Workshop 4

Today's workshop had five participants. We wrote on the prompt, "Write about a first love." I instructed participants to not write about a person. Participants wrote for a little over fifteen minutes. One participant gave his story orally to Karen. After we had written I talked a little about the difference between concrete and abstract language. Concrete words are the words you experience with your senses— the stuff you can see, smell, taste, etc. Abstract words, on the other hand, are words we experience only in your mind. Like Freedom. "What does freedom smell like?" I asked. "Freedom smells like potpourri." He said. "Exactly!" We use concrete words, like potpourri, to explain or show abstract concepts, like freedom. Participants read their stories. We gave each other positive feedback.

First Love
By Nancy

My first true passion when I was 14 years old was gymnastics. My father encouraged me tremendously—private lessons. Then my love of horses—my father bought me a mare and encouraged me with private lessons. He wanted to steer me away from things that would not be positive and tried everything he could think of.

Unfortunately, it took me til when I lost him to know how hard he tried and truly loved me. I never can forgive myself but I know we forgive each other. My father was a police officer—a narcotics detective. He saw what happened to others and tried to protect me with a broken heart.