Please read that post title in the voice of your preferred version of Star Trek’s Dr. McCoy.
This is a continuation of my earlier post about celebration. In my MFA program, I’m currently in Speculative Fiction Writing I – only a few days in and it’s glorious. I take forever to get the actual assignments done. However, unlike the Business of Writing class this isn’t because I don’t want to do them, it’s because there’s SO MUCH to do and SO MUCH to learn. (In fact, it probably took me 1/3 of the time to do the assignments for that class because I just wanted to get them over with.) For this class, I’d like to take the time to pour over every single required and suggested resource, to do every exercise for every character I’ve ever written or want to write. (Seriously, a suggestion that you use the Myers-Briggs personality test to help you write complex characters kept me busy for an hour.) I’ve already noted a laundry list of additional resources from the required readings that I want to explore when I can and, again, that’s just in a few days.
I am giddy with it. I can’t wait to write more and learn more and do more. The business side of things is a practical thing to know – and useful if you want to make money and share your work with the world – but to me it is pure necessary evil.
I want to write stories.
Jenel Alan 