Monday, October 22, 2018

Writing inspired by angels: Dark Angels

Read Time: 2 minutes

I spent a weekend at a writing retreat, something I’ve never done before. There were five of us students and two Dark Angels instructors, Jamie Jauncey and Richard Pelletier.

The Dark Angels, through their courses, provide a safe space for business writers and communications professionals to go deep. To bring their true selves to the page. And to become better writers.

Richard and Jamie are a great team. They were seamless in the way in which they worked back and forth with each other and our group. They encouraged, critiqued and inspired with their combined experience and keen insight. I’d recommend their course to anyone.

They knew how to get the best out of us from the moment we arrived.

I was apprehensive about attending. On the drive down from the airport I worried about my lack of education and short experience as a writer. I worried about how I’d compare to the other attendees, knowing that they would all be professional writers. Something I’m definitely not.

Shortly after arrival we were given our first 5-minute assignment: write the last sentence of an historic novel. I had a moment of butterflies. Dug in to the work and found myself loving every minute of it.

Yes, my colleagues were all professional writers. Yes, they all had training and experience I hadn’t had. But I found them just as concerned that their work wouldn’t measure up as I. I watched as they threw themselves wholly into the exercises. I loved seeing how differently they approached the work  and in their results. I learned as much from interacting and observing as I did from the exercises themselves.

The exercises that Jamie and Richard used not only got the creativity flowing from all of us they created a level playing field where we all excelled.

What did I learn? Well, I gained confidence in my writing from the exercises and the shared experience. I gained a new understanding of the importance of rhythm in my writing. I found that the change of pace from one exercise to another kept me not just engaged, but truly on the edge of my seat throughout the sessions.

Thank you, Dark Angels: Jamie Jauncey and Richard Pelletier

1 Comment

  • Ted: You are the true renaissance man! What you send is always fascinating and arresting, and this is no exception. When you get a minute away from the helm, would love to hear from you. 425-487-9111.

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