Revision from the Inside-Out with Arya Samuelson

Do you have a story gathering dust? Arya Samuelson will guide you through the maze of revision and help you discover your story’s fullest, most potent expression.

Your Instructor: Arya Samuelson, author and editor

Where: Online — Available everywhere!

When: This class is not currently enrolling. To be notified when it is offered again, Click Here

Enrollment: 16

Price: $325

Class Description

“Everything you’ve ever written has at least four more ideas inside it,” says Lidia Yuknavitch.

But how we find them?

This will be the inquiry of our three weeks together: discovering the deeper layers and moments of brilliance inside what you’ve written and using those as guide posts towards your story’s fullest, most potent expression.

In this three-week workshop, participants will bring in a short story or book excerpt (any prose genre) that feels stale, stuck, or simply ready for revision and feedback. Together, we’ll practice transformative revision practices that breathe new life into your work. You can expect to emerge with a multitude of new ideas, renewed excitement about the creative process, and revision practices that will help you become your own best editor.

This class is recommended as a follow-up class to Write Your Way Out of a Rut, but no pre-requisite is required.

REVISION FROM THE INSIDE-OUT is taught by Arya Samuelson, winner of the CutBank’s 2019 Montana Prize in Non-Fiction awarded by Cheryl Strayed. Her work has also been published in Columbia Journal, New Delta Review, Entropy, and The Millions. She is a proud graduate of the MFA in Creative Writing Program from Mills College and has been studying at Lidia Yuknavitch’s school of Corporeal Writing since 2017. Arya teaches online writing classes with many literary organizations – including her own teaching series, Writing as Ritual – and is honored to witness the transformations writing has catalyzed for her students. Find out more at http://www.aryasamuelson.com.

What This Class Covers

WEEK 1 – Three-Rung Ladder

Often the strongest sentences are buried deep in our story. We’ll begin by identifying the sentences that serve as essential “rungs of the ladder” and using those to generate new work and get clearer about the arc of your story.

Assignment: Revision exercise (500-800 words). You’ll receive idea-driven feedback and developmental edits from the instructor.

WEEK 2 – Metaphor as Ally

As writers, metaphors can be our greatest allies, helping us to conjure powerful images and associations. However, it is easy to be sloppy with our metaphors or dilute a story with too many. This week, we’ll explore how to deepen metaphors already embedded in your work and/or create new metaphors that sing.

Assignment: Revision metaphor exercise (500-800 words). You’ll receive idea-driven and developmental edits from the instructor.

WEEK 3 – Heightening Images & Meaning

This week, we will get in touch with the subconscious patterns playing out beneath the surface of your writing and, using our conscious creative mind, sharpen images and patterns to focus and heighten the power of your story.

Assignment: Revision exercise (500 words) identifying patterns and the deeper “story beneath the story.” Your final assignment will be a revision of your original piece (up to 1000 words) that integrates your insights from the last three weeks. You’ll receive intensive feedback from the instructor on this final piece to identify moments of greatest heat and energy, as well as suggestions for next steps.

Goals Of This Class

You can expect to emerge with:

  • Revitalized perspective about the "deeper story within the story" and a stronger sense of direction about where to go next
  • Transformative revision practices that will last you well beyond the class
  • An abundance of insightful, supportive feedback from Arya and a community of your peers
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