Ollie Schminkey | Writers.com https://writers.com/instructor/ollie-schminkey Your voice is a gift. Share it. Tue, 23 Dec 2025 10:51:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 Good Grief: Writing Poems About Loss https://writers.com/course/good-grief-writing-poems-about-loss Thu, 20 Nov 2025 20:51:52 +0000 https://writers.com/?post_type=product&p=50155 Discover poetry as a processing tool for grief, and write new poems that reflect loss’s many facets—from sorrow to humor.

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]]> In this six-week course, you’ll join Dead Dad Jokes and Where I Dry the Flowers author Ollie Schminkey as we explore ways to write about grief. You’ll gain skills for using poetry as a processing tool, as well as tips for how to edit poems about grief and loss that you might want to share with audiences or readers.

This series will approach writing about grief and loss from a wide variety of angles, including structure, form, and even, at times, humor. You’ll get plenty of practice writing with exercises, including specifically tailored writing prompts that we will complete each week in-class. You’ll learn from the best, studying contemporary poets like Danez Smith, Andrea Gibson, and Sam Sax. At the end of this course, you’ll have at least 6 new poems and an expanded idea of what writing about grief can look like.

Each week, we will meet for an hour and a half over Zoom and cover a new topic. This will often include a short lesson with poem examples, followed by a brief discussion and a writing exercise. There will be an optional bonus writing prompt each week if you’d like to continue exploring, and you will have an opportunity for weekly instructor feedback on one of your drafts from every week. Please note that there is no formal peer editing component to this course; folks are welcome to solicit and provide informal peer feedback if they’d like, but it is not required or guaranteed.

Ollie aims for all of their classes to be actively non-competitive, non-judgemental, pro-diversity, anti-racist, pro-LGBTQ, and fun! (Yes, even while we are writing about grief.) You can expect a collaborative environment, a flexible approach to poetry, and (hopefully) a good laugh per class.

Note: Poems in this workshop will cover a wide variety of themes, some of which contain mature content and may be activating for some participants.

Who This Course Is For

Beginners are welcomed and encouraged! Experienced folks are welcomed and encouraged! Everyone is welcomed and encouraged! Prompts and materials are designed to be flexible and meet all poets where they are at in their writing journey. Although we will all be writing about personal experiences of grief and loss, everyone experiences those things differently, and there is no loss too small or too big to bring to the space.

Learning Goals and Writing Goals

Learning Goals

In this course, you will: 

  • Gain new poetic tools to write about grief.
  • Explore different types of poetic form that can be used to write about grief.
  • Learn to effectively edit poems about grief, and learn the difference between a poem that is meant to be edited for an audience/reader and a poem that is just for yourself.

Writing Goals

In this course, you will: 

  • Use a variety of structures and forms commonly found in grief/loss poetry.
  • Explore the role of effective metaphors in poems about loss.
  • Write at least 6 poems dealing with grief and loss.

Zoom Schedule

We will meet live on Zoom for 6 weeks on Wednesdays at 7:00PM Eastern (please adjust for your local time) from January 21st- February 25th. Classes will include a short lecture (10 minutes), guided writing time, exercises, sharing, and group conversation.

Weekly Syllabus

Week 1: What Poetry is For: Speaking to and Through Loss

In this first week, we’ll explore the many uses of poetry as it relates to grief and loss, from personal processing to activism to publishing. You’ll have some time to reflect on your personal poetic goals (spoiler: there’s no wrong answer!) We’ll also tackle the question “What is grief?” and discuss a few poems which approach grief from different angles. We’re also here to write, and we’ll end the workshop by writing our own letter poems. Each week, you’ll have the opportunity for private instructor feedback on either the poem you wrote in class, or the optional bonus prompt you are welcome to complete outside of class.

Week 2: Connecting to the Heart through Metaphor

I find that one of the most difficult things about grief is that it tends to defy definition, and it often feels like an inherently lonely experience. This week, you’ll learn how to use metaphor to more effectively describe the emotional truth of grief in your poetry, and to connect more deeply with readers/audiences. We’ll end the workshop by writing a poem together, specifically tailored to put your new tools to the test.

