In this five-day intensive we will learn creative writing techniques that bring our profile pieces to life, reaching beyond the traditionally reported profile to aim for the universal. Through generative writing exercises, readings, and class discussions we will explore craft tools such as voice, dialogue, characterization, and theme. We’ll discuss locating and highlighting the heat in your story, crafting a character out of surroundings and noticed details, using personal narrative to create intimacy, and leveraging emerging themes to make a cultural statement. By the end of the course students will leave with a creative profile on a subject of their choosing, polished and revised with instructor feedback.


5 day intensive: March 1-5, 2021

Monday-Friday

Zoom class mornings 9-12 (with breaks)

Afternoons for writing, interviews, and project work

Tuition: Early bird special! $395 until Feb 15, then $525

CEUs: 3.5 

Faculty:

Jenny O’Connell is a writer, freelance journalist, and outdoor guide. Her debut book project, Finding Petronella, traces her 2014 solo trek across Finland following the footsteps of a female legend into the heart of the Arctic Circle. A 2019 Maine Literary Award finalist and Pushcart Prize nominee, Jenny's nonfiction and profiles have appeared in Creative Nonfiction, SLICE Magazine, Maine Magazine, Appalachia Journal, Hippocampus, and Decor Maine, among others. Jenny earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Stonecoast. She lives in Portland, where she teaches creative writing, guides wilderness expeditions locally and abroad, and works for Stonecoast MFA on initiatives that empower writers to create positive change through the literary arts.  

Supplies: 

A computer with a good internet connection, and a phone or recording device that can capture audio and/or video. Students will also need one of the following:

A profile subject with availability for an interview on Tuesday, March 2nd (preferred)

A previously recorded 30+ minute interview with a profile subject

An extensive collection of research (photos, articles, books, past interviews, video recordings, etc.) on a profile subject