(un)Masking: Persona in Creative Nonfiction
(un)Masking
Every day, different personas come out of us depending on many factors, including who we are interacting with and where we are. We should bring many versions of ourselves to the page too.
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All events take place in the central time zone.
Every day, different personas come out of us depending on many factors, including who we are interacting with and where we are. We should bring many versions of ourselves to the page too.
From conception to submission. Let’s make summer sizzle with stories.
Writing a short story doesn’t happen in one session. It takes multiple drafts to get it exactly right, to create characters that come to life for the reader and a world they can’t stop thinking about. In this seven week course we will work on a single short story from conception to submission ready.
Characterization is an essential literary tool of writing a novel or short story and is the foundation of all great literature. Mastering characterization can help you drive the plot forward and develop a world that engrosses the reader. In this 6-Week Zoom Workshop we’ll examine the literary devices used to develop characters--such as narration, dialogue, interaction, and interiority--and also study how to combine indirect and direct characterization to create characters that are interesting and realistic (and not necessarily likeable).
Its the last Open Mic of 2023. Come read what you’ve been working on all year. Things you’ve had published, things that are fresh off the printer. Plus, whether you choose to read or not we’ll be setting goals for 2024 and talking about where our writing might take us in the next year.
Its the last Open Mic of 2023. Come read what you’ve been working on all year. Things you’ve had published, things that are fresh off the printer. Plus, whether you choose to read or not we’ll be setting goals for 2024 and talking about where our writing might take us in the next year.
We think our lives are interesting, but do readers? How do you make your true story resonate with an audience in 1,000 words or less? In this workshop led by memoirist and personal essayist Nadine Kenney Johnstone, you will learn why it’s crucial for writers to write their truth and make readers care right away. Whether you are working on a full-length memoir or short essays, the techniques you’ll learn in this class will help elevate your personal essays or short memoir scenes.
Are you writing a book? Have you already written it? Are you starting your journey toward finding an agent? If you said yes to any of those things then this workshop is for you. Join us for an informal evening with Melanie Figueroa an agent with Root Literary as she talks about finding an agent, keeping an agent, and selling your book.
Let's talk about writing historical fiction! We'll discuss the various definitions and sub-genres of historical fiction, researching your topic, when to stop researching your topic, balancing history and story, dealing with dialogue, and anticipating reader biases.
Our spring open mic is here! Come read what you’ve been working on. Things you’ve had published, things that are fresh off the printer. Or, if you don’t feel like reading this time around just come support your fellow Babes!
In his essay “The Ecstasy of Influence” Jonathem Lethem argues for the eager plundering of earlier art to make new art. The idea is that all writing is recycled, the key is to channel age-old ideas and write pieces that are distinctly our own. Each week we will read and discuss two published stories by authors like Nabokov, Justin Torres, Mary Gaitskill and more, to look deeply at the ways the author constructed their own unique narrative.
In this workshop, we will go over examples of what is canonically understood to constitute a poem, and subsequently apply that logic to less traditional or “non-poetic” forms. Investigating the liminal space between what does and doesn’t count as a poem will breed rich conversations, and will inform the work generated in the free-write and workshopping parts of the session.
If you want to traditionally publish a nonfiction book, a completed manuscript usually isn't enough to land you a book deal. You'll also need a book proposal. A book proposal is essentially a business plan for your book; it convincingly argues why your book is a salable product in today's market.
Its the last Open Mic of 2023. Come read what you’ve been working on all year. Things you’ve had published, things that are fresh off the printer. Plus, whether you choose to read or not we’ll be setting goals for 2024 and talking about where our writing might take us in the next year.
Plot is not simply a tool used in fictional writing. All stories, fiction and true, need a plot. The plot provides structure and cohesion and helps the writer convey to the reader a specific message.
Join us for a virtual craft chat with Stephanie Wrobel, author of Darling Rose Gold and This Might Hurt. Our virtual craft chats are small, intimate gatherings where YOU get to ask the author questions. Want to know about writing process? About publishing? Craft questions? This is the place for you to get those questions answered.
