I think I had a lightning in a bottle moment tonight.
I planned on going to a writers’ workshop after work. In true horror movie fashion, there was a darkening sky followed by a storm a few hours earlier.
I’m sure that this happening before attending a writers workshop at a horror bookstore was only a coincidence.
I decompress after work before heading over. Thankfully, the weather held up. I arrive and everyone in attendance as well as the shop owners chat a bit before we introduce ourselves and our writing prompt.
I don’t bring a laptop, only a small notebook and pen. Paper was provided, and as I read our topic on a whiteboard, the room is silent for about an hour. I don’t stop writing.
After 4 and a half pages of feverishy scribbling out a rant regarding a loud and inconsiderate neighbor and turning it into a true crime creepy doll story, my cramped hand puts the pen down and it hits me how stiff my wrist and fingers are as I think about how in this day and age, we live on laptops and the autocorrect of our phones. There was no AI prompt to what I was doing and I kind of impressed myself.
We were then asked if we want to read.
Oh shit…..
I don’t know how I manage to get the ball rolling, but I do it. I read my very very poor handwriting. What’s more, the group seemed to like it. I was even told that there was a lot of polish to it, and that it didn’t come across as a prompted first draft.
I had a lot of rejection letters and busy schedules. My writing took a backseat. I tried to revitalize my motivation a little when I asked my ex to read a finished work, but he would not. Those red flags are a subject for another time, or another writers prompt. There was something about this event that felt very right, much like my knitting group, book club and later the podcast network I joined.
I don’t know if this story was a one time lightning in the bottle miracle, but it worked. I like making a good first impression as anyone would, but I also like that writing can be a voice for people like myself who aren’t always verbose, who can be talked over. Either way, I should at least type it out this weekend. Did I mention my shitty handwriting?