Do you have stories you want to tell and need help telling them?
Do you have stories about your life that you want to write but you don’t want to piss anyone off?
Or maybe you’re just not ready to reveal that these things really happened to you?
Solution: label them fiction!
Have you been writing fiction forever and want to dig into what it means to use your real life as inspiration for your fiction?
Are you mostly a memoir and personal essay writer, and are interested in writing fiction?
No matter where you’re coming from, if the title of this class piqued your interest, there’s a reason for it.
What I love about fiction is that we are free to use all of the materials of our human experience in writing it.
What do I know about writing fiction from real life? My first love is fiction, and I wrote two novels before I turned my gaze to personal essay and memoir: A Woman’s Cry (Augustus Publishing, 2007) and The Write Play (currently revising).
I’ve also had short stories published that were written using materials from my life, like the flash piece Dollhead, published in SmokeLong Quarterly
Using my life–the people I’ve known, the experiences I’ve had, the places I’ve been–has given me a wonderful foundation to work with in my stories.
In this class, participants will:
- use personal experiences and observations to craft compelling story lines and characters;
- receive insight into my inspirations and methods, which will inspire some fresh ideas for their own writing;
- generate material to take with them and hopefully keep working on; and
- build scenes and story starters.
Participants will leave with a toolkit of practical approaches for translating real-life elements into fuel for their fiction.
This is a generative class, meaning you will be writing a lot and generating material to take with you and keep working on.
When: June 1st, 7-9pm EST
Where: Online via zoom
How much: $30
Registration/Inquries: writingourlivesworkshop@vanessamartir.com
Vanessa Mártir's Blog 