Writing Workshop: Week 1

This past week, I started a three-nights a week, two-week workshop. It’s a small, local thing paid for by a grant and partially taught from a teacher from my high school. I’m so glad I had this opportunity–especially after my first experience.

I haven’t done workshops or even a real creative writing course before (we didn’t have any at my high school), so it was amazing for me to realize what could come out of me if given a prompt (something I don’t do very often). I knew plot and character basics, but it was still good to refresh them and hear different interpretations.

We are each writing short pieces for an anthology (which means I will be published!) which are around 750-1000. Flash fiction, essentially. Mine is a weird little piece that I started but never actually got to the characters and conflict a while ago, because I didn’t know where to go with it. And now, with that little push from the workshop, I have! And I’m pleased with how it has turned out, though it isn’t necessarily finished yet. The interesting thing was how the teacher had a different interpretation than I did. Though she still really liked it, I want to make sure my ideas get accross properly–even if there’s a magical/fantastical element. (Magical realism? Maybe.)

I’m also loving seeing what everyone else is putting together. We’re all so different, but all have great ideas!

I am 10x more looking forward to my short fiction reading and writing class in college, now!