“To make a table, you need wood.
To make wood, you need a tree.
To make a tree, you need seeds.
To make seeds, you need fruit.
To make fruit, you need a flower.
To make a table, you need a flower.”
I offer a weekly workshop in which I guide writers through the endlessly challenging process of turning their ideas into finished scripts, plays, novels, and short stories and help them build the confidence and skills they need for success, one step at a time.
Join my Writers’ community on Discord to connect with fellow writers and attend your first session. Whether you are a first-time writer or an established voice looking for a push, I want to work with you!
How it Works
Alessio’s Workshop meets weekly on Wednesday nights, from 6-9pm central time, over video call on Discord.
Pages for each session are due 24 hours before the session begins. Writers upload their pages as a PDF file to the #pages channel, where they will be accessible to other members of the server.
Pages, scenes, outlines, pitches, and more are all acceptable to upload. Writers submitting more than ten pages of material are encouraged to specify a ten-page segment they would like to focus on. You may bring in the same project every week or something brand new.
Alessio reads all uploaded material in advance of the session. If you upload work late, I may not be able to read, but you may still attend the session and receive feedback.
Reading your fellow writers’ work prior to the session is encouraged, but not required.
Workshop time is split evenly among all writers in attendance (no less then 30 minutes each) and each writer’s time will encompass:
Reading aloud of the writer’s work from the rest of the group (~5min)
Free response from the group (~10min)
Alessio’s assessment and suggestions (~5min)
Follow-up questions from the writer (~10min)
Feedback is tailored to your needs and goals. Tell me how I can help, including with:
Character and story. Does it make sense? Have emotional impact? Feel satisfying?
Strategy and polish: Is it ready to send to managers, agents, contests, etc.? Is it playing to its marketable strengths?
Accountability and confidence: How do I fight writers’ block? Stay optimistic? Get more comfortable letting others read my work?
The goal is for each writer to leave the session feeling excited and prepared to forge ahead with their project and push through any obstacles they face in their process.
Rates
Writers may pay for individual workshops or for a month upfront based on their needs. Paying for a month is a great way to keep yourself writing and finally finish that manuscript. You can opt in to the monthly deal at any time during the month and this will cover the NEXT four sessions. If you have a scheduling conflict and would like to skip a session and carry it over, please let me know ahead of time.
Individual workshops are priced at $65 each.
A month of workshops is priced at $225.
I accept payment via:
Venmo
Zelle
PayPal
Check (if paying for a full month)
Individual session fees are due along with pages: 24-hours before workshop.
Payments for a month may be made at any time and will count for the next four sessions (consecutive attendance is strongly recommended, but of course may not always be possible).
Writers are welcome to either sit in on their first session free of charge to observe or to jump right in and submit work their first time attending.
The Spirit of Workshop
The more you are able to embody the spirit of workshop, the more I’ll be able to help you!
Sharing your writing with strangers and even friends can be scary. Offering feedback in a constructive way can be challenging. While workshop is fun, it is also a place you to be told that your script or story isn’t ready. My workshop emphasizes writing as a process above all: as much a means for reaching a creative or professional goal as it is a way to learn about one’s inner life and the wide, wild world we inhabit together. You should never leave workshop feeling hopeless, but - as the mouthwash people like to say - the burn means it’s working.
Writers are expected to treat themselves, their fellow writers, and the process with openness, patience, and respect. Everyone, regardless of experience or skill level, has something to offer and something to learn in workshop. Workshop is not a place to show off or be ‘right.’ It is a place to think, to grow, to celebrate one another’s wins, and navigate the tumultuous ups and downs of the writing process.
Racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and all other forms of bigotry are not tolerated in workshop. Writing is, at its core, an attempt to understand the human experience. If you can’t feel for the human being across the table from you, you can’t write.
By the same token, confronting complex and difficult subject matter in workshop is unavoidable. Writers must both express themselves on paper and in session fully and honestly while remaining attentive to how their words affect others. Advanced notice of scenes that depict sensitive subject matter is appreciated as is the presumption of good intent when something hits a sour note.