Yesterday I returned from a week in Iowa City, where I attended the last session of the 21st annual Iowa Summer Writing Festival. I participated in a workshop entitled "Passionate Revision" led by a fabulous instructor named Lon Otto.
It's rare, I believe, to make new friends at my age, but that's just what I did. I spent the majority of my week bonding with amazing people who not only have a passion for writing and revision, but who have an appreciation for the writing process and compassion for fellow storytellers. What an honor and a pleasure to brainstorm, chat, converse and get to know them all.
And, after months of questioning my writing and wondering if I'm wasting my time plugging away at my novel, I received some much-needed validation, encouragement and advice from Lon. What a swell guy.
So, now I'm energized to continue with my project, knowing that I have a whole new set of friends to turn to for feedback and support. How fortuitous that I decided to go to Iowa and picked the workshop that I did. But, then again, I have the feeling that this was all in the stars for me.
