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Dates: Wednesdays – February 19, 26 | March 5, 12

Time: 7pm – 9 pm ET

Event Program Fee: $500

Readiness for Wonder-An Approach to Writing

Do you feel the pull of a story, a character calling to you, yet find yourself unsure of how to begin? In Readiness for Wonder, Darlin’ Neal invites you to explore the magic of fiction through a deep and intuitive process of discovery. Drawing from the wisdom of her mentor Kevin McIlvoy, Darlin’ will guide you to “be in readiness for wonder,” helping you embrace the mystery inherent in every story.

This four-session course will teach you how to listen through character, letting them lead you to unexpected places. We will focus on sensory immersion, entering each moment with a clear, intimate perspective to uncover new stories. By allowing your character to take control, you will practice vulnerability and empathy, embracing the magic of writing that reveals deeper truths than nonfiction often can.

Each session will build on your ability to unlock the hidden gates to your characters’ stories, culminating in a deeper understanding of how to shape and revise your work. Whether you’re working on a single story or exploring multiple ideas, Darlin’ will help you hone your ability to tap into the mystery and wonder that makes fiction so powerful.

Course Breakdown:

  • Week One: Listening. Find the point of view and open your story. Learn how to begin with intention, guided by your character’s voice.
  • Week Two: Unlocking the Gate. Discover the concept of a “story clock”—how stories take shape through an organic, rather than plotted, structure. After a generative exercise, explore how to shape your narrative.
  • Week Three: Learning to See. Explore your story by writing a scene and groping your way through the dark, practicing a process of discovery through your characters’ eyes.
  • Week Four: Practice with Endings. Work on finding your story’s obsession and craft an ending. Dive into a deconstruction of a story (such as one by James Baldwin) to see how endings work on a deeper level.

What You’ll Leave With:

  • A solid story opening, a potential full story to revise, or a collection of flash fiction.
  • Tools to approach the revision process with fresh insight.
  • A deeper understanding of how wonder and vulnerability guide the writing process.

Whether you’ve already started a story or are just beginning, this class will open the door to writing with authenticity and wonder.

About Darlin’ Neal

Darlin’ Neal is the author of the story collections Rattlesnakes & the Moon and Elegant Punk (Press 53). Her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in numerous magazines, including Puerto del Sol, The Southern Review, Eleven Eleven, The Huffington Post, and The Best of the Web. A recipient of the DH Lawrence, Frank Waters, and Mississippi Arts Commission Fiction Fellowships, as well as a Henfield Transatlantic Review Award, she is an Associate Professor in the MFA and undergraduate Creative Writing Programs at the University of Central Florida. She also serves as a Contributing Editor for New World Writing and as a writing mentor for Cutthroat Magazine’s Mentorship program: http://www.cutthroatmag.com/art_archives.html.

Darlin’ holds a PhD from the Center for Writers at the University of Southern Mississippi, an MFA from the University of Arizona, and both a master’s and bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University.