Join The Writers Grotto lecture series as our members dive into the Craft & Career of being a writer.
Register for a season pass to attend all three lectures and save over 15%!
Saturday, Oct. 5th, from 1 - 2pm│This seminar, lead by Khan Wong, explores world building by starting with a character and reverse-engineering the culture that would produce such a person or set of circumstances. Khan will offer an example from his own work, and lead the class through an exploratory exercise for their own characters. The material is geared towards creators of secondary-world science fiction and fantasy, but the ideas could be applied to real-world settings as well.
Sunday, Oct. 20th, from 1 - 2:30pm│In this panel, lead by writer and activist Chino Lee Chung, our panelists will read a sample of their writing that employs an element of craft they're particularly proud of and discuss their process as it intersects with their identity as Queer BIPOCs. There are so many elements of craft that we can discuss and learn from such as dialogue, setting, stakes, tension, extracting the heart of interviews, research, or emotionality. Panelists to be announced soon.
Tuesday, Nov. 19th, from 6 - 7pm | A well-crafted plot is essential in both fiction and memoir; just look at any bestseller list. Why is plot so important? As Christopher Lehman-Haupt observes, “The beginning of plot is the prompting of desire.” Our characters must deeply want something, and that desire starts a journey filled with unexpected challenges and pleasures.
Laurie Ann Doyle, who writes both fiction and creative nonfiction, will discuss a surprisingly powerful yet largely unknown approach to plot: how what is narratively not present—a missing father, a lost object, even an unexpressed feeling—has been a major theme in literature and can serve as a creative spark for your own work. She will share examples from well-known books, read a short excerpt from her own writing, and provide craft techniques. She’ll also offer brief writing exercises to give participants first-hand experience on how a focus on what's missing can be transformative.