How to Fall Down the Rabbit Hole Without Really Trying, is a course on setting this creativity free and was the centerpiece of the workshop. Hanlon encourages her students to become aware of what is happening in the unconscious mind where characters are first generated, and to be open to the unexpected nature of creativity. Great ideas happen spontaneously. You don't create your characters - they create you. Don't be afraid to play.
Creativity is about going back and becoming a child.
It's important to value and validate your own creativity. Hanlon said successful creators are passionate about their work, and they are risk takers although they don't have to be bungee jumpers. Creative writers who find success are technical experts at their craft, and they are comfortable with failure in that they don't view it as failing. In their minds, they have simply found a technique that doesn't work, Hanlon said. Her workshop was cosponsored by the Georgia Writers and The International Women's Writing Guild.