Writer's Retreat - Final Day

University of Wisconsin - Madison

So now that I've finally made it back to Chicago in one piece, grabbed a bite to eat, I can finish off this blog for the week.

Today, we read thru are 3 page scenes we wrote. I love the responses I recd from my classmates. Gosh, they really love this story about me and my transgender love. We spent 5 years together and I really want this memoir to reflect on all the positivity that came out of the relationship despite all the confusion, especially for someone who is a card holding lesbian and found herself faced with the undaunting task of staying in love with someone who is no longer female.

I made some great friends and my teacher really wants me to work on this memoir. She offered to be a feedback person for me as I continue writing this story but clarified that she wasn't an editor. I still like the idea that someone else can read and present things to me to improve the manuscript. She was great with this in class and I would love to have that continue.  Another classmate also wanted to read further pages. She said she would be interested in being that person who can keep me disciplined enough to write at least once a month, if I want her to be. The offer was awesome. Perhaps we can meet once a month down in her area at that diner on Devon and Clark.

All in all, I would have to say this was the most remarkable trip I have ever been on. I got so much out of the writing process, the techniques, story structures, how good narratives can be if you just think about some of the points highlighted by the teacher, like setting, who, what, where, how, why, bringing in some conflict or creating a problem that needs solving. I learned I do not have to follow the story chronologically as I thought of initially and that it can be just as interesting jumping back and forth from present to past, another nice way to keep the reader engaged.

Anyway, despite the iffy weather, it thunderstormed alot and last night was a rough night with the tornado watch, but I'm safe and home and will cherish this experience. Can't wait till next year. They have many other sessions like poetry, fiction, screenwriting, etc. I might try the screenwriting in the near future, they even have a play writing session too. This would be good since I'm trying to do a play as well.

Thank you everyone who has been reading my site, taking the journey with me.

Stay tuned for more on my writing and further stories.

Peace.

Writer's Retreat - Day 4

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Scene Writing 101 - this was by far the best day I've had during this retreat.  I had always wanted to know if there was some type of structure or format in comprising a scene.  I was also surprised that the same techniques used in writing good fiction can be utilized in writing creative non-fiction.  Of course this is easier said than done. 

Tonight's homework is about writing a scene no more than 3 pages in length.  If it is only 1 or 2 pages, that is alright too.  The idea is to actually sit down and write a scene.  She asked us to take a look at our two pages and see if we can add or complete a scene based on that initial draft we read in class. The goal for tomorrow's class is for us to read that scene and obtain feedback from our fellow classmates. Just realized how thrilled I am that I have a printer with me because we have to make copies for everyone in the class.  That's 15 people including the teacher. Geez, good thing I remembered to bring paper as well.  Of course, I had to go out and buy a stapler and staples the other day. Yikes, I guess you can easily forget minor things. LMAO!

 Anyway, per the teacher, she mentioned 5 basic points to scene structure:

1) Premise / Setting (who, what, where)

2) Create a Problem (this concerns the relationships of the characters, etc.)

3) MidPoint (this can be a change in emotions of the characters, maybe an introduction of a new topic or challenge, etc.)

4) Resolution (this does not necessarily mean a particular problem was solved, but maybe a revelation happened to the character, or maybe the reader learned something new about the narrator.)

5) Tag/Exit (basically, the one last sentence that may leave further questions, etc. )

Interestingly when the teacher went thru these points I had already visualized how my scene would go.  She wanted us to really give some thought to how a scene plays out.  What I didn't expect was that the teacher does not want us to set up an outline based on these strategies then write to them.  She wants us to simply comprise the scene, then go back and see if you can find the structured points.  This would aid in the editing and revising of any scene that is written.  In other words, write first, then go back and see what you may have missed. 

Wow! I tell you, I have learned way more at this retreat on writing than I have from any of the classes I've completed in my English Major at NEIU.  It's like the teacher has already taken into consideration the experience of the students, not bogging us down with grammar, syntax, language, spelling, and other things that speak more about writing correctly, rather than being creative.  She assumes we already have this knowledge or we probably wouldn't be writers in the first place.  I'm just glad writing comes fairly natural to me when it comes to all that grammar and stuff, but I certainly have learned more about how to actually put good writing together thus assisting in making me a great writer, not just a good one. 

