I’ve attended a LOT of writing workshops. A LOT.
What can I say? I’m an appalling swot.
I’ve learned something from all those tutors, and frequently disseminate such knowledge as I glean.
Janet Skeslien Charles, author of Moonlight in Odessa, was one such tutor. Oddly, despite her sage input forming the bulk of my very first post on this blog, I couldn’t share much of her insightful advice. Because her coaching and critiques were entirely personal. There were fifteen of us at that session and each of us went away with several valuable pointers as to how to make our own work shine. One size does not fit all.
Not only an superb teacher, but she delivers the goods. Janet’s book, Moonlight in Odessa, appealed to me on several levels. She delivers cultural nuggets with subtlety, she doesn’t judge a character’s choices, she respects convention while avoiding cliché and best of all , she writes strong women who make mistakes. And she’s funny.
Even more admirable, she’s now promoting the French translation of her book … in French.
She’s someone I greatly admire and feel puffed and chuffed and glowing after she interviewed me for her own blog.
Thank you for everything, Janet.