Jayson Coleman
The idea of publicly sharing one’s unfinished writing may seem terrifying, but never fear: the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild is here to help local writers overcome that fear in a supportive, communal environment.
The Rough Draft Reading Series will be returning to 2 Roots Art and Wine Gallery on Tuesday, March 25. The upcoming event will be the fourth iteration of the Rough Draft Reading Series- but will feature something new that is bound to please.
In addition to the open mic, writers are invited to come to 2 Roots at 6:15 pm, forty-five minutes before the event’s scheduled start time, to partake in an “informal ‘happy hour.’” This will be an opportunity for writers and literary lovers to engage in fellowship and frivolity before the readings.
Katie Venit, the event’s host, says she hopes the social hour will make writers feel more at ease in what can otherwise be a tense and vulnerable environment.
“Writers tend to be introverts, so we’re especially vulnerable to neglecting our community. But it’s so important. We’re also hoping this [social hour] will help people feel more comfortable signing up to read, so they can see that we’re not so scary.””
“Writers tend to be introverts,” Venit said, “so we’re especially vulnerable to neglecting our community. But it’s so important. We’re also hoping this [social hour] will help people feel more comfortable signing up to read, so they can see that we’re not so scary.”
Both the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library and the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild have hosted a plethora of events featuring experienced writers coming in and sharing their works. What makes the Rough Draft Reading Series unique is that the “experienced writer” can be anyone who’s in attendance.
“It’s an open mic for anyone in the community to read what they’re working on,” Venit said. “People often ask if they can read even if they’re not ‘members of the guild,’ which always makes me giggle because we don’t have membership criteria. I mean, the guild is partly run on donations, so yes, please donate if you can. But even if you can’t, just come anyway.”
Any piece of writing at any level can be read at the Rough Draft Reading Series. Venit said that she had heard people read poems and short stories, as well as essays and novel excerpts. She has not yet known of someone bringing in a play or other dramatic reading, but they’re welcome nonetheless.
“We’ve had some of the most experienced writers in the community read, and some new writers read their very first poem,” Venit said. “Everyone gets the same warm response. It’s very supportive. Just please keep your whole reading—including any context you need to give—to five minutes or less so we can fit as many folks in as possible.”
While the wonderful drinks and community of writers are reason enough to attend the Rough Draft Reading Series, as a writer, there’s an unmistakable benefit to hearing thoughts on your work from a perspective other than your own.
“It is so easy to question ourselves as writers,” Venit said. “It is so easy to think we’re no good. I have a few books coming out in the coming years, and I still question everything I write. And I think that’s a fairly universal experience. Having a community can really support ourselves and help us along through the tough times when we doubt ourselves.”
And, even through the fear of public speaking and doubting of our own abilities, there’s something about sharing your work with a group of supportive peers that harkens back to why we write to begin with.
“The thing with writing is, it’s really about connection,” Venit said. “The writer wants to connect to the reader, wants to share their thoughts with the reader. That’s the whole point of writing. And, for me at least, there’s no better way to connect to your reader than though a public reading, when you can gauge how your jokes land, how your audience reacts. It’s magical.”
No advance registration is required to attend the Rough Draft Reading Series. Interested writers can simply walk in, sign up for a slot to read (until all slots are filled), and enjoy an evening of sharing works, meeting friends, and having fun.