Week 3: Resurrection with The Golden Shovel

This week, we’ll explore a type of form poem called a Golden Shovel. Invented by Terrance Hayes, this form is typically used to pay homage to another poet; however, we’ll be using the form to pay homage to someone or something we’ve lost. This workshop will include both discussion and a guided writing prompt.

Week 4: Telling Complicated Truths Through Erasure

In the fourth week, we’ll explore a form called erasure (or blackout poetry) that can be particularly potent when writing about grief and loss. We’ll study several kinds of erasure, including those with found/pre-existing source material and those that are self-erasing. Of course, you’ll get a chance to test out this form on your own as we write together in workshop, and to continue writing through the weekly optional bonus prompt.

Week 5: Grief and Humor

This week, we’ll explore what role humor can take in poems about grief and loss. We’ll look at some contemporary examples, and, of course, write!

Week 6: Editing Grief

For our final week, we’ll talk about tips and tricks for editing poems about grief and loss, as well as ways to find good spaces to present that work. We’ll take a moment to celebrate the work that you’ve accomplished, and we’ll end the class with resources on how to sustain your writing practice and remain connected to writing community.


Click the Enroll Now button below, enter your details on the Checkout page,
and reserve your spot in the course.

$445.00Enroll Now

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]]> Sonnets to Sestinas: Form Poems for This Century https://writers.com/course/sonnets-to-sestinas-form-poems-for-this-century Thu, 08 May 2025 18:30:28 +0000 https://writers.com/?post_type=product&p=37329 Discover the modern form poem—from the ode to the contrapuntal—and push your poetry in exciting new directions.

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]]> Sonnets aren’t just for Shakespeare (or high school English classes)! Form poems are still relevant and can be vehicles for meaningful, personal, and engaging subject matter. Having “rules” to follow can help us push our work in new directions, say something old in a new way, and add texture to our manuscripts. (And, of course, have fun!)

This 6-week workshop series will give poets the tools to write the often dreaded (but exciting!) “form poem.” We’ll be looking at only modern examples of these forms (this ain’t your great-great grandma’s poetry workshop), including ode, elegy, sonnet, sestina, erasure, and my personal favorite, the contrapuntal. At the end of the course, you’ll even have the opportunity to invent a new form of your own! We’ll take a peek at modern form poems by poets including Danez Smith, Victoria Chang, Paul Tran, and Shira Erlichman.

Each week, we will meet for an hour and a half over Zoom and cover a new type of form poem (sometimes two). This will often include a short lesson with poem examples, followed by a writing exercise. This workshop will be primarily generative, but it will also include tips and tricks for how to edit different types of form poems. You will receive weekly feedback from me on your poem drafts (this course does not involve a peer-editing component).

Ollie aims for all of their classes to be actively non-competitive, non-judgemental, pro-diversity, anti-racist, pro-LGBTQ, and extremely fun! You can expect a collaborative environment, a flexible approach to poetry, and (hopefully) a good laugh per class.

Who This Course is For

This workshop is perfect for experienced poets looking to expand their writing, as well as adventurous beginners who aren’t afraid of a challenge. Poems in this workshop will cover a wide variety of themes, some of which contain mature content and may be activating for some participants.

Learning and Writing Goals

Learning Goals

  • Learn about the contemporary uses of many types of form poems
  • Gain comfort with experimenting with form poems
  • Explore a flexible and modern approach to form

Writing Goals

  • Write first drafts of 7+ types of form poems
  • Invent 1 new form of your own, or combine two existing forms
  • Receive detailed instructor feedback on each (to be completed outside of the course if desired)

Zoom Schedule

Class will meet on Zoom Thursdays at 7-8:30 PM Eastern (please adjust for your local time) from July 10th-August 14th. Classes will include a short lecture (10 minutes), guided writing time, exercises, sharing, and group conversation.

Weekly Syllabus

Note: Each week, you’ll receive detailed instructor feedback on one draft rom that week (either your in-class poem or your bonus poem).

Week One: Oh, to be an Ode

This week, we’ll start off with an introduction to form using the humble ode. No, we will not be talking about any Grecian urns; instead, we’ll be looking at a few contemporary examples from Olivia Gatwood, Hieu Minh Nguyen, and Shira Erlichman.

You’ll try your hand at writing an ode with a tailored prompt, and you’ll be sent home with an optional bonus prompt if you’re excited to try another. 

