The Word Play Workshop

A workshop for writers who want to connect to the joy of words

Let’s be clear: Words are the weirdest.

Why did the word snollygoster go extinct, and how do words disappear?
Why does buckle mean to attach something, and to fall apart?
A new word is added to the dictionary every two hours, but where do they come from? And who gets to decide what words are “real” and which aren’t?

As writers, words are our medium, but we don’t often pause and consider the way they impact us, or the histories they carry.

This is a workshop based on curiosity. We’ll ask questions, write, and play lots, diving into the mind-bending lives of contranyms, homonyms, idioms, slang, and made up words. We’ll write tongue twisters, guess the meaning of extinct words, and explore words we want to use more.

Here’s how it works:

We’ll meet five times on Zoom for 2-hour sessions of writing, dialogue, and word games.

The group will be cozy — 7 participants and 1 facilitator. We’ll use our time fully — come expecting to get scribbling right away.

There will be some light homework, but most writing will be done in class.

- Know that language is a dynamic, evolving force that we are constantly in harmony and tension with.
- Have some kind of engagement with writing (maybe a regular practice, maybe a project or idea for one) and want to light a new fire of inspiration.
- Are ready to get playful and silly with others.
- Love the idea of a weekly creative date with a small group of others.
- Feel ready (though maybe a little scared) to share their writing.
- Already identify as a word-nerd… Or think they might want to.
- Are curious how other people see and understand words, and aren’t attached to their own interpretations.
- Feel aligned with our fundamental beliefs.
- Lots of new ideas and energy for writing.
- Many short, some-unfinished pieces to stoke the fires of later ideas.
- A renewed sense of the possibilities and power of words.
- Writing peers whose work you are invested in.
- A feeling of creative playfulness and possibility.
- Critique or competition. We’re all about the love.
- Strict rules on “how to write.” We’ll work on developing your writing skills but we don’t subscribe to the idea that there’s one way to create powerful work.
- Pressure to write things you don’t want to write. We go where the joy is.
- Space to explore without guardrails. We love throwing away rules, but there will be limits. For example, we won’t be using words that are offensive or derogatory. If you don’t agree with having any boundaries around language, this won’t be the workshop for you.

Details for Winter 2025:

In-Person with Kim (she/her)

5 Wednesday evenings @ St.Matthew’s Clubhouse (Toronto)
6:30 - 8:30pm ET
January 15 - February 12

Read the Healthcare Harm Reduction Policy for the in-person version of this workshop.

Read about accessibility features of the in-person workshop space.

Cost:

The fee for this workshop is $515. If you prefer, you can pay in 4 monthly installments of $128.75. Tax will be added for Canadians, in your local provincial rate. See our financial policies.

Four times a year, we give out bursaries for our programs to people with financial barriers. Check out our upcoming dates.

If you don’t have a credit card, let us know and we’ll gladly find a way to make it work.