Writers workshop

I attended a writers workshop this past weekend. Well, actually, the presentation and homework were posted on a blog because of the blizzard. Anyway, this workshop was the first of a three-part series. The title is The Core of the Story and Identifying the Central Conflict. The second one, which will be presented in April, is Plotting and Pacing. I can't remember the title of the third, which is scheduled for May.

The workshop presenter is Jennifer Crusie, a New York Times best-selling author who once taught creative writing at The Ohio State University. I've attended other Jennifer Crusie workshops and found them very helpful. One of the things I enjoy about them is the way they recharge my creative batteries.

During this particular presentation - or blog - Ms. Crusie posted questions such as what was your original story idea and what was it about that idea that hooked you into telling this story? What makes your protagonist and antagonists interesting people?

Take a moment and think about those questions as they pertain to your story. What did you especially like about your idea, your heroine and your villain?

Ms. Crusie led us back to recapture the excitement we felt when we first identified our story. The time before self-doubt set in. When the question was, "What kind of story do I want to tell today?" Instead of, "Do I have a whole story here?"

What was it about your story that initially hooked you? Why did you chose this particular idea above any of the other ideas tapping into your imagination? Remember that excitement and hold onto it with both hands.

Banish the doubting voices, including your own. Block the image of those reviewers, booksellers and even readers. It's just you, your heroine and the villain you love to hate because he - or she - makes the story so much more interesting.

Patricia