Teaching Writers to Reheat the Leftovers
The RSVPs are still rolling in past the deadline, and I can’t say no. We’ve hit max capacity for next week's workshop with Beth Finke. I should’ve known it would work out this way when I met Beth.
I was teaching a seminar for MuseWrite on writing from your past, and Beth happened to be a participant, a well-published student-always intimidating for teachers like me. But, nevertheless, I was thrilled to meet the NPR contributor and award-winning children’s author. And we hit it off. Isn’t that how all great things begin-by hitting it off? Isn’t that how Sonny met Cher, or Crown Princess of Sweden met her weight trainer-turned-prince husband? In fact, that's how we formed MuseWrite: we just hit it off. (Strange phrase alert. Hit it off?! Sounds violent, I think.)
Because we got along so well, Beth and I are combining our thoughts and insight, experience and education, and sharing this gargantuan conglomerate of brain-thumping force with Chicago writers from SCBWI, called “Writing the Unseen.” Can you feel the massiveness?
There’s something about teaching authors that always turns me into a hangnail-biting perfectionist. They already know how to write and publish; they’re just looking for different avenues to stir the stories in their heads. I’m supposed to give them the tools to reheat the leftovers, to take the bits and pieces of pre-existing ideas and re-cook them, finding a new way to tell the story. What a job, huh? But I would do anything for other writers, knowing the sacrifices we make for our stories. I would do anything. And so I am. Re-reading, planning, and typing up notes, hoping to create a workshop that will provide inspiration and information to help others go forward with their work.
My couch was a sprawling display of books and notes, last night, as I prepped for Tuesday’s gig. Bored from watching me, Gracey Sprinkles resorted to nervous licking.
[Can you see what I'm using? So far: Hurston, Peck, Zadoff, Lockhart, Doyle, and Novkovich.]
This morning, the RSVPs are still rolling in, and I won’t say no. Unless, of course, we reach fire-hazardous proportions. Then, surely, SCBWI-Chicago’s legendary Crystal Chan and the folks at the Cenacle Retreat are gonna step in and lasso me to a bull until I stop accepting new students. Then, I’ll whisper “next time.” Or, you know what else I might suggest? DePaul Summer Writing Conference! You can attend my workshop on writing for teens--AND--GET THIS-- participate in a gazillion other workshops with professor/writers, authors-like Cynthea Liu, poets, and other world-renowned people of literary merit. DePaul has designed a weekend that resembles a miniature M.F.A. I swear they should hand out diplomas or something when it’s over on July 18th.
I do hope to see you this summer. And please let me know when you'll be in Chicagoland spreading literary love.