In this two-session workshop, we will use works of art by revered artists like Frida Kahlo plus poems by Safia Elhillo, Chen Chen, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and Tarfia Faizullah to generate new work through the lens of self-reflection. Participants will also use writing prompts to reflect deeply on who they are. What new truths will be discovered, or uncovered, about the self? How will you use these exercises to shape poems that are honest and vulnerable?

In this six-session generative virtual workshop, participants will begin by exploring examples of the core elements of setting, plot, and characters working well together to create a cohesive storyline. We will do pre-writing exercises focused on drafting complicated characters who connect to the reader’s emotions and make them want to keep reading.  Then we will move through a series of setting exercises that build the details of place and transport the reader there. This generative work will prime writers for creating memorable stories with believable characters navigating the worlds they inhabit.