Facilitated by Jessie Carson
In progress
THURSDAY - February 1, 8, 15, 22, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Mississippi Mills Public Library
Overview
We all have stories. It is a fundamental part of being human. Sharing our stories can create understanding and connection. Perhaps you have the urge to write your stories, but you don’t know where to start. Or, you already know how writing can transform us, but are in a lull in your writing practice. Starting (or starting again) is often the hardest part. In this series, our goal is to break open structure and find new ways of telling a story. Together, we will read examples of writing and consider how the authors approached their stories. We will also try these forms on in our own writing. This can make a story that we want to tell approachable and not nearly as overwhelming. Often, this allows us to tell a story in a way where we even surprise our self. In this way, we will hone different tools in our writing skills and also reignite delight in our writing practice.
What will we do in the series?
Read 1-2 short examples of writing per week
Discuss the examples – what is the aboutness of the story? What effect does the story have? What tools did the writer use to create this effect?
Generate four new pieces of writing that you can keep in a short form or grow into something longer
Share one new piece of writing (produced for the workshop) with group
Give/receive supportive feedback on the shared piece of writing
Rediscover your delight in writing!
Who is this series for?
Everyone is welcome. These exercises can be done for those writing non-fiction or fiction. This workshop can help you create new work or approach old stories that haven’t quite worked in the way that you have tried to tell them. This series is especially for anyone who is looking to (gasp!) have fun with their writing practice (again).
Who is the teacher?
Jessie Carson is the Creative Director of ARW and has been a professional writer for over a decade. Her creative non-fiction has been published in Ars Medica, The Autoethnographer, Blank Spaces Magazine as well as other print and online journals. She has also been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, long-listed for CBC Canada Writes, short-listed for Prism International’s Non-Fiction Competition, among other almost-wins for her writing. Her stories are often an inquiry into the themes of motherhood, loss, and how stories live in the body and through generations. Recently, she has been intrigued with fractured non-linear stories as this seems to be the only way some stories can be told.
Presented with support from the Mississippi Mills Public Library, and partially funded by the Municipality of Mississippi Mills.