Blackbird's Flight School with Jennifer Lauck

Blackbird’s Flight School is a landing perch for the creative writer in search of consistent, grounded and trustworthy support of your literary ambitions. From idea to publication, Blackbird is here to help you grow in depth and craft. Everything posted deepens your understanding of story and the power of words.

We don’t get into the political scene here, don’t take sides, don’t devolve into hot-takes. As Thomas Merton wrote: “The integrity of an artists lift a man above the level of the world without delivering him from it.” And that’s what I’m striving for here. We rise above the minutia, learn to use it as a tool for our work, see the big picture of literature and write stories that endure.

⬇️ Video hello below.

What You'll Find Here:

• Exclusive Writing Lab Posts (Lit Lessons): Lessons with examples and handouts, often taught on Zoom live.

• Behind the Scenes Posts: Glimpses into the writing life and the pursuit of authentic storytelling.

• Subscriber Studio & Challenges: Helping you get started and build momentum or cross the finish line of a particular project.

Exclusive Writing Lab Posts: Exclusive Writing Lab’s are devoted to craft that you are not taught in MFA programs:

• Structure, plot, antagonistic forces (and how these three work together).

• Character development in the four part progression.

• The core of craft: Meaning. Sense. Clarity.

• The crown jewel of storytelling: Scene.

Behind the Scene’s Posts: I’ve been writing professionally (meaning I get paid) for almost forty years now. I started creative writing in 1996 and have four memoirs and numerous essays in the world to include my international and NYT bestseller, Blackbird. Behind the Scene’s covers these years of crafting and what I’ve learned:

• Serialization strategies

• What a sustainable and successful writing life looks like

• Mistakes made along the way and what they taught me

Subscriber Studio & Challenges: Blackbird’s Flight School is a place to connect with the broader:

• Subscriber Studio is a twice a month meet-ups on Zoom to discuss your writerly ambitions, hopes, dreams, and obstacles.

• Seasonal challenges are boost groups open to all that help us overcome the distractions of summer, the holidays, and the dark months of winter.

My goals for you are the same as I have for myself:

1. Nail down your form

2. Learn how to write well, consistently.

3. Grow to be an extraordinary writer

Free Subscription Benefits:

Access to some posts

Paid Subscription Perks

You get access to everything, and that includes all the online live teachings, deep workshop and consultation discounts, and the full archive

Why Subscribe:

Flight School is the way into your authentic voice and purpose as a storyteller. Ready to soar? Become a paid subscriber today and join a community dedicated to pursuing literary excellence.

What Readers & Fellow Substacker’s Say:

I love discovering new Substackers who help add their insights and discoveries to the process of writing. Check out Flight School, which is a safe place for writers of all levels.

~Memoir Writer Wannabe

Learn how to make your writing fly. Beautiful and heartfelt stories that illuminate the big questions in our lives. Plus a serialized memoir, a community to share your writing journey, and tools to help grow your craft.

NOTE: The memoir serialization was a quick, beta test. The lessons remain but Summer of ‘72 is now off the site and being refined for publication.

~Wild and Wonderful

For generous, incisive creative writing teaching and inspiration from a NY Times best-selling author and memoirist, check out Jennifer's Flight School, which has a lively, interactive writing community. Plus, she is serializing her latest memoir, Summer of '72!

~ Living in 3D

"I support your work because you are an amazing teacher, a great writer and your insights and suggestions have given me confidence in what I seek to say."

~ Pamela Comblast

"Years ago I read Blackbird and found it to be the most moving account I’d ever read. Later, I forgot the author’s name but remembered the story. I too have stories to tell and a desire to learn how."

~ Judy King

"Even with decades of novel writing experience I am humbled by the complexity, challenge and reward of the craft. Jennifer is a gifted and generous teacher who I know will help take my fiction and nascent memoir writing to the next level. I am excited to become a more active part of this writing community."

~ Amy Brown