Two Toronto workshops in November!

After a little break from leading workshops, I'm offering two in November — the return of the ever-popular Poetry Boot Camp and a new one for beginning writers that touches on several literary genres.

Both these workshops are in Toronto, but as always, if there's a group that wants to bring me somewhere and can make it worth my while, I'm glad to travel.

I led my first workshops back when I was in high school. As part of one of my credits, I returned to my old elementary school, Wilmington, and taught poetry to grades 4 through 6. In my twenties and thirties, I taught a few workshops here and there, but it was the last decade when I really started to make these workshops part of my writing practice.

Here's the guff on next month's sessions:

THE WORD BLITZ: a workshop by Stuart Ross
Sunday, November 15, 10am-5 pm (w/ 45-minute lunch break)
Christie/Dupont area
$75 includes materials, light snacks & a book by Stuart Ross

To register, write Stuart at hunkamooga@sympatico.ca

For beginning writers, or those who simply want a one-day writing holiday or to break through one of those mythical writers' blocks. The Word Blitz is a hands-on exploration of short fiction, poetry, the personal essay and memoir. We'll write, and we'll talk about how to make writing a part of your life, as well as about various forms of publication.

STUART ROSS'S POETRY BOOT CAMP
Sunday, November 22, 10am-5 pm (w/ 45-minute lunch break)
Christie/Dupont area
$75 includes materials, light snacks & a book by Stuart Ross

To register, write Stuart at hunkamooga@sympatico.ca

A relaxed but intensive one-day workshop for beginning poets, experienced poets, stalled poets, and haikuists who want to get beyond three lines. Poetry Boot Camp focuses on the pleasures of poetry and the riches that spontaneity brings, through lively directed writing strategies and relevant readings from the works of poets from Canada and abroad. Arrive with an open mind, and leave with a heap of new poems!

COMMENTS ON MY PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS:

"I really enjoyed myself and felt like I got a lot done. I think you very
much for the stimulation & the relaxed atmosphere."

"Yay! Excited to go back to trying to write poems. I have so many new things to try now. Thanks!"

"I liked being exposed to the familiar in a new, fresh, creative way."

"A big help! I have a much better idea now of how to get the ball rolling."

"I most enjoyed the relaxed pace and the self-directed nature of the work."

"I loved hearing other people's work & liked that there was all positive response."

"The Boot Camp pushed me beyond my comfort zone in precisely the way that I hoped it would."

"Thank you, Stuart, for opening the door."

"I wrote much more than I anticipated — that's a good thing."

"Excellent overall. I got a lot of out of it. Money very well spent! I'd recommend it to others."

"My favourite part was the variety of non-threatening strategies for writing."

"Really informative, really helpful workshop. Great energy!"


Over and out.