The Feeling of What Happens
Advanced Techniques for Writing That Stirs Emotion
June 27, 5:30-8:30 Central Time on Zoom (recording made available to all registered participants).
[Registration is Now Closed]
Please Email to Inquire About Joining the Waitlist
“A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. That is my belief." ~ Franz Kafka
We have all heard about showing versus telling but no one can say exactly how to strike a balance between the two. But one thing almost all writers agree on is that if you want your writing to matter, you must make your readers feel something. The reader's experience must be an emotional journey of its own. Kafka’s inspiring quote raises the question of how we can achieve such emotional power in our writing. In the end, readers can simply read our work...or they can experience it. This class shows you how to write in a way that offers the latter.
This generative workshop will teach writers how make work that engages readers emotionally—that makes them feel something. Drawing from many sources including Donald Maass's book The Emotional Craft of Fiction, this workshop is for all genres.
Feedback from a WITD writer:
“I want to say THANK YOU! This is the 5th piece written under your workshop umbrella that has either won something, been published, or both. And of course equal due goes to the other writers in these workshops, because the inspiration and energy is totally fueled by the discussions and amazing feedback. And it goes without saying, the community that comes with this stuff is stellar. If anyone wonders why I will shift my entire schedule around to stay in the classes, this is it!”
when & where will the workshop take place?
The Feeling if What Happens will take place on Zoom on June 27, 5:30-8:30 PM.
what kind of writer should take this course?
This workshop is for everyone. It will be accessible for beginners, yet definitely challenging and inspiring for seasoned writers. All genres are welcome. Writing in the Dark workshops are highly participatory, generative, collaborative & inventive spaces where you will be invited to (distracted into) leaving your burdens momentarily in order to engage with writing exercises that capture your imagination and take you to new places in your writing. You will come away with bits and pieces to invest in later, as you see fit. Think of it as a doorway to a more open place.
what will we do during the workshop?
Craft lectures will be interspersed with participatory close readings of exceptional short work together. We will focus intensely on craft through the lens of emotion. We’ll plumb the depths of emotion as a tool and practice its complexities on the page. We’ll beg, borrow, and steal, patch and paste, and turn what we know upside down and put it back together again. We’ll laugh. We’ll probably cry too. Writing in the Dark is a safe container in which to take creative risks. We’ll immerse ourselves in the art and craft of writing, while freeing ourselves from unhelpful “rules.” We’ll play hard and work hard. We’ll spend at least a half an hour or so writing, probably in 10-minute increments. Hopefully during the three hours, we’ll replenish the most creative parts of ourselves. Unconventional writing exercises will lead to unexpected places in the writing, and the chance to breathe new life into your writing while immersing yourself in an open-hearted community that can last long after the course ends.
what are the requirements?
An open mind and heart. A willingness to show up and experiment together. A deep curiosity about language, its power and elasticity. A tolerance for new ideas. An interest in reading and discussion. A commitment to putting some words on the page. A wish to create. Writing in the Dark does not discriminate against anyone, regardless of age, color of skin, national origin, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender expression and identity, sexual orientation, or anything else. We expect the same from our all of our participants.
what will writers take away?
A toolkit of specific, concrete techniques and devices to help you write in a way that evokes visceral and emotional experiences for readers
Increased understanding of concepts such as:
Differentiating between exterior and interior writing and learning to use exteriority to convey interior experiences
Concrete specific imagery and "the thing itself"
Plain language and restraint
Third-level emotion
Moving beyond showing versus telling (what does this adage really mean?)
Symbols and emotional language
Identifying the hidden current that makes stories move
Access to engaged peers and a supportive community of fellow writers during the workshop and ongoing
Strategies for using writing prompts for catalyzing creativity
Renewed faith in your own unique voice
One or more “seedlings” (short drafts of new work generated in the workshop)
who is the teacher?
This course is led by Jeannine Ouellette (The Part That Burns, Split/Lip Press, 2021). Jeannine holds an MFA in Fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She teaches writing and narrative health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, mentors through the Association of Writers & Writing Program's Writer-to-Writer Program, and teaches creative writing through the Minnesota Prison Writers Workshop and through Writing in the Dark, both online and in person. Jeannine is the author of several nonfiction books as well as the children's book Mama Moon and her essays and fiction have won many awards and have appeared widely in magazines and literary journals. Jeannine is the founder of Writing in the Dark; read her full bio here.
what is the cost?
The Feeling of What Happens tuition is $199 and is non-refundable.
is there a sliding fee scale?
Yes! The synchronous Writing in the Dark was born in the pandemic and our signature no-questions-asked sliding scale is still in place. We don’t want anyone to be excluded from this workshop for financial reasons. It’s an honor system, so we ask that you be honorable. If you can afford to pay full tuition, please do. Your tuition supports the entire WITD endeavor and makes all of it possible—including paying teaching artists, support staff, and this scholarship system for others. We ask that you pay as much as you are able without hardship, not the amount you guess the workshop to be worth or what you estimate it should be priced at—if you disagree with our pricing or our “Robinhood” tuition model, this is probably not the right workshop for you.
The sliding-scale is for those who truly cannot afford the full tuition without hardship. If that is you, please send an email stating what you can afford to pay (no personal details or documentation is needed, please) so we know what to expect. We can then provide a payment link. Since Writing in the Dark grows by word of mouth, you can always pay it forward by letting others know about the workshop and the Substack newsletter! We appreciate it a lot.
what do people say about writing in the dark workshops?
We’ve heard that Writing in the Dark is “a lifeline,” “life changing,” “just what was needed,” and “amazing.” Several writers said they were finally writing again after months of being stuck. One writer said the workshop has been “devastating in all the best ways.” Another wrote to say, “This class teaches you how to dig deep and activate your voice. How to write about things that matter to you, and in turn to your readers.” And several writers have published work generated during Writing in the Dark. Read more love letters here.
how do I apply?
There is no application for Writing in the Dark. All levels welcome. All you need to do is complete payment and registration.