Coffee Klatch: Launch

coffee klatch noun

an occasion when people meet socially to talk and drink coffee (Cambridge Dictionary)

It’s as simple as that! Have some espresso and almond biscotti – the coffeehouse special today!

I grew up in a small town in Iowa where people still get together for coffee klatches. I miss that aspect of small town life. That was a time when people would “visit,” talk about their lives, and other people’s lives (yeah there was plenty of gossip, too) over coffee and home-baked goodies. It was a powerful network throughout the community and bonded neighbors together. I swear my parents knew most everyone’s family (and what happened to each member back 3 generations)  in our town and several surrounding communities.

I am holding my coffee klatch at my new hip virtual coffeehouse for writers to connect with the Writer’s Life Community.

Come in to the Writer’s Life Coffeehouse (no official name yet) and join me for the first coffee klatch. I will host a klatch every Wednesday. My initial idea is to post announcements about what is going on with the Writer’s Life friends and followers and items that may interest us. This can be a way to track some of the major events, new projects, announcements, interviews or publications happening in our community. I’m sure the coffee klatch will expand to include more in the future.

Spend some time tweeting with #Writers_Life on Wednesdays and chat with your friends. Tell us how you are doing, what you are working on, your challenges and successes. I may occasionally bring up intriguing issues about the writer’s life for us to discuss, and hope you will too.

Of course we will always share some excellent coffee and treats.

Writer’s Life Happenings

Coffee Klatch. Of course my first announcement is the Coffee Klatch! I will try to catch items of interest on Twitter each week. But I need your help!

If you are one of the followers and participants of The Writer’s Life, please send your announcements for the week about yourself or items of interest for this community. You can send an email to Coffee@AnneTylerLord.com (hubby created a fun email addy just for this) or DM on Twitter at either @AnneTylerLord or @Writers_Life.

The Writer’s Life Weekly Feature. I have been posting my weekly feature article on Friday, but I will now be moving it to Monday. I will reserve Friday for the times when I have fiction, poetry or a party (the last party was a wild blast!).

BTW, see my new Twitter thingy on my right sidebar (under the Google Friends Connect) and sign in if you like. I found this and thought I would give it a try  to see if it is useful or fun.

Coffee Klatch Announcements

Randomitities. Mari’s Randomitities (@marirandomities) has a new home! Mari is hosting a house warming party at her place to celebrate. Make sure you sign up for the new RSS feed and Google Friends Connect. Mari Juniper has also published her first horror story at Flashes In The Dark, called Zombie Walk.

The Penny Dreadful. The Penny Dreadful (@TPDonline) is excited to announce that they are partnering with the awesome folks at Tangent Artists to bring you weekly webcomics! The Skeleton Crew by Monica Marier (@lil_monmon) will be featured on The Penny Dreadful. She has two comics posting soon. See the transcript of the chat about the announcement.

Silent Writers. Shhh. “The Silent Writers Collective is a group of writers who get together online and in person to write in silence.” It was created by our friend Olivia Tejeda (@SimplyOlivia) at Away with Words .  I joined in for the first time last night to the #SilentWriters one hour of silent writing – Tuesday at 9p.m. EST. It was nice to know others were writing too. I enjoyed it. You can connect here –  @SilentWriters and #SilentWriters, go to the link for Olivia’s site (above) for more information.

#AmWriting. If you are a part of the #amwriting community on Twitter, you will want to sign up and be a part of the amwriting directory. Johanna Harness has graciously decided to create a directory of all the authors in her community with bios and where you can find their writing. She has also set up The Amwriting Store on Amazon for those writers who have links.  I suggest we explore the writers in this community and read their websites and books as part of our summer reading. (Added note – check out all the links Johanna has provided in the comments!)

Post- Apocalyptic Publishing. If you are part of #FridayFlash you will want to check out Emma Newman’s contest. Emma (@EmApocalyptic) will professionally podcast someones FridayFlash each month!

Coffee Klatch officially begins!

You can chat below or head back to Twitter at #Writers_Life. What are you working on this week? Is it a good writing week, or not? Have you done anything interesting in your Writer’s Life recently?



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50 responses to “Coffee Klatch: Launch”

  1. […] to the Coffee Klatch. Join us each week for conversation and news in the Writer’s Life community and connect on […]

  2. […] to the Coffee Klatch. Join us each week for conversation and news in the Writer’s Life community and connect on […]

  3. […] to the Coffee Klatch. Join us each week for conversation and news for the Writer’s Life community and connect on […]

  4. […] to the Coffee Klatch. Join us each week for conversation and news for the Writer’s Life community and connect on […]

  5. Addy Robinson McCulloch

    Great idea! Things I’ve stumbled upon this week:
    1. Poet and writer Jessie Carty has started a new online mag with an interesting premise – this month they’re accepting prose submissions – http://referentialmagazine.com/

    2. Two online journals out of NC have new issues out: The Wild Goose Review and Redheaded Stepchild (easily found via google)

    3. I’ve been very disciplined about showing up for work to write EVERY DAY and that is as helpful as any piece of advice, strategy, etc.

