Inside The Loft’s Year-Long Writing Projects with Susan Schaars

What happens when you dedicate a full year to craft, community, and mentorship? On this episode of The Loft Lit Pod, host Chris Jones dives into one of The Loft's most beloved programs: the Year-Long Writing Projects.

Nonfiction cohort participant Susan Schaars joins the show to share how her work and writing life evolved under mentor Sun Yung Shin, what it takes to commit to a year of rigorous creative work, and how the program reframed her writing journey. Plus, hear a live recording of the poem "Heartwood" by poetry cohort alum Aurora Masum-Javed, and catch up on major local literary highlights—including upcoming events with Ten Thousand Things and poet Patricia Smith.

Show Notes & Links

UPCOMING EVENTS

Patricia Smith Live: Reading & Conversation in Support of the Loft (Nov 7): https://loft.org/events/patricia-smith-live-reading-conversation-support-loft

Ten Thousand Things Presents As You Like It (at Open Book, featuring a pre-performance reading with Zach Goldberg) (Oct 15): https://tenthousandthings.org/as-you-like-it/

YEAR-LONG WRITING PROJECTS

Learn more about the upcoming Year-Long Writing Project Sections: https://loft.org/year-long-writing-projects

Year-Long Writing Projects Info Session (Oct 13): https://loft.org/events/2027-novel-writing-poetry-creative-nonfiction-memoir-and-fiction-writing-project-information

AUTHORS TO CHECK OUT

Aurora Masum-Javed website: https://www.auroramasumjaved.com/

Susan Schaars LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-schaars/

Support the Loft

Support Our Community: Become a Friend of the Loft: https://loft.org/join-support

Join the Loft's free Digital Community, the Loft Writing Network: https://loft-lit.circle.so/Loft-Writing-Network

