Workshops

I teach a variety of workshops as part of continuing ed programs, in corporate envirionments, or when a private group hires me to come in for the weekend.

Below are capsules of some of my workshops. If you would like more information or book me to teach at your location, please e-mail me at workshops@fearlessink.com   to discuss scheduling and fees.

Course description: Whether you’re simply stuck on your work-in-progress, or don’t know how to begin, if you’re serious, this is the course for you. An intensive, 2 day weekend workshop with a goal of 50 pages by the end of it will inspire and motivate you via techniques of journaling, brainstorming, and busting through blocks. This course is for first drafts only, not revisions. Bring an idea, an outline, or a partial manuscript and let’s get writing!

Time Frame: 2 consecutive weekend days, 8 hours per day with a one-hour lunch break. Participants are required to attend both days.

Revision Intensive

Course Description: A two day intensive of solid work to help jump-start your rewrite process. Learn techniques to catch your mistakes, fix sections that aren’t working, and to work your way through a rewrite in an orderly fashion. Times of working alone together are combined with class discussion and brainstorming. A completed manuscript is required. Also bring a notebook.

Time Frame: 2 consecutive weekend days, 8 hours per day with a one-hour lunch break. Participants are required to attend both days.

Time and Space To Write: An Intensive

Course Description: Do you have the desire to write, but feel you don’t have the time? Block out the week and get serious work done in this intensive. Learn how to budget time, set boundaries, break through blocks, and use the time you have to get your work done. Manuscripts in any genre of any length welcome. This is a five day intensive to teach writers how to set boundaries, maintain a disciplined schedule within the context of one’s life, break through blocks, and actually work on their projects. The bulk of the time is spent writing.

Time Frame: 5 sessions over consecutive evenings, 2 hours per session. Participants are required to attend all 5 sessions.

Dialogue Workshop

Course Description: Learn how to craft character-cohesive, interesting dialogue that moves along a story, whether it’s a stage play or a piece of prose. Explore methods of cutting, crafting, and creating conversation that sparkles on the page and in the ear. Techniques to brighten dialogue and use it to drive the story will be explored in detail. Examples from established writers will be used, and the students’ own work will be created and honed.

Time Frame: 6 sessions, 2 hours per session, once a week. Also available as a day-long intensive.

One Story, Multiple Voices Workshop

Course Description: Learn how to use a basic story and experiment with multiple genres. Learn where your natural story telling voice is strongest. Use the techniques to help write in any genre you wish. A “base story” is created in the first session, which we then re-create into different genres from week to week. By the end of the eight weeks, the participant will have eight distinct completed stories. Examples from masters in each field will be shared, and unique voices encouraged within the writing processes. Techniques from each genre will be learned, and ways in which they can help break through blocks. Limit: 12 participants.

Time frame: 8 sessions, 2 hours per session, once a week. Also available as a week-end intensive encompassing two consecutive weekends, four hours per day.

Writers and Journals Intensive Course Description: Journals are an important part of a writer’s life and development. This class will use other writers’ journals to inspire the writers in the class to expand on their own journal writing experiences. Reading and writing are encouraged, but no one will be forced to read from their personal journals.

Required Texts: Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton; A Book of One’s Own by Thomas Mallon; and The Hidden Writer by Alexandra Johnson. Participants are required to provide their own notebook/journal for exercises.

Time Frame: 20 sessions, 2 hours per session, meeting twice a week for 10 weeks.

Please Note:

The use of cell phones, chewing gum, and personal stereos are not permitted during class.