“Describe your sorrows and desires, the thoughts that pass through your mind and your belief in some kind of beauty — describe all these with heartfelt, silent, humble sincerity and, when you express yourself, use the Things around you, the images from your dreams, and the objects that you remember.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke
Course Details
Have you always wanted to write about the world and your experiences, but didn’t know where to start – or how to continue?
Do you already write but feel like you’d like to bring a little more of yourself and your own voice to your work?
Over six weeks we’ll explore writing as a practice, with an emphasis on Creative Non-Fiction, and we’ll look at some different writing tools and approaches to finding one’s authentic voice. We’ll read the work of published writers together, and we’ll have some time to dive into our own writing practice through honed exercises. You’ll learn to listen to yourself, make sense of your experiences and experiment with finding your voice as a writer.
Each session will weave together short readings, guided discussion and writing exercises in a way to boost your confidence and creative potential. By the end, as a participant you will have built a small portfolio of first drafts, experimented with different forms, and developed a personal writing practice – and a voice – you can sustain on your own.
No prior experience is needed, and poets as well as prose writers are very welcome to join. All you need to bring is your curiosity and a willingness to put pen to page.
Each week we will:
- Read and discuss two or three examples of exemplary prose
- Practice our own prose in conversation with that week’s theme
- Learn a new writing “tool”
Status
Enrollment for the next workshop starting May 4th is now open.
Course dates:
May 4th
May 11th
May 18th
May 25th – no class
June 1st
June 8th
June 15th
Course timing:
Mondays:
8am – 10am (PT)
11am – 1pm (ET)
4pm – 6pm (UK and Ireland)
5pm – 7pm (Central Europe)
Pricing
Cost for six session course:
Supporter – $250
Standard – $200
Subsidized – $150
Group size
Open
How to Sign Up
Fill out the form at the bottom of the page with your details and your desired price point, as well as any questions or requests in the comments section.
Once we receive this from you, we will send you a payment request via PayPal. You do not need to have a PayPal account to pay in this way, as PayPal should accept regular credit card payments.
Once we receive your payment, we will be able to reserve your place on the course, and will send you an email with confirmation within a couple of days of your payment.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at through the contact page.
Instructors (scroll down for bios)
Vanessa Able
Scott C. Johnson
Register
Registration received!
Vanessa Able is a priest and novice teacher in the Soto Zen tradition. She is the leader of the online Introduction to Buddhist Chaplaincy Program at the Sati Center and teaches the Anukampa Practice Program alongside Gil Fronsdal. For many years, Vanessa wrote for the New York Times, Esquire and National Geographic Traveler magazines, as well as working as the Editor in Chief for Time Out Istanbul magazine. She now continues to connect with her love of poetry and prose through the website The Dewdrop, which she founded in 2018. Vanessa is the author of the book Never Mind the Bullocks. She lives in southern France with her family where she facilitates Zen practice at Matsu Do Zendo.
Scott C. Johnson is the author of The Wolf and the Watchman (W.W. Norton, 2013) which was Long Listed for the National Book Award, the PEN USA award and named a Washington Post Notable Book. His second book, Hollywood Con Queen (Harper, 2023) was given a starred review by Publisher’s Weekly and formed the basis for a 3-part documentary series that premiered on Apple TV in 2024. A long-time foreign correspondent, Johnson has reported from more than 50 countries and served as Newsweek’s Bureau Chief in Baghdad, Mexico City and Cape Town. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Granta, Foreign Policy and elsewhere. He lives with his wife and two children in France, where he is working on his next book.