Courtesy of Kathie Giorgio
Patricia O’Conner, former copy editor at the New Nork Times Book Review, said “the world needs fewer writers and more readers,” but now might be the moment to reevaluate that idea. Considering the lockdown due to the coronavirus, there seems no better time than now for anyone who wants to explore developing their writing talents. Kathie Giorgio of Waukesha-based AllWriters' Workplace & Workshop offers online courses, coaching and camaraderie to enrich what is often a solitary endeavor.
What is the best way for someone to start a writing routine? What courses does AllWriters offer that would help someone get started and keep on track?
When it comes down to starting a writing routine, the first thing to consider is how to be realistic. Writing takes time and effort. We've all been beguiled by books and courses that encourage you to write your book in a month, a week, a weekend. On average, a book will take two to three years to write. Smaller pieces take time too. So, allow for that. Realize that part of the process is thinking about writing, then writing, then thinking about writing, then rewriting, rinse, wash, repeat. Don't be disappointed if a day's efforts only brings forth a page, a verse, a paragraph. Any movement forward is good movement.
Set up a space for writing. Put some of your favorite things there. Try to come up with a set time each day that you can work, but at the same time, don't ignore the small gaps of time you have. A half-hour before dinner? Write. A twenty-minute bus ride? Write.
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We have many courses at AllWriters' to help you get started. There's Getting Into Writing, Beginning Fiction, Writing Prompt Workshop, Introduction To Poetry, and more. And then there are courses and workshops to keep you going once you're in the groove and know what you want to do.
What is the best piece of advice you can offer to someone who wants to tackle a writing project?
Go easy on that delete key. If you're working on a first draft and you're tempted to delete the sentence you just wrote, or the page or the whole damn thing, wait 24 hours. Sometimes, we don't even know the purpose behind our writing until we've had a chance to step away from it.
At what point does a person realize they can call themselves a writer? When did it happen for you?
I think you can call yourself a writer when you realize there is nothing else you'd rather be doing in the world. I personally don't remember a time when I wasn't writing. As soon as I could spell, I was writing. Before then, I told stories. I started calling myself a writer when my fifth grade English teacher told me that's who I was. It just fit me.
Who or where do you look for inspiration when the muse has left the building?
I look for inspiration in other people's words. A phrase in music will get me going. Overhearing a conversation is just the best ever. A sentence from the evening news will rile me up. So I just listen.
How do you determine if a novel, memoir, short story or poem is a success?
For me personally, that moment comes when I get to the end of a sentence and realize that the only thing I want to do is remove my hands from the keyboard and fold them in my lap. It's akin to when you see a pianist raise their hands from the ivories. It's hard to describe, but there's a downbeat inside, a final note, a flourish, and the feeling of a job well done.
For students when I'm working on their manuscripts, if I find that I've read their pages and forgotten totally about editing, but I'm completely immersed in what they've written, that's just heaven.