    1. Hi Addy,

      Thanks for the info. Yes, showing up to write is most powerful!

  6. […] to the second Coffee Klatch. Join us each week for conversation and news for the Writer’s Life community and connect on […]

  7. What a lovely idea! I shall go and bake a cake and bring it along next Wednesday. Will also check out #writers_life

    1. Claire,

      Glad to see you have found this wonderful place. I have many wonderful friends who chat here. Come back soon, and we would love to have some cake next time!

  8. Hey Anne, sorry I’m so late! I am starting to feel a bit better and wanted to stop by here first thing. I hope you’re feeling well today.

    You are such a generous and creative spirit, I’m so proud to call you my friend. This is a wonderful idea! But then, that’s the only kind you have.

    Olivia, you sound so much like me. My husband always hates ordering for me – anything – becuase I’m so dang complicated. 😉 Surely though, a 1/2 Sumatran blend 1/2 butter toffee with a splash of Khaula wouldn’t be too much to ask? Oh yea, sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Anne? 🙂

    Olivia, I so hope you’re able to create a second time for Silent Writers. As you may recall, it’s kind of difficult for me to be awake that late in the evening, much less write, so a second option would be fantastic, and if there’s anything at all I can do to help, please let me know.

    What have I been up to? Well, even though I’ve been going through a fibro flare for nearly a week now, I somehow got quite a few (scattered) scenes for the novel written. It may have helped that I had to describe an Italian God, which naturally led to research – I HAVE to know what he looks like before I can describe him, right? Right! 😉

    1. Hi Deanna,

      I’m glad you were able to stop by. I’m so sorry you are going through a fibro flare – and it sounds like a long one! But my goodness, you can sure be productive in pain! I would love to hear more about that Italian God!

      What a yummy coffee you have designed!

      1. His wavy dark hair shines with streaks of copper, his deep hazel eyes, outlined in midnight blue, are sultry enough to invite you to bed with but a glance. And of course his sculpted, olive abs illuminate the air beneath a crisp white linen shirt, buttoned halfway up. And those lips! So red, so full….
        Need I say more? 🙂

        And now to cool you all off a bit, we’ll have to make that coffee my raspberry mocha frapacinno – fudge brownie, raspberry coffee, vanilla ice cream, Hershey’s syrup – blend to smooth perfection and enjoy!

        1. OMG to everything your wrote!!

          There is so much delectable goodness in your comment I don’t even know where to begin, so I will just pant and slobber!

          1. LOL! 🙂 Next week’s flash is going to be titled “Pant and Slobber”. Guess who the MC is? 😉

          2. Ha! I can’t wait!!

  9. Cool – great idea! A virtual salon — with caffeine and snacks! I’ll have a machiato, please. Missed you yesterday (little league, you know) but will try to catch up next week. Love the updates, too! peace…

    1. Hi Linda,

      One machiato it is! Thanks for stopping by.

      I have little league (and fast pitch softball) so yeah, I do know what it is like – so many games!

  10. Hiya Annie! Can I have a Double Affogato Venti Nonfat Chocolate Cappuccino Half-Caf, Extra Hot with Foam and Whipped Cream. Double Blended … please.

    Thanks for opening up this great coffee klatch. It’s such a great way to connect with other writers, but also a wonderful way to cheer each other on. We may not live in the same neighborhoods, but we don’t have to act that way!

    Thanks also for mentioning Silent Writers! There are lots of people who don’t usually write at night, so maybe we can schedule one during daytime hours. We might even be able to include some of our neighbors across the globe with a morning or afternoon write-in. Here’s hoping!

    You know … cancel my drink. I’ll just have a small green tea.

    xx, Olivia

    1. Do you mind if call you Annie?

      1. LOL! No, of course not. Brings back some childhood memories – but all good!

    2. Whew, thanks for canceling your drink and going for the tea, my head was spinning!

      Yea, daytime would be good. I have more trouble with pain, kids activities, and trying to calm my mind down to sleep in the evenings.

      I like connecting too!

  11. Hi, Anne!
    I love the idea of a wednesday chat – it’s always nice to check in & see how folks are doing! Just a heads up that “the coffee klatch” term is already being used (http://twitter.com/TheCoffeeKlatch) as well as the hashtag #tck. Just wanted to let you know so there’s no confusion.

