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Memory Lane

Glennis Hobbs

Cruising down the Memory Lane of WVU

The term pioneer conjures up images of bearded old men sitting around daydreaming. Being a pioneer at Writers Village has meant sharing a dream. As WVU approaches its third anniversary, I look back down Memory Lane and see how a dream has become a reality.

It started back in the early winter of 1997 when I was looking for Internet writing courses. After discovering one at Virtual University, I enrolled in Creative Writing CW541. At the time, I was not able to access its classroom chats. I hoped to be able to find a study group which carried on via e-mail. I discovered that someone named Ligia had placed a notice on the VU message board about forming an e-mail group. Since Ligia travelled a lot, she asked a guy named Bob Hembree to help out. Under Bob’s leadership, we became known as the Cyberhouse 7 + Gang. There were sixteen of us and we formed an international group with participants from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Ireland, Argentina, and Spain. In the weeks that followed, the Cyberhouse 7 + Gang came to know each other and formed a closely knit group which exchanged manuscripts, critiques and daily e-mail discourses.

At first, we didn’t know much about Bob other than his nickname, Calvino and that he was studying for a Master of Fine Arts degree. We soon learned that he was well organized and had a keen sense of humour. Bob quickly standardized our e-mail by codes for posting, critiquing and "chatting". He also created a web page for each member plus a system for posting and critiquing. I loved showing off "my" web page.

Bob’s ambition was to teach Creative Writing on the Internet. His first course was called Fiction 401, limited to 16 people and later he brought in Fiction 301. This was around March, 1997. My main memory of Fiction 401 is taking my assignments on a trip to Winnipeg and ending up in hospital there.

By this time, members of the Cyberhouse 7 + Gang had decided to keep in contact with each other. We were joined by students from Bob’s Fiction 301 and Fiction 401 classes. Proving the cliché that friendship has no barriers, we formed the Cyberhouse 7 + International Writers Group.

Bob mentioned several different things he wanted to try and was recruiting volunteers. One of these projects was a newsletter and after suggesting some ideas, I was asked undertake the role of Newsletter Editor. (Or was I conscripted!) The first issue of the Cyberhouse 7 + International Chronicle was posted on the Internet in Summer, 1997. Our logo was a mariner’s compass. The first kudos congratulated members for continuing on in the Cyberhouse Group. The first complaint was that nobody had come up with a cure for tired typing fingers. The mailing list grew to 69 members. The library page contained two links: Crawford Killian’s Personal Page and the University of Victoria Writer’s Guide.

A review of the "Letters to the Editor" section reveals these words from our leader himself: "Writers should be able to find the words for anything ... hope you get all the support to make this one of the most interesting writer publications on the net. We certainly have the potential with this talented, imaginative and diverse group of writers."

Alas, this was to be the only issue of the International Chronicle.

Shortly afterwards, Bob made extensive revisions to the writing site. It went from being 4-writers.com to Writopia and is now Writers Village University.

For a short while, the 450e group existed. It offered the opportunity for critiquing by e-mail.

Fiction 98 began in January, 1998 and I enrolled. Coincidentally I again ended up in the hospital. My most vivid memories of this course are reading Writer’s Journey while waiting in the doctor’s office. I began to wonder if someone were warning me against taking courses.

By spring 1998, WVU had become a family affair. My husband, Harry, became a Mentor for Fiction 401. One of his students in the Gung Ho Group was Tom Spencer. Tom became a Mentor for Fiction 98 but unfortunately was unable to continue. Harry took over as Mentor for Tom’s group and continued further mentoring with Fiction 99.

Workshops of different genres had now formed in the Village. To my delight, there was a poetry section called the T. S. Eliot Room. I noticed that someone named Tom Spencer was posting there. After a while, I got up enough nerve to ask Tom if he had been in 401 and yes, he was the same person.

The T. S. Eliot Room has been a wonderful place for poets. It has had its share of ups and downs, good times and bad. We have seen each other’s work grow thanks to the helpful critiques. We have issued each other word challenges and written group poems. We have speculated on what T. S. Eliot did at 3:00 a. m. In January, 1999, we invited all WVU to celebrate Children’s Week. We Eliotsters contributed children’s poems we had written. There were many poetical versions of life under a child’s bed.

Many of us have moved over to Word Weavers. The quality of poetry continues to improve. Many more poets are coming out of the woodwork to join us. We are friends as well as fellow poets.

Writer’s Village University has grown far beyond Bob’s original concept. Members number over a thousand and now over a hundred and thirty writing classes, workshops and seminars are offered. The library page has grown into a valuable reference tool. T-Zero is a magazine of superb quality.

Back in ‘97 Bob said we had the potential. WVU continues to give support not only to established writers, but also assists beginning writers on the first part of their journey. Bob has created a Writopia in Cyberspace. Long may it flourish!