Class

Finding the Story Under the Story: Advanced Nonfiction Workshop

As creative nonfiction writers, our challenge is to uncover the deeper stories hidden beneath the surface of our everyday lives and experiences. How can we reach beyond the simple narratives we tell ourselves to find the more vulnerable truth?

This workshop is for writers of personal essays, memoir, and literary reporting who want to tell meaningful stories and receive feedback in a supportive environment. In the first session, we’ll identify goals, areas of interest, and obstacles that keep us from moving forward. Weekly readings will be selected in response to the group’s interests and will feature acclaimed writers like Carmen Maria Machado, Jo Ann Beard, Hanif Abdurraquib, Ryan Van Meter, Elissa Washuta, and more. We’ll use these readings to discuss their deeper substance and identify effective techniques for scene building, character, structure, and style that participants can apply to their own writing. Each writer will have the opportunity share up to 10 double-spaced pages for group feedback.

No class July 1.

Please submit this request form at least two to three weeks in advance if you have any accessibility requests for this class. This class takes place in-person, at the Loft at Open Book. Please see the Loft’s website for the most up to date information about the Loft’s COVID policies.