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Learning to See

A Writing Blog About Craft & Creative Process
"Learning to see is the basis for learning all of the arts."
​- Flannery O'Connor

January 01st, 2019

1/1/2019

3 Comments

 

New Year Writing Exercise:

Reflecting on 2018 In Vignettes

​by Joy Baglio

Directions: Free-write on each of the following topics for five minutes (set a timer), without trying to direct or control where it goes. Don't overthink it, just write whatever comes to mind on the following topics while trying to remember as deeply as possible. Use as many sensory, specific, and concrete details as possible. Don't worry about connecting these vignettes into a larger work - that often happens naturally, or can be worked on later. ​

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December 01st, 2018

12/1/2018

5 Comments

 

So You Have Writer's Block?

Congratulations!

​by Carolyn Zaikowski

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​So you have writer’s block. Congratulations! This means you’re officially a writer. 
I’m not just trying to make you feel better. Writer’s block has zero connection to your ability as a creative person. All writers on the face of the planet, through all of human history, have experienced it. If they say they haven’t, you can tell them Carolyn Zaikowski said they must be a creature from another galaxy. But if you’re anything like me, you sometimes want the end product right now.

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November 26th, 2018

11/26/2018

4 Comments

 

How Grief Breaks the Sentence

by Nikki Sambitsky

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My mind works in jumbles and pieces. Oftentimes, at my most vulnerable, thoughts come to me in fragments. What is it about grief that causes this, effectively breaking the sentence? My writing reflects this too. Last year, my MFA grad school mentor, T Fleischmann, asked me to keep a grief journal. It was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do. Both of my children, ages seven and four, have high-functioning autism. 

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November 25th, 2018

11/25/2018

14 Comments

 

What Does "Learning to See" Mean?

by Joy Baglio

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Hello, and welcome to the first-ever post of this blog! I'm Joy Baglio, Founder & Director of Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop, though first and foremost I'm a writer, working on short stories and a novel, and musing constantly on issues of craft! 

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"Can't say enough about PVWW, Joy, and her amazing team of teachers! Writing is very much about the ability to sit in your seat for hours and put pen to paper, but coming to PVWW has helped me build a community around my writing, breathe new life into my efforts, and get out of my own head a bit. And beyond that, I've learned lots of practical, nuts-and-bolts techniques that have vastly improved my work."
- Emily Everett, Editor at The Common

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Email: joy@pioneervalleywriters.org
Phone: 518-645-1113 
Location: Northampton, MA

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  • About Us
    • What People Are Saying
    • Our Team >
      • Apply to Teach at PVWW
    • Financial Aid
    • Policies
    • Media & Photo Gallery
    • Contact
  • Creative Writing Classes
    • Current Workshops & Classes
    • 10-Month Manuscript Program
  • Events
    • Readings & Events (Virtual)
    • Community Writing
  • Editing & Consulting
  • Store