#38WRITE | CRUSH
February 23, 2013
Hello, brilliant, intrepid writers around the world!
Welcome to the second #38Write workshop of 2013: #38Write | CRUSH. You can register by clicking the “Buy Now” button in the right-hand column of this web page.
WHAT
#38Write is a monthly series of 38-hour writing adventure workshops for place-passionate, culturally curious writers around the world. Each workshop has a specific theme; February’s theme is CRUSH.
Crush?
Yup, cruuuuuuuuuuush.
WHY “CRUSH”?
When I first started to plan out this workshop, I was thinking about Valentine’s Day in the U.S. (which falls on Feb. 14) and my very first “culture crush.” The buzz and hum I felt in my head and heart when, in second grade, my teacher Mrs. Mangus introduced our class to the indigenous Aboriginal people of Australia. I was hooked, as hooked as a seven-year-old with a slim social studies book, a World Book Encyclopedia, a few worn issues of National Geographic, and a map can be—by the people, the place, the faraway-ness of it all, the distinct differences between my boring old life and their exciting one, as well as the hint/promise of similarities. At night, for months after Mrs. Mangus moved us on to other, less scintillating social studies topics, I’d lie in bed wondering how to buy a plane ticket to Australia, what it would feel like to be a seven-year-old Aboriginal kid, if the Aboriginal kids were reading about and longing to visit kids in U.S. steel communities, how I could convince my mom to let me pierce my nose, and so much more.
Sure, my crush was likely grounded in whatever stereotypes were represented in those materials, but much more important is the fact that the crush opened me and made me want to connect with cultures and places beyond what I already knew. It was one of the most powerful junctures of my life.
Of course, crush has significant negative connotations as well (for example, my mom crushed my dream of having my nose pierced in second grade…crushed it like a cockroach under a heel). You can crush or be crushed by people, machines, governments, rules, belief systems, teachers, religions, friends, sadness, parents, cultural expectations, and so on. You can crush or be crushed physically, emotionally, and/or psychologically. You can be the “crusher” or the “crushee.”
The point?
#38Write | CRUSH is wide open, ready for exploration, and just waiting for you to find your way in.
[Ready for CRUSH? Click on the “Buy Now” button to register.]
WHEN
Saturday, February 23, 2013 (You’ll have 38 hours to complete the assigned tasks and send in the piece of writing that most compels you.)
COST
$38 (U.S.)
HISTORY
Since launching #38Write in June 2012, writers all over the world have gathered (virtually, of course) for one weekend a month to read, write, wander their communities, write a little more, look deeply at the cultures and communities in which they live, and wonder.
Writers in Japan, U.A.E, Malta, Turkey, Chile, U.K., U.S., South Korea, China, Belgium, France, Italy, Australia, and more are now #38Write veterans. The variety of cultures and voices represented by the writers who participate is one of the great gifts of #38Write. Together, we are sharing and connecting the world’s stories.
Lots of great work happens in #38Write. Intense work. If you’d like to check out some of that work, click here and here and here. If you’d like to see how I incorporate Pinterest into the workshop, click here.
WHO
#38Write is designed for all place-passionate, culturally curious writers around the world, including expats and repats, globetrotters, armchair travelers, nomads, cultural spelunkers, deeply rooted souls, mapmakers and mapbreakers, wanderers and wayfarers, voyagers, digital nomads, and all writers interested in exploring and writing about their environs.
Yes, beginners are welcome and encouraged to join. Yes, seasoned writers are welcome and encouraged to join. And yes, writers of all levels in between are welcome and encouraged to join.
Some #38Write writers are working on nonfiction. Others are working on fiction. It works for both. I’d love to welcome a few poets into the mix.
[Ready for CRUSH? Click on the “Buy Now” button to register.]
HERE / THERE / EVERYWHERE:
Because #38Write is a virtual workshop, you can participate no matter where you are in the world!
