Register for Caravan Classes
The Caravan Summer School is packing up for an adventure - Join us!
Get Writing with Caravan Summer Classes
Early-Bird Registration Discount Extended
Come on! The Caravan Summer School is packing up for an adventure, and we’ve got classes, workshops, and events for you.
Want poetry? We got poetry. Ready to get that novel out of your head and onto the page—or maybe you want to pare it all the way down to flash fiction instead? Novel writing, flash fiction, prose poetry—check. Need to sharpen your revision skills or really master the art of being your own best first editor? We gotchu. Come explore crucial elements of craft like character and setting with low-key, high-impact classes, workshops, and talks.
Here’s what’s on tap for the next three months. Hit those links to register—we can’t wait see you!
June
June courses are designed to get your summer writing engines started.
Weekly Classes
— On Different Pens: Seeing Our Own Work with Fresh Eyes w/Holly
Tuesdays, 4–6pm PDT / 7–9 pm EDT, 6/3, 6/10, 6/17, 6/24 ($350 $300)
Four generative sessions focusing on different pens writers need to wield—drafter, developer, refiner, and polisher—and ways to slide between each with ease and joy. Includes a free one-hour, one-on-one consultation with the facilitator if desired.
— June’s Intro To Poetry (Worldwide Edition) w/Paul
Wednesdays, 6/4, 6/11, 6/18, 6/25, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm PDT / 8:30 pm–10:30 pm EDT, ($350 $300)
Poetry knows no border and is only interested in what can be divined on the other side of any arbitrary “line in the sand.” In this 4-week course we will develop a small portfolio inspired by forms of poetry that come to us from different parts of the globe. Forms such as haibun, eintou and the abecederian will not be dogma, but encouraged to be used in the creation of inspired poems and even inventive new forms!
— Threads & Breaks: Flash Fiction vs. Narrative Poetry w/Paul
Saturdays, 11 am–1:30 pm PDT / 2–4:30 pm EDT, 6/7, 6/21, 6/28 , 7/5, 7/12, 7/19 ($400 $350)
In six sessions, generate flash writing/narrative portfolios and/or WIP’s from a close study of the fine line between “flash fiction” and “narrative poetry?” and how style can subvert and inform substance into an entirely new way of writing and thinking about writing. Includes a free one-hour, one-on-one consultation with the facilitator if desired.
— Who Is This Guy? Crash Course in Character w/Marya
Mondays, 4–6pm PDT / 7–9 pm EDT, 6/9, 6/16, 6/23, 6/30 ($350 $300)
Every literary genre lives and dies by the presence and vitality of its character. This crash course will explore the function of character in our chosen genre, then move into discovering who our characters are, developing their dimensions, motives, tensions, and quirks, and ultimately creating vibrant, realistic characters with whom readers will resonate and connect.
Weekend Bootcamps
— Why Not This? When Revision is Play w/Holly
Friday 6/27, 4-6 pm PDT / 7-9 pm EDT, Saturday & Sunday 6/28 & 6/29 12-2pm PDT / 3-5 pm EDT ($275 $225)
Feeling stuck in a rut? Blank page messing with you? Would you love to create a piece that sounds or feels or looks like nothing you’ve ever written before? Try play! Let loose. Have fun. Experiment. Open doors you didn’t even know were there! Join for a weekend of cavorting with form and structure, frolicking with genre and style, and taking your work along new paths. Discover how play can lead to seriously good work.
*** — Bundle Deal: Why Not This? + No, You’re Not a Mad Genius
Have you been feeling some kind of way about writing? Give yourself the gift of two weekends dedicated to your writing for a smoking deal—to reigniting your joy, to untangling from the emotional weeds.
July
Here’s where the rubber meets the road.
You’re all warmed up. Keep the summer writing hot. Dig in:
Weekly Classes
— Deep Dive: The Three Rules for Writing a Novel w/Marya
Mondays, 4-6 pm PST / 7-9 pm EDT, 7/7, 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4, 8/11
“There are three rules for writing a novel.Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.” —W. Sommerset Maugham
About 50 pages into a novel when you found yourself running out of know-how and steam? Tried National Novel Writing Month This class moves participants past inspiration into the real work of writing a novel. Participants leave with a significant sample, a synopsis, a detailed outline, and a concrete, achievable completion strategy.
— July’s Intro To Poetry (Worldwide Edition) w/Paul
Wednesdays, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm PST / 8:30 pm-10:30 pm EDT, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, 7/30
Poetry knows no border and is only interested in what can be divined on the other side of any arbitrary “line in the sand.” In this 4-week course we will develop a small portfolio inspired by forms of poetry that come to us from different parts of the globe. Forms such as haibun, eintou and the abecederian will not be dogma, but encouraged to be used in the creation of inspired poems and even inventive new forms!
