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Here you’ll find news, celebrations, fun details, and bits of info shared by Life Writers Community members.
It all belongs here, because it’s all good stuff.
The show must go on! Each year, the Enrichment Academy in The Villages hosts an expo for instructors to talk to potential class members and pitch their classes. I couldn’t attend today because I’m confined to the couch and bed, but three of our Life Writers stepped up to make things happen. Look at all those notebooks filled with their writing. I am so grateful and proud. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I’ve set the deadline to sign up for Buddy Group participation during the next session, as Sunday, March 21, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Here is a link to the Buddy Group Sign-Up sheet. Please let me know if you have questions.
Check out thus article by Anne Lamont. Pearls of wisdom. Enjoy! When I first met my husband, Neal, nine years ago, he was helping elderly clients write their memoirs, while I was giving workshops on how to get any kind of writing done at all. His clients had typically procrastinated for years, sometimes decades, getting down on paper the stories of their lives if, for no other reason, so that their grandchildren might someday know from whence they had sprung. Meanwhile, I was working with writers who were suffering from low self-esteem, performance anxiety and writer’s block, often without yet… Read more »
My copy of her new book is finally arriving next week. I can’t wait to read it.
Great!
Sharing good news. Sharing good news. WOW! Women On Writing Tue, Mar 10, 1:30 PM (22 hours ago) to me Q2 2026 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest Update Congratulations! Your essay is moving on to final judging! Dear Etya, Congratulations! Your essay has successfully made it through First Round Judging and is moving on to the Finals. Currently, there are 77 essays that are being considered. Your essay surpassed over 200 other essays in the Q2 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest (season: November 1, 2025 – February 1, 2026). That’s quite an accomplishment! We’re honored you shared your work with us. You wrote… Read more »
Congratulations, Etya!
The Buddy Groups.sign-up sheet is here. Add your name to the list if you wish to in a Buddy Group in the next Life Writers Community session: April – Jun.
Reply to this comment, or send me a separate email, if you have questions.kit_dwyer@msn.com
Last December, which seems ages ago now, our friendly member, Nancy Tunnell, kindly shared with me that she owns this book title, Understanding Show Don’t Tell , by Janice Hardy. I did a bit of searching and found this valuable site that helped clarify when its okay to tell. I benefited from the way Janice explains this topic. http://blog.janicehardy.com/2016/01/what-you-need-to-know-about-show-dont.html . I hope you have time to take a look. Thank you, Nancy!
I will check it out, Kit. Thanks.
My friends, I need your help. My story Last Supper was nominated for the Story of the Month by Spillwords Press. Please cast your vote. I appreciate all of you. Here is the link: You have the power to decide the winner by casting your vote here: https://spillwords.com/vote/
Etya, Congratulations on your nomination! Sorry, I missed the cutoff time to vote for Publication of the Month of February. I hope you won.
“Tell me what you don’t see.” is a line from a good movie, The Magic of Belle Isle, which is about a writer who has success, stops writing, and again finds inspiration. I recommend the movie, and this might make an interesting writing prompt!
One more to share. Dear Etya, We hope this email finds you well. We are delighted to inform you that your submitted story has been selected for a special feature on our website. We believe that your work deserves recognition, and we have decided to showcase it in a dedicated FEATURED POSTS section on our website, where it can reach a wider audience and celebrate your talent as a writer. “The Last Supper” will be published on 2/12/26 at 3:30am Eastern Time (ET) Once it’s published, you can use the link below to promote your work: https://spillwords.com/the-last-supper/ Thank you for… Read more »
Congratulations on your selected piece! The line “A command wrapped in love.” gave me pause. I thought, I know that sound. It is in my own memories. Thank you for reviving it.
Etya, I also thought you when I saw Mikhail Shaidorov, win the gold medal in figure skating for Kazakhstan at the 2026 Olympic Games. He was amazing.
Wonderful news! and well deserved.
Thank you, Dave.
Check out this new-to-me literary magazine called Short Reads. Like the River Teeth journal, Short Reads delivers a weekly story to your inbox once you subscribe. They are also requesting submissions of 1,250 words or fewer.
I subscribed. Now I have to look for something to submit.
List of books from shared book night last October
For those of you who mentioned writing about GLOW this week. Consider this quote: “There are two kinds of light – the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.”
~ James Thurber
Good luck!
here is the link to riverteeth as mentioned by Norma this tuesday. https://riverteethjournal.com/beautiful-things/
Thank you, Dave! I had to do a search on the site to find “newsletter”, but that did the trick!
