Made Visible Writing Class
November 2020 SessionLife with an invisible illness can be extremely challenging, whether you’re managing a condition yourself or acting as a caregiver for someone else. After hiding my invisible illness for 27 years, I started writing personal essays about my health journey. Over the last five years, I’ve been in writing classes and writing workshops to have consistency, feedback and work on my craft. In 2018, I started my podcast Made Visible, to help others share their stories with invisible illness.
Knowing how valuable writing has been in my healing process and in helping myself and others feel less alone, I’m excited to be launching the first Made Visible Writing Class.
In this class, we’ll use personal essay writing as a way to understand our experiences and share them with others.
How This Class Works
This 6-week class will provide you with learnings from published authors who were featured on Made Visible podcast. Each week we’ll have a different author share their experience in writing their book related to their invisible illness.
Each class is 75 minutes long where you’ll hear directly from the author and have an opportunity to ask them questions. Anyone can read their books, Google them and find interviews with them but this class is an opportunity to get the behind-the-scenes look into writing and publishing their book.
Each of the guests will provide insight into:
Their process in writing about their health
Their decision to share their health story
How and when they decided to publish their story
The process of getting published (self-published vs. publishing house, finding agents and editors)
How they wrote about the really dark moments living with invisible illness
Along with learning from the author’s, you’ll have the opportunity to connect in class and online with other members in the class who are writing about their connection to invisible illness.
OPTIONAL, NO-COST ADD-ON:
In addition to attending class sessions, participants can also receive writing prompts and receive/give feedback on their writing. If you are interested in receiving prompts and giving and getting feedback, please opt in when you submit your application.
If you choose to participate in the group this way, you are responsible for writing the first draft of one essay per week based on the provided prompt and giving feedback to your group members. You will receive feedback on your essays each week by others in the class.
When and Where
The class will be held on Zoom on Mondays at 7pm EST
November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and December 7
Bonus
I’m excited that Healthmagazine, a longtime supporter of Made Visible, will publish one essay—as part of their digital Invisible Illness series-- written by a participant at the conclusion of the course. The author of the published essay on Health will receive $500. This isn’t the focus of the course, but it’s a great bonus. I know that lots of incredible essays will get written over these six weeks, and I’m grateful to Health magazine for consistently highlighting important stories of invisible illness.
Who This Class is For
This class is geared towards people who have experience writing and are interested in writing consistently and learning from others about their writing experience and process.
It’s completely fine if you’ve never published any writing before. The only prerequisite is that you are dedicated to the craft of writing and want to explore the genre of personal essay to chronicle how invisible illness has impacted your life. If you are currently working on a book about your health, this is a great opportunity to learn from other writers who have gone through the process of writing books.
While we’ll often be touching on very personal aspects of our lives (we’re talking about personal essays dealing with invisible and chronic illness, after all!) this class is not a therapy or support group . This is a group specific to writing and learning about writing stories of invisible illness.
The Investment
The application deadline was on October 31, 2020. If you are interested in being notified of future classes, please provide your information here.
Made Visible Writing Class teachers include:
Episode #4 guest Phoebe Lapine, author of The Wellness Project: How I Learned to Do Right by My Body, Without Giving Up My Life
"I couldn't agree more with Phoebe Lapine when she says 'healthy choices can't happen in a vacuum.' This incredibly informative, delightfully human (and fun!) chronicle of her path to sustainable wellness is an inspiring read that makes living well feel approachable. Whether you're looking for support as you take an honest inventory of your health or are seeking inspiration for long-lasting changes, Phoebe has been there and done that and shares it all." —Julia Turshen
Episode #33 guest Ally Hilfiger, author of Bite Me, How Lyme Disease Stole My Childhood, Made Me Crazy, and Almost Killed Me
“Reading Ally's struggle of dealing with the debilitating effects of Lyme disease is a total inspiration. Her cheerful strength of will and determination to rise above the exhausting days of not knowing the way out proves once again that the human spirit can prevail in the most strenuous of circumstances.”
— Bryan Adams
Episode #36 guest CC Webster Marrone, author of So, That Happened
“I laughed, cried, felt inspired, and grounded. CC’s candor and humility were present throughout the novel, and I truly felt connected to her and her story. Highly recommend for all, especially great for women in their 20s who are experiencing personal growth, or those that are going through a medical difficulty.”
— Amazon Reader
Episode #83 guest Sarah Ramey, author of The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness
“Sarah Ramey’s candor in discussing more than a decade of pain, confusion, and dismissal by countless doctors is matched by compassion for herself and every woman who has been told that her symptoms are only in her head, even when she knows her body is screaming. This is a book for anyone who has ever asked a question that didn’t have an immediate or easy answer, anyone who has worried about themselves or a loved one who isn’t getting better—despite following all the experts’ advice—and anyone interested in their own health, public health, or medicine. In other words, it’s a book with something resonant and useful for all of us. It’s also, not incidentally, a terrific read.” — Chelsea Clinton
Episode #88 guest Quentin Vennie, author of Strong in the Broken Places: A Memoir of Addiction and Redemption Through Wellness
“Quentin Vennie's life serves as an unfiltered, authentically beautiful guide on how to overcome vices in order to achieve victories. The raw storytelling pushes readers to consider how we can all change our lives for the better. This memoir is a magnificent, compelling work that needs to be read, absorbed, and understood."
— Wes Moore
About the Facilitator
Harper Spero
Harper Spero is a writer who focuses on chronicling life with a rare immunodeficiency you’ve likely never heard of. As founder of Made Visible, she has created a platform that’s dedicated to amplifying the invisible illness stories that people need
to tell and the world needs to hear. After recording 100 episodes of the Made Visible podcast, she launched the Made Visible Writing Class. In addition to her work with Made Visible, she is a business coach who specializes in working with service-based newbie solopreneurs and small business owners in the health and wellness space. She works with them to create businesses they love, determine how to get their idea out into the world and discover the freedom that comes with entrepreneurship. She is based in New York City and spends her winters in Tel Aviv.
For the past five years, I’ve been writing personal essays about my invisible illness in writing classes and workshops. I even met some of my Made Visible podcast guests that way. Writing about my invisible illness journey, after years of hiding it, was one of the reasons I created my podcast. I’ve been published on platforms like Well + Good, Health Magazine, Thrive Global, and Career Contessa. Most recently, I facilitated a class for Ruthie Ackerman modeled very similarly to the Made Visible Writing Class.
Being a facilitator is something I have lots experience doing, thanks to my years as a business coach. This class is an intersection of so many things I feel passionate about: writing, invisible illness, and facilitating spaces around shared experiences.