Fall 2021 & Spring 2022 Classes!

4X4CLT Poetry Master Class: The Multitudes of “I”

Saturday, December 4, 2021, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Reginald Dwayne Betts. Poets, essayists, fiction writers have sought lovely affairs with the “I,” and here by lovely I take it to mean Adam Smith’s definition, which is not just being loved, but being worthy of that love. And yet, wanting to be loved frequently becomes wanting to be a hero, or at least not wanting to be the one who was wrong. Of all the forms, fiction permits the writer to more easily duck this dilemma, because when it comes to deciding which character is the writer – there are choices. But the poet and essayist feel deeply entangled with the I. How to still be an artist given this dilemma? How to ensure that everything you write isn’t a desire to be loved?

In this class we’ll rap about that. We’ll talk about some essays, some poems, and a handful of lines from novels that make me believe honesty is an art form that can be delivered with elegance and wit and maybe the sheer astonishment that one person can be so horrible to those they love.

This master class is part of Charlotte Lit’s 4X4CLT Poetry+Art series. Betts reads from his work at the Midwood International & Cultural Center auditorium on December 3 at 6 p.m. Tickets for this event available soon.

Cost: $65 members, $95 non-members • Register

The Poetry of Witness

November 10, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in-person)

With Joseph Bathanti. This session takes head-on what poet Carolyn Forche calls “the poetry of witness” and its advocacy “for a shared sense of humanity and collective resistance.” Writing “the poetry of witness,” is not simply a question of conscience, zeal, and commitment to social change and justice, but of craft and control, especially when the poet’s personal testimony (witness) is so often central to the poem at hand. We’ll closely read and discuss of a number of poems in the anthology, Crossing the Rift: North Carolina Poets on 9/11 & Its Aftermath, that exemplify “the poetry of witness,” examining them through a “writerly eye” (reading like a writer) and paying careful attention to the kinds of craft choices that influence the emotional voltage and meaning of a given poem. You’ll be given the opportunity to write for the last part of the workshop and to read what you draft, followed by group feedback. Registration fee includes a copy of the anthology.

Cost: $55 members, $65 non-members • Register

Love, Above All Things

November 12, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in-person)

With Falú.

a •writing workshop •centered •around finding yourself• and losing • what no longer• serves • your growth •becoming grateful • for each • come• and go• where we • fall in love • with • eye contact • and •accept• the places •people are •in their lives • crafting poems • geared toward •learning • how to •show•one another •grace• beyond •our own• judgments –

Heart work• is• hard work

All Seats $30 • Register

The Editor’s Eye: Poetry

November 16, 2021, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Zoom

With Luke Whisnant. If you’re submitting poems to journals, you’ve doubtless used Submittable. Have you ever wondered what your submission looks like from the editor’s point of view? This class, taught by the editor of the nationally-ranked journal Tar River Poetry, will show you Submittable from the inside, outline some submission strategies, offer tips to avoid submission faux pas, and suggest best practices for cover letters. We’ll also consider how poetry is like pornography. Fine tune your poetry submissions and increase your chances of publication!

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Master Class: Writing Beyond Ourselves: On Integrating Research & Poetry

Saturday, February 5, 2022, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in-person)

With Jessica Jacobs. In a time when we’re screaming at each other across massive ideological divides, the creative, compassionate act of writing from research feels more vital than ever. When done well, such writing demands we explore voices and viewpoints and times not our own, demands we act with empathy, looking at others—even those with whom we disagree—with not judgement but a desire to understand and even find possible points of agreement, and that we exist in a state of perpetual curiosity. Based in the experience of researching and writing Pelvis with Distance, a biography-in-poems of the artist Georgia O’Keeffe, and a forthcoming collection engaging with stories from Genesis, Jessica Jacobs will discuss the practices that were most useful in finding her way into these world, finding the permission needed to inhabit her voice, as well as the voices of others, and how to break free from the straight-jacket of facts to allow your poems to live and breathe on the page. As time allows, there will also be deep-reading of representative poems and generative exercises to get you writing.

This is one of four master classes with the 2021-22 Chapbook Lab faculty. There will be a few seats available for non-Lab participants.

