2024 classes will be posted by the end of the year, & sign up for a sample drop-in class Jan. 3 — see the menu above!
Dear writer,
You’ve thought a lot about what you want to write, but you haven’t spent the butt-in-chair time it takes to get your story down on the page. If this sounds familiar, may I introduce WRITING IN SCENES — a series of guided, supported writing classes that’ll help you get the first tracks of an vignette, essay, short story, memoir or novel written before the holidays. Using some of the great excerpts from literature for inspiration and structural pointers, you’ll venture to a creative zone you’ve never entered before.
Individual class listings are at the bottom of this page in the green boxes & links for registration are on the back of each box!
Each class lasts 2 1/2 hours. The week before each class, you’ll receive a 1-to-12-or-so page reading assignment, plus a list of prompts based on that reading that I’ll take you through when we gather. Then, in class, I’ll be your trail guide as we explore the writerly moves made by the author of your reading assignment, and use those moves to carry us out of our own writerly comfort zones and inspire our own writing. I’ll point out variations of those moves, so you’ll never be reduced to mimicking what the author wrote, you’ll embody their courage and nimbleness, embolden yourself, and broaden your literary range. (Being pushed out of your comfort zone for a whole manuscript is hard, but being pushed out of it for a scene that takes eight minutes to write? Not so hard!) You’ll tiptoe past your own bad writing habits and enter a new world of creative possibility. In each class you’ll write, prompted by me, for about 90 minutes. The last half hour will find you reading what you’ve written, in all its rough glory, to one of your literary compatriots. You’ll be on the road to a piece of writing you can really treasure.
And who ARE your literary compatriots? People like these:
You’ll be taught by me, Lisa Jones, award-winning memoirist and longtime creative writing teacher. Read about me HERE, or check out my book, Broken: A Love Story HERE.
Each class is limited to 10 students. Writers new to my ARC OF THE STORY classes can find a sample class HERE which they can take to ensure this kind of prompted, choreographed writing is your cuppa. It’s good to determine whether this is the case, as I give refunds for this class only in the case of real medical emergency. If you’re interested in the reading list prior to a class, please contact me HERE and I’ll send you the list for the class that appeals to you.
WHAT MY CURRENT STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY
“This class has lit a fire under my writer’s ass. Finally I feel as committed to my creativity as it is to me. I love this small and brilliant, diverse group of writers, but most of all , I love the delightful surprises that my muse throws at me only in the unique genius of Lisa’s fierce and quirky presence.”
~ Abigail Morgan Prout, Leadership Coach, Creative Visionary Pushcart Nominee in poetry.
“This class is EXACTLY what I needed at the moment that I needed it. I’ve wanted to write a memoir of my unique child rearing journey but lacked the ability to organize my thoughts and ideas. This class has me feeling connected, productive and ablaze with words.”
~ Deb K., Boulder
“Lisa’s style of teaching allows me to unhook from my inner critic. She invites, encourages and makes space for the original, playful writer to emerge. Writing becomes fun again and wonderful writing follows.”
~ Terri Thayer, author, certified book coach
Here are my fall classes; I’ve left them here so you can see what I do
Five-scenes, Wed. evenings, on Zoom
For those who want to get a sketch of their story down in just five weeks, or can only take class at night. You'll pen a vivid sweep of a story before the leaves fall. Yay, you!
Sept. 13, 20, 27; Oct. 11 & 18
6-8:30 p.m. MT
$400
On Zoom
You'll read your assignment before class, and when we gather I'll prompt and guide you for about 90 minutes of writing. After that, you'll share what you’ve written, in all its rough glory, with one of your literary compatriots. What kinds of literary terrain will we cover? Well, you can reframe the source material and transpose it to fit whatever you want to write, BUT the source material covers this: A childhood event that changes everything, how we act as adults, the sins of the mother are visited upon the daughter, crying and dying (or feeling like dying) in several different ways. Wow! That last part sounds like a country song. It's gritty stuff, but it's an invitation to very real stuff. And YOU'RE the boss, so you can in fact write a comedy in this class based on these prompts. I swear.
