Thursdays with Chari

If you’re a creative writer and you haven’t written anything literary for some time, it’s time to let some outside force push you to do so. For some, it’s joining NaNoWriMo and try to finish a novel in a month’s time. I, on the other hand, enrolled in another fiction-writing class (and Ph.D.-level, no less!), this time under the always-interesting Rosario Cruz Lucero, this semester.

I have to: not only did I fail to complete an earlier penalty course (American Literature: 1900-1943) in a year’s time, I also need to come up with new stories to include in my masteral thesis, which I’m currently working on. And if yesterday—my first day of class—was any indication, I’m sure I’ll come up with one or two, but it’s not going to be easy. Then again, who says creative writing is easy?

Still, I think I’m going to have a good time in this class, even with all the readings and requirements. After all, Chari can be quite entertaining (and she was, yesterday) and I have good friends (and Dumaguete co-fellows) like Janet Villa and BJ Patiño for classmates.

All in all, so far so good. Next week, Janet and I (plus another classmate) will be offering our stories for discussion. That’ll be something to be excited (or, gulp, nervous) about.

UPDATE (Friday, November 18, 2005):

Janet and I finally had our stories workshopped in class yesterday. The way Chari read them with a very sharp critical eye, the way she candidly commented on them without sounding like a mean bitch--it was a very humbling, very ego-deflating, but very enlightening experience. We were way too busy writing notes to pay attention to what we were feeling. And when we did, on the way home, we actually felt grateful, but decided not to touch our stories for a while, perhaps for a month.

This is going to be a looooong semester.