It's very unnerving to get thrown into a pool of strangers and being told to write and share. I went to a youth writing workshop for two weeks where we had to write between six and ten pages of something each week and submit it for workshop. The first week, I was a wreck because I'd written something I hated because there hadn't been enough time to execute it properly. I was terrified that everyone would wonder how exactly I'd come to be there. The second week, I had written six pages of something I loved (and felt I'd redeemed myself) but because it was four random scenes from a larger story that wasn't finished, nobody could properly critique it. And because we were all strangers and kids, it was hard to have heart-to-hearts about writing since everyone just wanted to have fun and get to know each other.

In retrospect, the best part was having two weeks and being forced to do nothing but concentrate on writing. It's luxurious. Iowa City is such a great place for it too... Most people are baffled when I say I wouldn't mind staying there for awhile, as it's thought of as a backwater compared to New York, but they don't understand the kind of feeling there. It's very encouraging of writers and writing in general.