Writing the Hard Stuff: Navigating Vulnerability on the Page

Writing about personal or difficult experiences can feel daunting so how do you tell the truth without feeling overexposed, overwhelmed, or unsure where the line is? This six-week course explores the intersection of craft and emotional awareness, helping writers approach vulnerable material with both honesty and intention.
Through a blend of generative exercises, discussion, and optional sharing, you’ll learn how to write into complex experiences while maintaining a sense of control and safety. We’ll explore how to create emotional distance when needed, how to recognize when writing is serving the work (versus reactivating the writer), and how to shape personal material into compelling, resonant narratives.

This class is not about pushing you to disclose more, it’s about helping you make thoughtful, empowered choices on the page. Whether you’re working on memoir, personal essays, or nonfiction that draws from lived experience, you’ll leave with practical tools to navigate fear, resistance, and self-censorship.

Writers will gain greater confidence in approaching difficult material and a clearer understanding of how to balance vulnerability with craft.

Weekly Outline:

● Week 1: Defining “Hard Stuff” and Establishing Safety
● Week 2: Writing with Distance and Control
● Week 3: Navigating Fear, Resistance, and Self-Censorship
● Week 4: Shaping Vulnerable Material into Story
● Week 5: Writing and Feedback Session
● Week 6: Writing and Feedback Session

Access Program
We want our writing classes and seminars to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers writing class and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available.

Please apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions.

Liaison position
Every in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts.

Apply here for the liaison position.