Recovering the Writing Muses

Every writer feels the anxiety of their vocation occasionally. From those who are already published to those who are fledglings at their new craft, it seems sometimes that their ideas and skills have abandoned them. Writers' workshops and conferences are great places to do reclaim their inspiration.

Where To Find These Events:

There are over fifty such venues listed on writing.shawguides.com/ alone where a writer can choose any setting. It could be a mountain getaway like the Banff Writing Centre or an international junket like Ghana or even a wistful treat like a spa in New York. For those who prefer a more introverted solution there is even an online conference called www.freewebs.com/themuseonlinewritersconference/. The point is that a writer does not have to wallow without the Muse.

Benefits of Writer's Workshops:

There are several benefits of the workshop solution. To begin with, the writer experiences being taken care of during the search for the spark. Often daily writing is interrupted with the drudgery of everyday life like phone calls, bills to pay, kids to pick up, dogs to walk and meals to make. A week or weekend dedicated to the craft of writing may seem like self-indulgence but in reality it is akin to self-help. The writer can take the opportunity to focus completely on the task at hand.

Workshops offer a writer the whole process of the art of writing, from idea to finished product. Usually a sample of the writer's work is analysed by a small group of peers and often by an award-winner of the genre itself. Often the group invites the writer to read the edited and reworked piece at an evening reading session of peers, not unlike a published author. One new writer who had been applauded for her offering by Robert J. Sawyer, 2003 Hugo Award winner for best international science fiction novel, said that the experience gave her the confidence and desire to continue honing her writing skills. Often agents and publishers have a chance to offer advice and feedback too.

Benefits of Writer's Conferences:

Conferences are special because the panel discussions that accompany readings afford the chance to listen to successful writers explain where their ideas came from, how long it took to write, painful bits of the process and other personal accounts that let fellow writers know they are not alone with their dilemma.

Being in the company of celebrated authors who have also shared the anxiety of writing is helpful. Inigo DeLeon once said that the only cure for writer's cramp was writer's block. But serious writers can't afford lenghty gaps of writing. Trevor Herriot, who won the Libris Award for Best First-Time Author and was short-listed for his 2000 book, River in a Dry Land, told his group that he carries a little notebook in his satchel because he never knows when an idea or motivation to write may come along. It is important to stay open to the Muse.

Any writer has difficulty writing on occasion. The solution is to search for a Muse by being open to the possibilities for inspiration. What better way to do that than to put oneself in the company of fellow seekers at a workshop or conference. As the ad says, "After all, you're worth it."

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