By Peggy Sturdivant

I love the rain but appreciate the melancholy that accompanies shorter days. Since it’s a rainy morning as I write this, on the last Saturday in October, I’m not outside raking leaves. I’m not pulling up the tomato plants or untangling the dead Heavenly Blue morning glory vines. I’m inside with a black cat at my shoulder thinking about a week from today.

Saturday, November 5, 2016 will be the morning, the day after the 7th Annual Ballard Writers event. My living room will likely be littered with tablecloths and raffle ticket stubs, gift baskets awaiting pick-up and my party box of cups and napkins. Back in July when the Seattle Times had its deadline for Fall Arts Calendar I randomly chose as theme “Lucky Seven.” This morning I’ve been wondering if the annual event has run its course. Of course, ask me again in a week.

I’ve shared many times about my quest to find “The Writer Next Door” and Sunset Hill Community Association’s incredible support. Since the first one in 2010 the annual events have spawned friendships, collaborations, meetings, a website, writing groups and become an on-line support group. The six events have included readings, panels, raffles, “slams” and one year, an all-day and evening event. On October 19, 2010 it was standing room only, but a quick poll revealed half of the crowd consisted of other writers. Many of them wanted to meet writers in person they were already reading; for example Corbin Lewars had fans for her “Reality Mom” essays.

Looking back six years there have been writers who interacted with us just once, and others who have never missed a meeting. Of the writers that I knew before the 2010 event my dear friend Rita Bresnahan has gone on to publish two more books of her writing, “Listening to the Corn” and “Does Popcorn Come From an Egg?” Jay Craig has sailed through several jobs, a 4Culture grant to revise “Scottish Buddhist Cookbook” and is currently beloved at Ballard Landmark as Assistant Director of Vitality where he has started a monthly short story reading by and for residents. He will tell you he has given up writing and is building an ark.

Poet Carol Levin has published several new poetry collections including her latest, “Confident Music Would Fly Us to Paradise.” She is working on a new collection that features a poem about my wedding. At the first standing event, with authors around the room alphabetically, browsers would pick up her book, “then drop it like a hot potato” when they discovered it was poetry. Karen Anderson pops up everywhere in multiple genres; my favorite being her humor column in the Homeowner’s Club newsletter. Don Kentop completed his incredible history in verse of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, “Frozen by Fire.” Carl Deuker has added to his YA works; his latest is “Gutless.” Michael Schein has published two more books of historical fiction, continued to run LitFuse and is currently writing for HistoryLink.

Then there are the writers I didn’t meet until the 2010 event, even if they practically lived next door. What hasn’t Ingrid Ricks accomplished since 2010? She self-published her memoir “Hippie Boy: A Girl’s Story” which went on to become a New York Times bestseller and was then published by Berkley. She has helped empower thousands of teenagers through self-expression while surviving aggressive treatment for breast cancer. She’s been featured nationally in print and broadcast, and published two more works on her Mormon childhood and battle against Retinitis Pigmentosa. She’s currently ghostwriting for a client.

Corbin Lewars has published “Creating A Life” and “Divorce as Opportunity” while teaching classes and providing coaching and editing services. She is also editing an anthology. This is in addition to breast cancer and young children. Nina Laden has had six additional children’s books published, with Little Brown, Chronicle and a forthcoming work with Simon & Schuster. Plus there’s a “Peek-A-Who” product line. Marcia Wiley continues to work on her mysterious project and in her glass studio. Wileyware was featured on “Handcrafted America.” Marjorie Young, Ballard’s Psychic has continued to publish her “Boy With the Golden Eyes” series and is on Book Five! Nancy Schatz Alton continues to work on her memoir, poetry and write ParentMap.

Laura K. Cooper and I discovered our lives had been interwoven dating back to our fathers in Massachusetts. We’ve gone on to work together on two Ballard Historical Society projects while she has researched and completed a first draft of her book.

That was all just the first year and it wasn’t until the second year the group became Ballard Writers Collective. In 2011 we additionally met, and or heard from, Jan Dalrymple, Alison Krupnick Elena Louise Richmond, Karoline Morrison, Danika Dinsmore, Sheila Kelly, Elsie Hulsizer, Scott McCredie, Donna Miscolta, Ann Teplick, Laurie Blauner, Alma Garcia, Joshua McNichols, Jennifer D. Munro and Stephanie Kallos. Katie Tynan made it all run smoothly and Pie Queen Mary Schile was the emcee.

Now it’s six years later and time for the Seventh Annual Event: Lucky Seven which will feature eight writers in seven genres (can you guess the genres) reading for no more than seven minutes apiece. There will be seven raffle gift baskets. Three of the readers were at the inaugural event: Karen Anderson, Carol Levin and Jennifer D. Munro (although Jennifer was in the audience). On Friday the additional readers are Michele Bacon, Alma Garcia, Meg Pasquini and Lauren Ziemski. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. I promise to start the program at 7:07 p.m.

Thinking back to the first event Jennifer D. Munro, just one of the many Ballard Writers I now count as close friends, recognized a kindred spirit in Corbin Lewars. “I was there in audience…The place was PACKED! It was my birthday and Rick had forgotten to pick up take-out sushi, which was all I had asked for, so I was mad, plus a coworker had died that day, and I thought I looked really bulky in my Nordic sweater. But then Corbin Lewars contacted me next day and all was well.”

Lucky seven. You could meet your new best friend, and hear some great writing.

Ballard Writers Collective: Lucky Seven. November 4, 2016, 7 p.m. at Sunset Hill Community Association. 3003 NW 66th. Gift basket raffle. Free admission. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.