May’s Workshop Approaches

Unless you’re one of those odd people who are extremely self-disciplined, motivated, and organized, you probably struggle with productivity.

Some days you may feel like writing but don’t have the time. Some days you may feel like writing but don’t have the inspiration.

Some days you just don’t feel like writing.

If you’re looking for an extra push to get going, I offer you two things with our workshop: a deadline, and readers.

The deadline for our next writers’ workshop is midnight of 05/22. The following week, 05/29, we’ll meet for a peer review session with other writers.

With a deadline to adhere to, it’s a lot easier to justify the time to write. If you know there’s a critique at the other end of that deadline, what better motivation to push the quality of your work even harder?

Please submit your work to workshops@columbuscoop.org before midnight of 05/22. You must be present to receive feedback, so please only submit work if you know you can attend on 05/29. All are welcome. You do NOT have to be a member to participate, submit work, or attend.

Log in to your free CCC account (or create one here) for details on time and place.

If you’re not able to travel to Columbus, try our Virtual Peer Workshop (VPW).

Using Google Hangout, CCC will host an online version of our writers’ workshop at the same time the other workshoppers are meeting in Columbus.

If you’d like to participate, send in your work to workshops@columbuscoop.org by midnight of 05/22. Please specify ‘Virtual Peer Workshop’ in the subject line and include your Google user name in the email so we can add you to the hangout.

Log in to your free CCC account for hangout log in details.

The VPW is a great opportunity for those who are physically or geographically incapable of attending the in-person workshop, but if you are able to come to the live workshop, please do!

Questions? Contact us or visit our Workshop FAQ

Here’s to good work spaces, and strong coffee! See you soon.

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Member News for the Month of May

Are you a CCC member with news to share? Please contact us so that we can brag about you!

Seven in a Jeep by Ed GaydosCCC member Ed Gaydos’s book Seven in a Jeep will be released on May 15!  Get more information on the book’s website, SeveninaJeep.com.  The book can also be ordered on Amazon, found on GoodReads and on Facebook.

Seven in a Jeep recounts Ed’s experience in Vietnam.  You won’t find the politics and combat strategy of most books about Vietnam, just the stories of a bunch of teenagers hanging out behind barbed wire trying not to get blown up.

If we missed your news for the month, please let us know.

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May News

The spring is finally here!  It’s warm and hopefully all of those creative juices are flowing.

Just a couple of things going on at CCC this month.

Writers’ Workshop - Our writer’s workshop will be May 29.  All work must be submitted by May 22.  Find all of the details here.

Also, don’t miss the introduction of our Virtual Peer Workshops (VPW).  For those that can’t make it to the workshop in person, you can attend a Google Hangout video chat workshop instead!

Anthology Submissions – We’re collecting work for our Best of Ohio anthology through June 24.  It’s free to submit your work, get the details here.

If you’d like feedback on your work before you submit (a great idea), don’t forget about our online Writer’s forum for Writer Members of CCC.

Festivals and Events – We’ll be at the Moonlight Market on Gay St. on May 11, and we’ll be at the New Albany Founder’s Day on May 18.  Stop by, say hello and pick up a book.

That’s the news!  Contact us with any questions.

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Hello Future Workshoppers,

Feedback was flying at our last workshop.

If you haven’t experienced the creative, helpful atmosphere that is our monthly writers’ workshop, you’re missing out on valuable insight into your own work.

On May 29th get a fresh perspective, or provide one, at CCC’s monthly writers’ workshop.  Join us the evening of 05/29 in an honest, friendly, peer-review session with other writers. All are welcome. You do NOT have to be a member to attend or participate.

Please submit your work to workshops@columbuscoop.org before midnight of 05/22. You must be present to receive feedback, so please only submit work if you know you can attend on 05/29. Log in to your free CCC account (or create one here) for details on time and place.

If you’re not able to travel to Columbus, try our Virtual Peer Workshop.

Using Google Hangout, CCC will host an online version of our writers’ workshop at the same  time the other workshoppers are meeting in Columbus.

If you’d like to participate, send in your work to workshops@columbuscoop.org by midnight of 05/22. Please specify ‘Virtual Peer Workshop’ in the subject line and include your Google user name in the email so we can add you to the hangout.

Log in to your free CCC account for hangout log in details.

This is a great opportunity for those who are physically or geographically incapable of attending the in-person workshop, but if you are able to come to the live workshop, please do!

Questions? Contact us or visit our Workshop FAQ.

Here’s to completed pages and concentration!

Hope to see you soon!

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Introducing Virtual Peer Workshops and Announcing May’s In-Person Workshop

Love Columbus Creative Co-op community, but can’t make the drive to the May 29th workshop? Well, thanks to Google Hangouts you can now meet for a Virtual Peer Workshop on the same evening we’re meeting face-to-face in Columbus.

Here’s how it works: Submit your work to workshops@columbuscoop.org as usual, but specify ‘Virtual Peer Workshop’ in the subject line. Be sure to include your Gmail email address so that we can invite you to the Google Hangout. The virtual workshop submission deadline is midnight of 05/22.

