New lessons, too

I'll also write about things that I think I've never learned before, or have had reinforced in new ways, when I've had opportunities to learn.

 Had one of those yesterday at a writing workshop that followed a morning of planting cedar trees. First workshop I've ever taken with muddy knees.

Ana Marie Spagna told us that the best stories tell more than one story at once, and I heartily agree.

She also disagreed somewhat with one if the basic bits of advice many of us have been given: conflict, conflict, conflict!

Her take is that literary fiction can be about connections.  I liked that, because what I remember from many of the deeply significant works I've read has not been the conflict -- which often existed -- but the connections forced or forged during the process. Conflict at some level was doubtless part of the work, but the focus was the connection.

That was something I don't believe I've learned elsewhere before, but I'm sure someone will remind me otherwise at some point.