I’ll be facilitating two new workshops at the Attic starting in July and continuing through August: another rendition of the ever-popular “Time to Write,” and a one-day (three-hour) “No Strings Attached” poetry session for the workshop-curious.

Take a look at the Workshops page for more info, or jump to the Attic’s Classes page to register.

AND: there are still a few seats available for the upcoming YOUTH WRITING CAMP, a four-week (eight-session) workshop for writers ages 11-15. We’ll meet Tuesdays/Thursdays, starting July 12 and continuing through August 4. You can find more info about the Writing Camp on the Workshops page as well.

FINALLY: the “Turning Up the Heat” poetry workshop (eight-weeks) starts tonight at Writers’ Dojo in St. Johns. Thanks to everyone who expressed interest and helped share the word. We’ll have a full table of wonderful poets cracking the whip on their work.

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The following examples come from a creative exercise using oracle cards. Students draw four cards (face down), flip them over, and then write a four-sentence story (one sentence per card). Students work on getting the most out of their words, while the stories often serve as seeds for larger tales. Both pieces are published with permission from the writers, 5th grade students at Woodstock Elementary

Serpent of conflict
by Justin Chen

There once was a serpent who cast a spell on a man named Conflict.
Conflict transformed into a bear.
One night, the Seeker of Water turned Conflict into a wolf.
Now Conflict struggles with each full moon.

Choice
by Chinyere Ike

The choice was made.
The Sacred Flame killed the Circle of Life, instantly overcoming the God of Fire.
This cast the Flame as the new ruler.
He overcame the universe, and everyone lived unhappily forever.