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Brave Words: Discovering Your Own Hero’s Journey


  • Story Parlor 227A Haywood Road Asheville, NC, 28806 United States (map)

Wednesday evenings from 6:00-8:30pm at Story Parlor

Registration is now FULL! Email us to be placed on a waitlist, or peruse our other class offerings here.

Brave Words
$325.00

Early Bird pricing through January 3
Regular price effective January 4

Space is LIMITED to ensure an intimate experience. We recommend signing up early!

Refund and other policies can be found here.

Venture into heart of your writing practice while engaging the Hero’s and Heroine’s Journeys as templates for personal narrative and story.

Hero’s Journeys are everywhere in our lives: Travel, adventure, illness, marriage and divorce, parenthood, big risks, love and loss. These all follow the path of Departure, Initiation, and Return outlined in Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey (aka the monomyth) model.

The monomyth is filled with archetypes, themes, and motifs found in ancient legends and modern films alike. They’re easy to recognize and identify with and, because they’re familiar, we can use them — and the stations of the Hero’s Journey — as a guide to create a new work.

The Heroine’s Journey, as described by Maureen Murdock in her book of the same name, offers us a metaphor and path of inquiry to explore the emotional journey that accompanies the more outward / physical Hero’s Journey. 

Over the course of six weeks we’ll dive into the Hero’s Journey through the lens of personal narrative. Participants are invited to write in any genre they wish, and the workshop will include discussions, writing prompts, creative inspirations, and weekly assignments to be completed outside of the classroom.

  • • Writers seeking to jump-start or rejuvenate a writing practice.
    • Writers and storytellers interested in developing a personal narrative.
    • Creatives wanting to generate new material.
    • Creatives interested in exploring personal stories in a safe and supportive space.
    • Anyone desiring to make sense of a personal journey through the medium of creative writing.

  • A certified Inward & Artward Creative Facilitator, Alli Marshall aims to follow her curiosity and inspire connection to creativity in others.

    Alli received her MFA in creative writing from Goddard College and has taught writing courses through the Great Smokies Writing Program, Flatiron Writers Room, and Revolve. She also periodically offers her immersive experience, “Speed Dating with Trees.”

    Alli was named “Artist whose work pushed the boundaries of storytelling” for her multimedia project MER/made at the 2021 Asheville Fringe Arts Festival. She received the named the 2018 UNC Asheville Ramsey Library Community Author Award; was selected for the 2019 Pentaculum writing and craft residency at Arrowmont; and won the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize for her short story “Catching Out,” among other honors.

    Alli is the author of the novel How to Talk to Rockstars along with various self-published zines and flip books.

  • “Alli's thoughtful approach to creative facilitation shines in her workshops. From the delivery of the hero's journey (knowledge of subject, pacing, prompts, handouts) to her supportive and gentle guidance as we examine our stories, I felt a sense of both calm and curiosity, and a willingness to explore these shadowy corners of self. This is in large part to Alli's presence as a facilitator who is fully engaged and delights in taking others on a journey of discovery.” - Faye D.

    “With a keen sense of thoroughness, Alli helps participants broaden their introspective lens. She challenges outdated paradigms, integrating inclusivity and diverse perspectives, allowing individuals to explore layers they may have previously overlooked.” - Heather B.

    “Alli's meticulously and thoughtfully prepared workshop, Brave Words, led me to new insights in my writing and in my understanding of my own journey. Alli helped me feel confident and welcomed into the workshop with her gentleness, curiosity, and wit. I wholeheartedly recommend taking Alli's classes whenever you can: with her deep dedication and creativity as a facilitator, you can be assured they will be valuable experiences!” - Katherine S.

    “Alli’s workshop gave me the opportunity to explore a hero/heroines journey that I hadn’t yet processed or thought about deeply. Her clear guidance, visual facilitation, and calm energy helped me understand parts of myself I hadn’t been able to identify. I left feeling like I had more tools and superpowers than I realized and confident that I could get through whatever obstacle or challenge life sends my way. Alli makes it easy to trust her process because you really believe in her passion, experience and intentions” - Taylor Rose E.