Writer's Workshop

Well, I thought I'd be brave this month and join a local writer's group that holds monthly meetings.  It's been a long time since I've been to a writers' group and I was a bit nervous, hell, what am saying:  I was horribly nervous!

The group actually had an application process, "send in the first pages of your current project" and you have to accepted into the group.  I did, and I was, so that was a good sign, that a) my first pages of my memoir were "good enough" and b) looks like they only accept serious writers so wouldn't have be hearing a lot of poorly written stuff from writer-wannabes.

So I went, I took Kona with (asked first before I brought her).  The meeting was supposed to be from 2-5 p.m.  There was nine writers there, and by 4 p.m. only two had read their pages aloud and boy, did some of the folks rip them apart. We took a break and I went outside, walked around, starting freaking out afraid to read and get "ripped apart" -- also my dad in the hospital, worried sick about him, worried Kona was starting to get antsy, it's a long time for even a service dog to "stay down" and then I had a major panic attack.

Pretty much ran back into the room, grabbed my stuff and told them I had to leave! now!  The facilitator wanted me to leave my copies of my work, but I didn't want them ripping me apart behind my back, so she asked me to e-mail copies everyone.

I felt like an idiot taking off like that.... but I just couldn't do it. And it was getting late and didn't want to be driving in the dark going home either.

So this week, with much trepidation, I did e-mail my first five pages of my memoir.......

And guess what? I got some great responses:  Here's a few:

"Thank you for sending the brilliantly written excerpt of your memoir. Wow! I felt I was reading it in The New Yorker or a literary magazine. Don't change a word! I love the way you convey keeping feeling by sentence structure and action rather than by labeling the emotion. I read it out loud to my wife and she cried and wanted to read the rest of it right away.  I'm so glad you're sharing this with the world."

"Thank you for entrusting me with your incredibly moving manuscript. You are, undeniably, a talented writer..... Please, please PLEASE come to our next meeting!"


"It gave me chills. It made me feel like your brain was wounded and incapable of emotion only capable of noting objects and the color/shape of things. It reminds me of Debussy. Opening lines to piano pieces. It appears from nowhere. A single one. The next doesn't fit. They don't synchronize. They tumble on note after note until the movement is over.  It's perfect!  Loved it!"


"Well done! I immediately felt connected with your sadness."

Of course, there were some picky edits and advice, change this word, this sentence isn't needed, take out this word, etc. but so far, the one's I've heard back from have been mostly lovely, some of the advice actually good and it's really has cheered me on to keep at it.  But, I haven't heard back from everyone, yet.

And then, conflicting comments, i.e. "don't change a word", to "change this or that." Who do you believe?  But, depending on any more comments ----

I'm thinking maybe, maybe, I'll try to go the next one in December.  Also depending on where the  meeting will be held, as they seem to change locations and I don't want to drive too far to get there....  Jeepers, I wish I could get over this anxiety of driving.  And the anxiety of "reading a loud" my own work.

Last night, went to Thanksgiving at friend's house and had to drive home at night. I was stressed about that, then cheered when I made home safely!  Only I cheered a little too early, because when I backed into the driveway, I ran straight into a pole. Damn! No major damage, just another freaking scrape on the car.....