Just when I felt I had a bit of a handle on this writing lark I decided to take a Margie Lawton on-line writing course. Big mistake. In a matter of days I discovered how very little I actually knew and how ineptly I made use of words to weave a story. My confidence could have fallen lower than a snakes belly if not for the encouragement and belief these lessons also provided. Awareness of every single word I type is something that hadn’t occurred to me before, I let words flow as they wanted even if it meant some harsh editing later. But now, on my umpteenth re-write of my current work-in-progress in the last couple of weeks, I find myself analyzing how I want to say something so much more closely. Words have become more exciting and the search for new and fresh ways for my characters to respond has become an exhilarating quest. While time consuming for now, I’m hanging onto Margie’s suggestion that once learned, her ‘system’ will become so ingrained it will flow automatically from one’s fingers. Yeah, I’m hanging out for that flow to begin. In the meantime I’m grinding on with the hard yakker.
If you are serious about writing, no matter what genre interests you, checking out Margie Lawton’s array of courses will help provide you with invaluable insight. But be prepared. There won’t be too many spiders crawling around inside your brain as you come to grips with the magnitude of her lessons. If you’re anything like me, your mind will be buzzing like a chainsaw without an “off” switch. Don’t expect to sleep too soundly, and keep that notebook next to your bed. You’ll likely need it.