Instructor: Pat Branning, author of seven bestselling books on the Lowcountry and the voice behind the bi-weekly Substack The Diary of a Southern Author at patbranning.com.
There is a moment—quiet, persistent—when a story asks to be told.
Not a grand story.
Not a polished one.
Just yours.
This four-week creative writing workshop invites writers of all backgrounds to explore memory, place, and personal experience as the foundation of meaningful storytelling. Guided by author Pat Branning, participants will learn to write vivid scenes, develop cofidence, write honestly, and discover the power already living in their own voice.
Our most enduring stories are often found in small moments:
the kitchen table where conversations linger,
a handwritten recipe passed down,
a walk through the neighborhood at dusk,
a front porch where time slows and memories surface.
Writing is an act of noticing.
Of honoring what shaped us.
Of giving our lived moments a place to rest and be remembered.
Through gentle prompts, shared reflection, and thoughtful discussion, participants will learn to trust their instincts, shape everyday experiences into story, and build a writing practice grounded in curiosity rather than perfection.
No prior writing experience is required.
Only a willingness to show up and be present.
Your voice doesn’t need fixing.
It needs honoring.
Join us at Village Social Habersham, Thursdays, 6 pm to 7:30 pm January 8, 15, 22, and 29.
Note… The information taught in this 4 part series is cumlative and weekly attendance at each session is encoraged. Please see weekly lesson plan below. TICKETS FOR EACH SESSION MUST BE PURCHASED SEPARATELY ON THE CORRESPONDING EVENT LISTING.
4-PART CRATIVE WRITING LESSON PLAN
Theme: Finding Your Voice Through Memory, Place, and Story
Format: 4 sessions | 90 minutes each
Audience: Adult writers of all levels (beginners welcome)
Goal: Help adults uncover meaningful stories, write with confidence, and develop a sustainable
writing practice
LESSON 1: YOU ALREADY HAVE A STORY
Focus: Confidence, observation, and breaking the “I’m not a writer” barrier
OBJECTIVES
● Help students understand that lived experience is valid material
● Quiet inner criticism and perfectionism
● Begin writing immediately
DISCUSSION TOPICS
● Why adults hesitate to write (fear, comparison, “doing it right”)
● Writing as noticing, not performing
● The power of ordinary moments
IN-CLASS EXERCISE
● 10-Minute Free Write:
Prompt: “Write about a place where you felt safe, seen, or at home.”
(Encourage sensory detail—what could you smell, hear, taste?)
SHARING (Optional)
● Read aloud in pairs or small groups
● Emphasize listening without critique
TAKE-HOME ASSIGNMENT
● Keep a small notebook or phone note
● Write one paragraph a day about something noticed: a meal, a walk, a memory
triggered by scent or sound
LESSON 2: WRITING FROM MEMORY & PLACE
Focus: Memory as a doorway; grounding story in setting
OBJECTIVES
● Teach writers how to anchor memory through physical details
● Explore place as character
● Move from vague recollection to vivid scene
DISCUSSSION TOPICS
● Why place carries emotion
● Memory doesn’t need to be “perfect” to be true
● Writing what you remember feeling, not just what happened
IN-CLASS EXERCISE
● Guided Memory Map
○ Students sketch or list a meaningful place (kitchen, shoreline, front porch, farm,
city street)
○ Write a short scene beginning with:
“I remember the way...”
MINI CRAFT TALK
● Show how sensory details (sound, texture, smell) create intimacy
● Explain scene vs. summary in simple terms
TAKE HOME ASSIGNMENT
● Write a one-page memory vignette set in a specific place
● No backstory—drop the reader straight into the moment
LESSON 3: FINDING YOUR VOICE (AND TRUSTING IT)
Focus: Authentic voice, rhythm, and personal truth
OBJECTIVES
● Help writers recognize their natural voice
● Encourage emotional honesty without overexposure
● Let go of “writing like someone else”
DISCUSSION TOPICS
● What voice really is (and isn’t)
● The danger of over-polishing
● Writing the way you speak—on the page
IN-CLASS EXERCISE
● Voice Comparison
○ Write the same short moment twice:
1. As if telling a close friend
2. As if writing for publication
○ Discuss which feels more alive
GROUP ACTIVITY
● Read short excerpts aloud and identify:
○ Lines that feel true
○ Places where the writer “showed up”
TAKE HOME ASSIGNMENT
● Revise one earlier piece lightly—focus on clarity, not perfection
● Highlight your favorite sentence and bring it to the next class
LESSON 4: SHAPING SHARING AND SUSTAINING A WRITING LIFE
Focus: Revision, courage, and building a habit
OBJECTIVES
● Introduce gentle revision strategies
● Practice sharing work with confidence
● Help students envision a sustainable writing practice
DSCUSSION TOPICS
● Revision as listening, not fixing
● When to stop tinkering
● Writing for yourself vs. writing for others
IN-CLASS EXERCISE
● Guided Revision
○ Cut one unnecessary sentence
○ Add one specific detail
○ Read the piece aloud to hear rhythm
CELEBRATION READING
● Volunteers read a short piece
● Emphasis on bravery, not polish
CLOSING REFLECTION
● Students write a note to themselves:
“Why my story matters.”
OPTIONAL NEXT STEPS
● Substack, journaling, small writing groups
● Continuing memoir or essay work
● Writing as a form of attention and care