Generative Writing Workshops
|
Listen, here's the deal: A lot of people really, really, really want to write. They have so many ideas about so writing projects.
They have purchased special notebooks, numerous pencils and pens, writing apps, or new computers. Some have gone so far as to set up writing offices inside their apartments. Over time these areas are treated as extra surfaces upon which to store things which do not already have assigned spots. Essentially, they are drawerless junk-drawer rooms. In order to write, a writer must write and not simply think or speak about writing. Thinking and talking are parts of writing, but writing is only writing when letters are formed into words and placed one after another upon a page of some kind. Writers of all ages and experience levels come to writing with FALSE, unchecked assumptions about writing which almost always get in the way of much writing happening at all: Assumptions: -You should never write the way you speak. -There is only one way to write. -You need to be a great speller in order to write. -You need to be an astute grammarian in order to write. -You need to know exactly what you are going to write, before you write anything. You need an outline. You need to sound very serious and very formal when you write because the meanest teacher you have ever had is probably judging you,finding you lacking in all ways, and will give you a bad grade even though that teacher is long gone, grades are over, and it's been a few decades since you were 10. Once again, none of these things are true. The way you speak is your voice. It's the biggest, most important thing as far as writing is concerned. You already have it. Keep it! There are many, many, many ways to write. I misspell words like sandwich and definitely on a regular basis. And your meanest teachers, well, they are not the best audience for your work, especially while they are living in your head. In my experience, one of the best ways to really write and also to complete writing projects is through the use of strategies. I love strategies. I need strategies. Strategies are the whole deal for me. I use a boatload of them, maybe even a cargo ship of them in almost every context of my life, but especially inside the context of writing. I have written 13 full-length plays and several shorter plays, multiple performance works, essays, stage monologues, short stories, hybrid pieces, and most recently a book. My work has been produced, published, and performed. I've assisted writers of all levels, ages, willingness, and writing experiences with, articles, blogs, non-fiction books, anthologies, speeches, essays, dissertations, novels, plays, business writing, writing for social media and multiple other projects. I've ghost-written, half-ghost written, edited, consulted and on and and on. Language and the imagination are the most exciting subjects in the world to me. And... I am not a naturally organized person. I was not a particularly good student until graduate school. I have ADD. I tend to hyperfocus on things that may be best left in the background and completely miss the obvious and important things right in front of me. Relating, regulating, and making sense in conversation are often not my strong suits. This can be entertaining at times and at other times, not so much. Here's something I wrote about these traits in particular. I share this because I want you to know that no matter what challenges you have or believe you have, you can still write and some of your challenges can be used to your advantage. Here are the logistics of the workshops...
-I'm leading both genre-based and all-purpose writing workshops -All of the writing workshops donation-based and drop-in. - The workshops are designed for adults and teens. -All levels of writing experience are welcome. -Every workshop will be different, so take as many as you like. - We will be writing in the workshops. I recommend writing on inexpensive 70 page, lined- spiral notebooks or, if you have a preference for typing, I recommend writing in the body of an email sent to yourself instead of in a document. -All workshops will conducted on zoom. - There will be no refunds. If you miss one, just come to another. - There will be opportunities to read the writing you have generated if you choose to. -No one will be called on or pressured to read or speak. - I will occasionally read as well, especially if there are no volunteers after a particular prompt. - There will be no criticism. Instead, I will introduce you to strategies which will help you receive, and apply usable feedback while avoiding unhelpful or damaging feedback. -Each workshop lasts 1 hour and a half. The last 20 to 30 minutes or so of each workshop will be led as a Q and A in which I will answer questions about participant's writing projects and challenges including structure, character development, style, story, plot, voice, and more. No Registration required. View the calendar to choose a workshop and the link will appear. For easiest access, the zoom link for all workshops is here. The suggested donation for each workshop is $25. You can pay more, less, or attend for free if you're broke. To pay for workshops with PayPal click here
|