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12-Hour Write-a-Thon
April 15
A fundraiser in the form of a Write-a-Thon will take place at New Dawn Arts Center at 84 Main Street in Ashburnham on Saturday, April 15th, from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.
The Write-a-Thon is the brainchild of Kevin Scott Hall, one of the instructors of the free Tuesday night writing workshops at the Center. He, along with the other instructors, Melissa Dorval and Fred Gerhard, support the cause. Hall also serves on the Board.
“This is for all the writers and aspiring writers who want to write more but are constantly saying, ‘But I don’t have time’—usually because of work demands or children or other life events,” Hall says. “Well, no excuses now. You can plan ahead to devote the entire day to writing! And you’ll also be helping out New Dawn!”
The idea is for writers to ask friends to donate a set amount per hour for the event. So, if someone sponsors a writer for $1/hour, the writer would collect $12 from that donor, which would then go to New Dawn.
“It’s meant to be a challenge,” Hall says. “Twelve hours is a long time to keep your butt in the chair to focus on your writing.” He encourages the participants to take a short break every hour or two and take a walk around the neighborhood or chat with another writer—perhaps even collaborate. Hall also urges local college and high school students to join the cause. “As a former college professor myself, I know there are a lot of procrastinators out there. Come on, students! Use this time to get that paper done!”
The plan is to have the writers gather at about 7:30 pm on the Write-a-Thon Day to share something they’ve written that day during open mic. These will likely be first drafts, so writing will be encouraged and not critiqued. The public may also attend the open mic to listen. To visit our website click Here!
To register and get a sponsor form, stop by New Dawn or email Kevin at kevsco76@gmail.com
The leaders of the New Dawn Writers’ Group and the Write-a-Thon are Fred Gerhard, Melissa Dorval, and Kevin Scott Hall:
Melissa Dorval has had her poems, short stories, and articles published in various journals. Her new micro-essay will be featured in the inaugural issue of The Sixpence Society Literary Journal and her latest poem will appear in Creative Zine, both this fall. Her debut novel, When You Lose Control, has just been accepted by a New Hampshire publisher. Dorval graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Creative Writing from UMass-Lowell and was mentored by acclaimed author Andre Dubus III.
Fred Gerhard is a poet whose work has appeared in a multitude of literary journals, including Entropy Magazine, Heavy Feather Review, and Pif Magazine. His poetry has also been voiced by actor Kirk Lawrence in Bespoke Vocals, as seen on YouTube. Gerhard led a poetry therapy group at Community Healthlink in Worcester.He was the editor of The Chelmsford Poetry Review and is currently an editor of Quabbin Quills Press anthologies.
Kevin Scott Hall is the author of the highly regarded memoir A Quarter Inch From My Heart (Wisdom Moon) and the self-published novel Off the Charts!. He is also a singer/songwriter and recording artist; his music can be heard on streaming platforms, including YouTube, where he also has a few music videos. Hall taught theater, writing, and literature for 17 years at two City University of New York campuses. He holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from The City College of New York.