Rise & Shine is a generative poetry workshop presented by Surprise the Line, hosted by Nancy Lynée Woo. Started in April 2020, Rise & Shine began as a daily writing group in response to the pandemic and NaPoWriMo. Now, the morning meetings rotate throughout the year with different series.
About This Group:
The purpose of this space is to generate new words on the page together. We welcome anyone who would like to start their day with an invigorating poetry writing prompt in a communal setting. Rise & Shine will stay free and donation-based to allow anyone access to this generative writing group.
The first hour is spent writing, and whoever would like to stay and share is welcome to read their draft (not a critique space). Invite surprise onto the page! Discover what wants to be written on that particular day without judgment. Lean into the process.
Odes:
The Winter 2021 series will meet Tuesday mornings at 9 am PST, starting January 19 and ending March 9 (8 weeks). Our focus will be writing odes!
An ode is traditionally a lyric poem written in reverence to a particular object or thing. Modern odes allow a lot of room for exploration. For the purposes of this workshop, writing an ode simply means "paying particular attention to." We will practice writing close details of a specific object or thing, with plenty of room to discover what else there is to see underneath.
"Remember that all description is an opinion about the world. Find a place to stand." Anne Enright
Each week, the prompt will include an example ode for inspiration and some starting points, including a broad topic for focus, if you choose to take it. Like all Surprise the Line workshops, you do not need to write to the prompt. Follow your own inspiration wherever it leads.
For the comfort of participants, these sessions will not be recorded.
How to Join:
After registering on Eventbrite, you will receive an email with the Zoom link to join ALL 8 Zoom meetings on Tuesday mornings at 9 am PST. It's your choice—come to one, some or all! You can also still join at any time, even after the first session. This Eventbrite page will be live until March 9.
But PLEASE save the Zoom link for your reference so you can access it each time you'd like to attend. You only need to register on Eventbrite ONCE. While I am happy to help people troubleshoot, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to send you a new Zoom link once class has started. SAVE THAT LINK!!
If you are able to offer a donation for this 8-week writing space, please help support Surprise the Line and our mission to spread creativity everywhere through the love of language. If for any reason making a donation would be a hardship, PLEASE choose the scholarship option for a free ticket.
Surprise the Line offers a variety of workshops focused around building communities of care and teaching the craft of writing. For a full calendar of events, visit our website. To sign up for the bi-weekly mailing list, click here.
Thank you, and we look forward to writing with you!
About the Facilitator:
Nancy Lynée Woo is an incorrigible optimist and an MFA candidate at Antioch University. She has been awarded fellowships from PEN America, Arts Council for Long Beach, and Idyllwild Writers Week. She is the author of two chapbooks, Bearing the Juice of It All (Finishing Line Press, 2016) and Rampant (Sadie Girl Press, 2014). Nancy has taught poetry workshops in 5th grade classrooms, at colleges, and with nonprofit organizations. She spends her free time hitching a ride to the other side of maybe and strongly believes in the power of the arts to bring people together. Find her cavorting around Long Beach, California, and online at nancylyneewoo.com.