Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The Writing Garden



It’s been a while since I’ve had a post on writing. It’s because I haven’t watered my garden lately and feel since it is spring/summer, it is high time I get to watering.

Have you ever hit a writing slump, where you want to be writing but then nothing happens? You sit day after day tapping on the keys, then you realize nothing really makes sense of what you wrote? That could be considered writer’s block, but wait, no it can’t because you did write it just didn’t sound right or make any sense.

Here in Nebraska we get very little rain. That depresses me because I love the rain and cool weather. My whole body responds and I get a lot more writing done that makes perfect logical sense. When it’s dry and you go from winter and jump right into summer with ninety-degree days, my body shuts down. The sun is scorching the land and my body responds with aches and pains I didn’t feel in the cool crisp weather.

Here’s what I noticed: We recently got out and planted our garden. Seeds sprinkled here, plants positioned there and the garden now needs tending. Miss one day of watering and a droop falls over the plants as if hanging their head low wanting to be refreshed.

Writing is a lot like that; you’ve planted the seeds whether in your heart and soul, or on the blank page. You’re all set to sit down and tap away. Blank, you draw a blank. Water, you need water, you’re in the drooping phase of your writing garden, and you need nurturing.

Slap me upside the head with a wet rag, I’ve decided to spark my muse with a little watering from an f2k session again. F2K WAS a free course, but now it is offered at a ten dollar fee, a sixty day membership with WVU, and a book Pumping Your Muse, by Donna Sunblad, author and member of WVU.

It is free to members, which I am a lifetime member so it is free to me. It looks like a promising session since a lot of the people who signed up for the FREE course, really just came to see what it was all about and soon would leave when they knew there was work involved in writing. Yes people, writing involves work, just as tending a garden.

Writer’s Village University, WVU, is a writing school that I began studying at many years ago. It has helped me tend my garden of writing. Sure I’ve had ups and downs throughout the course of my stay but really there has been more ups than downs.

I am no longer a mentor which gives me hope in a promising course after being told I would be allowed full access to all the classrooms, not just sitting in a lone room, where visitors would pop in, and classmates would dwindle. This session when the class gets low, I can actually roam the halls and visit other rooms and comment and help writer’s as I’ve been known to do in years past.

There is always hope in the Garden of Writing. I’m sure I’ll keep you abreast of what is happening and how it’s all going, so stay tuned…the garden will soon be in full bloom soon.


4 comments:

Tiggs said...

Joni,

As always, I love your writing and insight. Even as a new writer that is still learning the craft, things get in the way (work, sleep, work again, sleep--LOL). But seriously, you are right, writing, like anything worth doing, takes work and tending to like the garden.

I am so glad you are taking the course as a student AND that you have full access! I really value your opinions and insights, not just in writing!

I wasn't sure at first about the move to WVU--but what you said about so many coming into a FREE course, is right. They think "Oh, I'll check this out cuz it is free. If it takes too much time or work, I can just drop--nothing lost. Having to pay, even just a little, makes people think first--most choose to invest their time and motivation to complete what they started.

Those that don't, usually have a good reason like: traumatic event, or such that actually prevents them from continuing.

I think this is going to be a GREAT F2K!

And hey, I am a Lifer now, too!

Oh, I would rather the sunshine, not scorching, but sunshine that I can soak in. Grey raining days tend to make me moody and and achy.

Hugs,
Tiggs

joni said...

A LIFER??? Wow!
Welcome aboard!

Thanks so much for reading and commenting! :)

It does my garden good! ;)

Arshia Malik said...

Nice to have you back Joni! I was thrilled to know that F2K was starting again but ..yes....the 10 dollar fee deterred me ..not because I don't want to but because our modes of payment in this part of the world are not error free....I just wanted to clarify..some of us do take free courses seriously and value the hard work involved in them. I am a Courseran and I have Statements of Accomplishments some with Distinction to prove it....Free courses are a way for scores of women like me who are deprive dof opportunities to study or go for higher education because of finances... I will always bless the people who operate the MOOOC's....looking forward to more writing tips from you....! As a postmark: A lot of my students were waiting for the F2K course and faced disappointment...but it is an experience for them...

joni said...

Arshia,
I'm so sorry you couldn't take the f2k course but Bob Hembree has said he will be offering the free writing course again because of the very reason you state. (there is no date set as of yet.)
This is a trial run, so we'll see how it goes.
There are many who stayed the course, and that is what made it the success it is.

I sure hope to see you again in the free writing course.

Joni