Creative Nonfiction Writing Class
An introduction to environmental writing from a personal perspective
“The course made writing feel incredibly accessible, rather than some sort of gift that you either have or you don’t. The amount of theory was perfect to guide the process, without it feeling too technical or advanced for beginners.”
“Being on this course, being infused by the enormous positive and gentle, yet powerful energy of Clare, Liza and all the other group members, and the beautiful material we’ve gone through, as well as the writing exercises on the environmental writing genre new to me, has really breathed life back into my spirit, and reminded me once more that writing is a powerful gift to help enact change in the world.”
Will Turner, Unsplash
January - February 2025 class bookings now open!
Now in its second year, and designed for everyone who loves the world and has ever had an inkling to write, we will meet over Zoom for a two-hour session once a week to learn the craft of creative nonfiction (personal narrative).
The focus of the course is environmental writing and our place in the natural world. Over the course of our five weeks together, we will each develop our own portfolio of writing: reflections, stories, scenes, descriptions and an essay drawn from our own experiences (whether that means you write about the sky above your city block, your connection to a particular landscape, or a butterfly bush in your street🦋).
We developed the course as a way to provide agency and hope as we engage with the environmental crisis of our lifetime: the changing climate. Now more than ever - the world needs your voice! We welcome all adult writers: from absolute beginners to those with a regular practice.
What is creative nonfiction?
Creative nonfiction is a broad term. Types of memoir, personal narrative, and feature writing could fall under the umbrella of this genre. At its core, creative nonfiction is about telling real stories in a creative way - or, using the tools of fiction to write about something that really happened.
What will I write about?
Course participants write about themselves and their environment - but how that takes shape is entirely up to you! We ask participants to create new writing material for the course, rather than work on an existing piece. Previous course participants have written about childhood memories, the impact of climate change in the places they live, significant landscapes in their life, and transitional moments in the natural world.
Why should I join?
As a participant of this program you will:
gain an introduction to the creative nonfiction genre.
receive individual and personalised feedback on your writing each week from Clare or Liza.
read environmental writing excerpts each week from a range of internationally renowned authors, especially selected for the program.
experiment with specific writing techniques.
craft your own creative nonfiction essay.
benefit from our small, seminar style approach.
work with a group of like-minded individuals from around the world, forming new contacts and connections.
find your voice and join a growing collective of ordinary writers (although we know you’re also extraordinary!) fighting for our earth’s (and our) future. ♡
Dates
24th/25th January - 21st/22nd February 2025 (depending on your time zone)
6pm - 8pm Friday evenings EST
7am - 9am Saturday Mornings SGT
9am - 11am Saturday mornings AEST
Fees
Full Course Cost (including five classes, readings and personalised feedback)
AUD 570 + booking fee (USD 389 + booking fee at exchange rate October 2024)
Senior/Student/Concession card holders: AUD 510 + booking fee (USD 348 + booking fee at exchange rate October 2024)
All participants enrolled by November 30 will receive our early bird rate of AUD 510 + booking fee (USD 348 + booking fee at exchange rate October 2024)
Scholarships
Full and partial scholarships are available for this course. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, please contact us!
Donations
Scholarships are funded by donations from our community. 100% of your donation goes toward funding scholarships for students who would otherwise not be able to participate in this program. You can donate via our bookings page here by clicking the ‘donate’ button. You will receive a receipt of your donation via email. We are so appreciative of all our donors who support this program - we couldn’t do it without you. (Note that donations are not tax deductible and will appear in Australian dollars).
Questions?
Please contact us !
Please sign up here and we will be in touch!
“The tools felt really specific and tangible, and I found myself using them each week, and experimenting with them. As someone who has not used any specific writing tools / format and really just done stream of consciousness writing for the last 10 years (+) it felt so helpful to have structures to engage with.”
About Us
Liza Cochran is a writer and educator. Her work has appeared in the The Iowa Review, Gettysburg Review, Colorado Review, and elsewhere. “Mother Moose” was a notable essay in The Best American Essays 2023. She has worked with students and writers across the US and beyond, in nonprofit and school settings, including at Emerson College, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Columbia University, and Grub Street Writing Center. She lives in Vermont, USA.
Clare McFadden is a writer, artist and educator. She has worked in arts education with children, young people, and communities in both Australia and the United States. Her first book, The Flying Orchestra, was awarded the Children's Book Council of Australia’s Crichton Award, was selected as one of the "50 Books You Can't Put Down", was adapted for the stage as the headlining work at the “Out of the Box” Festival and listed as one of the Australian Booksellers’ Association's 50 Favourite Children’s Books. Her new book, Book of Hours, is out now. Clare holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard University.