About ten years ago, I decided to take my writing seriously. I thought about the fact that even though I called myself a writer, a novelist, really, I did very little about writing. So, I set out to create an elaborate plan detailing what I would write, and when. Even though the form I created was more complex than the writing itself, I felt good; I was off and ready. But, as time would tell, it was one of those complicated promises that I found myself in the habit of making, and due to the complexity of the plan, the effort would fall by the wayside. So, too did this plan. However, over the years, I looked at my plan from time to time, actually finished a screenplay or two and even a novel. But, I was still unhappy about myself as a writer. I didn’t feel like a “real writer.”
I tried to assess why writing was so hard and concluded that I didn’t have a writing time established for myself which was a huge source of frustration. I just did what I could when I could. With a full-time job as a teacher and a part-time job as a professor, it was very knotty to find the time to write because much of the paper correcting and lesson planning was done at home. I thought about the plan and how long I had been struggling with my faulty process and I knew I wanted to do something before the ten year mark ended. Doing that would make me feel like I didn’t throw away a decade of my life pretending to be a writer. I assured myself that I would participate in the next conference that was mailed to me. Two days after I made that promise, the Antioch Writers’ Conference brochure appeared in the mail.
During the 2009 Antioch Writers’ Workshop in Yellow Springs, Ohio, while I was sitting in the fiction session listening to Zakes Mda impart a myriad of techniques and strategies it occurred to me to take two strategies and implement them in my writing. I knew which two, starred them, even asked questions for clarification. After I left the workshop, I did as I’d promised myself. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was making progress in writing. The two concepts made a huge difference in my stories and I saw that when I received the feedback from my writers’ group.
The next conference was in February, when I attended the Bay to Ocean Writers’ Conference by the Eastern Shore Association, a one day seminar. This conference focused more on the craft of writing. Many sessions were a review of concepts and methods that I had already learned, or should I say, with what I was familiar, but it is helpful to be reminded. Still, I decided to implement two more strategies. Thus far, I had made an effort to include four new methods that I would consciously apply to my writing. By making this a conscious effort, I found that I was eager to write and somehow, I found the time.
In June, I attended the Gettysburg Conference at the Gettysburg College. I was placed in Lee Abbott’s morning fiction session. Each morning two attendees had their work critiqued for one hour each. I found this to be extremely helpful. I loved this conference because we all seemed dedicated to the idea that we needed to help each other enhance what we had submitted rather than try to change the story to something else or give our opinions. I learned that it is easier for me to accept a critique that seems focused on what I submitted. At this conference I vowed, again to take two concepts to apply to my writing. With Lee Abbott it is very challenging to take only two things because he gave us a wealth of information and I found myself frantically writing everything he said. So, at this point I have applied six techniques to my writing.
In July I went back to the Antioch Writers’ Workshop to round out the year and again took away two new concepts. One was a set of revision tools that Crystal Wilkinson gave to us in the morning fiction session. I always love the Antioch Writers’ Conference because it is small and because I get introduced to so many authors.
Now, that I have begun to add the last two strategies from Antioch to the repertoire of strategies, I can look back over the year and see how things have shaped up for me. Using my new method of implementing these eight strategies has caused me to look closer to my writing and I have a better feel for the direction of the story and the motivation of the characters. It has caused me to pay better attention to dialogue and setting. I believe I have much better openings and realize how I can show the direction of the story in the opening. I also understand about the promises that I have made to the reader and try to make sure that I carry out those promises throughout the story. I can say that writing more often and consciously applying the techniques and methods that I have received from these workshops has greatly improved my writing. And I feel like some part of those almost ten years had some value.
~Judy Kelly
