MANY WAYS TO TELL A STORY
July 24 - August 6
(Arrive Thurs., July 24, depart Wed., Aug. 6; two weeks)
The most fruitful way to begin any piece of writing – fiction, poetry, essay, memoir – is to play with its shape and style as if it were clay. Before it is fired into finality, clay is pliable, changeable, willing to assume unexpected forms, sizes, even functions. We will experiment with alternatives to the “default setting,” the first, but not necessarily the best, way to tell a story.
By responding to prompts that encourage new perspectives on old work or propel you into a genre or a voice you have never tried before, you will discover a flexibility and versatility you didn’t know you possessed. We will read some exemplary models and discuss the choices that shaped them, and help you evaluate, appreciate and learn from the most effective parts of your own writing.
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LIVING THE WRITING LIFE
July 24 - August 6
(Arrive Thurs., July 24, depart Wed., Aug. 6; two weeks)
YOU MAY REGISTER FOR EITHER THE FULL TWO WEEKS OR A SINGLE ONE-WEEK MINI-SESSION.
--GETTING STARTED AS A WRITER (Week 1 only).
This is a stress-free introduction to writing fiction, essays, and poetry for anyone who has ever wanted to write but hasn't known how or where to start. We’ll follow a unique 30-step process, with each step offering information, tips, inspiration, and at least one hands-on writing activity. This class will help you tap your natural creativity and give you practical tools for starting to write what you most want to write. If you’ve ever wanted to write for pleasure or publication, this class can help you become the writer you want to be, one step at a time.
--FINDING YOUR WAY AS A WRITER (Week 2 only).
This class will help you discover where your greatest writing talents and interests lie and how to best make use of them. Through a series of hands-on activities, you'll discover your own most resonant themes, images, and approaches; where and when you are most creative; which genre or genres best suit you; and how to create your own ideal writing process. You’ll also meet one-to-one with Scott to discuss your work in progress. In addition, the class will help you find your way into the complex and multifaceted business of writing. We'll look at publishing (in both traditional and often-overlooked markets) and explore building a career as a writer-for-hire for businesses and nonprofits. The goal is to help you chart your own unique course to artistic and professional success.
Note: These one-week classes can be taken individually or together in a two-week sequence.
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WRITING FOR THE PERFORMER: Developing Your Inner Voice
July 24 - August 6
(Arrive Thurs., July 24, depart Wed., Aug. 6; two weeks)
All forms of writing can begin at this point: the impulse – the original voice – whether writing a script, monologue or speech. Our workshop guides you to discover the joy in language, poetry, story-telling, and styles of communication. Each character has their own nature, way of thinking, and perspective.
You’ll learn how to connect with your creative muse, and then through that source, you’ll develop the tools for writing character and creating an active voice for performance dialogue.
Through theatre games, improvisations, and writing exercises, your voice will emerge – open and free. This workshop is for writers, playwrights, and actors who always dreamed of writing.
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A WORLD OF WORDS - THE ART OF COLLABORATION
July 24 - August 6
(Arrive Thurs., July 24, depart Wed., Aug. 6; two weeks)
MAGAZINES, PUBLICATIONS, AND BLOGS
Finding a story, sharing the story. Finding your voice and sharing your voice. Inspiring, encouraging, compromising, standing up for, letting go of, uniting, creating, and mentoring.
Finding your way of collaborating with editors, writers, designers, art directors and photographers. Creating a world one page at a time. Completing each other, not competing with each other.
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THE ART AND CRAFT OF MEMOIR
August 7 - August 20
(Arrive Thurs., Aug. 7, depart Wed., Aug. 20; two weeks)
The memoir is one of the most natural, personal and challenging forms of writing. In this workshop we will explore the art of finding one’s voice and the craft of structure. Focusing on each student’s own project – whether or not you have already begun – we will discuss how to choose what to include, what kind of license you can allow yourself in recreating from memory, how to find the hidden narrative, the value of research, how to apply later understanding to earlier events, uncovering themes, and the nature of discovering truth as you write. William Grimes, NY Times critic, chose Garis's memoir, HOUSE OF HAPPY ENDINGS, as one of his ten favorite books of 2007.
The course will be tailored to individual students' needs. A suggested reading list will be given and students may submit a sample of their writing before the session. Use “Assisi” for the subject when emailing her.
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CONSTRUCTING THE CRIME NOVEL
August 7 - August 20
(Arrive Thurs., Aug. 7, depart Wed., Aug. 20; two weeks)
All novelists work with the same building blocks: character, setting, dialogue, theme, pace. Crime novels, additionally, need a set of urgent questions (who did what? why? what's the threat? who's in danger?) and must also deal with justice, applied or denied. This course invites crime and mystery writers, on all levels from beginning to published, to a supportive, non-competitive workshop.
We'll focus on excerpts from participants' works-in-progress, both novels and short stories, and in-class writing exercises spotlighting various areas of craft. The workshop format will be supplemented by discussions of structure, theme, point of view, and other elements of the well-built crime novel.
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WRESTLING IDEAS INTO STORIES: Fiction Workshop
August 7 - August 20
(Arrive Thurs., Aug. 7, depart Wed., Aug. 20; two weeks)
In this fiction workshop, we’ll work on existing manuscripts and/or start new projects. One goal will be to explore how novels and short stories begin – where do ideas come from? But more importantly, how do we transform our ideas into stories? We’ll look at the ways in which we use imagery and dialogue to make stories come alive – and, how we keep on writing when the Muse throws rocks in our path.
We will isolate problems of the writing craft such as point of view, voice, and narrator. This course is for people who have written and published novels or for those contemplating their first. The goal will be to leave Assisi with concrete results, either revisions of an existing manuscript or the beginning of a new one.
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VISION & REVISION: Playwrights' Intensive
August 7 - August 20 (Arrive Thurs., Aug. 7, depart Wed., Aug. 20; two weeks)
A GOOD DRAMATURG IS TO A PLAYWRIGHT WHAT A GOOD EDITOR IS TO A NOVELIST! Join us for an intensive, interactive development workshop that readies your play beyond the first draft. The class will focus on plays that are in process. How do you know if what you've written is transmitting what you intended? How do you move from the internal, solitary world of writing to the collaborative process of production? Participants will have the opportunity to hear a scene or monologue in each daily session and will receive individual feedback from the instructor. In-depth, hands-on, and practical, the emphasis will be on revision and "mapping the script," while maintaining the essential vision. The goal of the workshop is to spark the playwrights to re-engage with their work, while incorporating the benefits of an experienced dramaturgical eye. The instructor encourages participants to send their scripts in advance for a more individually targeted class. Artists developing solo shows are very welcome in the workshop.
"Working with Jayne Wenger in the hill town of Assisi was inspiring. She is organized, articulate, and thoughtful. We got an enormous amount done and had fun! Art Workshop International was an incredible experience which I will never forget."
-- Deborah Slater, Artistic Director, Deborah Slater Dance Theater
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