I just got back from an all-day writing workshop with Cricket Pechstein, sponsored by Oregon Writers’ Colony. If you ever get a chance to take a class with her–and it’s quite possible, because she does workshops and writers’ conferences all around the country–I highly recommend it.

She’s sharp and funny and well-organized. We covered a lot of material, with writing assignments to practice using the exercises we were learning. The topic was “Writing Aerobics: How to Pump Up Your Writing Muse,” and the key to a number of the exercises was to take two concepts that don’t seem to fit together and write them together for 5-10 minutes. The result can be the beginning of something larger or a way to break through a creative wall.

She’s also planning to bring out a book later this year about pitching your project to an agent or publisher. I’m looking forward to it.