Classes will take place on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-9:00pm ET. The schedule can shift occasionally due to holidays and the needs of the class. Any changes will be discussed with the class as a team.
September 4th – December 4th, 2024 (Twelve Weeks)
Class does not meet on October 2nd, October 9th, or November 27th. (Class will meet on Oct. 1st to keep continuity from missing Oct. 2nd class.)
Class meets weekly. Students will:
- Review the theory and basic tenets of the Writing to Heal genre, outlining guidelines and boundaries, steps and goals.
- Review Grub Street’s expectations and policies, and decide, together with the instructor, on specific expectations and guidelines for this particular workshop community.
- Have one individual meeting with the instructor to outline personalized goals and plans for the program.
- Read essays, poems, articles, columns, op-eds and memoir excerpts that demonstrate the transformative power of healing narratives.
- Study craft particularly related to this genre, and do weekly in-class writing prompts with on-the-spot feedback.
- Create and share a self-care list, which we’ll return to throughout each phase.
- Submit two pieces for full-class workshop.
- Write a process journal for every workshop submission.
- Learn revision guidelines and techniques.
January 8th – January 29th, 2025 (Four Weeks)
Weekly group work and two optional full-class check-ins. No class meetings. Students will:
- Spend time on their own either generating new work or revising one or two pieces from Phase I.
- Meet in small assigned accountability groups.
- Check in with instructor over email for encouragement and trouble-shooting.
February 5th – April 30th, 2025 (Twelve Weeks)
Class does not meet March 19th.
Class meets weekly. Students will:
- Workshop new material or revisions from Phase II with the full group.
- If project-appropriate, polish revised pieces to get them ready for submission.
- Learn about the publication process for this genre.
- Have one individual meeting with the instructor to check in on writing goals and progress, and plan next steps.
- Have the opportunity to hear from and talk with guest authors.
- Write and share a final process journal for the entire Writing to Heal journey.
- Potentially participate in a community reading.