Please note that this is an online workshop conducted via Zoom. Participants will be provided information on how to join the online sessions.

 

In this workshop, we will explore ways to mine the internet, probe public and personal archives and conduct interviews to enrich narrative scenes, and build better characters and dialogue. As part of the class, we’ll engage in dynamic research directly related to our writing topics, do amusing in-class exercises and exchange drafts of our work-in-progress. We’ll also talk about how to use tools like timelines and photos to help build dramatic plots, seek inspiration and make connections that better establish our characters’ place in the universe.  We’ll learn from each other, but we’ll also discuss techniques explored by writers like Amy Tan in Where the Past Begins, and author Donna Freitas in her memoir Consent.  This course will provide useful ideas, tools and inspiration for writers exploring historical or contemporary topics for nonfiction narratives, memoir, or fact-based fiction. Please bring ideas, rough drafts, and questions. All are welcome whether you’ve previously taken creative writing courses, published work, or are just getting started.