THE KARMIC DOMINOES FALL, Thurs. mornings, on Zoom OR in person (all are welcome!)
Perfect for those who've taken several classes from me in the past (as well as first-timers of all levels) this class is comprised of brand new source material and prompts! You'll walk away with the regular -- writing you can be proud of, literary community, and a skip in your authorial step!
Thurs. mornings, 10-12:30 Mountain Time, Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28; Oct. 12, 19, 26; Nov. 2, 9, 16, 30; Dec. 7
12 weeks; $960
The karmic dominoes fall
You can reframe the source material and transpose it to fit whatever you want to write, BUT the source material covers this: A character has a problem, which makes the character’s intimate person also have a problem, co-existing with people, making an enemy, getting tired, getting lusty, getting stoned (remember! You can transpose and reframe any and all steps!), a beginning, an ending.
THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY -- Friday morns., in Zoom OR in person
Writers of all levels will use a time-tested storytelling structure that employs the challenges faced by their narrator to propel the story onto the page, in blazing, visceral detail. You'll walk away feeling exhilarated in possession of a coherent tale of: being at home, leaving home, getting your butt kicked by life, growing as a result and finding you have more to offer your people.
10-12:30 Mountain Time
Sept. 8, 15, 22, 29; Oct. 13, 20; Nov. 3, 10, 17; Dec. 1 & 8.
11 weeks; $880. On Zoom OR in person.
THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY is a trusted story structure that uses adversity as the engine for your narrator's journey, whether she is fictional or non-fictional. You start where you are, get thrust into the greater world, encounter all kinds of obstacles, grow as a result, and come home a different, larger person than when you left.
Friday mornings, 10-12:30 p.m. Mountain Time:
Sept. 8, 15, 22, 29; Oct. 13 & 20; Nov. 3, 10, 17; Dec. 1.
10 classes; $800.
You have questions? I have answers!
WHAT WILL THE ARC OF THE STORY GIVE ME?
A regular, productive writing practice. Significant inroads towards completing a long piece, series of linked pieces, or simply a line of inquiry into your own life, or that of your character. Lots of imperfect writing, with surprisingly juicy parts that you can then polish and grow on your own time. Some prompts will place you squarely into a new frame for telling your tale, other times you’ll end up in the next county, writing something straight from your own inspiration. It’s all good — the aim is movement, not emulation — and your story will spill, in all its rough splendor, onto the page. Plenty of laughs and maybe some of tears in the company of people who are also navigating the literary path, and you’ll be developing that gem-like thing — literary friendship.
WHAT WON'T IT GIVE ME?
A perfect piece, or even a whole first draft. Perfect writing on your own part or that of your fellow students.
IT'S THE PERFECT CLASS FOR ME IF...
You’re hungry to get some words on the page. Comfortable making mistakes. Dying for some writing community. Able to share the writing you just got down with another student and are able to listen to what they’ve written with kindness. Willing to read assignments before class, and if you’re a planner, to give some thought to how you’re going to apply your class time to your story’s needs.
HOW WILL I KNOW IT'S NOT FOR ME?
You are terrified of making mistakes. Unwilling to read 12 pages of source material prior to each class. So sick of Zoom that you’d basically rather put pins in your eyes than spend another minute in front of a screen. (Although most of my students who’ve been with me for at least the last year have said this is the only use of Zoom that hasn’t driven them batso, and I agree.) THE CLASS IS PRIMARILY GENERATIVE IN NATURE. MEANING, WE WRITE, WE EXCAVATE, WE GO TO DEEP PLACES, AND WE REVEL IN THE FABULOUS SHITTY FIRST DRAFTS WE’VE JUST WRITTEN!
