“I learned important fundamentals of writing non-fiction. I also learned about my style as a writer and what I need to develop further.
I found the entire weekend to be enlightening. It was professionally-run, highly engaging and offered an appropriate balance of encouragement and challenge for the participants. An extremely supportive learning environment.”
Meagan, March 25, 2018
“I learned more about how to write in an appealing style and how to improve the draft, stylistically and content-wise.”
Valeria, March 25, 2018
“The tips for thoughtful, respectful interviewing were very helpful. And I think I also (re-)learned the importance of careful listening and good follow-up questions (in some cases, I failed to ask a key question and regretted that when I was writing later!).
The highlight of the workshop: having the opportunity to produce a written piece and to receive feedback on it. Incredibly useful, stimulating and inspiring. Also the opportunity to hear all the other pieces read aloud, really fascinating to hear so many very different voices.
Overall, really a positive experience for me, and I’ll recommend it to colleagues.”
Susan, March 25, 2018
“The highlight of the workshop was the excitement of writing.”
Salvador, March 5, 2018
“As a content writer at a tech company, I produce profiles and other assorted posts. So this class gave me immediate actionable steps into improving my daily work. But even more so, it has helped me land on nonfiction as the genre of writing I am most passionate about in the immediate, given me the courage to pursue it wholeheartedly and shown me how much more I have to learn about it.
“I think the instructor gave us a proper foundation to build on, including plenty of applicable techniques. More than just reading and assessing sample pieces, she gave us insight on technique, language, tricks and pro tips that would be hard to come by simply learning online. I was also surprised by how much I learned about interviewing! Having to write a piece overnight was hard but extremely rewarding and I learned a lot about myself, my abilities and aptitude this weekend. Overall, this workshop also helped solidify my passion for writing and point me squarely in the direction of nonfiction. (more…)
Asha, March 26, 2017
“I learned that there are so many kinds of nonfiction—and that it can almost feel like fiction. I loved the first example we read in class. It opened my mind to how I would like to tackle my writing.
This was my first time writing for an assignment since high school, and I loved the challenge. I also began to learn what works for me regarding writing. For me, it was creating word bubbles of content…almost drawing it out in a loose, flowing outline, then free-flow writing from that outline.
Listening to the Q&A at the end was really useful. I love the instructor’s style of teaching! She’s energetic, fun, and makes it a very welcoming, easy atmosphere. I was nervous about having my work shared, and wasn’t even sure I would be able to produce anything worthwhile! The instructor made it such a safe environment.”
Erin, March 26, 2017
“I liked the pace and the structure of the class. We were able to discuss several examples of good writing within the limited timeframe and to understand the methods and “tricks” to writing them from scratch.
I also liked the individual feedback we got on our pieces. It’s clear that, from now on, I’ll continue writing and reading in a more analytical way, breaking down a text to understand what about it ‘just works’. I’ll probably use the methods learned for writing case studies at work, as well.
The atmosphere was what I liked most: laidback, positive, just a learning state of mind, with no judgment made on my skills. The instructor brought together the different skills in the room quite nicely. The instructor facilitated gracefully and skillfully—no small feat!”
Armina, March 26, 2017
“Learning writing techniques—and the way other authors apply them—was an extremely important step for me. (I am much more familiar with academic writing.) In addition to the techniques, we heard a great deal of information that is relevant and useful to anyone wishing to adopt a writing routine. Above all, I learned to trust myself, to view my work with pride and curiosity instead of constantly being self-critical and judgmental.
What I have liked best about the workshop was that it confirmed my deep interest in writing. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to be with other people, hearing their stories.”
Daniella, March 26, 2017