Eileen Whitener: Teaching

I'm a writing instructor at Project Write Now with degrees in both education and the written arts.

I've been a member of numerous writers’ groups and workshops, beginning as a teen participant at Alpha, the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Workshop for Young Writers. I believe in the power of storytelling to be generative, restorative, and exploratory; I also enjoy watching authors uncover themes and threads as they prepare work for a larger audience. Having worked with writers who write in many different genres and for many audiences, I focus on cultivating a workshop environment where writers feel encouraged to tell the stories they want to tell.

For more information about my approach to teaching writing, check out this 2019 Project Write Now interview with Eileen Whitener.

Writers Workshop

Summer 2019
Fall I 2019
Fall II 2019
Winter 2020

This class provides the opportunity to share writing and thoughtful feedback in a workshop setting. (Previous workshop experience is not required, but some experience having written novel/memoir chapters or short stories is helpful for full participation.) You learn a specific workshop model and then apply that model through analysis and discussion of one another’s writing. Some time may also be reserved for generative writing, story planning, and/or craft discussions to leave you with new ideas to work on throughout the week. Be inspired by fellow writers in the community and push yourself to generate writing at a higher level.

Creative Writing Intensive

Spring II 2019

In this class, we workshop your writing each week, following workshop rules to analyze and discuss what the writer is accomplishing and how. In addition, you are given a close-reading assignment that will be discussed the following week. Together, we learn from published writers, as well as from one another, how to create engaging, clear nonfiction and fiction stories. Be inspired by fellow writers in the community and push yourself to generate writing at a higher level.

Write Stories You Want to Read

Spring II 2019

If you want to captivate your reader, you need intriguing characters, a page-turning plot, and a setting that enhances the narrative. In this class, we turn to techniques of fiction to strengthen our own writing, whether we are writing fiction or creative nonfiction. Analyzing mentor texts—short stories, excerpts from novels, etc.—we discuss what makes a piece of writing compelling, and we write during each session with a focus on some aspect of craft—including characterization, narrative arc, point of view, setting, and more. Sharing is encouraged to help you discover and develop your own voice and style. Be inspired by a writing community—whether you are new to the writing experience or want to take your writing to the next level.

Fiction

Winter 2019
Spring I 2019

A strong work of fiction captivates a reader—with intriguing characters, a page-turning plot, and a setting that enhances the narrative, be it realistic or fantasy. In this class, we look at mentor texts—short stories, excerpts from novels—to discuss what makes fiction compelling, and we write during each session with a focus on some aspect of craft, including characterization, narrative arc, point of view, setting, style, and more. Sharing is encouraged to help you discover and develop your own voice and style. Be inspired by a writing community—whether you are new to the fiction writing experience or want to take your writing to the next level.