| Writing the Creative Magazine Feature

Guided by feature writer and educator Jenny O’Connell, hone your creative writing skills and take your stories from concept to publication.

Whether you’re writing an experiential account of your ascent of Kilimanjaro or a step-by-step guide to making your great aunt’s famous pierogies, the ingredients are the same: Compelling magazine features are driven by passion, character, and action. They engage the senses, dropping the reader boldly into the story. They have a tight angle and a strong hook. And they tap into something bigger than all of us.

Led by Jenny O’Connell, in this five-day intensive, you’ll uncover the stories you want to tell, and learn how to take one of those stories from brainstorming to publication. Through an exploration of creative writing techniques such as sensory writing, setting, character, and dialogue, you’ll hone the tools that bring stories to life. Guided by Jenny’s expertise in experiential education, you’ll walk the Rockland Breakwater to practice setting and hook writing, and conduct peer interviews aimed at wholehearted characterization and locating the “heat” in dialogue. At the end of the week, you’ll leave with a developed story, polished with peer feedback, and a solid idea of the next steps for pitching it for publication. One-on-one meetings with the instructor are available.

Jenny often writes features for Maine Magazine, Backcountry, and Decor Maine. View Jenny’s publications.

Header image by Rafael Baeza.