Sunday, August 14, 2011

Reinventing your Wheel

     Just as cave dwellers chiseled the first wheel from stone, a writer must learn to edit and layer words to smooth patterned thoughts. Someone had to instruct other potential wheel makers of the pitfalls to avoid and how to shape the stone into a cohesive design. Otherwise, carts would thump along on different sized squares, instead of similarly circular discs of rock. Although a crude example, this format is how apprentices learned many crafts throughout time. How can you avoid the tar pits which could mire your novel? We all know the importance of proper sentence structure, but unfolding a story takes a reader through your character's world..

     Workshops on how to build believable worlds and creating characters is your opportunity to learn from others. Experience is an excellent teacher and workshops provide the forum to hone your writing craft. Regardless of your writing level, there's a workshop for you. They're available on-line, at conferences and local chapter meetings, any time of most days and can range from an hour to several months long. You're making a commitment to yourself to learn more, so the schedule must suit "your" time. Signing up for classes, but not completing them because of time management issues is a waste of money and hope.

      You'll adapt more to the story if you find classes to fit its immediate needs. For instance, a cover design workshop might sound exciting, but probably isn't the best choice when you really require help with character development. My Facebook page, "Network for the Arts," has workshop events popping up daily and one event that covers a wide level of writers and story progression is Bootcamp for Novelists. They offer individual and package subscription at your writing level.

     So what are you waiting for my friends? Classes begin soon and there's no better time to recommit yourself to writing than today. Just an FYI...I don't have any ties or affiliations with Bootcamp for Novelists, but I do find their course list interesting and worth sharing forward to all of you. Please direct all questions about specific programs to them.

Happy writing~Diane

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