Transcript

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SPEAKER_05 0:04

Welcome to the Loft Lip Pod, where words catch fire. I'm Chris Jones, Director of Community Engagement at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Whether you're a longtime friend or tuning in for the first time, we're glad you're gathering around the fire. The Loft advances the power of writers and readers to craft and share stories, to create and celebrate connections, and to build just life-sustaining communities. One of the deep purposes of this show is to deepen connection between writers and readers. So before we get to our featured interview, I want to point you to two upcoming community events. First, I want to highlight 10,000 Things, which is a theater company which performs at our space at Open Book. 10,000 Things is presenting As You Like It October 15th through 18th at Open Book. And as part of a new partnership with 10,000 Things, the Loft is partnering with them on October 15th for a pre-performance reading. So get your pick tickets today at 10,000things.org. And again, that performance run of As You Like It is October 15th through 18th at OpenBook. And the evening where the pre-performance reading is taking place is October 15th. The second uh event I want to highlight, um, which we'll hear a lot more about in our next episode, is the visit of Patricia Smith at the Hope Arts Center. Uh, y'all, I just really just want to emphasize that you don't want to miss out on Patricia Smith coming to town on Saturday, November 7th. If you are not aware of her work, she is the uh reigning or current uh National Book Award winner in poetry and uh has been a frequent guest of the loft in the past, but has not been for quite some time to town. So this is a chance to reconnect, to uh sort of have that kind of alumni gathering of folks who were part of some of those early programs and some of that slam poetry that Patricia Smith hosted. And next week we'll have a full interview with our executive and artistic director, Arlita Little, about uh Patricia Smith's visit. But you can still get your tickets are now available. You can get a head start on getting those. Uh, Patricia will be appearing at the Hope Arts Center for a conversation and reading on November 7th. This is around her national book-winning book, The Intentions of Thunder, New and Selected Poems. Uh, this event also serves as a key fundraiser for the loft. It's kind of an annual gathering that we have. So, tickets are $25 and uh presented at the Hope Arts Center at the House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul. So I really encourage you to jump in there, get your tickets. Note uh there's a note in the show notes about how to do so, and uh we hope to see you there. So, and finally, this week our main interview explores one of the Loft's most beloved and key programs, the year-long writing projects. These projects have been around now for about a decade, and we've seen people go through this program numerous times and gain the skills and confidence and time and dedication to really get a book out in the world or you know, make their projects push them forward unlike they ever had. Um, and it's really the purpose of this program is to help participants dedicate themselves to advancing their writing projects through a very rigorous year of work. Uh, so but before we get to our interview with participant Susan Schars, which I'm really excited to present to you, I wanted to kind of sprinkle in another participant. We're going to be here from a prose writer uh in Susan in our interview. So I wanted to share a poem by another participant who just um went through the program, and that is Aurora Masoom Javed. Uh, Aurora took part in the poetry cohort led by Human Wynn and read with him during his visit uh to the loft on September 12th. So this is a recording of her poem uh from that reading featuring uh the poem titled Heartwood.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Um there's this thing called Heartwood at the center of each tree, which is a real world, a real word, who knew? Um, and it's like the densest, oldest part of the tree. Um and it supports the whole thing. So um this is a friendship love poem called Heartwood. For all my beloveds, especially Sasha. After the argument, when I know I'm wrong, but won't say it, not yet. I think of the times we've both wanted to die, the plans we devised to get to the end quicker. I imagine our roots, six feet deep, wide as flight, yours and mine coiled somehow, the chance of it. And so for a moment, I let myself dwell in the possible. You perched at my table, some distant January, salted locks cascading to the small of your back, silver chains tangled and stacked, palm tattoos flickering as you gesture to sky, each inked line guiding us here, this kitchen, this someday. And your child, how long you waited, weaving between our legs, cerulean crayon tucked behind ear, a seer from the day he arrived. Like you. You looped truth into truth, giddy at my giddiness. I peed myself in a Wendy's parking lot, rinsed my crocs, and kept on driving. Remember, you ask. Sometimes you have to keep on driving. Through unhinged longing, we've become kin, and this home, which is my home, is also yours. Every winter, when the Chicago snow leaks in through the window's cracked ceilant, you come here. This year, our mothers too, frying up plantains and alu, and my own small child starfished in her crib. Soon, Lisa and Jay will clamor through the swollen oak door, too many bags for a weekend. So they'll stay longer. All of us bowing to survival's irreverent prayer. We'll walk side by side like this through tide and miscarriage, madness and decade. I dream this house now because I am alone. Because I have been alone all of my life. I dream I will love you until I am ash. How long I've been buried by fears, carnivorous demands, my heart's tepid scarcity. I don't know how to unlearn it. So I do what I can. I pick up the phone, apologize. You play us a song, some old Brittany remix born again, and in our faraway homes we dance the way we did once in that strange white hippie town. The club, PBR stained half empty and full of grace, church that is midnight and based, how we twerked against the wall every Saturday in December until we couldn't stand. We may never live in the same city again, but we will eat and fight and weep. We will grow into the give no fucks crones we've always wanted to be. I see us now, 90 on a porch, smoking cloves, howling into the spark studded night, brazen, ancient, alive.

SPEAKER_05 8:42

Such a really amazing poem, I think you'll agree. Uh, and we're eager to celebrate with Aurora when her first poetry collection comes out. I've put a show note to her website, uh, or put a note about her website in the show notes below. So now finally on to our main uh conversation. Today we're joined by Susan Charles. As I mentioned at the uh beginning, Susan took part in Sun Young Shin's nonfiction year-long writing project. She came into the program expecting one thing and maybe left uh with something entirely different, but maybe something even better. So without further ado, let's get to our conversation with Susan. All right, well, welcome everyone. Uh welcome back to uh our conversation here. I am speaking today with Susan Shars, who is a recent participant in Sun Young Shin's uh year-long writing project. Uh Susan, welcome.

SPEAKER_02 9:35

Hey, thank you, Chris. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_05 9:38

Yeah, I'm really I'm excited to talk to you. I don't get to uh this is a program I know that is near and dear to a lot of people's heart, but I it's sort of like a little bit separated from my work, so I don't get to talk to a lot of people who've jumped into the the phrase. So uh let's start with uh your background a little. Um, what what drew you to the program and what drew you to sort of taking your writing a little bit more seriously?