• Are you stomping grapes in New Zealand? (Yep, #38Write is for you!)
• Are you photographing beaches in Tuvalu? (Yep, #38Write is for you!)
• Are you studying the environmental threat to coastal vegetation in Palau? (Yep, #38Write is for you!)
• Curating art exhibitions in Turkey? (Yep, for you, too!)
• Learning to speak French in France? (Oui, oui, pour vous!)
• Cutting hair in a posh salon in Ireland? (Yep, you, too!)
• Writing a novel in Sweden? (Ja!)
• Exploring temples in China? (Grab your pen!)
• And so on…
[Ready for CRUSH? Click on the “Buy Now” button to register.]
WHAT YOU’LL BE WORKING ON
SPECIFIC TO #38WRITE | CRUSH
- playing with both the positive and negative connotations of the word crush (for you, if you’re writing nonfiction; or your character, if you’re writing fiction)
- getting a crushing experience on the page
- exploring the feeling (physical, emotional) of having a crush (or being crushed)
ONGOING
- seeing (We look all the time, but seeing is a different skill. Skills take practice.)
- exploring cultural connections, conundrums, and clashes
- heightening your relationships with the place in which you live
- getting into writerhead
- putting your crazy-beautiful voice on the page
- recognizing and cultivating your crazy-beautiful voice
- connecting with like-minded writers around the world (check out how we’ll connect via a Twitter hashtag and Pinterest…see below)
- writing that hot first draft
- critiquing your peers (optional)
- having your work critiqued by your peers (optional)
REQUIREMENTS
You must be able to:
• receive, read, create, and email Microsoft Word documents
• access email (If you live in a country that blocks Internet/email access, you will need a reliable proxy server or VPN.)
• read and write in English (English does not need to be your first language, but you should be comfortable writing in it.)
[Ready for CRUSH? Click on the “Buy Now” button to register.]
HOW IT WORKS
FIRST — In mid-February, you’ll receive (via email):
- a suggested list of reading/watching/listening assignments—All are accessible on the Internet. This gives you the opportunity to hunker down into the topic in the days leading up to the workshop.
- an invitation to be a Pinner on the group Pinterest workshop board—In each workshop, I create a Pinterest board so that writers can communicate visually. Read about this aspect of the workshop here. Check out the #38Write | I EAT FEAR board here.
- During your 38-hour writing adventure period, you’ll be able to chitchat with me and other writers via the Twitter hashtag, #38Write. While you explore, write, and rewrite, you’ll get inspired and encouraged. You’ll also be able to share quick insights, funny moments, triumphs, struggles to find the right word, etc. A community shall be built!
(If you do not yet have a Twitter account, what are you waiting for? While you certainly do not have to Tweet to join this writing adventure, you will benefit from connecting directly with our community. On the other hand, if you can’t or don’t Tweet, no worries. I’ll also be responding to comments on my blog WRITERHEAD throughout the 38-hour writing adventure period.)
SECOND — After the launch of the workshop on February 23, you’ll have 38 hours to work. Then you will email one of the writing assignments to me for review and feedback. (Yes, there will be a maximum word count that you can submit, and yes, your submission must be typed.) I will send feedback to each writer in a timely manner.
WHAT YOU GET
• direction and feedback from an accomplished author, a well-traveled cultural spelunker, and a seasoned writing teacher with 18 years of experience in traditional and virtual classrooms
• peer critiques
• a chance to explore your environs with intention, stretch your boundaries, and look inward and outward simultaneously
• a smashing opportunity to find new material and hone your skills
• a supportive, encouraging community
• a chance to share your voice
• (hopefully) a few good laughs
• a direct connection to like-hearted writers all around the world (find your tribe!)
[Pretty sure you’re ready now…yes? Click on the “Buy Now” button to register.]
