Heidi W. Durrow's Blog

I am very excited to teach another week-long writing workshop this Fall in October 2019 at Hedgebrook, an idyllic writer's retreat where I was in residence for 4 weeks in 1998 (before I had published a single word!) and again in 2010 for a two-week stay (at the end of my hardcover book tour).

The workshop, Beginner's Mind: A Master Class to Turn Your Yearning to Write Into Words, is tailored for the person who has always wanted to write for a living and wants to grow their craft as a writer (focusing on character, voice, description, and scene) in addition to exploring how one develops their writing resume even before one publishes their first word. This class will emphasize generating new work through the use of writing prompts, guided in-class writing exercises and reading and discussion of literary models.  In addition, we will discuss concrete steps to take to build your writing and publishing resume. At the end of the class you will have a better understanding of what you need to begin, and what skills you need to develop to finish and how to grow your craft as a writer as well as your career even before you publish the first writing.  This master class is well-suited for those writing about difference, race, and social justice.  Participants will also have the opportunity to submit 25 pages of a project to the instructor for feedback during a private 1-hour session.  Space is limited.

I hope you'll apply and make the promise you've made to yourself come true: write the book you've always wanted to write! Applications are open now!  Learn more and apply here.

WHAT MAKES THIS WRITING WORKSHOP DIFFERENT?

Well, I'll let some past participants of workshops I've led tell you themselves:

"Heidi herself was warm, generous, and gently constructive & gave attention to practical matters, e.g. how to give a great reading. She set a wonderful tone for workshop and critique to be directed at expanding work in progress, rather than attacking it."— Jenn R., workshop participant

"Heidi's candor was refreshing. She really emphasized how relentless debut authors need to be BEFORE being published and after publication. She shared some critical strategies and some of her mistakes so that we can avoid making them. I also liked her authenticity. She was not afraid to get emotional. She does not present a façade, she is refreshingly real and approachable. One story she told us about one of her young readers perfectly illustrated the power of being an author and it had nothing to do with fame, money or ego. The story she shared left me determined to create art with my novel. I never had that goal before the workshop because I did not consider myself an artist. Finally, I think Heidi is brilliant. She has keen insights and is a writer’s writer. She set a constructive tone for the workshop by emphasizing that we look for the energy in each other’s work and suggest ways to build on that. That was such a great approach and we all benefitted. I felt like I could share freely because I was in a safe place." — Robin Farmer, workshop participant

"Heidi provided extremely constructive, detailed manuscript critiques; extremely useful and practical information re the nuts and bolts of selling and promoting your work – and the practice doing readings was so helpful. Heidi is an engaging, energetic and masterful guide through the intricacies and necessary action steps to successfully complete, publish and promote your novel.

"The positive energy, support and enthusiasm from Heidi and the workshop attendees that renewed my spirit and revved me up with the energy and tools I need to complete my novel and get it out into the world." — Ginger McKnight-Chavers, workshop participant

"I loved the intimacy of the group—it was very supportive and generative. And I loved Heidi’s teaching/coaching style. She is a natural teacher and encourager. I enjoyed the pacing and the mix of sessions and events planned. I learned so much, and received so much encouragement from, the workshops, the one-on-one, the discussions and talks that Heidi gave on the other parts of the writerly life. I appreciate Heidi’s style and her genuineness. And I surely appreciated her generosity of spirit and heart."— Michele Beller, workshop participant

"I was so impressed with Heidi’s organization and preparedness for the workshop. I wasn’t expecting anything more than a few workshops and time to write, but she provided so much more than that with super informative sessions on marketing, networking and getting published. I am always so focused on writing that I hadn’t even thought about all of the nuts and bolts that go along with creating art. She also managed to curate a group of writers who seemed to mesh perfectly together, as well as create a workshopping environment that managed to be both nurturing and constructive. I didn’t feel like my fellow workshoppers (or Heidi) were holding back, but at the same time I never felt attacked or defeated. Quite the opposite."— Jessica Haas, workshop participant

