Events

To sign up for upcoming events click the sign-up button and you will be taken to the sign-up page for each event.

Explore past events as each one has a link to its video and/or podcast link.

Upcoming Events

Creative Writing: The Art of the Plot Twist

Good stories are the ones that feel both surprising and inevitable at the end. Surprising because the audience did not see that exact ending coming but inevitable because, once known, the ending feels earned, within character and has emotional impact.

To perfect this cocktail of surprise and inevitability the storyteller must master the art of the plot twist, the moment in the story when the unexpected rushes in to change everything you thought was true and reveal an entirely new perspective.

Drawing from the experience of navigating the plot twists in our own lives students will work together to generate possible story ideas and build in plot twists that feel earned. Get ready to have fun and expect the unexpected.

Creative Writing: Screenplay

In this fun and exciting marathon masterclass writers of all levels will leave with a completed rough draft of a 3-5 page short film screenplay about one small piece of their life. The story can be told as fiction or non-fiction.  
 
We will learn how to write in proper screenplay format (attendees will be instructed to sign up for a FREE Writer’s Duet account). We will also discover what fills a story with drama v what causes us to mentally check out.  We will learn how to sequence events, and allow our stories to unfold in the most compelling way possible for our audience.  
 
If you like good movie but loathe waisting time on bad movies then this class will give you the inside scoop on how screenwriters manipulate expectations, build suspense and shock or delight us with twists and turns.  Put down the remote and pick up a pen. It’s time your story came to life.

Creative Writing: Spoken Word

Beginner to advanced writers welcome.
Do you have plenty to say but don’t seem to know where to begin?
Do you loves music and singing but don’t feel musically inclined?
Do you love poetry, theater or any performing arts?
Then you might just fall in love with the art of the Spoken Word.

The medium of poetry thrives on vivid imagery and description. But not just visual imagery, any “image” or description that activates any of the five senses, taste, smell, touch, or sound as well.

Spoken word is similar to poetry, but the primary sense we tap into here is auditory, the sense of hearing.
Spoken word is lyrical, a song without music, a speech without formality or a poem without a page.

In this workshop, you will discover the rhythms that want to create themselves as you unlock your stream of consciousness and create a spoken word piece in real-time that comes directly from your heart. You will learn how to craft a piece that is meaningful to you, dripping with wisdom, or mystery, or humor, and how to punctuate or highlight that meaning through the use of skillful rhyme, strategic metaphor and unexpected repetition.

We will examine a few famous spoken word pieces in detail and then we will spend time writing and workshopping our own spoken word masterpieces.

Past Events

Trauma Drama: Use Creative Writing to Heal Old Wounds

In this workshop participants will explore an event, situation, person or experience from their life that has been particularly challenging.

These can be a deep loss, a traumatic event, an addictive pattern or any other life challenge that we have found it difficult to process or manage.

Each student will go on an individual exploratory journey by creating a metaphor out of their chosen life moment, becoming curious, innovative, compassionate, and even playful as we each craft a fictional adventurous tale of triumph and victory within the safe context of metaphors and creative writing.

Participants will not be required to share their life events or stories with the group but an opportunity will be provided for those who would like to share their writing. What happens in this class stays in this class.

Self Care Summit - Guest Speaker

Self-Empowerment Project Podcast - Episode 12

Spiritual Needs TV - Guest Speaker

Write A Screenplay in 3 Hours of Less Using A Piece of Your Life Story

Creative Writing for Self Exploration

Creative Writing: Understanding The Self