full circle

 
Back in 1997 I attended my first Wisconsin Writers Institute.  I had a dream of writing fiction one day. I was raised in a small Midwestern town that instilled a “keep your feet on the ground” approach to life.  Attending the conference was a gift to myself to “someday” work on the dream.

That first conference inspired me to take the next step – to take a writing course.  I knew I needed to work on the basics.  Even Picasso admitted that he first had to learn traditional painting before he could re-define modern art with cubism and other innovations.

I found a class that met once a month in the basement of a local senior center from noon to 1:30 pm.  The instructor was Dr. Laurel Yourke.  Her approach was to teach one craft item and then assign us to write 2-3 pages on any topic that would demonstrate the craft item. 

During each class she selected several to read their piece out loud and then solicit comments from class members.  Dr. Yourke had very strict rules on making comments and suggestions positive and not negative.  Dr. Yourke made comments on each piece that she returned to each person at the close of class.  Most of the class members were already retired, I was the only person still working a full time day job.

I struggled the first year.  Frankly, my writing was terrible.   At the end of the first year Dr. Yourke asked me to consider taking another path and give up writing.  I begged her to give me one more year.  In the second year I worked on writing with more tenacity than anything else I had taken on.  At the close of the year Dr. Yourke told me I was the most improved member of the class.
Since then Dr. Yourke has retired and teaches private classes.  I re-united with her at a conference last fall.  I was proud to give her copies of my Irish Troubles Series.  She invited me to attend her select classes in 2019.

I will be attending what she calls a “weekender” in April with a small number of other students.  I must submit four pages by mid-February.  I have now come full circle with my first writing instructor.  I am honored and delighted to be accepted into her exclusive group of students.  Who could have guessed back in 1998?
​
I have come full circle.