THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULL. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR POSTINGS ABOUT ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS WE'LL BE HOSTING IN THE FUTURE.

THIS WORKSHOP IS BEING OFFERED FOR FREE, AND IS LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS.
RESERVE YOUR SLOT BY EMAILING:
jpierce@rockportmaine.gov

Sponsored by:
Click here to learn more about the Foundation.
 

Instructor: Laura Bonazzoli

Dates: Four Tuesdays: June 6, 13, and 20 from 10:00-12:00 and June 27 for 15-minute one-on-one appointments

Participants must be available to attend at least the first 3 sessions.

Have you ever wondered what makes some writing so enchanting, exciting, or heart-rending—in short, why it moves us? In an address to Parliament on June 4, 1940, with a Nazi invasion of Great Britain thought to be imminent, Prime Minister Winston Churchill vowed: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.” Why is this speech—and this particular passage—still remembered today, and why was it powerful enough to inspire the British people to withstand years of bombardment, deprivation, and loss? 

In this workshop, we’ll identify key devices of poetry—sound effects, repetition, imagery, and more—and explore how authors of poetry and prose have used them to create writing that moves us. We’ll then practice applying these techniques to our own writing. 

This workshop is for beginning to intermediate writers who’d like to increase the emotional power of their work. Writers working on poetry, short stories, a novel, children’s literature, memoir, a group of essays, or even a work-related proposal or presentation are welcome. Whatever your goal, you’re invited to explore how adding sound effects, imagery, and other poetic devices can make your work more effective. 

Students will come to the first class prepared to share a bit about themselves and their writing goals. To each class, bring a notebook and/or laptop or tablet, fully charged, and a copy (print or electronic) of that week’s handout (emailed in advance).

Each session will begin with examination of a poetic device: what it is, what it can do, and how to apply it. We’ll look at brief excerpts from poems, speeches, essays, memoirs, short stories, or novels that apply the device to powerful and memorable effect. We’ll then do in-class writing to playfully try using the device ourselves. Students will be invited to share their work if they wish. 

Outside of class, students will apply each device to their own writing project. In the subsequent class, students will share a brief excerpt from their work, demonstrating “before and after” their application of the device(s), followed by supportive critique and discussion.

Following the final class session, students will schedule 15-minute one-on-one consultations with the instructor to talk about their work and writing goals.