Short Stories/Essays/Narrative                                                          Nonfiction
Novel, Novella                                                                                   Juvenile/Young Adult
                                                                                                          Childrens Picture Book
                                                                                                          Oldie but Goldie


One Grand Prize of $300

Three First Prizes of $150
Three Second Prizes of $75
Three Third Prizes of $50
Three Fourth Prizes of $25
Eight Best-of-Category Prizes

Unpublished Poetry and Short Story Best of Category will be 
Nominated for the Pushcart Prize

All winners will be featured in the 2024 Arizona Authors Literary Magazine. Since it began in 1978, the Arizona Literary Magazine has launched the careers of many authors.


>>>DEADLINE: June 1, 2023<<< 

Northern AZ Book Festival

March 31-April 2 of 2023

Creating Effective Critique Groups Workshop

Sunday, April 2, 2023

11 to Noon

Flagstaff Coconino County Public Library 
300 West Aspen Avenue

A Panel Presentation/Q&A 
with 
Barbara Shovers and C. Alex Smith 
(FWC Co-Founders)
  • How to Form a Group
  • Group Models  & Guidelines

(928)779-6368 for more information

Book Fest Highlights:


Friday, March 31

3pm: Author Meet and Greet

Downtown  Flagstaff Public Library


Saturday, April 1

10am-5pm: Booths & Readings All Day!

Heritage Square


2pm: Spoken Word & Slam Poetry: Roundtable & Preformance

Downtown Flagstaff Public Library


3pm: Literary Editing & Publishing Panel featuring Local Presses

Liminal @ Flagstaff


3pm: Hands-on Bookmaking by Wasted Ink Zine Distro

Heritage Square


5pm: Literary Editing & Publishing Panel featuring Local Presses

Liminal @ Flagstaff


7pm: Sedona Poetry Slam featuring Mary D. Fisher

Theater, Sedona


7pm: Explore Translation

What is your relationship to the land you live on? Share a brief response to be added to a multilingual, community poem hosted by Thousand Languages Project. Responses collected by March 15th will be presented during the Explore Translation with Thousand Languages Panel. 

  Submit here.

  Luminal, Flagstaff


8:30pm: That Needs Work: Humor Writing 

Hosted by NAU MFA students

TBD

Sunday, April 2

        11am: Create Effective Critique Groups

Hosted by Flagstaff Writers Connection

Downtown Flagstaff Public Library







1pm: Youth Poetry Council

For Younger Writers (14-24 years)

Late for the Train, Flagstaff






Volunteer Opportunities

Announcing the Deep Editing Series

The Deep Editing Series is Back



Do you have a completed or nearly completed first draft manuscript?

Congratulations!

You're Amazing


Two hundred million Americans (81%) say they want to write a novel or screenplay. But only 10% actually do.


After I finished my first manuscript, I tried to edit it on my own. I moved or changes some of the words, but it didn't feel like the story was getting any better. So I started going to webinars and reading books until ten years later when I finally developed a method for revisions.


In 2019 I gave a year long series of workshops on revision. Since then, many people asked me to repeat the series. But we were in the middle of a pandemic that presented us with something we’d never seen before—Long Covid.


For 2023, I decided to commit the live presentations to video, so I can share them with you safely.


I am offering two ways to enjoy these presentations. 

On Your Own each workshop comes with

    • on a private website
    • several videos you can view when it’s convenient for you 
    • handouts 
    • writing exercises. 


With a Cohort of Other Writers on my schedule. This option includes 

    • the private website 
    • videos
    • handouts
    • writing exercises. But you also get 
    • three Ask Me Anything (AMA) internet meetings to go over writing exercises and to meet other writers 





We’ll take a top down approach so you don’t waste your time editing words on an entire chapter you end up deleting from the project. 


We’ll cover:

Title

Description

Pre-editing

Everything you need to do BEFORE you dig in to the real editing. Computer programs and apps you might want to consider

    • Class starts 1/9/23
    • AMA 1/16/23 11:00-12:30pm
    • AMA 1/21/23 1:00-2:30 pm
    • AMA 1/28/23 10:30 am-12:00 pm

Focusing the Story

Making your MS more manageable and focused by cutting the excess. Writing your synopsis

    • Class Starts 2/6/23
    • AMA 2/9/23 5:30-7:00 pm
    • AMA 2/18/23 1:00-2:30 pm
    • AMA 2/25/23 10:30 am-12:00 pm

Series

Working with “series” (motifs), themes, different story structures.

