Brazos Writers Self-Editing Workshop
September 14, 2009 by Lillie
I’ll be presenting a workshop for Brazos Writers, a writers group in the Bryan-College Station, Texas area.
The October 10 workshop—The Alchemy of Self-Editing: Turning First Draft Dreck into Final Draft Gold—will include hands-on practice. Attendees can edit sample exercises or bring their own work-in-progress to edit for feedback.
My husband, Jack, a Texas Aggie, is looking forward to an opportunity to visit the campus and stock up on Aggie paraphernalia. My sister Nancy is going along to help me with the logistics at the workshop. I’m really looking forward to meeting and interacting with writers in the real world for a change.
Thanks to Tammy Hensel at Dedicated Writer for recommending me to Brazos Writers.
If you know any writers in the Brazos Valley area, I hope you will pass on the workshop flyer.
Added 9/15/09: Someone asked in a comment if I knew of any similar courses online. I don’t—if someone does please post a comment. I will probably use some of the material from the workshop in future blog posts.
I can also recommend a great book on self-editing. It’s specific for fiction; however, nonfiction writers will find it valuable as well.
photo credit: Derick Leony
Hi Lillie – It sounds like a great course. In my first few attempts at writing a novel, I had no idea that so many drafts were needed. I just assumed that all novelists wrote what what we see as the finished book straight away.
Cath,
I think most readers and most beginning writers think writers just write the finished product. Most people have no concept of how many edits/rewrites/revisions are involved.
I wish this weren’t across the country from me. I *really* need better self-editing skills. Would you happen to know if there is an online version of this sort of workshop by chance? Thanks!
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Spot,
I don’t know of an online course, but I’ve added a recommendation of a good self-editing book in the post above. Also, I imagine that down the line I will be using some of the material from the workshop in future blog posts as I have done with other classes I’ve taught.
This sounds like a course that I would be interested in, and it is technically in my area since I’m in Texas! I do agree with what you’re saying about the editing and time involved in writing. Sometimes I think that editing takes me much longer than writing initially does.
C,
I’d love to see you at the workshop. We would both be driving from San Antonio to meet in College Station.
I’ve offered to do this workshop for a local writers group, but they haven’t responded. It reminds of something a doctor friend says: What makes a doctor an expert at a conference is being from more than 50 miles away.
Lillie,
It sounds like a wonderful course, one which will no doubt be of great deal of value to those aspiring writers who have hit the realization, as Cath refers to, that writing a novel is not about simply sitting down and writing a finished product straight away.
(Naturally, having never attempted to write anything like a novel before, I am personally not in any kind of position to properly appreciate how challenging the painstakingly long editing process must become at times – I could only imagine that, whilst enjoyable, it would get pretty difficult on some occasions)
It’s pleasing to see some of your family members getting involved.
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Andrew,
Just think about how much time we spend editing blog posts and magnify that by the difference in the number of words. And then figure it takes much more time than that because checking to be sure you don’t change a character’s eye color or mess up a timeline is much more complicated in a 100,000 word novel than in a much shorter article.
Thanks for the update on online classes like this.
Jake,
If I find any, I’ll update with the information.
It is very much needed to be a good editor. It helps you to solve some of the flaws and it helps to sort out some unwanted things. The idea is quite exceptional and i wished i could join the course.
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karamjit,
I wish you could attend as well. I will post some of the information that I teach on this blog, but it will be spread out over time and will lack the hands-on experience and feedback.
Check out the other articles I already have about editing—I’ve written several.
How did this writing workshop turn out?
I actually live not far from Bryan-College. I wish I would have known about this workshop as I would have attended. Per question posed above, I know of a few online workshops but they are not as good as attending a hands-on workshop..trust me.
Madoline,
The workshop turned out great. I’m sorry you missed it.
If you belong to a writers group or know of one, contact me about having this workshop for your group. A blogging friend recommended me to Brazos Writers.