Now the hard part, writing the scene.  Of course this at first seemed overwhelming to most of us, including myself, however, last night's homework was perfect in setting us up for this part.  By asking us to select, list or note some scenes we want to do, we can now actually see which of those scenes can be re-worked into something lengthier and much more entertaining. 

Tune in tomorrow for my final notes on this retreat...

Peace.

Writer's Retreat - Day 3

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Today was the day I heard feedback from everyone in class about my project.  You can't imagine how unnerving it was not knowing exactly how folks would respond after I read my first two pages. I had purposely arrived in class earlier than usual just to calm myself ahead of time knowing what was to come.  Of course, I worry more than anyone else does on the face of this great earth, this I'm sure of.  I guess I have always looked at things from a pessimistic point of view, that way, I won't be disappointed thus every now and then when great news is revealed, I'm happier than a dog with his head hanging out the window while driving in his master's car. The wind blowing thru his ears and of course capturing all those great bugs in an open mouth, breathing, and panting heavily about the shear joy of it all.

I am pleased to say that after the classes input, I absolutely felt like that dog with his head hanging out the window of his master's car.  I was full of joy and unexpected delight by the input I received.  Even the not so good stuff was stated with grace and ease, and I did not feel stupid, or a failure. I was relieved and confident about honestly turning this project into an actual book instead of just a mere column or magazine article. Personally I don't think I can stomach writing a 300 or more page manuscript.  One of my classmates suggested I can just as easily add information and background about the leather lifestyle, how I found my way into it, the confusion I felt questioning my own identity given that my partner who was a female when we met was now becoming male, into a nicely packaged 30-50 page memoir.  I certainly like this idea better, since I am, afterall, an instant gratification kind of person, thus waiting for me to actual complete a highly large and improbably project will certainly not bring me too much joy, although the undertaking of that sort of project would certainly have a favorable outcome on my psyche.  That doesn't mean I can't think about that later on, but for now, I may just need to complete a great story about my life at that time, easy to digest and who knows, perhaps an editor will pay me to expand the short story into a real book of creative non-fiction.  Ok, so maybe I'm dreaming here, but you know, I got this far believing in dreams, or I wouldn't have turned out to be the gutsy person I am these days, and I honestly think there isn't anything I can't do once I put my mind to it.

Anyway, the feedback I recd had a lot to do with wanting more info.  Since my relationship was with a transgender individual, and about the leather lifestyle of which we were primarily involved in, people wanted to know more about BDSM, and how I found my way into it, given the type of background and family life I came from.  My teacher added comments similar with wanting to know how large this community is and if it includes the hetereosexual society as well as the gay, lesbian and transgender communities.  Three folks said it should be expanded into a book.  Other people wanted to know more about my confusion at the time, why was it a difficult transition at first.  Other comments were about the events, like IML or the bars like the Eagle in Chicago.  People wanted to know what these things are.  One of the women has already expressed interest in working with me as the story progresses.  She wanted to talk more about it outside of class, but we agreed on meeting earlier tomorrow.  She is really intelligent, I think she is an editor, her comments seemed based on that a bit. The teacher also expressed that if I'm gonna mention the person I was with before this relationship, then I need to speak on her, what she was like, etc.  If that character really has no bearing on the story, than it does not need to be included.

What I didn't like about this exercise is that a lot of the answers that people seemed to want will come later in the story.  You won't see it in first two pages only.  I think the only thing that I felt a smidgen of hurt was the style or voice I wrote in.  I felt that it was casual and conversational but one person felt it was too formal and the language was difficult to understand.  

I'm looking forward to meeting the one lady tomorrow morning.  Her comments were really good, she wanted shorter sentences instead of lengthy ones to pace the story better.  She wanted me to be sure that I wrote about my experience with someone who is transgender, not necessarily about him. This is important to me as well, because it really is about a second coming out, not just about being a lesbian but also about the pride of living the alternative leather lifestyle that I found my way into.

