Experimental Essay Forms: All Prompts, ALL THE TIME with Kristine Langley Mahler— May 5

You need a class so you can tell your partner or your kids “Sorry, I have a class rn” but really, you just need the focused time to write? This is the class for you. Two hours. Eight prompts. Four mini craft-talks on experimental essay forms.

Curious about experimental essays and want a crash course in the practice of writing them as well? Or maybe you're just looking for inspiration. Either way, this course is a blistering HOUR AND A HALF of 8 (eight) sprint prompts, dispensed every ten minutes and supported throughout by yours truly, who will provide brief (but effective!) introductions to four different experimental essay forms (speculative, constraint, erasure, and visual) before each set.

My good friends, y’all are gonna WRITE. And when the class is over and you have carpal tunnel, you’ll also have EIGHT ESSAY STARTS. That you did! Good for you!

At the end of this workshop, writers will:

• Be exposed to four experimental essay forms via four mini 5-min craft talks

• Practice writing in four experimental essay forms

• Have written eight (8) experimental essay starts which can be expanded upon or refined for publication

Students will have written in response to:

• three speculative essay prompts

• three constraint essay prompts

• one erasure essay prompt

• one visual essay prompt

Additional info

This workshop will be recorded for the convenience of those unable to attend live. The recorded session will be emailed to participants the following day.

About the Instructor

Kristine Langley Mahler is the author of three nonfiction books, A CALENDAR IS A SNAKESKIN (Autofocus, 2023), CURING SEASON: ARTIFACTS (WVU Press, 2022), and TEEN QUEEN TRAINING (forthcoming with Autofocus, 2026). Her work has been supported by the Nebraska Arts Council and Art at Cedar Point and twice named Notable in Best American Essays. A memoirist experimenting with the truth on the suburban prairie, Kristine makes her home outside Omaha, Nebraska. She is the director of Split/Lip Press.