Writing Workshops

Who Is You: Writing Second-Person Stories with Nat Mesnard

$150

2 Sessions

Out of stock

Saturday & Sunday 12:00 pm EDT - 3:00 pm EDT April 1 to April 2, 2023

Online via Zoom

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Registration for this workshop has closed.

Second-person stories are unique in addressing the reader directly, narrating what “you” see and do. “You stand at the mouth of the cave, preparing to take your next step.” This unusual storytelling perspective transforms the way we read fiction, supporting essays, short stories, novels, and even games that acknowledge and interact with the reader. In this generative workshop, we will investigate writing the “you” through prompts that cross genres, taking inspiration from literary fiction and memoir, choose your own adventure stories, and games. You’ll leave with a sense of how to write second person stories with delight and nuance, and a new understanding of genres that put the second person first.

Course Outline

This short, intensive online course will cover two three-hour sessions. Each session will involve the following activities to keep your creative mind active while building a collaborative conversation:

Timed Writing Prompts: Write for a set length of time in community with your classmates.
Breakout Rooms: Meet your fellow participants, share your process, and optionally read from work you’ve written during the class.
Class-Wide Discussions: Type out your thoughts in the Zoom chat on short example readings or big questions. We’ll compare and contrast ideas, and nominate a few people to talk.

Capacity: 20

Led by

Nat Mesnard

Nat Mesnard

Nat Mesnard teaches creative writing, interactive fiction and game making at Pratt Institute and School of Visual Arts, and helped found the indie publishing collective Scryptid Games. Nat has published poetry, fiction, and nonfiction in Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Catapult, Cartridge Lit, Autostraddle, Bodega, Blackbird, Kenyon Review Online, The Gettysburg Review, Ninth Letter, and elsewhere. Two perfect-bound print tabletop roleplaying games “Business Wizards” and “Horseshoe Academy” are out now with 9th Level Games.

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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