The Plantation Writer’s Guild
Where Words can Describe
Written by Blair Townley; Photos by Anthony Rao
The reasons are various for why the members of The Plantation Writer’s Guild in Leesburg have embarked on secondary careers in writing.
Some write to leave something behind for their families. Some write to keep their minds active and alert. Others just want the story rolling around in their head to be heard by others.
All of the members though collaborate on the same understanding that their writing journeys took a whole new turn once they joined the guild.
“I can tell you that joining The Plantation Writers’ Guild has given me a new lease on life because they are so encouraging. They are a hard-working group and when we have our reading and writing sessions, I learn more and more,” member Ann Fuller says.
The guild also comes together in their pursuit of displaying to others the importance of writing and reading for every person, no matter what the age. They visit several area schools and conduct an annual daylong event at The Plantation called “The Gathering” to promote literacy with readings, live entertainment and food.
“Everything we can do is to promote literature,” says Ruth McIntyre-Williams, the moderator for the guild’s meetings and writer of two medieval novels. “We want to encourage the public’s writing and interest in books and literature.”
That message of literacy will be shown more to the public when the Writer’s Guild have their first group book signing on February 27th at 1 p.m. at the Barnes and Noble in The Villages’ Lake Sumter Landing.
The signing is to support the guild’s new 2010 member anthology, Guild Song, as well as the published books among the seven members who will be on hand to autograph copies as well. The published books range from science fiction to medieval to common day situations.
Yet the biggest support the guild members have found is within their own group as they come to critique and discuss their latest forays into the writing world.
“I wouldn’t have had my three books published (three) at all had it not been for the Writers’ Guild,” says member Joyce Halvorsen, who has written books of poetry and short stories.
“The Guild took it, critiqued it and made it better. So our works always become better through interaction and critique and we try to help them become better writers.”
“I started my book in 1987 and I probably still wouldn’t have it published if it wasn’t for the Writers’ Guild and their help,” says member Don Polly of his science fiction book “Fluffy.”
Each Friday morning at 9:30 a.m., the group unites to read the recent added chapters of their unpublished stories, discuss upcoming visits to local organizations and to talk about whatever might be on their minds.
The public is also encouraged to attend meetings, whether you are a writer or not, as the guild likes to get opinions on their stories after reading a few lines of their work.
Members find that just talking out loud their ideas or reading what they wrote longhand in the middle of the night helps them create a stronger narrative than attempting to write alone.
“I’d written a lot but I hadn’t submitted anything. I had some ideas. When I brought those ideas here, I immediately felt comfortable here,” member Hoyt Berry recalls.
Moderator Ruth McIntyre-Williams believes the members are at ease when reading their work because they realize others are there to help them achieve a better story.
“Because we do this in front of each other, we develop this very strong bond and understanding of what the other person is going through,” she says. “We just all work together and I think that helps a lot.”
The guild has gained recognition in the Lake and Sumter communities as well as in their native hometowns. One member, Don Tsolo, even had his book about apartheid South Africa, The Promise, deemed “a book of significance” at the Miami Book Fair.
Just having the opportunity to express themselves through words and paper to those they consider writing comrades has been enough for members and they look forward to where their group goes next in literary direction.
“Through the years, I’ve noticed so much talent and so much coming out of each person which is so different,” member Dell French says. “They write from their own soul and it’s amazing how much is revealed.”
www.palhoa.com (The Plantation at Leesburg)
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