I am just about finished with my second year of the Five-year journal. I’m not sure what color pen to use for 2026 yet. I’m so proud of myself.
I didnt realize how much more fun it would be after the first year, reading last year’s comments.
Hurray! How about a shade of green?
https://masticadoresusa.wordpress.com/2025/12/16/the-stolovaya-line-by-etya-vasserman-krichmar/ Here is a link to another essay that was published yesterday. I wrote to the prompt Patricia gave us.
As of December 15th, I have completed a full year in my five-year journal
Congrats, Dave!
Forgot to post this. Enjoy! https://latinosenglishedition.wordpress.com/2025/11/22/what-is-a-good-parent-by-etya-vasserman-krichmar/
A colleague of mine shared this with me today: How putting your thoughts into words can rewire your brain. Emily Rónay Johnston | The Conversation (Washington Post, 11-21-25) https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/11/21/writing-brain-health-benefits/ Synopsis: Ordinary and universal, the act of writing changes the brain. From dashing off a heated text message to composing an op-ed, writing allows you to, at once, name your pain and create distance from it. Writing can shift your mental state from despair and feeling overwhelmed to grounded clarity — a shift that reflects resilience. As many in the field of writing studies recognize, writing is a form of thinking… Read more »
Absolutely. Writing not only expresses but actively creates identity. In writing, we refer to it as the author’s voice. It is the voice that identifies the writer.
Another achievement! Sky Island Journal published my story Birch Tree and Me in Issue 33. Here is the link: https://www.skyislandjournal.com/ I’ve included below a copy of the print for easier access, but I suggest you check out other stories. It is a beautifully designed magazine. They even sent me a lovely thank-you card handwritten by the editor and mailed it to me. Birch Tree and Me Etya Vaserman Krichmar In the gray, suffocating order of my Soviet childhood, where every breath felt monitored and even dreams seemed rationed, a single birch tree stood outside my window like a conspirator. Each… Read more »
It finally arrived. I received two copies of the 2025 Florida Writers Association annual anthology, New Directions/New Dimensions, Volume 17. My short memoir, Fridays with Jack, starts on page 13.
FYI, the Prompt/Theme for next year is on the back cover. “Next year’s theme asks our members to take a closer look at the bits and pieces that make up the substance of ourselves, our families, our friends, and our society. Peer into the gaps that divide but at the same time consider the ties that bind, and make us more resilient.”
Congratulations, Dave! Way to go!
Congratulations, Dave! Much smiling going on my face right now. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Fridays with Jack is an excellent story!
I can’t wait to see it in the book when I visit sometime.
Note: The pages came out OK after all (Eating A Guava)
I love the line: “so fragrant I didn’t want to eat it because I would lose the smell.”
I loved that too! I have never forgotten this piece of writing.
In Patricia’s Vlog (Week of October 20, 2025), She referred to eating a guava. I have located my copy of the book titled “When I Was Puerto Rican” by Esmeralda Santiago. Sorry the 2 pages were reversed but you can still get the idea of this rich description. Enjoy.
I am sharing two wins this week. The first is about my story Torch Lit. It made it into the finals on Women On Writing. This week it received an honorable mention. HONORABLE MENTIONS: Congratulations to our essay contest honorable mentions! Your essays stood out and are excellent in every way. Torch Lit by Etya Vaserman Krichmar, Florida Taking Stock by Alberta Nassi, Sacramento, California Grief Doesn’t Vanish—It Transforms: Remembering Olivia May by Eileen Philippa, Tauranga, New Zealand Chainsaws are Loud by ER Castaneda, Oxnard, California Apples and Trees by Monica Cox, Apex, North Carolina Equinox by Jennifer Braunfels, Litchfield, Maine Molly: A Love Story by Maura Casey, Franklin,… Read more »
Glad to be able to read this as it was difficult to hear when you read it allowed before. Beautiful piece.
Good morning Life Writers. Attached story titled “Born Into Absence” published by FWA (Florida Writer’s Association) October issue.
Thank you.
Very thoughtful piece,Norma. Well written.
Thanks Nancy. I feel it’s the best piece of writing I have ever done.
Wow, Norma. That was beautiful and full of emotion. Really good writing there girl.
Thanks Judy. Much appreciated. It is my best piece of writing ever. Took a long time evolving.
This is a beautiful story written beautifully. I recall sections of it from your prior work, but this is the best version I have read. No wonder FWA selected it.
Norma, this story made me cry. You really showed your emotions in this piece. When I first met you and we were buddies, I always felt like you were holding your emotions in. This time, all your feelings just poured out of you. Reading your piece, I wanted to protect, hug, and kiss you like I would my own children. Brava, my friend! Sending you love and endless hugs from where I live.
