Workshops are single session invitations to think deeply about specific elements of can a small group setting
workshops
Taking Pleasure Seriously: Resourcing with the Erotic
A 2 hour seminar for writers on how to think about the erotic as a resource for their writing. How can the erotic offer us animation and energy outside of the confines of a sex scene? How can we think about power, embodiment, the sensuous, and the pleasurable as forces in our writing we can tap into? How can the erotic material that excites us be used to fuel our stories in a holistic way? The seminar features some close reading of short excerpts, some discussion, and some writing prompts.
Flipping Fanfiction
Fanfic is all over mainstream publishing, and has been the starting place for many published writers, from the super-niche to the NYT Bestseller list. But how do you get there? In this session, we’ll dive deep into the writer skills fanfic authors already have and discuss how to port those skills order to write original fiction or convert existing fanfic into an original story. It’s more complicated than just “filing the serials off”: original fiction is a separate medium from fanfiction, and has different demands on the writer. We’ll celebrate the skills and breadth of fanfic writing and talk about medium and genre, characterization, conflict, and worldbuilding in order to help authors make the leap to crafting original stories.
Understanding the Romance Genre
Romance is a wide and wonderful genre with a long history. It’s a mainstay the publishing industry, but it can be hard to find your way in if you know you want to write romance but aren’t quite sure where to start. In this session, we’ll do a brief tour through the history of the genre, the current state of the industry, and discuss how sexual fantasy and social imagination come together in romance novels.
Conflict is Intimacy
Conflict can be a dirty word to romance writers—if the point of the story is to bring the characters together, why drive them apart? In this session, we’ll talk about conflict as a way of getting characters to reveal themselves, to grow closer together, and grow the sense of intimacy between the characters. We’ll look at conflict as a vector of intimacy, not a detriment to it, and think about developing conflict between the characters in order to forward their romance.
Request a workshop
If there’s something you’re burning to have a workshop on but don’t see listed here, contact me! I’d love to come talk to your writing group or class about writing craft, publishing, or navigating the industry. Contact me and let’s chat!
