WRITERS’ GETAWAY. Cirenaica, a remote lodge in Fall Creek will be used by the Chippewa Valley Writer’s Guild for writer’s retreats. The term “Cirenaica” translates from Uruguayan fisherman language as “siren of sea.” The name is meant to lure writers away from their normal lives so they can focus on their craft.

The Chippewa Valley has long had a strong writing community. From the days of slam poetry at Acoustic Café to open readings all over town to authors selling thousands and thousands of copies of their work, it’s a nice little hotbed for great writers to hone their craft. But with the newly formed Chippewa Valley Writer’s Guild, a partnership among local writers, professors, the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council, and the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, the area’s writing scene is truly being taken to the next level.

The brainchild of UWEC English professor and author B.J. Hollars, the CVWG is pooling the resources of an entire scene not only to bolster individual writers with workshops and events but also to help them rub elbows with elite writers, give them the chance to shake hands with big-city book agents, and provide writer’s residencies at a remote cabin in Fall Creek. The CVWG aims to efficiently use the writing community’s strengths to pull a healthy, functioning scene out from the groundwork where it’s been humming along for years.

“I’m so inspired by the art scene in general, the musicians, the visual artists, the comedy scene, the theater scene. We have such a robust writing crew as well, but writing’s a little different. It’s a solitary art,” Hollars said. “It’s nice to get people to rise up from their basements and get away from their screens for a little while and think about ways to better their craft, enhance their work, and have opportunities to share it as well.”

“I’m so inspired by the art scene in general, the musicians, the visual artists, the comedy scene, the theater scene. We have such a robust writing crew as well, but writing’s a little different. It’s a solitary art. It’s nice to get people to rise up from their basements and get away from their screens for a little while and think about ways to better their craft, enhance their work, and have opportunities to share it as well.” – B.J. Hollars, organizer of the CWVG

The lodge is called Cirenaica (a term Uruguayan fisherman use for “siren of the sea”) and it sits on 43 acres in Fall Creek. One of the most intriguing ideas coming from the CVWG is the opportunity for artist residencies at Cirenaica, a remote, quiet getaway dedicated to helping writers focus on their work, while getting assistance from editor, agents, and even well-known writers such as Nickolas Butler and Max Garland. Throughout the coming  summer, Cirenaica will host six three-day writing residencies.

Cirenaica.

Meanwhile, the CVWG will put on craft talks once a month with some of the area’s most prominent writers, such as Butler, Michael Perry, and Patti See. Hollars is kicking off the first event himself with a talk at the V1 Gallery on Feb. 25 called “Jump Off The Cliff And Build Your Wings On The Way Down: A Welcome and Look Forward.” Other CVWG events will include open reads (co-sponsored with UWEC publication NOTA), discussions, and more.

A full directory of writer’s groups, both open and closed, is listed at www.cvwritersguild.org, providing tons of opportunities to connect with other writers, whether by joining a writer’s group or starting one yourself.

In a state with shaky support for all kinds of arts programs, this project is community-driven by the expertise of the powerful writers we already have and the passion of the fresh new voices we haven’t heard yet. It really is a collective booster that should help in the creation of tons of awesome work from local writers.

“Our region struggles with art funding,” Hollars said. “I thought this was a way to use the resources of the people who are already here doing this every day to help foster growth with all writers, whether its students at the university (or) people in the community. If we can find opportunities for folks to get real-world experience, shake hands, meet editors, meet agents, that’s something we can do right here. We don’t have to go to New York to do it.”

For more, visit www.cvwritersguild.org or pop by The Local Store for B.J. Hollars’ opening craft talk, “Jump Off A Cliff And Build Your Wings On The Way Down: A Welcome and Look Forward” at 7pm on Thursday, Feb. 25.