SPEAKER_02 10:02

Yeah, well, yeah, I so I joined Sun Young's cohort earlier this year in January, right? The creative nonfiction uh cohort. And before that, I had taken, Chris, a few classes at the loft in the last few years, especially. I mean, even take a step back further. I um started my own business about two years ago. So I went independent after working for 30 years in corporate life. So um that newfound freedom, I run a coaching business, an executive coaching business. That newfound freedom let me, you know, spend some more time on other things that I just so enjoy, like creative numbers, like writing. And so the loft was a place that I uh signed up for a class right away. It was Kate St. Minson Vogel's class on narrative writing, and um just have really enjoyed uh the community I've met there since.

SPEAKER_05 10:54

Yeah. Uh Kate's great. She's one of my favorites. She's a long, long time uh teaching artist at the loft, one of my favorites. Uh so that that's great. So that was your first uh first loft class.

SPEAKER_02 11:05

You know, I had taken classes, Chris, like maybe I'm gonna call it 15 years ago. Um, in another moment of like a spurt of creativity. And so, but then you know, life gets carried, you know, your job gets busy, you know, life gets busy, and it was a 15-year hiatus of writing, like creatively. Um, and so now that I have time, I'm back.

SPEAKER_05 11:26

Nice, nice. Uh well, uh let's before we get jump into the writing and the what you're working on there, I'd like to, I'd love to learn a little bit more about um the the business side of things that you've jumped into the last two years. So you uh you've started an executive coaching business. Uh tell me more about what that is, what that means uh for you day to day um as you kind of work with clients and things like that.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

Yeah, you know, I I think my favorite part of what I always did in the corporate world was the people side of what I did, you know. And so when I could, I really wanted to jump full-fledged into just focusing on the people. So I help um leaders and organizations become better leaders, you know, for themselves and for their organizations. And so I work with a whole range of clients, you know, small companies, large enterprises. I do a lot of contract work with coaching groups. Uh, so I still have a little teamwork that I get into uh with other coaches. Um, but yeah, that's my that's my day job in terms of doing that. Um, and again, it's so flexible, right? You can kind of set your hours. Um, it's been nice to be an entrepreneur after all this time.

SPEAKER_05 12:35

It sounds, you know, the the the reason I wanted to ask you about it too is it it sounds like it has some kind of intersections or overlap with the year, I mean they're different different subject matter, but with the year-long writing project, some of the philosophy there, the cohort model, the like really in-depth uh piece that you're you're working with people to like kind of to advance a project. Um, do you see overlap in those in those two in both kind of your professional life and and in working in the year-long writing project as you've done it?

SPEAKER_02 13:07

You know, it's a great point because I I when you said that, Chris, I thought of two things. One, the cohort piece. So the community piece is really, really important to me. I don't think I realized I was an extrovert until I left my crazy job. Uh, and did this, you know, now I'm on Zoom calls one-on-one, you know, a lot, but that's different than being with a a group of people. And so I really enjoy cohort work in my coaching as well as as with writing. And I think the other thing that when you said that, it made me think of is, you know, there's a lot of like listening, observing that you have to be really good at, or I've become very good at as a coach, you know, to really listen for the key. And a lot of that's really similar to the writing process and the craft of writing, like just being so observant and attention to detail um and catching things and observing behavior is like half of writing to me.

SPEAKER_05 14:06

You know, I I don't think you're wrong. I mean, I think observation, listening, uh when I think it's so crucial to find that piece because it makes you a more active and valuable participant with a cohort, right? When you're able to give that back and when you find people who can do that back for you, it's such a valuable experience because it creates that sort of full circle environment going on. Um yeah. So um, you know, a year is a pretty significant time commitment, both expenses and time. Um so when you were coming into this, uh, what were your expectations for yourself or for the program? Um, and what were you kind of hoping to get out of it?

