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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

Hurdling writer’s block classes offered at festival

The+Writers+Studio+Tucson+is+and+exhibitor+at+the+2018+Tucson+Festival+of+Books.+The+studio+offers+writers+with+classes+and+courses+to+improve+their+skills
Pascal Albright
The Writers Studio Tucson is and exhibitor at the 2018 Tucson Festival of Books. The studio offers writers with classes and courses to improve their skills

Writing can sometimes be a difficult and daunting task for those who undertake the process, amateur and professional alike. When “writers block” takes over the pen, a helping hand is a godsend. 

The Writers Studio Tucson offers a unique perspective on writing in a formal classroom, giving feedback and instruction to those who want to learn and grow. 

The studio was originally founded in New York by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Philip Schultz in 1987. Since then, it has branched out into an online platform, as well as several other ground locations. 

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In Tucson, workshops and classes are offered throughout the year. Options are available for all types of writers in all different stages of life. Classes begin in the spring and continue through the summer for eight weeks at a time.

“The Writers Studio Tucson gives those writers in the Tucson community the ability to connect with others, sharing and improving their writing together,” said Reneé Bibby, director of The Writers Studio Tucson. 

These classes focus on the art of poetry and creative writing, as well as a more technical standpoint to writers skills. 

A lot of the effectiveness in teaching is due to what can be described as the voice method. Students have the ability to try on writing voices like coats, eventually finding the one that fits best.

The studio offers helpful critique, pushing those who accept it to a more advanced level of writing. This can result in award-winning work from their students. 

Those who take the classes are guaranteed to find an attentive, caring and helpful staff to bring out the best in their work, giving them something to be proud of.

Bibby tells people that The Writers Studio “is open to all writers of all categories from beginners to those working on their MFAs.”

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“Those attending are usually readers, which means a lot of them are writers. This gives us a chance to connect and share our program with them in person,” Bibby said. 

The studio will be at the Tucson Festival of Books in Booth #117. They will be offering information about their classes, as well as answering questions about their process and how they can help those with the desire to learn and transform into better writers. 

“The Tucson [Festival of Books] is the only festival that we attend each year, and that’s because it’s the best,” Bibby said.

The festival is all about books and those who write them, so why not encourage people to join the few in a class that accepts the many?


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