Blaise Writers Workshop + Consulting is committed to cultivating a safe space for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled writers. In a better world this would go without saying.
Work by current and former students has appeared or is forthcoming in Modern Love, Blavity, The New Yorker, The New York Times, McSweeney's, Bright Flash Literary Review, Elle.com, Rolling Stone, Manifest Station, Texas Monthly, Refinery29, 11th Street Journal, Dame Magazine, and elsewhere.
[ current classes + consulting
BIPOC Writers' Creative Nonfiction Workshop
8 weeks; Wednesdays, November 30th - January 18th; 7:00 - 9:30pm ET (Zoom); Limited to 8 people.
Whatever form of creative nonfiction you're working in—personal essay, short-form narrative nonfiction, full-length book, flash memoir, or hybrid—if you're a writer of color, here's a creative working and growing and bonding space just for us. The focus will be on workshopping submissions and discussions on issues relevant to being underrepresented in the world and the particular challenges creative BIPOC face. We'll soak up the insights and expertise of writers: Amy Tan, Toni Morrison, Margo Jefferson, Cathy Park Hong, Felicia Rose Chavez, David Mura, and Matthew Selesses, and more.$400
Sliding scale + payment plans are available.
Writing a Whole Book-Length Memoir
12 weeks beginning January 4th; Text-based and virtual discussion, feedback, plus optional write-ins. Open to all.
So I've been asked to develop a text-based and asynchronous course called "Write Your Memoir in 12 Weeks." I know, I know, It sounds gimmicky. Or maybe good. Also both.
The deal is you want to finish a complete draft of your book. Any draft of your book. Think of your narrative nonfiction opus not as an ALL-CAPS GOAL but more as a system—one that is built ground-up from craft insights, self-knowledge, and writerly intuition. Gather up all the intentiosn for writing your memoir. Consider what you can see yourself actualizing in your real life in this real wild world. Let the unrealistic (for now) intentions fall away. Channel your fear, pride, recklessness, discombobulation—any and all of the things you feel—into next right steps. Make space and time for getting lost, unexpected detours, and heavy emotional traffic. Power straight through pages and pages and don't turn back. Find the path by walking.
Lectures posted weekly. Four Zoom meetups and optional self-guided silent, communal writing sessions. My feedback on up to 2,000 words each week. Let's have fun y'all.
Here's a comprehensive syllabus.
Message me below for more info.
One-Day Webinar Intensive: Writing The Hard Stuff
December 1st, 12pm -2pm ET. Open to all.**Postponed until February. If it's not yet listed here, contact me for date and time.
Writing is hard. Personally, I don't always feel better when I write, but I feel worse when I know I need to pull up to the page and I talk myself out of it / clean my apartment / organize my folders / rearrange my bookshelves / make 10 new playlists... You get it. In this intensive we'll talk about how to confront the hard stuff without torturing ourselves. Whether we're writing about straight up trauma or just trying to put into words what's most difficult to say, we'll consider various strategies for finding our way through it.What are the stories we've tucked away? What needs to come out? How do we even know if we're ready? Must we trigger ourselves? Where and when do you proceed with a light touch or bulldoze your way through? What level of safety do you need? What are the risks worth taking? How do we avoid victim overload in our narrative? We'll also discuss humor in darkness. Does it have a place? How do we incorporate levity into painful stories without forcing the funny? We'll dig into it all and we'll hold space for one another. We got this.Recording will be available to everyone who registers.One-On-One / Consulting
One-on-one work is for writers looking for personalized creative direction and guidance, whether you're working on a book or trying to finish stand alone pieces to pitch for publication.
During one-hour sessions (remotely or in person, as the pandemic allows), we'll identify your goals and projects, and develop a work plan. You'll receive extensive critical feedback and other forms of support catered to your needs.
In the universally perpetual quest for accountability and momentum, signing up for 3 sessions is encouraged.Free initial consultation.
Sliding scale for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and disabled writers. Payment plans available.
Get notified about upcoming workshops.
Logo: Andy Ross Creative and Amanda Villalobos
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