But is their sex germane to your story? Writing Sex, a one-night workshop will help you discover the answer to that question and more.
In this comprehensive workshop, you will learn the fastest and most effective way to approach agents via query letter. This will include how to properly research which agents are the best fit for your project, how to navigate submission guidelines, how to write an effective synopsis of your manuscript, what a “hook” is and when it’s appropriate to use one, if ever, and so much more.
From conception to submission. Let’s get this summer started.
Writing a short story doesn’t happen in one session. It takes multiple drafts to get it exactly right, to match the outside story with the inside story. In this seven week session we will work on a single short story from conception to submission ready. The seven week session will include generative brainstorming sessions, short story craft analysis, multiple workshop sessions, and detailed line by line feedback and edits. Plus, we’ll talk about submission venues, cover letters, and when to know if your story is ‘finished.’
Sweet summertime is here and excited to gather for our next open mic. Grab your cocktail, mocktail, or cup of tea and come hang out with us for an evening of literary fun and community!
We’re talking writing, publishing, and all things books with Kate Wisel, author of the short story collection Driving in Cars with Homeless Men. Join us for an informal evening with Kate as we discuss process, short stories, the writing life and more. This will be an interactive conversation, so come with your questions.
The Creativity Oasis is not a workshop, its an hour long guided brainstorming session in which you’ll have the chance to generate new writing.
At the 2023 HerStry (virtual) Conference, we’re reaching for the heart of our work. Digging at what it means to be writers in this bumpy world and how to tell our stories, to bare our hearts.
Join us for a day full of craft workshops, agent panels, publishing advice and so much more.
This workshop will teach you the basics of soliciting, preparing for, and conducting interviews from start to finish.
Three times a year we like to gather online to support our fellow Babes and their work!
Come read your work in progress, your just published works, or a work that has yet to find it’s home.
Queer is a huge spectrum and with changing language around gender identity and orientation, there are so many avenues to explore when it comes to writing queer characters. In this workshop, queer trans author Finnian Burnett will explore the divide between own voices and inclusive writing.
Too many new writers stop writing after receiving feedback on their work. Most likely, that feedback either wasn’t delivered properly or wasn’t received in a positive way. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll examine critiques, both how to give them in their most helpful form, and how to receive them in such a way that doesn’t leave the writer paralyzed or bruised.
SoulCollage® is a highly accessible expressive arts activity for exploring and enhancing our creative gifts and the innate wisdom that exists within us. Through the use of images, SoulCollage® helps fire up our creative juices and offers us a uniquely right-brained way to excavate knowledge and ideas that can benefit our writing practice and projects. In this interactive, generative session, you’ll learn the basics of the SoulCollage® method, then jump right in to create cards that we’ll engage with via imaginative writing prompts.
It’s our last open mic of 2022! Grab your drink of choice and join us online to hear your fellow babes read their work. Or, read your own work.
We’re talking with Shoulder Season and The Second Home author Christina Clancy.
As the late Irish poet Eavan Boland used to advise her students, "The only way out is through." And yet, when we are bogged down in a work of several hundred pages, it can be difficult to see a way through to the end. In this 90 minute session, we will discuss several methods of puzzling our way to the end of our novels-in-progress.
How do you write an ending that sticks with your reader for days to come? One they will think about while brushing their teeth, doing the dishes, driving to work. Ending are—notoriously—one of the hardest parts of the essay and often they get neglected.
We’re talking writing, publishing, and all things books with Jell-O Girls author Allie Rowbottom.
It’s our summer open mic! Grab your drink of choice and join us online to hear your fellow babes read their work.
What does it take to write a killer story that evokes an emotional response and draws readers into your world? In this workshop, Finnian Burnett will use generative exercises, story analysis, and guided questions to help each participant hone their flash fiction skills. We'll talk about subverting point of view, deep character dives, and revision techniques. Come prepared to write. Sharing your work is encouraged, but not required.
including alternative forms, slanted metaphors, and utilizing different points of view. These strategies are geared toward staying vulnerable and authentic to your experience, but also creating distance when needed.