The Prop Closet

The Prop Closet: Molding Everyday Objects into Extraordinary Story Devices

Virtual
Saturday, May 23rd at 10am-12pm

Age Group: Adult 18+
Skill Level: All Levels!

Description: There’s only so much abstract musing that any one piece of writing can hold. Join us in the virtual writing exercises room to raid the “prop closet” to bring the concrete to the abstract in your poems, stories, and even non-fiction. But these objects won’t just be set dressing: Every item will earn its place on the page! 

Bring work in progress if you have it or start fresh! 

We will have some objects to consider virtually, but if you want a 5-sense writing experience, feel free to collect your own small box of found objects, trinkets or tchotchkes to work from. They can be common, sentimental or ritualistic, doesn’t matter for our purposes.

Use a pen and paper or a computing device to write with—whatever suits you.

By the end of this workshop, participants will… develop a broader range of descriptive and sensory vocabulary, as well as establish a personal toolkit of exercises to return to for continued writing practice. 

About the facilitator:

M. C. Benner Dixon lives, writes, and grows things in Pittsburgh, PA. She is quick to make a pun and slow to cut her grass. Her debut novel, The Height of Land, won the Orison Fiction Prize. Her poetry and prose have appeared in The Iowa Review, Reckoning, Literary Hub, Fusion Fragment, Appalachian Review, and elsewhere. Millions of Suns: On Writing and Life, a collection of craft essays co-authored with Sharon Fagan McDermott, is available from the University of Michigan Press. Find her at bennerdixon.com.

Schereéya (he/fae) is a multi-disciplinary artist and poet based in Pittsburgh with roots in the US South. A Master’s Degree in Theatre from University of York (UK) and years of lived experience inform Schereéya’s writing, multi-media and performance work. Deep reverence for the magic of the planet and humanity, as well as questions like “how did we all get here?” and “why here, why now, why this green rock hurtling through space?” spark the generation of Schereéya’s practice. Find current musings and recent publications at schereeya.substack.com.

Refund & Cancellation Policy: Attendees can cancel their registration 7 days or more before the event for a full refund (minus ticketing fees). If there is a need to cancel registration less than 7 days before the event, 50% of the ticket cost will be refunded (minus ticketing fees). 

Write Pittsburgh reserves the right to cancel events due to unforeseen circumstances including low registration. If this happens, registrants will receive a 100% refund of the workshop cost (minus ticketing fees). Please note that Humanitix does not allow us to refund ticketing fees, so that is not something that we have any control over.