Writing - A New Phase

 I've had the good fortune to take some Writing classes this past year. The "purpose" based approach and the peer and teacher feedback has been very satisfying. At the same time, the pieces now feel a little raw. I have a greater appreciation of edits and rewrites. The unedited pieces are still my favorites despite all their flaws. I probably haven't edited the others properly! As in all forms of hand crafting - I'm still spinning wildly across the various phases of editing and rewrites from "first draft", "good enough", "Don't ruin it", "just start over". Perhaps the classes will help me find the "STOP NOW" spot, 

I took my first class "Flash Fiction. Tell a story in 750 Words or less" in the Fall of 2024.  This spring it was Potpourri Prose - examples of writing from different prompts or forms of writing. And here we are in the Fall of 2025 experimenting with Braided Essays. All under the guidance of Jane Seitel at OLLI - a master poet and writer. 

These classes have helped me re focus on writing and helped me connect with some really good writers. Their inputs and feedback have been very useful in my writing and editing journey. Jane's inputs have always been focused and insightful, encouraging me to remove the chaff from the wheat of my writing. I'm loving it all. 

Here is a collection of my class homework in various stages of polish, starting with the current class and going back to previous modules. 

Braided Essays 

We're doing these from Sept - Nov 2025. I am struggling with this form - the idea is to write in a non-linear fashion - apparently disparate pieces that interweave and come together in one beautiful braid.  There is a part of my brain that does not want to let go of the linear, logical progression of the story. But I shall become a poet yet!!!

To Be Posted: Week 1 Essay - When Life Gives You Lemons

Women Wearing White  Updated 10/28 with Nidhi P inputs

The Teacups

Partition

Out of Gas

I'd Rather Be King

Am I Home? updated 10/28 with class feedback

Potpourri Prose - Different forms of Writing 

This is from February of 2025

Barking Up The Wrong Tree - Story illustrating an Idiom

The PERM - Scientific Report

Sugar is Bad - Informercial

The Wolf Returns - Screenplay

Flash Fiction - Writing stories in under 1000 words

My first writing class with Jane Seitel of OLLI at Duke. Sept - Nov 2024

The Bodies 

Some Older Stuff

The Bougainvillea

I look forward to seeing input, feedback and reactions from friends and family, helping me hone this craft to wherever it goes.