Getting Ready

My writing workshop starts this Wednesday.  THIS WEDNESDAY!  Already Wednesday is one of the busiest days of my week, but I thought I'd be a glutton for punishment and just throw another activity into the mix.  As long as I breathe, I will survive.

But here is the email I received this weekend:

Hello all,

We have a FABULOUS group assembled for our workshop. We also have a waiting list…so now is the time to declare your intentions by paying for the class if you haven't already. Thanks! This is gonna be fun.

We start this Wednesday May 9th from 6:30-8:30. We meet in the conference room in the X. I'll have a $10 gift card for each of you. Feel free to bring any other food or drink, too. We'll be informal and relaxed!

Every workshop participant is going to be workshopped twice during the 5 weeks, each time being given 40 minutes. We will NOT be workshopping any participant's work at the first class, but will be covering ground of the workshopping protocol, setting the reading schedule, etc.

PLEASE BRING 7 COPIES OF THE FIRST PIECE YOU WISH TO HAVE WORKSHOPPED TO THE FIRST CLASS (7 includes a copy for yourself). This can be a short story or a chapter from a novel. If you are bringing chapters from a novel in progress, it is most helpful if you bring the opening, beginning chapters. It is too difficult for your readers to be plunked into chapters deep in the middle of a story--it requires a LOT of synopsis (and that synopsis would eat into your page count).

Pages should be double-spaced with 12 point font (please use basic easy-to-read fonts such as Times New Roman) with one-inch margins all around. It's super helpful if you remember to number your pages. Please limit the length to 15-20 pages (ABSOLUTE CUT OFF FOR EACH TURN IS 20 PAGES). You can, of course, turn in pieces shorter than 15 pages if you wish!

There is a UPS store with a copier right down the block from X if you need to arrive early for class to make copies.

I look forward to meeting and working with you all.
Take care and see you soon,
XX

I know that email is long, but I needed to put you in my position.  My first thought was how does XX know that we are a FABULOUS group?  Does XX know some of these people?  Are some of the participants published authors?  Because if so, I have conflicting feelings there.  Sure, it will be great to be critiqued by people who have a foot in the publishing door.  But, they are already published!  How intimidating is that? 

My second thought was that I have to bring copies of my writing to the class.  Yeah, I knew it was like that when I signed up.  The class stated that it was for people who already had works in progress.  I shouldn't be overwhelmed and nervous, but yes, I am.  Do you blame me?

So here I am, getting ready for class.  I am making sure the first 15 pages of my stories are suitable for reading and getting ready to make the copies.  I am cleaning the house so the babysitter can find everything on Wednesday night, and I am already thinking about a simple dinner for Wednesday so that I don't have to add that stress on the night in question.

Like I said, as long as I breathe, I will survive.