OK, as you know, I’m taking an online writing course, which costs a fair amount of money but is very good for me.  I might have mentioned before as well, I registered for an in-person non-fiction writing workshop at the local college which I’m courting.  It costs almost 3x as much as the online course, and if all goes well, I will be taking 1-2 classes there til I complete my degree.

Now, we are going on vacation in 2 weeks and we are doing a few things right now that require an outpouring of cash, but are necessary for the value of our home.  (Long story i can’t get into.)  That means I had no idea how to pay my 4 digit tuition in July or August, whichever time its due.

Enter a friend giving me a lovely batch of work, enough to cover tuition (although some of it might also have to go the house thing).  And I was just wondering this morning aloud to God if I was on the right path with school…

I haven’t been posting here because I have been too busy lately WORKING on my dream of a full time writer career. I am doing work in “The Right to Write”. I have been doing very well in my Writer’s Studio class. I have learned to pick up the pen and just write some fiction or poetry when I feel like it. I have just discovered 2 more fabulous podcasts, Odyssey SF/F Writing Workshop Podcast and The University of Iowa Writing University Podcasts.

I just listened to the Iowa ‘cast, and featured Katie Ford lecturing on Using Traditional Form in Free Verse. Oh, was I in heaven. How I wish I could actively one day pursue an MFA there, but that can’t happen because I doubt we’ll ever relocate to Iowa! I learned so much, but one of the things that has stuck out to me is that I MUST learn my craft. In my heart, I want to get a graduate MFA in poetry, which is probably the least likely degree in the world to ever recoup its own cost.

I keep hearing, though, the concept of the Law of Abundance, everywhere I go, everything I turn on. I’m not sure if something like this is my path, but oh, to study sonnets and more, and learn to write ghost forms. How awesome.

Last week in our writing class, our assignment was to emulate Lucille Clifton - one of my favorite poets. It turns out that my natural style is very like hers (not stolen, because I was writing this way long before I ever heard who Clifton was). I did well, but I didn’t go DEEP enough. It’s a consistent problem I’m having, too much economy over emotion in my prose. Why, I wonder?

Also, I keep hearing over and over, that in order to learn great writing, keep emulating the masters. Shoot high over and over. Great advice.

I’m thinking about starting a weekly podcast for writers growing into writers, just a journey of my experience. Also maybe do a reading at the end.

Finally, I’m reading The Year of Magical Thinking, which I did not recall was NONFICTION. The writing is…awesome. Fabulous. BREATHTAKING is the word I’m looking for.