From Scratch: Going Back to Basics to Write Better Prose with Madeline Beach Carey

Course Summary

This is a writing workshop for artists across disciplines. Designed for artists who are bored of typical art-world jargon, terrified of the oft-dreaded artist’s statement, or just feeling stuck when it comes to the written word. Participants are required to read a few selected texts before the start of the workshop. Registrants will receive links to these texts before the start of the workshop.

Course Outline

Participants will discuss difficulties, insecurities, and fears about so-called “creative” writing and do several short in-class writing exercises. These sessions will also be helpful for people doing their own marketing or hoping to write more successful grant applications. During class we’ll be talking, but also writing—playing around a bit so that your so-called professional or promotional writing is more fun, but also seriously good!

Course Outcomes

Participants will break out of traditional moulds and go back to basics: excavating their own lived experience and reading lives in order to create better, brighter prose.

Madeline Beach Carey is the author of the story collection Les filles dels altres. Her work has appeared in Southword, El Món d’Ahir, de/rail, RIC Journal, echoverse,The Sultan’s Seal, Full Stop, The Momentist, and elsewhere. Carey has been the recipient of awards and fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Edward Albee Foundation, Faber Residency, Hawthornden Castle, Greywood Arts, and Ventspils House.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, she lives in Barcelona, Spain.