"It was, quite simply, a stupendous experience. Heidi packed so much into a few days: giving us advice; providing the opportunity to have our work read by others as well as by herself; and even “forcing” us to read our own work, out loud and in public. Her selection of other writers was spot-on, and she quickly created a safe space for us to bond and support each other. I don’t think anyone expected we’d become life-long friends, our own clan, within a few short days." — Romalyn Tilghman, workshop participant

I was very excited to talk with the Washington Post about the importance of mixed race stories.  You can read the full interview here.

 

 

 

 

It was a real thrill to talk with Gene Demby for this episode of NPR's Codeswitch.  Our wide-ranging talk lasted more than an hour.  It's condensed to seven minutes in the podcast episode.  The whole episode is great, but if you want to hear me I think my interview starts around minute 23.  What do you think?

 

 

 

I wrote this piece for the Huffington Post last week in a moment of trying to find the bright side of this regime change in American politics.  Let me know what you think!

Obama And The Future Of Mixed-Race And Multiracial America

It is fitting that President Obama would bookend his official press conferences with an unscripted comment and nod to his mixed-race heritage.

Obama had originally campaigned for the presidency, in part, on the complexity of his racial background. As the brown-skinned son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, he offered his candidacy as the symbol of hope and harmony for our country.

I was elated by his message as a woman who is also mixed-race and who grew up lonely in my silence about my own racially and culturally complicated background.

We live in a country that subscribes to the one drop rule which insists that one drop of “black” blood defines you as black.

So, there wasn’t room in America’s imagination in the 1980s for a young woman with brown skin and blue eyes to be both black and Danish, fully Afro-Viking. I was black. I was light-skinned-ed, yes. But that was simply another variety of being black.

When Obama ran for the presidency, the word biracial lost its scientific ring and became part of the country’s lexicon. I felt like suddenly people could see me for all of my complexity: I wasn’t excited that people could now recognize that I had “white” blood, but that people could recognize I had an experience of growing up betwixt and between two cultures and two languages and that those experiences mattered.

I laughed with delight listening to Obama speak at his first press conference after he won the 2008 election. When a reporter asked what kind of dog the family planned to get for the White House (an election promise to his daughters) Obama said: “There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic. On the other hand, our preference would be to get a shelter dog, but, obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me.”

Many people expressed outrage about his remark. I thought it was funny: an insider’s joke. It was a wink . . . READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE

 

I'm so excited to tell you about this dynamic debut novelist!  Ginger McKnight-Chavers was a participant in my 2015 Djerassi workshop working on her first novel.  And now a year and half later her book is about to hit bookstore shelves everywhere.  I think you are going to love this book as much as I do.  This is what I had to say when I finished reading the final draft a few months ago: 

“Funny, smart and compulsively readable! Ginger McKnight has a hit on her hands. And Terry McMillan fans can rejoice that they can add a new favorite writer to their list!” —Heidi W. Durrow New York Times best-selling author of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky
 
Don't just listen to me.  Here are more pre-publication reviews: 
 

“Everything is bigger in Texas―the hair, the real estate, and the drama in the pages of In The Heart of Texas. Forty-one-year-old soap star Jo Randolph manages to lose her Hollywood dream and burn all Tinseltown bridges in the span of 24 hours―literally. Caught in a PR nightmare, her agent ships her off to her Texas hometown and she desperately tries to reconnect to life beyond the limelight.”—PopSugar
 
 
“Ginger McKnight-Chavers expertly fuses politics, pop culture and hot topics surrounding race to create one of the most rousingly inspiring reads of fall.” —Redbook Magazine
 
Pre-order the book now!

