Allyson Whipple

Tag: workshops

  • Let’s Spend a Year Studying Form

    Photo by Wallace Chuck on Pexels.com

    While I mostly write in free verse, most of my poet friends know that I love form. In fact, even in my free verse, I usually incorporate some formal aspect… Something that my MFA thesis advisor and I butted heads about on a regular basis! Even though I don’t regularly write with rhyme and meter, I do enjoy incorporating some formal structure into my work. Sometimes that means only writing in tercets, or repeating a specific word, or making the poem fit a predetermined shape. I find the challenge a major source of inspiration.

    Starting this April, I’m launching A Year of Forms. Whether it be meditation, writing, or some other endeavor, I’ve found long periods of practice and study to be invaluable. I’ve decided I want to spend the next year of my life studying form, and I want to study it with you!

    While I’ve created a yearlong program, I know that might not work for everyone. To that end, I’ve divided the workshop into four themed series. That way, you can still get the benefit of some longer structured study. Single workshop sessions are also available. Finally, if you’re looking for one-on-one critiques, I’m offering optional private sessions to supplement the program.

    Check out the program page for details. I look studying form with you this year!

  • Coming Full Circle: New Workshop Online this Fall!

    I’m writing this from my partner’s family farm in rural Illinois. It’s pretty easy to stay socially distant when you’re 40 miles away from the nearest grocery store. Astrid did great on the drive, and I can’t tell you what a joy it is to leave 105-degree heat for 85. I love summer, but I feel like Texas has gotten hotter the past few years. On my first morning here, we saw a mated pair of bald eagles flying over the farm.

    Give her a stuffed toy, a cozy bed, and a kolache. She’s a happy dog!

    Just before I left, I signed my contract to teach my first workshop with the Loft Literary Center! When I saw the call for course proposals this spring, I decided to jump at the chance. I’m thrilled to announce that Hawks Don’t Circle: Accuracy and Expansiveness in Nature Poetry is now open for registration! And since their offerings are all online this fall, you can take this course no matter where you live. Don’t live in Minnesota? Intent on maintaining social distancing? Wondering how you can connect with the wilderness in your own back yard? I’ve got you covered!

    I first encountered the Loft back in 2013. I was exploring the possibility of doing an online MFA, and trying different online writing courses to see if the format would work for me. I was awarded a scholarship to take Bent Forms: Exploring and Exploding Formal Poetry with Paula Cisewski, and that class still resonates with me. It deepened my appreciation of poetic form, and the writing prompts yielded some rich work from all of the students.

    In early 2016, I pitched a course to the Loft. It was one I’d taught before, but back then I was a greener teacher with minimal experience pitching courses and workshops. My proposal was declined, and then I got busy with my MFA, and then I spent nearly two years in MFA recovery. But although the pandemic has taken so much from all of us, in a way it’s also brought me back to some things.

    When I submitted my application this spring, I knew that even if my workshop proposal didn’t get accepted, I knew I had definitely grown as a teacher and a proposal writer over the past four years. Putting together an application I was satisfied with, knowing I’d done my level best, was its own reward.

    Of course, I was still thrilled to get the acceptance email. While I’m not giving up teaching technical writing anytime soon, I am thrilled to be moving back into the world of creative writing again. Wherever you are, I hope you can join me in September.

  • Revision Redux

    In March 2015, I ran a two-week online writing workshop focused on revision. I had such a great time coaching poets on how to streamline their poetry, and I’ve been looking for opportunities to run it again. I’m happy to announce I have some extra time for workshops this summer, so I’ll be running the Online Revision Mission Workshop not once, but twice! I’m offering a session in June and a session in July. (Who knows? If I get enough interest, I might run it in August, too!)

