The Original Zona Rosan

There are many forms of courage, and I, who am the proverbial "chicken" when it comes to honesty in some of my writing, appreciate the courage it takes to be as open as Rosemary Daniell, the original Zona Rosan.

This weekend, I had the privilege of spending some time with her. Friday evening, she spoke at a booksigning at Nightbird Books, for Secrets of the Zona Rosa.

On Saturday, her workshop full of of thought-provoking "exorcises" and discussions helped us to "dig deep" and find inspiration, even courage to achieve our goals.

Here are a few examples of her "exorcises:"

1) Write a three sentence autobiography.
2) I never saw it coming . . .
3) Back when I was still me . . .

For some people, goals may be achieved through writing or journaling, which Rosemary strongly encourages on a daily basis -- she calls it "excavation." For many of us, the goal is writing, and over fifty Zona Rosans are published authors.

Almost three decades ago, Rosemary Daniell began meeting monthly with four other women, in her home in Savannah, Georgia. They talked about life and writing, and it was the serendipitous birth of Zona Rosa. Today, Zona Rosa has benefitted thousands of women (and some men!) around the world.

Sub Rosa groups--peer groups based on the foundation of Zona Rosa--have formed all over the United States. The local Sub Rosa group, of which I am a member, recently celebrated its third anniversary. We are a group of women (and now, our first man!) who gather monthly in a nurturing environment, to share our lives, our writing, even our favorite foods.

Rosemary Daniell is someone who has overcome many of life's greatest challenges--even tragedies. I admire her courage to write openly about them, and perhaps one day, I'll have that kind of courage. By sharing her life and writing experiences, she inspires thousands to write and live as openly and honestly as she.

If you are interested in joining the Fayetteville Sub Rosa group, let me know and I'll add you to our Zona Rosa email list.

Some of Rosemary's books:

Fatal Flowers

Woman Who Spilled Words All Over Herself









Secrets of the Zona Rosa











Links:
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1256

http://www.myzonarosa.com/