mlonge

We've all written papers for school, maybe tried our hand at a poem or had a great idea for the next Twilight. My experience is the only way to write, is to write. Ambition to be a Best Selling Author is great, but we just have to write to get there. I found free classes at the local library, and fee-based classes at park districts, high school community education and journal writing through support groups (offered at hospitals). There are prompt groups, where you are given a first line and you write for ten minutes and read it aloud and get feed back on positive phrases. You can find Meet-ups and credit classes for short stories, novels, poetry and screen plays. The point is to write and write and share, get "workshopped" - meaning find a group of writers to give feedback. You don't need to follow it, just listen to it to decide if it fits your intent. For five years I've used a week (July) of vacation to attend the University of NM Summer Writers Conference in Santa Fe where they bring in the best of writers. While I've loved every class, the one that jettisoned my writing was called the Art of the Sentence with Pricilla Long. It was basic, back to basics and hugely confidence building. Want to be a writer? Write.