Writing the Land
Monday, February 8
Description: We’ve all read books with settings so clear, so vibrant, so perfectly evoked that we long to journey there ourselves, whether the place is real or imagined: Winesburg, Ohio; Maycomb, Alabama; Avonlea; Casablanca; Middle-Earth; Hogwarts; Narnia. We frequently describe our favorite books and stories as creating a setting so rich it acts as another character, influencing the protagonist, action, and plot. As writers, we know the importance of creating a strong sense of place, but how?
In this one-night workshop, we’ll examine treatment of setting and landcape in published works and use creative writing exercises to enrich the sense of place in our own work. Whether you’re writing about the gritty urban corners of Chicago, the wide-open prairies of central Illinois, or the Forest Moon of Endor, you’ll enjoy digging deeper into the landscape of your imagination.
Who Should Attend: Writers of every level and genre are welcome in this class.
About the Instructor: M. Molly Backes has lived in Wisconsin, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Illinois, and has written about every one. Her recent story “Teacher’s Pet” appears in the anthology Good Dogs Doing Good, and her novel Homecoming Girl, represented by Prospect Agency, is currently out for submission. In addition to teaching and tutoring writing, she works as the Assistant Director at StoryStudio Chicago where she’ll be happy to answer all your questions about life, the universe, and all our classes.