Saturday Workshop: Writing Really Good Bad Guys
prose
Saturday Workshop: Point of View & Narrative Distance
For our final Saturday workshop of Fall 2022, we turn our attention to point of view. This workshop will explore issues related to who tells our stories, when and where they tell these stories from, and how narratives change depending on who controls telling. From Henry James’s ‘central intelligence’ to Sesame Street’s ‘near and far’ to John Gardner’s ‘psychic distance’, we’ll discuss concepts and practice techniques to help you get the most out of your narratives.
Facilitated by Jeff Baker, come join us for a free writing workshop on GCC Main.
Open Mic on Wednesday!
Bring your poetry, short prose, and other creative pursuits! Come to participate and share, or come merely to listen and admire. All are welcome. Wednesday night, November 16th, from 7:30 to 9:00pm.
Saturday Workshops Are Back!
Excuse the dust, but we are happy to announce that our Saturday Morning Workshops are back up and running as of Fall 2022. The first of three planned workshops is on Saturday, September 24th. These workshops are free and open to the public, as always. Tell your friends, family, enemies, pets, random passersby in the street, telemarketers, what-have-you. Details below!
The Traveler OPEN for Submissions (Fall 2021)
Submit Here: SUBMISSIONS
Artists of Promise Contest – 2021!
2021-22 Artists of Promise: Creative Writing Competition
Each year, the Maricopa Community Colleges sponsor a districtwide competition to encourage and recognize student achievement in the following categories:
- Essay
- Fiction
- One Act-Play/Script
- Poetry
Winning students will receive cash awards, be published in Maricopa’s literary magazine, Passages, and be recognized at the virtual Artists of Promise Event during the Spring of 2022.
Also, the first-place winners in each category will be submitted by the district to then compete at the National Level in the League of Innovation in the Community Colleges Creative Writing Competition.
For competition rules, eligibility requirements, the submission and judging process please go to https://www.maricopa.edu/creative-writing
Awards
Winners will be notified in early February 2022 by the Maricopa Center for Learning & Innovation (MCLI).
First-place work in each category will be recognized at the Virtual Artists of Promise performance scheduled for Spring 2022.
All awards will be issued via student accounts in SIS shortly after the Artists of Promise gala.
- $300 for first place
- $200 for second place
- $100 for third place
Additionally, First Place winners will be entered in the League for Innovation in the Community College’s National Student Literary Competition and be required to complete League application materials, which will be provided by the MCLI.
Application Close Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Saturday Workshop: Writing Vivid Villains
Hello. Is it us you’re looking for? Good. Good. Despite rumors to the contrary, the operators of this site are neither dead nor sacked, and they are (in fact) planning your doom a brand new series of Saturday Workshops and content posts for the 2019-2020 academic year. The first of those Saturday Workshops is just around the proverbial corner–assuming that corner is September 21st. Do you see it? Lurking. Waiting (a little too impatiently for our tastes, mind you). Standing outside your window with an (obviously) Bluetooth-capable Bose speaker over its head, blasting [insert modern-day romantic music here] like that one guy did in that movie long, long ago. He even wore a trench coat. It was pretty sweet. Do you know what else is sweet? Transitions.
In the first Saturday workshop of the new academic year, we will discuss what traits make a complex and compelling villain. Attendees will evaluate villains in film and literature and examine the often complicated relationship between antagonist and protagonist while using writing strategies to create their own caustic characters. Everyone leaves with a bad guy!
Saturday workshops are free and open to the public. Sometimes, water bottles and store-bought pastries spontaneously generate right there in the room.
- What: Writing Vivid Villains with Jayme Cook
- When: Saturday, September 21st from 10AM to 12PM
- Where: GCC Main Campus, Room LA-141
- Why:
Give us your heartAttend the workshop.We’ll give you a penWe’ll help you craft a villain.
Poetry & Prose Slam 2018
- What: The Annual Poetry & Prose Slam
- When: Wednesday, November 14th from 7:00 to 9:00PM
- Where: GCC Main Campus, Room SU-104
- Why: Money, vague threats involving Mountain Dew (see below)
The Poetry & Prose Slam is upon us, looming on the horizon like a bird or a sun or a hitchhiker you’re desperately trying to avoid locking eyes with. Well, it’s too late. We see you. Sitting there, all comfortable and “mobile” in your Ford F-150s and your Toyota Priuses and your non-descript mountain bikes. Listen, either you pull over now or we follow you back to your house, tip over your refrigerator, and soak all your dish towels in Mountain Dew Code Red.
What we’re trying to say here, figuratively, is that you should attend this event.
More than that, you should read and compete in this event. Bring your original and creative writing–poetry, short fiction or nonfiction, song lyrics, and any other genre we haven’t listed that you can read in about three minutes or less. Read it before our friendly, Mountain-Dew-drinking judges and guests, and then maybe win a little money. It’s not often we get paid for our creative work, after all, so take advantage.
In order to participate, you’ll need to fill out a simple entry form that you can download and print right here: Registration Form. If you forget to grab a form, no worries, we’ll have extra entry forms available at the event. The slam is open to everyone, student and non-student alike.
Saturday Workshop – Fight Die Love: The Hardest Scenes to Write
Whether it’s Negan laying down the law with Lucille, Luke looking into Anakin’s eyes for the first and the last time, or Harry confessing his love to Sally as the New Year’s Eve ball drops, these types of scenes carry great energy and purpose, but a heavy pen can lead to unwanted melodrama or sentimentality. In many ways, fight scenes, death scenes, and loves scenes are the hardest to write, but they are so often necessary for the stories we want to tell. In the “Fight Die Love” workshop, attendees will review and emulate techniques used by writing professionals from a diverse range of genres.
Saturday workshops are free and open to the public. Entirely unimpressive refreshments will probably be provided.
- What & Who: Fight, Die, Love: The Hardest Scenes to Write, with Laura White
- When: Saturday, November 3rd from 10:00AM to 12:00PM
- Where: GCC Main Campus, Room LA-141
- Why: Because it’s the last Saturday workshop for Fall semester, and you need one last fix to tide you over until February!
Course Spotlight: CRW202 – Witness Writing
As everyone goes through the process of determining their Spring schedules and registering for classes, we’d like to highlight some of our special creative offerings. The first course we’d like to spotlight is CRW202 – Witness Writing. This is an online course, taught by Kimberly Williams. View the flyer below for more information, and contact Professor Williams for questions, or if you have any trouble registering.
GCC Creative Writing 