Hey! I’m still on hiatus from the regular newsletter, but wanted to share the exciting news that I’ll be teaching a brand! spanking! new! class at Center for Fiction this January. I’ve been thinking of teaching this one for a long time; it might be the most in my wheelhouse class I’ve ever taught, content-wise, and will have all the greatest hits of my teaching style including: hand gestures to describe writing process, making you love a timer, lots and lots of writing, and geeking out about constructing fiction.
Close Encounters: Writing Intimacy and Connection is an 8-week workshop focused on writing relationships and intimate encounters. This is decidedly not a class about romantic relationships, though we will for sure touch on those, but about the whole range of what intimacy and connection can mean. We’re going to write interactions with strangers, we’re going to write fight scenes, we’re going to write endings and beginnings and sex scenes. We’re going to talk about friendship, entanglement with our enemies, why 3 is the most dangerous number, and communing (or beefing) with animals. We’ll read short stories and novel excerpts. We’ll stay focused on scene work, and workshop multiple shorter scenes vs. the usual single story or novel excerpts.
Things to Know:
The class meets virtually, 7-9pm EST, for 8 weeks, starting January 6th. Zoom isn’t people’s favorite place, but I have had some great virtual classes and have no doubt this will a good room!
Cost is $545 (payable to Center for Fiction)
The class is beginner friendly, but designed for folks with experience doing close readings and who are ready to receive and give feedback. I’m very serious about asking students to show up for each other’s work as fully as they show up for their own during workshops. My teaching style is inclusive, and I’m always happy to explain terminology or concepts, but if you’ve never written fiction before you will likely feel out of your depths here; the course assumes a foundation in fiction basics.
I’m always happy to check in about whether this class is right for you. Feel free to drop questions into the comments, email me at backtalklazarin@gmail.com, or reply directly to this email.
Hope to see you in class!
Danielle