Led by Dr. Erica Anzalone, author of the award-winning collection, Samsara. Erica holds an MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a doctorate in English from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, where she was awarded a Schaeffer fellowship. With over eighteen years of teaching experience at the college level, Erica's work has appeared or is forthcoming in Autofocus Literary Magazine, The Colorado Review, Hotel Amerika, Cream City Review, Juked, Pangyrus, Denver Quarterly, The Literary Review, The Offending Adam, Pleiades, Sentence, UCity Review, and elsewhere.

In this generative writing course led by author Dr. Erica Anzalone, we will delve into the transformative power of embodiment through the archetype of the witch.

Drawing inspiration from the mystical realms of the moon, the underworld, and the Tarot, the witch is arguably the one feminine archetype who, according to best-selling author Pam Grossman, “has power on its own terms. She is not defined by anyone else.” We’ll explore the many faces of the witch – whether that be crone, outsider, psychopomp, or any oppressed person seeking empowerment through enchantment.

Throughout the course, we will undergo a profound metamorphosis in our craft. Inspired by Mary Karr’s insights in “Sacred Carnality,” we will learn how to imbue our writing with the richness of sensory experience: seeing, smelling, touching, hearing, and tasting the worlds we create. As we practice this vibrant form of writing—free of the common pitfalls of abstraction and clichés—we’ll see how it grounds our narratives into tangible reality, and creates a more immersive and transformative literary journey.

We will also learn to infuse our descriptions with the strange and the uncanny. We will elevate our language beyond the ordinary, turning tired tropes into vivid, unexpected expressions that captivate. You’ll embrace the weird and wonderful, crafting narratives that defy expectations and linger in the minds of readers.

Each week, we’ll deepen our understanding of the witch archetype and its myriad manifestations. Through readings, discussions, and targeted writing prompts, we will both hone our technical skills, and cultivate a deeper connection to our unique voices.

You will receive supportive and constructive feedback from me and your peers within a nurturing community.

You’ll emerge with a newfound ability to wield language with precision and enchantment, to infuse your writing with authenticity, resonance, and an enduring sense of magic.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Generate at least 4 new drafts from original witchy prompts .
• Weekly feedback from Dr. Erica Anzalone and your peers. 
• Use the five senses to alchemize abstraction and create an embodied experience for the reader.
• Use defamiliarization to combat cliché and create striking language that holds readers spellbound.

*All course readings can be found online and listed in the course outline/syllabus.

COURSE OUTLINE & READINGS:

Week 1: Sacred Carnality
Week 2: Make It Strange (And Bring Your Tarot Deck)
Week 3: Uncanny Bodies in the Underworld
Week 4: To the Moon and Beyond

TESTIMONIALS:

“Thank you, Erica, for a fabulous class! I've learned so much about the writing process and relished the texts. Each class has helped awaken long-slumbering skills of analysis and muscles of creativity that I haven't exercised in some time. I'm especially grateful for the workshop portion, both for my own piece and for others. I've always been insecure about my writing style, but these classes have really boosted my confidence and filled my well of creativity. The workshop notes I received validated my process and helped magnify the paths to take next. I'm so grateful to Erica and the writing coven that is forming through these classes.” — Kristilyn Ink

“With Erica’s mentorship, I am now attending the MFA program of my choice and have published several of my poems. She saw potential where I did not, and she pushed me out of my comfort zone by encouraging me to write creative non-fiction. She taught me to trust in my own writing and the fact that my stories are valuable on their own. I fell in love with creative non-fiction because of her. Not only did Erica spend an ample amount of time with me (more than she had to!), she provided me with pages of written feedback that helped me revise and assist in the publication process. I am a much stronger, more confident writer since working with Erica, and am successfully pursuing a career in the field of creative writing.” — Kerri Vasilakos (Kerri’s poetry has appeared in Black Moon Magazine, The Ekphrastic Review, The Penman Review, and Crow and Cross Keys)

“Erica helped me with my applications to MFA programs in Creative Writing. With her assistance, I was accepted or waitlisted to every place I applied, and I'm now a student in my top-choice program. Throughout our work together, Erica was empathetic, challenging, and generous. She helped me to present myself with confidence and clarity. Her feedback was always specific and extensive, and I know the advice she gave me was critical to the success of my applications. I'm sure these skills transfer over to her classes together. I can't recommend working with Erica enough! — Lizzie Fox, Writer/Translator

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This class is entirely asynchronous which means you complete the weekly assignments on your own schedule. There are no set meeting times in order to allow for greater participation; your cohort will consist of writers from across different time zones, which allows for a wonderful diversity of voices.

Along with your weekly deadlines, there is plenty of interaction with Erica and your peers within Wet Ink, our dedicated online classroom. Craft materials, lectures, reading assignments, and writing prompts are all available through the online classroom. Students also post work and provide and receive feedback within the online classroom environment.

You can get the work done as you see fit week-to-week, so it is perfect for any schedule. There are discussion questions each week inspired by the assigned readings and topics in the lecture notes. Students are encouraged to take these wherever is most compelling and/or useful for them. Erica engages with these discussions throughout the week and you will receive feedback from all assigned writing activities.

HOW DOES WET INK WORK?

Wet Ink was built and designed specifically for online writing classes. Wet Ink is private, easy to use, and very interactive. You can learn more about the Wet Ink platform by Watching a Class Demo.