Description
John Keats coined the term negative capability to describe the experience of “being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” This describes an essential aspect of good literature, so how do we embrace uncertainties, mysteries, and doubts in the writing process?
When we delve into what we don’t know about a character, situation, or setting, we may find ourselves adrift as we lose control of the story we set out to tell. Yet exploring the unknown reveals connections and resonances that can deepen our work.
In this generative workshop for writers of any genre or experience level, we’ll consider the role of mystery in the writing process and follow prompts that invite us to write from a place of uncertainty. Along the way, we’ll learn to trust this essential aspect of the creative process.
