After an absence that followed the cancelation of their 2020 festival due to the pandemic, UntitledTown has partnered with the Friends of the Brown County Library and Lion’s Mouth Bookstore and is making a comeback with a one-day event of readings from your favorite Wisconsin and Midwestern authors. UntitledTown: the Comeback Event will take place on Saturday, August 21 from 10am to 4pm at the Central Branch of the Brown County Library in downtown Green Bay. Almost twenty authors including Nickolas Butler, Rebecca Makkai, Andrew Graff, Miranda and Baptiste Paul, Amanda Skenandore, Pao Lor, and many more will be reading their works. The one-day UntitledTown event includes readings for all ages and interests, featuring fiction and mystery writers, poetry and nonfiction writers, and children’s writers and storytellers. “Readers, writers, and lovers of stories will rejoice to learn that they can expect the same great literary experiences they have come to know and love from UntitledTown events,” reads a news release from Brown County Library. Detailed event information including times and author bios can be found on the Lion’s Mouth Bookstore website, and participating authors’ books are available for purchase on the website as well. “We are so excited to welcome back authors and the community for this special event,” a post on the Lion’s Mouth Bookstore website reads, “We can’t wait to see you there!” The revived UntitledTown is planning a variety of literary events throughout 2022, with the Book & Author Festival returning in 2023, so stay tuned!

Every writer has been there—staring at a blinking cursor on a page, straining to find the words. Sometimes writing feels like a breeze, as if you’re simply riding the wave of your thoughts, and words pour out onto the page almost effortlessly. But other times, it seems like no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to find the words. Here are some ideas to help inspire and get yourself out of that writing slump. Turn off your inner perfectionist It can be tempting to try to edit yourself as you write, but any time you’re writing something new, it’s important to just get your thoughts and ideas down on paper first. You can always go back and find that perfect word later; don’t get stuck on it. It’s not going to be perfect the first time around, and that’s okay! First drafts are always messy. Give yourself grace. Don’t compare yourself to others and especially not to the writing of published authors whose work has gone through multiple rounds of editing and polishing. Rediscover your inspiration Go back and read your first chapter or synopsis. What made you excited to write your current project in the first place? Much like a hook might work for a reader, sometimes you can hook yourself back into your own idea and rediscover what inspired you to write. Read There’s nothing quite like reading to help exercise your imagination. Even if what you read has nothing to do with your current writing…

There is something special about summer, especially in Wisconsin where warm weather happens for only a few treasured months of the year. And while reading is a favorite pastime all year round, summer has always felt like prime time for reading. So in the tradition of creating summer bucket lists, here are a few book-centered ideas add to your list. Take yourself on a book date. Visit your favorite local indie bookstore or library and pick up a new book that catches your eye. Then settle in with your new read on a chair at the beach, or on a blanket at a park, or in a cozy corner of a local coffee shop. This is a fun way to work on your TBR while also going on an outing to places you might not normally visit. Join your library’s summer reading program. Summer reading programs aren’t just for kids! Many libraries have programs for adults to join too (Brown County Library and the Appleton Public Library both do!). If you’re going to be reading all summer anyway, you might as well earn prizes while doing it. Read something new. Try reading something from a genre or an author that is new to you, or try reading an audiobook if you normally read print books. You might just discover a new favorite! Attend an event at your local indie bookstore. From author talks to book clubs to pop-up bookfairs, indie bookstores have a variety of events to suit every kind…