Comments on: Don’t Go to Abilene with Your Writing Group http://ellentaliaferro.com/dont-go-to-abilene-with-your-writing-group/ Time to Think Outside of the Pill Box Tue, 08 May 2012 23:47:34 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ellen Taliaferro, MD http://ellentaliaferro.com/dont-go-to-abilene-with-your-writing-group/comment-page-1/#comment-3512 Ellen Taliaferro, MD Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:08:20 +0000 http://ellentaliaferro.com/?p=99#comment-3512 Thank you for commenting. The very first writing retreat I attended was with the Maui Writers Conference (now the Hawaii Writers Conference.) The first talk was dedicated to this theme: "Remember, it's <i>your</i> story. No one else's. You have and should maintain ownership." That advice served me quite well then and since. "Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.--Hardy D. Jackson" Thank you for commenting. The very first writing retreat I attended was with the Maui Writers Conference (now the Hawaii Writers Conference.) The first talk was dedicated to this theme: “Remember, it’s your story. No one else’s. You have and should maintain ownership.” That advice served me quite well then and since.

“Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.–Hardy D. Jackson”

]]> By: SceneMaker http://ellentaliaferro.com/dont-go-to-abilene-with-your-writing-group/comment-page-1/#comment-3511 SceneMaker Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:50:43 +0000 http://ellentaliaferro.com/?p=99#comment-3511 Good comments. I have been in mental limbo in my writing group lately--when, I ask, did I start writing to please THEM? It happened behind my back, it seems! Warning to you all in writing groups. As Ellen reminds me above, it's your story. I think the weird part of this is I thought I was such a strong writer before I began to wonder how they would like it. I'm consciously groping my way back to being the smart-ass, overly-confident writer I used to be--my writing was more powerful then, not watered down with 12 different opinions I "thought" had merit. Thanks for a good kick in the pants. Good comments. I have been in mental limbo in my writing group lately–when, I ask, did I start writing to please THEM? It happened behind my back, it seems! Warning to you all in writing groups. As Ellen reminds me above, it’s your story. I think the weird part of this is I thought I was such a strong writer before I began to wonder how they would like it. I’m consciously groping my way back to being the smart-ass, overly-confident writer I used to be–my writing was more powerful then, not watered down with 12 different opinions I “thought” had merit. Thanks for a good kick in the pants.

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