Scottsdale Community College is teaming up with Taliesin West to offer a weekend creative writing workshop March 8-10.
Taliesin West is a national historic landmark in the McDowell Mountain foothills. It served as famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and “desert laboratory” and is the current home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
English faculty and creative writing lead Kim Sabin, along with SCC English faculty members Sarah Yaron and Erica Litz will direct the sessions.
On Friday evening, March 8, from 5 – 7 p.m. participants will be welcomed and introductions made over light snacks, along with instruction on trusting your writer’s voice.
Saturday’s session is scheduled for 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Both weekend days feature targeted craft instruction, along with time to write and opportunities to share your writing with others, as well as learning to give and receive constructive criticism as part of the creative process.
Lunch will be provided both days with a continental breakfast on Sunday.
Sabin told Northeast Valley News that there will be breakout sessions on universal truth, generated themes, structure, using imagery and figurative language and also instruction about characterization elements across all three major genres—poetry, creative non-fiction and fiction.
Sessions will be held both inside Taliesin’s historic classrooms and also around the property’s desert landscapes.
“That is part of our decision to partner with Taliesin West…it is such an amazing piece of property up there and such an amazing location—it’s quiet…it’s that beautiful desert quiet,” Sabin said of Wright’s former winter home.
Sabin emphasized that writers of all skill levels can benefit from the weekend workshops.
“Anybody that’s maybe a little further along in their process that just wants a chance to brush up on some good craft instruction and then also workshop their material and be able to get feedback from each other and us on what it is they’re writing,” Sabin said. “I don’t think anything that we would be presenting would exclude people that were brand new to writing, we’ll kind of adjust once we get to know everybody, but I would say it’s open to any skill level at this point.”
The cost to attend the workshops is $450 for adults, $315 for students age 18-25 and $405 for members.
Anyone over the age of 18 interested in registering for the workshops can do so by following this link.
Sabin also stressed that the workshops are not only a learning experience, but also a chance to connect with other writers.
“Creative writing is such a solo endeavor…you sit alone in a room at your computer and you create these worlds. But you also have to go out and actively seek and find your community. And it is kind of like having a special group or family when you find other people that are doing this strange thing that we’re all doing,” Sabin said. “So I think it’s important to have these opportunities to be able to work with other writers. It would not surprise me at all if friendships and bonds are formed in these two-and-a-half days.”