Scenes

Working with scenes/sequels, special scenes, making a ”character driven” scene, linking scenes.

POV

Choosing a POV and a Narrative Distance, causality, and Motivational-Reaction Units.

Tension

Conflict, emotion, pacing, suspense.

Dialogue

Dialogue, attribution, compression.

Setting

All six senses, visceral response, active vs. static, mood.

Action

Movement, goals, body language, subtext.

Thought

Internal monologue, back story, exposition.

Color Analysis

Margie Lawson’s Color analysis, originality, white space

Voice

Darlings, rhetorical devices

Final Polish

Word Searches, backloading, tight writing, cadence, MS conventions, submission

 


Questions: 

C@CAlexSmith.com

(928)779-6368


C. Alex Smith started her writing career as a political blogger on the Daily Kos in 2008. She was invited to be one of three editors on a well-researched weekly blog concerning economics, politics, environmental concerns, medicine, and science.  There, she cultivated far left celebrities to guest post on the blog including Robin Upton (host of  Unwelcome Guests), Gar Alperovitz (author of Beyond Capitalism), Roger Rothenberger (author of Beyond Plutocracy), and Prof. Richard D. Wolff (Economic Update, The New School in NY). She was also instrumental in getting the blog reposted on several political news sites and maintained the blogs social media presence. 


She moved on in 2014 to being the host of Spec Fix Pix, a podcast for fans of Sci Fi, Fantasy and Horror. 


After moving back to Arizona in 2018, she became a co-founder of Flagstaff Writers Connection. She continues to work for FWC to maintain their internet presence, host the local Critique Circle and Publishing Club, and to provide occasional workshops and courses on writing and the publishing industry.


Since 2008 she has been writing science fiction and alternate history. She has five complete manuscripts and three partial manuscripts. Two of her manuscripts took second place at the Arizona Authors Association Literary Contest.

Open Submission to Mimbres Press!!


We are so sorry, but we have to 

    CANCEL OUR SMALL PRESS SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITY 

We apologize for any inconvenience.

 Free Zoom Webinar & Open Submission

10/15/22 

2-3 pm on 

This Zoom Link

with

The Managing  Director of

Publishing Demystified

The publishing industry has never been more accessible. That is both good and bad news. With the floodgates open, the role of author, publisher, editor, agent, and publicist have become blurred. And we are inundated with conflicting information and challenges. Yet, more books are being produced and consumed through more platforms than ever before. 

Join industry expert Jared Kuritz, as he offers key insights on the state of the publishing industry,  the publishing process, and Mimbres Press, with a Q&A to follow. He will also be giving instruction on how to submit your work to Mimbres.


As an academic press, we are a traditional publisher. However, in addition to academic works, Mimbres Press welcomes agented and unagented submissions in the following genres: 

  • literary fiction
  • creative non-fiction
  • essays
  • memoir
  • poetry
  • children’s books 
  • historical fiction
  • academic books

We are particularly interested in academic and commercial work with a strong social message, including but not limited to works of history, reportage, biography, anthropology, culture, human rights, and the natural world. 


Here are a few things that make Mimbres Press unique:

  • We welcome agented and unagented submissions.
  • We welcome submissions from both new and previously published authors.
  • We pride ourselves on a personalized approach, so you will hear back from us promptly.
  • We offer above industry standard royalties.
  • We are NOT a vanity publisher and publishing with us costs you nothing!

Mimbres Press is named after the Mimbres people, whose culture thrived between 825 and 1450 CE. The Mimbres people lived in the Mimbres Valley in southern New Mexico, although their territories extended to parts of Arizona in the West and the Rio Grande in the Southeast. The culture is now known particularly for its pottery, which was the inspiration for our logo designed by artist Paul Hotvedt.


