9 Wednesdays, April 28th to June 23rd, 7-9:30 p.m. Berkeley
$335 members/$365 others
We all have unique “writing voices,” but often we can’t really “hear” those voices ourselves, even when others can. This workshop will aim to help you hear the sound of your authentic writing voice, because once you feel secure with the individuality of your voice, you’ll grow immeasurably as a writer. “What I want you to explore,” says Chris DeLorenzo, “is a sense of the ways in which your voice comes across as one-of-a-kind. Only then can you learn to let go of self-conscious writing—writing that sounds the way you think it’s supposed to sound.”
This class will be organized around in-class writing, focusing on concrete details, description and dialogue, along with a healthy dose of “silliness, wackiness, and playfulness,” says Chris, to balance the serious stuff. “You’ll be given permission to write anything you want,” he adds, “in order to discover the joy and spontaneity of creating from the internal ‘dream space’ of the imagination, and to more deeply explore the question: ‘What do I have to say as a writer?’”
Based on the Amherst Writers and Artists method, this class fosters a sense of safety and mutual trust among participants. “Many classes and workshops are about having someone else define and critique your work,” says Chris, “whereas my workshops are about allowing you to do that for yourself, by reflecting on the positive feedback that you get from me and your classmates. Our goal is to help each of you claim yourself as a writer and learn to access the vocabulary of writing and offering feedback.”
In this class you’ll write a lot, volunteer to read out loud, learn to sound more like yourself, and have fun supporting your fellow writers as each of you works toward finding your truest writing voice. (Note: This class is NOT a workshop for writing that has been done prior to taking this class, or for writing done at home, between class meetings.)
Chris DeLorenzo has an MA in creative writing and is a certified Amherst Writers and Artists method (AWA) facilitator. He teaches writing at the University of San Francisco and has published poetry, prose and personal essays in numerous publications. He has also written two novels, Certain Sacred Places and All That Remains.
“. . . what a gift Chris DeLorenzo has been. . .”