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Quotables: Safety in Numbers

Safety in numbers: photo of four meerkats standing under light source.

“So much of writing is like walking down a dark hallway with your arms out in front of you. You bump into a lot of things.” ~ Kate DiCamillo

#FindYourTribe | #SafetyInNumbers

Join a Writer’s Group (or start your own). Here are a few ideas from Writer’s Digest on tips, lessons learned, & formats to follow.

Sign up for a workshop or class. In-person critique groups for summer (near MKE), ONLINE Here, or try Sackett Street Writers’ 6-week Writing Sprints course with Amy Shearn (scroll down for the summer section that begins Jul. 8th).

Attend a book festival. Where, you ask? The American Writers Museum has a page full of locations with links to websites. This calls for a little artwork….

Safety in numbers: CHEERS! Drawing of woman jumping up and waving pom-poms.

(If you go, let me know. Maybe I can meet you there!)

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Quotables on Story & an Online Course to take you there.

“Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell Gregory a story. Make some light.”  ~ Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux

man with pen and paper and working on laptopYou’ve got a story. You’ve got that urge to write. But where do you begin?

Join me online from November 4th-December 15th for Principles & Prompts, where we’ll discuss creativity and story and put pen to paper every week ($90 for new students; $80 for returning students).

This isn’t just a course for beginners, though. Principles & Prompts is a low-stakes course for writers looking to get back into the swing of regular practice, who are searching for community, who enjoy reading the works of others and finding inspiration in the discussions that follow. It’s one of my favorite courses to teach!

Read more about the course and SIGN UP HERE–make some light!
Seats are limited and registration closes on November 1st!

“We tell our stories in order to live.” ~ Joan Didion

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Dog-Eared Pages on First Drafts

cron“But remember, there’s a huge difference between ‘trying hard’ (which you want to do) and ‘trying to make it perfect from the first word on’ (which is impossible and just might shut you down). The goal [with first drafts] isn’t beautiful writing; it’s to come as close as you can to identifying the underlying story you’re trying to tell.”
~ Lisa Cron in WIRED FOR STORY

Join the conversation (today is the last day to sign up).