Summer 2013 Writing Workshop

Abigail Thomas, Dorothy Allison, & Bar Scott

June 8  – 14, 2013

at Bar’s home in Westcliffe, Colorado

Our week together will include morning workshops with either Abigail, Dorothy, or Bar. Attendees will work closely with their teacher on writing they have submitted in advance of the workshop, as well as exercises done during the week. Afternoons will include break-out lectures for the whole group, time for writing and reflection, student and faculty readings, and one-on-one sessions for each student with their teacher. Students will enjoy close community with Abby and Bar throughout the week, as well as a small group of other writers who are lucky enough to join us. We hope you are one of them.

  • Six-day intensive writing workshops
  • Small class size – 10 students maximum in each of three classes
  • One-on-one scheduled time for each student with their teacher during the week
  • Opportunities for students to read their work to the group and in public
  • Thursday night reading and performance by Abigail, Dorothy, and Bar
  • Hosted by Coyote Moon Lodge – a scenic, quiet location in the heart of Westcliffe, Colorado, 80 miles southwest of Colorado Springs with lots of great walking and spectacular views of the Wet and Sangre de Cristo Mountains
  • Excellent, privately catered meals enjoyed in a communal setting

If you would like more information about this unique and intimate workshop, please contact us at info@twincompass.com.

Our Writers:

Abigail Thomas at the Wet Mountain Valley Writer's WorkshopAbigail Thomas

In this workshop, we will talk in detail about each other’s work, offering suggestions and encouragement on pages submitted to the class before the workshop begins. We will talk about the meaning of memoir, what goes in and why; what stays out and why.

We will also do odd little assignments every day, the first of which (mandatory) is to take any ten years of your life, reduce them to two pages, and every sentence must be three words long. We are going to have a very good time.

“Abby was everything I had hoped for – a phenomenal teacher who is also a phenomenal person.”
- Annie Scholl, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Working with Abby was a critical step in my journey as a writer. Her belief in my story being one that needs to be told was important, but even more essential was her belief in me and my voice–that I have what it takes to bring my story to life. As a woman who only started writing midlife, her own example in this regard is inspiring, but it’s this confidence and belief in me that keeps me going during what is the long and difficult process of writing and shaping a book-length memoir. – Leah Hanes, NYC

Dorothy Allison

Following the Narrative Thread—a generative workshop designed to begin new work or restart writing that has gone cold. We will begin with a brief selection of a manuscript on which you wish to start or start anew. You will be asked to work from questions or suggestions provided by the instructor—and exchange drafts with other workshop members. The workshop will then focus on work on the page, with detailed attention to critiquing drafts and bringing characters and language to a new level of engagement.
                
Reference for the workshop will be Ursula LeGuin’s Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew—an invaluable resource for literary terms and explications of voice, point of view and place.
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Dorothy Allison is one of the most powerful teachers I have ever learned from.
Bar Scott – unbiased writer in Westcliffe, CO

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Bar Scott

This workshop is offered to beginning and/or seasoned writers. My focus is always on the voice and style of the student I’m working with. I like to help writers discover what it is they want to say, and how. This workshop will give  students an opportunity to bring new writing or a work in progress to the group for feedback, ideas, and encouragement. We’ll ask each writer questions about what they’re writing and why, what they want to achieve, and who they are writing for. We’ll also talk about the rhythm, the content and how the form can support the writer’s purpose. Writing exercises will be offered daily to be done in the afternoons and shared the following morning with the group. These are generally fun and meant to inspire and challenge the student to try new things.

“Bar’s workshop was a fantastic experience for me…it gave me some fundamental skills to connect with my thoughts, and learn to shape them into words!”
- Todd Young, Rhinebeck, NY

“Dear Bar, you’re everything a writing coach should be — patient, gentle, honest, and understanding. Your encouragement and suggestions were just what I needed to dig deep inside my soul and become a better writer. Thank you for keeping me motivated and for awakening the muse in me!”
- Jacqueline Whitmore, author of Poised for Success
(St. Martin’s Press, Nov. 2011)

“Bar Scott is an enthusiastic, inventive, and capable teacher.  She makes learning fun and chases away our fears and inhibitions with processes that tap us into new rhythms,  deeper listening and freer expression.  Bar is a gem.  Multi-faceted and talented, she also possesses a down-to-earth friendliness that makes learning from her a pleasure.”
- Esther Frances, Santa Cruz, CA

Summer 2012 Workshop

Dorothy Allison with her group, Summer 2011