SPEAKER_02 14:57

Yeah, you're right. Because I actually did hesitate before I registered for this because I was thinking to myself, am I am I dedicated enough? Do I know what I want to write enough? And um I think I was convinced of joining when I talked to Sun Young, you know, our cohort lead, because she really took me through kind of what it is and what it isn't, and it fit with my objectives. My my whole goal of joining the year-long writing project was a couple fold. One was that community, you know, to put a little structure around writing practice, not be on an island trying to write, but rather have some people, um, some humans around to like bat things around with, right? So that was one. Um, and this would give me that and did and has. Uh, the other thing that I thought this would give me is much more insight into the craft of writing because I really don't have that background. You know, I did not major in anything to do with creative writing or literature when I was back in school. And and so I I just sit down and write, you know, and that's great. But I knew I wanted to put a little bit more um language around, appreciation around, um, being able to workshop writing uh with cohort members and and even understand just what I like and don't about my own writing. So I feel like the craft piece uh was another reason I took Sun Young's cohort. And um that one especially has delivered in, I mean, surprisingly so. I've learned so much, even more than I expected on the craft piece for sure.

SPEAKER_05 16:37

Yeah, I mean, adding it's just it's about exercising those muscles and even having the vocabulary to talk about the kinds of approaches you might want to take. Like you might see it in a piece of work, but if you don't quite understand the craft fundamentals of it, uh it's hard to then maybe wrap that into your own work, I would I would assume. Um so I mean that's that's one of the things I th I see as a benefit of joining this kind of program that has a lot of depth to it. Um but one of the things I wanted to ask you about is kind of jumping off of that, is nonfiction in particular um requires both as both that technical discipline and some of the craft elements, but also a sense or a willingness of sort of personal vulnerability. I mean, we're we're telling true stories. Some of those stories uh you know might be from our own perspective, but they can be they can have they can have humor and joy, but they can also have challenge and grief. And I'm wondering about your you know, your experience in this cohort and your approach to telling stories that are that are true.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

Good question. I would say I would say that um it is a vulnerable place at times, you know, in terms of sharing some of the deeper things that may be on the mind or you've experienced in your life. Um that said, I think that's why the continuity of a cohort helps because you develop a certain level of trust in the group to be sharing to that level. But I think that it also is true that I think I've learned that, you know, as a writer, there are lots of different creative ways to share sort of intimate stories. And it can actually be through metaphor and it can be through various techniques that allow you to share a feeling or a sentiment that isn't necessarily even the exact action scene of what happened, you know, and it's a little bit off, you know, from that. Um, and so I've learned different techniques to be able to unlock some of that, you know, truthful writing, but in a more creative way and a more in the end, insightful way, at least for me, to unlock um even more truth, I would say, behind what that feeling was that I wanted to write about, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_05 19:06

Yeah, it absolutely does make sense. Um, you know, I think we uh I want to uh I kind of want to come back to that in just a second, but I want to uh keep asking you a little bit about the cohort um side of this and the community side of this. I think writing, and I think one of the things that you said you were looking for at the beginning was that sense of like community. And I think writing can always feel like such a solitary practice and process. It's one that we when we get feedback on it, it's often via rejection or often via like, oh, that's not working, versus that sort of the the idea of like what am I doing right and how do I keep doing those pieces of it? Um how how has the you know that if that was sort of a goal up front, how has that lived up to your expectations in terms of having a sustained community for feedback? Um and how has that, you know, worked with your creative process over the over the course of the year?

SPEAKER_02 20:05

You know, I think the continuity of having the same individuals in the room, so to speak, for a whole year, it has mattered a great deal because you know, they see you through your evolution as a writer and you're seeing them through their workshops as an evolution of a writer. And it's actually a whole layer more fun, I'm gonna call it, to see that more rewarding in a way to see that versus um some of the shorter stints, right, that we've had in classes. So there is that benefit, I think, of continuity, getting to build the trust across the court. And yeah, there's it's funny because I think we all, at least in our cohort, I feel like most people are looking for the critical feedback, right? I want to get better, like what's my what do I need to do differently? And that's all great, but there is a lot of also just confidence building by telling each other, like, this is what stood out, this is what I noticed, um, and really commending the writing as it's growing to say this is what I loved about writing, and I would love to read more. There's a lot of those things being said in the cohort too, which um is genuine and authentic. And I think hearing both sets of feedback is so, so important. Um, and I think I think this cohort that I'm part of anyway does a really good job of that balance of feedback.

