Beginnings are everywhere
BLOG WRITTEN BY SUE FULTON
by PHOENIX OASIS PRESSBeginnings are all around us. Sometimes they roar in like a lion, pushing us to a blank page to write down a new idea before it’s gone. Other times, they sneak up slow and steady, whispering to our hearts in quiet moments and hinting at a new idea that wants to unfurl. That’s how it was with Phoenix Oasis Press. It came to life in stages, each step leading to a bigger beginning.
Beginning 1: Accountability
Everything began in 2020, when I took over leading the Metro Phoenix Shut Up and Write! accountability group. Accountability is a key element of any writer’s journey. Writers need to find time to sit down and put words on the page. But life — or we — can get in the way. Reserving a spot at our SU&W event held at Changing Hands Bookstore on Camelback helped many authors hold themselves accountable to their writing goals. And it snowballed! Today, there are also SU&W groups in Maricopa, Gilbert, and Goodyear.
Beginning 2: Publishing Support
The SU&W gatherings became like a second family for many. Attendees shared their writing projects and dreams. For some, that dream included publication. But it can be difficult to find a home for a story or poem. Along with a group of volunteers, we set out to publish our first anthology.
Together, we navigated publishing logistics, the submission and review process, and launch events. We developed craft workshops to help aspiring writers improve their piece, lending to a stronger shot at acceptance. Roots, Shoots & Blooms launched in 2022. We had so much fun doing it, we decided to do it again. Beyond Boundaries: Tales of Transcendence launched in 2023. Both anthologies run the gamut from flash fiction to poetry to personal essay and everything in between. Consider them our love letters to the Arizona author community.
Beginning 3: A Writing Community Passion Project Incubator
Throughout all of the earlier noted beginnings, a whisper started calling. Our minds raced with the passion projects brought to us by the community. One wanted to launch a podcast all about Arizona authors. Another, a website and newsletter focused on uniting writing resources across the Valley. Volunteers wanted to launch a full-day writers retreat. Another suggested a craft-themed book club.
To help bring these dreams to life, Phoenix Oasis Press was born. To bring POP to life, I had to step back from other areas, like SU&W. Stepping back gave me time to connect with people in the writing community who found this new organization inspiring. People like Tracy Nita Skochil, who joined me as Executive Director and is my business partner in this venture.
Along with our core group of Passion Project volunteers — Cristi Scobee, Felicia Penza, Mary Cornelius, Michelle Conde, and Eric Boyd — we’ve developed a vision, mission, and core values.
Vision: Be an oasis of inspiration and support for Arizona’s aspiring, established, and I’m-not-really-a-writer writers.
Mission: Offer low or no-cost resources that help Arizona writers generate work, build skills, share their stories, and connect with a vibrant writing community.
Core values: Craft. Creativity. Connection. Growth. Support.
Thankful for Passion Project Leaders and Volunteers
We’re thankful to POP’s Passion Project Leaders who give so selflessly of their time to bring low and no-cost resources and services to Arizona writers. We’re thankful to every person who has volunteered time and energy across our writers retreats, private events, podcast, design efforts, website, social, and more. Our hearts are so full.
Ready to Begin with Us, Dear Writer?
We hope you’ll take advantage of the programs and resources to further your own writer’s journey. Some things to think about:
When it comes to your writing, what do you need to stop doing?
What do you want to begin?
When did you begin to think of yourself as a writer?
Do you begin new writing with a sense of curiosity and confidence?
Or do you begin hoping for inspiration but dreading the process?
When things feel shaky, think about this quote: “I have never met a writer who doesn’t begin her writing journey full of wobble.” —William Kenower, Fearless Writing. We haven’t either.
If you’re struggling with inner resistance, learn more about my upcoming EQ4Writers workshop series that can help you create flow, shift emotional states, and use your thoughts and feelings to make decisions that enhance your writing practice.
Help Spread the Word, POP-ster
We’re excited to bring you ways to connect with the vibrant Arizona writing community. You can help us grow, too:
Join us: We’re here to help you write your beginnings, endings, and everything in between.
Share us: If you know of a writer or group of writers who could benefit from our resources, please share!
Connect us: We’re working to connect with other Arizona writing groups to create a directory of resources. Know a group you think we should promote? Tell us about it!
Here’s to new beginnings.
ABOUT SUE FULTON
SUE FULTON IS AN AWARD-WINNING TEACHER, WORKSHOP LEADER, PROSE WRITER, AND POET. SHE’S THE ORIGINAL ORGANIZER OF THE CENTRAL PHOENIX CHAPTER OF SHUT UP & WRITE, AND THE FOUNDER OF PHOENIX OASIS PRESS. POP IS A TEAM OF ARIZONA WRITERS HELPING OTHER WRITERS CONNECT, GENERATE WORK, AND SHARE THEIR STORIES. SHE OCCASIONALLY POSTS POEMS AND COLLAGE ART AT INSIDE OUT.