 

 
 
In the Heart of Texas
By Ginger McKnight-Chavers
 
Pitched as “a poor man’s Halle Berry,” forty-one-year-old soap star Jo Randolph, has successfully avoided waiting tables since she left Midland, Texas at eighteen. But then, in the span of twenty-four hours, Jo manages to lose her job, burn her bridges in Hollywood, and accidentally burn down her lover/director’s beach house—after which she is shipped home to Texas by her agent to stay out of sight while she sorts out her situation. 
 
The more Jo reluctantly reconnects with her Texas “roots” and the family and friends she left behind, the more she regains touch with herself as an artist and with what is meaningful in life beyond the limelight. The summer of 2007 is cathartic for Jo, whose career and lifestyle have allowed her to live like a child for forty years, but who now must transition to making grown-up decisions and taking on adult responsibilities. In the Heart of Texas is a wry, humorous commentary on the complexities of race, class, relationships, politics, popular culture, and celebrity in our current society.
 
A native of Dallas, Texas, Ginger McKnight-Chavers is a graduate of Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and Harvard Law School. She was a Kathryn Gurfein Writing Fellow at Sarah Lawrence College and her debut novel, In the Heart of Texas, will be released in Fall 2016 by She Writes Press. McKnight-Chavers currently blogs for the Huffington Post and The TexPatch, and she lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, daughter, and an overweight West Highland White Terrier.

 

I am very excited to teach another week-long writing workshop in February 2017 at Djerassi, an idyllic writer's retreat where I was in residence for 4 weeks in 2005 and 2013.

The workshop is geared to people working on their first novel and is well-suited for those writing about difference, race, and social justice. The workshop will include workshop manuscript critiques, time for new writing as well as workshop writing prompts, a private consultation of 50 pages of your manuscript, and talks on actionable steps you can take to start your career as a published writer.  Applicants accepted pending review of writing samples.  Space is limited.

I hope you'll apply and make the promise you've made to yourself come true: finish that novel you've always wanted to write! Applications are open now!  Learn more and apply here.

WHAT MAKES THIS WRITING WORKSHOP DIFFERENT?

Well, I'll let some past workshop participants tell you themselves:

"Heidi herself was warm, generous, and gently constructive & gave attention to practical matters, e.g. how to give a great reading. She set a wonderful tone for workshop and critique to be directed at expanding work in progress, rather than attacking it."— Jenn R., workshop participant

"Heidi's candor was refreshing. She really emphasized how relentless debut authors need to be BEFORE being published and after publication. She shared some critical strategies and some of her mistakes so that we can avoid making them. I also liked her authenticity. She was not afraid to get emotional. She does not present a façade, she is refreshingly real and approachable. One story she told us about one of her young readers perfectly illustrated the power of being an author and it had nothing to do with fame, money or ego. The story she shared left me determined to create art with my novel. I never had that goal before the workshop because I did not consider myself an artist. Finally, I think Heidi is brilliant. She has keen insights and is a writer’s writer. She set a constructive tone for the workshop by emphasizing that we look for the energy in each other’s work and suggest ways to build on that. That was such a great approach and we all benefitted. I felt like I could share freely because I was in a safe place." — Robin Farmer, workshop participant

"Heidi provided extremely constructive, detailed manuscript critiques; extremely useful and practical information re the nuts and bolts of selling and promoting your work – and the practice doing readings was so helpful. Heidi is an engaging, energetic and masterful guide through the intricacies and necessary action steps to successfully complete, publish and promote your novel.

"The positive energy, support and enthusiasm from Heidi and the workshop attendees that renewed my spirit and revved me up with the energy and tools I need to complete my novel and get it out into the world." — Ginger McKnight-Chavers, workshop participant

"I loved the intimacy of the group—it was very supportive and generative. And I loved Heidi’s teaching/coaching style. She is a natural teacher and encourager. I enjoyed the pacing and the mix of sessions and events planned. I learned so much, and received so much encouragement from, the workshops, the one-on-one, the discussions and talks that Heidi gave on the other parts of the writerly life. I appreciate Heidi’s style and her genuineness. And I surely appreciated her generosity of spirit and heart."— Michele Beller, workshop participant

