9/25/09

This morning my Serious Scribes workshop convened.  One member was absent but we used the time from 10 until noon with the four manuscripts read.  A short story, a great essay, a profile, and my Chapter 6 of "Iron Grip."  As much as I had read and re-read and edited that chapter, I still received excellent critique from the three women in attendance.  Because this book is based on true-life events, my approach to writing it is both an account of facts but also has additions I feel will make the story more readable.  As long as I have worked on this, I find the input of my fellow Scribes to be invaluable.

The reason this group is kept small and is the only one in which I read my own work, is because with more people, we would not get to eveybody during our twice a month meetings.  One of the workshops has eight members.  Most read short pieces which means we can cover everybody in a session.  I would take up too much time if I were to read novel chapters in each of the four  groups, much as I would value the comments of every single person.

I hope that all of you who are serious writers seek the counsel of a group.  All the chapters in my three books have been read to groups–whether in Porterville, CA, Los Osos, CA, Crestline, CA or here in Sedona, Arizona.   –Until next week, Willma