Books and other stuff I feel like discussing
By education and experience - Accountant with a specialty in taxation. Formerly a CPA (license has lapsed). Masters degree in law of taxation from University of Denver. Now retired. Part time work during baseball season as receptionist & switchboard operator for the Colorado Rockies. This gig feeds my soul in ways I have trouble articulating. One daughter, and four grandchildren. I share the house with two cats; a big goof of a cat called Grinch (named as a joke for his easy going "whatever" disposition); and Lady, a shelter adoptee with a regal bearing and sweet little soprano voice. I would be very bereft if it ever becomes necessary to keep house without a cat.
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Writer? Foolish aspirant? Enthusiastic amateur?
Those are just a few of the questions I ask myself as I continue to enroll for writing classes. There is a very fine non-profit in the Denver area called The Lighthouse Writers' Workshop. You can find them through Google and they also have a Facebook page.
I first began to work on memoir, trying to untangle the fallout from a very unhappy set of circumstances in my family occurring in the mid-1960's. As time went on, I found my writing focusing pretty much on me and me alone, and since there are at least four other people intimately involved and seriously affected by those long ago events, I became impatient with the memoir format.
So this fall, I enrolled in a beginning narrative non fiction class. At this point, as beginning students, we don't submit writing to be "workshopped" in class, that is - read and critiqued by other class members and the critiques presented and discussed in class.
Instead, on a weekly basis, we email assigned short (two double spaced pages in 12 pt font) essays to the instructor and receive his written comments as a hand out during the class period.
Last week he said I had "top-notch stuff" and "I should not change a word, but consider expanding it." I confess that I was first euphoric to read his comments; and then dismissive - surely I'm not THAT good - ; and now I just find myself once or twice a day picking up that essay, paging through it and sort of soaking up the feedback.
Needless to say, this whole writing thing has captured my energy and attention in a way I didn't anticipate when I first signed up.
My goal, when whatever form this project takes is completed is, at a minimum, to self publish something I can give to my siblings and perhaps to my daughter, my nieces and nephews, and to anyone else who might like a copy. I think that goal is attainable, although a time frame for the whole project is a very good question.
And I'm still not sure how to answer the questions in my header.
I first began to work on memoir, trying to untangle the fallout from a very unhappy set of circumstances in my family occurring in the mid-1960's. As time went on, I found my writing focusing pretty much on me and me alone, and since there are at least four other people intimately involved and seriously affected by those long ago events, I became impatient with the memoir format.
So this fall, I enrolled in a beginning narrative non fiction class. At this point, as beginning students, we don't submit writing to be "workshopped" in class, that is - read and critiqued by other class members and the critiques presented and discussed in class.
Instead, on a weekly basis, we email assigned short (two double spaced pages in 12 pt font) essays to the instructor and receive his written comments as a hand out during the class period.
Last week he said I had "top-notch stuff" and "I should not change a word, but consider expanding it." I confess that I was first euphoric to read his comments; and then dismissive - surely I'm not THAT good - ; and now I just find myself once or twice a day picking up that essay, paging through it and sort of soaking up the feedback.
Needless to say, this whole writing thing has captured my energy and attention in a way I didn't anticipate when I first signed up.
My goal, when whatever form this project takes is completed is, at a minimum, to self publish something I can give to my siblings and perhaps to my daughter, my nieces and nephews, and to anyone else who might like a copy. I think that goal is attainable, although a time frame for the whole project is a very good question.
And I'm still not sure how to answer the questions in my header.
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