Writing from the Heart II: Developing the Project That Speaks with Your Voice

*Writing from the Heart II is only open to students who have attended Jay Ridler’s 5-week class or 1-day intensive.

This is a class for those who are familiar with the techniques and approaches Jay uses in helping writers find the stories and themes they care about the most: “plot talks” for digging deep into emotionally powerful material, playing with point of view and setting, compressing premises to get to the heart of the story, and more.

In Writing from the Heart II, we will develop new material in class with the intent of starting a project (either a singular one like a novel or memoir, or one made of many parts like a collection of essays or stories). Classes will focus on using elements of dramatic structure from fiction with non-fiction (and vice versa), refining voice through use of language, and using conventional and unconventional structure to make the central themes of your project shine. For guidance, we will read excerpts from Richard Rhodes, Scarlett Thomas, Bruce Holland Rodger, and others.

Critiques will follow a similar structure to Writing from the Heart, with Jay’s trademark detailed feedback, but will also include discussion of technique, style, and language to help you revise your work. “In Writing from the Heart, you discover your themes and passions as a writer,” Jay says. “In Writing from the Heart II, we take those discoveries and refine them toward a sustained voice that sings throughout your writing.”