Writing workshop an interesting experience

When I was first asked to attend a workshop that would give me the opportunity to work exclusively with Tomson Highway, I was so surprised I hesitated.
Tomson is a funny person who likes to joke a lot. He is also an excellent teacher. He writes plays and got his first big break with The Rez Sisters. He is from a community in northern Manitoba called Brochet.
On the first day, I learned that we, the students, would be writing a play. We were each assigned two scenes, which would end up making two acts of the play. We were also asked to write at least five monologues based on topics ranging from our favourite food to our worst nightmare.
A daily schedule was made where Tomson met with each of the students to assist in fictionalizing our monologues, bringing them to a final draft, and then using them for the scenes we were to write. That started halfway through the workshop, working on the actual play. Although we still had to work on our monologues.
In the end, the aftermath of all our work was Thelma Steals The Key – A Play in Two Acts, Written By The Mahkwa Collective. The play was about a troubled girl whose friend wants to release her from all her pain and suffering.
Writing a play was a lot of fun and easy. I have written plays before in my English class. It’s different from writing essays and stories. When writing a play, I have to add constant direction. I can’t have my characters standing in one spot for a whole scene.
I am more interested in writing novels but I can use what I learned to make my writing more interesting.
The workshop was very beneficial for any writer. What we learned could be used in all types of writing. I learned many things from the renowned playwright. I learned that a “spine” is composed of a subject, a verb and an object, and that it is basically what a play will be about. I learned to convert my writing into music for the audience using the “Rhythm of The Syllable.” There are many other things I learned that I can’t remember, but they will automatically be applied to my written works.
However, being the young, naïve, rookie I am (as a writer), I did not expect having to put so much work into writing.
We, the students, also became friends and will surely remember the weekend in good thoughts.
I know I will remember the karaoke, the generous meals, the cozy accommodations, the unsavory comments made during supper that threatened to destroy your appetite, and what I learned from Tomson Highway and the fact that he took the time to work with us, The Mahkwa Collective.