Last Friday, I received a phone call from a good friend. Up until yesterday, it had been a super secret phone call.

The phone call was from Matt Miller, a fellow counselor of mine at the Reynolds Writing Workshop.

I met Matt when we were both students at Denison. Despite our vastly differing college football allegiances, we bonded quickly. I’d never met anyone like Matt. He processed his thoughts quickly, but never spoke until he knew exactly what he wanted to say. I tended to let the first words that popped into my oversized head fall from my mouth without any kind of thought. Somehow, we became friends.

The first night we spent any time together, we went to see a writer named Jim Daniels read in downtown Columbus. We talked a lot about writing, about what we try to do with our work. It’s funny to me, because I have no idea how we explained anything to each other. Now, I feel like it has to be almost annoying to listen to us talk. We’ve picked up so many of each other’s mannerisms, that I imagine that we come off as brothers that are only concerned with what each other has to say.

Matt is a special guy. He’s a Reynolds lifer – he attended as a high school student, became a counselor as a student at Denison University, and still stumbles back to Granville every summer. I’ve been a counselor at Reynolds for the past four years, and I can’t imagine it without Matt.

Back to that phone call. On Friday night, I answered the phone, and heard a giggling Matt on the line. Whenever you hear a 25 year old man giggling uncontrollably, you know there’s good news to follow.

Matt told me that he’d just received a phone call from one of his heroes, Eavan Boland. She informed Matt that he’d been awarded a prestigious Stegner Fellowship, something almost every young poet in the country aspires to have. Matt will be heading to California in the fall, and will be a resident scholar at Stanford University for the next couple of years. I couldn’t be prouder of my dear friend.

Matt let me know on Wednesday of this week that his gag order had been lifted, and we were free to toast him publically about his incredible achievement. I wanted to share my friend’s wonderful news with you, our Reynolds family.

I’m not writing this post here to brag for Matt or brag for the program either. I’m writing this post for two reasons.

First of all, I want you all to know something about the Reynolds culture. In a competitive world, Reynolds offers writers a chance to come together and learn from each other. I’m sure Matt would tell you, just like the rest of us would, that being around our fellow staff members and our incredible campers has made us better writers. Every summer, I improve my work immensely in our week together. Members of our Reynolds family go on to do incredible things, and as a family, we have the opportunity to celebrate them together. It’s truly a wonderful thing.

Second, I want to congratulate my good friend publicly for what he’s accomplished. I wouldn’t be half the writer I am without his help, and I wouldn’t be half the man I am without his friendship.

A mighty cheers to Reynolds’ own Matt Miller.

I spent my first moments after work doing what I normally do – slowly making my way through the (what seems like) few Youtube videos I haven’t seen. Today, I stumbled across something that really reminded me of the Reynolds experience, and I thought I would share it all with you.

For years, I’ve been a huge Saturday Night Live. I’ve loyally supported each wave of cast members that have come through, and have habitually dedicated most of my Saturday nights to them over the years. I’ve always found it to be a really wonderful blend of funny and poignant moments. In terms of overall contribution, I don’t think any TV show in history as provided as much quality satire over the years as SNL.

As a writer, I’ve always struggled with writing comedy. I’m getting better, but it has taken a lot of time. I really love my sense of humor, and love making people laugh. But the written word really makes it tough on all of us. We can’t rely on faces or voices to convey tone or intent, and a lot of the time, messages get muddled.

I stumbled across a forum of Saturday Night Live writers earlier today. I was enthralled listening to these people talk about their writing process. You can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0z92eJRk2Y

If you can’t spare the 76 minutes the video runs, I’ll fill you in on something really interesting: their process at SNL is extremely similar to the one we have at Reynolds.

Each writer produces individual jokes and sketches, sure, but they all take influences from each other. Near the end of the video, one of the audience members asks the panel to provide advice to any beginning comedy writer. Immediately, one of the writers offers that anyone trying to write comedy needs to surround themselves with other funny people. That’s our biggest strength at Reynolds – we offer the chance to be around dozens of likeminded folks for a full week. We learn from each other every day. The experience level doesn’t matter; everyone has something to offer another. That’s a special thing. They have it at SNL, and so do we.

Their week unfolds just like ours does. They spend the beginning of the week working on large ideas, tossing around pieces to each other, and seeing what fits. By the end of the week, the late-night gang is ready to perform. One of my favorite parts of Reynolds is the end of the week, when our campers read their work from the week. It’s a wonderful culmination of a week spent learning and growing.

The deadline to apply to Reynolds is fast approaching. Mailed applications must be postmarked by March 1st, and the online deadline is March 2nd. Please consider us this summer – we promise you a unique experience that you’ll never forget.