Boot Camps (weekends) & One Hitters
— Finding Home: Poetry of Place 2/Matt
Wednesday, 7/9, 3:30 pm-6:30 pm PDT / 6:30 pm–9:30 pm EDT
Young and enthusiastic? Seasoned and gritty? No matter. If poetry is your wheelhouse, you're welcome here. We'll focus on generative poetry exercises meant to capture a sense of place — as rich in its economy of words as any long narrative would be in paragraphs or pages.
— An Editor by Any Other Name: What the Job Is & Why & How You Should Hire You w/Holly
Sunday, 7/13, 11 am–2 pm PDT / 2 pm–5 pm EDT
You have writing dreams: A byline in your fav lit mag. A Substack post people can’t stop restacking. An essay that hits a reader straight in the heart. Work that wows an agent. Whatever the aim, learning the roles of an editor and how to apply professional editing tools to your own work will get you there faster! Bring a work in progress or work with the drafts we’ll develop in session.
— No, You Are Not a Mad Genius: Mental Wellbeing for Creative Folx w/Marya
Friday 7/18, 4-6 pm PDT / 7-9 pm EDT, Saturday & Sunday 7/19 & 7/20 12-2pm PDT / 3-5 pm EDT ($275 $225)
The creative process has a lot of highs and lows. This bootcamp isn't therapy - it's a practical approach to balancing creative work with day-to-day life. We'll tackle core practices of self-care, pinpoint go-to habits where we can make changes, and develop strategic responses to issues with attention, anxiety, disappointment, inspiration, and stress.
— Diamonds from Coal: Pressure of Form in Poetry w/Matt
Saturday, July 19, 2-5pm PDT / 5-8pm EDT
We won’t be delving into specific forms, but we will cover how applying pressure of form on your work — i.e. line breaks, enjambment, stanzaic structure, punctuation (or lack thereof), and more — can deepen meaning, soften edges, pack a punch, and lead readers where you want.
— Warts & All: Creative Nonfiction Workshop w/Matt
Wednesday, July 23, 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm PDT / 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm EDT
It’s one thing to tell a story. It’s another to tell a story that leaves a mark on your readers. We'll focus on the elements of good storytelling by mining as many of your life experiences as possible. Come ready to tell the truth — warts and all.
— Deeply Question to Ensure the Bones of Your Work Are in Place w/Holly
Thursday, July 24 — 3–6 pm PDT / 6–9 pm EDT
What makes “good art”? Knowing how to develop our work is key. Let’s explore how to step back and see our early drafts with a developmental eye and why that leads to a greater understanding of what we mean to say and a firmer foundation. Then we’ll apply deep questioning exercises to open up and transform our work. Bring a work in progress or work with drafts we’ll develop in session.
— Three Gifts Doubled: Three For Your Readers & Three For You w/Holly
Friday, 7/25, 4-6 pm PDT / 7-9 pm EDT, Saturday & Sunday 7/26 & 7/27 12-2pm PDT / 3-5 pm EDT
To write is to revise. To do so well is to give both ourselves and those who read our work a whole lot. This generative workshop focuses on six of those gifts and how we can learn to regularly share them.
— Map Your Curiosity, Reach New Writing Heights w/Holly
Thursday, July 31 — 3–6 pm PDT / 6–9 pm EDT
Annie Dillard says structural mysteries can seize our work if we don’t carve out structure. One tool I’ve applied to every developmental editing project I’ve had works wonders for shaping up structure. Let’s practice applying that tool to early drafts (plus explore how that may be just the way to appease the inner critic). Bring a work in progress or work with drafts we’ll develop in session.
August
Let’s bring the work home.
These courses are designed to ensure you’ll end the season feeling complete:
Weekly Classes
— Build an Essay, w/Marya, Holly, Paul, and Matt
Sundays, 11 am-1 pm PDT / 2-5 pm EDT, 8/3, 8/10, 8/17, 8/24
Learn to create an essay in four weeks. A different Caravan instructor each week will walk you through the fundamentals. Jumpstart your work with generative prompts, tools, and guidance. Leave with a full-length piece. New to the form? (Poets?) Want to reboot your practice and sharpen your skills? This course is for you.
— August’s Intro To Poetry (Worldwide Edition) w/Paul
Wednesdays, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm PDT / 8:30 pm-10:30 pm EDT, 8/6, 8/13, 8/20, 8/27
Poetry knows no border and is only interested in what can be divined on the other side of any arbitrary “line in the sand.” In this 4-week course we will develop a small portfolio inspired by forms of poetry that come to us from different parts of the globe. Forms such as haibun, eintou and the abecederian will not be dogma, but encouraged to be used in the creation of inspired poems and even inventive new forms!
— The “Give a Shit” Factor: Crash Course in Making Your Writing Matter w/Marya
Thursdays, 4-6 pm PDT / 7-9 pm EDT, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28
Everybody’s got a story to tell. But the best stories, the ones that matter, aren't actually 'about' the author or the author's personal concerns.This class digs into the practical ways in which writers can connect our individual creative work to the reader, the culture, the era, and the world about which, and for which, we write.
