Meet the Instructor
Fall 2023 Novel Generator
Instructor Statement
During this course, students will devise an outline for and complete a solid first draft of their project. Alongside this work, we will discuss methods of writing from an outline without feeling confined by it, creating image-driven plot, generation and revision, setting personal deadlines, and managing fear and creative paralysis while staying true to your voice and vision. By the end of the course, writers will have produced a complete first draft of their novel and will leave with a personalized prescription for next steps, including a revision schedule, agent suggestions, a well-built and sustainable writing practice, career guidance, and more. Teaching from over a decade of experience, I’m passionate about helping writers find the structure and support they need to discover and bring forth their truest work, and in addition, to visualize their desired career path and devise a concrete plan of next steps to reach their creative and professional goals.
About the Instructor
Mila Jaroniec is the author of two novels, including Plastic Vodka Bottle Sleepover (Split Lip Press). She is the editor of Black Lipstick Magazine and her work has appeared in Playgirl, Playboy, Ninth Letter, Joyland, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, PANK, Southwest Review, The Millions, NYLON and Teen Vogue, among others. Her popular Catapult workshop, 40,000 Words in 40 Days, was featured in New York Magazine.
Spring 2024 Novel Generator
Instructor Statement
Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison once said, ‘Make up a story. Narrative is radical, creating us at the very moment it is being created.’ Writing for me is re-creation and liberation. It’s also a lot of work! It’s the kind of work that nourishes and confounds. At best it makes you feel flow and you become lost in your characters and the challenges they are navigating. At worst it makes you question yourself and the validity of your stories. This is why working in community with others and having champions through your writing process is vital. Your stories do matter, and they need to be told. My greatest strength as a teacher and facilitator is my deep desire to see others succeed and achieve whatever goals they set for themselves. Along with that, I present and push in areas of craft like building a story structure and shape as a foundation to grow your work, focusing on character, characterization, setting, dialogue, and pacing, and getting much needed feedback on your approach and process. We’ll explore and learn together as we support each other in an inclusive environment that welcomes all stories and storytellers.
About the Instructor
Elizabeth Santiago earned a BFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College and a Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University. She taught writing and literacy courses for many years before deciding to take her passion for storytelling to the next level. She completed a PhD program at Lesley University focused on creative writing for literacy acquisition and liberation. As a result of that work, two projects emerged. One is a contemporary young adult novel titled, The Moonlit Vine, featuring 14-year-old Taína, descended from a long line of Taíno women who must rise within her own strength to bring peace and justice to her family and her community. The novel will be published by Lee and Low in both English and Spanish in May of 2023. The second project is a website called The Untold Narratives to support all writers, emerging and experienced, in finding and sharing stories that are not typically told due to lack of representation. Please visit the beta of the site at wwwtheuntoldnarratives.com.