Restorative Writing Delaware Art Museum Thursdays, April 3, 10, 17, 2025 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Artist Louise Bourgeois observed, "Art is restoration: the idea is to repair the damages that are inflicted in life, to make something that is fragmented...into something that is whole." In this workshop series, adult writers of all levels will explore how creative writing can transform chaos into something organized and meaningful. Writers will generate new creative nonfiction by responding to inspiring writing prompts, a diverse selection of passages, and discussions about how writing can promote self-care, understanding, engagement, and even social change.
Works in Progress - Fiction Delaware Art Museum Saturdays, April 5, 12, 19, 26, 2025 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
In a fun and supportive workshop setting, adult writers of all levels are invited to read an excerpt of their fictional work in progress and receive encouraging feedback. Using a writer-centered workshop method that fosters cohesion and community, each writer will get to decide how layered and in-depth their feedback will be. While sharing is never required, writers will have the opportunity to share excerpts of their works in progress, review the foundational elements of story, and respond to writing prompts to generate new work with a focus on expansion and revision.
Inspired by my background in theater, my experience as an MFA student, and my work as an educator, my highly encouraging workshop method is known for creating a strong sense of cohesion and community.
After working with writers individually on their manuscripts, I noticed that many were struggling with the same foundational story elements. Based on this experience, I created an original curriculum that guides writers through the foundational story elements as they generate new ideas and create at least one draft of a short story or a chapter and an outline for a book-length project in as few as six, sequential sessions. I offer my course in both memoir writing and novel writing. I plan to offer both foundational classes again in the fall.
I enjoy working with aspiring and established adult writers of all backgrounds. During spring 2024, I offered my popular Restorative Writing Workshop and led my eight-week course in Memoir Writing at the Delaware Art Museum. My Write Your Novel class was sold out during fall 2024 at the Delaware Art Museum. I was invited to be a faculty member at the 2024 Killer Nashville International Writers' Conference, and I was one of the presenters at the Wilmington Writers’ Conference in 2020, where I led my sold out workshop, Fighting Fear Through Voice. I have been a guest lecturer at the Philadelphia Community College, Main Line Writers Group, and New College of California. I co-facilitated creative writing classes at 826 Valencia in San Francisco and at the Fortune Society in New York. I was a creative writing instructor at Sand Paths Academy and served as the Director of Education at ACE Programs for the Homeless in New York City.
As an award-winning writer with an MFA in Writing, I have had the honor of working with some of my creative heroes. My favorite part of writing is the community and thought-provoking conversations created through this transformative form of communication that has the potential to expand understanding and empathy. My admiration for storytellers and the function of storytelling is the core of my teaching approach.
Teaching Approach
Each person is unique and has stories that matter. I enjoy bridging each person's specific interests to their writing goals. As a writer and as a teaching artist, I am interested in how human experience shapes stories. My trauma-informed teaching philosophy is founded on the recognition of each student as an individual with unique interests and experiences, to be treated with respect and encouragement.
I look forward to helping writers find and amplify their writing voices.
Other offerings from my Menu of Classes, which I can present as a one-day class or as sequential, multi-session classes:
Restorative Writing Write Your Novel Writing Your Memoir Social Justice Crime Fiction The Writer's Voice Short Story Writing Intro to Creative Writing Write a Winning Query Letter Pathways to Publishing Persuasive Writing PR Essentials for Artists Craft Elements of Story True Stories: Creative Nonfiction Writing The Play’s The Thing: Playwriting 101