"I'd like to thank the academy???"

Holy Crap! I can't believe it's been two weeks since my last post. Not sure what my excuse is, which really means I don't have one. Guess I just haven't had much to say.

I have been working on my writing, although not as much as I'd like. I am heading toward the end of an online writing class, and I am disappointed with it, so far. I have accomplished the goal of focusing more on my writing, though, so that is a good thing that has come out of it. The experience just isn't what I expected it to be: i.e., getting detailed feedback about my submitted work, having online discussions about our work, etc. Then again, I didn't pay a lot for this course, so it may be a getting my money's worth.

There are a few classes I've been looking at for quite some time, but they are EXPENSIVE! I'm talking to the tune of hundreds of dollars. However, most of these classes are either through an established college or other reputable writing instruction program. Still, it may be better to take one or two of these classes and really get something out of my work, compared to dropping smaller amounts more often and walking away disappointed.

I have been more active in my online writing group and a comment that a fellow member gave me has stirred up some conflicted feelings. He read the first chapter of a fiction book I'm working on and said he really enjoyed it; however (there's always a but, right?) he thought my work lended itself more to screenplays than novels. This is something that I've been struggling with for a while. The majority of my writing does center around dialogue, whether its to give the reader a clear picture of the characters or moving the story along. A number of people have made given me this feedback and so I'm really wondering if this is something I should pursue more. I have a few screenplay books and have been on the verge of sitting down and cranking something out. It's all just so foreign to me, and it's kinda scary. I have an idea for a project to "get my feet" wet, but won't say much more about it until I make a committed decision. Just when I think I know what I'm doing, I discover that I really am clueless! LOL But, it sure does make my writing life a bit more interesting!