— The Art of the Chapbook w/Paul
Saturdays, 11 am-1 pm PDT / 2-5 pm EDT, 8/9, 8/16, 8/23, 8/30, 9/6, 9/13, 9/20, 9/27
Chapbooks are miniature portals into the wild frontier of the creative mind. This 8-week crash course in chapbook building will have writers developing completed “market ready” manuscripts in prose, poetry and/or flash fiction/CNF, complete with group feedback and platform options for their books, including viable leads for third party publishers, self-publishing, a free one-hour consultation with the facilitator and even (if desired) chap assembly.
Boot Camps (weekends) & One Hitters
— Be the Jedi: The Subtle Art of Rhetoric w/Matt
Saturday, August 2, 2-5 pm PDT / 5–8 pm EDT
Rhetoric gets a bad rap. But it’s not all about being divisive or undermining democracy. More often than it seems, successful rhetoric tells stories that inspire positive change without the reader necessarily knowing why. Understanding how writers use rhetoric — the moves they make — is a vital part of improving your writing. We’ll hit the rhetorical high points and generate some writing that moves people with subtle deliberateness.
— Braid It! How to Weave Seemingly Unconnected Strands into Your Writing w/Holly
Tuesday, August 5, 3–6 pm PDT / 6–9 pm EDT
Love a good braided essay or story? How it can weave topics that don’t seem linked? Connect memories from disparate times or places? Make a beautiful tapestry? Let’s explore how braided essays are created and what makes them work. Then we’ll get into the practice and, with some guided prompts, draft some of our own.
— The 16-Week Monkey: Prompted Freewriting to Build a Writing Habit
Wednesday, August 6, 3:30-6:30 pm PDT / 6:30–9:30 pm EDT
Writer’s block is a myth. It doesn’t exist. You’ve been bamboozled. If you’re willing to carry the monkey — the habit of writing without constraints (AKA low or no-stakes writing) — you will never be without words. A good writing habit side-steps self-criticism and second-guessing, embraces uncharted exploration, and teaches you there are no mistakes. We’ll discuss and practice effective freewriting strategies for generating that good habit and everyone will leave with a 16-week guide to make sure it sticks.
— Do the Damn Thing: Strategic Planning for Creative People Who Can’t Plan for Sh*t w/Marya
Friday 8/10, 4-6 pm PDT / 7-9 pm EDT, Saturday & Sunday 8/11 & 8/12 12-2pm PDT / 3-5 pm EDT
Everybody has a great idea. But most of us could use some help creating a strategy for turning it into a finished work. Do the Damn Thing weekend intensives provide real-time exercises, time management tips, and creative tools so participants leave with an effective, achievable strategic plan for their creative project.
— One Start, Three Genres w/ Matt
Saturday, August 16, 2-5 pm PDT / 5–8 pm EDT
Sometimes you get a brilliant idea and set off to spill your guts on the page but whatever form you’ve chosen feels like a square peg in a round hole. Building on the good writing habits formed in “The 16-Week Monkey,” we’ll try our hands at micro-stories, prose poetry, and “traditional” stanzas and line breaks, all generated from a single piece of uninhibited writing. Don’t worry, if you didn’t take the “Monkey” workshop, you’ll be just fine.
— Be Stunningly Concise w/Holly
Tuesday, August 19 — 3–6 pm PDT / 6–9 pm EDT
Does killing those darlings hurt? If you were told: Shave 200 words, cut this back to half, lose xx paragraphs, would your breath catch? Cutting work you’ve labored over can be hard. In this class, learn not just to cut but also to love it! Bring a work in progress or work with the drafts we’ll develop in session. Leave with less—in the best way.
— Writing from the Road w/Marya & Holly, +special guest Karen Babine, author of the forthcoming The Allure of Elsewhere
Friday 8/22, 4-6 pm PDT / 7-9 pm EDT, Saturday & Sunday 8/23 & 8/24, 12–2 pm PDT / 3–5 pm EDT
Join veteran travel writers Holly & Marya to hone your skills, sharpen your focus, and amplify your voice. 'The road,' as we define it, is wide: Think your own travel or that of others. Think past or present. Think inner journeys and outer quests. Featuring special guest award-winning author of The Allure of Elsewhere and professor Karen Babine.
End of Summer Weekend Celebration
We’ve worked hard. Let’s celebrate with free fun events!
Mark your calendars and plan to attend:
Ask Working Writers Panel w/Marya, Holly, Paul, & Matt, Bring your questions. Leave with the perspectives of four working writers. Saturday, August 30.
Open-Mic Reading w/YOU, a chance to gather, to cheer each other on, and to raise our voices together. If it calls, plan to share a bit of what you’ve created this summer. Sunday, August 31.
Plan your whole summer road trip!
Early-bird discount registration for all summer courses is now open!
We can’t wait to write and create with you!
A note to my fellow instructors: I think I've finally landed on which of your classes I'll be taking each month, though I'd REALLY like it to be all of them!! Such fantastic offerings.