Happy writing!

Hello friends!

Dan here, dropping in to say hello. I thought I’d share with everyone a poem that I absolutely adore. David Bottoms, the writer of this piece, is an incredible writer. Somehow, he’s managed to become a voice that represents an entire region of the country, much like David Baker has come to be the voice of the Midwest. David Bottoms voice is proudly southern, and his themes usually take on the values of the region. He writes powerfully about family, and this poem is a prime example of that. I had the pleasure of studying under Bottoms for a short time, and he’s a heck of a guy. You can tell in this poem, too. That’s a credit to the voice he’s built in his work – he makes you want to hang out with him. And with it being the beginning of baseball season and all, I couldn’t think of a more relevant work for the week. Enjoy!

Sign for My Father, Who Stressed the Bunt

By David Bottoms

On the rough diamond,
the hand-cut field below the dog lot and barn,
we rehearsed the strict technique
of bunting. I watched from the infield,
the mound, the backstop
as your left hand climbed the bat, your legs
and shoulders squared toward the pitcher.
You could drop it like a seed
down either base line. I admired your style,
but not enough to take my eyes off the bank
that served as our center-field fence.

Years passed, three leagues of organized ball,
no few lives. I could homer
into the left-field lot of Carmichael Motors,
and still you stressed the same technique,
the crouch and spring, the lead arm absorbing
just enough impact. That whole tiresome pitch
about basics never changing,
and I never learned what you were laying down.

Like a hand brushed across the bill of a cap,
let this be the sign
I’m getting a grip on the sacrifice.

Hey all!

It’s winter, and sometimes spring, too, if you live in Ohio.

As our breaks from school/work/reality end, we’re all struggling to get back into our routines. As writers, we all know how important it is to stay in a rhythm. And if we’re out of one, we all know the nearly overwhelming pressure we put on ourselves to get back in one.

Some nights, my fiancée and I will entertain ourselves by reading each other sections of the ‘missed connections’ section on craigslist.com. Two things keep us coming back – the sheer entertainment value, and the hope that we’ll find one written about us.

My fiancée had a great idea, and one I’ll pass along to all of you. If you find yourself in a rut, and you’re looking for inspiration to just put some words on the page, borrow a selection from the ‘missed connections’ section. See where you can take the beginning of someone else’s story.

I’ll leave you with my favorite entry from the past few days. Happy writing!

I hit you yesterday. Rear ended you actually. It was pretty embarrassing. Especially when you got out and yelled at me. But you were a nice guy and apologized. There was no damage, so we both went on our way. I didn’t get your name or number but I think you might live near me. Anyway I thought you were absolutely gorgeous. Maybe I’ll get lucky and you will see this? Tell me what kind of car we both drive.

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone is enjoying their breaks from school/breaks from work/breaks from other breaks they were taking.

I thought it would be fun to stop in with some past Reynolds campers here and there, to try and get some different view points on what kind of experience Reynolds can offer. Brooke was a fantastic camper – bright, open to new experiences, and incredibly energetic. She was a lot of fun to be around, and watching her grow in that single week was truly fun to watch. I had the chance to ask Brooke a few questions about her experience, and here’s what she had to say:

1. Did attending the Reynolds Young Writers Workshop change your approach to your work and your writing? How so?

It made me feel more confident in my work. Before Reynolds, I rarely showed my writing to people, but after attending I feel comfortable sharing with others.

2. Was there one defining moment/lesson you took from the Reynolds Young Writers Workshop?

I remember everyone always saying, “Writers are people who write.” You aren’t striving for some far-ahead position in being a writer; if you write, then you are one. And it’s a beautiful thing to be.

3. I know you’re attending Wake Forest University now (congratulations on that!). What factors came into play for you when you made your college decision?

I wanted a small, academically challenging school with a strong English department, a prestigious newspaper, and the ability to minor in Creative Writing. Wake has all of these qualities.

4. How has the transition from high school to college been for you?

The transition was relatively easy. It’s a little awkward at first, getting to know people, but everyone is in the same boat as you, so the awkwardness kind of slips away.

5. What advice would you give to in-coming young writers looking to take part in the Reynolds experience?

Go for it. Reynolds was an incredible experience I will always cherish. I learned valuable lessons, made long-lasting friendships, and had a blast. I’d recommend Reynolds to anyone.

Hey all,

I hope everyone is well. I just wanted to give you all a quick update. Later this week, I’ll be posting an interview with former camper Brooke Metz. She’ll be giving us some incite on her transition from high school to college, and what she took with her from Reynolds. Brooke was bright and eager to learn when she was a camper, and she’s a great resource for anyone considering the Reynolds Young Writers Workshop.

