I have been enjoying myself far too much to update this blog. But let's catch up before I get too lost in the magic of Santorini, shall we? I warn you, this one is long. Feel free to skim.
When we last spoke, the writing workshop was almost over. The last day in Andros was just wonderful. That morning I brought in the revisions I'd made to my story in progress and the group approved of them--making some minor suggestions about word choices in a couple of sections. They were the exact places that I thought were clunky or not right too, so I was grateful for their help. They pointed out a couple of other things I hadn't even thought of. I love this group! I now feel obliged to finish it.
Dimple read us her revisions and her story is even stronger now. (Which is saying a lot, because it's already a hell of a piece.) It's really amazing how moving scenes around can make your story that much more powerful. In your own writing, try to play with that. Read what you've written out loud. If you come across a sentence or scene that really packs a punch, why not start with that and grab our attention right away? Or if something is boring for you to read, why not take it out altogether? We worked on more of Michelle's poetry and no one had much to say because they seem ready for publication. She wrote one called "The Writer's Alphabet" that I really wish I had written. Dawn reworked her personal essay and I loved the new structure. Just a simple suggestion or two from Natalie and the thing has meat on its bones now.
