| | Back from UVA Young Writers Workshop. Wow, what an experience.
The days were so long with the summer heat always beating down on my back. But the weeks flew by me like stormy winds. There was no escape from it, the dorms weren't air conditioned. We ate all our meals at Observatory Hill (called O-Hill by locals). The food was horrible, but it was 5x better than the stuff I usually have at school. Most of the time I had to walk everywhere with my class, but it was alright.
The things I learned didn't teach me how to write better, but how to be unique with my work. I was lucky to read and hear so many different styles. Each of us took the two weeks to learn off of each other, under the care of a teacher and two counselors. Fiction with Beth! Yes, we call everyone by first names there. Everyone was indeed friendly. Through positive feedback and strong suggestions, my writing style and changed for the better.
Ah, my suite 330. They were the best. So full of energy, love, and most of all, overflowing with fun. My roommates Mickey and Nell, the awesome duo Kayla and Julia, the lovely Maya and Maria, and the brilliant Stephanie and Grace were the people that I lived with. You know, half of the experience is about the people you live with. My counselor Emily is an amazing songwriter; I'll be sure to buy her CD when it comes out. Shopping over the weekend was something I rather enjoyed. We were all supportive though all the rough times, but we always knew how to joke around. Our quote board was FILLED with inside jokes that had me rolling around the floor every time. We even stunk up a Shrine to Johnny Depp (which, wasn't my idea).
Oh, the last day of workshop was depressing.... sort of. I read a piece of my original story (which is going rather well) for the cafe around 9 o'clock at night. After I finished packing around 11:30, all the feelings started to hit me, so I went and played cards with a fellow fiction writer named Bobby. He was cool. His friends and I played cards for a few hours, but his friends got knocked out cold to sleep. So the two of us played more cards for another few hours, telling jokes every so often. And finally we saw the sunrise together, in no romantic way or form. Having a relationship with someone that you've only known for two weeks and doesn't live too close to you? Not worth it. Well, that meant that I didn't sleep for 28 hours straight!
I asked and got statistics: 100 students were accepted out of at least 500 applicants. Those that were accepted came from 30 of the 50 states, including Washington D.C. It was amazing, so see so many writers in one place. Not just any writers though: fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, poetry, mixed genre, and songwriting. So much talent compacted into the campus ground; I was amazed. I was truly blessed to have been accepted.
I am SO going to have to do that again.
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| | Posted 7/6/2007 4:08 PM - 315 Views - 2 eProps - 1 Comment
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