Teaching Philosophy
I have been teaching creative writing for almost a decade. I've taught at the University of Minnesota, Hennepin County Libraries, Jack Pine Writers' Bloc, and Mother's Day Inc., and I've led writing retreats in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I currently teach online and at The Loft Literary Center, where I have been teaching for the past five years.
Students are drawn to writing because they want to tell a story or because language excites them. My goal is to tap into that energy and help each student, regardless of ability level, make discoveries through language. I strive to establish a nurturing classroom environment where students feel safe sharing their work and ideas and can grow as writers.
Upcoming Classes and Retreats
Mother Words at the Loft - 10 Weeks
Tuesdays, 1-3 p.m. Sept 28 - December 7 (No class November 23)
Whether you are a new mom or a veteran, whether you gave birth to or adopted your child, in this class you’ll learn how to take birth and motherhood stories and turn them into art. We’ll talk about the use of humor and explore ways to capture funny motherhood anecdotes on paper. We’ll also discuss and write about the heartbreak and loss that are part of motherhood. Weekly writing exercises will focus on telling details, character development, and strengthening your reflective voice. You can expect to generate two to three creative nonfiction pieces. The instructor will provide feedback on up to 10 pages of student writing (typed and double spaced) in addition to pieces shared and workshopped in class. Course packets will be available for a copy fee on the first day of class.
For more information and to register, visit the Loft.
Introduction to Creative Nonfiction - The Loft
Tuesdays, October 12 - December 7, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. (No class Nov. 23)
Memoirist Patricia Hampl says, “I don’t write about what I know, but in order to find out what I know.” Writing is an act of discovery. In this class, you will have an opportunity to write and reflect, go deep into your writing to find out what you know. You will develop an eye for seeing the true story in your writing. Assigned readings and writing exercises will be focused on telling details, creating a sense of place, developing strong characters and strengthening your reflective voice. Students will have an opportunity to receive supportive, constructive feedback from class members and the teaching artist through weekly sharing and one workshop.
To register, please visit the Loft. Please contact me with questions.
Blogging: A Tool for Writers
Saturday, October 9, 1 - 3 p.m.
The Loft Literary Center, Open Book,
In this one-day workshop, we will explore the benefits of blogging for writers. We will discuss issues of audience and voice, and how to use a blog to help build your platform and cultivate a readership for print publications. Participants will leave with a better sense of how a blog can help further their writing careers and with a page of blog resources and tips for how to start and maintain a successful blog.
To register, please visit the Loft. Please contact me with questions.
Mother Words Online, 2011 Winter Session - 10 weeks
Will begin in February, 2011
Whether you are a new mom or a veteran, whether you gave birth to or adopted your child, in this online class you’ll learn how to take birth and motherhood stories and turn them into art. Weekly lectures, reading assignments and writing exercises will focus on telling details, character development, emotional distance, strengthening your reflective voice, and revision. You can expect to generate a number of short creative nonfiction pieces and one long piece. You will receive feedback from your peers and from me through online workshops.
Class size limited. Please contact me with questions or to register.
2011 Mother Words Writing Retreat
February 24 - 27, 2011
Join me for a weekend retreat for mother-writers. We'll write, share our writing, discuss challenges with craft, and have time to connect with other mother writers in the luxury and quiet of Faith's Lodge. Group meetings and individual conferences will help support you as you delve more deeply into your writing and learn to take risks on the page. Come immerse yourself in the writing life with other mothers who write.
Where: Faith's Lodge,
Faith's Lodge is located on 80 picturesque acres in
You need not have experienced the loss of a child to attend the retreat. The Mother Words Retreat is for all mother writers. (But proceeds from the Mother Words Writing Retreat will benefit the children and families served by Faith's Lodge.)
The Lodge has eight guest suites, and we can accommodate up to 10 people for the Mother Words Retreat. Each guest suite features a private bath, fireplace, balcony/patio, flat screen tv, DVD player, small fridge, and coffee maker. Meals are included.
Cost: $650 for single room, $550 for shared room (separate beds)
To register: Please contact Evelyn Nyberg at enyberg@faithslodge.org to register.
Please contact me with questions about the Mother Words Retreat. To learn more about Faith’s Lodge, visit www.faithslodge.org.
What students are saying about Kate's classes:
“Kate is warm, funny and full of great ideas to help writers of every level. I loved her organized syllabus, the breadth of the essays/passages she had us read outside of class, the free-flowing discussions, and the homework assignments that generated unexpected results in my own writing. Kate creates a classroom that encourages students to open up and share their stories, both in the form of conversation and the written word. I was truly delighted by Mother Words. My writing went deeper than I expected, and I felt really inspired by the quality of the work Kate helped me produce.” –
“Kate is a gifted and lively teacher, coach, and guide. She’s got a knack for finding the creative threads in a piece, then helping students weave them together to create something beautiful. I always felt supported and encouraged in her class-which is why I took it three times! The woman is awesome!” –P
“Kate has a way of reading your writing for what it truly is and wants to become. In this way she infuses new excitement into your work and stretches you as a writer in new ways." –K
“Our classroom quickly became a community of mothers writing about every range of experience in motherhood, from infertility to SIDS. Kate’s steady presence, her preparation of selected readings designed to prompt memory as well as writerly analysis, and her gentle critical responses to our work fostered an environment that nurtured creativity, experimentation, truth-telling. Several students were repeating the class for the third time, learning new approaches and diving deeper into their own stories of motherhood. Yes, Kate Hopper IS that good!” –G
Feel free to contact me if you have questions about any of the classes I'm teaching.
What students are saying about Kate's classes:
“Kate is warm, funny and full of great ideas to help writers of every level. I loved her organized syllabus, the breadth of the essays/passages she had us read outside of class, the free-flowing discussions, and the homework assignments that generated unexpected results in my own writing. Kate creates a classroom that encourages students to open up and share their stories, both in the form of conversation and the written word. I was truly delighted by Mother Words. My writing went deeper than I expected, and I felt really inspired by the quality of the work Kate helped me produce.” –
“Kate is a gifted and lively teacher, coach, and guide. She’s got a knack for finding the creative threads in a piece, then helping students weave them together to create something beautiful. I always felt supported and encouraged in her class-which is why I took it three times! The woman is awesome!” –P
“Kate has a way of reading your writing for what it truly is and wants to become. In this way she infuses new excitement into your work and stretches you as a writer in new ways." –K
“Our classroom quickly became a community of mothers writing about every range of experience in motherhood, from infertility to SIDS. Kate’s steady presence, her preparation of selected readings designed to prompt memory as well as writerly analysis, and her gentle critical responses to our work fostered an environment that nurtured creativity, experimentation, truth-telling. Several students were repeating the class for the third time, learning new approaches and diving deeper into their own stories of motherhood. Yes, Kate Hopper IS that good!” –G
Feel free to contact me if you have questions about any of the classes I'm teaching.