SURPRISE THE LINE, hosted by Nancy Lynée Woo, presents an 8-week
GENERATIVE POETRY WORKSHOP focused on _playing with poetic
forms!_ Whether you love or hate writing in form, you'll be
good-naturedly challenged to expand your horizons and flex your poetic
muscles by writing within some level of formal structure. All
experience levels welcome! For those of you who have taken this class
with me before, I've got lots of new prompts for you this time!
WHY WRITE POETRY IN FORM? Each week, we'll explore a different type
of poetic form, or structure, for writing a poem. Modern, contemporary
poetry is often free verse, and this is great, allowing an endless
amount of freedom. HOWEVER, EVEN FREE VERSE POETS CAN BENEFIT FROM
PRACTICING WRITING IN FORM. Formal structures vary, but they often
place some beneficial restrictions on the poem, like number of lines,
repeating words or lines, rhyme scheme, meter, or other patterns.
WRITING IN FORM NOT ONLY HELPS US PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE WORDS
WE'RE USING AND HOW WE'RE USING THEM, BUT FORCES US TO CONSIDER OUR
AUDITORY RHYTHMS, THE PACING ON THE PAGE, AND THE STRENGTH OF OUR
IMAGES. Poems, even free-verse, want to have a musicality about them,
and we can learn how to do this more naturally in our free verse poems
by practicing in form. _KEY WORD: PRACTICE!_
THE GOAL OF THIS CLASS IS NOT NECESSARILY TO MASTER ANY ONE PARTICULAR
FORM, BUT TO EXPOSE YOU TO MANY DIFFERENT METHODS OF WRITING, AND THIS
WILL LEAD YOU TO NEW DISCOVERIES ABOUT YOUR WRITING--GUARANTEED! To
master anything, you must practice, A LOT. Consider this an invitation
to practice writing poetry in a fun, encouraging environment with
others doing the same thing, where there are no wrong answers, only
new discoveries. This mindset is a key part of every Surprise the Line
workshop: we get together to have a good time experimenting.
AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO ENJOY PLAYING WITH FORM, YOU WILL ENJOY THE
NEW POETIC FORMS I'VE ADDED TO THIS ROUND! Even if you've tried your
hand at some of these before, you can learn something new every
time.
Lots of modern poets do some really interesting things with formal
structures--either by challenging them, changing them, or otherwise
making them their own. I'll be bringing in examples of how modern
poets are turning centuries-old structures into their playground, and
making some really moving art as they do it.
Trust me, it's great fun!
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
✓ Structured & supportive writing environment
✓ Respectful group discussions about process
✓ Weekly lessons & handouts with example poems
✓ Explanations and templates to help you
✓ Productive feedback with dedicated close readers
✓ Sensitivity to your work & encouraging your voice
✓ Curiosity rather than commands
HOW THE WORKSHOP IS SET UP
Each week will include a lesson on a different poetic form or
structure, including a printed packet with examples, prompt, and
template. I'll explain the form, we'll discuss it, and you'll go home
and write in that form, then bring the new draft in next week. We'll
talk about the history of the form, some topics that work well with
it, and do a light brainstorm when possible, so you leave with a
starting point. We'll share poems with each other in a light critique
setting. THE FOCUS IS REALLY ON PRODUCING NEW WORK, SHARING
DISCOVERIES, AND GIVING PRODUCTIVE FEEDBACK TO EACH OTHER. _EVERY
PERSON WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO READ THEIR POEM EVERY WEEK. _I'll send
out a follow up email after each class with the prompt in case anyone
is absent.
_The goal of this workshop is to equip each poet with valuable tools
for poetic mastery, while having fun, building community and enjoying
the creative process._ I bring community guidelines to the first
meeting to make sure we can all respect the space and each other. It
is such a gift to be in workshop with kind people reading our work. If
anyone has questions or concerns about that, or if you want to see the
guidelines before signing up, please feel free to email me at
nancywoowriter@gmail.com.
MOTIVATING PHILOSOPHY: Structure allows room for experimentation. Add
elements of craft to your unique aesthetic, stir, and see what
happens. Taking our work seriously doesn’t mean taking ourselves too
seriously! Invite surprise onto the page. Have fun! Poetry is
discovery. Curiosity over commands. Respect is key. What else is there
to do but create?
My teaching philosophy is that we're all learning and we all have
something to offer each other, so I am less "top down" than
"circular." I do the work to give US a lesson, but everyone's voice
and experience can be beneficial to US all. So your opinions and your
responses to what we're doing is highly valued. While this particular
class has a teaching component, I consider myself more a facilitator
of the group environment.
WORKSHOP DATES AND TOPICS
***Keep in mind there are often many innovative ways to approach
these, so consider the formal structure a starting point for your
interpretation. Our focus is not on being perfect but getting some
interesting writing done. Even if you end up writing a different poem
than the form, whatever you write is what you're meant to write. Take
this as you wish: you may wish to write very strictly or very loosely.
