Writing Workshops

What We Really Mean to Say: Utilizing Poetic Techniques in Prose with Joe Wilkins

$175

1 Session

Out of stock

Saturday, 3:00 pm EDT - 7:30 pm EDT February 1, 2025

Online via Zoom

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In his seminal creative writing craft text The Triggering Town, poet Richard Hugo claims, “all truth must conform to music,” for in music, we find a fuller, stronger truth; in attending to language, we not only find more effective, vivid forms of expression but also find newer, truer things to say.

In this workshop, we will discuss four techniques for attending to language and crafting evocative prose. Participants are asked to bring an essay or story in progress (though prompts will also be available at the session), as we will apply these techniques in revision and share revised work at the end of the lesson.

Course Outline:

Introductions
Language
Selections from Novels/Memoirs
Some Notes Toward Evocative Language
- The Primary Techniques:
  - Diction
  - Syntax
  - Repetition
  - Word Music
Assignment/Work Time
Sharing
Questions

This course is held online via Zoom.

Led by

Joe Wilkins

Joe Wilkins

Joe Wilkins is the author of a novel, Fall Back Down When I Die, a finalist for the First Novel Prize from The Center for Fiction; a memoir, The Mountain and the Fathers; and four collections of poetry, including Thieve and When We Were Birds, winner of the Oregon Book Award. His latest novel is The Entire Sky.

About this series

Writing Workshops

We strive to make our classes the most inviting and rewarding available, offering an intimate environment to study with award-winning, world-class writers. Each class is specially designed by the instructor, so whether you’re a fledgling writer or an MFA graduate polishing your novel, you’ll find a perfect fit here.

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