Attending a Writer’s Workshop:
Author Chloe Benjamin’s Writerly, Bookish “Breakfast Club.”
“But there’s a growing sense, culturally and internally, that it’s okay for me to do this in the way that’s as healthy and fulfilling — and frankly joyful — as possible. I’ve become passionate about encouraging other artists to find ways of creating that are emotionally and physically sustainable.”
- Chloe Benjamin in an interview for The Cut.
There are many different ways that writerly people gather, create, and learn from one-another.
My first experience with a Writer’s Workshop happened in 2018. Before I enrolled to pursue my BA English with History and Writing minors at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College as a distance student.
It was a fluke that I signed up for the event — I had heard that the Friends for the Library I was a volunteer board member for were considering seeking an Author’s Visit for a Friend’s of the Library Event. When I looked up the author they mentioned, I recognized her from my TBR list:
The Immortalists author, Chloe Benjamin.
Upfront, it’s always good to know what type of event you’re attending and what the amenities will be.
For Chloe’s event, there was an initial $500 fee that included the event — an all-day workshop, centered around discussing the publishing industry for professional and aspiring writers — held at an indie-bookstore called Arcadia Books of Spring Green, WI that has now become a family favorite, we visit as much as we can.
Attendees would also receive a How-to Guide booklet of curated methods from Chloe that outlined what turned out to be less like a workshop, but more like a course.
As a graduate of Vassar College, who attained her M.F.A. in Fiction at University of Wisconsin, and being a writer working in the industry, I was so excited to hear Chloe’s perspective — but also, admittedly — intimidated.
With money I’d just received from my taxes, I splurged on the workshop and my first-ever laptop computer. It was a refurbed Lenovo gaming computer — but it was Word-compatible, so I was happy.
The event was held in the Spring Green, with part of the day spent at the local Public Library and the remainder of the day at Arcadia Books.
I soon learned, the attendees were a broad array of authors with a variety of hopes and dreams:
- Ben was a high school teacher interested in writing YA fiction. He was working on a vampire novel, at the time.
- Jacki was pursuing her master’s degree while compiling research for a work of nonfiction about her family’s roots, ancestry, and perhaps unearthing some dirt about her hometown. This was the first person to insist on paying me for my work (insert link to blog post about self-published book).
- Jennie enjoyed reading historical fiction while not working her daytime corporate job in Chicago, Ill. I was not surprised when she had already read my book recommendation for her (being a fan of historical fic, myself) of Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network.
· Chloe Benjamin acted as our ringleader or bookish fairy godmother, as this workshop was really a dream for all of us who attended.
For some of us, a large hurtle for beginning to take ourselves seriously about our writing is our belief in ourselves.
Through her gentle guidance and advice, Chloe compassionately cheered us on with humor and grace.
As I’ve had more experience working with people in the writing industry, I realize that this benevolence is a choice.
I’ve experienced it with some of my Creative Writing Professors during college since — shoutout to Professor Singer at SMWC!
I’ve kept in touch with Chloe since the Writer’s workshop through her blog; including collaborating to plan an Author’s visit, & running into each other on Twitter. Only writers (or creatives) could bond over discussing floral detailing found in old copies of peeling, vintage hardback books.
This was the essence of our experience at the Writer’s Workshop that day.
We got to explore the beautiful indie bookshop, Arcadia Books. We ate a delicious lunch there at the Paper Crane Café, housed inside the bookshop.
We shared our experiences, nervously and tentatively at first. But then we relaxed into the company of our people — bookish people. Writers.
I remember when I made the tough decision to cancel the library event. Even though Chloe was willing to reschedule a third time, during covid.
At the time, I think I could relate to her being ambitious, caring oh so much about people, and we both tended to overextend ourselves.
I remember how hurt I was when the Friends of the Library scoffed at Ms. Benjamin’s reduced author visit fee (thinking it was too pricey), because I had another writer pen-pal (Mrs. Celia Rees, a childhood hero and writer from across the pond) who was willing to do her virtual event for free out of kindness.
Both women writers were going out of their way for these events, so I couldn’t understand the Friends of the Library’s dismissive behavior.
Being on this committee, I tried my best to advocate. But when cancellation came up because of Covid-19, it seemed a welcome out.
This experience taught me that while some of these assumptions may have occurred because these people were out-of-touch with the writing & publishing community — maybe it also happened because sometimes life offers us mirrors, in the form of people.
I learned so much about my own boundaries during this time, and making sure I was honoring these.
It reminded me of Chloe’s urging at her event three years before — know your worth and expect to be paid for your time and your writing.
Because so many people will try to invalidate this for you, and consider your profession a mere hobby, or a bit of fun.
Because the first and only person that needs to give you permission to write is yourself. But we’re learning that — I’m still learning, every day.
This year, I’ve caught up with Chloe and realized that at about the same time I cancelled that event — working two nearly full-time jobs and taking college courses while volunteering for the Library Friends and the Board — that Chloe was keeping just as busy with her book tour and writing at the time.
She has spoken recently on burnout and the emotional and physical tolls that exhaustion can take.
Read about Chloe’s candid discussion with writer Danielle Cohen for The Cut in the article,
“The High Point of My Career Came With a Physical Breakdown.”
Chloe shared:
“I do feel aware that I’m a slower writer than a lot of writers I know, and sometimes I feel my ambition activate when I look at other writers publishing more frequently.
But there’s a growing sense, culturally and internally, that it’s okay for me to do this in the way that’s as healthy and fulfilling — and frankly joyful — as possible.
I’ve become passionate about encouraging other artists to find ways of creating that are emotionally and physically sustainable.”
So, in this way, I’m still learning from Chloe.
The migraines she speaks of having were something I suspected ailed her at the workshop. But she barely said a word (although, us writerly observant-types can just tell). Still — she was so kind and patient with her writer-fledglings.
Chloe quoted me in the group chat after the event, as all who attended pledged to stay in touch — I had said at the time, the event was:
“my daydream of a writerly, bookish
version of The Breakfast Club … a magical thing!”
