On the fourth Wednesday of any given month, a group of talented people, writers of every stripe, gather together in Fuquay-Varina to share their work, discuss projects, and exchange supportive information. They are members of the Writing, Music & Film Society. I spoke with Jill Johnson Eagan, author, illustrator, performer and songwriter, as well as founder and president of this group. I wanted to learn about the group’s origin and its mission. I also caught up with a few of its members to talk about their creative work and how they share with our community and beyond.
Jill Johnson Eagan
In 2009, Jill, a primary school teacher, was actively writing children’s books, Kindermonkey Learning Books, and was communicating with various publishers about getting them published. Although some agreed to publish her work, they also wanted to do the illustrations. But Jill had her own ideas for sketching the main character, Kindermonkey–something simple that children could draw. So, she started on a journey to learn the ins-and-outs of self-publishing. She interviewed different printers and submitted her work to Barnes & Noble, to Amazon, and to other self-publishing venues. By 2015, Jill had self-published ten Kindermonkey books for use in her classroom.
Throughout this process, different organizations began calling her to give talks about self-publishing. She started helping a friend through the publishing process. As Jill worked with her, others heard about what she was doing, and the Fuquay-Varina Arts Council asked her to start a writers group. Meeting in local restaurants and coffee shops, the writers group grew in number.
Eventually, the group split off and became a non-profit called the Fuquay-Varina Writers Guild. With writing at the root, all types of writers began to join–social media writers, event planners, music lyricists, script writers, novelists, podcasters, poets, and screenwriters. When member Nancy King started the film “Cora’s Ring,” people with an interest in music, animation, songwriting, and soundtracks for the film came to the meetings, and Jill felt it was necessary to rename the group to include a broader base. It thus became the Writing, Music & Film Society.
Prior to COVID, every-other-month speakers were invited to talk to the group. One of its first projects was a writers conference that included several presenters. Although COVID interrupted conferences and speakers, plans are currently in the works for a writers retreat and to resume featured speakers. Children have been brought into the group as well, and Jill wants to start a children’s division of writing. In addition, there are plans to have a second meeting, which would be an open mic.
Brian L. Hayes
Brian is a poet who mostly writes melancholy romantic poetry, but also writes a little of everything. He enjoys writing a type of poetry called Zen Tanka poetry, an ancient poetic form with a prescribed line and syllable structure. He has recently self-published two chapbooks. He has been published in anthologies in India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates as well as placing 6th in a short story competition called “Stories Untold.” For the last two years he has participated in an online poetry festival out of India.
He is currently working on a collection of Tankas on the theme of love and is also working on a collaborative reading with a friend from India, which he plans to present on a YouTube channel he has in the works.
Brian joined the Writing, Music & Film Society in 2017 where he found some interesting and fun people. He notes that the group has been a place where he has felt supported. He values their feedback and has been encouraged to keep writing.
Nancy King
Nancy had always written poetry and newsletters, so when she moved to Fuquay-Varina, she was anxious to attend the writers group. Although Nancy had never published a book, she had written a story; her son had taken all the photos for the story, and she was ready to illustrate it. Then, at one meeting, Jill challenged the writers group, “Who is going to be next to publish a book?” Inspired, Nancy enlisted her son to help her put together her first book, “Mrs. Melton’s Flower Garden.”
Nancy has enjoyed the group for its inspiration and motivation. Today, she is Director of Film and Songwriting for the Writing, Music & Film Society. She has published nine children’s books, writes poetry and composes songs. In addition, she has screenwritten and is currently producing a film called “Cora’s Ring” that has involved the Fuquay-Varina community and surrounding area in its production: song writers, script writers, actors, singers, musicians, set designers (and everyone in between).
Her hopes for the Writing, Music & Film Society mirror Jill’s—to start an arm of the writers group for kids where they can get together and write stories and poetry, as well as to include more community outreach and projects outside the regular meetings.
Bill McDonald
Bill is a children’s book author who writes about difficult social issues children face. His stories offer solutions for working through these situations. The main characters are birds (who represent children). One book, for example, features a bullying Mockingbird. The bird characters talk together, and they come to understand what the problem is—the Mockingbird is a plain bird, and he is lonely.
Another of his books features three bird friends who were told by their parents they could not play together because they have different feathers (representing three children who were told they cannot play together). Children relate to the plight of these birds. One child told Bill that he has a bird feeder, and all different birds eat together, as well as a squirrel who also eats the bird food.
Bill has eleven books in the works that he has yet to illustrate. These include stories on adoption, abandonment, diversity, death, abuse, Alzheimer’s disease, deformities, and COVID-19. He is developing ideas for the themes of opioid addiction, depression, and love.
Trevor Anthony McGregor
Trevor’s most prolific forms of expression are as songwriter, lyricist, and performer. He writes songs about unrequited love, vision for the people around him, vision for the world, as well as songs with a spiritual angle. Currently he is working on a song for the film “Cora’s Ring.”
Most nights of the week he can be found performing his music or participating in open mic at any number of local venues like Fuquay-Varina’s Fainting Goat Brewing Company, Brus on Main, or at Holly Spring’s Niche Wine Lounge or Lillington’s County Seat Sports Grill.
Although Trevor is mainly a songwriter, he has also written short stories, one of which, a children’s story, was a runner-up in the Atlantic Short Story Competition. And he is currently working on a novel. Inspired by John Irving’s ability to expand a story over time, Trevor’s novel is a childhood fantasy about a teenage movie actor that spans 14 years.
Trevor joined the Writing, Music & Film Society at the invitation of his friend, Michelle. As a relatively new member, he has found encouragement and connections. He hopes for a chance to collaborate or to hear about more opportunities to share his work.
Creativity is blooming in the Writing, Music & Film Society, engaging our community with thought-provoking words, inspiring lessons, music, and film in joyful collaboration. And true to the WMFS mission statement, they are “reaching out and providing nourishment for locals, community and our world.” For more information, visit their website: writingmusicfilmsociety.com.
