4-Week: Writing Through Triptych

This is a course in which wordsmiths of any genre cast and re-cast their work, engaging modes structured in threes (three scenes, stanzas, poems, etc) to experiment and stimulate new approaches to our writing, and better understand our sensibilities and aspirations as writers. The core of this class is generative, with mostly in-class activity including craft-talks, discussion, readings, and in-class exercises.

Though this class is a repeated Lighthouse offering, each class is an intrinsically different experience from the section that ran before. The curriculum is partially structured, but the magic of the class will come from how participants explore and create. Each week's focus will be triggered by a particular aspect of craft, but for much of each week's class, writers will compose in threes however they wish.

First three weeks: each class will begin with a particular craft focus (narrative structure, narrative positioning, or narrative layering), learning from established writers' work, either to re-envision your current work or create new pieces.
Final Week: wordsmiths will share and discuss their previously crafted ideas from working in triptych, even if your piece goes beyond crafting in threes.
Course work: mostly engaged in class, will include exercises and discussions of triptychs, intentional and found, as well as creating new three-part pieces and/or re-casting previous work into a three-part mold. Any homework exercises will purely supplemental.

This class is open to all levels: from beginners, looking for exciting prompts to generate work; to the over-workshopped Book Project writer, in need of a fresh approach; and writers in between, who simply want to change up their regular writing grind, or lack thereof.

We welcome both returners and newbies, because, though this class may be offered more than once a year, it is never the same class twice, or thrice (see what we did there?)!

Prior to the first class: participants will share a brief (1,000 words max) piece (complete or self-contained excerpt) you have written in the genre of your choice. This piece does not have to be written in threes, or be concerned with anything having to do with threes.