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"Trey Anthony's boundless energy and bighearted inspiration during her playwriting workshop at the Toronto Women's Bookstore sparked the flame for Sistah Fire, a Toronto-based creative writing group for womyn of colour."
Teenah Eden
I will write Her and she will speak Loudly!
This 4-week course is designed to promote discussion and to inspire participants to write their own stories, monologues and one act plays. Participants will be encouraged to lose their inhibitions and tap into their creativity, their lives, and imaginations to discover and nurture their own creative voice.
This course is ONLY open to womyn of colour who have never written before, and those who have written and wish to explore new ideas. It is especially open to those who are interested in writing truthful, positive and unapologetic self-affirming stories of womyn.
WEEK 1: Finding "HER" and writing "Her" truthfully.
As womyn of colour, why do we need to write our stories? This week we will discuss the importance of writing our truths. What issues do we wish to see on-stage? What images of ourselves do we wish to dismantle and what do we wish to create? What are we willing to share or risk of ourselves in our work? How can we use our memory, our own life experiences to write honest work? How do we write "Her" with love, authenticity and with courage? Participants will be given small writing exercises to tap into their memory in-order to learn how to skillfully emerge fiction with reality into their work.
WEEK 2: Writing "Her" in my head and bringing "Her" to life on Paper.
What should I write about? This week we will learn how to develop characters. Who should be in this play? Who should "She" be, and why is "Her" story important. We will begin writing the first rough draft of either a one-act play or a monologue. Participants will learn play structure and how to authentically make their own characters be real and true to their creative voice.
WEEK 3: But "She" is mine!! I could never share "Her!"
Participants will be divided into small groups to discuss and share their work. Participants will be encouraged to lovingly offer feedback on others work. Participants will choose to use this feedback to improve on their work for their final presentation in week 4. Each participant will discuss their own writing journey…. What did you find difficult, empowering or enlightening? What discoveries did you make about yourself and your writing process, how easy was it to write "Her" and to share "Her"?
WEEK 4: "She" is here, but what do I do with "Her?"
Participants will present their final rough draft to the class. Participants will learn how to keep improving and stay dedicated to their work. We will also explore how to get your work out there and how to handle rejections and criticism of your work. Participants will be given information on resources available for writers and how to produce/market and apply for funding for your work.