CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS
Fall 2022
READ ME:
- Registration closes 24 hours before start time or when workshop fills. No walk-ins, please.
- Please read our workshop policies before registering.
- Can't attend without a scholarship? Apply here.
October Workshops
Worldbuilding: Creating Culture in Fantasy
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INSTRUCTOR: Mackenzie Bitz
TIME: Saturday, October 8, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, October 2. After Sunday, October 2: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here.LOCATION: Writespace, 1717 Michigan St, Houston, TX 77006 (map) LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Time to get cultured! Worldbuilding is essential to both high and low fantasy. It requires research, creativity, and plenty of imagination. In this workshop, we will look at the ways we can create cultures in high and low fantasy settings through a variety of techniques and writing exercises. Creating culture means taking inspiration from mythology, history, or personal experience, though as we will see, the possibilities are endless. A list of resources will be provided for all participants. |
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Writing Short: Flash Memoir
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INSTRUCTOR: Joyce Boatright TIME: Saturday, October 8, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, October 2. After Sunday, October 2: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Writespace, 1717 Michigan St, Houston, TX 77006 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Curious about memoir but not ready to tackle a book-length manuscript? Or maybe you’re looking for smaller writing projects to cleanse the palate between longer works. If this sounds like you, you may want to explore flash memoir. Flash memoir can range from 6 to 2,000 words, but it usually hits its stride at the 500 to 1,000 word mark. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to chisel away the rock in order to reveal a perfect jewel of memoir. We’ll discuss writing tight, focusing on the details that matter, and identifying the universal themes in your life. As an added benefit, you’ll get market information on mini-memoir writing if your goal is to get published. The most effective pieces of writing aren’t always the longest, and you need not write a book-length manuscript in order to tell your story. |
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Generative Fiction: Spooky Stories and Our Haunted World
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INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Kathryn Peterson
TIME: Two Sundays, October 16 and 23, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird price: $85 for members, $100 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Monday, October 10. After Monday, October 10: $100 for members, $115 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 In this generative workshop, we will examine why stories of the uncanny have such a power to move us, and in particular their place in today's already anxious world. We'll examine the folklore behind urban legends and ghost stories and discuss how to draw from those elements to create our own uncanny stories. We'll talk about what it means to write the disturbing in a meaningful way. The goal for this two-class workshop is to learn, explore, and spend time generating our own work. We will have time to share the work we've created, and particularly uncanny pieces will be considered for reading at the open mic Halloween night. |
Attribution: Photo by Ben Griffiths on Unsplash
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Creative Nonfiction: The Lyric Essay
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INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Justin Jannise
TIME: Saturday, October 22, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, October 16. After Sunday, October 16: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 The lyric essay is one of the most exciting and playful of all writing forms, but it can be hard to pin down. A blend of objective information and subjective perceptions, it’s a shape-shifter for sure. Thoughts and narratives are braided or collaged together using a variety of structures or time frames. Much of the effect—and the joy of creating it—comes from the poetical use of language. The lyric essay is not traditional exposition, but when done right, it’s truer than truth. This three-hour workshop will be your introduction. We’ll spend some time just getting acquainted with and analyzing some beautiful examples of this unique literary animal. Then, get ready to give it a try! Try your hand at a lyric essay and you’ll be amazed to find a whole new dimension, a whole new depth, in your writing. |
Photo by Cristian Palmer on Unsplash
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Magical AF
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INSTRUCTOR: Debbie Burns
TIME: Saturday, October 29, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, October 23. After Sunday, October 23: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Magical AF is a three-hour, transformative workshop to help you break free of the unhealthy beliefs impacting your confidence and creativity so you can choose you, trust you, believe in you, and finally achieve the writing career of your dreams. While the rest of the writing world chases after mechanics and tactics, we’ll go on a journey that leads right to the center of your creative soul. You will see the next level of you, embrace the magic that resides there, and feel the freedom that comes from living by your own set of rules. In this workshop, you’ll find everything you need to:
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Photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash
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Writing Poetry: The Body and Disability
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INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Gajkowski-Hill TIME: Sunday, October 30, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, October 23. After Sunday, October 23: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 “Just as the Harlem Renaissance led to the development of African American literature and the 1960s to feminist literature, we are in a seminal period for the genre of disability literature.” – Michel Northern, Editor of Beauty Is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability “To look these things squarely in the face would need the courage of a lion tamer …this monster, the body, this miracle, its pain, will soon make us taper into mysticism…” – Virginia Woolf, from On Being Ill There is a new generation of disability poetry; a new school/genre is emerging. This course will explore the works of disability-themed and/or confessional poetry of authors with disabilities. After reading the works of Jennifer Bartlett, Robert Fagan and Vassar Miller, the instructor will facilitate silent writing and sharing before discussing places to send this particular kind of poem for publication. |
Photo by Javier Miranda on Unsplash
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NOVEMBER 2022 WORKSHOPS
Creating the Poetry Chapbook
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INSTRUCTOR: Kendra Preston Leonard, Ph.D.
