WRITING WORKSHOPS
Do you want to write? For many, it is something they have put off their whole lives. Join my workshops and you will write...I promise you.
For those interested in my tips for throwing a storytelling party, see below. To read about the Artists' Fellowship I was just awarded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, click here
SUMMER WORKSHOP SCHEDULE PHONE WORKSHOP: All classes are geared to beginning as well as returning students. I give the nuts and bolts of craft, and provide in-class structured exercises which take you by the hand to create a personal essay or fiction story. Select readings. Students present their short pieces on alternating weeks and receive some feedback. (We do email each other stories, so wherever you are this summer, make sure you have email access!) Tuesday: 12:15 – 2:15 p.m. -- class limited to six people, eight sessions. $400 Begins June 30th Thursday: 10 a.m. -12; and 12:15-2:15 p.m.. -- each class limited to six people, eight sessions. $400. Begins July 2nd LIVE CLASS IN PASSAIC: Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 12; 5 sessions. $250. Begins June 30th. This class draws people from Ri
My workshops tend to attract wonderful writers and wonderful people. To register, email: ruchamakingfeuerman@msn.com or call 973.594.1119
These workshops will release your most powerful, evocative and disciplined writing -- whether you choose to focus on fiction, memoir, or the personal essay. All discussion happens in an atmosphere of encouragement, honesty and confidentiality.
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Want to try your hand at creating a three-dimensional character? Click here for exercise: To build a character. The above exercise is an excerpt from my latest book, "Everyone's Got a Story -- 41 short stories from a new generation of Jewish writers." The stories were written by my students who have taken my writing workshops over the years. Want to buy the book? Click here to order. Read what some reviewers are saying about it.
“Good writing is delicious. Ruchama Feuerman has served up a succulent selection of stories.."Sara Yoheved Rigler, author of "Holy Woman" and "Lights from Jerusalem"
“Every story is a gem…[these] stories explore with elegance and depth, hidden corners of the Jewish world.” -- Seraphic Press, Robert Avrech, award-winning Hollywood Screnwriter, “Stranger Among Us”
““Vibrant…a one-of-a-kind book with appeal to readers or all religious convictions or none …Feuerman has a knack for getting her students to reveal the stories they would have otherwise kept hidden within themselves.” --The Jerusalem Post
"Captivating prose!" Jewish Tribune (Canada)
“thoroughly entertaining and exquisite...best collection of essays and short fiction that I've see from an Orthodox publisher, EVER!” -- Chana Weisberg, author of "Expecting Miracles,"& "Seven Secrets of Jewish Motherhood"
"...written by some of the freshest voices in the Jewish literary world…the narrative is so raw and honest, the reader feels almost like a voyeur eavesdropping on their thoughts." --LiteraryMama.com
Click here to order "EVERYONE'S GOT A STORY -- 41 SHORT STORIES FROM A NEW GENERATION OF JEWISH WRITERS.
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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Ruchama King Feuerman is an award-winning novelist and book coach, and has been developing writers for over fifteen years. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Jerusalem Post, Self Magazine, Midstream, and numerous anthologies and publications (frum and secular). She has written (and ghostwritten) several books for children and adults. Her novel, “Seven Blessings” was hailed in the New York Times for how it “captured the subtlety and magic” of Jewish traditions. Her comic matchmaking plots and depiction of small worlds which reflect universal truths prompted Kirkus Review to dub her the Jewish Jane Austen.
Ruchama’s students have gone on to publish their memoirs, embark on careers in journalism, write a bestseller, start a literary magazine, and, most importantly, discover what it is they want to say and their own way of saying it -- in short, find their voices.
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"There are three things a person should do in one's lifetime: plant a tree, have a child, write a book." (Jewish Proverb).
I work with students one-on-one for $125 an hour. Email: ruchamakingfeuerman@msn.com or call 973.594.1119 to set up an appointment.
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STORYTELLING PARTY TIPS
I recently threw a storytelling party and was asked to write about it (Jewish Week 3.09) Here are some tips, if you'd like to throw a storytelling party of you own:
It’s easy, inexpensive to put together, and enormously satisfying. Here are a few guidelines. You’re free to disregard them all or maybe you’d like to innovate, have a theme, ask people to come in period costumes. Whatever works for you and the people you invite. These are simply the tips that have worked for me which I thought I’d share.
Nighttime is a natural time for storytelling, particularly Saturday night, motzei Shabbat, when Hassidim of long ago would gather and share stories about their rebbes in a kind of holy-show-down (Whose rebbe performed more miracles or displayed greater acts of piety?) Day time can work well, too, especially on a long, Shabbat afternoon, and of course, at the Shabbat meal.
