Writing Wild Workshops- Summer 2025
Workshops exploring the landscapes of the body and the earth.
Writing Wild Workshops are season-based generative workshops exploring our wild, physical selves in all the landscapes we inhabit. Participants drop into their senses and write to and from this place in a series of exercises meant to inspire and get their creative juices going. Open to beginners and seasoned writers as well as the writing curious. Plan for camaraderie, craft talk, nature walking, discussion, and plenty of writing. Space limited. #writingwildworkshops
Half Day Workshop - $75
May 18th - Writing Wild: Intuition: Stalking the Story- 12-3pm
Full Day Workshops - $150
July 20th - Writing Wild: Wilding Your World - 10-3:30pm
Sept 14th - Writing Wild: Ritual - 10-3:30pm
Or $125each, for early registration or if you register with a friend. Click on Early or Friend link.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS + CLASSES
Fishtrap YearlongWorkshop
A Walk in the Woods: Mapping New Territory and Exploring the Terrain of Your Book-Length Story with Karen Auvinen
“A journey of a thousand miles is begins with a single step” —Laozi
Just as a walk in the forest reveals hidden paths and surprising discoveries, this Yearlong workshop invites you to uncover the path of your own story by learning to trust your intuition and the act of putting one foot in front of the other.
I know the world is a lot right now. We all feel it. And though it may not seem like it, NOW is exactly to the time to tell your story. We must continue to speak up and out, to create art, to tell the story because the stories we are telling are stronger than the story of destruction. So, I invite you to join me for this Fishtrap yearlong project to write your novel, to sit with your memoir. Now is the time. We are waiting to hear your voice.
Fishtrap offers payment plans and a 10% discount if you pay in full by July 7th. Hope to see you in lovely Lake Wallowa this summer. #memoir #novel #book #WritingWorkshop
More Information and to Register
A Few Spots Left!
The Fox Who Came to Dinner
Join Me @Lighthouse LitFest
June 2025
Workshops are $85, $75 for Lighthouse Members
Friday June 6th - 4:00-6:00PM MT - The Importance of Gaps
The secret to a great story is not plot or fantastic characters but leaving gaps—that is, crafting spaces to allow the reader to lean in or enter your story to make connections on their own. We’ll examine techniques for crafting action, gestures, and dialogue that help readers take leaps with you or your characters. Plan to practice writing.
Monday, June 9th - 4:00-6PM MT - Writing the Self: Considerations of Character, Perspective and Scene
In order for your memoir to work, you need to be a character with flaws, with conflict, with desires—in short, with very human traits. This workshop explores how to explore and write your “Self” on the page in a way that allows the reader to know you, to like you, and go along for the ride.
Tuesday June 10th - 4:00 - 6:00PM MT - Place-Based Writing
Place is deeper than setting; instead it articulates a unique landscape that is both emotional and physical. This workshop offers practices for infusing your stories and essays with a sense of place. How do we evoke it and how can we infuse our work with the power of place? Examples and exercises provided.
Thursday, June 12th - 4:00 - 6:00PM MT - Writing Cinematically: Using Moving Pictures to Tell Your Story
Whether you are writing a novel or a memoir, you book-length, your narrative is made up of moving pictures. We’ll draw on inspiration from select movies, that show how the narrative language of cinema can help you craft a vivid, cinematic narrative. Plan to practice writing.
Friday, June 13th - 1:30-3:30PM MT - Taking it Off the Nose: Using Dialogue to Show Conflict and Develop Character
Great dialogue is more about what is not said than what is said. This workshop explores how to listen to conversations, reveal character, and leave intentional gaps to make your dialogue something that doesn’t simply explicate or move plot. We’ll explore a few good examples and practice a bit. Intermediate or above Nonfiction and fiction writers welcome. Plan to practice writing.
Write Intuitively, Write Well, Write Wild.
I have 30 years of teaching experience in the craft of creative writing. I also coach, do public speaking engagements and consult on manuscripts or works in progress.
Contact me and let’s chat!
Consultation + Coaching
I offer one-time or on-going consultations on literary fiction or creative nonfiction manuscripts. Fees vary depending on author need and project. II also provide monthly coaching. Inquire here.
testimonials
“Karen is a magician. Through a series of immersive exercises she guided us to tap into the wisdom of our senses, drawing out our voices. By the end of the workshop we had each crafted jewels of narrative that left us yearning to keep going. An enriching, revelatory experience that I can’t wait to repeat.”
—Giula B., Boulder, CO
“The best gift I’ve ever given myself is to hire Karen as my creative writing consultant and coach”
—Danelle Y., Castle Rock, CO
“Thank you again for your sage direction and dedication to the word.”
—Capt. Mike A., Cypress, TX.
Rough Beauty: Forty Seasons of Mountain Living
“A Gorgeous Meditation on Solitude and Connection.”
This critically-acclaimed memoir chronicles Karen’s forty seasons of “living wild” in the Colorado Rockies and the shifting landscapes of being alone. It traces Karen’s retreat into wildness to learn what it means “to live deeply, becoming intimate with rocks and stars.”
