Writing for Impact

Life is stories …

Whether your own or someone else’s, our stories are who we are. They are our lessons, our entertainment, our way to share intimate feelings and develop personal relationships. Whether your interest is fiction or nonfiction, shortform or long narrative, for family archives or for publication, there are tried and true methods for making your stories the most impactful they can be.

In this course you will learn the basics of compelling storytelling: knowing how to communicate and listen on the deepest levels; character development, crafting cinematic scenes with mood, detail, description and dialogue. Ultimately, you will find your “voice” which sounds confusing but is simply letting your words and thoughts spill out onto the page in the way you think and speak.

Whether you are a novice or an advanced writer who is pursuing the never-ending process of honing your skills, this is a course for you.

This intimate one-day workshop is limited to eight people and designed so that participants will have the time and space to share ideas and experiences, as well as one-on-one coaching with the instructor.

Robin Gaby Fisher is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of 12 nonfiction books. Her latest book, Unmasked, with Paul Holes, debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times bestseller list. She retired as Director of the Journalism Program at Rutgers University, Newark campus, last year. She resides full-time in Woodstock with her husband, Loren, co-owner of the Focus Fine Art Photography gallery, and their Bernese Mountain Dog, appropriately named Pudge.

What we’ll cover:
• Exercises interviewing each other to experience asking and answering the tough questions that will take your stories to another level.
• The power of “show don’t tell” whenever you can, using detail and dialogue to make your stories come to life.
• Character development.
• Finding story structure and techniques to draw your readers in.
• Short writing exercises and reading your writing for clarity and cadence.
• The beauty of tight writing. Paring down rambling sentences adds punch to any story.
• Learning how to trust yourself and take risks with your writing.

WHEN: TBA

WHERE: Woodstock, Vermont

COST: $150.00

This six-hour workshop includes lunch. We will take stretching breaks every hour. Laptops, tablets or notebooks are required. You’ll make friends and leave inspired.

Woodstock, Vermont
With it’s covered bridges, a river running through it, and a historic downtown, Woodstock, Vermont is consistently named one of the prettiest small towns in America. It is home to many B&Bs, motels and the famous Woodstock Inn.

Driving to Woodstock is 2.5 hours from Boston, 4.5 hours from New York and 1.5 hours from Burlington. Woodstock has nearby access to I-89 and I-91.

“Whatever it is, your work should be deeply reported and clearly written. Storytelling doesn’t simply inform, it takes the reader into the story; into the characters. It shows rather than tells. For the storyteller, it’s hard work, intense and intoxicating.” – Stephen King, On Writing