Week Two: Elegy and Erasure

In our second week, we’ll begin the work of loss through both elegy and erasure. We’ll look at poems by Ben Wenzl, E.J. Schoenborn, and Victoria Chang. We’ll write together, and you’ll be provided with another bonus prompt to tinker with outside of class.

Week Three: Not-So-Shakespearean Sonnets

This week, we’ll turn to several varieties of sonnets, including the intimidating (but satisfying) crown of sonnets. We’ll take a look at three very different sonnets by Danez Smith, Sam Sax, and Wang Ping. Of course, we’ll write (you will not be forced to write in meter, although you’re welcome to if that sort of thing excites you), and you’ll get a bonus prompt to continue your journey outside of class.

Week Four: Sestina, with a Bonus Appearance by Pantoum

It’s about time we dove into repetition! It’s about time we dove into repetition! (Get it? Sorry…) Many form poems rely on clear instructions of how and when to repeat words or lines. Our main star today will be sestina, but your bonus prompt will also include an opportunity to explore pantoum. Our featured authors include the likes of Raych Jackson and Lawrence Schimel. As always, we’ll write, and you’ll get your choice of bonus prompt.

Week Five: Contrapuntal

Buckle in, as this week brings us a 3-for-1 in the form of contrapuntal. To guide us through the difficult (but rewarding) process of writing contrapuntal, we’ll study poems by Zach Goldberg and Zoe Berkovitz. You’ll get some extra tips today for how to write (and edit) contrapuntal poems, and your bonus prompt will help you to finish the poem you began in class.

Week Six: Your Turn--Inventing Form

It’s easy to forget that the now-staple forms like sonnets were once just an idea in someone’s head, but there is nothing about form that is set in stone. For our last lesson, we’ll turn to our own selves as combiners and creators of form. We’ll study some excellent examples from poets like Daniel Garcia and Paul Tran, and we’ll begin the process of poetic invention. The bonus prompt will allow you to more firmly establish your new poetic form. This last lesson will also include a list of final resources, editing tips, and a well-deserved round of applause.


Sonnets to Sestinas: Form Poems for This Century
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]]> What’s So Funny? Writing Poetic Humor https://writers.com/course/whats-so-funny-writing-poetic-humor Mon, 11 Sep 2023 20:23:20 +0000 https://writers.com/?post_type=product&p=18211 Can a poem make the audience laugh out loud? Learn how to harness poetic humor in this class about knocking the reader's socks off.

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]]> In this four-week course, you’ll learn a number of ways to incorporate humor into your poetry, and we’re not just talking about limericks or poems for children (although we do love limericks . . . and (cough) children’s poetry). This course is a dive into the contemporary humor poem for adults; over the four-week period, you’ll learn how to construct poetic jokes that land, use humor to tackle more serious topics, and of course, write poems that are laugh-out-loud funny.

This class will be in the form of pre-recorded video lectures paired with written information to guide you through the lessons and assignments.  You’ll get plenty of practice building your humor muscles with exercises, including specifically tailored writing prompts with weekly instructor feedback.  You’ll learn from the best, studying contemporary poets like Danez Smith, Anna Binkovitz, and Neil Hilborn.  At the end of this course, you’ll have 4-8 new poems and a brand new funny bone (gross–put that thing away!)

Ollie aims for all of their classes to be actively non-competitive, non-judgemental, pro-diversity, anti-racist, pro-LGBTQ, and extremely fun! You can expect a collaborative environment, a flexible approach to poetry, and (hopefully) a good laugh per class.

Beginners are welcomed and encouraged! Experienced folks are welcomed and encouraged! Everyone is welcomed and encouraged!

Poems in this workshop will cover a wide variety of themes, some of which contain mature content and may be activating for some participants.

Learning Goals:

  • Demystify humor and learn to take risks that may lead to hilarity
  • Uncover and understand the mechanisms of what makes something funny
  • Study the relationship between humor and tragedy, and use it to your advantage
  • Identify the level/type of humor that will best suit your poem, and write impactful work

Writing Goals:

  • Write jokes that follow successful structure and form, as well as a variety of structures of funny poems
  • Write 4-8 poems that incorporate humor
  • Complete one revision based off of instructor feedback

Syllabus

Week 1: The Joke’s On You--What Makes Something Funny

In order to write funny poems, we first have to be funny (this is where so many of us go wrong). This first week, we’ll dissect the foundation of humor writing: the joke. You’ll get concrete advice for how to make something funny, how jokes are constructed, and how to offend only the people you meant to.

