We stand in the dark with strands of light between us. Feel the warmth, the heat, the glow, it’s yours to know. I want to give it name and say it to you, but I don’t know if I know the words. The soul doesn’t let us know, not all the way.

~Nina MacLaughlin, Paris Review, 2020 

Register here.

Join me for a deeply reflective and beautifully generative 3-hour writing intensive during which we’ll stretch our hearts into the darkness of winter solstice to write into and through the most vital parts of ourselves: our memories, our dreams, our questions, and our wished for transformations—and much more. You will leave with eight seedlings of future essays, stories, or poems, stirring with potential and glowing with the discovery and aliveness of your own inner wisdom and ancient knowing.

what will we do during the workshop? In the creative warmth of this intimate and lively solstice intensive, I will help us gather our collective energy to dive gently inward, while leading us through eight of my all-time favorite and consistently productive writing exercises. These are the trusted writing exercises I use most often during in-person workshops and retreats because of their power to open writers to new elements of their stories, their lives, and their creative visions, over and over again. With each exercise, I’ll introduce how and why it works plus tips, tricks, and strategies to get the most out of it along with, where appropriate, illustrative examples of work other writers have drawn from the exercise. Then we’ll write together silently for 5 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of (totally voluntary) participant sharing with real-time observations from me so that you can get even more from the exercises after the workshop ends.

what will writers take away?

• An understanding of eight powerful writing exercises

• Eight new snippets generated during the workshop

• Specific guidance on how to best use the exercises after the workshop

when & where will the workshop take place? The Fire We Make will take place December 19, 10 AM – 1 PM Central, via Zoom. Replay will be made available to all registered participants.

what is the tuition? Tuition for this intensive is $199, nonrefundable. Replay and workshop materials are available to all registered participants. Register here.

why winter solstice? The word solstice comes from Latin words that mean, literally, "the sun stands still.” At this time of the year, the Earth pauses on its axis before shifting direction, creating an energetic standstill ideal for quiet reflection and creative work. Winter Solstice, specifically, represents the longest night of the year and maximum darkness, marking the turning point when days will begin to grow longer and symbolizing the rebirth of light, hope, and fresh potential. This quiet atmosphere is perfect for planting seeds of intention in the dark, trusting that growth will happen beneath the surface before any visible signs appear in the spring. Likewise, it is a beautiful time to make seedlings of creative work—little sprouts of stories, essays, and poems—that we trust we can develop into fuller works later and/or through which we can access parts of our creative selves that might otherwise hover beneath the surface of consciousness. The exercises in this generative intensive are carefully designed to bypass the intellect and access the harder to reach places, the ancient wisdoms, that more often rest under cloak of night.

what kind of writer should take this workshop? Fiction writers and nonfiction writers both, and poets, too! The techniques cross all genres and all levels.  It is accessible for beginners, but still challenging and inspiring for seasoned writers. Writing in the Dark is a come as you are, do what you can workshop where you are never late and always enough. We practice high rigor with strong support and no judgment. In this rich environment, writers can take risks and beautiful work can grow. 

what are the requirements? An open mind and heart. A willingness to show up and experiment together. A deep curiosity about language, its power and elasticity. A tolerance for new ideas. A wish to create.

who is the teacher? This course is led by me, Jeannine Ouellette (The Part That Burns, Split/Lip Press, 2021). I author the bestselling Substack, Writing in the Dark, which many—including Sarah Fay of Writers at Work, say is better than an MFA (that being said, I do hold an MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts. In addition to Writing in the Dark, I teach writing at the University of Minnesota, and through the Association of Writers & Writing Program's Writer-to-Writer Program and the Minnesota Prison Writers Workshop and Brooke Warner’s Magic of Memoir series. In addition to The Part That Burns, which earned stars from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, the latter of which also selected TPTB as a best indie book of 2021, I have authored several other nonfiction books as well as the children's book Mama Moon. My essays, fiction, and a smattering of poetry have appeared widely in journals and anthologies, won many awards (always second place, runner up, finalist, or honorable mention, proving that it’s okay not to come first). Perhaps most importantly, I’m a passionate, experienced teacher. You can read my full bio here.

what are the exercises

• I Remember

• In The Dream

• I used To Be, Now I Am, I’ll Soon Become 

• Piaget’s Questions

• What It Is Not

• The End Before the Beginning

• The Eulogy

• The Fairy Tale

will there be a replay? Yes, a replay will be made available to all registered participants. Being there in person is more fun, but if you can’t make the appointed time, you can still write in a communally charged atmosphere during the replay.

will we get copies of the exercises? Yes! Copies of my exercises will be distributed after the workshop so that you can work with them on your own. All of the exercises are endlessly repeatable.

what have others had to say about writing in the dark workshops? We’ve heard that Writing in the Dark is “a lifeline,” “life changing,” “just what was needed,” and “amazing.” Several writers said they were finally writing again after months of being stuck. One writer said the workshop has been “devastating in all the best ways.” Another wrote to say, “This class teaches you how to dig deep and activate your voice. How to write about things that matter to you, and in turn to your readers.” And several writers have published work generated during Writing in the Dark. Read more love letters here.

Register here.