______
ABOUT KRISTIN
Kristin Bair O’Keeffe is an author, speaker, writing instructor, and cultural spelunker who repatriated to the United States in late 2010 after nearly five years in China. In 2009, Swallow Press published Kristin’s debut novel Thirsty, and her essays and articles about bears, off-the-plot expats, how to nudge forth a global identity, and lots more have appeared in The Christian Science Monitor, The Gettysburg Review, Bluestem, The Baltimore Review, Poets & Writers magazine, San Diego Family Magazine, and other publications.
If she’s not hunkered down in writerhead, Kristin can often be found helping other writers achieve this delicious state of writerly nirvana. She has an MFA in fiction writing, as well as seventeen years of workshop experience. Kristin has a lot to say about writing, including “Arse in chair, my friend,” “Out on the limb with you,” and “See it,” but perhaps the most important is simply this: “Writing begets writing.”
Kristin is repped by the fantabulous Barbara Poelle at the Irene Goodman Agency.
#38WRITE | I EAT FEAR
January 19, 2013
NOTE: This #38Write workshop is over, but you can sign up for February’s workshop now. Thanks!
Happy New Year!
Welcome to the first #38Write workshop of 2013: #38Write | I EAT FEAR.
WHAT
#38Write is a monthly series of 38-hour writing adventure workshops for place-passionate, culturally curious writers around the world. Each workshop has a specific theme; January’s theme is I EAT FEAR.
Fear of what?
Anything.
Telling your own story. Moving to a new country. Getting married. Bears. Mice. Changing religions. Being alone. Being with others. Standing up for something. Culture clashes. Eating with chopsticks. Pissing in a squatty-potty. Change. Success. Failure. Fasting during Ramadan. Writing a story. Finishing a story. Publishing a story. Getting a haircut. Speaking a new language. Learning to stand on your head. And so on…
Why I EAT FEAR?
Because:
- Fear is one of the common denominators among cultures. No matter from which country we hail, we’re all afraid of something at some point. Sometimes that fear stops us in our tracks; other times it propels us forward. Lately I’ve been grappling with a few of my own fears (read about that here), and I’ve been hearing about fear from a couple of #38Write veterans.
- It’s a new year. Time to sweep out the demons.
This month, you’ll get to muck it up with your fears (or, if writing fiction, your character’s fears), find your voice…and maybe even your anthem.
WHEN
Saturday, January 19, 2013 (You’ll have 38 hours to complete the assigned tasks and send in the piece of writing that most compels you.)
#38WRITE | AT THE PARTY
December 2012
NOTE: This #38Write workshop is over, but you can sign up for February’s workshop now. Thanks!
WHAT
#38Write | At the Party is the sixth in a monthly series of 38-hour writing adventure workshops for place-passionate, culture junkies around the world. In many cultures, December is a festive month during which most folks attend at least one party. So put on your sequins and shiny best! You’re taking your pen to the party!
“What kind of party?” you ask.
Any kind of party: an office party, a family party, a party celebrating a holiday that you personally celebrate (Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, etc.), a party celebrating a holiday you do not personally celebrate, an expat party, a church party, a whoop-it-up-drink-til-you-drop party, a party rich with sacred cultural rituals, a kids party, a cookie-making party, a gift exchange party, a party full of people you love, a party full of people you can barely tolerate, a party full of strangers, a nighttime party, a daytime party, a party at which everyone is speaking a language you don’t speak, a party at a bar, a party in a basement, and so on.
WHEN
This month, #38Write is going to work a little differently. Usually the 38-hour period for the workshop is set. But this time, you can pick any 38-hour period between Fri., Dec. 7 and Wed., Dec. 19.
You simply have to pick a day on which you’re heading to a party. It might fall on a weekday or a weekend. Your 38-hour period will begin at 8:00 a.m. on the morning following your party. (You’ll then have 38 hours to complete the assigned tasks and send in the piece of writing that most compels you.)
I will keep a calendar of who is going where, when.
#38WRITE | HABITS
October/November 2012
NOTE: This #38Write workshop is over. Thanks for your interest!
