Dear writers,
For our August writing roundtable, Carina Bissett will be leading attendees on a journey through the senses and the way writers can use sensory description to expand their work.
‘In order for us to truly create and contribute to the world, we have to be able to connect countless dots, to cross-pollinate ideas from a wealth of disciplines, to combine and recombine these pieces and build new castles.’ — Maria Popova
About the roundtable: Our senses define the way in which we experience the world around us. As writers, we strive to create works that enhance the spectacle of life, yet we often limit our descriptions to what we see. In this workshop, award-winning author and editor Carina Bissett will walk you through a series of exercises intended to expand and enhance the way you interact with all five senses on the page. Bring your notebooks and your curiosity to this active, hands-on approach, and be prepared to explore new dimensions in your work through the power of sensory description.
This writing roundtable will be a live online workshop, hosted on Zoom, and available to all paid subscribers.
What to expect: A two-hour, generative writing masterclass, including writing prompts and exercises, including plenty of opportunities for sharing writing-related ideas, inspirations, and questions.
Recommended Reading
‘Stone Animals’ by Kelly Link
‘Red’ by Katie Knoll
‘The Boys of Karachay Lake’ by Angela Pelster
‘The Mussel Eater’ by Octavia Cade
‘In the Cave of the Delicate Singers’ by Lucy Taylor
Resources
A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman
Thesaurus of the Senses by Linda Hart
Food and Horror: Essays on Ravenous Souls, Toothsome Monsters, and Vicious Cravings by Octavia Cade
The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page
Who? Carina Bissett is a writer and poet working primarily in the fields of dark fiction and fabulism. She has written numerous short stories, many of which are featured in her debut collection Dead Girl, Driving and Other Devastations (2024), and she is also a co-editor of the award-winning anthology Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas (2021). She is a Shirley Jackson Award nominee for psychological horror. Her poetry has been nominated for the Rhysling Award, the Pushcart Prize, and Sundress Publications Best of the Net. And her nonfiction has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award®. Links to her work can be found at http://carinabissett.com.
When: The writing roundtable will take place on Sunday, 17 August, 9:00 to 11:00 am (AEST).
New York: Saturday, 16 August, 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Use this international meeting planner to find out what day/time that is in your pocket universe!
Where: The roundtable will be hosted via Zoom. All paid subscribers to The Orange & Bee will receive a post including a link to the roundtable two hours before the session begins. There’s no need to register or sign up (as long as you are a paid subscriber!): just wait for the link to drop in your inbox, and come online!
What to bring: Writing implements (pen, paper, ink, keyboard …) and elements for exercises: Stone/s (of any size or shape; this can be anything from gravel to granite), Spice (a tin of something fragrant from your kitchen cabinets; this can be anything from basil to vanilla beans), Fabric (a piece from your closet; of any texture), Color (any item in your favorite color).
Got questions? We’ve got you: please share any questions you have below.