Turn Your Fragments into Finished Works

If you’ve been writing for a while, especially if you’ve participated in Round Robin classes, you’ve likely amassed bits of stories, essays, and poems, promising pieces that you haven’t developed further or don’t quite know how to expand. In this 6-week class, we’ll build from those starts, fragments, and sketches to create more fully realized works of art. 

“There’s a misconception about writers that we know what we’re doing when we begin a piece,” says instructor Kathy Garlick. “In early drafts and “writes”, many of us are driven by impulse, hungrily seeking out a voice, rhythm, or theme that inspires us and sustains our writing. Only later, when we see an opportunity to complete a whole poem, essay, or story, do we assert a structure. And often that structure is built from fragments written over a period of time as well as hours of decision-making to determine what belongs and what doesn’t.” 

This class will drop us directly into that writing and decision-making process, with our own fragments at our fingertips. On the first day of class, we’ll make a plan for selecting from among materials we’ve already written. Then, over the course of 6 weeks, we’ll employ strategies to pull together and develop a whole, cohesive work. 

“That selection process might take different courses for each of us,” says Kathy. “Some of us might assemble fragments that clearly belong together and do the writing that connects them. Others might work from unrelated images or characters and discover the meanings that arise when they’re placed side by side.” 

Prompt-driven writing will help us generate new material or connect any threads. There will be opportunities to share our writing and receive supportive feedback from Kathy and the group. Discussion topics will include how to develop a story, poem, or essay from early efforts, how to bring in craft considerations, and how to plan out and finish longer works. Everyone will walk away from this class with the core of one or more new writing projects and the tools to build out a whole work of art from its initial, promising parts.

About The Writing Salon's Online Zoom Classes

You will be able to participate in live class meetings via Zoom videoconference. To attend classes, you'll need a phone, tablet or computer and access to the internet. You can participate in the class from wherever you'd like, whether on your living room couch or in your office. Before your class meets, you'll receive an email from The Writing Salon with more information about Zoom and your remote class. If you have any questions about remote learning, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hello@writingsalons.com.