One of the reasons I enjoy watching TV shows like Project Runway and The Fashion Show is that I too used to design my own clothes. I learned pattern drafting from a Japanese tailor when I lived in Okinawa years ago. Another reason is that the critique sessions by top designers remind me a lot about the writing process. The aspiring designers selected on the show create their own designs according to the criteria they are provided. They compete with one another and after every runway show, a designer is eliminated. By show’s end, there is only one designer left. The process of creating something out of a piece of material (much like a writer creating something on a blank canvas) is intriguing.

What I find most interesting are the critiques offered by top designers in the field. Their comments include all the elements that apply to the writing process. Phrases and words such as vision, point of view, passion, emotion, editing, movement, communication, and thinking outside the box. One top designer voiced the following to one of the competitors. “You’ve written lots of wonderful chapters, but my concern is that at the end of the story, you have lost the storyline.” Wow. It’s all about creativity, passion, and commitment. Like I said, much like the writing process.