Hello !

It’s the time of year when you throw open the windows, roll up your sleeves, bust out some nice lemon cleanser, and clean out the winter dust.

Or maybe instead, you sit on your sofa and decide you totally are going to do some spring cleaning, just as soon as you finish this chapter. Or the next one. Certainly, you’ll start once you finish the book. After a nap.

Regardless of how you feel about actual cleaning, it’s always good to take time to clean away internal thoughts and mental blocks that don’t serve you.

• Got some nasty imposter syndrome hanging around?
• Perhaps it’s the tendency to make fun of your own work?
• Or some sticky envy over other’s success, that’s sapping your energy?

Spring is a great time to clear all of that out. Throw open the windows in your mind and look at what has clustered up in the corners that you want to eliminate. Bring in the fresh air of new ideas and positive people.

“Spring cleaning the house is easy. Spring cleaning your life is tough.” ~Anonymous.

Clear the air with your Creative Academy friends

If you’re ready to clean out some mental closets with us, check out everything we have coming up in May.

The EVENTS tab on the home page will show you a list with dates and times. If you click RSVP, we’ll even send you an email 30 minutes before the start time to remind you.

Query/Synopsis Workshop (hosted by Bonnie J)

Each month you can workshop your query or synopsis in the Crafty Critique Club! This workshop is limited to 5 people and the first week of the month, starting on the 1st. (There was still space when this email was sent!)

Each attendee will give feedback to the 4 other participants. You can edit and request additional feedback throughout the week. Anyone in the Crafty Critique Club is welcome to help as well.

For this workshop, a query is 250-350 words, and a one page synopsis is approximately 500 words.You can only pick one to work on during the workshop. Pieces will be posted inside the Crafty Critique Club. If you are not a member of the Crafty Critique Club, message Bonnie Jacoby for access.

Book Club: The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride by Joe Siple (hosted by Elissa)

We will meet on Sunday, May 15 on Zoom to discuss the book from a writer's perspective.

What worked in this book? What didn't work? What did we learn about the craft from reading this book? What could have been improved?

With all his family and friends gone, one-hundred-year-old Murray McBride is looking for a reason to live. He finds it in Jason Cashman, a ten-year-old boy with a terminal heart defect and a list of five things he wants to do before he dies. Together, they race against the limited time each has left, ticking off wishes one by one. Along the way, Murray remembers what it's like to be young, and Jason fights for the opportunity to grow old. But when tragedy strikes, their worlds are turned upside-down, and an unexpected gift is the only thing that can make Jason's final wish come true. 

"The humour surrounding the generational gap between a hundred year old man and a ten year old boy is priceless. It also includes a rollercoaster of various emotions from beginning to end."

Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion, even if you haven't read the book, but it's more fun if you have!

These sessions are never recorded, so that we have more freedom to discuss honest thoughts about published work.

RSVP to get the time in your time zone and the Zoom link.

https://creative-academy-for-writers.mn.co/events/22215231

Special event—Expert Q&A—Search & Rescue

Wednesday, May 18

Join David Lovelock and Crystal for a special hour all about the realities of search and rescue.

David has been involved in Search and Rescue (SAR) in the United States since 1980, not ground-pounding, but helping manage searches. He's created and taught SAR workshops and co-authored SAR manuals, papers, and software.

In this session David will give a short power point overview of managing searches for lost subjects in the wilderness, covering topics such as: 

• the difference between a search and a rescue
• why searches are an emergency
• what should be done during the initial stages of a search
• what should be done if that is unsuccessful
• the different types of searches
• what is going on in the background .... 

This will be followed by a Q&A session where you can ask David questions about Search and Rescue that will help you with your characters and story development!

RSVP to get the time in your time zone and the Zoom link.

https://creative-academy-for-writers.mn.co/events/22769776

Your drop-in Q&A (with Steph Candiago)

Tue 3—Drop-in Q&A Publishing Tools & Tech

Tue 17—Drop-in Q&A Publishing Tools & Tech

Mon 23—Drop in Q&A Indie Publishing

Tue 31—Drop-in Q&A Publishing Tools & Tech

Your author biz (with Crystal Hunt)

Wed 4—Author biz and marketing mastermind

Your story craft (with Eileen Cook or Crystal)

Wed 4—Happy Hour: Getting to know your protagonist (this month's focus for the Crafty Critique Club)

Wed 11—Happy Hour: Internal thoughts

Wed 11—Emotional intimacy between characters

Wed 18—Happy Hour: Internal thoughts in action (with Tracy)

Wed 25—Happy Hour: Blue pencil and story storm

Your hot seat (with Donna Barker & members)

Tue 3—Motivation & Accountability Mastermind (facilitated by Janee)

Thu 5—Motivation & Accountability Mastermind

Tue 10—Motivation & Accountability Mastermind (facilitated by Janee)

Thu 12—Motivation & Accountability Mastermind

Tue 17—Motivation & Accountability Mastermind (facilitated by Lynette)

Thu 19—Motivation & Accountability Mastermind

Tue 24—Motivation & Accountability Mastermind (facilitated by Janee)

Thu 26—Motivation & Accountability Mastermind

Tue 31—Motivation & Accountability Mastermind (facilitated by Lynette)

Genre meet-ups & open mics

Sun 1—Memoir Community Meet Up & Open Mic (with Vig)

Wed 4—Children's & Middle Grade Writers Hangout (with Janee)

Tue 10—Historical Fiction Meet Up (with Jenny)

Wed 11—Children's & Middle Grade Writers Hangout (with Janee)

Sun 15—Memoir Community Meet Up & Open Mic (with Vig)

Wed 11—Children's & Middle Grade Writers Hangout (with Janee)

Wed 18—Sci-Fi/Fantasy Meet Up (with Tracy)

Sat 21—Romance Writers Open Mic & Social (with Crystal)

Sat 16—Mystery & Thriller Meet Up (with Eileen)

Tue 24—Historical Fiction Open Mic (with Jenny)

Wed 25—Children's & Middle Grade Writers Hangout (with Janee)

Sun 29—Memoir Community Meet Up & Open Mic (with Vig)

Writing sprints

The writing room is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are several times every day when you can be pretty sure to find at least one other person in the room to keep you company. No matter where you are in the world, we’ve got you covered! Check out all the times here:

https://creative-academy-for-writers.mn.co/courses/2010738/events

Last word

Donna binge read a brand new book by Becca Symes this past week, called Dear Writer, Are You Intuitive?

If your writerly spring cleaning includes a niggling need for some positive motivation with a new perspective on how some writers write—without a plot... without a plan... without a rulebook... grab this book!

It's an absolute breath of fresh air in the world of "how to write a book" books.

xo

Donna, Stephanie, Eileen and Crystal 😁

PS — If you've gotten value from your time in The Creative Academy and are not yet a contributor... please consider supporting the space and people who make this community possible. Pay what you can. Every dollar helps keep things rolling.

https://creativeacademyforwriters.com/contribute/