A Kinder, Gentler Workshop

When I was in graduate school, every semester the writers were required to take a “workshop” class. This was where you went to have your soul sucked out through your nostrils with coffee straws. Or at least that’s what it felt like. One of the Austin SCBWI members (and a phenomenal writer) Margo Rabb, wrote a piece about this. She tells it like it is/was. I’m with her on the tequila shots.

Today, I had the great good fortune to attend a kinder, gentler workshop at the REI store in Round Rock (yes, strange venue, with constant announcements about sales in the shoe department on the intercom) led by author Chris Eboch. Announcements aside, it was a delight. I went in with no expectations, since this was my first workshop in decades (and I knew that at the first sign of coffee straws, I was outta there), but it was very useful, and not at all painful. I think, in fact, I can use what I did today to dig myself out of the hole I was in last week on my new MG novel…

Plus, my friends Shelli and Lindsay were there, and I went upstairs and bought a new pair of shoes on sale right after the workshop. Those announcements worked!

New shoes make everything better. Now that I think of it,  if they had held our graduate writing workshops in a shoe store, that might have helped…

Nah.

Posted in Children's Fiction, Miscellaneous on 10/11/2009 01:57 am

6 Comments

  1. Glad you had such a great time AND got new shoes! I’ll go to the next one!

    Reply

  2. Nikki, it was nice to meet you at the workshop yesterday. I’m glad to find your blog and I’ve added you to my subscriptions. This was my first Austin SCBWI event and I really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to the conference in January. I think this new REI was a nice venue, announcements aside. I didn’t leave with new shoes, but I did get a great hoodie at 50% off. Just in time for cool weather.

    Reply

    • Nikki Loftin

      Hi, Vonna! A hoodie? Now, why didn’t I think of that? It was great to meet you, too. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  3. shelli cornelison

    It was a good workshop. Didn’t really feel like a whole day either. It was great Lindsay and some of the writers who sat near me. I think I got some ideas for finishing my chapter book, too. Hooray! Glad you got the shoes.

    Reply

  4. I enjoyed the workshop also. It’s good for getting me focused on my new YA. I’m glad one of us got a new pair of shoes! Ahh, shoes. It was nice meeting Shelli, Vonna, and other folks as well. And I always enjoy hanging out with you. I’m guaranteed to smile. 🙂

    Reply

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