Workshops

Word Feast is thrilled to be offering four workshops with writers at the top of their game! 

Each workshop costs $20.  Space is limited  – register now!

All workshops will take place at the Fredericton Public Library.

To register, please email info@wordfeast.ca. Payment can be made by e-transfer (preferred) or by cheque. 

Workshop 1: Mathew Gwathmey
So you Want to Write a Prose Poem?
Saturday, September 21, 10:30 am-12:30 pm

First of all, what is a prose poem? In a letter to his friend Arsene Houssaye, Charles Baudelaire puts forth this question of genre. “Which one of us . . . has not dreamed of the miracle of a poetic prose, musical, without rhythm and without rhyme, supple enough and rugged enough to adapt itself to the lyrical impulses of the soul, the undulations of reverie, the jibes of conscience?” In this workshop, we will attempt to come towards a consensus pertaining to definition, looking briefly at the history and theory of the form, to more modern and contemporary examples, through to having a hand ourselves at writing these genre-bending and genre-blurring bits of creative text.

Workshop 2: Clarissa Hurley
Setting the Stage: The Basics of Playwriting
Saturday, September 21, 10:30 am-12:30 pm

This workshop by Clarissa Hurley will explore techniques of playwriting through a series of general guidelines, exercises, and scene study, focusing on character, dramatic action, and conflict. Participants are encouraged, but not required, to bring a short scene they are working on to share with the group.

Workshop 3: Amy Spurway
The Seven Senses in Storytelling
Sunday, September 22, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Amy Spurway leads an interactive workshop on using the seven (yes,seven!) senses to enrich both the process and the products of writing. This playful yet practical session will give storytellers of all stripes some fresh perspectives and new tools for exploring and deepening their craft.

Workshop 4: Danny Jacobs
Form and Fracture: Shaping our Essays
Sunday, September 22, 10:30 a.m. -12:30 pm

How important is form to the essay? Does creative nonfiction always need follow a linear narrative? Does it need a narrative at all? We’ll look at how form can help us find “a way in” to our essays and creative nonfiction. By examining the structure of published examples and participant submissions, we will learn to shape (and break) our essays for heightened linguistic and emotional impact. Prior submissions welcome.