Being a writer requires more than putting words down on the page—too often, it also entails fighting off self-doubt, anxiety, fear, and jealousy. In this class, we’ll consider some of the most emotionally fraught parts of the writing life and discuss strategies for coping with and overcoming such difficulties to focus on what really matters: the writing. Participants will consider wisdom from established authors on this topic, engage in writing exercises designed to get at the heart of what they might fear most, share their own concerns (optional), offer feedback and support to others, and gain a better understanding of what it takes to stay positive, engaged, and centered for the long haul as a writer.

Instructors: Laura Maylene Walter is the author of the novel Body of Stars. Her writing has appeared in Poets & Writers, Kenyon Review, The Sun, Ninth Letter, The Masters Review, the Horse Girls anthology, and many other publications. She has been a Tin House Scholar, a recipient of the Ohioana Library Association’s Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant, and a writer-in-residence at Yaddo, the Chautauqua Institution, and Art Omi: Writers. Laura is editor in chief of Literary Cleveland’s Gordon Square Review and works for Cleveland Public Library.