I hope the slow crawl towards winter is treating everyone well.

-Dan

I’m not sure where you’re located, but here in Cincinnati, where the weather is as predictable as the winning lottery numbers, we’re getting on and off showers. In early December. Tomorrow should be partly sunny with a chance of snow and hail and frogs and whatever else that could possibly be conceived. It’s both hilarious and utterly frustrating.

There is a positive side to days like this. Maybe it’s just me, but on rainy days before another work week, I always find myself motivated to do little else than watch some of my favorite movies.

While I spend the afternoon putting a permanent imprint of my body into the couch, I thought I’d hop on and advise you on some of my favorite movies about writers and story tellers. Maybe you’ll find some inspiration for your next rainy day.

Finding Forrester

This one is a Reynolds Young Writers Workshop favorite.

Every movie about writing needs an angle to approach the topic of writing. Finding Forrester tells the story of a high school student named Jamal Wallace, who accidentally stumbles upon a literary legend living in his neighborhood. Initially, their friendship is hostile, to say the least. Eventually, the bond over their common love of writing reigns, and an extremely realistic depiction of a mentor/mentee relationship flourishes on the screen. The literary legend I mentioned? His name is William Forrester, and he is played by Sean Connery, who is simply awesome. Some of the best advice I’ve ever heard about writing is featured in this film. As Jamal struggles to begin a draft, William smiles at him and begins typing away. He says, “No thinking – that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is to write, not to think.”

Dead Poets Society

This is the movie we all think of first when we think about creative writing in movies. And rightfully so, really. It’s a beautiful movie. My favorite part of this movie is that it smacks you in the face with the biggest lesson any writer can learn. I know it smacked me in the face. In high school, I was completely naive. I knew I was a good writer, and thought what I knew up to that point was good enough. It took my very first professor at Denison University (Margot Singer, the director of the Reynolds Young Writers Workshop) to show me otherwise. The first thing she told my class is the same lesson we can take from this strong, emotionally jarring movie. Any good writer must also be a good reader.

All The President’s Men

This is a movie about the biggest scandal in modern American politics. However, it’s also a movie about following a story until the bitter, glorious end. The story is about Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, who spend the entire movie chasing leads and building a story about the Watergate scandal that eventually ended the presidency of Richard Nixon. Sure, you can enjoy the movie purely as a thriller leading to the eventual take down of Nixon. But it’s also a fantastic metaphor about writing in general, about chasing your story until the end, regardless of what comes your way. It also features two of the finest acting performances of the past 50 years

There are a number of other movies I really love about writing (sort of) – Almost Famous, The Squid and The Whale, Liberal Arts. There’s a lot of great inspiration out there. Take a rainy (or snowy) day and catch up with some of these great films.

From everyone at the Reynolds Young Writers Workshop, I want to wish all of our friends a happy holiday season.

I wanted to pop in for a quick second and talk about routines. Tonight, we’re all winding down and preparing to jump into our normal routines. Whether we’re heading back to work or to class, we all have to shake off the cobwebs that formed after late-morning sleeping in and mounds of ham, or turkey, or both. It can be tough. That’s a huge part of writing: pushing yourself to get back into those routines that allow you to produce, even when your bed and refrigerator are calling out to you. Good luck getting back into the swing of things.

In addition, November is National Novel Writing Month, or more affectionately known, NaNoWriMo. Many of our previous campers have really relished the chance to get involved in the activity. I had the chance to ask one of our previous campers, Marina Imbriani, a few questions about her experience with NaNoWriMo. Here are her views on the subject:

Where does your inspiration come from for your idea?

Everything, anything. Learn to adapt what you see into one of your works – make a color, object, scene into a metaphor, or write directly about it. Sit down and watch the people around you. Can you make up a story about what’s going on in their lives right now? Write down the dream you had last night. Who were those people in your dream? Why were they there?

How do you stay motivated to produce enough each day to meet the deadline?

I try to write about characters and plots that compel me. Even if I wouldn’t be friends with the people I’m writing about, there’s always something special that brings me back to them. I’m so drawn to telling their story because I feel like I HAVE to tell their story. Something inside me tells me that it must be shared with others. Their narrative compels me. If I’m not invested, I might halt the project – if I can’t invest in characters and stories that come from inside me, what’s to say anyone else will be able to, either? I’ll then tuck them away for another day, because maybe the plots or characters have just been placed in the wrong spot and I can recycle them in another work in the future.

How do you manage keeping your writing fun for you, and keeping it from becoming one massive homework assignment you don’t want to finish?