We’ll also talk about how to use humor with kindness, and (less funny) when it’s not the time to make a joke.

Assignment: Write 5 jokes that follow the structures outlined, write a funny poem off of the tailored prompt using structured jokes (and an optional 2nd bonus prompt)

Week 2: Types of Funny Poems

In week two, you’ll learn some common overall structures of funny poems–how do we move beyond one funny line to construct an entire funny poem? You’ll watch some videos of poems, study their mechanisms, and then use those mechanisms yourself.

Assignment: Write a funny poem using one of the structures we outlined (and an optional 2nd bonus prompt)

Week 3: It’s Your “Turn”-- Using Humor to Explore Serious Topics

One of humor’s best friends is tragedy, and this week you’ll explore how to use funny things to talk about sad things. You’ll watch some poems, study the all-important poetic “turn,” and of course, write!

Assignment: Write a poem off of the tailored prompt that incorporates a turn from funny to sad (and an optional 2nd bonus prompt)

Week 4: Endings, Editing, and E…Other Stuff

We’ve saved last things for last, and this week you’ll learn specific tips for ending funny poems. We’ll also talk about revision with tips specific to editing funny work, and you’ll be sent back into the world with some final resources.

Assignment: Revise one of your earlier poems using the instructor feedback

Why Take a Humor Poetry Writing Course with Writers.com?

  • We welcome writers of all backgrounds and experience levels, and we are here for one reason: to support you on your writing journey.
  • Small groups keep our online writing courses lively and intimate.
  • Work through your weekly lectures, course materials, and writing assignments at your own pace.
  • Share and discuss your work with fellow writers in a supportive course environment.
  • Award-winning instructor Ollie Schminkey will offer you direct, personal feedback and suggestions on every assignment you submit.
What’s So Funny? Writing Poetic Humor
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]]> Mastering the Manuscript: Completing a Full-Length Poetry Manuscript (from Start to Finish) https://writers.com/course/mastering-the-manuscript-completing-a-full-length-poetry-manuscript-from-start-to-finish Tue, 09 May 2023 18:48:12 +0000 https://writers.com/?post_type=product&p=17174 In this generative course, you'll write the bulk of the poems you'll use in your full-length manuscript, and learn how to structure them into a collection.

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]]> Join award-winning author Ollie Schminkey for this 10-week intensive course that will provide you with all of the tools you need to draft your own full-length poetry manuscript. This course will focus on not only how to write a manuscript, but how to write a good one.

We’ll begin at the beginning, and you’ll learn how to create a compelling theme, structure, and organization for your manuscript (existing ideas and projects are welcome, but we will be looking at those ideas and refining them to make sure they really help your book shine, so come prepared with an open mind).

Whether you are coming to this course with some poems already written or whether you are starting from scratch, you will write 20-30 new poems based off of provided prompts, some of which we will complete during our weekly meetings, but the bulk will be on your own as part of a daily/weekly writing practice (this works out to writing about 2-3 poems a week). By the end of this course, you will have a significant amount of new material for consideration in your manuscript. Please note that this writing schedule is significantly more rigorous than most other courses, and you will get out of the course what you put in.

Each week, we will meet for an hour and a half over Zoom and cover a new topic. These topics range from ideation to effective metaphors to manuscript structure to poem endings and will often include a short lesson followed by a writing exercise. You will grow your writing craft as you complete the content of your manuscript, strengthening both your ideas and your writing as you go.

This course includes significant out of class work each week (these manuscripts aren’t going to write themselves!), estimated at about 1-1.5 hours per week. The bulk of this work will be writing new poems, but you will sometimes be required to edit your peers’ work (never more than a few poems at a time), and to complete other assignments, including reading a full-length poetry manuscript from a published author.

