Q: Do I have to have any prior writing experience to join a workshop?

​A: Absolutely not. All are welcome no matter where you are in your writing journey - those just testing the waters to published authors. ​

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Q: I am not sure I want to share my writing in a group. Will be forced to do so?

​A: You are never forced to do anything out of your comfort zone. Most participants do wind up sharing, as they feel supported, encouraged, and comfortable in our workshop.

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Q: What do I bring to a workshop?

A: Just your favorite pen and notebook! If you are more comfortable writing on your laptop or tablet that is also fine.

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Q: What can I expect during the workshop?

A: Our workshops vary slightly in format but in general we have an opening discussion, writers share work completed at home if they wish, we review a theme for the day along with a writing exercise, more sharing and discussing, then parting words of wisdom and an at-home assignment :). 

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What you can also expect is connection to fellow writers. You will make great friends, and there will be a lot of laughs, and a lot of tears. It is a deeply profound experience - to share your ​heart, your soul, your whole life through the written word. 

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Q: I see you have online classes that are not Zoom. How do these work? What can I expect from them?

A: We use a unique platform called “Wet Ink” for our online workshops. These workshops are asynchronous, which allows writers to complete the work on their own schedule from week to week. I set due dates throughout each week so that writers can complete things at roughly the same pace, but these are loose deadlines and are really meant to provide structure and accountability. They also allow for participants to upload their work for peer review in a timely fashion.

 

I also encourage writers to comment – in an encouraging way - on each other's stories throughout the week, and there's a "discussion" board where they can ask each other questions, too. One of the nice things about the Wet Ink platform is that writers can have ongoing conversations across the entire session. Some writers participate a lot; others are a bit quieter. One of my main goals in these classes is offering writers a sense of community that they can choose to be a part of to whatever degree feels comfortable.

 

In terms of content, I typically create 1-2 lessons each week. The lessons are short pages of text and images intended to teach writers about various elements of the writing process and model various styles/techniques of writing. They are also meant to provide inspiration and stimulate creativity. Then, writers are given a prompt or assignment. I write back to them, offering encouraging comments as well as constructive critique. My feedback focuses on what the writer is doing well so they can identify and keep practicing writerly strengths that they already possess, as well as areas of the writing that could be deepened or explored in more detail, or next steps for the development of the story. And, as I mentioned above, I also encourage them to comment on each other's stories with any thoughts, ideas, suggestions, etc.--so the goal is for writers to get multiple perspectives on their work.

 

There are also broader, interconnected skill sets in practice related to the above materials: reading new authors, encountering new writing styles, expanding your understanding of what writing can be, extrapolating information from what you read and applying it to your own writing, self-reflecting on your writing process and ideas, applying feedback (gaining critical distance from your work so you can improve it), breaking the writing process down into smaller components to explore in greater depth, thinking about your writing from a variety of perspectives, and so forth.

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Q: I really want to get my work published. Can you help me do that?

A: Though we don't assist in the actual publication of your work, we do offer guidance, expertise, guest speakers, suggestions for outlets who are looking for submissions, and so on. We also publish the East End Review, and we will publish select works from participants on a continuous, rolling basis.

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Q: I am a bit intimidated to take a workshop. 

​A: We are very aware of creating a welcoming, supportive environment for our writers. We only tolerate encouragement and positive feedback from fellow writers.