Writing the Dream, Vision, or Hallucination

As writers, many of us have been taught that stories must follow “the narrative arc,” with a beginning, middle, and end. But our lives and our minds don’t always operate rationally, and sometimes a linear narrative isn’t always the right choice for a story. The narrative that deals with dreams, divination, mental or physical illness, inebriation, trauma, or intense passion often needs to break rules. And sometimes, resisting a linear narrative can be an act of protest against oppressive forms of thinking. In this generative class and workshop, we’ll embrace uncertainty, experimenting with dream logic, visions, and other renderings of the subconscious in our writing. We’ll take a look at writers who excel at hallucinatory prose, including Hilda Hilst, Can Xue, Denis Johnson, Bhanu Kapil, CA Conrad, and Edwidge Danticat, and try out their methods in our work, with the opportunity for each student in the class to be workshopped once. And because this kind of writing requires deep inquiry into the way our minds function, we’ll also work with automatic writing prompts, ekphrasis, meditation, and other activities meant to help us unlock our creative unconscious. If you’re looking to expand the range of characters and scenarios you can write about, experiment with structure and language, and learn new tips for unblocking your writing and bringing your wildest dreams to the page, this class is for you.

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.