CLASSES
Engaging the Feminine Heroic
A Powerful New Writer's Workshop for Women with Dara Marks and Deb Norton

Engaging the Feminine Heroic is an ongoing, twice-monthly workshop that concentrates on helping women writers access and utilize their own internal creative vision in order to write stronger and more compelling stories. The goal of this workshop is to eventually produce a fully mountable theatrical piece of one-act plays that will contain overarching feminine themes.

This workshop will use mythic stories as a means of entering more deeply into communication with the feminine mysteries surrounding our shared experiences of maidenhood, marriage, childbirth, menopause, crone wisdom and death. Whereas most of the popular myths in our culture are grounded in the mascu- line heroic journeys of characters like Achilles, Odysseus, Hercules, and Apollo, we will focus instead on the feminine heroic journey. This includes, but is not limited to, the epic archetypal stories of Demeter and Persephone, Psyche, Inanna, Hera and Aphrodite.

Archetypes are universal patterns of human behavior that we all consciously or unconsciously recognize. There is enormous power when a story taps into archetypal characters or situations because they enable the audience to identify with the story on the deepest possible levels. In particular, mythic stories have survived because they constantly reveal to each new generation the patterning of human experience.

Thursday, March 20 at 7p at Theater 150 in Ojai Join us for an introductory/sign-up meeting (Everyone is invited to attend this meeting without any obligation.) During this meeting we will lay out the course and clarify what will be expected of every participant. email Deb. to RSVP for the introductory meeting.

The actual workshop will commence on Saturday, April 12th. It will run from 10am to 2pm and will continue to meet every other Saturday. Cost $100 per month.

Freeing the Writer
Explore practical ways to disentangle yourself from critical voices that keep you from writing. Challenge the whole notion of writer's block and make sure that you never have a reason not to sit down and write. Look at new ways to crack the essence of character, relationship and story. Work to establish a regular writing practice and to live each day in the world as a writer. This is the perfect opportunity to work through a block, reinvigorate your writing, find your voice, rediscover a sense of play and/or gain some new and very practical tools to keep you writing long after the class is over. $300/10 weeks.

10-minute Play Workshop
At the beginning of this 12 week adventure, writers are given a prompt around which to build their play. Character and relationship development, active exposition, dialogue, and all the basic elements of a play are thoroughly explored in a rigorous, yet supportive working environment. Writers will learn how to give and receive feedback productively, what is involved in rewriting and how to fine-tune their play in collaboration with actors and other theater professionals. This workshop ends in an exciting three-night showcase in which plays (or experpts) are read by professional actors in front of a live audience. Available only to writers who have completed the Freeing the Writer workshop. $400/12 weeks.

Writing Group
A writing group can be a great resource for the dedicated writer. This is a perfect place to get feedback and practice giving good feedback, set goals for your writing and garner support and encouragement to live a writing life. Available only to writers who have completed the Freeing the Writer workshop. Runs year round. $300/12 weeks.

Deb delightedly opens the door to the creative process and invites students to explore in the playroom of their own creativity, without judgment or editing. She will certainly help you to get your pen moving!
-Anne Kerry Ford

She guided, cajoled and eventually forced me to take my writing to a higher level. Years of rejections have been replaced by agents wanting to represent me. No easy fixes here, lots of hard work and a teacher with a vision of what could be my best work.
-Jane Howatt

The writer's group has become one of the highlights of my life. You are an excellent teacher and an inspiring reviewer. Your encouragement has given me clarity and helped me design a writing schedule.
-Nancy Gregg

When I’m ready to just give up and run screaming she’s there with a suggestion or an idea that somehow opens everything up. I’m always left wondering why in the world I didn’t call her sooner.
-Claire Wade-Hak

Deb Norton creates an atmosphere in which writers feel free to express passion, whimsy, grief and discover new edges and sides of raw tenderness and fire.
-Joan Nicholson

As a sophomore in high school, a lot gets pushed aside to get homework done; Deb’s class and eating are the two things I refuse to skip for the sake of school. I have been Deb's student for almost two and a half years, and not once have I stopped learning or enjoying myself.
-Jessie Stern

Deb’s writing class changed my life and created a safe place for me to examine whole areas of my life that I did not even know needed examining. I would recommend the class to anyone without reservation.
-Julie Bloomer

Deb Norton took away my profound fear of sharing my writing in one 10 week workshop.
-Harrigan Logan

Deb's enthusiasm and love of writing is so powerful. It overflows, and finds expression in her teaching in the most masterful and soulful way. It penetrates even the most timid, and by the end of a class, I couldn't believe some of the things that came out of our pens.
-Lisa Kalechstein

Deb Norton is a fabulous teacher! I learned so much in this class. Most importantly, I learned that yes, I am a writer. Deb allowed me to see this, and I will forever be grateful to her. I'd totally vote for Deb to be the benevolent dictator of the world.
-Betsy Stix

Over these ten weeks, Deb encouraged us to flutter baby wings, moved us to strengthen and add gristle to writing muscle, had us widen and narrow our focus on the world, brought us to the nest's edge, and nudged us out gently. We soared.
-Marji Abel

I'm finding what's inside of me that's been there all along.
-Maud Huey-Kenyon