Don’t hate me for writing this, but as July comes to a close, that means the new school year is nigh and summer (gasp!) is coming to an end. I can see you’re wincing, but let me ease the pain a bit. There’s still time to finish your summer reading. To finish the summer with a bang. To turn in your summer reading logs AND WIN AWESOME PRIZES.

Everyone loves prizes, and what better way to finish the summer than with cool stuff that didn’t cost you a dime? Here’s the details. Turn in your summer reading logs by Saturday, August 4th and here’s what you get:

- KIDS get to pick a small toy from our prize basket, a free pass to the Cecil County Fair, free coupons for Taco Bell/KFC, Sonic, and Subway, plus a chance to win a new bike, Orioles tickets, a Basket of Fun, or a family 4 pack to the Maryland Science Center.

- TEENS get Taco Bell/KFC coupons, a free pass to the Cecil County Fair, plus a chance to win $25 and $50 iTunes cards, $25 and $50 Regal Cinema gift cards, an all-inclusive Paintball game for four, 8 tickets to see an Orioles game (August 6th), or $50 and $100 Visa cards.

- ADULTS get a chance to win an array of prizes: a $35 Visa gift card, Redner’s gift cards, day passes for the YMCA, a Vera Bradley bag, and a bundle of books.

If you’ve read a ton this summer, you can fill out multiple reading logs and get even more chances to win.  And if you didn’t sign up for summer reading yet, you can still do that too! You can turn in logs to any branch (please note that the Rising Sun Branch is closing August 1st for renovations).

What summer reading prize are you most hoping to win?

If this were a chapter in a book, we’d begin with a character. Let’s call him Warner. He’d like to write a novel—or a short story or a memoir—if he could only find the time and figure out how to get beyond the first three chapters. He has a lot of good ideas and loves to write.

Imagine our new friend Warner, scruffy, wearing fuzzy slippers because it’s Saturday, maybe he’s still in his pajamas, pouring a second cup of coffee and then visiting the library website to discover just what he’s been looking for to help him write his book … the Chesapeake Writers’ Workshop.

Next stop for Warner, the bestseller list!

If you are like Warner and don’t know where to begin, or if you have a few chapters written of your novel or memoir, or you’ve written a short story or some poems, this upcoming writers’ workshop is for you.  We’ll be meeting monthly to share our work and to take part in the occasional writing exercise to keep the creative juices flowing.

In a workshop, writers come together to share their work in a positive setting. Participants will read other workshop participants’ writing in advance, and then come to offer constructive feedback. A writing workshop is a judgment-free zone in that the goal is to build on our strengths and work together to improve one another’s writing. Typically, we go around the table and focus on one person’s work at a time.

A workshop can be helpful on many levels. First, there’s honest feedback about one’s writing from other writers. Second, it helps to have a deadline as motivation to get writing done in time for the next workshop. Third, there will be coffee and cookies.

The most important aspect of a writers’ workshop is that it helps to build a sense of community. It’s good to know you are not the only one motivated to put words on paper. That community can help you become more comfortable with your own writing. It’s a place to share your own enthusiasm for writing, discuss your favorite writers, and share tips.

The first Chesapeake Writers’ Workshop will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 19 at the Chesapeake City Branch Library. From then on, we’ll be meeting on a regular basis to share our work.  At future workshops, you are welcome to bring another chapter from the same work, or share something new. And, as all events at the Cecil County Public Library, this workshop is free!

That first day, we’ll be getting acquainted and taking part in a writing exercise. Bring your passion for writing and your good ideas. Fuzzy slippers optional.