Evon Davis

An on-going workshop that guides students who are working on specific projects or just want to improve their writing. The workshop covers all aspects related to the craft of writing, including structure, the elements of compelling stories and characters, and scene writing, so you’re able to accomplish a major writing project such as a novel or memoir. Free-writing exercises help stimulate creativity, as each week you’ll write new scenes and watch your manuscript grow. To get your creative energies flowing, you are welcome to read scenes aloud and get feedback on your writing.

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What makes us care about how a character struggles? What makes us fall in love with the character on the page? When people read stories, they want to feel what the characters feel. They want to be moved, touched, and inspired by character-driven stories. Writers do this through the way they create their characters. In this workshop, we will explore the elements needed to make your characters ones that readers will love. Once they pick up your book or short story, they won’t be able to put it down. Evon Davis is the author of several books, including two novels, Pandora’s Box and The Bohemian Life.

To register, click on the Class Number link.

Hemingway said that there is no such thing as writing, only rewriting. What he meant is that we cannot expect any first draft to be good writing. Those occasions when it does come out fabulous right off the bat are rare and magical. Even professional writers like Stephen King have to rewrite and revise several times before their manuscripts are ready for publication. If you’d like your writing to be publishable, come to this workshop and learn the tricks that the professionals know in order to polish your writing until it shines. Through discussion, reviewing sample pieces, and in-class writing exercises, novelist and writing teacher Evon Davis will raise your writing up to the next level.

To register, click on the Class Number link.

Memoir, Personal Essays, and Autobiographical Fiction

You have a story to tell and probably at least one book in you. Memoir writing is a valuable tool for understanding the meaning of your life, processing your experiences, and learning all that can be learned from them. It’s a way of turning profound moments into art and giving others the chance to learn and be moved by your life story. Learn what a memoir is and how to focus the themes and time-frames of your life in order to write a memoir. Learn the difference between writing a summary and describing a scene and how you can mix the two. Through discussion, reviewing sample memoir pieces, and in-class writing exercises, novelist and writing teacher Evon Davis will get you telling the story of your life.

To register, click on the Class Number link.

The Structure That Holds It All Together

To register, click on the Class Number link.

Just one paragraph. That’s all.

In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott says that one of the best pieces of advice she can give to writers is to do short assignments. I agree with this completely. It is so strange that we human beings seem to think that when we pick up pen and paper to write, or turn on the computer, we are about to create the most profound work of literature ever known to humankind and change the world forever.

No wonder we get writers’ block and find any excuse under the sun to avoid going near that terrifying manuscript. It’s worse than a saber-toothed tiger hiding under the jungle ferns just waiting to rip us to shreds for dinner.

So that’s why I’m telling you now: Just do one paragraph. That’s all. It’s enough. You’ll see.

Last year was the first year I complete NaNoWriMo, so I was a 2010 Winner.  Eleven months ago, I wrote, “I’m doing this thing called NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month.  It’s a contest that started years ago with two writers and has become a world-wide phenomenon.  The goal is to write a 50,000- word novel in the month of November.  Of course it’s a rough draft, but it’s a good way to pour the story out as fast as you can.

In creative writing we often set limitations for ourselves in order to open up new pathways to creativity that might not otherwise be explored.  This can often lead to some of the most amazing and beautiful prose, not to mention new pathways for the story.

I’m beginning to see that this is true in all areas of life.  It’s during times of limitation, challenge, and adversity that we learn the most, and it is also during these times that we find the deepest reservoir of strength within. Once you fully realize what you’re capable of doing, and the full extent of the strength you possess, you will know you can rely on yourself in times of need. You will be forever stronger for having experienced the limitation.

When something in your life is limited or taken away from you, your imagination can take flight. No one can rein in your mind (unless you let them). The greater the limitation, the more your mind can be set free to explore new pathways. What you are today is in part due to those limitations. This is when your character is honed and exceptional personal growth occurs.

The warrior embraces struggle, challenges, change, and limitation.  If she does not have a challenge, she seeks one out.

Don Juan said that a warrior is grateful for a petty tyrant because the challenge leads to sublime states of consciousness and impeccability for the warrior.  I’ve come to realize that a petty tyrant can be a person or a situation.  It is simply any kind of challenge, regardless of the form it takes.

Having experienced many limitations, struggles, and challenges in my life, including now, I’m able to reap the rewards of a lush life.  I have learned to stay connected to Abundance, trust Providence, and be guided by Spirit.  Walking to a local theater last night in a lush city and watching a film about Paris, another lush city I had the good fortune to live in one summer, I was in that sublime state of consciousness, rapturous, nearly overwhelmed by the lushness of life.  And all because of the limitations that opened new pathways.

The conference kicks off with a Friday night banquet on September 9th.  It’s a great way for writers to mingle with others in their profession, talk about writing, and network.

And of course, it’s a great place to meet editors and agents… and hopefully get one’s novel picked up for publication!

Here is an extension to the writing exercise on Modeling Authors:

1) Type an excerpt from a novel or memoir you like

2) Use the writing as a model for your own scenes

3) Map the pattern in the author’s writing.  For example, the pattern might look like this:

character description
some action
a line of dialogue
some more action
some description of setting (that might tell us something about the character)

Or like this:

character
action
prop/object
action
setting
description of object

Use the pattern to design your own sentences, paragraphs, and scenes.  Write 500 words for this exercise.  You will undoubtedly see a huge improvement in your writing.