Writing brings me joy and fulfillment. I feel good when I write. Toiling on diction and musicality. Finding the right line or sentence to continue or connect the work. I love the task and will not give it up. I can’t think of this as launching a career, that sounds like a ¾ angle, crossed arm headshot on shiny paper. A ‘calling’ is too dramatic, even though I believe I’ve said it before; I haven’t been blinded by a white light. Purpose, oh yeah, that’s the word. Weighty but tactile. Need to do, meant to do. Do it.
I want to be a better writer and find where the writers hang out. Help me understand the myriad ways that writing can work. I would love to do this purely for the love of the game, which this site satisfies. Unfortunately, the current social structure requires output for financial sustainability. Therefore, I search for education and community.
As a writer with a B.S. in apparel versus a B.A. in English, my passion lacks training and structure. I am limited by what I do not know. Adding knowledge and information to my brain’s file folders pleases me, I love to learn. The Poets & Writers newsletter advertised continuing studies courses with their partner Stanford University. I enrolled in a poetry course, Feast of Forms, without fully understanding what I was getting into.
How about I haven’t studied any poetry since high school. In the first three weeks, I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by the evening start time and attempting to understand and discuss some of the work of my fellow classmates. It’s discouraging to miss tone and intent. The published works I have a better handle on. Learning about the forms is intriguing, particularly epistolary, ekphrastic, and the villanelle. I received positive feedback and useful critique on my class draft poem, and it gave me a boost. It’s good to know I can convey a feeling, that’s my intent.
At the end of a writer’s group session, my first step to finding community, the North Carolina Writer’s Network came up in discussion. Someone noted that they regularly hold a conference, I immediately looked it up. A week later I registered for the Spring Conference and applied for the poetry master class. To my delight, I was accepted. In my typical fashion I was anxious upon arrival and sat in our assigned room with a Biscuitville sponsored sausage biscuit.
Perhaps I’m lucky or most people are generally kind, I had a wonderful time. Our instructor, Sarah Rose Nordgren was refreshing and facilitated an amazing workshop space. My classmates all submitted beautiful work, and we had lively discussions on everyone’s piece. I appreciate the notes that are going to help me improve my poem and the set it’s a part of.
For lunch, I opted for ‘Lunch with an Author’ and signed up for one of my writing group mates, Ashley Lumpkin. Our group discussed the usefulness of genre, social media’s effect on writers signing with publishers, and self-publishing. Ashley has a wealth of knowledge due to her multiple publications and award-winning performance poetry.
Sometimes I’m doubtful or scared but experiences show me I’m doing the right thing. I’m in the right place. This is the beginning of my continuing education and how I find my place in the larger writing world. I have something to contribute.
In Search of Education and Community
