Whether it's funny ha ha or funny peculiar, life is full of memorable moments worth capturing on the page. Join acclaimed writing instructor Joni B. Cole (author of the essay collection Party Like It’s 2044: Finding the Funny in Life and Death) us for this interactive workshop that invites you to write from a prompt to tap into your own stories, humor, or meaningful material. You'll also be invited to read aloud for appreciation and insights that offer a mini master class in writing from life. Serious writers and newbies welcome! Bring something to write on/with and leave all self doubts at the door.

In this workshop, discover what expressive or wellness writing is and the evidence-based studies on writing’s health benefits, including self-care, emotional and physical wellness, self-awareness and resilience. You don’t have to be a writer to join us. During our time together we will cover, How to set up a personal writing practice that’s sustainable for your busy life, work and family commitments;  Tips for those days when writing is the very last thing you want to do; Instructor-led group writing exercises and invitations for optional sharing; When not to use expressive writing; A take-home list of resources to keep you motivated through Please bring a pen, a notebook (or laptop), and a sense of excitement to meet other writers and to discover your unique writing voice. All sharing is optional.

How do we write about the wonders of nature and avoid being cliché or sentimental? This workshop is intended to examine bewilderment and astonishment in a few selected poems and to inspire the creative practice of writers.

First, we will read poems on wonder and astonishment and compile our own list of astonishments. Next, we’ll do short prompts based on several poems read. The main objective will be to dwell in the present moment, find bliss and sparks of bewilderment based on the reading and writing, and compose one poem or prose passage individually (as a response to several prompts participants will choose from). Please bring something to write on or with, and your curiosity.

Piecing together a memoir is a messy process.  Writing memoir demands that writers descend into memory and to engage readers with accurate and meaningful details. Writers and their subjects remember stories, but are they accurate? Memory is flexible, unreliable, and vulnerable to hyperbole. How can any memoirist honestly engage in the process of telling true stories? This workshop explores how research strengthens narrative writing. Using my own adoption story as a case study, I’ll show how I turned a family myth into a fact-based essay. We’ll cover:

• How diligent research enhances storytelling

• Research strategies for memoirs in progress

• Tools for fact-checking, sourcing, and scene recreation

• The key questions that guided my story from myth to fact

Participants are encouraged to bring memories, essays, or memoir drafts.

Together, we’ll distinguish fact from memory and myth, and learn tools for grounding stories in truth.

"Show, don't tell." We've all heard this advice countless times, but what does it really mean? And how do you implement it in your writing? In this session, I’ll break down this often-misunderstood concept into practical, actionable techniques that will transform your prose from merely informative to genuinely captivating. We’ll look at three important tenets: 1) Setting the Stage – Establishing the story’s givens. 2) Slowing It Down – Taking the time to dramatize your scenes. 3) Dialogue with Bodies– Interspersing speech and action. You won’t want to miss this!

Master memoirist Mary Karr says that the best kind of detail brings "..an intimate 'truth' that helps the reader enter the scene -- small and particular." How do we identify the best details when we're creating scenes? Which ones have more power, and why? We'll start by looking together at a few examples of strong scenes, from both fiction and non-fiction. Come with an idea about a scene that you want to work on (or bring one you already have started) and, in the second part of the class, we'll offer feedback so that you can leave with specific suggestions on your own work.

Many writers are curious about what it’s like to be published by a small press. And many have preconceived notions about what small presses can (and can’t) do and how they work. In this session, Henriette Lazaridis and Emily Ross will give you an inside look at the editor/author relationship within a small press. Henriette will address how traditional publishing works–and doesn’t work–and how Galiot brings equity, accessibility, transparency, and sustainability to its publishing model. Emily will discuss what drew her to considering a small press in general, and Galiot in particular. Together, they will share their own experiences of the Big Five, indies, and now Galiot to give attendees a better sense of one of the many possible paths to publication.

Do you have a story burning inside that you’d like to write but aren’t sure where to begin? Have you started to write a memoir or novel but feel stuck in an endless loop? Making meaning of your story is easier when you calm your monkey mind. Just as there are countless ways to write a book, there are unlimited paths to a more peaceful and productive writing life. In this workshop, Candace will explore the meaningful intersection between mindfulness and writing and how meditation can deepen your story.

Whether you’re a fiction or nonfiction writer, this workshop will boost your creativity and reinvigorate your mindset. Building a mindfulness practice doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful. Candace provides tips, best practices, and inspiration. She’ll lead a guided meditation for deep, focused writing and customize an action plan to finish your book. You’ll come away with renewed confidence, ready to harness your creative energy and enhance your writing life. Bring a notebook or laptop and an open mind.