Peace. 

Writer's Retreat - Day 2

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Today we got to read two pages from other students and provide feedback. This was a great process and the teacher spent a little time discussing how we should critique the other's papers without harming or making them feel disappointed in themselves. She gave us three questions to think about before responding. The comments we would talk about in class and then add any other notes on their papers and return them back. We didn't get thru everyone's today which means I have to wait till tomorrow for my feedback.  Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to incorporate some things I learned today from others and edit my initial draft for folks to read.  She called it cheating.  Yea, I suppose she is correct, but I did make mental notes to how I can improve my story.

But I digress, here are the questions we were asked to think about in our feedback:

1) What we liked about the paper?

2) What we wanted more from the paper?

3) What point or what happened in the paper that bounced us out of reading? This was particularly difficult but the teacher encouraged us that this can be both positive and negative. In other words, maybe there was something that we didn't quite get or were able to follow. Maybe the tenses changed or perhaps there wasn't enough dialogue. Perhaps the paper seemed rush. Good points could be, maybe the reading of the paper made us recollect on something we experience for ourselves, etc.

I loved these questions because it really did serve to give positive feedback to the writers.

What I also liked especially today was that we learned about techniques we could use to make a narrative in non-fiction more creative. These are but not limited to the following:

Impacts or turning points (also called a reversal) that answer the question how did you that or how did you get through it? How about hooks? Thinking about what the reader is looking for.  This is also referred to as the arc of the story.

Adding tension which creates drama. This can also be done thru scenes (the moment by moment unfolding of action before our eyes). She added a unique analogy describing the writing process like cookie dough (rolling it out, kneading it, then taking the cutter to shape a specific piece that has the greatest impact or something the reader would remember or want to learn more about- pulling this out of the story).

Other things to think about regarding: Action = discovery, decision and recognition. Recognition is interpersonal she noted, this I found most helpful, it gave me a little more info to make my story better.

She also mentioned that when you write, think as if you are writing to what she calls your window character.  This is someone you would tell the story to, maybe a friend, a lover, about this experience. Window characters are not adversaries, they are people you can express yourself too in a positive way.

Finally, she spoke about Types of Narrators, in other words, perspective or point of view the story is being told from.  Narration refers to your voice in the story, is it lyrical, romantic, complicated, etc. Other types of narrators can be seen as a reliable source, maybe they seem unemotional, casual, or conversational.  Some may be very formal as in a biography with historical content or a limited observer who is briefly involved.  Finally, someone who is impassioned – trapped somehow or self-absorbed, shy or timid, a little cautious, etc.  Emotional writers she encouraged to think about setting up a premise to provide for their reactions and revelations. 

Despite all we did today, it still feels like I'm learning about the process vs actually writing the story.  I think the session is designed to help you in the process, concentrating on the making of a story, what works, how can you help it along, etc.  Another thing she wanted us to do is to read our stories out loud, which can help the pacing of the piece. It's also a good way to find errors or bits and pieces that may not seem to work.

Homework of course is assigned.  I really hate this because it does take me away from writing the actual story. However, in its defense, the homework is designed to kick up your thought processess.  Today she asked us to simply write for 5 minutes everything about our story, what's it about, scenes you want to develop or experiences that assist in the understanding of the story etc.  The exercise is designed for us to just free-think and not worry about editing, grammar, content or sentence structure, or simply making sense.  Sometimes she says that it is in these kind of ramblings that good ideas spring from.

So, I'm a little ok with homework, but eventually you have to get back to the actual writing.  Good thing I at least have a working draft.  Feedback I get tomorrow will be most helpful and I'm looking forward to it.

More to come...check out tomorrow to see how my feedback session went. 

