Our crack team of Lighthouse psychologists has put together a personality profile for members, to help them approach Lit Fest in the most self-actualized way. Sit back and be analytical about thyself. We'll see you in a week! Download a pdf of our Lit Fest Brochure here.
What Style of Lit Fester Are You?
The Bohemian
The Bohemian Lit Fester loves the outdoors, and in many cases, has great legs to show for it. He/she writes and lives passionately, and always keeps up with current events. It is not uncommon for this Lit Fester to sign a petition, fire off a stunningly articulate letter, or curl up with Wallace Stegner, Terry Tempest Williams or Wendell Berry. For the Bohemian Lit Fester in your life (or the bohemian in you), we recommend: Laura Pritchett’s Weekend Intensive Environmental Writing, where writers will learn how to effectively write and publish work about our planet; Shari Caudron’s Developing the “I” Narrator, where writers will learn how to navigate the tricky first person; and the engaging DNC Special: Writing and Politics, where a panel of writers will discuss that delicate business of how politics and writing work together (or not!).
The Voyeur
The Voyeur Lit Fester is a master of observation. He/she notices the little details that nobody else sees, and may have been caught staring once or twice—at someone’s outfit, at someone’s unusual mannerisms, at someone’s ear. He/she is just interested in things, especially in people. For the voyeur in everyone, we recommend: Rebecca Berg’s weekend intensive Emotion On and Off the Page, where writers of fiction and nonfiction will explore this most important aspect of characterization; Shari Caudron’s Writing About Real People; and Michael J. Henry’s Metaphor as Theme (because let’s face it, even the greatest observer needs a little help spotting their most powerful themes).
The Daredevil
The Daredevil Lit Fester is always open to something new: new foods, new places, new friends. When it comes to writing, this person is often talented in multiple genres, and tends to flit between them (when he/she isn’t falling from a plane or recovering from a shattered something-or-other). For all of those with a daring spirit, we recommend: Harrison Fletcher’s weekend intensive Writing a Shadowbox, where participants will explore literary collage; Rebecca Berg’s seminar Writing What You Don’t Know; Laura Hendrie’s Stretching the Truth (how to do it without the red-faced “tell”); Laura Pritchett’s Writing Sex Well (because let’s face it, some ain't got the gumption) and the sensory extravaganza Mixed Up Arts, a salon that combines musical, visual and literary genius.
The Artisan
The Artisan Lit Fester is a modest soul. You won’t find this writer chasing the spotlight or mugging for the camera. Instead, you’ll find him/her laboring over each word, each sentence, each line break. There are certain classics that will make the Artisan swoon--literally. For the writer who truly loves words, we recommend: Laura Pritchett’s With A Nod to the Greats, where writers will gain tips and inspiration from great works; Robert Root’s Ratcheting Up Your Prose, where writers will learn to write by ear; and Michael J. Henry’s Stealing From Poetry, where participants will do just that.
The Mod
The Mod Lit Fester lives in the present moment. Because of this, he/she is insanely busy. Juggling work, friends, family, and the writing endeavor, this is one Lit Fester who needs to slow down once in a while, kick off those stylish shoes and look at the big picture. Hence, we recommend: Karen Palmer’s weekend intensive From Detail to Big Picture and Back: Navigating Your Book; as well as Shari Caudron’s Mid-Year Writing Goals Tune-Up. And because a routine can deaden one’s creativity, we prescribe a healthy dose of Robert Root’s Why Don’t You Collage That? Or, The Art of the Asterisk, where writers will explore non-linear forms of creative nonfiction.
The Sleuth
The Sleuth is the kind of writer everybody wants to hate, but can’t. He/she can always find the precise word to describe a situation, can sniff out a secret and reveal it in seconds flat, will say the one thing nobody else is willing to say, and say it with perfect comic timing. Here is a writer that digs deeper than other people, and with the zeal of a bloodhound. For the sleuth, we recommend Robert Root’s weekend intensive Making Memoir (because sometimes the biggest challenge is airing our own secrets); Shari Caudron’s Stalking the Story; and Matt Kailey’s Writing Your Truth. Sleuths will also enjoy the Writing Voodoo salon, in which an award-winning panel of authors reveals the rituals, spells, and superstitions that keep them going.
The Raconteur
The Raconteur is a born storyteller. He/she can’t take a trip to the grocery store without having some outlandish encounter, and may begin sentences with, “That reminds me of the time I got my toe stuck in a storm drain in Kuala Lumpur…” This writer is so caught up in the incredible tumult of his life that he can forget to sit down and write about it. For the lovable and vivacious raconteur, we recommend: Valerie Ann Leff’s Aerobic Writing, which is designed to get all of those stories on the page fast; Jessica Roeder’s Writing to One Person (because all too often, the Raconteur tells it to everyone); and Nick Arvin’s Collected Stories: The Whole or the Sum of the Parts? where writers will find the connective tissue between their stories, and a way to appeal to publishers.
The Intuitive Lit Fester has more than five senses—he/she operates with at least six or seven. This person can sense a romance before two lovers have laid eyes on each other, can discern in subtle glances worlds of meaning. Sometimes it gets overwhelming. We recommend: David Rothman’s Writing the Alpine: Mountain Journalism for the Soul and Maybe Even for the Bank Account, where the Intuitive can spend some blessed time away from other people; Valerie Ann Leff’s Voices in Your Head, which helps draw fictional characters out of the subconscious (it’s like exorcism, only instead of simply removing the demons, we make them do our bidding!); and Jake Adam York’s I to Eye: Writing about Photographs, Away from the Self. And finally, it's good for these sensitive souls to be a little bit more playful, so we’re sending them to Harrison Fletcher’s Hermit Crabs and Other Thievery, which will give even the most innovative writer a kick in the pants. (A gentle kick, of course). 