The Backstory Above: Writing the Family Constellation with Sarah Stone & David Haynes

Single session class taught by authors & MFA instructors David Haynes and Sarah Stone for The Backstory Above, mezzanine above Green Apple Books on the Park: Families are full of constantly shifting dynamics and allegiances: feuds and friendships; competing interests, needs, and desires; disputed histories and circumstances. All of these become part of our projects, whether we're writing a family saga that covers generations, a work that focuses on one relationship, or a piece that takes place over the course of an afternoon. This session is for writers at all levels and working in any genre, including fiction, essay, memoir, poetry, and plays. We'll read short selections together, discuss the craft and process of writing families, and do a couple of writing exercises to explore family constellations from different angles. Along the way we'll think about who gets included and how (are they central or peripheral?) and whether the piece stays with one speaker/central character or shifts among different consciousnesses and perspectives. We'll also touch on the dynamics around writing family that happen off the page and the critical importance of dramatic irony when traversing the family multiverse. Please bring a pen and notebook or a laptop.