Hi ,

 "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." - Audrey Hepburn

We hope this newsletter finds all of you enjoying the long summer days with a mix of creativity, relaxation, a cool drink in a shady spot of a patio, and time with good friends. We’ve been watching the plants pop up in our garden (Eileen has a current hatred of cabbage moths which keep going after her kale) and thinking about the link between creativity and the natural world. 

Writing is a bit like gardening. It requires attention and effort. You plant many things- some come up and grow like crazy, some don’t come up at all, and of course those dang cabbage moths may take out something before you have a chance to harvest. There are moments when you sit back and look at what you’ve created with this huge sense of pride: “I made that thing!” And there are times you look over the fence at a neighbour and think “Why is their garden growing so much better?” We’re changing what Audrey said: “to write is to believe in tomorrow.” Keep putting those words down- you never know what will grow from them.

Want some creative gardening help? We got you covered: 

Workshop Wednesdays

July 2nd: Open Q & A with Eileen: Have a burning question about writing craft, publishing or promotion? Now is your chance to get Eileen’s take on the issue.

July 9th: Deep Dive with Jenny on Open Q & A with Eileen : A discussion of Eileen's Open Q+A and a chance to dive deeper into the conversation.

July 16th: Mind Mapping with Jacqui: Here’s your chance to harness the collection brain of the community! Brainstorm plot problems, prompts, or character issues. 

July 23rd: Blue Pencil with Bonnie. Here’s your chance to get up to 750 of your manuscript words, synopsis or query letter looked at by the hive mind. 

July 30th: Crafty Book Club with Jenny. This month it's BYOB. Bring your favourite craft book and we'll talk about why it's your favourite and what we may apply to our own writing. All are welcome!

Events:

GENRE MEET-UPS/ ACCOUNTABILITY GROUPS: Be sure to check the events schedule for the regular genre meet-ups and weekly accountability groups. Be sure to join those communities (they’re all listed down the left side of the main page) so that you know when events are coming up. Even with vacations and patio times we’ve got plenty to keep you busy.

Happy Creative Gardening! 

xo

Eileen and Stephanie