Whole Novel Workshop
Many of my followers (Thanks! Both of you) might be wondering why the cyber silence this week. I’ve been away at a writer’s conference dedicated to the WHOLE novel. When I read about the workshop on-line I couldn’t believe it. Someone will read my whole ms and give me comments? So I wrote for and received a grant from the Illinois Arts Council and a scholarship that GREATLY underfunded the workshop tuition. Before leaving for the week I received a 3-page critique letter. And immediately felt like running out into traffic. Obviously I am not a writer. So I left for the workshop carrying a backpack of doubts. But since here, I have been showered and encouraged and more than affirmed that indeed I am a writer. This is a YA (young adult) novel ms. A lot of people tend to think there is some writing that is easier. The truth is: there’s nothing easy about writing. To write for young people is just as difficult as writing for an adult audience. We still need to engage our r...