[From the Archive] Writers Workshops
From 2009 – but still decent stuff.
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If you’re a writer, then there’s one hard lesson to learn – the Universe likes to mess with writers. The universe is your friend like Puck or Loki or any other Trickster is. Just when you think you have all your ducks in a row and things are going well, look out. You end up with a week where your elderly cat scares the crap out of you and changes your routine forever, your computer decides to throw a catatonic fit while you’re writing an article, your current favorite pen dies and doesn’t take the refills you have on hand, and your mom calls to tell you she’s broken her leg. Fun huh?
That’s where really quick and random articles come from. Real life not only inspires great writing, it also conspires against it. So, in that vane, let’s have a really random article this week – and see if I can cause another computer to go into a catatonic fit in only a few hours…
Writers Workshops. I’m going to one this weekend (don’t worry, it’s low-tech). This weekend, I’ll be attending David Farland’s writing workshop. It’s here in Dallas, but he holds them across the country several times a year. I found out about this one at SoonerCon in June and it resonated with me. I’ll probably do a review of it next week since it’s “a two-day seminar for anyone who has ever wanted to write a novel or make a living as a writer.” I’m treating like some of my artist friends do their master’s classes. I have stuff to learn. I have a lot to learn. Still and forever. And David Farland has the publishing credits to make it credible and worthwhile. That’s the key to picking workshops, check out the instructor(s). If you have more publishing history than the instructor, maybe going isn’t worth your money.
This one is a two-day seminar. That’s cool. I’m still a bit gun shy on writers groups, but open to them if the right opportunity presents itself. I haven’t been in one in a while. Those are even more subjective when choosing one than going to a workshop.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to this workshop and getting to hear David Farland teach. I didn’t get to interact with him much at Soonercon, but it was enough to know that this workshop would be a good idea. So that’s what I’m doing this weekend. Around trying to get words on page despite the universe’s “Kick Me” sign I’m currently wearing.
That’s the point of being a writer, to laugh in the face of “kick me” signs and still want to need to write. Perhaps next week there will be another internet kerfuffle for me to write about, though I do rather prefer these nice quiet weeks – relatively speaking – where there’s no shouting, mayhem, or MUST READ things happening. Maybe that means we’re all writing. Or trying to get the “kick me” sign off. I swear the universe uses extra sticky duct tape…