TIME: Six Wednesdays, November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, December 7, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. CST/CDT PRICE: Early bird price: $210 for members, $240 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Thursday, October 27. After Thursday, October 27: $240 for members, $270 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Got poems? One way to get them out in the world is to publish them individually in magazines and journals, but it’s by no means the only way. Chapbooks and poetry collections are staples of the poetry world--but how do they come together? In this workshop, bring your work and learn about curating a chapbook manuscript that you can submit to publishers or even publish yourself. We’ll talk about choosing which of your poems to include, putting them in an order that makes sense from an artistic and literary point of view, and preparing them for submission or self-publishing. All levels of experience are welcome, and you don’t need to have a lot of poems written yet to learn about the process. |
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
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Memoir: Retrieving the Past While Being Present
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INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Gajkowski-Hill
TIME: Saturday, November 5, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CST/CDT PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, October 30. After Sunday, October 30: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Writespace, 1717 Michigan St, Houston, TX 77006 (map) LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 12 “Anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.' – Flannery O’Connor In times of uncertainty and certainly since the pandemic, writing our stories can prove more painful than we have bandwidth for. We may find ourselves avoiding writing altogether or writing too sporadically to make real progress. Thankfully, there are ways through this kind of writer’s block and this workshop is about finding those ways. The instructor will walk participants through exercises designed to help writers tell their stories from the safety of the present. From paying careful attention to the senses to casting a deep net for positive, cherished memories, we will attempt to articulate the visceral details of a singular time and space while remaining present with our current emotions and surroundings. We will read excerpts from memoirists such as Jeannette Walls and Mary Karr to craft our own memoir essays/confessional poetry based on their own pasts. The instructor will touch briefly on rules for editing and revision at the end of the course. Sharing will be done in a safe space and only if one feels comfortable doing so. |
Photo by Gemma Evans on Unsplash
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Worldbuilding: Fantasy Creatures ad Magic Inhabitants
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INSTRUCTOR: Mackenzie Bitz
TIME: Saturday, November 5, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. CST/CDT PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, October 30. After Sunday, October 30: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Writespace, 1717 Michigan St, Houston, TX 77006 (map) LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Creatures of the deep, citizens of a bustling city, or even devotees of a sacred shrine… In fantasy, the characters experiencing conflict and propelling the story forward with their actions aren’t necessarily human. However, whether they are mentors, members of a cult, or monsters, they are crucial to connecting with your readers and immersing them into the meticulously imagined world all fantasy readers crave. Through a series of generative exercises, we will create our own inhabitants and creatures for both high and low fantasy settings. Full participation in all of the exercises will provide the most beneficial experience, so please come prepared to share your work. Feel free to bring an already created character, which doesn’t necessarily have to be from a work of fantasy. A list of resources will be provided to all attendees. |
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Historical Fiction 101
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INSTRUCTOR: Marian Szczepanski
TIME: Sunday, November 6, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. CST/CDT PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Monday, October 31. After Monday, October 31: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Learn how to create a historical narrative that is vivid, compelling, and credible in this crash course on researching and writing historical fiction. Whenever and wherever your story happens—from pre-9/11 New York City to prehistoric central Europe—research will provide the foundation for your writing. We’ll discuss how and where to find information—some sources may surprise you—and how to transform what may seem like term paper drudgery into a thrilling scavenger hunt. We’ll cover how to use just enough of those facts to enhance characterization, dialogue and scene-setting while avoiding that cumbersome reader turn-off known as “info dump.” We’ll also explore famous works of historical fiction, such as Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See and Kathleen Grissom’s The Kitchen House, as well as lesser-known gems such as Kathleen Cambor’s In Sunlight, In a Beautiful Garden and Andrea Barrett’s The Voyage of the Narwhal. Attending writers will receive an extensive bibliography and a handout documenting every topic we covered. |
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash
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Writing Short: Poetry in the Palm of Your Hand
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INSTRUCTOR: Kendra Preston Leonard, Ph.D.
TIME: Saturday, November 12, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CST/CDT PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, November 6. After Sunday, November 6: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Poetry doesn’t need to be long to be profound or funny or beautiful. Discover the joys of writing short poems in this one-day workshop. We’ll talk about using limited forms like haiku to help us be more creative, and how to create an entire scene or mood in just one short stanza. We’ll find inspiration in everyday objects, tell stories in short works, and explore rhyme, meter, and free verse. Writers of all levels are welcome. |
Photo by Jamie Portwood; Haiku by Aeryk Pierson
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Phoenix Fire
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INSTRUCTOR: Debbie Burns
TIME: Two Saturdays, November 12, 19, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. CST/CDT PRICE: Early bird price: $85 for members, $100 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, November 6. After Sunday, November 6: $100 for members, $115 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Phoenix Fire is a get-stuff-done courage accelerator for writers willing to ACTUALLY TAKE THE STEPS to finish the work, build the dream, and claim their success. (Ya know… all that stuff you’ve been thinking about but NOT doing on your road to Happily EPIC After.)
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Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash
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Read Like a Writer
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INSTRUCTOR: Patrick Stockwell
TIME: Sunday, November 20, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. CST/CDT PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Monday, November 14. After Monday, November 14: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Writespace, 1717 Michigan St, Houston, TX 77006 (map) LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Ever wanted to figure out exactly why you love a story? Want to get to the nitty-gritty, down and dirty mechanics of an author’s writing? Want to discuss a story with other writers so you can figure out how to use those techniques in your own writing? In this one day examination of short fiction, Ph.D. candidate and prize-winning author, Patrick Stockwell, will lead a deep dive into James Baldwin's masterpiece "Sonny's Blues" and "In the Gloaming" by Alice Elliott Dark. The conversation will focus on the ways each author employs thematic through lines and active structure to generate harmony and narrative cohesion. Students will receive a PDF copy of both short stories at registration and will need to read each closely before class meets so that we can get right to our analysis. |
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READ ME:
- Writespace has in person and online workshops available. See individual workshop listings for details.
- Tickets must be purchased online.
- Please read our workshop policies before registering.
- Can't attend without a scholarship? Apply here.
- Need tech support for your class? Check out our Tech Support page. If your question isn't answered, contact us.