Class

Improv for Writers: Exploring Interactive Methods to Draft and Revise Class

We’ll explore how improv and other performance techniques and practices can improve our written work. We’ll also sample the breadth of current oral traditions including The Moth stories (Javier Morillo) to performance artist Spalding Gray, to intimate podcasts from journalist Tonya Mosley (Truth Be Told: She has a Name) to stories from Snap Judgement.

Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes, we will be moving a bit as part of our improv, as we have capacity. Exercises will help us move towards generating new drafts, and revising existing work. While we’ll be listening to lots or oral storytelling in this class we’ll be exploring how to use these techniques to strengthen our written work.

This class has potential to shake up your writing routine, and will introduce new practices from rehearsal rooms and stages. This multiweek class is suitable for writers in any genre, particularly writers who want to try non-traditional strategies and experienced improv, spoken word, comedy and theater people who want to create texts designed to be read.

Please email [email protected] at least two to three weeks in advance if you have any accessibility requests for this class. PLEASE NOTE: the elevator in Open Book will be unavailable for use from July - August 2025 due to modernization. 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.