Note: this class is being postponed until early 2017. More news soon!

In her essay collection Create Dangerously, Edwidge Danticat writes: “All artists, writers among them, have several stories–one might call them creation myths–that haunt and obsess them.” Does this resonate with you? Are there stories you circle back to again and again? Stories about your life that you want to tell, but you don’t know where to start? Do you wonder what could come of tapping into your reserves, mining for the deeper stories and your deepest feelings?

Vanessa Mártir, a renowned workshop leader and storyteller, has delved into the darkest places of her life to find the brightest lights, and will help you do the same in this craft talk and generative class.

1. Participants of “Writing the Ghosts that Haunt” will:
2. Come away with an understanding of why their stories are important and necessary.
3. Compile a list of stories they can dig into.
4. Begin to write at least one of the personal stories from this list.
5. Begin to add sensory details to the story they select.
6. Zero in on and develop a scene in this story.

Class Dates: November 13, 20, 27, December 4, 11, 18 (Videos will be posted online for registered students who cannot make these dates)

Time: 7pm-9pm EST

Price: $300* (including a 75 nonrefundable registration deposit

Platform: Zoom (via videoconference platform which also permits a call-in option)

To register or for more information, contact Vanessa at writingourlivesworkshop@gmail.com with “Writing the Ghosts that Haunt” in the subject box.

This class does not include workshopping of student projects, but students will write and receive feedback on writing exercises and assignments. Workshopping of student material may be offered for an additional cost, on a case-by-case basis.

* Price will go up in the spring so take advantage of this deal now.

About the facilitator: 

Vanessa Mártir is a NYC based writer, educator and mama. She is currently completing her memoir, A Dim Capacity for Wings, and chronicles the journey at vanessamartir.blog. A five-time VONA/Voices and two-time Tin House fellow, Vanessa’s work has appeared in Bitch Media, The Butter, Smokelong Quarterly, Kweli Journal, As/Us Journal and the VONA/Voices Anthology, Dismantle, among others. She has essays forthcoming in Not That Bad, edited by Roxane Gay, and Connections: An Integrated Reader and Rhetoric for College Writing, edited by Kerry Beckford and Donald Jones. Vanessa is the founder of the #52essays2017 challenge, and created the Writing Our Lives Workshop through which she’s helped hundreds of writers write their own personal and memoir essays.