The Intimate Power of Autofiction, Building Your Alter Ego and How to Lighten Up
NEW summer workshops are coming in hot | Write or Die Weekly #76
The Urgency and Intimacy of French Autofiction
with Frances Badalamenti | Saturday, July 19 | 1- 4 PM (EST)
Discover the intimate power of French autofiction in this generative craft workshop led by Frances Badalamenti.
Through curated excerpts and essays shared in advance, we’ll explore the deeply personal, stylistically daring tradition of autofiction, with a special focus on French writers who pioneered and evolved the genre.
Together, we’ll examine the work of contemporary authors such as Marcel Proust, Roland Barthes, Marguerite Duras, Annie Ernaux, Édouard Louis, Hervé Guibert, Emmanuel Carrère, and Nina Bouraoui. Through group discussion, we’ll investigate how French autofiction blends personal narrative with broader cultural and political currents, and what sets it apart as a literary form.
The workshop will conclude with a guided writing exercise, giving you space to begin your own autofictional piece—something you can continue to develop after the session.
*This workshop will be recorded for the convenience of those unable to attend live. The recorded session will be emailed to participants the following day.
Build Your Alter Ego on Substack: A Live Masterclass
with Cara Alwill | Wednesday, August 20 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM (EST)
Reinvent yourself on the page and meet the voice that’s been waiting to emerge. This live MASTERCLASS will help you build your alter ego, experiment with bold new styles, and turn your Substack into a portal for creative transformation.
Every unforgettable writer has one thing in common: they stopped playing it safe.
Whether you’re stuck in a niche that no longer lights you up or craving a bold new voice to channel your next chapter, this workshop is your permission slip to stop overthinking and start becoming.
Join bestselling author and storytelling provocateur Cara Alwill for a 2-hour live writing workshop designed to help you build your alter ego and use Substack as your creative playground. In this immersive session, we’ll explore how to:
Reinvent your writing voice through character, archetype, or persona
Experiment with new genres, styles, and formats—without waiting for perfection
Use your Substack as a low-risk, high-reward container for testing bold new ideas
Build a magnetic presence online that draws in readers who are obsessed with your vibe
Leverage real-time storytelling and authenticity to grow your paid subscriber base
Expect a blend of writing exercises, open discussion, hot seat coaching, and high-vibe brainstorming to shake you out of creative paralysis and into full expression.
Lighten Up: Infusing Humor Across Genres
with Liz Alterman | Saturday, August 2| 12 - 1:30 PM (EST)
Even the darkest and most intense novels and memoir have moments of lightness that bring a sense of balance to the work. In this course, we'll explore how to add humor to your writing regardless of genre.
A little comic relief goes a long way with readers. Whether you're writing a gripping mystery, soul-searching memoir, or swoon-worthy romance, infusing your work with humor adds a nice counterbalance that your audience will appreciate. In this workshop, we'll look at how essayists, memoirists, and novelists masterfully and seamlessly blend in wit without ever compromising the power of their words. From clever dialogue and quirky character traits to laughable moments and singular settings, we'll explore how to bring smiles to readers' faces regardless of genre.
Small Press Publishing with a Debut Seminar Part 2: Production, Promotion, Post-Publication, and Beyond!
with Emily Jon Tobias| Saturday, July 26 | 1- 2:30 PM (EST)
You have found a home for your manuscript, and you have signed on the dotted line. Now what? Let's clear the path for production of your first book by understanding the process ahead.
In this seminar, Emily shares her experience of publishing a debut collection, covering everything from accepting a deal and signing a contract to the full production process. As a continuation of Small Press Publishing With a Debut, this session focuses on key aspects of post-publication, including marketing strategies, advertising, promotion, gathering blurbs, book production, planning a book tour, website design ideas, and more.
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions in an open and supportive forum, reinforcing the power of the literary community and the importance of supporting one another through the business of authorship. This course offers insights and methods that are often absent from traditional academic settings, providing an honest and forthcoming discussion about the pressures and joys of the small press publishing experience.
Drafting as Play/Revision as Experimentation
with Corinne Cordasco-Pak and Marguerite Sheffer | Wednesdays, August 20 and August 27 | 7- 8:30 PM (EST)
"Drafting as Play" and "Revision as Experimentation" are two ninety-minute workshops designed to help writers reimagine parts of the writing process that are generally thought of as difficult or sticky.
Each workshop includes practical, generative strategies for getting words on the page and moving writing projects—big or small—forward.