Schedule

The TV Writing Crash Course is a comprehensive study of four tentpole components of TV writing that offer deep insight into the craft. Whether you are just a fan of scripted television or an aspiring writer yourself, you will leave this workshop with significantly more knowledge about the nuances and specifics of TV writing. After dissecting the form, we will breakdown an episode of TV live to reveal the DNA that makes it so effective.

We’ll demystify the writing process. Writing is work; it’s a physical, if sedentary, activity. Writers write even when the writing’s not going well—especially when the writing’s not going well. We’ll discuss the craft of storytelling, explore the elements and techniques of short fiction, and examine the qualities that make for vivid and compelling flash fiction. You’ll read exemplary short-short stories that will inspire, provoke, and serve as models for your own stories. You’ll write up a storm following the prompts and exercises. You’ll play with found forms and invent your own. You’ll get writing and you’ll keep writing. You’ll learn that your characters, your settings, and your themes are out there in the world. You’ll learn to look, to listen, to pay attention, and to notice, the fiction writer’s first job. The act of writing itself, you’ll realize, the act of making up people you come to care about, the fun of playing with words and with worlds, is its own reward.

Russel Edson has called the prose poem “a cast-iron aeroplane that can actually fly, mainly because the pilot doesn’t seem to care if it does or not,” while Laura Sullivan explains that the language of prose poems is for “people who don’t often get to hold the floor and know at any moment they may be cut off.” In this generative workshop we will explore prose poems as shape (think beds, billboards, mattresses, paintings), as fables, as meditations, and more. Please also bring your sense of play. Or as Beckian Fritz Goldberg puts it, “The prose poem is like the ugliest girl at the party who is having the best time. To which I say, 'Party on.'”

In this workshop, MJ Fievre will offer an expert perspective on what publishers seek in book proposals and manuscripts. Drawing from her extensive experience in acquisitions and as a proposal director, MJ will guide participants in understanding how to align their work with current market demands and expectations. The session focuses on refining your ideas and pitches, ensuring that your writing is both publishable and marketable from the start.

Some stories have great opening sentences then fizzle out. Stories need a change in the narrator and high stakes. In Writing a Story People Want to Read, you’ll learn critical writing tips to make your story more than just a situation but instead a story that stands out. You will write to a prompt and receive feedback on your draft. Listen, even if you sweat through your shirt at the thought of sharing your writing out loud, this workshop is so much fun. You won’t be made to sweat if you don’t want to. Promise. You’ll leave with Writing Class Radio’s top tips for making your story sing.

In this workshop we’ll focus on how elements of mystery and suspense are used to structure storytelling, both in the genres that promise readers these effects and in writing across the range of fiction and memoir that draws interest from what may be forbidden, or shameful, or perhaps joyfully concealed in the characters’ world. Through examples, prompts, and story-developing exercises, we’ll explore how point of view, time structure, use of place, and combinations of characters can create or enhance these effects and provide opportunities for misunderstanding, deception, tension, surprise, misery, and/or laughter.

Most good writing—whether fiction or nonfiction—arises from a writer’s obsessions. In this intensive session, we’ll discuss how to explore our obsessions on the page, without falling prey to self-absorption or sentiment. We’ll start by looking at the work of folks such as Joan Didion, George Saunders, and others, and then generate some work in class by confessing to our own obsessions. Check your inhibitions at the door.

“Two Worlds One Breath” explores the haiku form, focusing on its grounding effect, simplicity, and connection to nature. Participants will learn about the origins of haiku in Japanese poetry, including its development from the traditional tanka. The workshop will delve into the spiritual roots of haiku. Attendees will study the aesthetic principles of haiku, such as wabi-sabi (finding beauty in imperfection), mono no aware (the pathos of things), seasonal references, and juxtaposition. The workshop emphasizes observation and the importance of capturing moments in nature with a minimalist approach. Through hands-on activities, including outdoor walks and sketching from life, participants will practice writing haiku, focusing on sensory imagery, contrasts, and the fleeting beauty of the natural world. The workshop encourages simplicity and vividness in language, guiding participants to create haiku that reflect their personal experiences and insights.