WHAT
#38Write | Habits is the fifth in a monthly series of 38-hour writing adventure workshops for place-passionate, culture junkies around the world. In this particular workshop, we’ll be looking at and writing about habits: cultural habits, personal habits, good habits, bad habits, individual habits, collective habits, habits that annoy people, habits that make people laugh, habits you don’t want to get caught doing, kid habits, grownup habits, excuses we give for habits, writing habits, reading habits, listening habits, habits that serve us well, habits that damage us, habits we’ve broken, habits we long to break, habits others should (but can’t/won’t) break, religious habits, creative habits, professional habits, contagious habits, writing habits, and, whew, lots more.
Since launching #38Write in June 2012, writers all over the world have gathered (virtually, of course) for one weekend a month to read, write, wander their communities, write a little more, look deeply at the cultures and communities in which they live, and wonder.
Writers in Turkey, Chile, the U.K., the U.S., South Korea, China, Belgium, France, Italy, Australia, and many more are now veterans. The variety of cultures and voices represented by the writers who participate is one of the great gifts of #38Write. Together, we are sharing and connecting the world’s stories.
Lots of good work happens in #38Write. Intense work. If you’d like to check out some of the amazing writing by #38Write writers, click here and here. If you’d like to see how I incorporate Pinterest into the workshop, click here.
WHEN
Saturday, November 3, 2012 (You’ll have 38 hours to complete the assigned tasks and send in the piece of writing that most compels you.)
#38Write | Square Peg, Round Hole?
September 2012
NOTE: This #38Write workshop is over. Thanks for your interest!
WHAT: 38Write | Square Peg, Round Hole? is the fourth in a monthly series of 38-hour writing adventure workshops for place-passionate, culture junkies around the world. In this workshop, writers will explore how they acclimate, adjust, and fit in or don’t fit in to the communities in which they reside. (Beware: There’s lots of opportunity here for gales of laughter and serious introspection.)
In the August workshop of the 38Write series—Peregrination—16 writers in 8 countries walked and wrote and walked and wrote (and, yep, then walked and wrote some more). One of the assignments for that workshop was to share a story about a walk that culturally connected writers to a place. Writers took some amazing risks and told poignant, personal stories. You can read them here.
WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 2012 (You’ll have 38 hours to complete the assigned tasks and send in the piece of writing that most compels you.)
#38Write | Peregrination
August 2012
NOTE: This #38Write workshop is over. Thanks for your interest!
WHAT: 38Write | Peregrination is the third in a monthly series of 38-hour writing adventure workshops for place-passionate, cultural junkies around the world. (The second in the series—38Write | Structure—took place in July 2012 and had 16 writers in 9 countries! One of the assignments for that workshop was to define culture without using a dictionary, thesaurus, or other reference tool. Check out the amazing definitions that writers came up with here.)
WHEN: Saturday, August 25, 2012 (You’ll have 38 hours to complete the assigned tasks and send in the piece of writing that most compels you.)
38Write | Structure
July 2012
NOTE: This #38Write workshop is over. Thanks for your interest!
WHAT: 38Write | Structure is the second in a series of 38-hour writing adventure workshops for place-passionate, cultural spelunkers around the world. (The first in the series—38Write | Description—took place in June 2012 and had 13 writers in 7 countries. Those 13 writers kicked some serious writerly arse and produced some heart-thumping prose! This one promises to do the same.)
WHEN: Saturday, July 14, 2012 (You’ll have 38 hours to complete the assigned tasks and send in the piece of writing that most compels you.)
38Write | Description
June 2012
NOTE: This #38Write workshop is over. Thanks for your interest!
WHAT: 38Write | Description is the first in a series of 38-hour writing adventures for place-passionate writers around the world.
WHEN: Saturday, June 2, 2012 (You’ll have 38 hours to complete the assigned tasks and send in the piece of writing that most compels you.)
