Afternoon Workshop Sessions (11:30-1:00)
Optimism One, Making a Scene: Since writing scenes is so critical in creative nonfiction (and fiction), this workshop will focus on the fundamental elements that place your readers in the moment, develop your characters, and build the tension that keeps readers keep reading.
The Art of Character (Fiction) with Paula Trieck DeBoard – How do writers create the characters who stick with us, the ones whose voices resonate in our heads long after the story is over? (Hint: It only seems like magic.) In this workshop, we’ll practice the art of complex characters by writing a short-short story.
“Dis-covering Genre” with Elizabeth Cunningham: How might we translate a poem into a story, or an essay into a poem? By re-writing into different containers, we often arrive at surprising insights. This workshop will examine traditional formal categories—fiction, nonfiction, and poetry—in order to translate among and beyond those classifications.
Ekphrastic Poetry with Sam Ocena and Kaelee Martinez: In ancient Greece, the work “ekphrastic” meant “description,” and an ekphrastic poem referred to the vivid descriptions of a scene. Today, ekphrastic poems more commonly refer to poems that respond to a work of art. These responses may include vivid descriptions but usually seek to expand upon or amplify the artwork’s meaning through conversation, interpretation, confrontation, or a host of other means. In this workshop, we will visit the UCM art gallery to hold our own conversation with the exhibited works.
Plain Old Workshop with Jacob Kelly: Bring any genre of written work (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, drama, songs, limericks, aphorisms, noise) and we will discuss and provide suggestions for revision. In addition to workshop, we will spend a portion of the class discussing tips and strategies for revision. Students should bring one example of their own work (written at home or during the Collaboratorium), but anyone who would like to sit in and listen to our discussion is also welcome.
The Art of Presentations Workshop with Phillip Lovas and Dr. Kathryn Lambrecht: Because art is meant to be seen, shared, and experienced, oftentimes the last step of an artist work is its presentation. However, not all of us love presenting, so this workshop will explore designing and presenting strategies for people who have to present for class or work. Attendees will analyze examples of presentations, discussing elements such as design, stage presence, and rhetoric, then they will have the opportunity to practice and develop their own effective presentation or public reading.
Screenwriting with Shammi Samano: Workshop explores the essential elements of a good screenplay, the 3-Act structure, and creating an effective logline (1-2 sentence script synopsis used to summarize and market a screenplay).
