Writer and instructor, Jessica Glover, returns to Stillwater Public Library for a seven week series on creative writing, offered by OSU Art & Sciences Outreach. The fee-based class, “Write Now: an Introduction to Creative Writing” will be held on Thursdays at 5:30- 7 p.m. from Sept. 7 – Oct. 19.
“Whether you are just beginning to put pen to paper for the first time or you want to polish a larger writing project, this is the time,” said Glover. “We will work as a group to inspire and challenge each other with the common drive to ‘write NOW.’”
Topics covered in the course include:
- Week 1: Introductions and Course Overview, getting started exercises
- Week 2: Inspiration. Students will need to bring a list of topics and/or one polished paragraph to start their writing.
- Week 3: Discipline. Class discussion on how to train oneself to continuously practice writing by listening to the world and developing a personal writing schedule.
- Week 4: Show, Don’t Tell. In-class writing exercises on imagery. Class discussion on how to include emotion in writing.
- Week 5: Creativity. Class discussion on adding sensory details in order to make writing “come alive.” In-class writing activity focused on the five senses.
- Week 6: Voice. In-class analysis of Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants.” Class discussion on narrative voice and character dialogue. Students will listen to a recorded conversation and recreate the scene.
- Week 7: Class Reading. All students will bring in a short excerpt of personal writing to share by reading aloud to the class.
According to Glover, one of the most useful topics students will learn is to set practical goals for daily writing. But maintaining a writing schedule is not the only difficulty.
“One challenge that many writers face is recognizing that first drafts do not need to be perfect,” said Glover. “We often hesitate at the beginning of the writing process out of fear that what we are about to write will not be a masterpiece. When, in reality, writers must constantly edit and revise in order to polish their work.”
Glover believes working together during the course will help students build the confidence they need to conquer these challenges.
“In the past, one of the most enjoyable aspects of library courses has been to see the respect and camaraderie between classmates as they encourage each other to rework sections or take their writing in new and challenging directions.”
This comradery is essential, especially for beginning writers and for those who have not yet shown their work.
“Everyone in the class is at a different place in their writing process,” said Glover. “But everyone has the goal of creating a piece of writing to share with outside readers. Some writers want to push their work to publication; others desire to just compile their writing for a close circle of family and friends to enjoy. Both will enjoy the class.”
Jessica Glover earned her Ph.D. in creative writing with an emphasis in poetry. She teaches for the Gender and Women’s Studies program at Oklahoma State University. She also taught two other successful writing series at the library.
Her latest work has appeared in Indiana Review, American Literary Review, Aesthetica, Magma Poetry, Reed Magazine and “MuseWrite’s Shifts: An Anthology of Women’s Growth Through Change.” She was the recipient of the 2015 Writers at Work Fellowship, the 2013 Rash Award, and the 2013 Edwin Markham Prize for Poetry.
The non-credit classes are intended for the general public, and those who register prior to Aug. 24 can do so for a discounted rate of $89. Registration after Aug. 24 is $109. One textbook, “Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer With” by Natalie Goldberg, is required, but not included in the registration fee. The class is generally appropriate for those 14 years old and up.
To register, choose the “Community” link at http://asoutreach.okstate.edu or contact Christine Nichols at (405) 744-8459 or christine.nichols@okstate.edu.
Stillwater Public Library is located at 1107 S. Duck St. (the corner of Duck and 12th Ave.). Library hours are Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.