During the course, you will receive global/more general edits on your entire manuscript from the instructor, and you will create a 5-poem packet that represents the manuscript, on which you will receive in-depth poem edits. At the end of the first two months, you will get peer feedback on a poem of your choice. If you would like in-depth feedback on all of your poems, this course pairs well with private coaching from Ollie Schminkey.

A few other things of note: this course focuses on the craft of the manuscript itself, and is not a course on publishing. Although you will receive some resources for publishing and you’ll have an opportunity to ask any questions you have, keep in mind that this is a primarily generative course. This course is best suited to folks who are serious about making significant progress on a manuscript, although both beginners and more experienced poets are welcomed with open arms, and exercises/assignments are designed to benefit many experience levels of writers.

Ollie aims for all of their classes to be actively non-competitive, non-judgemental, pro-diversity, anti-racist, pro-LGBTQ, and extremely fun! You can expect a collaborative environment, a flexible approach to poetry, and (hopefully) a good laugh per class. Poems in this workshop will cover a wide variety of themes, some of which contain mature content and may be activating for some participants.

Learning and Writing Goals

Learning Goals

In this course, you will: 

  • Develop and choose a successful idea/theme/structure for your manuscript.
  • Understand the mechanisms of successful manuscripts, and apply those qualities to your own work.
  • Read and analyze one poetry manuscript that achieves goals that are similar to yours (we’ll talk about how to identify and choose these manuscripts in class).
  • Identify presses and contests that would be a good fit for your work.

Writing Goals

In this course, you will: 

  • Learn new writing skills and ways to improve your writing with many manuscript-specific tools.
  • Generate a large body (20-30 poems) of work for consideration in your manuscript, including a variety of forms and structures.
  • Compile a packet of 5 poems that represent the heart of the manuscript for extensive editing.
  • Receive and give peer feedback on two poems.

Zoom Schedule

Class will meet live on Zoom for 10 weeks on Thursdays from 7-8:30 PM Eastern, February 6th- April 10th. Classes will include a short lecture (10 minutes), guided writing time, exercises, sharing, and group conversation.

Weekly Syllabus

Week One: Ideation and Creation!

This first week, you’ll learn about different ways to come up with ideas, how to test those ideas for success, and how to choose the right one for your manuscript. We’ll talk about how to determine the goal of your book, how to tailor your manuscript to your audience, and how to choose a structure that is right for your book. If you already have an idea for your book, you’ll learn how to refine that idea. By next week, you’ll have a clear theme for your manuscript, as well as any tweaks to any existing ideas. And, of course, you’ll begin writing, with prompts that are specifically tailored to support the structure and theme of your manuscript!

Week Two: The Not-So-Basics

We are going to take it back to the beginning, and you’ll learn some poetry vocab (that’s probably more practical and helpful than your high school English class), and we’ll put that vocab to the test with examples, exercises, and tips. You’ll also choose a book to read that achieves similar content and structure goals to your manuscript. (Reading this book will be due on Week Six, so you have enough time to order your chosen book if you need to). The assignment will include writing your weekly batch of poems, with prompts designed to incorporate this new vocabulary into your work.

Week Three: Metaphors and Images

We’ll do a deep dive into what makes metaphors work, images shine, and poems connect with readers. We’ll practice in class, learn from the greats (otherwise known as poets I personally think are great, which will be a diverse array of contemporary poets), and, of course, write!

Week Four: The “After” Poem

We’ll learn how to find inspiration from other poets’ work, how to properly credit them for that inspiration, and how to use that inspiration to make poems that are uniquely ours. In addition to writing your weekly poems, you will post a poem for in-class peer editing.

Week Five: All About Editing

You will learn some tips and tricks for giving, receiving, and completing edits. We will be taking a look at your poems in-class and providing feedback as a group. The homework for this week will include reading your book you chose in Week Two, and coming to class next week with some ideas of what you learned.

Week Six: Reading, Writing, and ‘Rithmetic (Just Kidding, There’s No Math)

We’ll discuss what you learned from your books (what you loved, what you didn’t), and how that will impact the future of your own manuscript. We’ll write together off of a prompt inspired by the book you just read, and your weekly assignment will take inspiration from your book. This will also serve as a check-in for how your manuscript is progressing and to make any adjustments as needed.

Week Seven: Gotta Try Em All--Form Poems!