    Check out the details below:

    Revision Mission Online Workshop (Sessions available in June or July)
    Session 1: June 16th – June 26th
    Session 2: July 11th – July 25th
    Cost: $15 before May 1st; $25 between May 1st and the registration deadline
    Registration Deadline: June 13th for session 1; July 9th for session 2
    Description: It’s almost summertime! Forget all that talk of bikini bodies, and let’s focus on slimming down those poems! Join me for a repeat of this two-week online workshop that will get you revising those neglected poems in no time! With this workshop, you’ll get daily revision prompts. I’ll also send tips on how and when to let go of poems that aren’t coming together, and decluttering your hard drive or writing desk. In addition, you’ll get a one-on-one critique of two poems. Join me in making your poems sharp and lean! To sign up, please use the online registration form. 

    I’m also hoping to host some in-person workshops this summer. Stay tuned for more information!

  • Register for Poetry March Madness 2015

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    March Madness is all about elimination. The competition winnows out teams one by one until only the best of the best remains. The games are thrilling and sometimes heartbreaking, but it’s the quick elimination of the weaker teams that ratchets up the competitive drama.

    Many poets struggle with revising their poems, especially when they have to cut lines or stanzas. Although we know a poem could benefit from pruning, our attachments to our work interfere with our ability to lose the words that weigh a poem down.

    In this online workshop, you’ll spend two weeks trimming the excess from your poems. You’ll eliminate bulky lines and unnecessary words. You’ll learn to let go of attachments to the phrases and stanzas that don’t really belong. And you’ll get practical advice for decluttering your space (whether it be hard drive or desk), as well as how and when to let go of the poems that just aren’t taking off.

    In April, when it’s National Poetry Month, many of you will try to write a poem every day. Let’s spend the weeks leading up to that shaping, polishing, and revising our old material.

    What you’ll get:

    1. Prompts to help you revise and condense your poems.
    2. Advice on how to declutter your hard drive and writing space, organize your work, and let go of drafts that aren’t working.
    3. Intensive one-on-one critique of two poems throughout the beginning, middle, and end of the workshop, guiding you through multiple stages of deep revision. Critiques available via email, phone, or Skype/Google Hangout.

    Cost: $20 (Note: Nobody will be turned away for inability to pay. Please contact me at literaryaustin@gmail.com if you need to make alternate arrangements.)

    To register:

    1. Fill out the online form: http://goo.gl/forms/LVtGBnW1PA
    2. Submit payment via Paypal to literaryaustin@gmail.com (If unable to use Paypal, please contact me to set something else up.)

  • Still time to sign up for Achieve Your Dreams 2013!

    The first meeting of Achieve Your Dreams, my yearlong workshop series, launches in just 18 days! I’m so excited to help writers of all stripes work on setting goals, managing expectations, and accomplishing their dreams.

    Whether you’re trying to get your first piece published, revise that novel, or are working on taking the first step to get thoughts down on the page, this is the workshop for you. And best of all, you don’t have to be in Austin to get the benefit. Monthly workshop meetings are held via Google+ hangout, and weekly check-ins are done via email or video chat (student’s preference). As long as you have a computer, an internet connection, and webcam, you can take this class.

    I still have some spots available, so if you’re interested, check out the Workshops and Coaching page for full details and pricing.

  • Coming in 2013: Achieve your dreams with my new workshop!

    I’m thrilled to announce that I’m launching a workshop series for 2013. Starting in December (to kick the new year off right), I’ll be guiding students through goal-setting, weathering setbacks, and accomplishing their creative plans.

    Achieve Your Dreams 2013

    What are your creative dreams for 2013? Do you want to write a book? Get a piece published? Or are you just looking to complete that first draft, taking the first step into a fulfilling artistic life?
    You have the desire, and you have the drive, but setting goals and sticking to them can be a challenge. With this yearlong course, you’ll get at the heart of your goals, figure out a plan, and work through obstacles in a supportive online setting.

    In this course, you will learn to:

    • Articulate not just your goals, but what they signify for your overall creative life
    • Set realistic plans for the year, month, and week
    • Manage setbacks without guilt
    • Recognize that goals change over time, and adjust accordingl
    What you get:
    • One two-hour monthly seminar via Google+ Hangout (see below)
    • Weekly check-ins with me via email or video chat (your preference)
    • Exercises to do at home to help you get inspire and stay focused

    Check out my Workshops and Coaching page for more details, including pricing and sign-up information.