The Saint City Writers are maintaining the pattern of a regular publication schedule despite the title of their new annual anthology, Broken Patterns.
“We published the first one in 2013 and we’ve had one each year except for last year. We had a break. I think it confirms that this is a very active group,” said Ewa Kolacz, one of the fold.
The group formed in 2012 and Kolacz joined the year after, when the first anthology was coming to the public’s attention. Being a fledgling author means that one must muster up a fair bit of courage first since putting your work ‘out there’ can be a daunting challenge.
The rewards, however, are so good and the process so necessary to becoming successful, she said.
“It takes bravery to join a group like this. You’re exposing yourself. As a person who just started writing, you’re learning to share the writing and that’s not always easy. That’s how I felt anyway, and that’s how a lot of people feel: that they are afraid of sharing their writing because it’s showing off their private parts and their internal thoughts.”
Well, that’s one way of putting it.
The decision to sign up was great, she added, since it offers its members a lot of motivation to put pen to paper.
Patricia Dunnigan has been a member pretty much since the very beginning and says it has been invaluable to her artistic development. She comes out of her way to attend, despite living in the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood of Edmonton.
“I’ve been subjected to some good feedback. I was looking for a writers’ group where the people were serious enough about it and committed to the craft. That’s what I’ve found in this group,” she said.
It seems to be working. The creative non-fictionist published a collection of stories earlier this year called Twisted Sisters: synchronicity and intuition. Her story in the anthology, Bad Ass Blackie and Calico Belle, is a humorous look at the relationship between two stray cats in the years after they were abandoned.
The author has a career in business writing so she finds the opportunity to do more creative work such as this very satisfying.
“I didn’t have the freedom to write those fun stories in the way I wanted to. Now I have the licence to do whatever the hell I want,” she laughed.
Kolacz and Dunnigan are joined in the anthology by Timothy Fowler, Kay Guthrie, Heather Lee, Carla Maj, Iris McNiven, Alice Sears, Troy Sherdahl, Ralph Timleck, Patricia Trudeau, and Kenneth Waldron. Some of these names should be very familiar to local readers. Fowler is known for his magazine articles on cooking themes while Trudeau is well known for her Agnes Carroll series of mystery novels.
Trudeau actually did double-duty here, as she also created the cover image. Broken Patterns refers more to the title of her painting than the theme of the book itself.
The launch takes place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, in Forsyth Hall at the St. Albert Public Library. Attendance is free. Each contributor will read an excerpt from their story and there will be refreshments plus treats. The books (including past anthologies) will also be for sale at $10 each.
After that, the group returns to its regular meeting schedule every second Tuesday. The next meeting will be in the second floor ‘aquarium’ meeting room on Nov. 27 from 7 to 9 p.m.
