Reconnecting

by Francine Puckly

​Ah, summer. <sigh> I savor the long, warm days and the hum of my fan throughout the night. Sunscreen-smudged issues of Time and Coastal Living are packed with my notebook in my “portable office” tote, along with my pink sun hat and fluffy beach towel. I crave summer days and the pause in my usual, jam-packed schedule. The break is necessary to sustain my creative work through the cooler and more grueling months of the year. Yet…
 
Today I find myself adrift, gazing back over my shoulder to the shores of writing, longing to drop anchor in the waters of my writing community. While I’m not ready to resume full-tilt, it’s time to reconnect with friends and writing partners. Fortunately, events and workshops abound, and I don't have to look far.

For those of us In MetroWest Boston, we can tap into workshops and events hosted by Indie bookstores, such as An Unlikely Story (www.anunlikelystory.com), The Blue Bunny Bookstore (www.bluebunnybooks.com) or Tatnuck Booksellers (www.tatnuck.com). Author events, writing workshops, or just sitting amidst other bookish people is tonic for my soul, and I can partake in events that last a few hours, a day or even for several weeks. Check your local bookstores for events. It might just be what you need to get back to the page. 

In additional to booksellers, various writing organizations also offer events during the summer months. In my area, I can tap into The Writer's Loft (www.thewritersloft.org) or Grub Street (grubstreet.org). And I'd be remiss if I forgot SCBWI (www.scbwi.org)! As Assistant Regional Advisor for SCBWI New England, I’m thrilled to be involved in the Meet and Greet events scheduled for August. If you, too, are bobbing around on open seas with a broken compass and need to find your way back to your people, be sure to check out our events (or SCBWI events nearest you).

I'm already feeling better about seeing my friends again. How about you?
​
Happy chilling! And happy reconnecting!
~ Francine


August SCBWI New England Meet and Greets:
Portsmouth, NH Seacoast
Tuesday, August 30
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Portsmouth Book and Bar, 40 Pleasant Street, Portsmouth, NH
Contact: Joyce Shor Johnson at [email protected]
 
Western MA
Wednesday, August 10
6 p.m.
Packard’s Restaurant, 14 Masonic Street, Northampton
Contact: Sera Rivers at [email protected]
 
North MetroWest MA
Tuesday, August 16
7:30 p.m.
Kimball Farm, 400 Littleton Road (Rt. 110) Westford, MA
Contact Kris Asselin, [email protected]

Central/Northern Vermont
Saturday, August 13
2:00-4:00 pm
Park at 64 State Street (beside Christ Episcopal Church)
Montpelier, VT
Get a Gelato from Chill or an iced tea from the Long Branch Café, both right across the street. Rain site: The Long Branch Café.
Contact: Katherine Quimby Johnson at [email protected]
 
Metro West/South
Tuesday, August 16 
7 p.m. 
West End Creamery, 481 Purgatory Rd, Whitinsville, MA.
Contact Francine Puckly at [email protected] 

Concord, NH (Illustrators)
Tuesday, August 23
6:30 p.m.
BAM, 76 Fort Eddy Road, Concord
Contact Denise Ortakales at [email protected]

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