A Writer is Someone Who Writes
I leave the day after tomorrow to participate in a series of writing groups (in Tuscany!), organized by my friend Cary Tennis. He leads these groups (and writes along with us) using the structure outlined by Pat Schneider in Writing Alone and with Others.
The format is simple…we write in groups, we write from prompts….but it’s the mind-set that makes the process so powerful:
#1. Everyone has a strong, unique voice.
#2. Everyone is born with creative genius.
#3. Writing as an art form belongs to all people, regardless of economic class or educational level.
#4. The teaching of craft can be done without damage to a writer’s original voice or artistic self-esteem.
#5. A writer is someone who writes.
From there, the writer’s task is to experiment, observe, remember, imagine, practice and be patient. We do all this with the goal to sound more and more like ourself.
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Andiamo!