Notes from Sunday, October 27, 2013

The Portsmouth Writers Salon had a wonderful meeting this evening. Meeting minutes were emailed out to the ten members. 

Items of interested mentioned this evening:

Flash Fiction:

How to Write Flash Fiction (from the Guardian) 

Lydia Davis (short story writer) wins Man Booker Prize

NPR Excerpt of collected short stories of Lydia Davis

Until next time.

Keep Writing,

Portsmouth Writers Salon 

Notes from August 25, 2013

The Portsmouth Writers Salon had a wonderful meeting this evening. Meeting minutes were emailed out to the ten members. 

Our writing prompt for tonight's meeting was, “Nina unlocked the door with difficulty that stopped this side of panic.” from Guided Tours of Hell by Francine Prose.  

The following is an excerpt from an interview with Zadie Smith from June 28, 2013, published in the London Evening Standard. 

“Most dear to her is the community of writers in her life, which begins with her husband. She met Laird at Cambridge but only married him eight years later, at their college chapel. ‘It’s an incredible friendship,’ she says. ‘We never expected to get married, but it’s very useful to be married to your friend.’ They edit one another’s work, a habit that goes back to university days. Does this never cause tensions? ‘As I’ve got older, I’ve maybe got a little more sensitive,’ she concedes. ‘I’m trying to write a short story while feeding this kid, so my attention is maybe not so focused. I give him the first draft, and I do get a little touchy when I get it back with yellow highlighter pen all over it.’ Still, she does the same for him. ‘We both have the attitude: “Do you want to make a fool of yourself in front of me, or in front of x amount of people?”  

Until next time. 

Keep Writing,

Portsmouth Writers Salon

Notes from Sunday, July 14, 2013

The Portsmouth Writers Salon had a wonderful meeting this evening. Meeting minutes were emailed out to those present and those not present who mentioned interest.

“I went into my house and set coffee to cooking, and remembering how Roark Bradford liked it, I doubled the dosage, two heaping tablespoons for each cup and two heaping for the pot. I cracked an egg and cupped out the yolk and dropped shells and white into the pot, for I know nothing that polishes coffee and makes it shine like that.

The air was still very cold, and a cold night was coming, so that the brew, rising from cold water to a rolling boil, gave the good smell that competes successfully with other good smells.

My guest was satisfied, and he warmed his hands against the plastic cup. "By your license, you’re a stranger here,” he said. “How do you come to know about coffee?”

"I learned on Bourbon Street from giants in the earth,” I said. “But they would have asked the bean of darker roast, and they would have liked a little chicory for bite." - John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley. 

“It isn’t easy to understand exactly what she is saying, for one doesn’t know whether she is speaking ironically or seriously, it’s mostly serious, but sounds ironic. - “Stop interpreting everything!” said K.” 

― Franz Kafka, The Castle

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” 

― Neil Gaiman, Coraline

Until next time. 

Keep Writing,

Portsmouth Writers Salon

Ongoing Literary Stuff #PortsmouthNH

Hello Fellow Writers, Readers, and Book Lovers, 

If you know of a local area listing that isn't shown here, please email PortsmouthWritersSalon@gmail.com, and it will be listed. 

This list may be found under pages on the sidebar on the right of this website.  

Ongoing Writing Groups in Portsmouth, NH

Creative Writing Group #1

Meets 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 6:30 PM 

Portsmouth Public Library 

Bi-monthly meeting of the Creative Writing Group #1

No Fee. 

Writers of all levels and genres are welcome to join. 

Open to the public - Looking for new members! 

    

     Contact: Kathleen Slover   

     Phone: 603-433-9013

     Email: mcslover_2000@yahoo.com

Creative Writing Group #2

Meets 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 6:30 PM 

Portsmouth Public Library Location: MacLeod Board Room

Bi-monthly meeting of the Creative Writing Group #1, sponsored by the library. 

No Fee. 

Writers of all levels and genres are welcome to join. 

Open to the public - Looking for new members! 

Contact: Cerl Eagling 

     Phone:  None Listed 

     Email: ceagling@aol.com

Memoir Writing Group 

Memoir Writing Group meets twice a month from 10-Noon. 

Portsmouth Public Library Location: MacLeod Board Room

No Fee. 

  Group is full and not accepting new members at this time.  

Please leave your name at the Front Desk of the Library if you are interested in joining. 

Contact: Sherry Evans

Phone: 603-766-1703

smevans@cityofportsmouth.com 

Portsmouth Writers Salon

2nd and 4th Sundays from 7-9 PM 

Portsmouth Book & Bar

No Fee. 

Group is full and not accepting new members at this time.

There is a waiting list for this group. 

To join the waiting list, please contact portsmouthwriterssalon@gmail.com. 

Crime/Thrillers/Suspense/Mystery Writers Group

Every other Wednesday from 6:30-8:00 PM

Rye Public Library

No Fee.

