Writing Without Fear

Are you working on a novel, memoir or non-fiction project? Did you start off with great enthusiasm, only to feel the project bog down? Are you overwhelmed by the complexity of the task? Has anxiety crept into your writing day?

To produce good work, writers must be willing to take risks and to produce writing that fails. This process of exploration often creates anxiety, and often results in the dreaded writer’s block. How do we allow spontaneity and improvisation into our work and still create coherence How do we craft a writing process that allows risk, but also creates a safety net?

Borrowing from psychology, we will understand the types of anxiety inherent in the writing process, and how to manage them. We will examine working methods from other creative fields — architects, screenwriters, film editors, and radio story tellers — and steal from them.

The goal of this workshop is to create a writing process that works for you, and that allows you to be fearless and productive.

This 90-minute workshop includes lecture, writing exercises, videos and graphic novel excerpts. Fiction, memoirists, and non-fiction writers welcome.

Please reach out to [email protected] for assistance if you are able to join but the registration price is prohibitive.

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Amin Ahmad worked as an architect before turning to fiction. He designs his novels using the same skills he learned to design buildings. He is the author of the novels A KILLER IN THE FAMILY, THE LAST TAXI RIDE, and THE CARETAKER. His short story collection, THIS IS NOT YOUR COUNTRY, won the 2020 Chandra Prize. He created the ‘Novel Year’ program at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, MD, taught at Story Studio Chicago, and was the 2017-19 Visiting Artist in Residence at Northwestern University. He now teaches creative writing to undergraduates at Duke University.

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COMMUNITY CARE & ACCESSIBILITY

At AAWW, the safety and comfort of our community is our top priority. We invite you to practice intentionality and care in your behavior and language when engaging with our programs and with each other. Violence of any kind, including but not limited to racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, ageism, class or casteism, bigotry or bias toward religion or faith, or any action or assault against marginalized identities, is not tolerated. Those who bring harm to our community in person or online are not welcome, and will be asked to exit the space. We are located on the 18 West 21st Street, Suite 900, there is an elevator that will take you directly to our office.

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Host or Publisher Asian American Writers' Workshop