April Events: A Ticking Clock
Our first writing workshop and new events around the city
Hi friends,
We’ve already been teased once this year by Fake Spring, but now that the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s cherry blossom tracker is back in action I’m hopeful that we’re finally rounding the bend to warmer weather.
This month we have writing and drawing events across the city, including new locations in Crown Heights and Cobble Hill.
We’re also introducing a new creative writing workshop for those looking for a little more than what’s offered at our events.
Starting mid-May, the workshop will meet once a week for six weeks in Crown Heights. In addition to in-class exercises, each participant has two chances to have a longer submission workshopped by the group. This is a space for fiction and creative non-fiction writers of all levels of experience looking for feedback and a schedule to keep them accountable to their work. Sound like you? Join us! Learn more and register for an upcoming workshop (or get on the waitlist) and message me with any qs!
Last thing: we’ve extended the application deadline for our Memorial Day Weekend Retreat. Submit your app by April 7th and join us for a few days of writing and visual art workshops!
—Josh
Scroll for more info on each event and for April’s creative prompt.
Writing Events
This month we’re adding new venues in Cobble Hill and Crown Heights, as well as returning to Book Club with a new Stage Dive, where a trio of performers tell stories that the audience uses as their writing inspiration.
Stage Dive at Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, April 2nd from 8-10pm (RSVP)
We're also hosting four Drink 'N Drafts—
Word of Mouth, Crown Heights
Tuesday, April 8th from 7-9pm (RSVP)Saturn Road, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, April 15th from 7-9pm (RSVP)Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, April 16th from 8-10pm (RSVP)WORD Bookstore, Greenpoint
Tuesday, April 22nd from 7-9pm (RSVP)
Drawing Events
We’re back at Interference Archive this month for another drawing night in Park Slope.
We’ll be using their extensive collection of visual media related to the history of activism and social movements from around the world as prompts for a night of visual art-making. We’ll provide the exercises and materials and you’ll have the chance to explore your practice, without any prior drawing experience required.
Drawn Together at Interference Archive, Park Slope
Thursday, April 17th from 7-9pm (RSVP)
April’s Prompt
Whenever I’m having trouble getting started writing—it’s hard, I don’t know what comes next, I’m scared, I’m avoiding it—I’ve found that setting a timer usually helps. I always set it for a short amount of time, never more than ten minutes, so no matter how hard it is I’m more willing to keep going because it’s only ten minutes. And more often than not once the time is up I’m over the hump and invested enough that I can keep going after the bell.
This month’s prompt further intertwines the timer and the writing, and you can start with either one.
To start with time, set a timer for the specific amount of time you’d like to write. Then write something that takes place over that exact amount of time. So, if you decide to write for six minutes, write about something that occurs over the course of six minutes. Soft-boiling an egg, let’s say. This could be one sentence (“She soft-boiled an egg.”) or three pages of thoughts and memories as your character boils an egg. However many words it ends up being, both your writing time and the time that passes in your writing should be the same.
To start with the writing, pick a scene that already has a built-in clock, then use that clock to inform how long to set your timer. If, for example, your character is running laps around the track at her old high school and reflecting on her teenage years, for how long can she run? Set your timer accordingly.
