Scary writing experience
Through an odd fluke of scheduling (including three different trips out of town in November), the “Words That Speak” playwriting workshop that I lead is off until November 29. This is highly unusual; in general, we meet every Saturday, and then take about a three-week break after eight sessions. There’s an occasional Saturday that gets scheduled off — but 10 weeks off? Unheard of in its 22-year history.
So what’s a guy to do when he’s got 10 weeks off from his workshop? Sign up for someone else’s!
I was thrilled — thrilled! — to see that my schedule is clear on Saturday the 25th, so I signed up for Chris DeWan’s “Monsters in the Woods” one-day writing workshop. JUST THE NAME ALONE appealed to me. But here’s more about it:
A ONE-DAY INTENSIVE IN WRITING HORROR
(and other scary magicks)
Why are we afraid of the dark? How do writers terrify us with nothing but their words? And how can we do it in our own stories?
Come celebrate Halloween with a one-day intensive horror-writing workshop. And do it at an eerie, isolated site in the Angeles National Forest*.
Through a series of unnerving exercises, we will plumb classic fairy tales, ghost story tropes, and our own memories to generate material for new and in-progress horror stories.
The “Monsters in the Woods” workshop isn’t just for horror writers. It’s for any writers who want to explore their own fears, dreams, and memories for new story material.
At a spooky, undisclosed location in the Angeles National Forest!
That just has “me” written all over it. Years ago, I wrote a show called “Monster Stories” — a collection of three short plays — and I’d sure like to get back into something like that. And I know Chris is a good writer, and he’s a theatre person (that’s how we met), so I’m feeling confident about this experience.
(By the way, how did I find out about this? I’ve known Chris for about 15 years — but I don’t believe I’ve actually seen him in person since 2013, as he reminded me via email this morning. I saw this workshop posted on LinkedIn, and then on Facebook, both of which were open to me because, as I said, I know Chris. So hey, everybody who complains about social media — in your face.)
Anyway — I believe there’s still a slot or two open. So if you’d like to join me for a few hours of being terrorized by snakes or a guy with an axe, here’s your link.
September 28th, 2014 at 3:59 am
How about a terrifying/humorous work based ion what might have happened if George W. Bush had won the 2000 election?
September 28th, 2014 at 6:13 am
As we saw, his not winning was terrifying enough.