In this workshop, I look at Sophie Treadwell’s play Machinal and how it stages modern life as a set of interlocking “machines” — work, marriage, law, media, and execution. I focus on how these systems speak through repeated phrases, ritual language, and noise that drowns out the individual. Through close readings of key scenes, the article shows how Treadwell builds pressure through sound and silence. It ends with practical writing exercises for creating “voices in the machine” in contemporary fiction and nonfiction.

In this workshop, we look at a new 2-page fragment of Kerouac's writing that surfaced in late 2024 and connects with his seminal novel, On the Road. At the center of Kerouac's writing is an affirmation of life, a life force, a pulse. How does it manifest and what can we learn from it as writers?

Most people have heard of the term Kafkaesque describing the helplessness of being lost in the jungle of bureaucracy. But how does Kafka actually construct that sensation? In this workshop, we take a closer look.

This workshop looks at Woolf's innovative use of interior time in her novel, Mrs Dalloway. How can we play with time within the narratives we construct?

This workshop looks at the chorus in Greek tragedy, and what it can teach us about polyphony, which is the layering of mixed perspectives and subjects inside one voice.

This workshop looks at how far we can push the limits of language using blend-words, invented words, a pinch of nonsense, and a lot of deliberately placed gaps. The aim is to turn your readers into co-authors.

This workshop looks at how to create unsettling atmospheres. The example is the Japanese writer, Yoko Ogawa (1962–), and includes a reading of an excerpt from Ogawa’s book Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales.

This workshop looks at the use of haunted objects. The example is the Austrian playwright and short story writer, Arthur Schnitzler (1862–1931).

This workshop looks at the use of negation in writing. The example is the American dancer, choreographer, writer, and filmmaker, Yvonne Rainer (1934~).

This workshop looks at the use of rhythm. The example is the American poet, Langston Hughes. (1901–1967).

This workshop looks at the use of pauses. The example is the British playwright, Harold Pinter (1930–2008).

This workshop looks at brevity in writing. The example is the British playwright, Sarah Kane (1971–1999).

This workshop looks at clarity in writing. The example is the American objectivist poet, George Oppen (1908–1984).