Wild waters, wild words Apply Now
HEATHER VOGEL FREDERICKSeptember 10-16
Along the edges of medieval maps, the Latin phrase hic sunt dracones (“here be dragons”) occasionally appeared, a nod to the mythological creatures thought to lurk in the wild waters of the unexplored deep. Just like dragons, the best ideas and the best stories often lie in uncharted territory, and it’s a writer’s job to set a course in search of them. This hands-on workshop is designed to help spark and fuel creative fire, slay such dragons as fear of the blank page and its evil cousin, fear of failure, and break through self-imposed limitations. Cruising both fiction and non-fiction alike, we’ll stop at numerous ports of call, drawing on the work of published writers and poets for inspiration as we plumb the deep well of memory, sharpen our observational skills, try our hand at inventing characters, and engage with various other elements of the writing craft. Whether you have years of experience under your belt or have never before put pen to paper, come prepared to write, listen, laugh, and share as we navigate the wild waters together.
Please Note: Full-day option consists of morning or afternoon group workshop session, with the remainder of the day devoted to solo writing time (carpe diem and launch that novel/finish that short story/tinker with that memoir/revise that essay!). A brief one-on-one mini-critique with the instructor will also be scheduled daily.
About Heather Vogel Frederick
After a 20-year career as a journalist, Heather Vogel Frederick decided it was high time to fulfill her lifelong dream of writing fiction for young readers. Today, she’s the award-winning author of more than a dozen titles, including the picture books Hide and Squeak and Babyberry Pie, novels ranging from the Spy Mice adventures and the Patience Goodspeed saga to such forthcoming titles as Once Upon a Toad and Wish You Were Eyre, the latest installment in her popular Mother-Daughter Book Club series. Heather’s work spans many genres, has been honored both nationally and internationally, and translated into numerous languages. A former staff reporter and children’s book review editor for The Christian Science Monitor, Heather has also written for the New York Times, Child, Family Life, and Publishers Weekly, where she was a contributing editor for many years. To learn more about her work, visit www.heathervogelfrederick.com.
