Fiction from Life

In this generative fiction workshop, we will explore the meeting place of observation and imagination to create stories informed by our unique lived experiences and the thoughtful examination of our external and internal worlds. We will study the detailed worlds of authors such as James Baldwin, Marguerite Duras, Bruna Dontas Lobato, Teju Cole and Sheila Heti to learn how they successfully transformed real aspects of their lives into compelling fiction, with an emphasis on foundational craft elements such as voice, setting, character, and plot. Each session will include writing prompts and an opportunity to share work and receive feedback.

Open to prose writers of all levels. This is a 3-week workshop, with a 2-hour session each week. Please prepare for approximately 2 hours of work between sessions.

This 3-week workshop meets on Wednesdays from 6-8pm at LitArts RI on the following dates:

Wed, April 1

Wed, April 8

Wed, April 15

About Your Teaching Artist

SASHA WISEMAN (she/her) was born in 1986 in Providence, Rhode Island. Her fiction, poetry, and literary criticism have appeared in publications such as Story, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Southampton Review, which nominated her for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. She holds a BA in Literature from Bennington College and an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis, where she was the Senior Fellow in Nonfiction.

Community Access Lottery

LitArts RI offers a lottery for free admission to those who are from a community that has faced institutional barriers in the writing and publishing worlds or who lack access to resources and could not otherwise afford to attend. The lottery closes 2 weeks before each workshop, at which time entrants will be notified if they are a recipient of one of the free seats.

To enter the lottery, press the red "Get tickets" button at the top right of your screen, then scroll down to add a "Community Access Lottery Ticket" to your cart and check out.

Safe and Brave Space Policy

Writing workshops can be vulnerable spaces. As a literary arts organization, LitArts RI is committed to providing a safe, brave, inclusive and accessible space to all participants, regardless of race, ethnicity, class, citizenship status, age, size, abilities, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Be sensitive, be supportive, be respectful and engage with care. Discriminatory, hateful, and threatening content will not be tolerated; we ask that you bring any concerns to our attention immediately.

Accessibility

LitArts RI is wheelchair accessible. The organization is actively committed to cultivating a community that values and reflects diversity, equity and inclusivity and to providing programming that is accessible to all attendees. Please let us know about any accommodations we can make to allow you to participate fully in this event.

Health Safety Guidelines

If you have tested positive for Covid-19 within a few days of attending an event at LitArts RI, please contact Staff so we can let others know of possible exposure. We ask that you wait 14 days or until testing negative to return to the Center.

This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.