Day two of our writing workshop group and what an amazing two days it’s been. We’ve managed to get through two pretty intense sessions each day. And let me tell you, there’s nothing like an experienced group of writers to give you honest and useful feedback. Egos have to be left at the door. It’s all about figuring out what is working about each piece, and what isn’t. The combined experience of this wonderful group of women is extensive, easily surpassing a hundred books. Criticism is thoughtful, specific, and measured. Every one of us is ready to listen to the feedback of colleagues. Being able to accept criticism is not always easy, but when you understand how helpful constructive criticism can be, it really isn’t that difficult. Of course an essential ingredient to this all working is trust. We all trust each other to have the best interest of the story at heart.
These past few days have been a real treasure. We have another full day of work ahead of us, but I don’t think I’m the only one who relishes that. One more day of working together, and then we’ll each be back in our own solitary worlds, building stories that we hope will find their way into the lives of children and teenagers. Some of the stories we are workshopping will soon sit on the shelves of a bookstore. Some of our stories will need a bit more tweaking and others will be revised beyond recognition. Some may be put on a shelf to be revisited in the future. No matter. Each will be one step closer to being better. That’s what writing is all about…
Another lovely part of these past few days has been just being on the Gulf Islands to enjoy the slower pace, drink in the cultural and artistic richness and soak up the rural charm. A little more sunshine would be welcome, but hey, you can’t have everything…
If you have plans to be a writer, you’d better get used to the idea of rejection…
It’s confession time. I can’t write a damed thing. I’m just too absorbed with BEA (the annual Book Expo America for those of you who are book people). I’m such a groupie. I love hearing about the various goings on…the panels, the characters, the free books, and even the entertainment. For example, did you know of Libba Bray’s other talent outside of writing incredibly funny yet poignant books for young adults? Who knew she could also sing! I’m so sorry to have missed her bluesy five-song set at the Little, Brown Speakeasy. Beauty Queens is her most recent title, but she has another coming out in the fall, so definitely watch for it.
And to have heard Kadir talk about doing the research for Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech would have been awesome. It’s one of one of the ‘greatest of all time speeches’ that continues to resonate even after all these years. The only surprise is that it took so long for someone to come along and illustrate it and making it so much more assessable. Although I have not had the chance to browse through Kadir Nelson’s tribute to King, I have heard that it’s stunning.
And then there is Lois Lowry. She has has written so many books that have touched me. She has written so many books that help young people grapple with the big questions. I have heard her speak bravely and eloquently about how fragile memory is. I have heard her talk of how she used a family photo album to try to help her father remember who she and her sister were when he was in the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease. She talked about how that experience impacted The Giver, the book which she was working on at the time.
Lowry has always known that young people believe they can fix the world and her characters reflect that. They don’t give up and neither does she. She has a way of translating personal pain into stories that speak to young people. Although her son returned from war in a flag-draped coffin, the main character in her new book, Son fights and vanquishes evil. It’s no surprise to me that Lowry was given a standing ovation. I just wish I could have been there to cheer her on too.
Sheryl McFarlane 