Contact: Joy Seymour

joy@jeseymour.com to get on the mailing list 

Pen Central Writing Workshops

Writing workshops at RiverRun Bookstore with a focus on Fiction, 

Nonfiction and Poetry 

Contact: Rebecca Dawson Webb 

rebecca@pencentralwriters.com

Ongoing Book Groups in Portsmouth, NH

  Fiction Book Group 

Meets Mondays at 1 PM MacLeod Board Room

     Meets Mondays at 7 PM Hilton Garden Room 

Portsmouth Public Library 

Monthly fiction book group, sponsored by the library.  

Contact: Sherry Evans

603-766-1703

smevans@cityofportsmouth.com

Nonfiction Book Group

Meets 1st Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM

Portsmouth Public Library - Hilton Garden Room 

Monthly nonfiction book group 

Contact: Sean Moundas

Email: Seanmoundas@yahoo.com 

Poetry Collective 

Meets alternating Thursdays 7-9 PM

At Sheafe Street Books 

Contact: Ken 

Phone: (603) 498-4696

Classics Book Group 

Meets the third Monday of every month 7-9 PM

At RiverRun Bookstore 

Contact: Tom Holbrook 

Phone: (603) 431-2100 

Essays Book Group

Meets Third Tuesday of every month 7-9 PM

At Portsmouth Book and Bar
*starting July 16, 2013,*

Contact: Tamara J. Collins

Email: tamarajcollins@gmail.com 

Epic Nerdpurr Book Group

Meets one Sunday a month 7-9 PM 

At RiverRun Bookstore

Contact: Liberty Hardy

Phone: (603) 431-2100 

Other Ongoing Groups and Open Mics

Hoot Night at Cafe Espresso 

1^st Wednesday of the month 7-9 PM 

At Café Espresso 

Contact: Poet Laureate Program 

Email: Info@pplp.org 

Beat Night Poetry

3^rd Thursday of the month – 7-9PM

At the Press Room 

Contact: The Pressroom 

Email:  603-431-5186 

Writers Night Out

1^st Monday of every month 7-9 PM

at the Common Man 

Contact: John Herman

Email: info@NHWritersProject.Org 

Notes from Sunday, May 26, 2013

The Portsmouth Writers Salon had a wonderful meeting this evening. Meeting minutes were emailed out to those present and those not present who mentioned interest.

"Keep on Writing. Never give up. Rejection is part of a writer's life. Then, now, always." - Cheryl Strayed. 

Some links relevant to discussions at our meeting this evening:

Keep It Short and Simple

Short Story Month

Until next time.

Keep Writing,

Portsmouth Writers Salon 

Notes from Sunday, May 12, 2013

The Portsmouth Writers Salon had a wonderful Mother's Day meeting. Meeting minutes were emailed out to those present and those not present who mentioned interest.

The group is at capacity and has created a waitlist for anyone interested. To join the waitlist, please email: PortsmouthWritersSalon@gmail.com

Some links relevant to discussions at our meeting this evening:

Writing About Traumatic Events

Writing About Domestic Abuse

Until next time.

Keep Writing,

Portsmouth Writers Salon 

Notes from March 24, 2013

The Portsmouth Writers Salon had a wonderful meeting this evening. Meeting minutes were emailed out to those present and those not present who mentioned interest.

Some links relevant to discussions at our meeting this evening:

The Art of Fiction - Raymond Carver - Paris Review

Carve Magazine

Until next time.

Keep Writing,

Portsmouth Writers Salon

Notes from March 10, 2013

The Portsmouth Writers Salon had a wonderful first meeting this evening. Meeting minutes were emailed out to those present and those not present who mentioned interest.

Some links relevant to discussions at our meeting this evening:

PortsmouthWritersSalon on Facebook

PortsWriters on Twitter


Until next time.

Keep Writing,

Portsmouth Writers Salon

Notes from January 26, 2013

The Portsmouth Writers Salon had a wonderful first meeting this evening. Meeting minutes were emailed out to those present and those not present who mentioned interest.

Some links relevant to discussions at our meeting this evening:

NH Magazine Noir Series

Danse Macabre




Until next time.

Keep writing,

Portsmouth Writers Salon

Welcome!

Hello! Welcome! 

The Portsmouth Writers Salon, will host its first meeting at the Portsmouth Book & Bar on Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 7:00 PM. 

We'll be meeting to get to know each other, share what we're writing and what we're looking to get out of the group, and agree on some ground rules for workshopping. 

Please bring along a short sample (1-3 pages max) of your writing to share with the group. 

A group of fiction writers from Portsmouth, NH who want to workshop their writing on a bi-weekly basis. This group is for those wanting to express themselves though writing (novels, short stories, novellas, and what have you). Together, we'll learn to improve our craft. We'll share what we have written, get ideas, and grow as a group. 

All fiction writers, regardless of experience, are welcome. 

Any questions please email: PortsmouthWritersSalon (at) gmail (dot) com. 

Keep Writing,

Portsmouth Writers Salon