As part of the Joliet Public Library's 150th celebration, WriteOn Joliet (a library partner) held a special program on Sept. 24.
The evening consisted of panel-style encouragement from WriteOn writers, an opportunity to engage and ask questions, and gifts of WriteOn’s special “shoe” anthology and shoebox filled with inspiration to keep moving your story forward.
We called it "Lace Up! Steps to Move Your Writing Journey Forward" and aimed it at writers, would-be-writers, writers with writers block, writers who need encouragment to take the first (or next step) in their writing...really just anyone who writes, wants to write, or was thinking about writing.
The event was filled with all kinds of steps for those who took steps to attend, like these six steps:
Missteps: Cindy, who recently joined WriteOn accidentally signed up to be a panelist she thought she signed up to be an attendee. I held her to it and she took cheerfully accepted it and took her first step toward public speaking.
One panelist went to the wrong branch and was a little late to the event. Two other panelists forgot they had an overlapping committment and were also a little late. Things happen.
First steps: The panel was the first panel for most of the panelists, and they, too, took their first steps towards discussing out loud and to people they may or may not know about what they write and why they write it.
Back steps: One panelist stepped back from the panel because he knows himself well enough to know when to step back. Panelists also discussed what holds them back from writing and how they overcome it.
Next steps: Panelists then also discussed the steps they really do need to take their writing forward.
Unseen steps: And those next steps are the unseen steps, the future steps, where success is uncertain but where "anything is possible" also lives.
Dance steps: These were the best steps. As the panelists shared, attendees began opening up and sharing, too, hesitantly at first for some and then with more spontaneity and enthusiasm.
What began as panelists talking to the audience became a disucssion of mutual sharing and clarity for all on what they should do next.
We served bottled water, coffee, shoe-shaped cookies, and cake pops.
Everyone received a special "shoe" anthology, courtesy of Ed and Nancy Calkins, and a special "feather" pen, which has its own wonderful story (for a later blog).
And for those dark moments of self-doubt and writers block,
...every writer left with a mini shoebox with a note of encouragement from each of the panelists.
It really was a wonderful evening.
