Laurie becoming a Workshop Leader

I gulped. Me? A facilitator? But I was a shy writer. I couldn't lead a whole group. Besides, I was too busy. Between my full-time teaching job, feeding two hungry kids; one going through puberty, the other beyond, an artist husband whose career always seemed to need the good wife at his side, five chickens, one dog, a half acre of land that constantly needed weeding, and of course working on my new book there was no way I could take on any more.
Or could I? For months I woke up thinking about it? Maybe if...It was just twice a month.
Then I went to the Central Coast Writers' Conference at Cuesta College and heard Jay Asher speak. He told us about his own journey and the importance of making contacts. Of supporting your fellow writer along the way.
And I realized. For seven years I'd worked on the craft of novel writing but had not put as much energy into the business end of it. I hadn't pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. There was so much more I could do.
So I made the call. In a quivering voice I said, "I think I'd like to take you up on your offer."
And on Friday, October 12th I did it. I walked into Barnes & Noble, introduced myself to the assistant manager Monica Kong, and proceeded to set up the table. Then I waited with my fellow writer Debra Hinkle supportive at my side.
6:30 passed. 6:45. At 7:00 the two of us decided to share with eachother.
How did it go?
Well you'd have to ask Debra about that.

What Laurie is Thankful for

Every Thanksgiving I try to remind myself of all the things a writer has to be thankful for. Let's see, I am thankful for cut and paste. Cool invention! I mean when your sentences rush onto the page all a kilter and you go to reread them and say, hello that's not in order, you can just cut the third one and make it the second or even put it first, where it should have been to start with. I'm also thankful for my thesaurus. When I have said "exchanged a glance" for the twentieth time in the novel and am about ready to puke over how unoriginal it sounds I just flip to page 27 and get observation, looking, viewing, seeing, witnessing, and espial. (What does espial mean anyhow?)
I am very thankful for my critique group. They never make me cry. And when I bring those five pages out with my shaking hands and croaking voice they are kind enough to only snicker occasionally.
But most of all as a writer I am thankful for this gift of creativity. Every day I get to go to a world of imagination and return to that time of childlike wonder.

Our Next Meeting

Our next meeting is Friday, November 9th at 6:30pm. That's tonight & I'm running way behind. We meet at Barnes & Noble in San Luis Obispo (Southeast corner of the first floor).
Hope to see you there!
Next year I plan to have a schedule/calendar of our meeting dates available on the BLOG.

Debra