    I’m paying bills this afternoon (and i’ve got a *mountain* of them!) but i hope to do some writing on my next installment of “The Pianist” this evening, if i can stay awake 😉 and i *am*, of course, drinking coffee as i pay my bills 😉

    1. Maybe the Quilting Bee? The Ladies Aide Society? The High Coffee Klatch? The Sewing Circle.
      Sorry if these all seem kind of “Anne of Green Gables, that’s where my mind is today.

      1. Well, that is a nice place to be. Such nice scenery.

    2. Hi PJ,

      Yes, I did see that is being used – for parents of kids with disabilities.

      I will be using #Writers_Life and @Writers_Life as the home for this and everything else I do – that way it is all in one place. Coffee Klatch is such a general term – it is all over the internet.

      Good luck on the writing, and paying bills (Yuk), hopefully the coffee is good!

  12. Check out a conversation question for #Writers_Life –

    Tweet: Coffee Klatch Wed-Question-What is influence of Twitter on your Writer’s Life? good or bad. #Writers_Life

    What do you think? Go to #Writers_Life and tweet about it today.

  13. You are a marvel, Anne! So much creative hard work and much appreciated by all of us.

    Yum. Coffee and biscotti was the perfect break I needed. Thank you!

    1. Hi Marisa, glad you could stop by for some yummies! Thank you so much – you are such a good friend. You may be a good one to deliver some news to me. It seems whenever I discover a new website or follow on Twitter, you are already there – you are sooooo connected!

  14. I love this idea (and thanks for the promo)!
    Honestly, nothing goes better with creativity like a steaming cup o’ moderately priced legal stimulant! Thanks Anne! : )

    I also love having all the updates. My brain is a like a finely-tuned steel sieve.

    1. Hi! haha! my mind gets that way sometimes, especially when the Twitter stream is moving so fast! I am just hoping the news will come to me from all my friends, that way I won’t miss it either!

      good luck on TPD – looking forward to your comics

  15. What a great concept, Anne! Thank you for creating all of this – hard work for you, an exciting place for us!

    1. My pleasure Laura, I hope this will be a fun place to chat and catch up on the latest news.

  16. Is anyone else going to do the Amwriting directory? That seems pretty cool. 🙂

    1. I’ve done it, and you’re right, very cool idea. 🙂

  17. Wonderful! I’m coming just to say ‘hi’ and socialize. I don’t drink coffee. Will you guys hold it against me if I drink some Earl Grey instead? 🙂

    1. Absolutely not! I must say that the coffeehouse serves all kinds of teas, and many other yummy drinks! I failed to mention. Shame on me!

  18. Hmmm, these brownies are yummy, thanks! *sips coffee* Ahh, delicious. 🙂

    Thanks Anne for the announcements, and for creating this cozy place to exchange info and grab something to eat.

    I didn’t know Emma was holding a contest. Must stop by her blog to check out.

    Cheers for Coffee Klatch and the good news you’re sharing here! 😀

    1. Hi Mari,

      Have another brownie!!

      Thanks for your support and friendship! And enduring our marathon email sessions!

  19. A Coffee Klatch – what a great idea, and a term I’d never heard until today. Thank you for the espresso and biscotti, much appreciated. 🙂

    1. Hi Sam, glad you stopped by!

  20. FYI – Coffee Klatch (also known as Coffee Klatsch, originates from the German Kaffeeklatsch sometime around 1880) also adopted by Norwegian communities in U.S. and probably most others. It was a big part of farm life in 1930s on and in town (especially 1950s to 1960s).

  21. Thank u for this…Just what I needed today! I decided to start actively living a writer’s life and this is perfect. I am new..and just haven’t done the actions behind the dream.

    1. Nice to meet you, Jules! Come by anytime, we are a friendly bunch!

  22. Ooh, thanks for the mention – I was going to email you about adding it!

    I’ve been lurking here for a while, time to say hello and sip at my caramel latte 🙂 Not sure where to start on the news front, but I hate talking about my own stuff anyway, so I’ll sit back and listen to everyone else, that comes more naturally!

    1. Hi Em,

      I caught you at the last minute when I saw your tweet I remembered reading this on your blog. You tweeted right when I was tweeting the post – aren’t we a couple of fun birds! hang out anytime!!

  23. Thank you for mentioning the directory for #amwriting peeps! Simple link is http://www.amwriters.com (The amwriting domain was taken, so we play with words and become amwriters.) The affiliated Amazon store is http://www.amwritersstore.com.

    I blog about the new directory here: http://bit.ly/9EBuQD

    Whew! 🙂

    1. Hi Johanna,

      Thanks so much for the complete collection of links – you are doing such a great service to writers with #amwriting, and now the directory and store! How do you do it all?

  24. Anne, what a great idea and thanks for the hospitality – I’m loving these communities of people sharing the #WritingLife 🙂

    I would also like to offer the best hot chocolate in town – whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate sprinkles, the lot.

    1. Welcome! That hot chocolate sounds yummy! Thanks!

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