Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

WdC is Writer’s Montessori School !

No kidding! I should know. I’ve been here ten years, and I haven’t graduated yet. I hope I never will.

Anyhow, what brought all this on was a chance encounter at Barnes and Noble’s.

Yesterday, I was looking through the books near the dictionaries where the writing stuff is. Two young women, who surmised I knew something or other, probably just looking at my gray hair (yup, dappled gray hair has its virtues) asked me a question about choosing a book on character. We started talking and immediately I forgot about my husband waiting for me in the middle of the store at Starbucks. (Another virtue of gray hair!)

It turned out one of them attended a few writing courses, and the other went to but did not finish a creative writing degree program. They complained of teaching, in both places. They complained that what one teacher said clashed with what the other said, as did the books they read. And both women ended up being confused and feeling much less capable than when they started. I said that’s the beauty of writing. People have to stick to their guns and go after what fits them and their writing the best, while they try new things as they write. Then I told them about Writing.com.

They didn’t quite believe it--I think--since the site is online and the internet is a jungle. But they made me realize, one more time, how lucky we are to be writing here.

I didn’t get their names (another virtue of gray hair), but they seemed so nice and eager. I hope they check us out.

So the moral is: Creative Writing schools do not carry the weight they promise they do.

Anyone who is talented enough will do just as successfully here.

I know because I read people’s work here, as well as the books from highly noted, award-winning authors elsewhere. (IMHO) Sometimes, the difference doesn’t exist.

Oh, as to my husband:
Being inured to my evaporating into thin air, he was happily enjoying a cream puff, but my Earl Grey had gotten cold.