SPEAKER_05 21:33

Uh what would you say? I mean, if somebody said to you, you know, you know, now looking back on this, you know, how how have you grown as a writer? How what have you what have you taken away from this this year of practice? Um it's not not quite a year, but you know, uh these uh nine, ten months, like how how well how would you respond to that?

SPEAKER_02 21:56

You know, I think I would say I've taken away Community, I've taken away craft. I think I've taken away um I've taken away, I think, something that will help me with another goal that I have in the background, which is I would like to get my work some at some point more into the wild, you know, and and submit it to say a journal here or a review there, just to just to get the the the ideas out there and hopefully find some relatability. I mean, it's a complex world right now, and I think finding shared human truths is is like really needed these days. And so I think I want to do that someday. I I thought I would during the year, during the project itself, kind of start to do some of that. I've actually put that on the side for a minute simply because, Chris, of the craft piece. You know, I just feel like I've kind of opened a world that's a bit more on the learning side and being able to soak in that for a little bit, get involved more in the writing community, go to different book launches and um readings and things like that, and just keep learning. I'm I'm really into that right now. And I think that'll come back to me when I am ready to submit some things with a different level of knowledge as I do that, and then um a different level of confidence, maybe as I try to do that. Um, so I think this this uh cohort has given me that, you know, has given me, is giving me the foundation um to do some of that submitting and and feel good about it.

SPEAKER_05 23:31

Yeah. You know, the thing that I really love about that, uh, and this is a similar story, is I think that people come into this program, and one of the ways that we talk about it is, you know, get get your manuscript ready in a year. And and I think for some people they have like a you know, like clear end goal and they're working on on a on a piece, and and this program does help them get there. But I think it it is also a program that is really flexible in terms of the outcomes that it can provide for people, and it can open up doors maybe that they weren't even expecting to find at the very beginning. And it sounds like that might be true for you as as a as as it's that am I accurately reflecting your experience kind of?

SPEAKER_02 24:17

It is, it is goal. You know, I I did have that as a goal, like getting the work into the wild kind of thing. But um, and that doesn't change, it just might be shifted out a little bit based on what I'm enjoying now. And I think listening to that is really key. I I'm I'm with you, Chris. There are other friends that are in writing groups with me who are doing, who have said things like, I would never have written this full-length manuscript if I didn't have this cohort. So there that's absolutely happening. Um, and so I think that's the beauty of it. It's like it's super personalized, personalizable for the individual in terms of really being upfront with your goals and maybe being flexible about those goals shifting as you're participating and as you're learning.

SPEAKER_05 25:00

Yeah. Um, I want to talk a little bit about, you know, the role of uh your uh cohort leader, uh Sun Yung Shin, um, and just like how the interaction uh, you know, between a participant and Sun Young, you know, how that played out, um how how that how your relationship or or your writing uh has developed as a result of working with her over the course of the last uh 10 months or so.

SPEAKER_02 25:32

Well, firstly, she's an amazing human. So there's that she is um, you know, I think her style has been very much facilitator, right? She's facilitating the discussion um and is drawing kind of the discussion and the I'm not even gonna answers isn't the right word, but the the punchlines out when we read deep writing or if we or do deep reading of different writing or when we're doing workshopping, she really um just helps everyone be able to have a moment to express their points of view, um, bring thoughts to the table. She's just a real community builder that way. So I love that about it. Um, and I would say she's also an excellent teacher. So she brings content that and you leave with that content, right? Links to various examples or teachings that she's done in prior life or through this class, you know, reference material that you can walk away with, whether it's about publishing, you know, tips and tricks, or whether it's about um bringing in different speakers, like we had an agent come in, we had an editor come in, we had other authors come in and hearing different perspectives besides even her own. Um, I think that has all just been super rich in terms of content too. Um, so again, it's facilitator, yes, but also teacher.

