How to Get Unstuck: The 90-Minute Guide to Kickstarting Your Writing
Ever struggle with getting past "writer's block?" Who hasn't! This class offers actionable tools to identify your pain points and develop an effective writing practice that sticks.
Cost: $60 $48
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Class Size Limit: 20
Ask a writer if they’ve ever fallen prey to “writer’s block,” and it’s a bit like asking if they’ve ever found themselves subject to the force of gravity. But what exactly is this thing we call “writer’s block?” And what practical, effective steps can you take so that it doesn’t get between you, your words and the page?
This 90-minute seminar, led by award-winning author and Vanderbilt University professor Paul A. Kramer, is designed to help you develop the tools to confidently move forward with your writing at every turn. It’ll ask: what if writers' troubles were less like a river dammed up by a boulder, and more like when, wandering along a forest path, your sweater gets ensnared on a bramble bush in a dozen places? Both bring things to a halt. But the river needs dynamite; the sweater needs meticulous attention to the actual spots where thorn meets thread.
Taking guidance and inspiration from the best craft writers, psychologists, and authors who have not only hit snags but written eloquently and insightfully about them, we’ll discuss three overarching kinds of sticking points, which allow us to locate trouble spots with precision—and we’ll explore how to engage with them, and move past them.
The reasons writers get stuck are as many and varied as the reasons they write. There are no easy formulas for untangling yourself. “Writer’s block” isn’t a single, rampaging beast to be netted. It’s a weird, unruly zoo of idiosyncratic knots and pain points. Tackling it calls for a detailed taxonomy of the reasons we might be caught, so we to set ourselves in motion in ways that address the specifics of our writing history, our circumstances, and the projects we’re creating.
This is the right class for you if…
You’ve been writing for many years and find yourself getting stuck at similar points.
You’re working on a big project and find you keep getting held up.
You want to develop tools and strategies to keep your writing on track in general, even if you aren’t facing challenges right now.
After this class you’ll be ready to…
Identify what actual sticking points are holding you back and implement strategies to ensure your writing projects are always moving forward.
Approach the question of writing motivation in new and helpful ways.
This class takes place on Friday, September 19 from 12pm to 1:30pm ET. All Narratively Academy classes are conducted online and accessible to students anywhere in the world. This class will be recorded and shared with all enrolled students.
Instructor Bio: Paul Kramer writes and teaches U. S. history from transnational, imperial and global perspectives as an associate professor at Vanderbilt University. Paul is the author of The Blood of Government: Race, Empire, the United States and the Philippines, and co-founder and co-editor of Cornell University Press’ series The United States in the World. He is currently writing books on the practice of transnational history, and on connections between American foreign relations and U. S. immigration policy across the 20th century.
Registration Details: Seats in this class are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Prior to the start of your class you’ll receive an invitation to access the virtual classroom and view all class materials.
Cancellation Policy:
Full refund when canceling 7 or more days before the class start date.
50% refund when canceling less than 7 days before the class start date.
No cancellations after the class start date.
Questions? Email us at academy@narratively.com.
More: Check out all of our Narratively Academy online writing classes here.