how to write the story you’re afraid to write

why how to write the story you’re afraid to write?

“Tell all the truth, but tell it slant” – Emily Dickinson

Everybody has at least one – a story that you’ve always wanted to write, or that you’ve been trying all your life to write, or that you swore you’d never write. But we can’t force these tender, long-buried stories into revealing themselves. In this four-week generative memoir coven, we will approach our hardest truths with compassion, experimentation, and care for one another. Instead of pushing past our limits, we will explore how authors use metaphor, nature, delight, and fictionalization to “tell all the truth, but tell it slant.” Each week will include a craft reading discussion, generative in-class writing, optional assignments, ample sharing, and supportive feedback. Sample authors we’ll read include Ocean Vuong, Maggie Nelson, and Renee Gladman. After the final class, there will be an optional opportunity to share up to 1500 words of an essay you’ve been working on and receive written feedback from Arya.

* Please know that no disclosure of personal stories will be mandated in this class, only the opportunity to experiment with craft and share as desired. While this class invites you to engage with hard topics, Arya is not a mental health professional. Please ensure that you have appropriate outside resources to support you around reactions that may come up.

what kind of writer should take this course?

Memoir writers newly working on a project or stuck on a current one.

what are the requirements?

Writers who are ready and resourced to take risks.

how does this remote class work?

This course takes place on Elephant Rock’s course platform Mighty Networks. Our course has a designated course page with course materials, a private group chat, and an events tab where each course session runs as a Zoom meeting.

There will be weekly readings by diverse authors such as Maggie Nelson, Ross Gay, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and Carmen Maria Machado. There will also be a short weekly assignment that you can post on our class portal for peer feedback, and a final assignment of 1000 words that you can submit to Arya for written feedback.

what will writers take away?

- At least four newly generated pieces in progress, with the opportunity to receive feedback from classmates

-  Feedback from Arya on a piece of up to 1000 words

-  New ideas, processes, and tools for approaching hard stories with care and craft

-  A host of new reading experiences to continue learning from

-  A supportive community of fellow writers with whom you will co-create -Brief individualized discussion of your work

- Guidance from a seasoned instructor and reflections on your writing

who is the teacher?

Arya Samuelson is the winner of New Ohio Review’s Non-Fiction Prize and CutBank’s Montana Prize in Non-Fiction awarded by Cheryl Strayed. Her work has also been published in Bellevue Literary Review, Columbia Journal, New Delta Review, The Manifest-Station, and elsewhere. She is a proud graduate of the MFA in Creative Writing Program from Mills College and has been studying at Lidia Yuknavitch’s school of Corporeal Writing since 2017. She teaches with LitReactor, Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop, Writers in Progress, and through her own teaching series, Writing as Ritual. Arya writes across all genres. Find out more about Arya here.

what is the cost?

Elephant Rock tuition for this course is $499**. Under normal circumstances, full payment is due at least 15 days before the workshop begins. Extended payment plans may be available in cases of severe economic hardship. Please send an email to Elephant Rock to inquire.

**Elephant Rock tuition is nonrefundable but may be transferrable upon request.

what have other writers had to say about Arya?

“Arya's class transformed my understanding of writing. I generated new material beyond the boundary of my own expectations” —Mara K.

“Of all of my teachers in my adult life, Arya’s classes have been the most life changing I have had. I am endlessly thankful for her kind, grounded presence in my life as a mentor and an inspiration for my writing and professional life. Her workshops created such a precious space for true creativity, vulnerability, and deeper realizations about the truth behind the art we create.” — Julia P.

“Thank you for creating this opportunity where frequent writers and never-before writers and everyone in between can feel at home.” — Jenn B.

"Arya's class doesn't just help you probe the edges of your writing. It explores the core of you as a person. Her feedback is kind, insightful, and includes actual action items. The community she cultivated was warm and encouraging. I left feeling connected to a group of total strangers as well as myself in ways that floored me. I genuinely shed a tear when the class ended because it was such a fantastic experience." — Charlotte L.

how do I sign up?

Please click below to complete course registration:

Elephant Rock does not discriminate against anyone, regardless of age, color of skin, national origin, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender expression and identity, sexual orientation, or anything else. We expect the same from our all of our participants.