Saturday, January 20th, 2024

Live Seminar Via Zoom 10AM – 1PM CST

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

Led by Amber Sparks, author of an upcoming novel, Happy People Don’t Live Here, an upcoming short story collection, Did Parents In the Middle Ages Love Their Children? (both from Liveright/W.W. Norton), and four collections of short fiction, including And I Do Not Forgive You: Revenges and other Stories and The Unfinished World. Her fiction and essays have appeared in American Short Fiction, the Paris Review, Slate, Tin House, Granta, The Cut and elsewhere.

Is your New Year’s resolution to try new things with your fiction or creative non-fiction? Do you long to add more experimentation into your narrative, to shake up the conventional - but you’re unsure where to start?  

We’ll look at fiction and non-fiction in various shapes and structures that don’t fit neatly in a box: menus, lists, quizzes and flow charts - even short stories written on a bar of soap.

We’ll play with generating wild-form ideas based on principles of balance and contrast - and try our hand at writing some together.

You’ll head home with a list of recommended readings and a new draft piece of fiction.

TAKE THIS CLASS IF:

• You're finding the constraints of your current writing practice too limiting.
• You want exposure to a range of new approaches to bring to your writing practice.
  
• You want an expanded sense of what is possible in your work.
  

TESTIMONIALS:

"One of the more creative workshops I have ever taken. Amber Sparks really got me to think in different and creative ways. It was the right class at the right time for me."

"I really enjoyed Amber Sparks' workshop on Fractured Narrative! Great list of possible approaches to non-linear story-telling with helpful references to specific author's works as examples. Good exercises. Really enjoyed the chat input from other attendees as well. Great value for the price."

"I loved the specific ideas and recommendations about writings, authors, essays, etc, to check out, talking about specific elements of fiction. Honestly, for a 3-hour seminar, it was excellent!"

"I really enjoyed the focused writing exercises in Amber's seminar. It was a lot of fun!"

"This was the perfect balance between lecture presentation/writing exercises/ Q&A."

"I found everything about this class valuable, from the in-class readings, suggested readings/media, writing exercises, class (chat) conversation, and friendly camaraderie, and the enthusiastic, knowledgeable, empathetic instructor. Would highly recommend it."

"I appreciated Amber's familiarity, love, and expertise of the genre fantastic, along with the excellent mix of example and practice writing. Plus, this was a well-timed class."

"Amber's class exceeded my expectations because of the time to write, edit, rethink, and share with others through a small group."

"I loved the concrete tips and techniques and playful exercises that helped us use them right away."

• Amber Sparks | Live via Zoom

• This class will meet via Zoom on Saturday, January 20th, 2024

• 10AM - 1PM CST

• Seminar is fully ONLINE and meets via Zoom