Discovering writing

Many of you know that I have been teaching creative writing since around 1990.  I cannot believe it has been almost 25 years. But I have been teaching it on and off.  Last year it was off because I moved homes. I think my energy was low. I don’t know. But this year I decided to teach it as often as possible. My energy is back.

I used to call the course the Joy of Writing, some kind of pun on what was once a groundbreaking book call  Joy of Sex, which was then followed by others like Joy of Cooking.   But starting this year I will call it Discovering Writing. You will discover writing and a few techniques over eight sessions held once a week. The first session, the most important one, I simply call Introduction. This is when I take you through the course, the innovative writing process I teach. I go through the background, the rules we follow, which is mainly no gossiping. I tell you the structure of each class.

Then I show you examples of work, proceed to how to do it. After that I ask you to try it.  After you finish read your work out loud. This is an important portion of learning how to write. You must be able to hear your work read out loud always.  

The first session is the most important of all the sessions so if you must be absent, please do not miss this session.

Session 2.  The Shift.  This session takes you further into the method and makes you more familiar with it.  Then we begin to learn techniques.

Session 3.  Recurrences.  This session teaches you the value of breaking the rules you were taught by your English teacher in school.

Session 4.  Images.  That explains itself, doesn’t it?

Session 5.  Metaphors

Session 6.  Creative Tension

Session 7.  Editing

Session 8.  Your Graduation Piece, what, how, we will discuss on the fifth session to give you enough time to do it because this piece is important to your creativity.  Of course I do not reveal the entire course here though I think I have said enough.  

Discovering Writing is an interesting course and my students always ask if they can come back for more classes.  There are only two things I promise.  One, you will find your own voice.  Two, you will enjoy yourself.

At the end of every class I ask for an evaluation.  Here is what one of my students wrote: On the first day I said I took the class to develop my own voice. The classes did not focus on grammar or rigid rules — you find those in textbooks. It focused on writing’s more spiritual aspects. It taught me how to know and understand myself more. It taught me to dive into the past I thought was already irrelevant. It taught me how to conquer writer’s block and how to make good use of my emotions.  It taught me to write before I work so I can de-clutter and see all that’s going on. I joined the class to develop my own voice and I’m going home with much more than that.

This course makes you look deep into yourself and appreciate what you see and link it to many other things to make yourself whole.  You can spend some of your savings on it and it will really help you discover yourself through your writing.  You will save money on therapists later. 

I charge P10,000.00 for these eight sessions and I would like you to pay me half on the first day to ensure your attendance.  Just put your tuition in an envelope, write your name in front of the envelope and hand it to me before the class begins.  Then the other half on the fourth session.  I don’t accept students who are below 21 but you can be 120 years old and still enroll.  Classes will be held at P. Guevara Street, Bgy. Sta. Lucia, San Juan, Metro Manila.

Right now, tentatively I have the following schedules for 2015:

 Fridays, 9 a.m. — 12 noon: 23 and 30 January; 6, 13, 20, 27 February;  6, 13 March

Fridays, 3 — 6 p.m.: 23 and 30 January;  6, 13, 20, 27 February;  6, 13 March

Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 12 noon: 24 and 31 January;  7, 14*, 21, 28 February;   7, 14 March

Saturdays, 2-5 pm: 24 & 31 January;  7, 14*, 21, 28 February;  7, 14 March 20

Sundays, 2-5 p.m.  

25 January;  1, 8, 15, 22 February;  1, 8, 15 March 2015

 If you are interested, please send me email at barbarac.gonzalez@gmail.com or text at 0917-8155570.  Or enlist in the comment section of my blog twee.life.  If you have problems with the tuition, we can discuss.  I’m considering socialized pricing.  I try to think of everything.  I hope to see you in a class of Discovering Writing.

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Please text your comments to 0917-8155570.