We’ll dive into the myriad of form options for poems, and you’ll examine how different types of form poems can support your manuscript. Your weekly writing assignment will include intentionally drafting form poems that strengthen your project.

Week Eight: All Good Things Must Come to An End--How to End a Poem

You’ll learn about 3 ways to effectively end a poem and leave your readers with that “wow” feeling. Of course, we’ll practice in class, and of course, your weekly assignment will have you interrogating and improving your endings. You will also identify and post a “title poem” for the collection for peer editing. For next week, the entire draft of your manuscript is also due, and you will be receiving global feedback from the instructor.

Week Nine: Finding the Heart of Your Manuscript

In class, we will edit our title poems as a group and check in about the progress of your manuscript. For next week, you will compile a packet of 5 poems for intensive instructor editing that represent the heart of your collection.

Week Ten: Publication

You’ll learn how to identify presses and contests that might be a good fit for your work, and you’ll also get a chance to ask any questions you have about the publishing world. You’ll get a guide for next steps, and, of course, we’ll celebrate the new draft of your manuscript!

Why Take a Poetry Manuscript Writing Course with Writers.com?

  • We welcome writers of all backgrounds and experience levels, and we are here for one reason: to support you on your writing journey.
  • Small groups keep our online writing courses lively and intimate.
  • Work through your weekly lectures, course materials, and writing assignments at your own pace.
  • Share and discuss your work with fellow writers in a supportive course environment.
  • Award-winning instructor Ollie Schminkey will offer you direct, personal feedback and suggestions on every assignment you submit.
Mastering the Manuscript: Completing a Full-Length Poetry Manuscript (from Start to Finish)
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]]> 30 Poems in 30 Days https://writers.com/course/30-poems-in-30-days Wed, 22 Feb 2023 19:19:45 +0000 https://writers.com/?post_type=product&p=16255 This National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), build community and get feedback on your work while writing a poem every day.

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]]> April is the coolest month.

Celebrate National Poetry Month by writing 30 poems in 30 days, in this low-pressure, generative workshop designed to beat writer’s block, kick you out of ruts, and, most importantly, just get your words onto the page!

Each day we’ll flex our creative muscles with a unique writing prompt; we’ll begin simply, but the prompts will become more complex as we go on. The course is designed to gently push you into new creative territory– you’ll try out new forms, read and watch work from some amazing poets, and engage with a myriad of ways to find inspiration. You can share each day’s work with your classmates via the Wet.Ink course platform, or engage privately with just the instructor via email—whatever works best to get you writing and keep you inspired!

You’re encouraged to interact with your classmates throughout the month by providing positive insights and feedback on shared poems; however, no extensive editing is required. You will also receive supportive feedback weekly from the instructor, and near the end of the course, you’ll have the option to receive one in-depth critique on a poem of your choice.

By the end of the month, you’ll have a treasure trove of works-in-progress to keep tinkering with. On the final day, we’ll talk about the power of revision and where you can take your poems once class ends.

Ollie aims for all of their classes to be actively non-competitive, non-judgemental, pro-diversity, anti-racist, pro-LGBTQ, and extremely fun! You can expect a collaborative environment, a flexible approach to poetry, and lots of reminders that it’s ok to write a “bad” first draft.

Beginners are welcomed and encouraged! Experienced folks are welcomed and encouraged! Everyone is welcomed and encouraged!

Note: Poems in this workshop will cover a wide variety of themes, some of which contain mature content and may be activating for some participants.

Also note: the prompts in this session will be completely different than last year’s prompts! 

Learning and Writing Goals

During our 30 days together, you’ll learn:

  • To find inspiration in your daily life and the world around you.
  • How reading the work of other poets can inform your own writing practice.
  • To push yourself to write through your writing blocks and fears.

By the end of the course, you’ll have:

  • A new awareness of the variety of poetic forms, voices and techniques available to you.
  • A portfolio of newly-generated poems on a variety of topics and themes.
  • A cohort of new poet-peers to stay connected with.
  • One personalized, constructive critique from your instructor.

Why Take a Poetry Writing Course with Writers.com?

