Writers Workshop

Our ISI writing community, with two workshops a day, plus the afternoons, and those hot nights in San Jose I've written or avoided writing until 1 a.m., has emboldened me to open doors long locked in my memory. It's like walking around with most of my skin taken off.

Whatever the purpose, somehow, I am strangely thrilled to be getting some thoughts down on keyboard. This must be how it is for students who haven't had much success, when they finally settle into a group of trust and are encouraged to be real. Ther captain and N. first mate have been invaluable by listening to me ramble, laugh and cry...I'm grateful.

I'd like to maintain my blog as a forum for writers workshop. The foibles and failures, the ah-ha's and successes could be shared for others who are in various stages of learning the art of facilitating workshop for their students. I need the discipline of journaling during the upcoming school year to give me some record and way to reflect on the big picture. Such a log might well be useful to guide the following year's group.

I invite your insights and comments, anecdotes about writing in your classroom, anytime. For now, I've seriously got to revise those crummy first drafts as the anthology due date looms.