Musings
A bi-weekly column for The Richmond Review newspaper. It appears every second Saturday.
It's Writing's Answer to the Runner's Group
You can run on your own, but join a group, and you can often go farther, faster - without the lonely sentence of solitary confinement.
This column appeared in The Richmond Review September 30, 2006.
Truly, Madly, Deeply. These are the words I live by. Soon, they will also be the words I teach by.
When Wayne Decle, manager of Creative and Applied Arts in the Continuing Studies Department at Langara College approached me with the idea of teaching a course where writers could go further and deeper with their writing, I balked. How do you teach writing? Writers become writers by writing. A love for the written word. The importance of story. And the thrill of creation. Besides how would I be that instructor without a book (yet) under my eclectically notched belt?
But like a wild seed, the idea unexpectedly took root. A form took shape. It would be a group of likeminded individuals, aspiring writers each working on a major project: a novel, memoir, column series, or a book of creative non-fiction. Ideas would be explored, tips shared, critiques given and received. There would be a cap in class size: eight. Guest speakers with the specialized industry knowledge. Inspiration. Creative energy. Fun. And of course, writing. Lots of writing. It would be called “Truly, Madly, Deeply: The Writer's Group.”
It would give aspiring writers a chance to see if they were truly, deeply, madly committed to their project. It wasn't so much about teaching but leading and moderating. Teasing out the strengths of participants. Cultivating an environment that would allow writers to go further, deeper, richer.
As Decle explained to me, once students finished a writing course, they wanted more. A place to meet regularly. Get feedback. Feed off the creative energy and experience of other writers. “Writing longer works takes so much discipline, time and commitment. By offering a course like this I believe we can fill that gap.”
It's the first of its kind at Langara. I liken it to a runner's group that many join to run their first half or full marathon. You can run on your own, but join a group, and you can often go farther, faster - without the lonely sentence of solitary confinement.
There is a saying I came across recently by Angela Monet (who nobody seems to know much about) and it goes like this:
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.
If you've been waiting for just the right song, or wondering if your dancing shoes are even the right size, well, come on. Have a dance with us.