“I think the main thing I took away from the workshop is that writing is writing, no matter the category or genre. I always had this idea that nonfiction was a completely different animal from fiction, with its own set of rules and its own structure. Now I see nonfiction writing as a big box of Lego: you can only use what is in front of you, but the combinations are infinite.
Being given a deadline was very helpful. I’m a notoriously slow writer, so being forced to finish something in a such a short time showed me I can produce quality writing without obsessing over every word for days and weeks on end.
As usual, thanks for the enthusiastic teaching. I don’t know how the instructor is able to keep up that level of energy for a whole weekend workshop; it’s amazing.”