Francesca Lia Block’s monthly workshops generate powerful inspiration and creativity in a safe, supportive environment.
MASTER CLASS
- Writing The Novel
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WEEKEND WORKSHOP
LOVE, WRITE, PLAY WORKSHOP
August 21st, 2010
Culver City, CA
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ONLINE CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP
UCLA WRITERS EXTENSION PROGRAM
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"I had admired Francesca as an author for many years before I had the opportunity to attend one of her workshops. When I worked with her during the first workshop I was happy to find that she is not only an inspiring writer but a great teacher. She encourages her students to let down their guard and really put themselves in the exercises, often partaking in the exercises herself and sharing them. Her workshops not only helped me realize myself more as a writer, but also built lasting friendships that have lead me to continue sharing my work with her students outside of these workshops. Every workshop has a theme and I find that the atmosphere is extremely healing and positive. I really recommend attending one of her workshops if you ever get a chance, especially in terms of self discovery as a writer." ~Mika Jones -- Seattle
Francesca's workshops gave me the courage and direction to take that novel-in-the-drawer out and fix it. Her classes are both nurturing and constructive (a hard combination). I recommend this class to anyone who has an inner writer itching to come out. ~Liz Dubelman [What Was I Thinking? St,. Martin's Press Feb 3, 2009]
How often do ordinary people get to study with their literary heroes? Accomplished author Francesca Lia Block has opened her home up to us, and in that safety, casts a powerful circle of inspiration and mentorship. Unlike the eviscerating experiences of many an MFA or critique class where it seems that students are encouraged to find flaws with each others' work, Francesca's workshop is a series of prompts and exercises designed to awaken the dormant muse. If you're the person who says "I used to want to be a writer, but 'real' life took over, my muse has run away"- this is the class that will coax her back to you. It is not without its rigor and struggles, and nearly at every class someone ends up crying at the liberation of a story or memory, but it is a safe space and it is well worth a Saturday.
I never dreamed I would be in such an intimate setting with the first writer who I knew to speak my language when I first stumbled upon her (over fifteen years ago!), and learning with her, knowing her, has brought such a certainty to my identity as a writer. Thank you, Francesca. ~Rocio Carlos
I was a lucky girl that day in December when I went looking for her. On her website, was a question, it asked if anyone would be interested in writing workshops and I was like, well duh! One month later we started our journey. In a yellow home ringed with roses and plums, ladies gather each month to worship words, share, comfort and grow. I came to Francesca as a non-fiction writer, bogged down in finishing up my first book. I felt I could only be a non-fiction writer because I didn't believe in my imagination. But through these nine month, with the support of a group of goddesses and FLB, I have finish my first book, a memoir, have bogged over eight poems and am now writing a YA magical realism series that has captivated my mind and awaken my imagination. Thank you Francesca, you are truly my queen. ~Jennifer Sky Band (A Model Life: memoir of a real girl)
The day of the workshop I thought I would have to pull together an immense amount of courage, courage to allow others to hear me speak my words, to let others see all of the crazy sometimes magical worlds that go on inside me.
But as soon as I walked through the door of Francesca's little fairy cottage, I knew I was safe. It was like being in the place where all of my inspiration began, after all- Francesca was the one who moved something in me to be a writer, she was the reason I had written at all.
And so surrounded by several other beautiful intrepid women we wrote, comfortably sprawled on her hardwood floor amongst pillows and tea lights, with the sun peeking in the windows, we dove into ourselves. I just remember feeling so inspired and thinking you can't get any closer to magic. And then realizing maybe this is magic, maybe magic is real and all we have to do is to look for it, because it is right there, in our writing and the art that we create. ~K.C. -- Toronto
I wanted to write a long testimonial about how I got into Francesca's books and why I teach her texts in my classes and how the workshop changed my life and how it will never again be the same. But I couldn't really explain it without writing pages upon pages. So I'll try to condense it.
I'm a poet, not a fiction writer. But I've always wanted to be both. So as a birthday gift to myself, I flew five hours cross-country to fulfill not only a personal dream -- meeting my favorite author -- but a professional dream -- workshopping with expert and up-and-coming wordsmiths. My friend, Ashley, who shares the same dreams and passions, also hopped on the plane for her graduation gift. We made a week of it in Santa Monica, near the pier, and talked endlessly about the upcoming workshop.
Then the day was upon us. We made blueberry-granola-soy yogurt cups and faerie sandwiches with love. We used the hotel's china. We took photos. We drove down Venice and got lost -- very lost.
But we made it, late as we were, and were welcomed with smiles. I'll never forget first meeting Francesca's eyes (ask me their color and I'd have to paint a picture), being embraced, and feeling overwhelming warmth. The room was full of kind, intelligent women willing to help each other and themselves.
At other workshops, students may be met with strange looks or negative criticism. Instead, at this gathering of writers, teacher and students lavish encouragement and support, never hold back tears or laughter, and somehow seem always to understand--no matter how personal, painful, or bizarre. And tissues are never too far away.
When you're plopped down on the floor, on various pillows and throws, surrounded by women healing themselves with words, you know you're at a place of love and strength and magic. You know the words will flow and will continue to flow. You become empowered.
When your body shakes and your breath catches and somehow you can't find the voice you know you have, you look beside you and see women with compassion in their eyes and small smiles on their faces--and suddenly you can pull through and share that deepest memory, that darkest moment. And even if you can't, even if there are too many tears to speak, you know it is all right. You know you've accomplished something.
