(facilitated by James Dewar)
WEDNESDAY EVENINGS, biweekly, 7:00 – 9:30 pm.
(First class September 9th, 2020; final class June 16th, 2021) (20 classes, all on Zoom)
If you answer YES to any of these questions, this workshop is for you.
- Would you enjoy a biweekly focus on writing poems while also learning about the key elements of poetic craft?
- Would you revel in the achievement of adding 40 critiqued poems to your repertoire?
- Are you tired of writing poems in seclusion, closing your notebook or keyboard, and rarely going back to assess them for revision and submission?
- Have you stopped writing poetry altogether and need a disciplined, engaged format to return to the art form you once loved?
- Has seclusion stifled your creativity and replaced it with online streaming and intrusive memes?
- Have you lost faith in your own voice? Do you second guess everything you write?
- Would you relish the opportunity to finish enough poems to publish a chapbook, or even a complete book of your poetry?
This workshop is designed for anyone who wants a regular shot of inspiration, a refresher course on what makes poetry challenging but rewarding to write, the community and positive feedback of other poets.
Every class starts with writing poems to intriguing prompts and sharing one with the group.
The first workshop each month will include a one hour discussion on an important aspect of craft. An assignment will be given based on this topic, which will require participants to write two or three more new poems and post one of them on the workshop website.
Every week participants post their poems on a secure private website built just for this workshop, read and comment on each other’s poems, and share the key aspects of craft highlighted that month.
The second workshop each month will involve practicing how to talk about each other’s poems in constructive and respectful ways, focusing on the poems posted that week on the website.
On the workshop website, James and your fellow poets will provide detailed feedback on your poems using the AWA (Amherst Writers and Artists) methodology that focuses on what is working and what could be even better.
Every participant has the option of emailing James 3 more additional poems (total of 4 every two weeks) for personalized, private critiquing using the Review and Comments options in Microsoft Word.
Schedule
Sept 09: Topic: Workshop Outline/What is Poetry?
Sept 23: Workshop & RevisionOct. 07: Topic: Tenor and Vehicle/Exploring Metaphor
Oct. 21: Workshop & RevisionNov. 04: Topic: Mastering the Turn
Nov. 181: Workshop & RevisionDec. 02: Topic: Sentiment vs Sentimentality
Dec. 16: Workshop & RevisionJan. 13: Topic: Line Breaks and Enjambment
Jan. 27: Workshop & RevisionFeb. 10: Topic: Assonance and Mood
Feb. 24: Workshop & RevisionMar. 10: Topic: Revision Tweezers
Mar. 24: Workshop & RevisionApr. 07: Topic: Rhyme and Metre
Apr. 21: Workshop & RevisionMay 05: Topic: Enticing Titles
May 19: Workshop & RevisionJune 02: Topic: When is a Poem Done?
June 16: Workshop & Revision
Registration Fee: $1,750 + HST
A $500 (+HST) deposit guarantees your spot in the workshop.
The balance of the fee is due on the first workshop date (unless you are prefer to use the extended payment plan as described below).
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for A NOVEL APPROACH TO POETRY.
Please note: You will be taken to the Inkslingers website to register for this course.
Writing Together creates Community!
Experience the connection.
A NOVEL APPROACH IS ONLY AVAILABLE ONLINE UNTIL GROUP SAFETY STANDARDS PERMIT THE RESUMPTION OF IN-PERSON CLASSES.
