Most of us are intimately familiar with the hard work of writing: the interior debates, the painstaking revisions, the terror of the blank page that faces us day after day. Far more elusive are the “aha!” moments: the chance meetings, typos, and good old-fashioned flashes of insight that lead us into an entirely new piece of writing. These ecstatic moments of realization are all too rare in most writers’ experience, and they often feel like accidents.

But these moments need not be wholly accidental. They can be practiced for—particularly when we give ourselves permission to engage in imaginative play. In this Saturday workshop, we’ll actively hunt for happy accidents, borrowing ideas from conceptual poetry, children’s writing, and improv theater. This workshop will combine improvisational techniques with writing exercises to encourage a sense of play and of possibility in participants. We will emphasize process over “finished” writing: the goal is to introduce participants to practices that can introduce the unexpected into their writing routines. Writers of all genres and experience levels are welcome.

There will be a half-hour lunch break.

Click here for a full Classes & Workshops schedule.