  • We welcome writers of all backgrounds and experience levels, and we are here for one reason: to support you on your writing journey.
  • Small groups keep our online writing courses lively and intimate.
  • Work through your weekly lectures, course materials, and writing assignments at your own pace.
  • Share and discuss your work with fellow writers in a supportive course environment.
  • Award-winning instructor Ollie Schminkey will offer you direct, personal feedback.
30 Poems in 30 Days
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]]> Poetry and Performance: Slam Poetry 101 https://writers.com/course/poetry-and-performance-slam-poetry-101 Fri, 16 Dec 2022 20:26:43 +0000 https://writers.com/?post_type=product&p=15278 In these workshops, master the elements of poetry and performance, and learn to take your poems from the page to the stage.

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]]> In this two-day workshop, led by award-winning slam poet and author Ollie Schminkey (they/them), you will gain the introductory skills to both write and perform poetry.

To begin, we will dive into the mechanics of writing performance poetry—what makes a poem impactful? How do we help audiences connect with our work? How do we write lines that make listeners want to snap their fingers? What makes a metaphor good? We will explore every aspect of how to make an impactful poem, from structure to images to endings, with concrete tips for each step of the process. We will study poems from poets like Hanif Abdurraqib, Denice Frohman, Danez Smith, and Hieu Minh Nguyen. Of course, no slam poetry course would be complete without performance! After we dissect the writing aspect of poetry, you’ll learn practical tips and tricks for performing that poetry (and even how to submit that performance to video contests).

This workshop is hands-on; come prepared to practice, write, share, and learn!

Ollie aims for all of their classes to be actively non-competitive, non-judgemental, pro-diversity, anti-racist, pro-LGBTQ, and extremely fun! You can expect a collaborative environment, a flexible approach to poetry, and (hopefully) a good laugh per class.

Beginners are welcomed and encouraged! Experienced folks are welcomed and encouraged! Everyone is welcomed and encouraged!

Poems in this workshop will cover a wide variety of themes, some of which contain mature content and may be activating for some participants.

Learning and Writing Goals

You will learn how to use new poetic vocabulary, how to construct a performance poem, and how to perform that poem effectively. You will come away from this workshop with a better understanding of how to create effective metaphors, images, structures, and endings, as well as an expanded view on what performance poetry can be.

Zoom Schedule

Thursday, March 2nd and Thursday, March 9th from 6-8:00 CST (7-9:00 PST).

Syllabus

Day One: Poems, Poems, Poems

We will dive right in on day one, starting with the very basics of slam poetry (What is a slam? How do you win? What makes it different than a poetry reading or open mic?). Next, we’ll explore poetic vocabulary for the performance poet (this isn’t your high school English class!), as well as how to make those metaphors really shine.  We’ll immediately put our new knowledge to practice while writing a poem off of a prompt tailored to reinforcing these concepts.  We will be sharing the first drafts we just wrote (don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds!) Then, you’ll get hands-on practice reworking metaphors, and we’ll all share our before-and-afters.

Day Two: Performance, Performance, Performance

We’ll spend the first half of the workshop exploring different types of poem structures, as well as the most effective ways to write the ending of a performance poem.  We’ll continue working with our poems we wrote on day one, getting some hands-on practice editing them for a memorable and effective ending on the stage. You’ll learn some tips and tricks for giving a knock-out performance, and, of course, some best practices for how to film that performance and submit it to contests. To wrap up the class, we’ll be sharing the newest drafts of our poems, celebrating our growth, and sharing resources for how to continue your performance poetry journey!

Why Take a Slam Poetry Writing Course with Writers.com?

  • We welcome writers of all backgrounds and experience levels, and we are here for one reason: to support you on your writing journey.
  • Small groups keep our online writing courses lively and intimate.
  • Work through your weekly lectures, course materials, and writing assignments at your own pace.
  • Share and discuss your work with fellow writers in a supportive course environment.
  • Award-winning instructor Ollie Schminkey will offer you direct, personal feedback and suggestions on every assignment you submit.
Poetry and Performance: Slam Poetry 101
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]]> Telling Truth: A Poetry Workshop https://writers.com/course/telling-truth-a-poetry-workshop Mon, 10 Oct 2022 13:43:10 +0000 https://writers.com/?post_type=product&p=14929 Learn how to tell your story and write a mini chapbook of poems in this truth-driven poetry workshop.

