Tips from Inside a Writing Workshop in Iowa
I hopped on a plane and headed to bucolic Iowa to learn a thing or two about writing. Here’s what I learned at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival.
Last summer, I had the opportunity to fly to Iowa and attend a weekend workshop at the Iowa Writing Festival. For 33 years, Iowa University has held a Summer Writing Festival. The Festival runs from the beginning of June to the end of July with options for week-long and weekend workshops.
As an aspiring writer, I’m well aware of the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop. I’ve had dreams of being accepted into the MFA program and spending two years studying alongside like-minded writers as I pen the next great American novel. Being a realistic person, I knew my closest shot at this dream would be to attend the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. I hoped that having the chance to visit the University and Iowa City, the world’s third City of Literature, would teach me, inspire me, and help me grow as a writer.
Iowa City: College-Town Charm
Somehow, I convinced my husband to tag along with me to Iowa City. It helped that he had never been to the Midwest, and I convinced him that he had to visit there at least once in his life. He had visions of endless cornfields, herds of grazing cattle, and being bored out of his mind. It turns out there’s tons to do in Iowa City!
Iowa is a city that’s rich in history and has a cool, artsy vibe. It’s a college town, so there are plenty of good restaurants, addictive coffee shops, pubs that serve local beer, farmer’s markets, and tons of outdoor activities, all within walking distance. Our first night, we sat in the square and ate frozen yogurt while listening to live music. We commented how our town in suburban New York didn’t even have this much going on. The second night we visited the renowned Prairie Lights Bookstore for an open mic night. We sipped wine as we listened to festival attendees read excerpts of their work. But enough about the tourist attractions!
Let’s Talk Writing
The workshop I attended was called “Imagery in Prose.” I chose this workshop because, as a new writer, I find one of my biggest struggles is writing powerful forms of imagery. I know how crucial it is to write vivid descriptions that appeal to the reader’s senses and add depth to the writing. As a reader, this is what I appreciate most in a story. I’m awed by how some authors can write prose with such breathtaking imagery, and I wanted to learn their secrets.
It turns out there is no hidden secret on how to use imagery. It just takes practice and thinking outside the box — beyond your typical writing prompts.
Exercises to Increase Creative Imagery
In one writing exercise, we sought to expand our creative minds by turning to magazines. We were tasked with finding images that were seemingly unrelated, cutting and pasting them onto a piece of paper, and then writing a brief story that somehow connected the opposing images. It was a challenging exercise, taking two unrelated things and trying to connect them in a story (in under 30 minutes), but proved to be fruitful in the end. One writer even had a new book idea. If you’re a visual person, I recommend perusing a magazine the next time you’re feeling creatively blocked. I often suggest turning to photo-blogs, like Humans of New York, for some writing inspiration.
In another writing exercise, we took a field trip (a five-minute stroll to the next building) to the University’s museum. We were instructed to choose an exhibit, focus on a specific aspect of it, and describe it in a story. It could have been an item as small as a seashell but reminded one of a meaningful childhood event. I chose an exhibit that had a poignant message about the effects of pollution on the ocean. I focused my writing on a decapitated fish that laid next to a Budweiser can. Here is the picture I used for inspiration.
Think of all the different stories you could write using these images!
The takeaway: Many writers recommend reading great literature if you want to write great stories. If you want powerful imagery in your writing, then you must look at powerful images!
Personal Insights from the Workshop
The workshop was challenging for me. As someone who has only taken online workshops, I was not accustomed to writing something decent and coherent in under fifteen minutes and then reading it aloud. There were only six of us in the workshop, so everyone had to share — no hiding behind your laptop here! I found the pressure a little (very) stressful. But I was proud of myself for being able to get something down on the page each time. I won’t comment on the quality of it, though.
I also felt all the other writers had immense talent and experience that I clearly lacked. I learned something valuable from this experience, though. Stress, pressure, insecurity — it all stifles creativity. Looking back, I wish I had relaxed a little more and wrote with abandon.
Overall, I’m so glad I attended this workshop. In just two days, I gained so much in terms of skill and understanding. I walked away with lots of tips, tools, and exercises that I can use to help improve imagery in my writing. The instructor was extremely knowledgeable, and my classmates were friendly, talented, and encouraging. I would love to attend a week-long workshop in the future, if time permits, or another weekend workshop.
Unfortunately, this year the 34th Writing Festival was canceled due to COVID-19. In the future, I recommend attending the Iowa Summer Writing Festival to anyone who hasn’t gone. If it’s not feasible for you, I suggest listening to past recordings of the Eleventh Hour Lecture Series. These presentations take place at 11:00 a.m. while the Festival is going on. Unfortunately, they are only held on weekdays, so I didn’t get to catch one while I was there. However, I have listened to past lectures and found them to be very helpful and informative.
Have you attended the Iowa Summer Writing Festival or another writing festival? What did you think? Do you have other workshops you’d like to recommend?
