“The interior landscape responds to the character and subtlety of an exterior landscape; the shape of an individual mind is affected by land as it is by genes.”—Barry Lopez, “Landscape and Narrative”

How does where we’re from shape us? And how can we bring this into our own fiction? In this session, we’ll discuss how this symbiotic relationship between place and character unfolds in fiction, and practice applying it to our own work.

We’ll read fiction by authors such as Edward P. Jones, Cristina Cooke, Jenzo DuQue, and Lauren Groff, and craft a place-driven sketch of our own through a series of short exercises. There will be ample time to share your work, and you’ll leave with an understanding of the intersection between place, identity, and character, and techniques to employ in your own writing long after the session ends.

About the Instructor

Lena Valencia is the author of the short story collection Mystery Lights (Tin House Books / Dead Ink Books), which was longlisted for the Story Prize, named a Best Short Story Collection of 2024 by Electric Literature, and a Best Horror Book of 2024 by Esquire. Her fiction has appeared in BOMB, The Baffler, Electric Literature, Ninth Letter, Epiphany, the anthology Tiny Nightmares, and elsewhere. Her writing has been supported by the Elizabeth George Foundation and the Convent Arts Fellowship. She holds an MFA in fiction from The New School and lives in Los Angeles, where she is the director of educational programming at One Story.

Student Testimonials

"Writing fiction is like leaping into darkness, reaching for a bar you can’t see. For the first few attempts at a story, you’re pretty much guaranteed to fall, even if you’re an experienced writer. On day one of our workshop, Lena set up a strong, elastic net of trust and support. We all felt inspired to try challenging feats, knowing that when we fell, we’d bounce back up and catch the bar with the momentum to swing to the opposite platform."

"Lena was a wonderful instructor, always a great blend of thoughtful and thorough when reading, as well as insightful during critiques. Our class featured a very diverse blend of voices, styles, and genres, and Lena was able to add value to every submission. She reads and comments with a true editorial eye, and her feedback truly helped improve my work."

“Engaging and informative... Lena provided us with prompts and helpful advice to advance our work.”

The Interior Landscape: Writing Place, generative session with Lena Valencia