Although the Write-a-Thon is continuing as I type (if you have time to read this, get up and go now!) I wanted to give a first hand account of how the session really helped me breakthrough on a piece I’ve been working on.  I’m a relative newbie to the StoryStudio community, and am still trying to find the balance between my career, my life and carving enough time to work daily on my writing.  I’ve also been trying to get to the next level on a non-fiction essay I’ve been working on for the last four years about a classmate of mine from high school who died in Iraq.  Thanks to the help I received from Winter session’s Creative Writing I with Beth Wetmore, I finally had some direction to take my essay but I needed to sit down and write it.  Oh yeah.  That.

Arriving at StoryStudio this morning I found what I needed to get over the hump—no loud noises, no distractions, a comfy couch, coffee, and blessedly no wireless internet connection.  Which of course I checked the second my computer booted up.  Three and half hours later I doubled my word count and believe I have an interesting place to take my essay.  It’s still in its infancy stages but I look forward to approaching it a little bit everyday, and might even have something to workshop by the next Write-a-Thon.  Look for me on the green couch.