Are you young? Here’s a chance for you to flex your creative muscles and win awards. Anyone age 29 or younger can submit a short story, non-fiction, poetry, photography or artwork for cash prizes and publication in the Townships Sun. It’s the Townships Young Voices Awards.
Up for grabs is $750 in awards. The deadline is February 28.
Seeking inspiration? YouTube/TYVoices has more than 20 short videos telling how to find ideas, and tips for developing them. These video clips are really short. They’ll put gas in your tank.
For example, poets Steve Luxton and Angela Leuck explain how they get ideas for poems. Rebecca Welton give a series of “top tips” for writing short stories, and Rachel Garber interviews Rachel McCrum, the editor of Fontmag.org, about working with a magazine editor.
Next, swing over to the TownshipsSun.ca/Townships-Young-Voices webpage. There you will find an E-Guide that explains how to create, write, win awards, and have your work published in magazines, especially in the Townships Sun. That is, if you want to try your hand at art, photos, or writing poetry or short fiction or non-fiction.
(And, wink, wink: See Write Here, Write Now! below.)
Submissions should relate to some aspect of life in the Eastern Townships, past, present or future. Do you live in the Townships? The key is just to write about, or create images of, something that interests you. Written work is to be in English.
What’s the point? The Townships Sun is the only community magazine in English serving our region. It’s a community volunteer effort. All the board and editorial staff are volunteers, including yours truly, the editor. But we do offer honoraria to our contributors, and we’d love to have more contributions from the younger generation. We’re all in this community together; the Townships Sun is for all ages.
So, here we are, Boomers reaching across the ages to Zoomers!
Who are these people? I turn to beresfordresearch.com/age-range-by-generation for clarification. They’ve researched this question. These days, Boomers are divided into two groups; Boomers 1 are age 69-77, and Boomers 2, age 59-68. In other words, younglings, these oldsters are your grandparents.
Then we have Gen X, roughly aged 43-58, and Millennials, aged 27-42.
And finally, Gen Z, ages 11-26. Boomers, meet your grandchildren, the Zoomers!
Members of Generation Z, it is said, spend more time on electronic devices and less time reading books than preceding gens. Well, I don’t know. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Here I sit, writing on an electronic device, and I read some of my books that way, too.
So here’s the challenge to Gen Zers, and Millennials too: Show off your creativity! We’d love to see your voices in our community magazine!
Get the scoop at TownshipsSun.ca/Townships-Young-Voices. Questions? Marie Moliner would love to hear from you at townshipsyoungvoices@gmail.com or Instagram/@TYVoices.
VIACTIVE IS HERE
During renovations of the Newport Municipal Hall, participants in the Newport Viactive group are invited to join the Sawyerville group, starting Wednesday, January 11, at 10 a.m., in the basement of the former Sawyerville Catholic Church, 4 Randboro Road, Sawyerville. Info: 819-889-1340.
YOGA IS COMING
Yoga classes begin in Sawyerville on Tuesday, January 31, at 10 a.m. in the Sawyerville Catholic Church basement, 4 Randboro Road. Info: Myrna MacDonald Lowry, myrnamac44@gmail.com, or 819-875-5393.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Seniors Action Quebec offers a free online webinar on Understanding Your Consumer Rights. The speaker is Richard Goldman, a lawyer and plain language specialist with Éducaloi. He will talk about refunds and exchanges, pricing errors, warranties, online shopping, and what you can do when problems occur.
When? Tuesday, February 7, at 10 a.m. to noon. The registration deadline is Tuesday, January 31. To register, send an email with your contact information to Ruth Pelletier at ruthkathleenpelletier@gmail.com. More information is at www.seniorsactionquebec.ca.
WRITE HERE, RIGHT NOW!
Are you alive? Are you learning? If you’re a lifelong learner of any age, here are a few opportunities for you offered by the Bishop’s University Lifelong Learning Academy. They are free. Online. Fun. And in the company of other interesting learners, who also enjoy trying their hand at writing here and now.
First up is “Flash: Writing Short Prose” with Jan Draper. Learn to use brevity for maximum impact. Learn how to write a short, short story, in the form of flash fiction or memoir. It’s Thursday, January 19, at 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., the first of six monthly workshops exploring this topic.
Next is “Writing Every Day: A Conversation,” also with Jan Draper. In this special discussion session, writers talk about participating in a writing-every-day-group. This one-time workshop is on Saturday, January 21, at 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
The last one this month is “Nonfiction Writing for Magazines” with Rachel Garber. This is the first in a series of six monthly workshops exploring journalistic and creative nonfiction writing for publication in a magazine… especially the Townships Sun. We’ll explore a variety of approaches: historical, memoir, travel writing, essays, and reviews. The first workshop, Friday, January 27, from 10 a.m. to noon., offers an introduction to the world of magazines.
More are coming in February! For information or to sign up for any of these free workshops, please email bulla@ubishops.ca.
CHURCHES
United. Sunday services are at 10:30 a.m., at the Sawyerville United Church, 42 Principale N., Sawyerville (before Bédard Road). Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Anglican. No Anglican services are planned in Cookshire until the spring of 2023. For the schedule of services at the St. George’s Anglican Church, 84 Queen St., Lennoxville, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by January 23 for publication February 1 or by February 6 for February 15.