Class Starts Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

The class will meet weekly via Zoom (Wednesdays, 4:00PM PST - 5:30PM PST / 7:00PM - 8:30PM EST)

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.

Led by Michelle Kicherer, who covers books and music for the San Francisco Chronicle and Willamette Week and is the host and producer of The Banana Pitch Variety Show, an online and in-person show and showcase of a diverse range of artists. With over ten years of teaching experience at the college level, Michelle’s work has appeared in literary magazines and newspapers across the United States and Canada. To keep it fresh, Michelle aims to have one weird new experience every day.

Speaking of weird, in this 6-week generative writing class, we’ll dive into some of the most fun parts of writing: the weird, the quirky, the gross, and the funny. This class is designed for both fiction and nonfiction writers and is perfect for those working on heavier material looking to bring in moments of levity, those interested in performing their writing, and those interested in doing deep reads of some of our favorite humorists so we can better understand what makes their writing actually good beyond the funny/weird/quirky. What makes each story truly memorable? What makes it moving? And for those interested, what makes it publishable? Performable?

We’ll do deep reads from writers like:

• David Sedaris
• Sloane Crosley 
• Ling Ma 
• Adam Johnson 
• Kiley Reid
• Ottessa Moshfegh
• George Saunders
• And others!

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1 Openings: How to write an opening that’ll give readers the right kind of curiosity to keep reading.

Week 2 Tension, Release: Building Suspense, then smashing it with humor…then rebuilding, laughing, and learning.

Week 3 Ah Ha!: How to include meaningful learning moments in a piece of funny writing.

Week 4 Gross: Including moments of grossness while maintaining dignity and humor.

Week 5 Crying, laughing, wondering: Writing the trifecta of solid storytelling.

Week 6 Performance: Learning and practicing tools for the performance of writing.

BONUS: One week before this class starts, Michelle will send over the course syllabus and Zoom link, along with a generative writing prompt and a short, reflective survey so she can cater some specifics of this course to what your biggest struggles and goals are. This course is designed to be fun, helpful, and motivating as hell. Excited to meet you and get started!

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Dissect our own work to pull out the interesting stuff and tone down the boring parts
• Figure out what our stories are “about” and hone in on that
• Think about how to build tension and release it with humor
• Edit the overall structure to provide the story with a little more meaning
  

TESTIMONIALS:

"I gained confidence. I became aware of some of my strong points, the details of writing conversation, the scheme of plot and theme in developing a story, and the importance of considering less rather than more when editing one’s own work. These were all elements of writing that Michelle taught. I know my skill in writing has improved… I was amazed that so much could be covered in two hours of Zoom!” - Beverley C. Writing Student

"Michelle's class on memoir writing exceeded my expectations. Michelle's feedback on my work is so valuable, as was the feedback I received from my peers." - Cindy J.

"Michelle, thanks again and again. It’s delightful to work with you and receive helpful suggestions, skilled editing, and ongoing encouragement. You’ve fed my writing in more ways than you could ever know, or imagine.“ - Geri O. Writing Student

"I loved this class. I found Michelle's lectures, reading lists, and comments on my work particularly valuable. Thank you, Michelle!" - Robert L.

"Michelle was so easy to work with. She was able to provide new ideas, to focus my thinking, and to generate a structure and a way forward that I couldn’t see because I was too close to the material.” - Peter Novak

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This class meets weekly via Zoom. Come prepared for a super fun class with live interaction on Zoom each week and plenty of writing, reading, and talking!

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

• Instructor: Michelle Kicherer

• Class Starts Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

• The class will meet weekly via Zoom (Wednesdays, 4:00PM PST - 5:30PM PST / 7:00PM - 8:30PM EST)
  

Instructor Michelle Kicherer is an arts journalist, writing coach, and instructor specializing in fiction and memoirs. Michelle regularly interviews some of the world’s favorite writers, and her work has been published in outlets throughout the United States and Canada. Michelle believes there are no dumb questions in the classroom, only pretentious teachers. Learn more about her here.