Wow, Norma! This is a brilliant and powerful piece. You have written many wonderful stories, but this one is at the head of the line. The opening and closing hit me right in the heart. I wonder too what life would have been like for you with parents there day after day. That absence has to be a place inside you that never goes away, but you have done so much to create an amazing life for yourself. I’m glad to be a part of it. Well done!
Good morning Life Writers. Just wanted to share some good news. FWA (Florida Writers Association) has published one of my stories titled
“Born Into Absence.” I had also submitted this story for a Life Writer review. You can read the story listed for December, I think. I’ll post the link later. Thank you. 10.15.25
https://hotelmasticadoreshouse.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/what-is-a-good-parent-by-etya-vasserman-krichmar/ Another win.
Lovely piece. One of your best!
This is beautiful, Etya. You are getting to be quite the poet. Excellent job!
Thank you so much, Patricia. I am humble with writing poems.
I found a book about writing a Mini Memoir. Table of Contents: Micro-Memoir: Write Your Life in 100 Words a Day Chapter 1: The Power of 100 Words Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Micro-Memoir Practice Chapter 3: The Anatomy of a Perfect 100-Word Story Chapter 4: Finding Your Daily Moments Chapter 5: Mastering the Opening Line Chapter 6: Show, Don’t Tell in Miniature Chapter 7: The Art of Compression Chapter 8: Exploring Themes: Childhood and Memory Chapter 9: Relationships in 100 Words Chapter 10: Places and Spaces That Shape Us Chapter 11: Difficult Truths and Honest Reflection Chapter 12: Voice,… Read more »
Although this book is good, when I looked up the author, Aakash Agrawal, I noticed he has written too many books on different subjects in a short period of time. I think he might be using artificial intelligence to write the book.
That is an interesting observation, Nancy. Thanks for sharing and including this update.
Found this on PC World concerning Microsoft Office. You can buy a lifetime license to Office 2024.
TL;DR: Replace your Microsoft 365 subscription with a lifetime license for Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business on sale for $169.97.
Microsoft 365 is $99.99 per year, at minimum. A more affordable alternative is to switch to Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business to get permanent access to many of the same apps, and a lifetime license is on sale now for $169.97 (reg. $249.99).
TL;DR? Too Long; Didn’t Read. Thanks for the short synopsis
The kids use TL;DR to introduce long explanations
Wow, that seems like a good deal.
Link to a story published in SpillWords Press today. I hope you enjoy reading it. Thanks.
https://spillwords.com/denial-by-etya-krichmar/
A touching story about that difficult time, Etya. You continued to cling to hope against the odds. Congrats on the publication.
I found this on your Substack site and left a comment there. Beautiful reimagining of your own escape.
For those of you who wanted to see my award, see the attached photo. Also I want to compliment you on the great reading all of you did at the anthology event. Great job! John, thank you for your humor and kindness. Patricia, it would not happen without you! Thanks.
Here is a poem published today. Enjoy!
https://feedthehol.blogspot.com/2025/09/hold-fast-to-dreams-by-etya-vasserman.html
Fresh from the presses. Enjoy!
https://hotelmasticadoreshouse.wordpress.com/2025/09/09/blossoms-by-etya-vasserman-krichmar/#respond
This came in yesterday. I am thrilled to share it with you all. Women On Writing Q4 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest Update Congratulations! Your essay is moving on to final judging! Dear Etya, Congratulations! Your essay has successfully made it through First Round Judging and is moving on to the Finals. Currently, there are 79 essays that are being considered. We had a full season, so your essay surpassed around 217 other essays in the Q4 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest (season: May 1 – July 31, 2025). That’s quite an accomplishment! As you know, we only have 20 winners… Read more »
Congratulations! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that your essay reaches the top ten!
Thank you, my friend.
A reporter from The Villages Daily Sun came to my class last week and interviewed some class members and me. This morning, Judy Fink sent me a photo of the published article. I love spreading the message of the importance of writing our stories.
bravo!
Thanks to Patricia suggesting we invest our time in the Artist’s Way book and Journal, several of us are enjoying our Morning Writing Dumps in our Journal and finding ourselves and the artist within us. Love it.
Jackie, I’m thrilled that you are enjoying The Artist’s Way and getting back to your piano just for fun. It all benefits your creativity. I look forward to reading more of your stories.
Miss our Zooms. Patricia said after I asked if our May-August Buddy group could continue because was not available for most of it and she said, “No.”