Jared Kuritz is the Managing Director of Mimbres Press of Western New Mexico University and also oversees book marketing efforts. For more than 20 years as a Managing Partner with STRATEGIES Public Relations, he has worked with domestic and international authors and publishers on literary and publishing development, business modeling, and public relations and marketing. Jared is also the Director of the La Jolla Writers Conference—an annual, three-day immersion that educates attendees about the art, craft, and business of writing and publishing. Jared is also the Founder and Director of the Kops-Fetherling Books Awards. A regular contributor to IBPA, BEA, Tucson Festival of Books, and more, Jared enjoys sharing his expertise with members of the writing and publishing community. Jared Kuritz is the Managing Director of Mimbres Press of Western New Mexico University and also oversees book marketing efforts. For more than 20 years as a Managing Partner with STRATEGIES Public Relations, he has worked with domestic and international authors and publishers on literary and publishing development, business modeling, and public relations and marketing. Jared is also the Director of the La Jolla Writers Conference—an annual, three-day immersion that educates attendees about the art, craft, and business of writing and publishing. Jared is also the Founder and Director of the Kops-Fetherling Books Awards. A regular contributor to IBPA, BEA, Tucson Festival of Books, and more, Jared enjoys sharing his expertise with members of the writing and publishing community.



Book Release Celebration for "To Travel Well, Travel Light"

 Published!

Book Release Celebration 

for

Long Time FWC Author 

Rev. Mary Coday Edwards 

on
Sept. 28, 5:30 to 7 pm

Join Her At
18 N. San Francisco St.
Flagstaff, AZ
Light refreshments will be served.

"I served a god that didn’t exist …"


     To Travel Well, Travel Light is a story of the joys and pitfalls of living and working abroad for many years with children in tow. Mary, her husband Mike, and their two young sons moved to Peshawar, Pakistan, to help their Afghan friends rebuild their country after the Soviet departure in 1992. A USAID program brought educated young Afghan men to the Midwest to instruct them in public administration. Mary and Mike befriended them through a community friendship program, and these mujahideen persuaded this adventurous family to move to Peshawar. 

     Mary worked for an Afghan NGO as a consultant for construction projects inside Afghanistan, and Mike administered the Afghan Eye Hospital. Their older and outgoing son finished high school in Peshawar through a university distance-learning program and in the process learned to hang glide, met young people from all over the world, and grew fluent in the Pashtu language. Their younger son learned British English and had to be reminded by his parents that in the US, an eraser is not called a “rubber.” 

     The cover shows Mary in a chador. She wore that in public to protect her Afghan refugee friends from ultra-conservative Muslims who would punish Muslims who were suspected of consorting with loose Western women. She didn’t know it at the time of their move, but she was also wrapped in the chador of patriarchal, conservative Christianity, a religion that served a nonexistent male god that kept adult women as children. This family lived and worked abroad for 20 years, time enough for Mary to experience how her resistance to this religion found affirmation in wisdom ancient and modern and to rebuild her values with soul-driven goals. 



ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

     Before becoming an internationally published author, Mary Coday Edwards was a project manager on multi-million dollar construction projects in the US and continued in this field when her family moved to Peshawar, Pakistan, where she was a consultant for post-conflict reconstruction projects in Afghanistan. A trailing spouse, she traveled the world with her family through her husband’s employment with CBM, a nonprofit headquartered in Germany. Her writing skills landed her jobs with international, English daily print newspapers, The Jakarta Post and The News, in Indonesia and Mexico, respectively. With her MA in Environmental Studies from Boston University, her articles and op-ed pieces on local and global environmental issues were published internationally.
     The many countries she has lived in—Pakistan, Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mexico—provided her with the opportunities to pursue spirituality as expressed through the various worldviews she encountered. Mary took post-graduate studies in theological ethics from the University of South Africa, focusing on Ecological Justice: how to keep both the human species and the natural environment flourishing. Upon returning to the US after living abroad for almost twenty years, she became a nonsectarian spiritual growth facilitator and ordained minister through People House, a center for spiritual and personal growth based in Denver, Colorado. She’s been a regular blogger for People House for six years. 
      Mary spends her free time pulling invasive weeds from their small plot of shortgrass prairie land in Flagstaff, Arizona, where she lives with her husband and is within easy driving distance to their two adult sons and their families.