I do. I tend to work on something until it’s 85% finished and then I get distracted by something new and I wander off. The result is piles of writing pieces growing stale in my computer folders, projects into which I’ve invested a significant amount of time and energy.
Why is it challenging to finish? For me, it’s relatively easy to make something, but much harder to make something amazing. My perfectionism has me going around and around without ever being satisfied. Finishing also means that I’ll then have to expose myself to potential criticism and rejection.
But it’s important for me to finish because I want to communicate with the world. I want to share my thoughts and feelings with other souls. I want to know the satisfaction of creating something beautiful and setting it free.
I had so much fun facilitating my recent micro-memoir workshop, and I love to work with others through issues that are hard to face alone, so I’m offering a new writing circle called Finishing Together. In this 5-session workshop, we will:
identify pieces that we want to share with the world
set intentions and depend on each other for accountability
discuss revision tips to help us deepen and enliven our writing
share our work and receive kind and helpful feedback
finish and release our writing!
Finishing Together: getting our writing ready to release
Week of May 6 - Week of June 3, 2024
5 Mondays from 7:00 to 9:00pm EST
- OR -
5 Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30am EST
On Zoom (recordings available) $200
If you are interested, please let me know by Saturday, April 20 whether you would prefer Monday evenings or Thursday mornings by replying to this email or using my website contact form. (If you are interested but neither works, feel free to propose another time).
This workshop is for anyone writing in any genre. If you are working on a book, you could submit portions or chapters. My goal is to finish 6 to 12 micro-memoirs or flash essays. (For work we are seeking feedback on, we will most likely set a word count limit depending on the number of participants.)
For those who are interested in submitting their work to literary magazines, I will also be offering a corollary workshop later this year called Submitting Together. If you’d like to be informed when it launches, please let me know at amysuardi at-sign gmail dot com.
I hope you will join me for this energizing, supportive, and productive workshop. Let’s set our writing free!
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I think there’s a big difference between “finishing” an essay and “completing “ it. Once one has written all one has to say on a subject, I think the piece has to be allowed sit for an indeterminate period of time before coming back and seeing it with fresh eyes, with a design to further polish it. This may be a period of weeks or even months, but the angst of dissatisfaction should never be allowed to cloud one’s happiness on a piece of artistic accomplishment!