FALL DATES:
Tuesdays, 6-8 p..m. ET via Zoom
September 15, 22, 29; October 13, 20; November 3, 10, 17
SUMMER DATES:.
Tuesdays, June 9—July 27, 6-8 p.m. ET via Zoom SOLD OUT
This summer and fall, we’re teaching The Magic of Memoir & Storytelling, an eight-week workshop devoted to writing short stories, personal essays, novels and memoirs. This workshop takes inspiration from Joyce Carol Oates’ Master Class, The Art of the Short Story, but we will spend as much time reading and writing fiction as we do nonfiction.
What to expect from this course: Writers can submit up to 40 pages, double-spaced, in 14-point type, for line edits, written feedback and class discussion. We will meet once a week, for 8 weeks, via Zoom.
The eight weeks will be divided as follows:
Week 1: Intro and Principles of Storytelling
Focus on Critical Characters, Write About Pivotal Events, Burn Through the First Draft, Revise Relentlessly, Weigh Story and Language, Protect Your Time, Practice Finishing, Capitalize on Rejection
Week 2: Journals—Observing the World
Sharpen Your Powers of Observation, Write at Odd Hours, Capture Your Day Dreams, Make Checklists and Details
Week 3: Exploring Taboos and Darkness
Face the Darkest Elements, Write Taboo Subjects Elliptically, Your Darkness Has an Audience)
Week 4: Structure and Form
Be Bold With Form, Experiments in Structure, Assembling Structure Like Memories, Write Visual Art
Week 5: Writing the Familiar
Revisit Your Childhood Influences, Interview a Family Member, Protect Your Subjects, An Unsolved Mystery is a Thorn in the Heart
Week 6: Form Study—Miniature Narrative
William Carlos Williams’ “The Use of Force,” Flash Fiction, Keep the Language Simple, Dream Logic, Work Towards a Delicate Ending
Week 7: Form Study—Short Monologue
Joyce Carol Oates’ “Lethal,” Escalate the Tension, Write from a New Perspective, Point of View
Week 8: Story Study—Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
Death and the Maiden, Smooth Talk, Choosing a Point of View, True Crime and Sinister Charms, When Connie’s Two Selves Collide, End Your Story: When You’ve Said Enough
FIND WAYS TO LOCK IN AND SUPPORT YOUR WRITING PRACTICE:
Figure out how to get the best out of your writing self, then put yourself on a schedule with reasonable short-term deadlines and concrete long term goals.
Set the timer or ask Alexis to set it for you and then write for that allotted time. We guarantee, you’ll want more!
Keep your butt glued to your chair. Don’t let the paint dry. Don’t leave your story alone for so long that you forget what your protagonist’s name is. Revise your work until it’s done.
FALL DATES:
Tuesdays, 6-8 p..m. ET via Zoom
September 15, 22, 29; October 13, 20; November 3, 10, 17
SUMMER DATES:.
Tuesdays, June 9—July 27, 6-8 p.m. ET via Zoom SOLD OUT
This summer and fall, we’re teaching The Magic of Memoir & Storytelling, an eight-week workshop devoted to writing short stories, personal essays, novels and memoirs. This workshop takes inspiration from Joyce Carol Oates’ Master Class, The Art of the Short Story, but we will spend as much time reading and writing fiction as we do nonfiction.
What to expect from this course: Writers can submit up to 40 pages, double-spaced, in 14-point type, for line edits, written feedback and class discussion. We will meet once a week, for 8 weeks, via Zoom.
The eight weeks will be divided as follows:
Week 1: Intro and Principles of Storytelling
Focus on Critical Characters, Write About Pivotal Events, Burn Through the First Draft, Revise Relentlessly, Weigh Story and Language, Protect Your Time, Practice Finishing, Capitalize on Rejection
Week 2: Journals—Observing the World
Sharpen Your Powers of Observation, Write at Odd Hours, Capture Your Day Dreams, Make Checklists and Details
Week 3: Exploring Taboos and Darkness
Face the Darkest Elements, Write Taboo Subjects Elliptically, Your Darkness Has an Audience)
Week 4: Structure and Form
Be Bold With Form, Experiments in Structure, Assembling Structure Like Memories, Write Visual Art
Week 5: Writing the Familiar
Revisit Your Childhood Influences, Interview a Family Member, Protect Your Subjects, An Unsolved Mystery is a Thorn in the Heart
Week 6: Form Study—Miniature Narrative
William Carlos Williams’ “The Use of Force,” Flash Fiction, Keep the Language Simple, Dream Logic, Work Towards a Delicate Ending
Week 7: Form Study—Short Monologue
Joyce Carol Oates’ “Lethal,” Escalate the Tension, Write from a New Perspective, Point of View
Week 8: Story Study—Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
Death and the Maiden, Smooth Talk, Choosing a Point of View, True Crime and Sinister Charms, When Connie’s Two Selves Collide, End Your Story: When You’ve Said Enough
FIND WAYS TO LOCK IN AND SUPPORT YOUR WRITING PRACTICE:
Figure out how to get the best out of your writing self, then put yourself on a schedule with reasonable short-term deadlines and concrete long term goals.
Set the timer or ask Alexis to set it for you and then write for that allotted time. We guarantee, you’ll want more!
Keep your butt glued to your chair. Don’t let the paint dry. Don’t leave your story alone for so long that you forget what your protagonist’s name is. Revise your work until it’s done.
Image 1 of 1