Learn the art of compression: how to make your life stories compelling.
Write your life story as you lived it, one moment at a time. This interactive workshop teaches writers to distill a moment of change, conflict, contradiction, or mystery to its essence, so that the impact on the writer resonates profoundly with the reader. We will examine inspiring published examples to learn exactly how the writer moved and entertained us. Using the same tools with which we craft fiction, this workshop is an excellent learning environment for both genres. We’ll conclude with a review of where to publish.
Live video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it).
In this workshop you’ll learn:
- How to write short but resonant anecdotes
- The disproportionate power of the very small to impact readers
- Economy of language
- How to find the metaphor in virtually every experience
Time requirements
- No time required outside of class.
Materials
- All reading materials will be provided.
Who should take this workshop?
- Any writer interested in learning the art of compression to both improve their writing and as a means for telling stories in easily absorbed moments that move and entertain.
If you need an accommodation for this workshop, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
