Instructor Lauren Brazeal Garza is the author of five books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction including her memoir-in-verse, Gutter (YesYes Books, 2018), which chronicles her homelessness as a teenager, and her literary horror novel, The Devotee (forthcoming), which was inspired by her experiences as a queer woman living in poverty after she aged out of the foster system. She earned her M.F.A in creative writing from Bennington College, and her Ph.D. in Literature from The University of Texas at Dallas with a specialty in testimonial literature and narratives from marginalized voices. She teaches literature at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Part of every writer’s journey is discovering and cultivating their own unique voice and style. In this four-week generative workshop, we will explore and experiment with a variety of approaches to writing poems, fiction, and creative nonfiction. We will discuss how form, metaphor, symbols, and other experiments on the page can lead to surprising and delightful results within our work. We will also study the unique and remarkable styles of writers such as Flannery O’Connor, William Fargason, and Jericho Brown.  

Each session will feature a discussion of style within one famous story, essay, or poem, and an exploration of different approaches to crafting our own work through generative prompts that encourage experimentation and growth.  

We will also conduct virtual workshops and discussions throughout the week a class website on Wet Ink, allowing writers to benefit from supportive feedback as they post new drafts. All students will also receive weekly written feedback from me on a draft of their choice.  

Through our discussions and explorations, we will discover interesting ways to add dimension and emotion to our writing through a variety of styles. Moving closer to discovering and cultivating each writer's unique style and voice within their work.  

At the close of the course, we will discuss the nuts and bolts of publishing, ways to find potential publishers and/or agents, and learn how to craft professional cover letters and author bios. We will also all have an opportunity to read a draft we are most proud of to the class in a final celebratory reading. 

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1 - Introduction: Metaphor and Simile

Week 2 - Showing, Not Telling

Week 3 - My voice paints the picture

Course Finale: Final Reading, Reflections, and Looking Towards the Future

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• We will discuss and draw inspiration from the work of contemporary writers whose styles are uniquely their own.
• Each student will leave the course with up to four new drafts of stories, poems, or personal essays.
• We will cultivate and experiment with our own unique style by workshopping one draft of a poem, story, or essay per week to the class, begun during in-class writing sessions based on open-ended generative prompts.
• Each student will have the opportunity to submit one draft of a poem, story, or essay per week to me to receive written constructive feedback.
• We will gain experience reading our work in front of a supportive audience of our peers throughout the course.
• We will leave the course with a better toolbox for writing, a better understanding of our own authorial voice, and deeper insight into reading the work of other writers.
  

COURSE TEXTS:

All reading material listed on the calendar for this course will be provided at no cost.

TESTIMONIALS:

“I love love loved this course! It was super fun and I had a great time. I especially appreciated how much freedom we were given for the writing prompts, and the structure of the workshop and peer comments were so effective and helpful.” -David R.

“This was one of the most charming and well-put-together courses I've had the pleasure of taking. Discussions were open and full of ideas, coupled with informative lectures. If you participated in class, the rewards were clear and obvious. Ms. Brazeal Garza was an excellent teacher for this subject and genuinely had me interested in new topics.” -Tiffany W.

"This was most definitely one of my favorites from this year. The course was extremely flexible, and I found substantial value from the course material” -Mark L.

"Lauren is phenomenal! She is extremely passionate, kind, and smart. She has the student's best interests at heart and makes great points on improving our writing. One of the best writing instructors I've had. I hope more writers take her classes in the future." -Megan K.

“This class, and Lauren’s inspiring presence, has changed everything for me. I have a renewed confidence in my ability, my voice, my story. And I loved encouraging my fellow classmates to achieve their best too. Tears are flowing down my cheeks as I write this because Lauren’s class opened up for me the doors I had bolted shut on myself.” -DeAnne H.  

“I enjoyed everything about this class! Lauren did a wonderful job engaging us and giving us the space to grow and improve as writers. I'll definitely take more courses from her in the future." -Troy N.  

"Lauren gave me room to grow and showcase what I can achieve as both a creative writer and reader. I'm so grateful for her class and her insights, which have genuinely made me a better writer." -Alex S. 

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE: