Reclaiming the

by Lucy Shopen    Just over one year ago, I started working at IEW in the customer service department. A month before I began, I was excitedly conversing with one of my sisters about the position I was about start. "You're working at a writing company? When you can't write?" my sister inquired. My soul shrank. Oh gracious! What have I gotten myself into? Needless to say, I was just on this side of slightly terrified, but I needn’t have worried. Help was on the way! Perhaps I should explain. Growing up, I attended a small, private high school where our teacher invested twenty years of her life teaching most of the major subjects. While she was a dedicated instructor, I still struggled with writing. I had bits and pieces of useful information and tools she had taught me through the years, but pulling it all together in a cohesive manner always seemed beyond me. I had no reliable structure to apply her tools to when I wrote. Good writing eluded me. If your story sounds anything like mine, there is a solution with Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS). It was my missing piece. I found that out this past year when I had the unexpected opportunity to re-learn how to write, this time with IEW. Now I no longer avoid writing for the public (case in point, this blog post!) or design excuses about what I’ve written for those reading my work. I still sometimes struggle to find the right questions to ask myself, but now the structure I’ve learned through IEW has given me a game plan! It’s reassuring to discover that there is a logical structure to use when I compose. It’s a huge help! Before I write, I like to begin by laying out my paper, selecting a favorite pen, and numbering the page. Those seemingly small steps eliminate a great deal of my tension and strife. I usually find that within twenty minutes I have made a solid start in my writing and have a clear direction about where I’m headed. Not only that, but I’ve had fun, too! Who would have thought it was possible, and even enjoyable? I still have much to learn, but each step I take closes the gap and brings my confidence back! Teaching Writing: Structure and Style is not only easy to use; it also instills confidence in the learner because it’s so understandable. It certainly increased my confidence! Take back your writing! It is worth it and can even be fun. I’m living proof!    Lucy Shopen  is the youngest of seven. She homeschooled for many years and went on to receive her BFA in Dance from the University of Kansas. Since then she has worked in Kansas, traveled Europe and Great Britain, and been a small chicken farmer, au pair, dance teacher, and missionary. She has now happily landed in Oklahoma and is excited to work with the IEW Customer Service team.