Paisley Free Writing Program
with Tawnya Selene Renelle
We have been awarded CHEF funding through OneRen and Future Paisley (Renfrewshire Council) to run a free 6 month long creative writing program.
This program will include 3 blocks of creative writing workshops to take place on Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm at Kairos Women+ in the Embroidery Mill. Registration is required to take part in this program.
It also includes one to one mentorship meetings which will take place twice a month.
We will be hosting monthly open mics and will be sharing details about that soon!
At the end of our program we will be creating an anthology to showcase participant work and will be planning a launch and final celebratory event.
At this time we are taking registration for the first series of workshops, Archive, Museums, and Experimental Memoir and are booking mentorship meetings for Jan-March.
See below for further details.
To Register for the course and mentorship please follow this link to our google form:
Writing Course March 14th-May 12th
Starts Tuesday March 14th
6-8:00pm at Kairos Women+
Limited to 20 Participants
This 9 week course is designed to get you thinking about different ways you can be playful in your writing and explore different structures. Each week focuses on universal themes as a way to tap into various kinds of writing. This course is suited to writers of all levels and experiences.
All registered attendees will have access to copies of exercises and a variety of optional materials including book excerpts, videos, music, and more.
We ask that all participants commit to the 9 week series of workshops and while we understand that things may come up throughout the weeks we ask that you plan to attend them all if you are able.
Week 1 March 14th: Skills Class/ Self-Care for Writers
How do we look after ourselves when we tackle different subject matter in our writing? How do we ensure that we don't retraumatise ourselves when we work on memoir or personal narrative writing?
Week 2 March 21st: Failure
How does failure lead to innovation? In what ways is failure an essential component of experimental writing and process? How can you reorient yourself to failure?
* We will not be meeting on March 28th due to a prior engagement.
Week 3 April 4th: The Body
How can we use the body as a site for inspiration for our work? Can we develop forms and structures which allow for embodied representation?
Week 4 April 11th: Memory, Times, and Dreams
How might we explore the intersections of memory, time, and dreams? Does our writing have to be linear? Does our dream world hold the key to our creative process?
Week 5 April 18th: Death, Dying, and Grief
How does grief shape the form and structure of our words? Can we envision or imagine our own death on the page? What forms of grief outside of the loss of a person can we explore in writing?
Week 6 April 25th: All About Love
What are all the forms of love we experience? Can we express love for the reader and ourselves in the work we create?
Week 7 May 2nd: Family and Community
How does experimental writing create space for queer family making? What kinds of connections and bonds do we form when we express story through experimental means? What role does collaboration play in writing?
Week 8 May 9th: Performance and Masks
How can we use performative techniques as an element of written work? Can a text perform on the page? How are both reading and writing acts of performance?
Week 9 May 16th: Skills Workshop
In our last week together we will be exploring submissions, cover letter writing, and discussing the ins and outs of publication.
Mentorship Program
On the following dates Tawnya Selene Renelle will be available for one hour slots between 10:30am and 3pm for mentorship meetings:
April 4, 11, and 18
May 9 and 23
She will meet with 5 people per day. Mentorship can include feedback on creative work, skills development, publication advice, etc. During the first meeting you will discuss with Tawnya what mentorship you require.
To Register for the course and mentorship please follow this link to our google form:
https://forms.gle/qSzMrrjY6FQgtX1m7
•This project is supported by Renfrewshire Council’s Culture, Heritage and Events Fund (CHEF).
•The Culture, Heritage and Event Fund is administered by One Ren on behalf of Renfrewshire Council.
It is part of Future Paisley, the council-led programme of events, activity and targeted investment which is using Paisley’s unique and internationally-significant story to change its future.
