SEARCY — The creative energy ran rampant as a group of writers took turns reading their individual works at a recent White River Writers Guild meeting. The newly formed group meets from 10 a.m. to noon the third Tuesday of each month in Batesville.
The group is open to writers from all over the surrounding area.
“There was nothing between Searcy and Cherokee Village,” Earl Belcher, Ph.D., said about his idea to form the writers guild.
He also attributed the formation of the group to Michael Livingston.
“When Earl told me he was going to start a writing group in Batesville, I volunteered to help,” Livingston said. “I’ve always been able to contribute best by supporting and encouraging others, and that’s the role I want to play for Earl and the group.”
Members of the group range from a former newspaper publisher who has published five novels to a woman who recently wrote her first fiction piece. Although they may be on varying levels, the participants all have one thing in common: becoming the best writers they can.
During the two-hour meetings, the group discusses a grammar lesson and copyright law, shares stories and listens to an invited speaker.
“We have an admittedly lofty goal: to help every member of the guild become a published author,” Livingston said. “Earl and I are committed to that, and the talent and energy of those who have attended the first three meetings make us believe the goal is attainable.”
Belcher may not claim to be a writer, but his book Square Peg: A Thesis on Biological Evolution has made it into several high schools across the country.
“I’m not a writer; I’m more of a storyteller,” Belcher said.
He donates all the income from his book to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
Belcher has published more than 100 articles and two books about tree seeds. He won the Secretary of Agriculture’s Superior Service Award for his pioneering work in X-ray evaluation of seeds.
He recently established a scholarship for Cave City High School students with money that his late wife, Laura, who was from Cave City, had saved.
“We hope those who have been members of past writing groups and others, regardless of experience, will check us out,” Livingston said. “We’re all here to help each other.”
For more information on the writers guild, call Livingston at (870) 670-5994 or Belcher at (870) 384-0093.
The group meets from 10 a.m. to noon the third Tuesday of each month at the Citizens Bank Annex on College Street in Batesville.