January was a long year but we made it! - February Creative Writing Newsletter
Published about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Writers,
I don't know about you, but it felt like this past January was the longest month of my life. I got the flu and recovered. Took 2-3 weeks to get better, and while in my sick bed, I watched LA burn, got TikTok taken away, then got it back, watched the inauguration and now through my phone and TV, I am witnessing all the changes taking place in our government. It's hard not to doom scroll.
As a creative writer and person, I'm trained to notice detail, and being sensitive is a gift for writers. However, so much input makes it hard to figure out what to say sometimes. In other words, "life is lifing."
Strange times can sow seeds for the best creative work.
My head spinning from the flu, there were many nights when I just had to put myself to bed.
It's okay to rest. In fact, rest and self care can be a form of resistance. Times like these require a lot of reflection.
But, once you are well-rested, find a pen, find a journal with smooth pages, a cosy place to sit, a "clean well-lighted place," make yourself a cup of tea, cappuccino, hot cocoa...
Find a place of stillness and beauty and begin writing.
Creativity itself is an act of resistance against tyranny.
Society needs more creative, sensitive people working together to make positive change, to envision a better world.
Your story matters. How you react to this time is important.
Also important - find your people. If you need a place to be in order to cultivate your best work, we are open and ready for you to join our workshops.
My Advanced Prose Workshop is going strong, and we hope to host 2 drop-in writing workshops per month this year. We're still working with youth in an after school-enrichment "Poetry Around the World" workshop. We also have a lot of great new projects on the horizon. More on those soon.
Take a look at some of our upcoming classes (for adults) below. One starts on Feb. 9 and is mostly full, but has 2 open spots.
Threads and Breaks: Flash Fiction vs. Narrative Poetry
Instructor: Paul-Corman-Roberts
A beginner-friendly generative writing workshop that hugs the line between poetry and prose. Starts today. But accepting signups through next week.
What makes a piece of writing flash fiction and what makes a prose poem? Join this workshop to explore the difference and find out where your writing fits in.
This online 6-week course will generate flash writing portfolios and/or works-in-progress (WIP’s) from a close study of the fine line between flash fiction and narrative poetry, and the ways in which style can subvert and inform substance into an entirely new way of writing and thinking about writing.
Anout the Instructor:
Paul Corman-Roberts has coached many successful poets and writers to publication, from chapbooks to full-length collections. He is the author of four chapbooks and two full-length collections of prose poetry, including the Firecracker nominated poetry collection Bone Moon Palace from Black Lawrence Press in 2021. He is a four-time nominee for Pushcart, Best of the Web, and Northern California Book Award. He is an MA/MFA Graduate of New College of California Poetics. In addition to teaching at SF Creative Writing Institute, he also teaches workshops for the Older Writers Lab at the SF Public Library and works in the Oakland Unified School District.
Are you writing poetry, fiction, or a memoir? Improve your skills with writing prompts that unlock your imagination and creativity. In-person workshop in San Francisco.
Join us for our next drop-in writing workshop at Harvey Milk Center for the Arts! The next one is Feb 22, 2025 at 2pm!
Get expert feedback on something you've been struggling with, a prompt for generating new work and valuable critique in a warm, friendly environment. Suitable for writers working on poetry, fiction and memoir. In this self-contained writer's workshop, we will generate short new writing for feedback based on a prompt for developing and sharing. You'll leave having written something new and gain some new perspective. The tone of this class is congenial and fun but we're also very serious about good writing and good writing practices. We'll have a ten-minute break in between. Join us for one class or sign up for all of them! All levels welcome.
Have you always wanted to work on your writing? Join Nick Mamatas and learn the ins and outs of storytelling for fiction.
Where does your story start? How on Earth do you keep it going? What's the difference between ending a story and just stopping it? Regardless of genre, length, or form, every story has a beginning, middle, and an ending—in no particular order. Beginning writers often start their stories in the wrong place, confuse action with plot, and then end a scene a bit too early… or too late. In six weeks*, award-winning novelist, anthologist, and editor Nick Mamatas will guide you up and down the path of storytelling—through the architecture of fiction. Nick acquires novels and short fiction, and knows what agents and editors are looking for in today's marketplace. His work is acclaimed by critics, and praise from outfits like Publishers Weekly and Booklist prove he knows how to keep a reader engaged. This workshop will give you the tools you need to move through a story with confidence—whether it's a novel, novella, or short story. No more getting lost. Please note: This workshop will skip March 29 due to the AWP conference.
"This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal"