Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Handout Hell

I'm giving a workshop at the New England chapter of Romance Writers of America at the end of March and have been putting together the handouts.

Now, I like giving workshops. Next to actually writing, it's the most fun part of my job. And I'd much rather spend time on handouts than look out at the audience and see a bunch of bowed heads as folks write. I'd rather see faces, preferably interested ones.

However, it seems like every time I think I've finished handouts, I think of something else to include. Or I've forgotten something. Or I could put something a bit better, or shorter. Or I find a typo. At last, however, I'm done. They're off to the workshop chairperson.

Now I just have to work on the presentation.

3 comments:

Leah Braemel said...

Margaret, you do GREAT workshops. Your presentation to the TRW's Romance 101 in January 2007 is what got me joining the TRW and the RWA and made me take my writing seriously.

And I often quote, all right, paraphrase the line you said at the start that "when an author teaches a course they are teaching what works for them and it may not work for you." I've really needed to remember that line at some of the courses I've taken since.

You rock!

Margaret Moore said...

Thanks, Leah! The same comments holds true for writing books, as well. It's really easy to think that some other author has found "the secret," the "one true way" to write a book, but unless you're living exactly the same life with exactly the same past, you'll probably do things differently.

And in case you're wondering...I learned this the hard way. :-)

Kimber Chin said...

Yep, I second Leah's thoughts.
I LOVED Romance 101.
You did a rockin' job.

I'm glad you give out handouts.
I'm a visual learner
so I need to see what is being said.
If I can see it,
I can understand it.

And Leah,
I am SO happy you joined TRW.
You're such a great addition!