Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Back to school!

2012 is going to be a year of re-studying craft. I took advantage of the free writing books Kindle made available in late 2011 (I posted a link on my FB page, which I often do - to keep up, click Like on my FB badge at right). I'll be working my way through these four and posting a bit about them.

I'm also going to revisit the text of Robert McKee's Story, which I never quite made it through before. He's an amazing instructor, I hear, but since I can't afford to shell out thousands for his seminar, the book will have to do for now.

You've probably heard of Margie Lawson, whose deep editing classes are legendary. I recently purchased two class packets: Empowering Characters' Emotions and Deep Editing.

I completed the first file of Empowering Characters' Emotions this weekend. In it, Margie had slipped a little test. An evaluation of her student's brain - left brain (strong or moderate), whole brain, or right (moderate or strong). I tried to skim around it, but found the rest of the lesson depended on the answer. So I went through the exercise.

Yep, I'm a strong right brainer (explains the attempt to skim!). 

If you're curious, I found a few tests online you can take to determine your left- or right-brainedness: try The Art Institute of Vancouver.

This image of a dancer has made the web rounds, and is supposed to determine left vs. right brain, but I still see her change directions mid-spin, for whatever that's worth.

At any rate, I digress (a trait of right brainers?). I'm looking forward to completing Margie's class. Thankfully, she provides an alternate system of highlighting edits for right brainers, or I'd have been hung up on that. 

Ms. Lawson also visited Romance University with some helpful tips. I'm glad to hear she's developed some new courses too. But that means I have fewer excuses now not to keep cracking the books!

My belief is that education's a lifelong pursuit. Like Michelangelo, I want to be in my nineties and declare: I am still learning. There's no such thing as perfection, after all. I probably won't have it tattooed on my arm, though. :)