About one year ago, I took my first writing class, “Writing the Novel,” offered in Raleigh in the basement of So So Books, AKA Redbud Writing Project headquarters.

It was a thrill. I didn’t actually share the first chapter of My Novel, mostly because I didn’t have anything I was working on. I’d spent 20+ years as a software engineer, noticed The Redbud Writing Project online, and said, “What the heck?” The only class that was either available or stuck out to me was one on writing a novel.

Now, it’s a year later, and this year, I’ve begun down the same path. First, I retook “Writing the Novel” and actually retained some details and wrote a SUPER rough “novelette,” clocking in at 15k words, lots of fun, and a pile of hot garbage with a couple of scenes I really enjoyed. Second, I’ve been taking (one class remaining) “Fiction I.” This time, it is offered by a different instructor, and it’s like taking a different class. I definitely have learned from both instructors, and retaking has been additive in many ways. Also, the short story I submitted came much easier, and I revised it a bit before forcing it up my class.

“Emotional Support Animal” was the second short story I wrote and revised to the point that I’m pretty happy with it. Looking back at most of my other class submissions, I can clearly see improvement. No one is going to publish my garbage yet, but at least it is revised garbage that makes some sense. Progress.

Last year, my third course was during the Summer four-week session, and I drove to Chapel Hill four times for a shortened version of “Writing Horror” with Matthew Buckley Smith. It was fun. I wrote some very disturbing, unedited stuff, and it was probably the first time I sat down and did what Margaret Atwood suggested.

“Sit down and write the whole thing in one sitting…”

I did take bio breaks, however, and I might have had a snack or two. But it was quite liberating to sit down and bang out 3k words of story hot off the press. I did the same with “Emotional Support Animal,” but I did it early enough to let it sit a week or so before revising. I also submitted it for random critique on Scribophile.

Well, I feel like I’ve already said too much, so in the interest of keeping a little “in the tank” so I can come back in a few weeks and ramble on, I’m going to stop there.