Barrelhouse/Dzanc Books Creative Writing Workshop in D.C.

by Rae Bryant, Editor

Originally posted at raebryant.com.

I had the absolute pleasure of working with a fantastic group of folks this Saturday at the Barrelhouse/Dzanc Books creative writing workshop. Barrelhouse Editors, Dave Housley, Mike Ingram, Dan Brady, and others from the Barrelhouse Crew, joined forces with the lovely and talented duo, Laura Ellen Scott, writer and soon to be fiction editor of Prick of the Spindle, and Reb Livingston, poet and editor of No Tell Books and No Tell Motel. I really enjoyed this group of presenters and participants and had the chance to meet and workshop a bit with Will Grofic, managing editor of Potomac Review and ninja poet (really, this man can put out Kung Fu gripping words at ninja speed). This creative writing experience was not only informative, it was inspiring.  

Mike Ingram began with an in-depth overview of POV and a related writing exercise which led into Laura Ellen Scott’s very cool and uplifting presentation/exercise on the value and effect of one of my most beloved forms, flash fiction, a form that Reb Livingston devoutly heralds as poetry, and what a herald it was. Reb finished off the exercises with an explanation of “moves” as they apply to both poetry and fiction which worked into Mike and Laura’s presentations/activities beautifully. All three editors offered direct feedback and one on one discussion. We finished the day, which was gorgeous by the way, with a beer and conversation.  Dan Brady didn’t even get mad when I accidentally stole his BLT, eating nearly half of it, before I realized the mistake. These guys and gals are hospitality at its best, a real class act, and full of writing gemology, writology, ninja pen wisdom.

Barrelhouse, all the way.

The Editors