Giving the other senses their due

I’m on the program!

The schedule for Northwestern University’s Summer Writers Conference just came out, and guess what? I’m on it! Here’s the workshop I’ll be leading there on Saturday morning, August 11:

Smelling is Believing: Writing Using Your Other Senses
with Beth Finke

Visual descriptions come easy to most writers, but when it comes to bringing readers into the story, the other senses are key. How can we give the forgotten four — taste, sound, smell and touch — their due? In this workshop we’ll read over short examples by noteworthy writers who describe events without the use of visuals, and then devote the rest of our time to writing — and sharing — in-class exercises to help us write like they do. Writers will leave with a personal essay to fine-tune at home and send for possible publication in journals, blogs, or magazines. This session is especially appropriate for new writers, but writers of all levels are encouraged to attend.

The 2018 conference runs from August 9 to the 11th in Chicago and features three days of workshops, panels, keynote speakers, networking events, and literary readings. Writers at all levels of experience are welcome, as are writers of all genres and backgrounds.

The full schedule and writer bios can be found on the conference website, And you can find the conference on Facebook, too. Register online and take advantage of early registration rates through Sunday, July 8. Smell you there!