ARE ALL THE OTHER STUDENTS TERRIFYINGLY BRILLIANT PUBLISHED AUTHORS?
Nope. Class is always a mix of writers. Some simply want to make sense of the death of their spouse, and have absolutely no aspirations to get published. Some students DO have book contracts (and one wrote the seminal piece that GOT her a contract for a prize-winning debut novel!) but the majority of my students have not been published and a great many of them have no aspirations to do so. The class truly works for all levels of writerly experience. I promise!
WILL I BE CRITIQUED?
You’ll be WITNESSED, because the last half hour or so of each class will be spent in a breakout room with one or two of your classmates, and everyone will be asked to read. And, if you want, you will be critiqued. It’s up to you to ask for the level of critique you want. Saying “I only want to hear the parts you really, really liked,” is a perfectly good request of your reading partner. AND our whole last class will be an open mic, to which you’ll bring a piece you’ve polished with my help.
WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENS IN CLASS?
We’ll start the class discussing the readings (up to 12 pages) you’ll have read the week before class. Then I’ll guide you through about a dozen component steps of the scene, which will take up to an hour and a half, sometimes a skidge more. The prompts are basically suggested frames through which you may well see the next move your own narrative needs to make. Not all prompts will do that, and you’re encouraged to skip those, and let the juiciness of your own narrative guide what you want to do until you hear a prompt that sparks new inspiration. As I wrote above, some prompts will place you squarely into a new frame for telling a specific part of your tale, other times you’ll end up in the next county, writing something straight from your own inspiration. It all works — the aim is movement, not emulation. For the last 30 minutes of each two-and-a-half hour class, you’ll be invited to share what you’ve written with one or two classmates.
WON'T I JUST BE COPYING THE SCENES OF THE GREATS?
Nope. The aim is MOVEMENT, not emulation. I’ve never seen a student write anything resembling the source material in content, and I’m consistently blown away by how different each student’s class writing is. The class is a series of suggested frames through which you can pour your own story. You’ll try things that had never occurred to you to try before, and the result is something fresh, novel, and yours.
IS THERE HOMEWORK?
You’ll be expected to read 1-12 pages of class reading prior to most classes. The reading assignments are given a full week in advance. So will the step-by-step prompts, so if you’re a planner, you can pre-engineer as much as you like. One student would get up at 5 a.m. before his day job to precisely line up the prompt sheet to events in his novel, and that really worked for him. Other folks are so busy they simply read the reading assignment, show up in class, and go! Either method is welcome, plus every method in between.
WHAT IF I MISS A CLASS?
I’ll provide you with the source material, the written prompts, and a link to a video recording of me teaching the class, so you can do the makeup on your own time. The only classes I’ll make up in person are those that I miss due to illness or emergency.
BUT I'M A BEGINNER!!
That’s perfectly okay and you’re perfectly welcome. If you’re willing to try, and willing to brush off the times you completely miss the bus (knowing that THOSE times might lead to your best literary breakthroughs!)
DO YOU HAVE A LESS COMMITTAL CLASS I CAN TAKE SO I CAN SEE IF I EVEN LIKE THIS PROCESS?
Sure! I’ve got a pair of classes that fit that bill perfectly: SIX GREAT SCENES and SEVEN GREAT SCENES.They both follow the same format as THE COMMITMENT, but I supply all the reading materials and I only teach classes #1 and #3 live (those classes, plus all the others, are available on videotape.) It’s QUITE affordable. AND, here’s an idea — set aside 90 or so minutes and take this taped, guided, free class HERE, which has everything you need for a guided tour through a full Commitment/Great Scenes class.
IS THERE AN APPLICATION PROCESS?
Here’s what’ll happen: You’ll dabble with the sample class HERE so that you can see if this kind of highly-structured exercise is your cup of tea. This is really important, because once you’ve registered, there are no refunds. (Although I’m happy to provide taped versions of classes you miss.) If you feel you’re a fit, sign on up!