Writer's Retreat - Day 1

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Today was incredible. It was the first day of my creative non-fiction class and I must admit I had many jitters beforehand, not sure how my class mates would be like or how the teacher would react to my story idea. Surprisingly, the class is diverse, and definitely a more mature student than what I had been accustomed to at NEIU. This was a relief and the first time I've ever shared my story ideas with perfect strangers other than my friends who have always been supportive of my work. I had entertained the idea of not sharing so much of who I am because I didn't want to shock folks. I hoped that I would not be judged by my subject matter. I was the last person to speak about my topic and was absolutely surprised by the response I received.

I'm doing a memoir about my time with a female to male transgendered individual whom I had a 5 year relationship with. The idea of the story is to write about my life with him, how he changed me, how people's perceptions affected us and so on. Since coming from a very traditional and judgmental family structure, then finding myself in such a situation that was not only challenging but also unnerving at times, from wrestling with the conflicts of traditional male, female roles and identities, to the fact that I am a card holding lesbian, who found herself in a unique and very unorthodox arrangement, calling into question my own identity.

Anyway, the class loved it, and 4 people in general already want a copy of my story when it's published and are looking forward to reading about this type of experience as I put the story together. I was even more amazed that everyone felt that this topic would be something that mainstream society would want to read. I had thought that with the subject matter it would limit marketability. I was so wrong, people who read are hungry for new material, different stories, and ones that are not so average. They get bored and every once in awhile they pick up a book that is exciting and new. That's who I want to be for my audience, a different voice.

What was more amazing was that I had already written a proposal to the teacher about the story, it's structure, etc., and wrote about how I wanted it layered between my experiences with him as well as how other's around us reacted and the struggles I had gone thru. One person had commented that the very fact that I was open minded enough to be in the situation, passing no judgment on my partner from who she was to whom he became is a testament to the type of person I am. This is what he felt he wanted to know and experience thru me the life I had in that time. I was thrilled to hear this from him and it also reconfirmed my commitment to this piece and that my initial ideas for this memoir were right on target. I had initially thought I wouldn't know how to structure this story and I was worried that the teacher's suggestions and examples would somehow be over my head, due to my inexperience as a writer. Come to find out, I really do have talent, great concepts, great ideas, unbelievable experiences, and now I am finally getting to learn how to tell a story and make it compelling visually as well as psychologically and entertaining.

One of the key concepts I learned today was that the memoir is part imagination and part history, and adding a relationship biography in the mix will benefit the story greatly. Hearing this from the teacher added confidence, because I had already thought of that angle when I chose to write this. The teacher also made a point that writing is really not thinking but feeling it, doing it, etc.  She mentioned that focus is important, keeping in mind that the number one subject of a memoir is the narrator, it's the only literature out there that is truly about your unique experiences and perspectives.

So the rest of this afternoon I have homework.  We have some general questions that the teacher gave us to review and answer honestly.  The exercise is designed to make us aware of the projects we are working on and give them a definitive direction, maybe even a timeframe to assist in the completion of it.  She has us looking at the development of the topic, she calls it an arc from beginning to middle to end.  How the character grows, changes, transforms in a sense. She also wants us to pay close attention to the content and our relationship to the content.  In a quote, the teacher spoke, "relationship to the content is just as important as the content itself."

We also have to bring two pages of our projects and make copies for the entire class.  I like this a lot, because it opens up feedback, suggestions, things that may not be working as well as things that do work in our stories. We also did an exercise in class basically for our own personal use to highlight those things that come naturally to us as writers and as people in general, and those things that you wish to know, in other words, stuff that is difficult for you.  She calls it, what you can give to a situation and what you can learn or take. Finally, she gave us some literature to read. One article on Creating Sympathy, in other words, the ability of the audience to recognize themselves in action that unfolds. Another article on Positive Outcomes, having the reader see positive things that emerge from the story itself.  The third article is about the Narrator as Problem Solver, basically, showing conflict or problems that are solved thru the Narrator's voice and experience. 

Looking so forward to this week.  Keep reading as I plan on writing something each day, kinda like wanting to take you with me as I journey thru this writer's retreat and growing from this experience as a writer and story teller.

Peace.