Many new writers are given the advice “to write what you know.” Yet, if you limit your writing to what you know, your stories, poems, or articles can become stilted and, just as importantly, you can become bored before you ever create the masterpiece you dream about. To fully engage your imagination and your audience, you must take risks with your writing. Whether you’re writing about people or creating characters who are different from you or trying forms and structures that break conventions, pushing the boundaries takes a deep understanding of yourself, your experience, and what you’re trying to achieve. In this literary salon, we’ll explore what you need to know before you start bending the rules and then do some writing exercises to give you the opportunity to push your own boundaries.
Date: Thursday, August 17, 2017
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Patrick Henry Pub, 2300 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23223
Price: Free
SPEAKER
Annette Marquis
Annette Marquis serves as Program Director for James River Writers. She has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the Solstice Low-Residency MFA Program and is the author of over twenty-five books about computers and software, one memoir about civil disobedience, and numerous articles and essays on everything from how to talk to your IT person at work to dealing with the aftermath of a church shooting. As an intercultural competency consultant and trainer, Annette specializes in teaching how to write authentically about race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, and all the other identities that make us who we are. Annette lives in Henrico with her poet-librarian wife.