Francesca Lia Block has published over 25 works of fiction, non-fiction, short stories, and poetry for adults, young adults, and children, including the Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement award-winning Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books. She has also published various essays, interviews, and reviews. She was a finalist for Professor of the Year at the University of Redlands and currently teaches at UCLA Extension, St. Mary’s College of California, Litreactor, and privately. Francesca is honored to be a part of the Antioch Los Angeles MFA program.
Writing has literally saved my life but whether it’s your passion or just an interest, I know that it can enhance your life in a profound way. Teaching is also deeply satisfying for me. It is inspiring to help people find their inner story and learn ways to tell it more effectively. I truly believe that everyone has a story to tell and that those with a burning desire to tell it and dedication to that desire can be successful. When you work with me I hope you will feel supported but also challenged and encouraged to grow. I foster a nurturing environment where students can become more fully energized by the joy of the creative process.
As your mentor, I will encourage you to write and read extensively. I will work closely with you on overall story structure and line-by-line details using Track Changes to give you my notes. Attention will be paid to characterization, plot, and all aspects of voice. Phone conversations are sometimes an option, and I may assign exercises and specific reading. Annotations consist of three paragraphs–summary, craft element, and application in your own work. Most importantly, perhaps, I will help you uncover what it is you truly want to say to the world. I think my greatest strength as a teacher is getting to know my students on an individual basis (at the residency and during the term) and helping them dig deep into their psyches to bring out the story that is most relevant to them and; therefore, I truly believe, important for the world.
- House of Hearts
- The Thorn Necklace: Healing Through Writing and the Creative Process
- Dead Girls: Poems
- Beyond The Pale Motel
- The Elementals
- Quakeland
- Necklace of Kisses
- Teen Spirit
- Love in The Time of Global Warming
- The Island of Excess Love
- Pink Smog
- The Frenzy
- Pretty Dead
- Wasteland
- Blood Roses
- Nymph
- Girl Goddess #9
- Fairy Tales in Electri-city: Poems
- Open Letter to Quiet Light: Poems
- How to (Un)Cage a Girl: Poems
- My Miserable Life
- House of Dolls
- Wood Nymph Seeks Centaur
- Guarding The Moon
- Echo
- The Rose And The Beast
- Violet And Claire
- I Was A Teenage Fairy
- Dangerous Angels
- The Hanged Man
- Weetzie Bat