Welcome !

Welcome to your first session of the Advanced Fiction Topics Workshop. If you're here, then you have made it safely inside the password protected area. Everything that goes on here is among supportive friends, fellow writers and writing professionals who are here to help you achieve your writing goals. This is a safe area where you can relax, learn and grow. Leave your baggage at the door, come on in, sit down and relax.

From the looks of you, you've had some things on your mind lately. Haven't we all? Tell you what, close your eyes for thirty seconds or so, take a long, deep breath, think of something soothing and relaxing to you, and come back ready to embark on a great experience.

Did you do it? No? Then, let's do it together. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, think of something soothing and relaxing. A warm summer day. A crackling winter's fire. Lying on the beach listening to the waves. Whatever is good for you. Hold the thought until you feel the effect come over you. This really works.

Now, we're ready to go on, unhampered by thoughts of whatever may have been going on in the crazy world outside this quiet area.

Make yourself at home. Look around a little. Find out where things are. Whatever is here is yours to use.

Introductions

You might want to start by introducing yourself to the other members of the workshop. Send an email message to the class addressed to the Advanced Fiction Discussion List. Tell us something about yourself, your writing experience and your goals. The discussion list is private, available only to participants of this workshop. Tell us whatever you feel comfortable sharing.

Basic Rules of the Road

We're all here to learn, to grow and to help each other. To get the most benefit from these workshops you need to participate actively. The workshops have been designed to produced the maximum impact for you through your involvement with your own thoughts and your own writing. Engagement is critical for you.

The practice, the discussion, the commitment of your own thoughts to paper (as it were) have the effect of internalizing and integrating the concepts and knowledge into your thoughts and writing. If you just sit back and observe, you will not come away from these workshops with the greatest benefit to you.

You have our pledge that we will maintain a supportive atmosphere. You may express your thoughts and ideas with the assurance that they will be received with respect, so long as they are offered with respect for the other members of the workshop.

This web site is about writing and nothing else. Be civil, be considerate. We are here to help each other to grow and to flower, not to experience pain and wither. Anything worth saying can be said in a way that does not harm sensitive emotions. Considerate, helpful observations and suggestions are welcome. Harshness and demeaning comments will not be tolerated.

Enough said. Use these resources to your advantage. Look forward to a great writing and workshop experience.

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