Cost: $65 members, $75 non-members • Registration opens soon

Spoken Word: Poetry & Performance

3 Sessions: Thursday, February 10, 17, and 24, 2022
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Angelo Geter. This three-part class will introduce participants to the art of spoken word poetry. It will educate on the origins, and purpose of spoken word and poetry slam, and expose students to the artform, techniques, and skills used to craft spoken word pieces. Furthermore, it will examine spoken word work to demonstrate how literary devices employed in traditional poetry are expanded in this genre. Participants will be guided through several prompts and exercises to help them craft their own original work. In the second session, participants will read their spoken word pieces and receive feedback from the instructor and the other participants. In the third session, participants will learn how to perform their pieces. This class will show you how to literally bring your words to life from the page to the stage.

Cost: $135 members, $165 non-members • Register

Poetry Workshop: MFA-Style Discussion/Feedback Group

6 Sessions: Thursday, February 24; March 3, 10, 24, and 31; April 7, 2022
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Dannye Romine Powell. Though a poem might appear to have been poured in a single gentle stream from poet’s mind onto page, the process of creating it might be better compared to working the Sunday crossword or catching a sparrow by the tail. Good poems usually require multiple revisions, and good poets appreciate the quality feedback they receive from dedicated workshop members who can point out what works inside a given poem—and what doesn’t. If you enjoy giving and receiving helpful critique and have poems that you’d like help with to revise and polish, please join us for one (or both!) of these workshop opportunities. For: Poets of all levels, published or emerging, with at least a handful of finished poems. (Each participant will share at least one completed poem each week.) NOTE: No session on March 17.

Cost: $180 members, $210 non-members • Register

How to Read a Poem (and Maybe Write One)

2 Sessions: Tuesday, March 22 and 29, 2022
6:00 – 8:00 p.m
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Julie Funderburk. Explore the world of verse by learning to read poems with the eyes (and ears, nose, heart, and lungs) of a poet, and come away understanding what you missed in high school and college lit classes. Prose writers will gain a deeper appreciation of poetry and some inspiration—for ways to integrate poetic devices into their prose and to try out poetry for themselves. Poets will find their poetic vision sharpened and their founts replenished, and will be challenged to try some new creations.

Cost: $90 members, $110 non-members • Register

Master Class: I Walk the Line

Saturday, March 26, 2022, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in-person)

With Stuart Dischell. In this class we will remind ourselves that although grammatically indebted to diction and sentence construction, poems are made of lines. And lines make poems distinct from prose. To this end we will examine the linear choices of canonical and contemporary poets.

This is one of four master classes with the 2021-22 Chapbook Lab faculty. There will be a few seats available for non-Lab participants.

Cost: $65 members, $75 non-members • Registration opens soon

“I Would Almost Say They Saved Me” – Trees as Metaphor in Poetry

NEW DATE & TIME: Saturday, April 2, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Irene Honeycutt. How often, as with Mary Oliver, have we been rescued from hopelessness by taking shelter beneath a tree? Why, Robert Frost asks, do we wish to bear their noise more than another outside our door? The tree as nurturer, witness, listener—a source of terror, even—has drawn poets through the ages to reflect on its Mystery. This session focuses on how poems with trees embedded reflect our humanness, feed and expand the intuitive process of writing.  Discussions will lead to an awakened understanding of why Adrienne Rich writes: “It is necessary to talk about trees.”  A writing prompt will take you deeper into your own relationship to trees.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Re-charging Your Writing, Post-Pandemic

Tuesday, September 28, 2021, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
NEW Location: Virtual via Zoom

With Kim Wright. Lost your writing mojo?  Self-discipline entirely out the window and creative rituals all crumbled to dust? You’re not alone. Setting and maintaining a writing practice is hard enough even without a pandemic interfering and the last eighteen months have taken their toll on us all. But help is on the way. This fun and interactive two-hour class will discuss methods to help you get back in the game. We’ll explore collaboration, cross-genre training, and how spontaneous freewriting can get the juices flowing and then ways to re-think your daily routine so you can consistently get those new ideas on the page. Bring a blank notebook and an open mind!

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Fueling the Fires: Journal as Inspiration

Tuesday, October 12, 2021, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Zoom

With Ashley Memory. Recording our private thoughts is fundamental to growing as a writer. It’s where we muse on the things that trouble or fascinate us. But in this busy world, how do we set aside the time needed to be alone with our thoughts? And how do we turn those notions into something we can share with others? In this class, we’ll discuss the many options available for journaling as well as techniques for transforming these scribbles into polished stories, essays, or poems. Time will be divided between teaching, looking at examples, discussion, writing in class, and sharing.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Channeling for Writers

