Interview with Me

Wow. Everyone wants something!

I am working my way toward a Taos post. Honest. But above, a picture from our social antics, courtesy of Lauren Teffau (she's on the left end. Yes, your left).

And, an interview Amber Sistla did with me a month or so back. You should be seeing an interview from Amber about her writing here, soon.

Will I get back her for another post today? Stay tuned!

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Catherine’s Epiphany: Technique Versus Vision

So, I'm still ruminating about lessons learned at the recent workshop. I sat down and did a little writing (very little) Monday, yesterday was all about errands off line, and today seems to be full of Mindbridge things and exercise.

I have finally gotten photos from the trip on my computer, and will be sifting through those things soon. Later today we take the cats to the vet. Sekhmet has a growth around her clavicle, so we are a bit concerned about that. I'm hoping we just have an older kitty feature that's harmless, which is what the Internet is leading us to believe.

Anyway. So, workshop. Maybe this is Catherine's Epiphany.

Taos Toolbox is a workshop where you can go if you need to get some help with technique. And beginning writers do need help. Plotting, planning, ending scenes on strong notes, developing character, getting unstuck, being too ambiguous. All these things will happen to writers, and yes, will continue to happen. And now, we have more tools to deal with these things (get it? Tools? Again?) This is the pragmatic pay off of the workshop.

No workshop can teach vision. No workshop can teach you to tell the stories you have, uniquely, that are your own. Further, you have to be wary at a workshop, because if you aren't, you'll start seeking approval for your work, or fall into competition with other writers. Or even worse than that, you will give a critique where you focus on the story YOU would tell with those prompts, rather than helping the writer get what they need to tell the story that they want to tell more clearly. Writing is about realizing individual visions. Critiquing is about helping writers get there.

Oh my...I have been in a room full of people for two weeks. And I have been trying to convince them that my writing is worthwhile because of its vision. What have I been doing?

Read the rest of this entry »

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.