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Posts published in “Teaching”

Getting Unstuck (redux)

David Ruekberg 0
Once again I'll be teaching my "Getting Unstuck" poetry workshop...or I should say "twice again." Once online this summer, and once in person in the fall. In the summer course I'm expanding to an online four-day course, two hours each, hosted by the Syracuse Downtown Writers Center. Because it's online, you can attend from anywhere. It runs from 6 to 8 pm for four Mondays, July 18 to August 8. Registration closes July 15 (but why wait for the last minute?). I'm also reprising the original two-hour workshop (which I've taught both live and virtually) in person at Writers & Books in Rochester, NY on Saturday, September 24, from 10 am to noon. In the two-hour workshop, we'll consider Stafford's strategy for getting unstuck, and review some others, as well as trying a fun exercise intended to loosen up your writing mind. In the eight-hour course, we'll do the same, and try some additional exercises, as well as discussing on-going strategies for "getting unstuck." Although the focus will be on poetry, these strategies may apply to many kinds of writing. In all of my workshops, I regard participants with respect, curiosity, and a sense of humor. I hope to help you broaden your expectations about what writing "should be," and take you from wherever you are to a little further down the road. Here's my blurb on the course. Writer’s Block: Is there such a thing? William Stafford’s solution was to ignore “high standards” and  “get into action.” Exercising our writing muscles without fear of “doing it wrong” helps prepare us for the moment when the “big poem” wants to be born. In this workshop we’ll play with ways to move through the doldrums and dread, including journaling, experimenting with forms, collaborating, and more. You can find more registration information about the online eight-hour class and the live two-hour class in my event calendar. I hope to see you there!