If you are an advanced
writer looking for a way to get published, this is not the site for
you.
What we have here is for beginners, people who would like to write, but
wonder how to get started. The process is not as difficult as
some imagine, but neither is it effortless. It asks that you
approach your task with patience, an open
inquiring mind, and the ability to hear what others are trying to
say--qualities I'm sure you already have, else you would not be here at
all.
Before there can be
writing, there must be some kind of
pre-writing activity. That is why this workshop
begins by addressing the single most critical issue a writer must face
before
even beginning a story:
By "material" I mean the experience and knowledge any writer brings to his or her art. Your material is who you are, what you are, and what you know: It is what you can write comfortably and intelligently about. Material you do not possess must be researched or imagined, matters which will be taken up in this workshop, but not at this moment.
The exercises
that follow are modeled upon exercises done in
the Chicago Storyarts Workshop. For best results I suggest you
take them slowly, step by step, keeping in mind that these opening
sequences should be spread out over six weeks. I will
explain what I am looking for as we go along. Now, sharpen your
pencil, and click "NEXT
."
