Tuesdays, March 17–April 7
Instructor: Susanna Daniel
Meeting Time: 7–9pm ET / 6-8pm CT
Class Type: Craft Course
Price: $275
Patron Price: $250
Writing from life often sends writers into tailspins that exist purely in our imaginations. What if X reads Y and thinks Z? How can I convey A without putting myself in B’s crosshairs? But when we free ourselves to blur fact with fiction while mitigating gratuitous damage, not only do we find our strongest voice, we also honor and elevate our personal stories.
In this four-week class led by award-winning One Story author Susanna Daniel, we’ll discuss the gray areas between memoir and autofiction, exploring how writers keep themselves honest and treat their material with compassion. Our goal is to find our most authentic, authoritative, and engaging narrative voice.
Among other topics, we’ll look at:
how to portray someone you don’t respect without turning off the reader;
nuts-and-bolts tips for writing what’s too hard to write;
what to do when you can’t render a real-life event or person for practical reasons;
when and why to veer away from life for the sake of your story;
how to embody your most authoritative voice without sacrificing empathy.
Each week, we’ll discuss readings from Ben Lerner, Sheila Heti, Jenny Offill, Yiyun Li, and more. We’ll strengthen our writing-from-life muscles using targeted prompts. We’ll discuss how and when to depart from fact, whether it be to throw the reader off your scent, to protect the innocent, or even for dramatic effect. Most importantly, perhaps, we’ll explore how to write from life authentically without compromising your compassion for yourself or others. You’ll take away examples, craft lessons, new writing, and fresh confidence.
This is a craft course. Our craft courses analyze fiction from a craft perspective and include generative writing exercises. Class will meet once a week for a live Zoom lecture based on the assigned reading. There will also be writing prompts and discussion prompts.
About Susanna Daniel:
Susanna Daniel is the author of three novels. Stiltsville was awarded the PEN/Bingham prize, Sea Creatures was a Target Book Club pick, and Girlfriending is a work of autofiction based on her award-winning short story, “The Goddess of Illicit Choices.”
Susanna co-founded the Madison Writers’ Studio with author Michelle Wildgen in 2013, and she’s coached hundreds of writers of fiction and creative nonfiction. She’s a graduate of Columbia University and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and has earned residencies at the UW Institute for Creative Writing, the MacDowell Colony, and the UCross Foundation.
Schedule
All sessions will take place on Zoom.
Session 1: Tuesday, March 17, 7–9pm ET
Session 2: Tuesday, March 24, 7–9pm ET
Session 3: Tuesday, March 31, 7–9pm ET
Session 4: Tuesday, April 7, 7–9pm ET