SPEAKER_05 27:02

There, there is that element of her bringing really valuable content to the she's I mean, she's just such a gift to this community. I mean, such a fantastic writer, fantastic teacher, and as you said, fantastic human. So we're really lucky that she's uh running this program. I think the people who are participating in it are lucky to work with her because she's just she's just a gem. She's a gem of a human, uh in my opinion. Um well, so um, you know, what are you what are you working on now? What's what it where where are your kind of like where are your interests work in your writing, where's your creative practice in writing life uh turning, turning your eye these days?

SPEAKER_02 27:42

Well, so I did I hinted a little bit at it. Um this idea of you know, I use writing as a little bit of processing time, just in terms of this is kind of unprecedented times in our world. And I I I tend to write a lot about the human condition, right? And themes of you know, love and loss and renewal and things like that. And um, I don't write full-length, you know, memoirs. I don't have that as a goal. I do write short stuff. So I write personal essay, I write short story as well, and poetry. And so I'm I'm in the process of just letting some of those themes take me, depending on the mood, into some of those different formats and um kind of just writing, right? Writing and getting things down and seeing where it takes me. Um and in fact, you know, most of this course has been creative nonfiction, but I just finished a short story that I'm kind of interested by um that's fiction. And, you know, using some of the same techniques um in each is it rings true, right? With characterization and just how I'm I'm writing. So I'm applying it, the things I learned in creative nonfiction, um, back into fiction, kind of a more traditional um line of writing.

SPEAKER_05 29:03

I love it. Because, you know, that the those I think that also to me that cross-genre blending really helps people really kind of sharpen their writing skills because they start to understand you know the reader in all those different perspectives, and and when you write in different genres, I think that's it's immensely helpful in terms of seeing those things. So that's great. I'm I'm excited for you. Um somebody's listening to this, uh having gone through the program or most of the program yourself, um and they're wondering about themselves, like, is this a good fit for me? Um maybe you can't do this because it maybe it is flexible and personalized, but um, how would you maybe describe somebody who would be a good candidate to join a year-long writing cohort?

SPEAKER_02 29:54

You know, I think the first thing is there is a level of commitment to it in terms of time spent and um and money invested, right, for the most part. And and really being invested in not only, you know, putting your work, working on your work, but also reacting and helping other colleagues with their work, you know, doing that workshopping and being ready to do that. It takes good time. I love spending the time, but you have to be ready to spend that time and um really roll up your sleeves and and do some of that. I think commitment is important. Um, I also think just an openness, an openness to allow things to take their course. Like, like for me, my goals shifted a little bit as I went through. Um I also think though, if you if you need some structure around, you know, a big project you have very much in mind, this is a really good format for that. Um it holds you to a certain level of accountability to yourself that I could see having a really positive effect on a lot of participants. And I do see that with some of my colleagues. So um, so I think commitment and just you know putting some structure. If you need structure around that practice, you don't want to be on the island, so to speak, as a solo writer all the time. This is this is a great format for that.

SPEAKER_05 31:17

Right, great. Well, Susan, uh, thank you so much. It's been a treat to uh chat about um the program and your experience and and where you're headed. I'll look forward to seeing your work out in the wild however we next uh can get it there. Um, but I really appreciate your time, uh Candor, and and just uh talking about the program with you. It's been uh a treat to chat.

SPEAKER_02 31:40

Likewise. Thanks so much, Chris.

SPEAKER_05 31:43

A big thank you to Susan. The year long writing projects are coming this winter. An info session about the program will take place on October 13th. You can find that registration link below. And registration for the sections opens on November 10th for Friends of the Loft. See the show notes for details about that as well. This podcast and all of our programming are made possible by the Friends of the Loft. If you'd like to support our mission or this show, please visit us at loft.org backslash join. That's loft.org backslash join. That wraps up today's episode. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a review and subscribe so you never miss an update. Until next time, thanks for gathering around the fire.