Now that September's here, I'm feeling that annual back-to-school energy: an urge to get organized and get going on some writing projects, new and old. Are you feeling the same? If so, I've got a slew of in-person writing workshops coming up, just for you! Whether you want to wander in the woods and write and sketch about your experiences or you want to sit down in the classroom and plan that book you've been dying to write, I've got you covered. The first two are free but require registration; the third is a bargain. Hit the link in the class title to learn more and sign up.

Nature Writing in the Field. River Brook Preserve, Waldoboro, ME,
Saturday, September 20, 10 am - Noon
Join Maine Master Naturalist Andrea Lani as we take our notebooks outdoors and seek inspiration in the natural world. Exploring River Brook Preserve, we'll engage in exercises designed to hone our observation skills and sharpen all of our senses. We’ll then observe an element of the natural world closely, working our way from description to metaphor, from metaphor to memory, and from memory to emotion. Through this process, we'll each generate a short poem or vignette and come away with a practice for close observation and writing that can be used anywhere. We’ll be outside the whole time, so dress for the weather, be prepared for ticks and bugs, and bring snacks and water. Please bring a journal or notebook and pencil or pen. You may also want a sit pad or small, portable camp chair.

Nature Journaling: Story Mapping, Hidden Vally Nature Center, Jefferson, ME,
​Saturday, October 4, 10 a.m - Noon
Join Maine Master Naturalist Andrea Lani as we explore Hidden Valley Nature Center and create story maps that depict our journey. Our illustrated story maps will depict the route we travel, interesting features we encounter, and events that occur along the way. We'll hike from the parking lot, around Crossbill Loop, and along Warbler Way, creating our story maps as we go. By noticing and recording the sights, sounds, and moments that draw our attention, we'll sharpen our observation skills and deepen our connection to the natural world. When we arrive at the barn, we'll spend some time at the picnic tables refining our maps, adding details and color, and sharing our creations. The program will end at noon at the barn, so please factor in an extra five to ten minutes to walk back to the parking lot. We’ll be outside the whole time, so dress for the weather, be prepared for ticks and bugs, and bring snacks and water. Please bring a journal or paper and clipboard and pencil or pen. The instructor will provide colored pencils and basic watercolors.

Blueprint for a Book: Plan Your Novel or Memoir. Kennebec Neighbors Adult Education, Gardiner, Maine
Tuesdays, October 7 - 28, 6 - 8 pm, $100
Do you have a story that you’ve always wanted to turn into a novel or memoir? In this workshop, we’ll take your dreams and set them on the road to reality. Over the course of three weeks, writer and Author Accelerator-certified book coach Andrea Lani will guide you into your deep-level why of writing your book, help you articulate the point your novel will make or the question your memoir will answer, and lead you in constructing the sturdy tripod of setting, character, and plot on which to rest your narrative. You’ll complete the course with an outline that will set you on the path to writing your best book. Please bring a pen and notebook or laptop to each class.

I'll be teaching three different nature poetry or nature journaling workshops over the next couple of months in Jefferson and Augusta: 

Writing the Weather, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, ME, February 15, 2025
We never know what to expect of the weather in February--from deep freeze and heavy snows to an early thaw and springlike breezes, the month can bring almost any kind of weather. In this nature writing workshop, we'll take inspiration from whatever the sky gives us and, through a combination of word play, visualization, and making metaphors, we'll generate poems that invoke, personify, and celebrate the weather in its many different guises. We'll alternate among standing group exercises, sitting to write, and walking around to get our blood flowing, so please dress appropriately for staying warm outside, and consider bringing an insulated pad to sit on. 
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Journaling Backyard Birds, Viles Arboretum, Augusta, ME, April 1, 8, 15, and 22
Amy Tan’s delightful book The Backyard Bird Chronicles demonstrates how careful observation and recording of the activities of the feathered visitors to our yards and feeders can turn these mysterious wild creatures into familiar friends, each with its own story to tell. Join us for a creative and inspiring workshop that combines birdwatching, writing, and art to deepen your connection to nature. In this four-session workshop, we’ll read and discuss select passages from The Backyard Bird Chronicles and use these as inspiration to create illustrated journals of our own bird observations. Through in-class lessons and take-home exercises, participants will:

• Learn the basics of nature drawing and writing.
• Develop skills in observing and recording bird behavior.
• Cultivate a creative practice that fosters a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

Poetry is for the Birds, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, ME, April 5, 2025
Birds have long been a source of inspiration to poets around the world. With April marking the beginning of bird migration season in Maine, what better time to explore our feathered friends through poetry of our own? In this workshop, we'll walk into HVNC, looking and listening for birds. We'll talk about birds as symbols, metaphors, and poetic subjects in their own right; look at examples of bird poetry; and use the ideas and images we've gathered to create poems about the birds we encounter--or imagine--while in the nature center. Be sure to dress for the weather, including periods of sitting still outdoors, and consider bringing an insulated pad to sit on. 

Click on the titles above to register (keep an eye on my Workshops page for a link to the April HVNC workshop, which should be available in the next few weeks). Both HVNC workshops are free! The Arboretum one is $100 for all four weeks. Hope to see you there!

I'm very excited to be teaching another nature poetry workshop at HVNC this month:

Enchanting the Forest. Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, ME.
September 21, 2024, 10 am - 12 pm.
The word "enchant" comes from Latin roots that mean "to sing upon." To enchant a forest means, literally, to sing to it, and cultures around the world have historically sung to forests and other special landscapes. In this workshop, we'll walk the trails of HVNC, noticing the wild things around us engaging in word play along the way, including rhyming, alliteration, and onomatopoeia. When we reach the barn, we'll turn this word play into poems inspired by those in the books The Lost Words and The Lost Spells by Robert Macfarlane. When we're done we'll speak, or sing for those brave enough, our poems out loud--thus enchanting HVNC's forest.

This workshop should be a lot of fun--and it only costs $5!  I'd love to see you there.

Register here.