Turning Points: Writing about Personal Transformation

Instructor Addie Tsai says, “There’s this line I love from Anaïs Nin. She writes, ‘And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.’ This sentiment seems applicable to many of us right now as we increasingly experience and manage risk, loss, and change. As writers, how do we write through these transitory moments, in which we are neither what we were, nor what we will become?”

This class will focus on how to write through times of transition, including coming out or gender transition, giving birth and becoming a parent, losing a loved one, career change, and more. Throughout our five weeks together, we will use short prompts and exercises to explore current or past experiences of transition. We'll look at examples of writing in several genres (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, hybrid) and discuss what craft frameworks have been successful for writing through transitions of all kinds, such as physical transformation, reflecting on states of liminality (what’s known as a psychological process of transitioning), among others.

We’ll write, read, and share (for those who feel ready/comfortable to do so). All reading will be assigned during class, and will be relatively short. By the end of the class, students will develop a set of tools for how to write through periods of transitions within most creative genres, as well as gain a more enriched understanding of their own transformations. Students will part with a few short pieces and ideas for how to work with the theme of transition in larger projects.  

About The Writing Salon's Remote 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.