Comments on: Those Who Can Do (I Hope) Teach Too

By: K Mittan

K Mittan — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:46:26 +0000

Hi Clint – Just wanted to let you know I appreciated both your time and your insights at the LUW chapter meeting last week. I’ve been so busy passing around your thoughts, second hand, to friends who didn’t make it to the meeting that I’ve been remiss about expressing my gratitude. Please forgive.
I did and do appreciate your advice. I took copious notes – because I’m an inveterate note taker and also because you had experience and information to share that was valuable to all of us who were willing to listen.
I also appreciated your encouragement out in the parking lot after the meeting. I am thinking about what you said. It’s funny how teaching in church or a public school doesn’t faze me but the idea of trying to teach something to people who know so much more than I do is terrifying. However, I also realize one learns by teaching so I will put a presentation together. It will be a good exercise for me. Now I’ll have to ‘gird up my loins, fresh courage take’ and think about actually giving the presentation once it’s assembled.
Thank you, again, for your advice and encouragement.

By: Clint

Clint — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:01:41 +0000

Ah, Tom, you offer a fine—and anything but uncommon—example of how small professional spheres are with your tale from the realm of academia. That is a plane of existence with strange rules all its own. I’ve told numerous friends that I’m not a good candidate for an MFA, no matter what they say, because I’m far too opinionated and recalcitrant to make it that far without major bloodletting along the way—mine and other people’s.

As for other artistic mediums, you’re right that some allow better immediate feedback to the artist. Performative arts, certainly, and those designed to be processed in a concentrated amount of time. Talking shop is often the best we writers can do.

By: Clint

Clint — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:52:39 +0000

Thanks, L.T. I’m confident in my writing, I suppose. (I think the only writers who are always confident are delusional and egomaniacal.) But it’s easier to be confident in my teaching because of the wealth of positive immediate feedback I’ve received—like this comment! So thanks for always having a good word to say. I appreciate it.

By: Clint

Clint — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:21:24 +0000

I’m glad it was worth your time, Debbie. There’s a lot to writing fantasy, so learn from whatever source you can, but here’s the single most important lesson about transitioning genres: all good stories are far more similar than different. If you know how to write a truly good story, you can learn to write a good story in any genre. I hope to see you around in the future.

By: Clint

Clint — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:16:08 +0000

It’s strange, isn’t it, the commonality that can be found in feelings of isolation…. Well, it’s part of the gig. I’ll look for you at LTUE.

By: Tom Abbott

Tom Abbott — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:19:55 +0000

That was a very good presentation you gave on networking. I’m at the point right now where I’ve heard most of the writing do’s and don’ts, so this was very refreshing and different. I took notes and posted them on my blog: http://forgefire.blogspot.com/2010/01/dos-and-donts-of-networking.html

I know what you are talking about when you say writing is a solitary art. In music or painting, your audience can participate passively, but reading requires your audience to sit and spend time with your work–something that it is very difficult to get them to do. If I ever give people advice, I tell them to join a writer’s group. As a writer at any level, it’s often the only way you’ll get anyone at all to read your work.

By: L.T. Elliot

L.T. Elliot — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 07:21:39 +0000

I’ve attended a class of yours (and a personal workshop) so I can vouch for your teaching ability. You can teach up a storm, Clint. You can write too. See you at LTUE, where isn’t so solitary after all. =]

By: Debbie Nance

Debbie Nance — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:15:41 +0000

Hi! I’m one of the people who attended the LUW meeting on networking. I wanted to thank you for your presentation there, and also for your comments at Rick Walton’s Wednesday night class at BYU. I’ve been writing for several years but recently switched genres so I’m trying to learn everything I can about writing fantasy. I appreciate you sharing very helpful your ideas.

By: Abby Higley

Abby Higley — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:20:57 +0000

Thank you very much for this post. It embodies a lot of what I’ve been feeling, as I’m sure many others have been feeling. So thank you, once again, for your inspiring words of wisdom. I’ll be sure to come say hello at LTUE. See you soon!