Writing Class Wrap-Up

Well, I finished up my creative writing class last night. It was a great evening. Each participant got to go around and read the first page of his or her short story then the class continued to finish the story silently.
I got to go first. It was a bit intimidating but I was grateful for the opportunity to begin our time together by reading the first page of my story. I have been working on this particular story for about a month now and reading it to the class out loud was like meeting an old friend for lunch. I knew the story but saying the words out loud brought it to life in a new way for me.
I received good feedback from the instructor and my classmates. I sometimes wish my classmates would have given me more feedback than they did. I think we were all afraid to be critical. I tried to be open and honest with my opinions about my fellow writers' work but I suppose I did hold back some. I am a very slow reader and I don't always have very good comprehension on the first read. I think I let this get in the way of making comments that might have been helpful to my classmates.
I shared my short story with my friend Mari over the weekend and with the Executive Director at work today. I got some positive feedback from both of them and that felt good. I still feel a bit vulnerable when I share my writing with others. I guess this is part of the process though. If you're interested, I would be glad to have you read my story and get your feedback. Just send me an email and I will send it to you.
I am seriously thinking of taking the second class in this series. It would start later in January so I still have some time to think about it. I think that it is what I need to keep moving forward with my writing. The class keeps me disciplined. It's good for me to have deadlines.
I have already started on another story. I'm not sure if it will develop into a short story or a longer form. Writing a novel overwhelms me when I think about it. There's some comfort in the short story format but I want to be open to wherever my ideas and creativity take me.
I am ever grateful to God for allowing me to take this first writing class. It was the right step at the right time for me. I feel alive in new ways when I am expressing myself through the written word. It helps me to process and reflect up my life. It helps me to share what's on my mind and engage the world through the written world. I guess that's also why I write this blog.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!