At the appointed time, log into your email account and wait for an invitation to join the hangout. Once you’re in, you’ll be able to see everyone, so don’t forget to brush your hair!

At the beginning of the in-person CCC workshop, the live workshoppers will accept an invitation to join our hangout, and we’ll be able to say hello and wave to everyone.

Log in to your free CCC account for the hangout log in time.

Places are limited to 7.

This is a great opportunity for those of you who can’t make it to the in-person workshop, but if you can come to our live workshop, please do!

May 29th is our next live writers’ workshop in Columbus.

Take this opportunity to sit down with some local writers, hear their feedback, and participate in a peer review.

Submit the work you’d like to have peer-reviewed to workshops@columbuscoop.org before midnight of 05/22. Please specify in your e-mail that your workshop submission is for the in-person workshop.

You must be present to receive feedback, so please only submit work if you are confident you can attend on 05/29.

As always, all are welcome. You do NOT have to be a member to attend, participate, or submit work. Log in to your free CCC account (or create one here) for the time and place details.

Questions? Contact us or visit our Workshop FAQ.

Here’s to internet resources and the real people behind them!

Hope to hangout with you soon! (Google style or in-person) :]

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Writers’ Workshop is Tonight!

Don’t forget, tonight is our April writers’ workshop.

Log in to your free CCC account and check out the time and place details under “Workshop Materials”. While you’re there, be sure to download the submissions for this evening so you’ll be prepared to provide some feedback.

You do NOT have to be a member to attend.

Questions? Contact us or check out our Workshop FAQ.

Hope to see you soon!

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Introducing the CCC Vendor Program for Authors

Are you a self-published or independently published author, or even a small independent publisher or micro-press?  This opportunity might be for you.

Over the past few years we’ve worked hard at CCC to find lots of retailers to sell our books and to get vendor space at festivals and events.  Frankly, it’s a full-time job just keeping up with it all. I can’t imagine what it must be like for individual authors who have to do this all on their own.

Our new Vendor Program allows authors and small presses to take advantage of the connections that we’ve worked hard to establish.  Instead of personally applying (and paying for) every festival, retailer, etc., if your book qualifies, we’ll take your book with us and sell it on consignment at many of our retailers, festivals and events.

Not all of our retailers will allow us to sell third party books, but many of them, like Celebrate Local at Easton, have lots of space that they’d like us to fill for them.

There is a $25 application fee, which helps the cooperative cover our costs for all of these festivals and events.  And unfortunately not every book will qualify.  We need retailers and buyers to know that we’ll only offer professional-quality books, and we have limited space in the program.

If you’re interested, you can find more information here, and then contact us for an application.

We’re offering this program because we think it’s a great opportunity to provide helpful resources to our writers.  But this program isn’t for everyone, so please ask lots of questions before you apply.

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Last Call for 04/24 Workshop!

Send us your short stories, novel chapter, poems, essays or  anthology submissions!

If you want it to be included in our peer review session on April 24th, your work must be submitted to workshops@columbuscoop.org before midnight tonight.

You must be present to receive feedback, so please only submit work if you’re confident you can attend on 04/24. You do NOT have to be a member to attend, participate, or submit work. Log in to your free CCC account for details on time and place.

Questions? Contact us or check out our Workshop FAQ.

Here’s to good work spaces, and the productivity that ensues.

See you soon!

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Workshop Reminder

Wednesday, 04/17 is the last day to submit work for April’s writers’ workshop.

What’s that? It’s not a masterpiece yet?

That’s the point!

Join us the evening of 04/24 for an open, friendly, peer review session with other writers. Be sure to submit all work to workshops@columbuscoop.org before midnight of 04/17 . You must be present to receive feedback, so please only submit work if you’re confident you can attend on 04/24.

All are welcome. You do NOT have to be a member to attend, submit, or participate. Log in to your free CCC account for details on time and place.

Questions? Contact us or check out our Workshop FAQ.

Here’s to writing outside!

Hope to see you soon!

P.s.

Keep your eyes to the blog/calendar over the next few days. It’s going to be an eventful summer!

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Feedback vs. A Pat on the Back

Criticism is encouragement.

Sure, a “good job” feels good, but what do you do afterward?
After that warm fuzzy feeling wears off you have the exact same piece of work you had before.
No changes, no improvement.

Becoming a better writer requires accepting you aren’t one yet.
The point of feedback isn’t to stroke your ego, and it’s not to discourage you. It’s valuable insight that should inspire you to go home and write some more.

At CCC’s monthly writers’ workshops we’re interested in people who are interested in becoming better writers. Submit your work to workshops@columbuscoop.org and join us the evening of 04/24 for an honest, friendly, peer review session with other writers.

Thinking about submitting something for the Best of Ohio Anthology? This can be a great opportunity to get some feedback before the deadline (June 24th).

You do NOT have to be a member to attend or participate. All work must be submitted by midnight of 04/17. You must be present to receive feedback, so please only submit work if you know you’ll be able to make it on 04/24. Log in to your free CCC account (or create one here) for details on time and place.

Questions? Contact us or check out our Workshop FAQ.

Here’s to rewriting, rewriting, and rewriting.

Hope to see you soon!

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