Classes

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Past events

• VIRTUAL CLASSES: FLASH WORKSHOP | MAY

  ZOOM | MAY 7, 14, 21, 28 | WEDNESDAY NIGHTS 7-9 EST

  This May, I’m offering a Flash Writing Workshop—a focused, four-week space for writers ready to commit to their creative practice. This workshop is designed to give you two powerful things: community and accountability. Each week, your writing will be the heart of our work. You'll submit anything from one paragraph to three pages, and we’ll spend the bulk of class offering thoughtful, supportive feedback on each submission. We'll wrap each session with a short craft talk and an optional writing prompt to spark new ideas for the following week. Prompts are there to inspire—but you’re always welcome to follow your own creative path. Who’s this for? Memoirists, poets, fiction writers—whether you're just starting out, working on a draft, or returning to a project that’s been calling your name. Past participants have included: Published authors Writers preparing work for publication Storytellers capturing family histories Creatives exploring or deepening a writing habit The only requirement is that you write and submit something each week. Details: Cost: $250 When: Wednesdays, 7–9PM EST Dates: May 7, 14, 21, and 28 Where: Zoom Class size: Small, so everyone’s work gets read and discussed weekly TO SIGN UP for the course or to receive more information, click on the CONTACT section of this website and drop me a note.

• IN PERSON WORKSHOP | SETTING: THE ART OF WRITING A WORLD | JULY 13 - 18

  THE IOWA SUMMER WRITING FESTIVAL | IN PERSON

  Whether your story unfolds in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, an urban stockyard, a college campus or a quiet neighborhood, setting is a vital element. It shapes mood, deepens themes, and influences character. Setting is not necessarily a lengthy description of native plants and trees, although—if it’s integral to the unfolding drama—it can be. Nor is setting simply a backdrop. Setting is more akin to the air we breathe and, in some stories, the way we breathe it. In this course, we’ll explore techniques that evoke atmosphere, integrate sensory details, and make setting an active part of the plot. Together we’ll analyze literary examples of iconic worlds and identify the elements that make them vivid and unforgettable. We’ll consider the scope of setting, by comparing stories whose drama sprawls across entire towns to those contained within a home’s four walls. We’ll consider how sensory details create mood, genre, and atmosphere. Since all worlds—whether speculative, contemporary, or historical—have their unique histories and rules, we’ll study a variety of techniques for worldbuilding. We’ll use the language of film, too, to think about framing place through long-shots and close-ups. Whether you’re seeking inspiration for a new project or revising something old, this course will help you hone the contours of your fictional worlds. Participants will be given writing prompts at the end of each class and will share their short responses on the following day. Feedback will be given in class. Through a combination of collaborative craft talks, writing exercises, and peer feedback, participants will learn how to infuse their settings with sensual details, to evoke tension and mood through setting, as well as how to frame their settings. This course is for beginning and experienced writers alike. Participants will revise existing material or generate new material in response to daily prompts. Participants will share their responses in class and receive instructor and peer feedback orally. While we’ll draw largely on published fictions for inspiration, this course welcomes writers of all genres who wish to imagine and compose evocative settings. In this workshop, we will generate new writing through guided exercises and prompts; offer feedback/first impressions on writing you produce in our week. To enroll in this four week workshop, visit the Iowa Summer Writing Festival: link

• IN PERSON CLASSES AT THE CHATTERY | MARCH - APRIL

  231 BROAD STREET | CHATTANOOGA, TN

  SATURDAY | MARCH 1 | 3 - 4:30PM MAKING A SCENE SATURDAY | MARCH 22 | 12:30 - 2PM EVOCATIVE SETTINGS SATURDAY | MARCH 12 | 3 - 4:30PM FICTION IN A FLASH SATURDAY | MARCH 26 | 3 - 4:30PM MICRO MEMOIRS SATURDAY | APRIL 10 | 3 - 4:30PM FASCINATION AND FICTION SATURDAY | APRIL 24 | 12:30 - 2PM OPENINGS To sign up for any of these classes, visit the Chattery: https://thechattery.org/