WEEK 1 - THURSDAY JANUARY 9: _Intro/Erasure-_ Bring in any poem you
like to share with the group to express you writing style, voice, or
current interests. (Not a deep critique.) Also, bring in a printed
page of any text that you don't mind "destroying." We'll do an erasure
exercise in class, and leave you with a prompt to go deeper at home.
Starting off fun and "easy" to get US warmed up. Erasure poems are new
poems created from the found text of another piece of writing.
WEEK 2 - THURSDAY JANUARY 16:_ Sestina- _If you've ever taken a
workshop with me before, you'll know I love sestinas. So in my
previous FORMS WORKSHOP, this was our highest challenge point but in
this workshop, it's our launching point! A sestina is a poem with 6
primary stanzas and a concluding stanza featuring 6 rotating end words
in a pattern.
WEEK 3 - THURSDAY JANUARY 23:_ Villanelle_- A villanelle is a 19-line
poem with repeating lines in a scaffolding pattern, often very good
for exploring the nature of obsessions.
WEEK 4 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 30:_ Pantoum_- A pantoum is another poem
with repeating, scaffolding lines, and the poem can be of any length.
The poem weaves down the page, creating an echo-like effect.
WEEK 5 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6:_ Sonnet_- We all know sonnets! But
Shakespeare wasn't the only one who wrote sonnets, and we can learn a
lot from modern sonnets. A sonnet is a 14-line poem with alternating
rhyme scheme concluding with a couplet.
WEEK 6 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13:_ Ghazal_- New for me! Let's play with
a ghazal. This is a 5+ line poem with both a repeating end word and
internal rhyme, made up of independent couplets. It ends with a volta,
addressing yourself as the author of the poem.
WEEK 7 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20:_ Contrapuntal- _And we'll hit our
finale with one of the most interesting and challening forms out there
(IMO). A contrapuntal is essentially three poems in one, with two
columns that can be read down as well as across. I find these
exceptionally difficult! We will definitely learn something in trying
it.
WEEK 8 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27:_ Conclusion/Portfolio- _Last round
of feedback, discoveries, check ins. What does your portfolio show you
about yourself as a writer? What was the most interesting, most
challenging, most fun?
TBD Sometimes we have another informal meeting to get together and
hang out without a critique workshop, like a submissions workshop. IF
we want to do that, date and location TBD. Always a good time.
CLASS FEE AND LOCATION
LOCATION:
First Friends Church
13205 Philadelphia St.
Whittier, CA 90601
Street parking is free and plentiful. We have a great big community
room with long tables to facilitate our revision process. Because the
church is letting us use this room, at the last two meetings, I will
pass around a collection hat for anyone who is able to contribute some
cash for their facilities.
FULL VALUE: $240 ($30 PER CLASS)
Because I don't wish for anyone to be excluded from attending this
workshop, I will offer a sliding scale to anyone who wants to attend.
If you want to be here, I want you here.
SLIDING SCALE: PLEASE CONSIDER VALUING THE WORKSHOP AT LEAST $15 PER
CLASS ($120-$240).
I am experimenting with alternative models of doing business! Before,
I've experimented with setting a price and offering a sliding scale.
This time, I am doing the same thing. YOU CAN DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO
PAY BASED ON WHAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS, YOUR BUDGET, AND YOUR LEVEL OF
INVESTMENT.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN FREE. If you can easily pay the full value, please
do! This helps create access for others (students, underemployed,
working artists, etc.) to attend the class at the level that suits
their current cash flow. One of the things I love about the arts
community is that it is so diverse, so full of people from all
different stations in life, backgrounds, and experiences. We all value
each other, and I believe art transcends economic barriers. If you are
an artist, you are an artist. Let's create a warm, welcoming
environment for us all to learn from each other.
My goal is to make this a fulfilling artistic experience with the door
open to everyone who wants it, while still allowing me to value my own
time, skills, experience and expertise. I trust you, you trust me. I
want you to feel GOOD about what you are giving and what you are
receiving.
Because I am leaving the door completely open this time, and this is a
generative workshop where we'll be reading first drafts and focusing
on the process, I am not going to put a hard cap on number of
participants. A general maximum is 10-12 so there's enough time for
everyone to read every week.
NOTE: IF IT'S POSSIBLE, CAN YOU PLEASE SEND PAYMENT VIA VENMO OR
PAYPAL (FRIENDS AND FAMILY) INSTEAD OF EVENTBRITE? (Reduces the fees
for both of us and helps me get the money faster.) Then I'll send you
a registration confirmation manually.
Venmo: https://venmo.com/nancy-woo
[https://venmo.com/nancy-woo] PayPal: nancywoowriter@gmail.com. Thank
you!
If there is still room, you may bring cash or check on the first day.
Please check with me about how many we have signed up. Thanks!
Read reviews from past workshop
attendees: http://nancylyneewoo.com/workshops.html
[http://nancylyneewoo.com/workshops.html]
Find SURPRISE THE LINE ON
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/surprisetheline
[https://www.facebook.com/surprisetheline]
Questions? Email nancywoowriter@gmail.com.
I look forward to exploring forms with you!
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28/02/2020 Last update