Open Forum

Good morning all and Happy Friday!

My son has a hockey tournament this morning so I must be brief.

I feel better today and have mostly regained my footing after being dissected on Wednesday evening. I am no longer considering giving up being a writer and feel that I have gained more than I lost from the experience.

One of the most important things I learned was how to comment on other people's work with respect. I will always keep the image in my mind of sitting around that round table with everyone commenting on my work. The fear, the excitement, the sense of being under a microscope will never completely leave me. I think this is good!

As I continue on my journey as a writer and editor I will never forget what it felt like to be scrutinized. As my conversations with Anne have revealed, many writers avoid workshops like the one I'm in.

I realize that I tend to grow the most from situations that are the most challenging. That is me, however. I like pushing the envelope and being pulled somewhere a bit beyond my comfort zone. In that situation I find I become open to all sorts of ideas I might not have otherwise considered and being taken off guard does free me somehow. I become like a sponge and learn, learn, learn--then I move on.

I have decided to rewrite the story over the next couple weeks and see how that feels the second time around. I'm not sure I will ever be a short story writer, but I thought I'd give it a try while I'm surrounded by others.

Have a great long weekend everyone! See you on Monday.