Taos Day 4

Blogging now feels like a high-wire act, since my computer continues to crash erratically. It seems to be a hardware problem, not a software one. It is an old, much-used computer. Even with a new external cooler fan, it wheezes like an asthmatic boiler. It may be time to buy a new one.



Today in class we did three stories and had two lectures, a process that consumed nearly five hours. I talked about writing in scenes and Walter talked about plotting. Below is the class assembled for critique sessions. Note two things about this: Everyone works on a laptop. Paper is obsolete (except for me). Second, this is one of the few rooms at the ski lodge not lavishly decorated with moose, elk and bear. Elsewhere, animals cavort across rugs, pillows, bedspreads, serving bowls. It's like writing in a frozen zoo.

Memorable quotes from today's critiques:

"Why didn't his friends notice that he'd turned into a massive dick?"

"What do two hats do together?"

"I'm having trouble doing just one thing simultaneously."