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Identifying your story
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How to start writingĀ
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Why you need to read
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How to revise your work
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What's next?
Writer and Professor.
Alena Papayanis is a queer writer and essayist, professor, poet, content creator, and podcaster based in Toronto. Her essays focus on queerness, coming out ālater in life,ā love, and people-pleasing. Alenaās writing has appeared in various publications, including The New Quarterly, HuffPost, Chatelaine, Refinery29, Xtra Magazine, FASHION, The Globe and Mail, and The Toronto Star. In 2024, one of her essays was long-listed for The International Amy McRae Award for Memoir.
Attendees will learn 5 basics steps/advice on how to get started in writing personal essays, from generating essay ideas, to where to begin and end an essay, to some basic craft suggestions around the art of personal essay and writing in general.
Through looking at examples of essays, and prompts to help attendees generate their own essay ideas, attendees will end the field trip with the confidence to get started in their own personal essay writing journey.
Identifying your story
How to start writingĀ
Why you need to read
How to revise your work
What's next?
A pad of paper or something to write on, pen or paper
This is a more traditional format where participants absorb information through presentations and talks.
The recording will be shared within 24 hours in the follow up email for a 4-day window, and available at the top of this page. Make sure to register for access!
Writer and Professor.
Alena Papayanis is a queer writer and essayist, professor, poet, content creator, and podcaster based in Toronto. Her essays focus on queerness, coming out ālater in life,ā love, and people-pleasing. Alenaās writing has appeared in various publications, including The New Quarterly, HuffPost, Chatelaine, Refinery29, Xtra Magazine, FASHION, The Globe and Mail, and The Toronto Star. In 2024, one of her essays was long-listed for The International Amy McRae Award for Memoir.
The FieldTrips experience is defined not only by what the host has to share, but also by how we show up individually and collectively. The way we show up impacts our capacity to be moved, inspired, and activated.
Get ready to be immersed! Engage with smiles, nods, waves, emojis. Share in the chat. Get cozy. Turn off notifications. Sip your favorite beverage.
Wear your beginnerās hat. Go with the flow. Welcome the stumbles and fumbles. Congratulate yourself for trying. Keep going!Ā
Our hosts are members of the CreativeMornings communityājust like you! Everyone comes to this with different backgroundsāa lot of our hosts have never done anything like this before! And we love that! Cheer them on when something goes awry and when it goes perfectly.
Weāre all figuring things out in real time. Celebrate, rather than critique emerging ideas. Cheer each other on as you try new things.Ā Try āYes! Andā¦ā in conversation.
Itās 100% okay when a FieldTrip does not resonate with you. Pop out quietly and try another experience later. Fill out the survey with your feedback (no dms to host or chat commentary, please.)