Classes
Topics like mental illness, sex, and violence are often branded “taboo” and can be some of the most difficult material to write about. But at their best, these narratives speak to our darkest truths and teach us what it means to be vulnerable. Even the most stigmatized topics can be made approachable if you know how to pull the reader in and give your story universal resonance. No matter how difficult the subject matter, memoirists can keep readers engaged by using craft techniques like worldbuilding, identifying universal truths, and exercising narrative control.
This webinar will explore the challenges and opportunities of writing honestly about taboo topics. We’ll discuss why it’s so important to give voice to unsayable truths, and how to use craft tools to create unforgettable memoirs and essays. We’ll also address self-care strategies, how to know when material is “too” explicit, and how and when to exercise narrative restraint.
All registrants will receive a recording.
Click here to find out more. Note: All times listed are in Eastern Time.
Often the hardest part of writing is facing the blank page. Self-doubt, perfectionism, and inner critics can be crippling, preventing us from getting down the “shitty first drafts” we need. In this interactive session, we’ll chat about how to get a lot of words down (while silencing our inner critic) and develop a regular writing practice. I’ll discuss tips and tricks I’ve learned, and we’ll share challenges and breakthroughs. This will be an interactive session, so come with your questions!
Cost: $25
Click here to sign up. The session will be recorded, so you can sign up even if you can’t join live. Note: All times listed are in Eastern Time.
The writing life can feel overwhelming. How do you keep track of essay ideas? Multiple drafts of a manuscript? Submission lists? What do you do with all the random bits and pieces of writing currently residing in purgatory on your Desktop? In this interactive session, we’ll chat about strategies for keeping you organized, including best practices for keeping track of drafts, ideas, and submissions. We’ll also talk about tools that can help you stay more organized (regardless of how tech savvy you are!) and share organizational strategies together. Come with your questions!
Cost: $25
Click here to sign up. The session will be recorded, so you can sign up even if you can’t join live. Note: All times listed are in Eastern Time.
We’ve all had the experience of our writing feeling flat. When we’ve been working on a piece for a long time, it can feel impossible to see it with fresh eyes. We may struggle to find the piece’s “spark” or identify what it most needs in order to work. In this interactive session, we’ll discuss strategies for reviving stale writing, including tips and tricks for helping you identify the “heat” again, hacks for seeing it with fresh eyes, and ways to find new approaches to tired material. Come with your questions!
Cost: $25
Click here to sign up. The session will be recorded, so you can sign up even if you can’t join live. Note: All times listed are in Eastern Time.
So you have a rough draft of an essay or a chapter of your memoir. Now what? In this 2-day workshop, we’ll discuss strategies for identifying your pages’ themes and “heat,” and how to shape your draft into a compelling, high-stakes narrative. Through a combination of guided exercises, craft tools, and live editing, you’ll leave class with clarity about the emotional core of your story and how to convey it to readers.
Click here to find out more.
One of the hardest parts of any art form is knowing when a piece is finished. In this interactive session, I’ll share strategies for identifying when a piece is ready to be submitted, including milestones you should hit along the way. I’ll talk about my own process for knowing when a piece is done and we’ll share tips and tricks as a group. Come with your questions!
Cost: $25
Click here to sign up. The session will be recorded, so you can sign up even if you can’t join live. Note: All times listed are in Eastern Time.
Rejection is an inevitable part of the writing life. Disappointment happens to everyone – but what separates successful writers is how they handle it. In this interactive session, we’ll chat about the realities of rejection and strategies for managing it. I’ll share my own experiences with this, along with tips and tricks for building your “rejection tolerance” so it doesn’t thwart your creative life.
Cost: $25
Click here to sign up. The session will be recorded, so you can sign up even if you can’t join live. Note: All times listed are in Eastern Time.