Write by the Lake

Last week, I was in Madison, Wisconsin, a scenic place with a great university and a writing...program.

I'm not sure how to describe UWisc's Writing Institute, except to say that it offers affordable critiques and classes for local and distance learners, and that it is wonderful.

The premise of my workshop was simple: spend time reading the first fifty pages of seven other writers' novels, and critique them in class amidst a host of exercises, revisions, and one-on-one time with the instructor. 

I'm pleased to say that I met a talented group of authors working in multiple genres. All of them had connections to Wisconsin, except me, of course. I'm un-pleased to announce that my health did not cooperate and that I spent a lot of last week turtled up under the covers of my Airbnb rental, considering whether eating Chef Boyardee--again!--would be harmful to my health.

I learned a lot and I'm ready to revise the beginning of the novel. I think that setting the foundations and using the insights revealed last week will also help the middle and ending of the book. I hope that my fellow attendees also found our workshop helpful.