"I was so impressed with Heidi’s organization and preparedness for the workshop. I wasn’t expecting anything more than a few workshops and time to write, but she provided so much more than that with super informative sessions on marketing, networking and getting published. I am always so focused on writing that I hadn’t even thought about all of the nuts and bolts that go along with creating art. She also managed to curate a group of writers who seemed to mesh perfectly together, as well as create a workshopping environment that managed to be both nurturing and constructive. I didn’t feel like my fellow workshoppers (or Heidi) were holding back, but at the same time I never felt attacked or defeated. Quite the opposite."— Jessica Haas, workshop participant

"It was, quite simply, a stupendous experience. Heidi packed so much into a few days: giving us advice; providing the opportunity to have our work read by others as well as by herself; and even “forcing” us to read our own work, out loud and in public. Her selection of other writers was spot-on, and she quickly created a safe space for us to bond and support each other. I don’t think anyone expected we’d become life-long friends, our own clan, within a few short days." — Romalyn Tilghman, workshop participant

Look Who’s Talking About Mixed Remixed Festival

‘Loving Day’ Petition Launched in Hope of Broader Recognition by Sylvia Cunningham

 

 

 A Festival For Mixed-Race Storytellers — And Everyone Else, Too by Leah Donnella
 

 

 
Hundreds head to downtown L.A. for nation’s largest gathering for multiracial people by Anh Do

 

 

I'm excited to announce that I'll teach a week-long writing workshop Writing the Debut Novel: Developing Your Craft & Your Career in January 2016 at Djerassi, an idyllic writer's retreat where I was in residence for 4 weeks in 2005 and 2013. The workshop is geared to debut novelists and is well-suited for those writing about difference, race, and social justice. The workshop will include workshop manuscript critiques, time for new writing as well as workshop writing prompts, a private consultation of 50 pages of your manuscript, and talks on actionable steps you can take to start your career as a published writer. Includes up to 50 pages manuscript consultation in private 1/2 hour session with me. Full novel review available for an additional fee. Applicants accepted pending review of writing samples.  Space is limited.  I hope you'll apply and make the promise you've made to yourself come true: finish that novel you've always wanted to write! Learn more here.

 

Statement:

"At age 29 I quit my job and set out to write the Great American Novel by age 30. After 6 years of feeling stuck, I realized I was only playing at writing a book while I waited for my muse to come and for someone to discover my talent. I had to treat my ambition to become a published novelist the same way that I had planned out my professional career. That’s when I started to see results the non-MFA way. I learned to grow my craft and my career and ended up with a New York Times best-selling novel that continues to grow a wide readership now internationally. This workshop is tailored for the person who has always wanted to write for a living, but doesn’t have an idea about how to start. I'm looking forward to sharing my process and helping other writers who are looking for a way to take tangible steps toward achieving their dreams."--Heidi

 

Testimonials: 

"Heidi herself was warm, generous, and gently constructive & gave attention to practical matters, e.g. how to give a great reading. She set a wonderful tone for workshop and critique to be directed at expanding work in progress, rather than attacking it."— Jenn R., workshop participant

"Heidi's candor was refreshing. She really emphasized how relentless debut authors need to be BEFORE being published and after publication. She shared some critical strategies and some of her mistakes so that we can avoid making them. I also liked her authenticity. She was not afraid to get emotional. She does not present a façade, she is refreshingly real and approachable. One story she told us about one of her young readers perfectly illustrated the power of being an author and it had nothing to do with fame, money or ego. The story she shared left me determined to create art with my novel. I never had that goal before the workshop because I did not consider myself an artist. Finally, I think Heidi is brilliant. She has keen insights and is a writer’s writer. She set a constructive tone for the workshop by emphasizing that we look for the energy in each other’s work and suggest ways to build on that. That was such a great approach and we all benefitted. I felt like I could share freely because I was in a safe place." — Robin Farmer, workshop participant

"Heidi provided extremely constructive, detailed manuscript critiques; extremely useful and practical information re the nuts and bolts of selling and promoting your work – and the practice doing readings was so helpful. Heidi is an engaging, energetic and masterful guide through the intricacies and necessary action steps to successfully complete, publish and promote your novel.