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]]> What is “truth?” How can you find yours? How do we tell our stories in ways that feel truthful to us? Where should we dive deeper? What should we leave out?

This 6-week workshop series, led by poet and author Ollie Schminkey (they/them), will give poets of all experience levels the tools to write and edit your own poems that speak to some part of your truth. In this hands-on course, we will meet weekly live on Zoom, where you will generate content, edit that content, and learn how to present that content in a mini chapbook.

During this course, you will develop new poetry skills, write from unique prompts, share work, and gain peer feedback. You will come away from this workshop with not only a handful of poems you can be proud of, but the ability to self-publish those poems in a mini collection. More specifically, you will learn how to create successful poem structures, improve poem endings, create more striking images and metaphors, compile a chapbook, and more effectively sustain your future writing practice. Along the way, we will learn from poems by contemporary authors like Hieu Minh Nguyen, Hanif Abdurraqib, Patrick Roche, Denice Frohman, Danez Smith, and Paul Tran (and, of course, each other!)

Ollie aims for all of their classes to be actively non-competitive, non-judgemental, pro-diversity, anti-racist, pro-LGBTQ, and extremely fun! You can expect a collaborative environment, a flexible approach to poetry, and (hopefully) a good laugh per class.

Beginners are welcomed and encouraged! Experienced folks are welcomed and encouraged! Everyone is welcomed and encouraged!

Poems in this workshop will cover a wide variety of themes, some of which contain mature content and may be activating for some participants.

Learning and Writing Goals

This course will push you to become a better writer (and editor) of your work. We will not wait for “inspiration” to strike; instead, this course will encourage you to train your creative muscles to produce new work consistently and with purpose. There are so many ways to achieve your poetic goals, and this course will give you concrete steps to make the magic happen.

By the end of the course, you will have a new poetic vocabulary, fresh writing tools, several new poems that have been peer-edited, and an instruction guide for how to turn that work into a self-published chapbook.

Zoom Schedule

Class will meet live on Zoom for 6 weeks on Thursdays from 6-7:30 CST (7-8:30 EST). Classes will include a short lecture (10 minutes), guided writing time, sharing, and workshopping/editing in small groups. We will only be workshopping material that was written in class (no outside material, please), and there will be a small amount of out of class work, including editing a few of your classmates’ poems, as well as completing edits on one of your poems.

Weekly Syllabus

Week 1: First Things First

We’ll review and develop group guidelines for the space and learn some helpful poetry vocabulary (much more helpful that what you probably learned in high school). You’ll then put these new concepts into practice with a writing prompt about a year of our lives, after learning from contemporary poets.

Week 2: Gotta Try Em All---Poem Forms

This week, we’ll dive into the many types of poems, review the myriad of options, and take a stab at writing a unique type of poem after poet Patrick Roche.

Week 3: More Metaphors for Me!

You’ll be pushing your work to the next level by learning about what makes a metaphor or image good (and of course, bad). We’ll then put our new skills to the test in a writing prompt rich with images and metaphors.

Week 4: The Final Word---Poem Endings

This week, we’ll be exploring the 3 main ways to successfully end a poem, working with examples of contemporary poets. Of course, you’ll get an immediate chance to practice with a writing prompt.

Week 5: All About Editing

We will shift focus from learning about writing poems to editing them. You’ll get direct feedback from both peers and the instructor as we do a deep-dive into how to effectively give and receive edits.

Week 6: Now What?

This week, we’ll continue editing during class, as well as review tools for creating a self-published chapbook out of the poems you’ve written. We’ll close out the course with some additional resources on how to sustain your writing practice to infinity and beyond!

Why Take a Poetry Writing Course with Writers.com?

  • We welcome writers of all backgrounds and experience levels, and we are here for one reason: to support you on your writing journey.
  • Small groups keep our online writing courses lively and intimate.
  • Work through your weekly lectures, course materials, and writing assignments at your own pace.
  • Share and discuss your work with fellow writers in a supportive course environment.
  • Award-winning instructor Ollie Schminkey will offer you direct, personal feedback and suggestions on every assignment you submit.
Telling Truth: A Poetry Workshop
Notify me when this course is scheduled

The post Telling Truth: A Poetry Workshop appeared first on Writers.com.

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