As an adjunct instructor at a university, I make very little money. But I handed over that money for a ticket from Orlando to Los Angeles with a smile on my face, knowing that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and money, while it's hard to come by, will make its way back into my pocket because I'm lucky to have a job and a support network. If you're blessed with both, then I recommend celebrating yourself and nurturing your writing and soul with a workshop you wont forget.
I returned from California changed. Something in me moved toward healing and strength. And the words come to me now. Oh, how the words come." ~Mandy Mahaffey
Francesca Lia Block's workshops are pure magic. There really is no other way to describe them. It is a meeting of female minds, a celebration of being a girl, an experience of healing and sharing through words. Francesca is a strong, yet kind teacher, and under her tutelage, any writer will blossom! ~Margo Valentine
In order to tell you about Francesca's workshop I need to tell you how I ended up there.
There's this girl, and her name is Mandy Mahaffey. I was a sophomore in college and she was in my intro to creative writing class. She wrote this poem called "Want Language," and everyone in our class thought it was about an orgasm. At the time, I was not the type of person to raise their hand in class and say, "This is what I think!" but I needed to tell everyone the meaning I found in Mandy's words. So I said that the poem was about accepting intense feelings that you cannot translate into language. After class I passed Mandy in the hallway and she thanked me for what I said. I thanked her for writing what I was trying to express for years.
But at that time I was mildly-agoraphobic and afraid of forming any sort of relationship with anyone, even myself. I would state the cliché "we were drifting apart" here, but we did not drift. She drifted, I retreated. I retreated for years, met another girl on a bus who helped me start my life again, but that's a different story.
Almost three years later, I contacted Mandy online. The next thing I know, we are at Starbucks and she is inviting me to L.A. with her to take a workshop with Francesca. (I forgot to mention that Mandy gave me Girl Goddess #9 to read when we first met. That book made me feel, for the first time, that I was not living my life fully. I really wanted to be like the characters in that book, but I wasn't ready yet. In that almost-three year time span, I continued reading Francesca's books.)
The next thing I know I am on a plane flying across the U.S. with the girl who knew what it was like to "want language." We took photos of canyons and huge land-circles from airplane windows, sitting in our mechanical bird.
And the next thing I know I am walking beside the plants in Francesca's front yard and stepping through her front door. Mandy and I got lost on our way there, so I was nervous because of that, and double nervous because I was about to take a workshop with one of my favorite authors. But when Francesca hugged me hello, all I could feel was warmth. I sat on the floor and she gave me a pillow. I placed my altar item, a horse shoe, among the others. There were about seven other people in the room, all sitting in a circle. They made room for me and Mandy, and said they were talking about the equinox, moving into darkness.
For our first exercise, Francesca gave us an open prompt: personify Summer and Autumn. I'm not sure why or how, but there was something about the atmosphere, sitting on the floor with such a small group, that made me want to write about what I've never written about, not even in a private journal to myself.
When I read my story aloud, I shook a lot and had to stop for a minute, but Francesca encouraged me to continue. So I did, and when I finished, she made me feel like my words mattered, like speaking them meant something. I wasn't as ashamed as I thought I would be.
Writing with her made me erase a lot of judgment about myself that has been holding me back.
I also learned how to draw from my own life and create fiction from it. After I got back from California, I couldn't stop writing. I still can't. I don't want it to ever stop.
I just wanted to say thank you for that.
Francesca, I used to be afraid of opening my front door, and going to California and going to your workshop changed my life. You have helped me so much. ~Love, Ashley (Luna)
i have no words that could mark an appropriate explanation of how my life and work has changed since i met you, F. i know you know, i grew up on your books, and as a kid, it is your books that saved my life. the words written on the pages explained how i felt and what i was going through as a teen ager, and i hadn't found a place in real life where i could be myself, and no one judged me, so i sought refuge in dangerous angels, and i was a teenage fairy, and violet and claire, and i read these books over and over because they made me feel like i wasnt alone. so much of that time, and what i read in your books, is what made me want to be a writer. not because i thought i would be good at it, but i knew books had the power to become people's friends. ever since reading all of your books, i wanted to be a writer so i could contribute to the lineage of real, good stories, that might help someone like me from giving up at life by the age of fifteen. i wanted to tell stories because i learned from your books that it was okay to say the things no one else was saying. i could tell stories, and i hoped they would be the honest kind. the painful kind. the wonderful kind. i found strength in your stories and i know i have said this a thousand times, but much of what i read in your books is the stuff that kept me alive when i wasn't sure i could live another day in los angeles, and in general. i spent much of my teenage years feeling so alone. that strength i found in your work, which inspired me to begin the journey of making my own, is a powerful gift, beyond being a good writer, or a successful published author. it is what i call, for lack of a more eloquent explanation, the fucking buzz. where words on a page can seep into my mind and save my life, literally. to be able to come into your world, the real part of it, with a picket fence and tea and a pink velour sofa in your living room. you are a dream, come true to me francesca. i strongly believe in never meeting your idols for they will always disappoint you, this has always been the case in my life until i came to your house and took a writing workshop with you. you are the biggest idol in my world, and you have become more and more surprising and loving and my work has begun to show these things i have learned from you in person. mostly courage and strength and fearlessness and the art of having a cute pair of shoes or a broken heart. you......you.....crying in a car with you, telling you how scared i am to keep writing and telling stories. i dont cry in front of anyone, and i find myself trusting you, and listening to you and being willing to grow and learn from you. there is something magical going on, not just in the fictionalized worlds of Francesca Lia Block's books, but in real life too. in her own quiet and sweet way, francesca has shown me that i might be able to tell stories and create for myself and those around me a beautiful and strong world full of the stuff that dreams are made of.... ~xxo Jeni