Just sit down and go. If you really love writing, you’ll find your mojo while you’re doing it. I find the first few sentences are the toughest, but once I get past those I could write for days without food or sleep (or bathroom breaks, or responsibilities…). Unfortunately, we’re all only human and one of those is bound to come up. When we’re away from words it’s difficult to get back into the grove, but just type a few out and you’ll see yourself getting back into it.

What do you truly enjoy about NaNoWriMo? What keeps you going?

I’m already a competitive person, which keeps me going when I know there’s an end goal I can clearly see. Also, one of my favorite things is that after NaNoWriMo I’m usually on such a writing adrenaline high that I’ll keep going at the same pace for a few more days, or even weeks. There’s nothing better.

**

I want to thank Marina for answering those questions for us. She’s extremely bright, and we appreciate her point of view. It’s always nice to hear how other writers view things.

Until next time, take care everyone.

Recently, my fiancée and I moved into a new apartment. One of our first guests was our good friend Anne Barngrover, who also happens to be the head TA of the Reynolds Writing Program. As soon as she walked in the door, she handed us a small box. “You’ll love this,” she said. Inside, we found hundreds of magnets, all containing various words and sentence fragments. For two people who love to play with words as much as we do, it was like opening that birthday present that makes you forget about all the other presents, since your grandmother thought you needed another sweater one size too big. Now, our refrigerator has multiple personalities. In one area, you’ll find the spot where we make fun of each other (it sounds mean, but I swear, it’s funny). In another, you’ll find my fiancée’s poetry, where she pieces together fragments to make some very cool passages. The refrigerator has become one of my favorite parts of our home.

We write with our refrigerator magnets every single day. We rearrange sentences. We pair fragments that have no business being together. We experiment. We laugh. A writer should write as much as possible. But we all know that forcing ourselves to put the pen to page every day can get a little tedious. My advice for you: find a way to make it fun and different for yourself every single day.

Hello friends of the Reynolds Writing Workshop!

I thought I’d take some time to introduce myself. My name is Dan Sweatt, and for the foreseeable future, I’ll be taking over as the groundskeeper at the Reynolds online fairgrounds. I’m so excited for the opportunity to communicate with you all here on our snazzy site. I’m a 2009 graduate of Denison University, where I majored in Creative Writing and Communication. I’ve been a Teaching Assistant with this program for the last four years, and have enjoyed every sleep-deprived minute. While I did not attend the workshop as a high school student, I did propose to a former Reynolds camper, so that has to count for something, right?

I adore this camp. It’s an incredible opportunity, one that I was foolish enough not to pursue when I was a high school student. I was a bit of a big fish in a small pond – editor of the school paper, editor of the school’s literary journal, and always with a journal. This isn’t bragging. I know a lot of us were or are in the same boat. I made a mistake that I see a lot of young writers making. I thought, “I’m already good enough.”

I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was no genius back then, despite what I really wanted to believe. I wasn’t William Wordsworth, I wasn’t one of the students from Dead Poets Society. I wasn’t even Harriet The Spy. I wasn’t smart enough yet to realize that as a writer, you can never stop learning.

The other day, I read a feature on Grantland.com profiling writer Junot Diaz (I’m not going to link to it, since Mr. Diaz has a mouth that would make a sailor blush). He’s a funny, fresh, and incredibly unique voice in the current literary landscape. At least, that’s what everyone tells me. I’ve never read a word that he’s written. About once every 72 hours, I come across a review for a book or the name of a writer that sounds vaguely familiar, and think, “Hm, I really need to read that/her/him.” It’s kind of a rush, really. I think we all feel it – that fresh realization that we aren’t alone. On this day, I was particularly struck by this realization, and spontaneously hopped onto Amazon.com and ordered the complete works of Junot Diaz. I’ll dive in this weekend, and I can’t wait.

Now, imagine a week full of these moments: when we discover both the writings of those lucky few who get published, and those of our talented peers. That’s what Reynolds is all about.

In regards to this little corner of the internet (I believe the kids are calling it a ‘blog’), it will be a space where I come by to update our Reynolds family on developments in the program, as well as to discuss whatever literary monsters make their presence known inside my brain. I’ll try to have some fun with everyone here, and might even enlist the help of my fellow TA’s. Don’t let their looks fool you – they’re brilliant people.

If you’re an interested prospective camper, please take the time to explore our website and Facebook page. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on either of the pages, and we’d be happy to help you out. If you’re a friend of the program, please keep us in the loop with all that you’re doing. We’d love to hear from you all.

Happy writing to one and all. I’ll be back soon.