Thursday, October 28, 2021, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Jennifer Halls. Channeling is not just for witches and woo-woo New Agers, but Halloween seems an appropriate time for exploration. Channeling is a creative state of flow where new perspectives and ideas easily appear on the page. Have you heard a writer say characters sometimes write themselves? Most writers stumble into channeling every now and then because it’s the space where our mind finally lets go and our intuition has the freedom to speak. In this session, you’ll learn simple, reliable ways to enter an inner writing space where surprise and solutions arrive on a regular basis. We will be writing by hand and moving around the classroom so travel light – all you need is a pen and an open mind.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Putting Poetry Into Your Prose

Tuesday, December 2, 2021, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Jaime Pollard-Smith. What can the prose writer learn from the poet? Let us count the ways: sound, rhythm, word play, word choice, concision, and so much more. In this session, we’ll read and discuss several prose passages that employ one or more tricks from the poet’s toolbox. Then, we’ll explore the ways we can use those techniques to strengthen our own prose, trying our hands at a few of them through in-class writing prompts.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Recollecting Ourselves: Using Artifacts to Guide Your Writing

Thursday, December 9, 2021, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Elizabeth West. Sometimes writing inspiration and treasure is found where we least expect it to be. Come join us for a discussion on finding artifacts from the past (letters, journals) or guidance on how to create artifacts to fuel your writing. These artifacts can serve as inspiration for poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction (memoir). See how much fun it can be reacquainting yourselves with the past or planting seeds for future writers through the magic of artifacts. Writing tools: voice, setting, characterization, creating the feel of the project/atmosphere.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Mythology and Depth Psychology: A Crash Course for Writers

2 Sessions: Thursday, January 13 & 20, 2022
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Kathie Collins and Larry Sorkin.Whether you’re journaling your way through a difficult time, penning the first draft of a poem, or working on a novel, you’re dealing with one or more of the same archetypal images and psychological patterns that undergird all human experience. In this two-part class, poets and C. G. Jung scholars Kathie Collins and Larry Sorkin will engage participants in a depth psychological reading of a foundational myth and explore creative works emerging from that myth’s inherent archetypal patterns. Then, you’ll be invited to dream the myth forward through the creation of your own poem, short story, song, or essay. In the process, you’ll gain a better understanding of essential mythological patterns and common psychological terms and learn how to employ both to create deeper, more self-aware personal writing and better-rounded, more complex fictional characters.

Cost: $90 members, $110 non-members • Register

Creating an Authentic Voice

2 Sessions:  Tuesday, February 1 & 8, 2022
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Megan Rich. Voice is often the first connection to your reader and the most lasting, but how do you take full advantage of this important tool? In this two-session class, we will study voice at a deep level to learn the best techniques and generative exercises for connecting directly and quickly with our readers. In the second session, Meg will provide thoughtful feedback and advice on your work, helping you refine and deepen your voice in revisions. With its increasing importance to agents, editors, and publishers, doing a deep-dive into voice will help anyone writing in any genre, and you will leave with a deeper understanding of it as well as the practical tools to apply it to any future work.

Cost: $90 members, $110 non-members • Register

Little Notebooks, Big Ideas: Zines for Creative Exploration

Saturday, February 19, 2022, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Bryn Chancellor & Timothy Winkler.The road to a story winds through myriad notes and drafts. Making notebooks by hand lets writers immerse themselves in the critical early creative process and helps them commit to a project. We’ll make fun, easy, affordable, and portable notebooks in the spirit of zines, closer to Anne Lamott’s index cards than to fussy bound journals. We’ll start to fill the pages with targeted prompts for characters, settings, and scenes, and play with simple printmaking and collage to make them our own.

Cost: $90 members, $110 non-members • Register

Flash 101: Fiction & Micro Essay

3 Sessions: Thursday, March 10, 17, and 24, 2022
6:00 – 8:00 p.m
Location: Virtual via Zoom

With Luke Whisnant. Flash is the genre for fast times, with hundreds of journals and websites publishing shorter and shorter work. In this three-week class we’ll look at some common misconceptions about flash (what it is, what it’s not); delve briefly into the history of short-form prose, including prose poetry and micro-essays; introduce six strategies for crafting short fictions; and end with suggestions for submitting your flashes for publication. We’ll read and analyze several model stories, learning to “steal like an artist,” and each meeting will include several prompts for new writing. Fiction writers, prose poets, and concise nonfiction writers are all welcome.

