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| Genevieve Fraser |
“Digging Deep to Find Your Voice” Writing Class offered at New Salem Academy Summer Arts Intensive 2017
Creative
writing course offered by Genevieve Fraser
Bio
When I was a freshman at UNH, my English professor gave a talk on the Great American Novel literary genre. I determined to someday write such a novel, but first I had to find a story with a theme worthy of the subject. Though I dropped out of college before graduating, through the years I toyed at writing with stream of consciousness poetry and fits and starts of short stories and plays. Later, with child in tow, I returned to UNH and got serious. I graduated with degrees in Communications and Theater and a minor in English, which was followed by an MFA in Theater/Writing at Brandeis.
Since then, I’ve used my writing background as an exhibits developer, journalist, environmental technical writer, in public relations, as an aide to a state senator, a planner for the Private Industry Council and community college, and as a commissioned playwright. Finally, while working as an aide to the senator on a veteran’s project, I happened upon a subject worthy of the designation - a Great American Novel - and spent 10 years researching, interviewing and writing the story. The result was a creative, non-fiction novel, “In the Claw of the Tiger,” a true story based on the life of a World War II survivor of the Bataan Death March and POW camps in the Philippines and Japan.
Course
Description
The three-day, creative writing course, “Digging Deep to Find Your Voice,” will
encourage participants to explore creative writing for two hours per day through
journaling, observation techniques, theatrical role playing, poetry, narrative
essay development and story-telling. The
exercises are meant to enhance each author’s observation of an environment,
whether it’s a room full of people, sidewalk, café, beach or any other place
they find themselves. Immediacy as well
as memory will be explored. Each of the five senses will be engaged in terms of
the potency of observation and how this might become transposed onto the
written page.
The course is meant to be a 24-hour a day journey,
where even dreams play a role in creating a narrative. But along with
developing an awareness of self, personal attitudes and reactions, authors are
expected to spend non-class time observing others and sharing what they
observed verbally and in brief role play. The awareness of their inner and
outer life should help participants explore character and narration as well as
a sense of place and time. But for plot, the class may draw from personal
history or observation of comings and goings or from historic characters and
events.
In-class writing will consist of stream of
consciousness writing where brief exercises will encourage unedited rapid
writing. One of the purposes of stream
of consciousness writing is to break down barriers we often build that block
creativity. Even apparent nonsense, at
times, can reflect hidden truths. Poetry will also be used to explore word
juxtaposition and meaning rarely used in everyday language. Physical objects, art and photos as well as
subjects such as fear, shopping and jewelry might be used as writing prompts.
Along with shared prompts, a basket filled with written prompts where authors
can grab a prompt at random will be on hand.
By mid-week, the class will focus on an original story, play or poem to
complete by the end of the week.Course
MaterialsNotebook, pen and pencis and/or laptopLocationNew Salem AcademyLecture“Digging Deep to Find Your Voice”Exploring the world around you, as well as yourself,
to create art.
The course will run on Monday - Wednesday, July 17-19 from 9:00 - 11:30 am. For further information on available courses, check out
https://www.facebook.com/SummerArtsIntensive/
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