Creative Writing Classes & Writing Groups
WRITING GROUPS (also known as critique groups or workshop groups): ideal for writers looking for more continuity and accountability than a short class can offer, or who want additional support while they tend to an ongoing writing practice or delve into a longterm work like a memoir, novel, or series of essays. These groups are also ideal for writers who are ready to receive detailed feedback from an MFA educated instructor. I require that you submit a short application to join these writing groups.
Since March 2019 I have been leading an MFA-style writing workshop for 4-8 writers that meets every other Monday evening. It’s geared toward experienced writers who may not have the time or space for an MFA program, but who want the same continuity and rigor. We workshop each others’ fiction and nonfiction and also provide support and accountability.
You will learn how to support other writers as they grow, how to best give and receive feedback, and gain workshop skills that will enable you to contribute your voice to any creative writing classroom setting. I require a 6 month commitment but many writers stay for years.
If you haven’t worked with me before I’ll ask for a sample of your writing to determine if you might be a good fit. This is not about being a writer who is “good enough” for this group – it is simply to see if we would be good readers for your work.
Admissions are on a rolling basis. Fill out the contact form for application and pricing information. Learn more here.
Launched in June 2023, this group meets monthly in person in downtown Durham, NC. Open to creative nonfiction writers (personal essay, memoir), this monthly group is designed to offer support and accountability, and we will also talk craft, and learn how to better workshop each other's work.
This group is ideal for writers who feel ready to receive detailed feedback from an MFA-educated instructor as well as their peers.
I require a 6 month commitment so that we can build the trust and continuity that I believe is necessary for workshop.
Interested? This group will be accepting new members during two admission windows per year. The next time this group will be accepting new members is in June/July of 2024. Fill out the contact form for application and pricing information.
CLASSES run for 6-8 weeks and they are ideal for writers who want to delve deep into a targeted topic or skill, or who want to try out a new genre. They are also wonderful opportunities to meet new writers, and generate new work. Below are the classes that I teach locally and online. Sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Twitter or Instagram to be notified when these classes are in session. I can also tailor these classes for your civic group, community group, book club, organization, college or arts council.
What does it mean to have a body in the world?
How can we find language for the experiences of our bodies? How can we reclaim the stories of our bodies from whoever else might be telling them?
Sometimes we don't think of all of the different bodies that exist in the world: pregnant bodies, postpartum bodies, disabled bodies, bodies with needs that feel like “too much,” racialized bodies, trans bodies, immigrant bodies, bodies at rest, bodies in motion. Bodies also have different ways of existing in the world. Bodies change over time. Bodies have histories.
In this generative class we will use writing exercises, prompts and selected readings to process and communicate the experience of having a body, whatever that might mean to you. This class will offer a way to practice a more embodied writing and reading experience.
Students describe this class as powerful, insightful and focused. I can tailor this class to your organization or college and I have a particular interest in bringing this class to places where it can serve writers who identify as physically disabled or chronically ill.
In the past I have offered two full scholarships for writers who identify as disabled to attend this class. Click here you’d like to contribute to this scholarship fund.
Forget those stodgy 5 paragraph formats you learned in high school, or the college entrance essays you were forced to write for admissions. Essay comes from the french word essayer, which quite literally means “to try.” It is one of the most expansive and delightful literary forms.
In this collaborative and generative class we are going to read some great essays, talk about what makes them sing, and then work with prompts to generate some of our own. We’ll talk about voice, style, characterization and how to make the personal universal.
Our lives consist of millions of stories, both ordinary and extraordinary. In this class you will learn to craft those moments into compelling personal narratives. Using prompts and selected reading materials, this class will cover such topics as: getting started, voice, situation vs. story, and revision. Participants will have the opportunity to share their work in a supportive workshop setting and connect with a local writing community.
I have taught some iteration of this class at the Durham Arts Council, the Durham County Library, The Seymour Center and the Forest at Duke and I can tailor it to your organization or college.