Taking a Class; Not Taking a Class

“Love has its own time, its own season, and its own reasons for coming and going. You cannot bribe it or coerce it or reason it into staying. You can only embrace it when it arrives and give it away when it comes to you.” - Kent Nerburn

Write Now Newsletter offers classes, writing groups and other opportunities to learn from and commune with writers. But when is it time to take a class and when is it time to stay home and write? When do we need to hear something new or to hear someone remind us of things we had forgotten? When do we need silence, long walks with the dog, and each of our own voices telling us where to push forward and when to pull back? I ask myself these questions often.

The rhythm of my class taking and time spent with other writers varies. I've enjoyed attending classes with many instructors. It's a pleasure to meet new writers and share time with a professional who's living the life I hope to live. At other times I don't need yet another voice telling me how to write or giving me tips on how to get the writing done. It's a balance. I look inside and see. Is it time to be inspired by someone else or do I need to inspire myself?

Right now I'm taking two on-line classes. I download the self-paced lessons and read them. I post questions on-line for others to answer. And, I do the work. When I’m finished, I go back on-line and let everyone know how I’m doing. Because these courses require actual work on the manuscript, it feels like I’m splitting the difference.

How do you balance taking classes with the pen to paper or fingers to keyboard work of putting words on the page? If you'd like, please leave a comment below.

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