"The positive energy, support and enthusiasm from Heidi and the workshop attendees that renewed my spirit and revved me up with the energy and tools I need to complete my novel and get it out into the world." — Ginger McKnight-Chavers, workshop participant

"I loved the intimacy of the group—it was very supportive and generative. And I loved Heidi’s teaching/coaching style. She is a natural teacher and encourager. I enjoyed the pacing and the mix of sessions and events planned. I learned so much, and received so much encouragement from, the workshops, the one-on-one, the discussions and talks that Heidi gave on the other parts of the writerly life. I appreciate Heidi’s style and her genuineness. And I surely appreciated her generosity of spirit and heart."— Michele Beller, workshop participant

"I was so impressed with Heidi’s organization and preparedness for the workshop. I wasn’t expecting anything more than a few workshops and time to write, but she provided so much more than that with super informative sessions on marketing, networking and getting published. I am always so focused on writing that I hadn’t even thought about all of the nuts and bolts that go along with creating art. She also managed to curate a group of writers who seemed to mesh perfectly together, as well as create a workshopping environment that managed to be both nurturing and constructive. I didn’t feel like my fellow workshoppers (or Heidi) were holding back, but at the same time I never felt attacked or defeated. Quite the opposite." — Jessica Haas, workshop participant

"It was, quite simply, a stupendous experience. Heidi packed so much into a few days: giving us advice; providing the opportunity to have our work read by others as well as by herself; and even “forcing” us to read our own work, out loud and in public. Her selection of other writers was spot-on, and she quickly created a safe space for us to bond and support each other. I don’t think anyone expected we’d become life-long friends, our own clan, within a few short days." — Romalyn Tilghman, workshop participant

 

How excited was I to be asked to write a piece for the New York Times again. It happened to coincide with the end of the 2015 Mixed Remixed Festival which was a huge success.  Actually better than huge!  It was the best-attended (we had standing room only in almost every program).  We had the best press coverage: not just the New York Times, but also NBC News, KTLA, and a full-page feature in the New York Times  And we had the best feeling of energy and love.  I felt so proud (exhausted but also proud.)  So already I'm gearing up for next year's festival!  Stay tuned for a date.  Here are some of the fun photos.  Be sure to check out the links to the press the Mixed Remixed Festival received! 

 

I'm super excited to speak at BlogHer15: Experts Among Us conference next week July 17 and 2pm.I'll be part of a program called The Creative Life: Blog to Book, Your Content, Your Proposal, Your Platform.  Longtime readers of my personal blog, Light-skinned-ed Girl, know that I started it in 2006 when I heard from my agent that none of the three dozen editors she had approached were interested in my manuscript which eventually was published as The Girl Who Fell From the Sky.  I was seeking community when I started this blog and also just a sense of confidence in my writing and my voice.  I hope that I can help other writers with my story.  So if you're in New York City next week, don't miss this awesome conference.  I've been wanting to go for years and now I get to speak at it!  I'm so excited! Oh, and you'll get a 30 percent discount on registration if you sign up here.

  

Here's a description of the program:

You have the story to tell, but how do you evolve from Expert blogger to book author? This session will dig into the three components that are now a necessary part of any prospective author's toolkit: content, a proposal, and your platform. Great content is the foundation, a great proposal gets you in the right doors, and understanding how to leverage your platform to first get you the deal and then promote the book is critically important.

Speakers:

Heidi Durrow, Light-skinned-ed Girl

Jill Nystul, One Good Thing by Jillee Inc

Louise Sloan, Singlewith.com