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Join us for an intimate personal story writing workshop in Ann Arbor.

 

You can come with a few pages, an entire manuscript, an inkling, or just a longing.

Don't worry about coming empty-handed: There will be plenty of time for you to write throughout the day. Likewise, if there is something specific you know you want to work on, bring it.

 

We’ll begin Saturday morning at 9. You'll all read a half-page of brand-new writing, and I'll introduce you to the group process. 

We'll take a break and write for a while, then read + respond again—either your new writing or what you've brought.

We'll break for lunch (potluck) and have more time to write or rewrite.

Then we'll do an  afternoon read + respond session and finish about 6. 

There will be plenty of time throughout the day for you to stretch, take a little walk, and talk to me about what you’re working on and how to work. 

THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF WHAT'S THE STORY?

confidentiality

For purposes of both privacy and propriety, I request that those involved in the workshop hold to a commitment to confidentiality about the stories they hear within the group process and not share either the content or spirit of that material outside the group until the writer chooses to share her work with the public.

content 1- let it be rough

There are phases in this work. It's like archaeology: You need to dig up a bunch of dirt in order to find treasures. I call the digging "raw material." Let it be whatever it is. Don't censor, don't necessarily refine, and don't worry. The group process is designed to help you sort through the raw material for gemstones and fossils and stuff that shines. In this short weekend, you may find yourself digging the whole time, but I promise you glints in the sand, signposts as to where you might be headed. And there's always the internet, so we can continue the conversation.

content 2 - don't be afraid to go somewhere you don't want to go

You are under no obligation to touch upon, much less dig into any material you don't want to deal with. If things get dicey, tell me or us to back off. You are totally in charge of boundaries. This process may be thera-peutic for some people, but it is not thera-py and I am not a thera-pist. I'm an artist and a teacher. This process is about finding voice, about culling from the morass of our experience something that speaks to others. It's about not being alone. It's about finding where our story intersects with the story of the other. It's about shining light. 

commitment to constructive response

The response structure I have created for this work is designed to be constructive, empathic and deeply personal, and to give writers information that I believe to be useful to you, as you plumb personal experience for what story there is that might be of use and interest to others.