Cost: $135 members, $165 non-members • Register

The Flesh Made Word: Writing Allegory

2 Sessions: Thursday, October 26 & November 2, 2021, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Zoom

With George Hovis.What are the opportunities and pitfalls of writing idea-driven fiction? In this workshop, we will explore allegory, fable, and parable in both their traditional and contemporary forms. Through discussion and writing prompts, we will consider how all stories embody ideas and how they therefore wrestle with the tension between the welter of lived experience and the imagined order we impose on that experience through narrative. Our goal is to write characters who are fully blooded but who mean something, to craft plots that dip two toes in the ancient pool of archetype but that learn to run with the flash of newborn surprise.

Cost: $90 members, $110 non-members • Register

Revision Strategies: Fiction

Tuesday, November 9, 2021, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Kristin Sherman. Do you find yourself at a loss when revising your fiction, spending hours moving commas around while the larger edits evade you? Revising your writing can be an intimidating, overwhelming experience, but it doesn’t have to be. In this class, you’ll learn tools and techniques to help you analyze your work, to see the big picture as well as all the intricate moving parts, and to then revise it to a final, polished draft. Bring a draft of a story or a novel excerpt that you’d like to work on in class.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Agents of Change: Building Characters through Action

Thursday, November 18, 2021, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Bryn Chancellor. Fiction writers often speak of agency, meaning we want to know how characters will act (or not act) in key moments—a core tenet in characterization. We’ll explore how action can make our characters more dynamic, complex, and resonant while also intensifying tension, plot, and movement. We’ll read contemporary short-story and novel excerpts as models and then practice our own through targeted prompts.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Writing Historical Fiction

3 Sessions: Tuesday, November 30, December 7 and 14, 2021
6:00 – 8:00 p.m
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Paula Martinac. Historical fiction has the power to bring people and places from the past to life. If you’re drawn to this genre (or one of its sub-genres, like historical mystery or romance), this class will provide you with motivation and skills to start writing. Come explore research strategies, discuss the balance between fact and fiction, and learn to incorporate historical details seamlessly. Each week, we’ll read excerpts from historical fiction and engage in brief writing exercises. By the end of the class, you will have a scene or chapter for a work-in-progress or an outline and character biographies that give you a solid path forward.

Cost: $135 members, $165 non-members • Register

Read  Like a Writer: The Contemporary Short Story

Tuesday, January 18, 2022, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Kathryn Schwille. Explore fiction by learning to read like a writer—alert to the craft on the page. Our texts for this class are two short stories published in the last few years. You’ll read the stories (to be announced) in advance, then Kathryn will lead the class in a close look at the narrative gifts of each.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Worldbuilding

2 Sessions: Thursday, January 27 & February 3, 2022
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Sarah Creech. In this two-part course on worldbuilding, writers will explore the skill sets required to create vivid, immersive, and wholly original atmospheres and settings in genre and literary fiction. We will study the worlds built by writers as wide ranging as science fiction writer Octavia Butler to short story master Alice Munro and together create a knowledge base for how to incorporate these techniques into our own existing or future projects. Through guided study and writing exercises, writers will develop a strong understanding of how to develop a fictive dimension unlike any other.

Cost: $90 members, $110 non-members • Register

Generating Story Ideas

Thursday, March 3, 2022, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Kim Wright. Linus Pauling said it well: “The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.” Successful writers will tell you they often make multiple false starts before settling on a concept that can really go the distance––but exactly where do those original ideas come from? In this class novelist Kim Wright will teach you how to separate the concepts that are mere glimmers from those that hold narrative gold. We’ll talk about stealing ideas from real life, snatching inspiration seemingly from mid-air, and how a combination of reality and fantasy often leads to the best stories.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Novel Structures: Save the Cat, Hero’s Journey, & More

Tuesday, March 15, 2022, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Paul Reali. Every novel is a unique work, but there are a few common story structures that most novels follow. Humans have told stories for thousands of years, so it makes sense that we’ve come to like (and repeat) certain forms. In this session, you’ll learn: the simple five-part structure that underlies almost every story; the Hero’s Journey structure made famous by Joseph Campbell; and Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat,” with three acts and 15 “beats” that most films and novels share. And you’ll get to try these structures on your own novel project.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Studio: Writing the Personal Essay

4 weeks Asynchronous: Sunday, October 24 – Saturday, November 20, 2021
Location: Virtual via Wet Ink and Zoom
Optional Zoom sessions on Monday, October 25 and November 15, 7:00 p.m.

