with Andrea A. Firth
New Classes
Quiet Writing--A Forever Workshop
4 Weeks, Self-paced, On Substack
May 2025, Registration open
There are significant moments in everyone’s day that can make literature.
That’s what you ought to write about. –Raymond Carver
Quiet writing is story or narrative that reads quiet but still has the requisite tension and conflict that drives good storytelling. Some people/characters live wild lives, face huge upheavals, or tackle death-defying adventures, and these stories do attract readers. But many of us have stories to share that are driven less by stormy, flamboyant events and plot twists and more by the subtle, simple happenings and struggles of the everyday, which can be powerful reads that draw readers in as well. (Consider novelist Marilynne Robinson, short-story writer Raymond Carver, and essayist Abigail Thomas as examples.) In this self-paced, 4-week course, we will read and analyze several examples of quiet writing (nonfiction and fiction), explore the craft and technique used, and work on our own quiet writing through prompts and exercises too.
This course is ideal for those who write personal essay, flash, memoir, or fiction. The course will be posted on Substack in May. Weekly lessons will be delivered to your inbox, and you will have ample opportunity to pose questions and comments and receive timely responses from me.
CLASS FULL
Finding Your Essay's Heartbeat
I taught this workshop for the fine folks at Chill Subs on Substack in a similar format to my new class Quiet Writing..
Take a deep dive into personal essay and leave with an essay well underway.
Self-paced. Available anytime.
Learn all about it here.
with Janine Noel
Every Thursday morning Janine will ask you to press pause on the stress and distractions in your life. After two hours of active journaling you will emerge focused, energized, and inspired.
At the end of six weeks, you will have mastered journaling techniques that invoke intention, attention, and action—three steps of writing that promote “neuroplasticity,” or change in your brain. “Intention” is simply joining our Zoom, picking up your pen or opening up your laptop. (Way to go!) Next, through varied prompts—from list-making to guided meditations that lead you into the subconscious—you will write, bringing your full “attention” to the page.
The last step, reflection, is your new superpower. After every writing exercise, we’ll look closely at what’s on the page, how it made you feel when writing, and how you feel emotionally and physically after.
With this routine in place, you’re practicing self-directed brain change, which allows for greater expression, creativity, and personal growth. By looking at your past and forecasting your future, you can take action on your journal insights to improve your relationship with yourself and your connection to others and to our world. .
Questions? Email Janine jdebois@gmail.com