New Session meets 6 Thursdays, November 2 - December 14 (no class on Thanksgiving), 6 - 8pm Central via Zoom
SOLD OUT
About Writing in the Dark
This workshop began back in March 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown the world. The idea was to create a place where we could write through the complicated, ongoing grief of these lonely, isolated, and weird times. Dark times. As the continued uncertainty of global politics intensified by climate change presses on, so does Writing in the Dark, which is now completing a third year, hundreds of writers and more than two dozen cohorts strong. If you are having trouble sustaining your writing practice, you are not alone, and this sixteenth session of Writing in the Dark (WITD) might be for you.
From a past and current 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!”
WITD is a highly participatory, generative, collaborative & inventive space where you will be invited to (distracted into) leaving your burdens momentarily in order to engage with writing prompts that capture your imagination and take you to new places in your writing. This will be a lively, supportive workshop for writers of all levels and genres. You will come away with bits and pieces of prose or poetry to invest in later, as you see fit. Think of it as a doorway to a more open place, a place where your creativity can flourish, or at least exist, once again.
As we say in writing, beginnings are crucial. In this workshop, you’ll make a series of beginnings, or portals perhaps, that you can walk through toward a more creative space for now and later.
what is the theme of this session of writing in the dark?
Typically, this multigenre workshop focuses solely on inventive new approaches to specific elements of craft based on close readings of published work and detailed writing exercises. However, this special session of Writing in the Dark will follow an adapted version of the curriculum I created and will be teaching at Stillwater Prison this fall. The structure of workshop and the close readings + writing exercises and flash workshops will remain the same as usual, but the theme we’ll work within is emotion:
The Feeling of What Happens: Advanced Techniques for Writing That Stirs Emotion
Franz Kafka said that " A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. That is my belief." But how do we achieve this in our writing? After all, we have all heard about showing versus telling but no one can say exactly how to strike the perfect balance between the two, and writers continually debate the pros and cons of plotting versus pantsing. 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. This course will offer writers a toolkit of specific, concrete techniques and devices to help them write prose that evokes visceral and emotional experiences for readers. Inspired by Donald Maass's book The Emotional Craft of Fiction, this course will cover topics such as: concrete specific imagery and "the thing itself"; plain language and restraint; third-level emotion; beyond showing versus telling (what does this adage really mean?); your story's emotional world; moral stakes; connecting the inner and outer journeys; plot as emotional opportunities; symbols and emotional language; story as emotional mirror; and the hidden current that makes stories move. In the end, readers can simply read a story...or they can experience it. This class shows you how to write in a way that offers the latter.
when & where will the workshop take place?
WITD XVI will take place on six consecutive Thursdays, 6-8pm, via Zoom, hosted on Elephant Rock’s course platform MightyNetworks. Our Mighty Networks space has a designated course page with course materials, a private group chat, and an events tab where the course sessions run as Zoom meetings, plus an interactive social feed for sharing and commenting on each other’s work throughout (and after) the course.
what kind of writer should take this course?
Writing in the Dark is for everyone. It will be accessible for beginners, yet definitely challenging and inspiring for seasoned writers. The workshop has been valued equally by those with award-winning books in print and those who’ve yet to publish. We do close readings of exceptional short work together. We focus intensely on craft—in this session, through the lens of emotion: what does it mean to develop a narrating voice, and is it your voice, or the voice of the project? What about the voices of other characters? Where does one voice end and another begin, and can they all be real? We’ll plumb the depths of voice 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. WITD 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. Hopefully, over the six weeks, we’ll replenish the most creative parts of ourselves, including the parts that have been too hurt and tired to create, if that’s the case.
what are the requirements?
An open mind and heart. A willingness to show up for six weeks 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. Elephant Rock 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.
how does this remote class work?
This course lives on Elephant Rock’s course platform, MightyNetworks. All course materials, sharing of work, and discussions in-between sessions happen on our designated course page. The course sessions themselves run as lively, interactive weekly meetings via Zoom, accessed through the course page (six weekly sessions, 6 - 8 PM Central). There is overlap between this course and the first fifteen sessions of Writing in the Dark, in terms of the philosophy and approach, but the readings and writing exercises are always new. This workshop incorporates principles of spontaneity and participation, and all prompts and exercises are meant to aim us at new destinations. This session also incorporates discussion of student work in progress.
Class time will include structured and thoughtfully facilitated conversation about student work as well as assigned readings. 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 will writers take away?
Up to 6 micro/flash pieces to refine and/or expand on your own
Access to engaged peers and a supportive community of fellow writers during the workshop and ongoing
One “flash workshop” devoted to your work (must be something written in WITD)
Brief but thoughtful written feedback from Jeannine on one piece of writing (must have been written in WITD, need not be the same piece you workshop)
Specific guidance on revision
A deeper understanding of creative writing
Strategies for using writing prompts for catalyzing creativity
Renewed faith in your own unique voice
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 through the Association of Writers & Writing Program's Writer-to-Writer Program as well as through the Minnesota Prison Writers Workshop. She also serves as guest lecturer on writing at the University of Minnesota. 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 Elephant Rock; read her full bio here.
what is the cost?
Elephant Rock tuition for the six-week classes is $499 and is non-refundable. Under normal circumstances, full payment is due at least 15 days before the workshop begins, however, extended payment plans are available in cases of economic hardship. Please email Elephant Rock to request extended payments.
sliding fee scale
I don’t want anyone to be excluded from this workshop for financial reasons. Therefore, Writing in the Dark offers a sliding fee scale. It’s an honor system, so I ask only that you be honorable. If you can afford to pay full tuition, please do. But if you cannot afford the full tuition without hardship, please send an email stating what you can reasonably pay (no personal details or documentation is needed) so we know what to expect and can provide a payment link. Since Writing in the Dark grows by word of mouth, you are always welcome to pay it forward by letting others know about the workshop!
what have others had to say about elephant rock 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 are welcome. Please click below to complete payment and registration.
This section of Writing in the Dark is full. Registration is now open for a concurrent Monday section beginning October 3oth. Please click here to register for the Monday section.