Keep the party free of any agenda. No one should be convincing anyone of anything – to vote Republican, keep kosher, date someone, or buy raffle tickets for their school. If some dates or jobs or interesting projects emerge from this storytelling event, that’s wonderful, but not the overt goal of the party. Hearing each other’s stories is.
The leader sets the tone. If you want more mystical, inspirational type stories, you might light some candles and dim the lights. Group the chairs into a circle and don’t choose a room that’s too large.
Ask people to use inclusive language – words appropriate to the entire diverse group. Don’t assume everyone knows Hebrew or Yiddish or Talmudic phrases.
Turn off all cell phones. If you came late, in the middle of someone’s story, don’t call out or greet your friend. Quietly take your place and then wait for the break to briefly exchange greetings. The leader should keep the pace of stories flowing. Minimize the shmooze factor without being too schoolmarmy. Save the real talk for the coffee break.
Which brings me to food. Try to downplay it. I like to set up drinks and a dip or two in a different room and maybe some cookies. At my first storytelling party in the Upper West Side
Choose reasonable people – people who are able to tolerate different points of view. Wacky, outrageous people are great to have at these gatherings – they add spice and intrigue -- but just make sure they’re wacky, outrageous and sane.
When you invite people, tell them to sift through stories beforehand and choose one. Ideally, before the party, they should try saying the story out loud and timing it. The mere act of rehearsing a story will force them to omit any extraneous, dull information and focus on the essence of the tale.
The biggest problem isn’t boring stories, but stories that go on for too long. Any story can be tolerated if it lasts less than five minutes. So it’s important whoever speaks first should strictly follow the clock. Everyone else will then follow suit. The leader should set the timer for four minutes. When it goes off, the speaker then has another minute to wrap up (someone should reset the clock for one more minute). The one who last spoke is then responsible for setting the timer for the next speaker, and giving the one minute notice. And so on. In this way, the responsibility is shared by everyone. Obviously, a little seichel is required. If someone is weeping as he or she tells their story, that may not be the best moment to chime in, One more minute!
Try to avoid having the first speaker be a rabbi or rebbetzin. It can set up a too formal and overly inspirational atmosphere and perhaps people may hesitate to tell their more gritty, earth-bound stories. Also, if the rabbi goes overtime, it’s very difficult to ask him to stop talking. And if the first speaker doesn’t stick to the time limit, no one else will. You can use a clock instead of a timer to do this event on Shabbat.
Okay. You’ve gathered everyone in a circle. Two or three people tell their story, and then it goes silent. This usually never happens, because I find one story or topic awakens other stories in the listeners. But if does get silent…If you can tolerate a whole minute of quiet, something extraordinary will probably happen. Someone will break down and tell the most amazing story of all. But that kind of silence is very hard to sustain in a group.
Here’s where the leader comes in. Have a list of questions prepared for those awkward moments. Some questions I have tried:
1. Was there anything you accomplished in life because someone believed in you? Was there anything you accomplished because someone didn’t believe in you? As an aside, the second question tends to generate more stories than the first. I don’t know if it’s because there are more harsh people in the world than there are kind, or if it’s just that hurt and criticism is more vivid to us, and so we better retain those memories.
2. Make an imaginary list of things which carry some resonance for you – a old toy from childhood, a ring inherited from a grandparent, a first bike, a dented menorah, an outfit reserved for first dates or interviews, a siddur. After everyone has a few images in their mind, ask them if they can remember a story connected to any one of these items. A way to get yarmulke-wearers to open up is to ask if they recall any incident that happened in connection to their wearing a yarmulke. I have seen rabbis get very excited about these yarmulke incidents, and reveal a side you rarely see. It touches a nerve.
3. Think of a specific time in which you experienced a change of attitude toward someone. See if you can recall the specific details – the words, the actions – that caused this shift.
For more suggestions, you’ll find a slew of topics and ideas in my new book, “Everyone’s Got a Story” – which is part story-anthology, and part DIY writing manual. See above.
How do I respond to people’s stories?
Hm. That’s a tough one. Keep responses short, not more than a minute, then on to the next story. One or two people might name a favorite part or image in the story, or what touched or intrigued them. Someone might have a question. Be careful with the questions, though. No one should be made to feel defensive about a story they’ve told or the need to justify it. Sometimes too many questions afterward reduce the effect and magic of a story. Often, all that’s needed is a smile, a thanks, and “That’s great.”
What if a story is offensive?
For the record, I have yet to hear a really offensive story. But I have heard a few that were mildly inappropriate. So what? That’s life. Just give the appropriate feedback and move on to the next one.
How long should the party last?
I like to take a coffee break after an hour of stories. Some really fantastic conversations happen during the coffee break between people who’ve just met. Also, the break gives an opportunity for the people who want to leave to do so. The die-hard storytellers can stay another hour or even two.
Happy story telling!
