The world needs
Radical Truth Tellers
so let’s do it
let’s write our
barest, bravest, truest selves.
Both my writing and teaching emerge from the same place:
a deep respect for
artmaking
and the transformative
power of story.
My writing programs are designed to help writers move through blocks like self-doubt, fear, and grief —
and to craft powerful, shapely narratives from the very first draft.
read my work in:
Upcoming Programs
An outlier is someone or something that exists on the margins, set apart by what makes it unique. In this popular 6-week course we’ll explore four genre-bending forms on the fringe, ideal for crafting new, surprising, and innovative short-form memoir that readers (and editors) will love!
Next session:
November 2 to December 14, 2020
Instructor:
Rowan McCandless
Visual story forms like the photo essay, concrete essay, pictorial essay, and paper craft essay combine textual and visual storytelling to create greater depth, meaning, and impact for the reader. In this exciting 6-week course we’ll craft innovative personal narratives that bend–and blend–genres.
Next session:
November 2 to December 14, 2020
Instructor:
Rachel Laverdiere
“To say ‘A Year for Ectoplasm’ was difficult to write would be a grievous understatement.
I am so grateful to Nicole and her e-course for helping me to find the framework to tell this difficult story.
Nicole’s passion for CNF and for her students is palpable; her feedback gentle, encouraging, and insightful. CNF Outliers challenged me to be brave, to experiment with storytelling and structure, and to allow myself to get my most honest words on the page. Thank you, Nicole, for lending me support, courage, and inspiration.”
Resources
spark your story
Transformative life writing invites the writer to pinpoint moments of change and explore the meaning of their experiences. This series of six 4-week mini-courses includes a pre-requisite foundational module to help writers gain a deeper understanding of the creative process and an empowered mindset. Ready to ignite powerful new stories with idea-generative prompts and open-ended themes? Registration opens soon!
On Seeking the Truth in our Stories
I’m a fastidious fact checker. When writing creative nonfiction I will confirm the day of the week an event happened, what the weather was like, the phase of the moon, and the number one song on the radio. These small verifiable truths help create a clearer picture. Add up to a richer, fuller, more convincing story.
For CNF writers, however, stories emerge from a deep, mysterious place where “truth” can’t be verified—our memories. …
Spark your visual story
The photo essay, concrete essay, pictorial essay, and paper craft essay combine textual and visual storytelling to create greater depth, meaning, and impact for the reader. In this exciting 6-week course on CNF forms inspired by visual art we’ll craft innovative personal narratives that bend—and blend—genres.
I 'm Nicole Breit
- Award winning poet and essayist residing on Canada’s gorgeous Sunshine Coast, the traditional territory of the Skwx̱wú7mesh people.
- Creative writing teacher whose passion is to help writers discover new ways to shape their memories into well-crafted narratives.
