Course Description for

Writing Through Loss

with Alyce M. Skelton

Registration Fee and Course Length

Prerequisites

Standard course: $180 / 6 weeks. Click here to register.

WritersCollege - Writing Through Loss

Course Contacts

Course Description

Week 1:
1. Freewriting intro
2. My expectations of you
3. My view on critiquing and class work (email sheet)
4. Confidentiality and use of logs
5. Reading lists: Goldberg-"freewriting", Progoff- "Steppingstones" !!
6. What is freewrite homework?
First chat: 1. Introductions and sharing goals (chat only)

Week 2:
1. Review of Freewriting/Steppingstones (via email)
2. How can writing help you survive grief?
3. What is next? Dialogues with people.
4. Weekly freewrite exercise.... word salad
5. Progoff--Steppingstones..or "I ams"
6. My goals for class are your goals.
7. Response to freewritings daily
8. Weekly freewrite exercises

Week 3:
1. Steppingstones lists... "times in my life"--honoring the process and leading to dialogues.
2. Where does this process take you?
3. Where can you go with this writing? Brainstorm and Goals

Week 4:
1. On sharing the work....
2. Times and people in my life--the valuable resources
3. Review steppingstone lists and resulting freewrites
4. Review goals and evaluations of students work

Week 5:
1. Finding meaning in losses
2. Dealing with loss by turning real life into fiction.
3. Or do you prefer Non-fiction?? Essays or OP ed pieces?
4. Conversations with people and events, leading to interviewing.

Week 6:
1. Creating my healing through creating personal history.
2. Where has the writing taken you?
3. Surviving Grief-How are we doing?
4. Discussion: Where do you go from here?