Overview

Writers don’t need formulas; they need encouragement to take risks. The Lab offers a bold, hands-on approach, urging writers to embrace uncertainty, experiment with form, and investigate what haunts them. The Lab features ten chapters and ninety exercises challenging writers to play with fiction, memoir, and poetry—or push toward hybrid or entirely new forms. This is a book for those ready to dig deep and write fearlessly.

Full Product Details

9780393866681

Table of Contents

Reviews

""The Lab: Experiments in Writing Across Genre is the kind of book that reminds us why we write in the first place. It’s not about polishing a perfect draft or following rigid formulas—it’s about wrestling with the things that won’t leave us alone, the obsessions that haunt us, and the truths we’re not sure we can even admit to ourselves. This is more than a craft book—it’s a companion for anyone willing to sit with the mystery, the unresolved, and find the story waiting there."" -- Peter Orner, author of Am I Alone Here?: Notes on Reading to Live and Living to Read ""The Lab is the place to be in all stages of the writing process. This guide is crammed with ways to expand and reimagine your practice and project. Every page delivers an invigorating opportunity."" -- Jac Jemc, author of Empty Theatre ""A perfect text for a creative writing class or for those who prefer a structured method to learn on their own. Also ideal for writers like me to keep on their desk for quick inspiration."" -- Toi Derricotte, author of I: New and Selected Poems ""Davison and LaPlante take a deep dive into the often mysterious alchemy of literary craft, and provide writers with a tangible roadmap to expanding their creative boundaries. The exercises that are liberally peppered throughout the book are more than prompts—they’re experiments that push you to stretch form and uncover what your voice is capable of."" -- Mieke Eerkens, author of All Ships Follow Me ""Davison and LaPlante…turn writers’ hopes, ideas and aspirations into manifestations. Grab your pencil, pen, paper, or laptop. Then grab this book, embrace it as your guide, and start and keep writing."" -- Jerome Joseph Gentes, Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing, Institute for American Indian Arts ""The Lab is an inspiring guide for writers in all forms ready to dig into their obsessions to find what glitters. More than a craft book, The Lab examines what drives us to write in the first place. This perspective encourages transformative, boundary-breaking work."" -- Alia Volz, bestselling author of Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco ""The Lab: Experiments in Writing Across Genre is a masterclass in the creative process. This is an essential guide for writers navigating the rich, interdisciplinary possibilities of contemporary storytelling."" -- Evan Rehill, Professor at Rutgers University ""The Lab shakes off the tired rules of traditional writing guides and replaces them with something more electrifying: a call to action for writers who want to discover their fiercest, most authentic work."" -- K.M. Soehnlein, Creative Writing MFA Faculty, University of San Francisco ""With its inventive exercises and deep respect for literary experimentation, The Lab urges writers to embrace uncertainty and create something entirely their own."" -- Miah Jeffra, Professor at Santa Clara University

Author Information

Matthew Clark Davison is the author of Doubting Thomas and founder of The Lab, a generative writing workshop. He is emeritus faculty in Creative Writing at San Francisco State University, and lives in Oakland, California with his husband. Alice LaPlante is the author of the craft book The Making of a Story and the New York Times best-selling novel Turn of Mind. She has taught creative writing at Stanford and San Francisco State University and lives in Mallorca, Spain, with her family.

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