As women and mothers in this community, we are more than “mom,” more than someone’s wife, caretaker, carpool drivers, and personal chefs. We are more than our gender or zip code. We are individuals with rich backgrounds, incredible experiences, informed perspectives, and we’ve got stories to tell. Not all of us with stories, however, are writers or even aspire to be one. That doesn’t mean we don’t want the support and encouragement to write occasionally, either therapeutically, or because we have a special story or memoir to share.
This class will honor those experiences by encouraging students to explore modern themes through fiction or creative non-fiction (personal narrative), and/or hybrid forms. This class will introduce students to different forms of prose to choose the appropriate narrative style with optional outside readings and in-class discussion. This workshop is manuscript based, meaning students will submit at least a couple pages in advance.
Saturdays at 11AM-12:30PM EST October 7, 14, 21
Class will be conducted in a hybrid format, with the first class in-person (location TBD), and the remaining two on Zoom. This allows students the benefit of meeting new writer/mom/women friends in person while also accommodating those with demanding schedules where commuting is a challenge.
This workshop is offered to women, and those identifying as women, in the Fairfield area. This class is a safe environment for LGTBQ+, BIPOC, and disabled students.
Students can apply for enrollment here, where they can provide an optional writing sample. Enrollment will close when the class size has been met (6 students). If enrollment is not met, the class may be cancelled or postponed with a full refund.
Each class is 90 minutes. The first 30 minutes are dedicated to a short lesson reviewing outside reading, craft elements, and questions.
During the final hour, we workshop one or two student submissions and provide constructive criticism and thoughtful feedback.
All submissions should be emailed to the instructor 1-week prior to class start date so that everyone has adequate time to read each piece. As this is not a writers’ workshop for dedicated writers, the submission can either be 500-6,000 words of already written material; or, students may submit a page or two synopsis of the project they aspire to write. This option will provide less feedback on the actual writing, and more on craft and planning.
Syllabus below subject to change to meet student interests.
Week 1 October 7: Diversity in Prose: What is your genre?
Week 2 October 14: Sh*tty First Drafts And Why You Need Them
Week 3 October 21: Jogging Memory: Sensory Details
A note on workshop style: Contentious and cruel workshops have long been de rigeur. Thankfully, that is no longer in style. All workshops will be conducted with respect, kindness, empathy, and tolerance. Students will learn how to provide constructive feedback and criticism by identifying what elements are working especially well in a piece, and also what they find confusing, unclear, or feel is helpful to consider for revision. If you’ve ever been in a contentious workshop, you know it can be demoralizing and unhelpful. This workshop intends to build confidence in writers and inspire in them a passion for creativity through language.
Tuition is $300 per student for the 3-week class.
Writers’ workshops are fun and inspiring to aspiring writers and established ones alike. They help us improve our own skills and competencies through feedback, but also by learning to read with a critical eye. For those who are applying to college, using a workshop is a great way to nail that college essay, and looks great as an extracurricular on applications. They are also impressive to mention in cover letters and resumes, particularly for internships or jobs in writing, publishing, and grad school.
Refund Policy: No refunds will be provided for missing or cancelling enrollment. For workshop to work best, it requires all participants to attend and be present. Late cancellations disrupt the class balance.
Rachael Workman is a writer and MFA candidate at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, with an expected graduation date of July 2024. There, she studies creative non-fiction/memoir and fiction. She has been been awarded the 2023 Social Media Fellowship, creating content for the VCFA Writing Program’s Instagram and Facebook. Her work has been published in thedrive.com (car blog), Rind Literary Magazine, Newberry Magazine, and The Dutch Fork Chronicle (no longer in print.) In 2003, Rachael won the Lillian Butler Davey Award in Communications for a short story entitled Mind The Gap. She studies writing with various arts organizations including Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop and Westport Writers’ Workshop, and also co-hosts a small women’s writer group that meets monthly. Additionally, she volunteers as a reader with The Maine Review and Hunger Mountain Review (literary magazines.) Rachael is a graduate of the College of Charleston where she studied Political Science, English, and Gender Studies.
Read more on the About page.
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