With Amy Paturel. Want to sell a personal essay, but don’t have a clue where to start? This 4-week personal essay writing intensive will guide you through every step, from essay idea to salable piece. You’ll learn how to:

• Grab readers (and editors!)
• Journal your way to essay ideas
• Identify the critical elements of a salable essay
• Critique your own essays and incorporate feedback from others
• Pitch and submit essays

A parting gift: a loaded spreadsheet with more than 140 relevant markets, including editor contacts. Amy’s students have landed essays in such publications as the The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Oprah Magazine, Parents, Marie Claire, AARP and Huffington Post, among other heavy hitters.

Cost: $300 members; $375 non-members (includes one-year Charlotte Lit General Membership)• Register

The Gift of Personal Writing

Thursday, January 6, 2022, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Melinda Ferguson. This class, based on Melinda Ferguson’s book of the same name, describes how to find time to journal, set up your space, protect your privacy, what to write about, the health benefits of journaling, and best of all, how to relax and enjoy writing. Non-judgmental personal writing helps you feel more centered, more in control of your life, and draws out your unique creativity. Personal writing is a practice that gifts you with time to relax and be alone with your thoughts.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Compressed Words, Expansive Impact: Flash Essays for Social Change

2 Sessions: Tuesday, February 9 & 16, 2022
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Patrice Gopo.Flash essays are a focused, urgent, often breathtaking way of capturing aspects of our lived experience. As a result of these features, the flash essay can also contribute to social change. However, we may not always realize the potential these stories have to intersect with the stories unfolding in society. This course will consider the unique ways the flash essay form speaks into the conversations happening in the broader world. We will examine how writing flash essays can help promote positive social change in and beyond our spheres of influence.

Cost: $90 members, $110 non-members • Register

Everything – Really, Everything! – Judy Goldman Knows About Writing Creative Nonfiction

Thursday, April 21, 2022, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Judy Goldman. OK, we’ve got two hours. Judy is going to cram into this workshop every tip she wishes she had known before she started writing personal essays and memoir. She’ll discuss beginnings, voice, structure, descriptive details, reflection, scene vs. summary, and tension. She’ll even talk about a writer’s self-doubt and how she keeps going in spite of those little voices that say, “You can’t do it. You’re not a writer.” For beginners and experienced writers alike.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Joy of Revision: Personal Essay

2 Sessions: Tuesday, April 26 and May 3, 2022
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Caroline Langerman. Writing is craftwork: draft once, revise many times. Hemingway even said, “The only kind of writing is rewriting.” Can you learn to love revising as much as you love drafting? In this class, you will learn different techniques and approaches for revision—both how to do it and how to think about it. At the end, you should be more confident in your vision of revision.

Cost: $90 members, $110 non-members • Register

The Art of Submission: From the “Slush” Pile to the “Rush” Pile

Thursday, January 11, 2022, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Zoom

With Ashley Memory. Technology makes submitting for publication easier than ever. At the same time, as more and more writers offer their work, competition for space has never been fiercer. But take heart. In this class, we’ll cover the art behind successful submissions and how to move from the “slush” pile to the pile editors rush to accept. We’ll discuss how to find the best fit for your writing, tips on putting your best foot forward, and a little secret to boost the number of marketable pieces in your portfolio. We’ll also discuss the nuts and bolts of submission: cover letters, biographies, tracking and more, such as how to stay motivated as you cast those precious pearls out into the world.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Query Letters for Novels & Memoirs

Tuesday, January 25, 2022, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Betsy Thorpe. When it’s time to start submitting your book, a professional and compelling query letter makes the difference between success and failure. Don’t waste all your years of hard work on your memoir or novel by not paying attention to what makes a great query letter. We’ll be discussing the essential five paragraphs that make up a query letter, including the elevator pitch, author bio, and the dreaded comparison books. We’ll take a look at some query letters that won the notice of agents, and those that were so awful they got posted online. We’ll review a few elevator pitches and author bios, and discuss whether a good title makes a difference, why rhetorical questions are a no-no, and how to do a little test marketing.

Cost: $45 members, $55 non-members • Register

Scrivener Essentials: Unlocking the Best Software for Writers

2 Sessions: Tuesday, February 15 & 22, 2022
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Studio Two (in person)

With Paul Reali. Scrivener is an invaluable piece of software for writing and organizing a book-length project—when you know how to use it. Developed by writers for writers, it does so much…but how do you know where to begin? How do you customize it for the way you work? What can you leave aside? This class will enable you to unlock Scrivener’s most important features and leave ready to work.

Cost: $90 members, $110 non-members • Register