The Art of Ear Hustlin: How Being Nosy Leads to Writing Better Conversations

You can blame TikTok, Twitter or technology but the truth is, Gen Z aren't the only ones with short attention spans. In this class participants will learn how eavesdropping (ear hustling) can lead to writing better dialogue that catches the reader's attention. This 2-hour, all-level, multi-genre craft talk on how to write short snappy dialogue is interactive and will be a compilation of lecture, reading, writing exercises, collaboration and group discussions.

Instructor: Silk Allen is a Cleveland based storyteller and personal stylist whose creative vision is shaped by a chaotic mess of influences- fashion, pop culture, and history- while echoing the poetic prose of Iceberg Slim and the unapologetic lyricism of Lil Kim. Her writing has appeared in local publications BFly Magazine, The Plain Dealer, The Plain Press, Destination Cleveland and The Land, often writing about the local fashion, shopping and entertainment scene. She was awarded the Twelve Literary Arts Baldwin House Urban Writing Residency in 2021 and participated in Literary Cleveland’s inaugural Breakthrough Writing Residency cohort for 2022-2023. Silk is currently working on a hip hop based collection of essays titled “I Write How I Talk Vol. 1” about her coming of age experiences in the late 90s and early 2000s

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Details: The Art of Ear Hustlin: How Being Nosy Leads to Writing Better Conversations takes place Wednesday, September 25 from 6:30-8:30pm in-person at Literary Cleveland's offices, 13002 Larchmere Blvd in Cleveland.

Prerequisite: None

Genre: All genres

Level: All levels

Format: Craft talk

Location: This class takes place in-person at Literary Cleveland's offices, 13002 Larchmere Blvd in Cleveland.

Size: Limited to 25 participants

Scholarships: Two scholarship spots are available for this class for writers in Northeast Ohio. Apply by August 19.

Cancellations & Refunds: Cancel at least 48 hours in advance of the first class meeting to receive a full refund. Email info@litcleveland.org.

Registration Fee

$30 - Non-Member Registration

$20 - Registration with Member Discount

I'd also like to help out other writers with a donation to the Word for Word Scholarship Fund. (This fund provides low- and limited-income writers in NE Ohio with access to our classes)

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