Beach Shack Writer Seminar.....I Continue To Learn......

Another amazing chance to learn......another fabulous opportunity to spend time with other writers.....another couple of days being referred to as an author.......WOW!!!!!

As is the norm for me....I was nervous walking into the room. And as usual for me.......I was in the room about 5 minutes and felt totally in my element.

I LOVE BEING AROUND WRITERS !!!!

I also love the name of this writers group !! What group would fit me better than "Beach Shack Writers"????

Our classes were led by Jessica Handler, author and professor.  I liked her style immediately.  She didn't talk above us, she spoke to us and referred to us as authors.

Author....writer.....

We were asked to free write for 5 minutes.  We would just write whatever came into our minds.  We would not be reading what we wrote to the group.  It was a way to work through writers block.  Taking a blank piece of paper and just writing whatever comes to your mind is like playing word association.  You move from one topic to the next with no plan as to what is to come next. It can be just one rambling thought after the next or something more coherent......with me it was like a winding path with twists and turns.

We learned about where our stories came from and how to add depth to our piece.  Personal essays can be combined to create a memoir.  You can take specific events, write about them and weave them into a memoir.

The sharing among the group felt so comfortable.  As if I was with a group of old friends. No criticism just support, encouragement and suggestions.

We ended the day with homework.  We had to write 250-300 words....the topic.....a time you told a lie.  I really had to think about this and how much I was willing to share.  It did not have to be a life or death decision or true confessions....it did not have to be sad ....it could be funny.

I thought a lot about what to write after returning home. I thought about it overnight.  Finally early in the morning I found my topic.  I wrote it within 30 minutes.  As you can see, I work best under pressure and deadlines.

I walked into day two and our seating had been made into a circle.  We would read our assignment and then the group would discuss as if the author was not there.  They would take notes and then invite the author back into the discussion.  We were asked to explain our perspective on what we wrote.  We answered questions, received great feedback and were given suggested readings based on our topics.

And at the end of each person's reading and responding to questions....there was applause from the class.

I loved that Jessica kept referring to the author.  I have thought of myself as a writer but the word author takes on a whole new meaning.

So what do I do with what I learned in those two days?  Rewrite, rework and revise.  From what I first thought of as a brilliant idea a few years ago, I have made more changes than I even thought I would.  I think I am finally getting to a point where I can pull it all together.....I hope. And once I have completed my final draft then it gets edited and changes are suggested and on and on.

It is not a quick process and it can be frustrating, exhilarating and exhausting.  But when I finally am able to put my hands on the finished product, turn the pages and see the dedication page that will have more names that I can think of at this point.......it will be worth it all.....the hours, the nights with words floating in my head, the joy and the pain of the story......



See you next week......