When Words Collide 2015 Recap – Writing Workshops and Promises

So this last weekend I went to When Words Collide. A lot of the panels I went to will go on to inspire subsequent posts but I will focus for now on the first of two writing workshops I attended: a writing workshop with Faith Hunter aka Gwen Hunter.

The workshop was on Bait and Hook, or openings that snagged readers and drew them in to keep reading. I learned quite a bit from Ms. Hunter. A lot of the points were reiterations of ones I had heard before but I had conveniently forgotten.

The thing I was most proud of was that I had written a brand new opening for the workshop to be critiqued. I made the deadline (barely) with an opening I was reasonably satisfied with. When she read it in the workshop, I realized a lot of issues that I needed to iron out. She said, “It sounds like you aren’t sure where to begin.” And, you betcha, I wasn’t entirely sure. But that’s okay. I got words on the page and I learned where I *did* need to begin.

And a good thing I learned that, too.

Source

During a break, Elisa and I made a promise: We would have a draft of our current works in progress written by January 5th, 2016. Why the 5th? Well, to give a little room with that “end of the year” deadline and allow us to use up the statutory holidays like New Years Day for a last push.

Then I wondered, “Ooooh, it would be neat to have it as January 6th. 1-6-16, ne?”

To which Elisa retorted, “So you already want to push it back a day?”

Point taken. Planning for January 5th. What is you next writing plan?

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