As a teaching artist, I work for/with organizations and offer workshops and series in various creative writing and cultural arts genres for youth and adults. I can plan and facilitate workshops both in-person and virtually (on Zoom, Google Meetings and Webex as needed). If you would like to book me to lead one of the following workshops, please go to the contact page and fill out your information. I will generally get back to you within the week. I am also happy to create a workshop that is responsive to your organization or community’s needs.
2026 Workshops
- Climb Inside Other Minds: Exploring Persona Poetry with Leticia Urieta
- March 28th from 10am-2pm CST with Gemini Ink (in-person)
2025 Workshops
Are you a storyteller interested in exploring the tales of cryptids and creatures that go bump in the night? Have you ever considered how to push the boundaries of what storytelling could be by incorporating horror, folktales and traditional stories in your work? In this generative writing workshop for adults 16+, we will explore short stories and hybrid pieces that help us understand why we are drawn to the monsters and creatures across a variety of cultural folklore, especially the ones most meaningful or culturally significant to you. Then, you’ll have the opportunity to write your own pieces using persona and other storytelling techniques. You can even create your own creature if you want to!
Didn’t get to attend the workshop? You can purchase the workshop slides with links to readings and materials to write your own creepy story at home at your own pace.
Cost: $25
Workshops for Adults
I have designed these workshops that can be offered in a variety of settings and spaces, both virtually and in person. If you are interested in booking me for one of these workshops for your organization, school, library or community, fill out my contact page and I will get back to you presently!
Writing the Weird one-day workshop (virtual or in-person) or six-week series
Are you a storyteller? Have you ever considered how to push the boundaries of what storytelling could be? Ever wonder what blending genres of horror, folktales and traditional stories, as well as magical imaginings, could mean for your work? In this writing workshop for adults 16+, we will explore short stories, poems and hybrid pieces that help us reimagine realities and unlock the strange, the magical, the grotesque, and the beautiful that we find in our familial stories and our everyday lives.
What Happens Inside: A Body Horror Workshop (one day or two sessions)
When it comes to our bodies, there is little we fear more than the inevitability that our bodies will change, can fall ill and will die. Body horror helps us to write about the absurdity, beauty and horror of being corporeal. This one day virtual workshop will focus on reading and discussing stories of body horror that affect us and engage with stories of illness, trauma, loss, power, monstrousness and reclamation. We will also discuss how these stories can inspire our own. This generative workshop will provide space for us to engage with multiple writing activities that make space to write and share our own body horror stories.
Creating a Writing Life (one day or two sessions)
In this workshop, participants will engage in discussions, writing exercises, and readings that explore why we write and create and how we create space in our lives for creative pursuits. Experienced writer and teaching artist Leticia Urieta will talk about her journey as a writer, navigating submissions, publishing, and writing across genres, and lead the group in generative writing exercises that explore participants’ dreams, hopes, and goals for their own creative lives. This workshop is intended for participants 18 and up.
Reconnecting to the Body workshop-a 6-week online workshop
The body carries our stories, but sometimes delving into these stories can be difficult and painful to navigate. We have to engage in acts of radical and deep reflection to fully embody and write about the traumas, beauty, pain and healing that our bodies are capable of holding. This online workshop will ask you to engage in these acts of radical reflection to explore your relationships to the body through free writing, memoir and poetry. We will explore how writers embody their experiences through poetry and prose by studying contemporary poets and writers who are engaging with discussions about the body and chronic illness, pain, trauma and healing. Participants will be given the opportunity to generate new work as well as to engage with their own work (or ideas) in progress. This workshop will also help participants to engage more deeply with their writing and to learn how to effectively respond to and critique the work of their peers.
Crafting Persona: Creating Strong Voices for Historic Pieces
When crafting stories and narrative poems, creating compelling characters and voices is vital to bringing the reader into the story’s world. Writing in the voice of a historical character can add an even bigger challenge to creating your character’s persona in ways that are authentic and emotionally true to the story you are endeavoring to tell. In this workshop, we would discuss: The challenges associated with writing personas with the added weight of historical realities or biographies, how to write historical characters that are authentic and interesting, juggling historical settings, facts and dialogue with your original storytelling, and much more. We would also read poems and novel excerpts as mentor to show the range of possibilities when creating engaging personas.
Workshops for Youth
I have over ten years of experience teaching children and youth in K-12th grade. I can facilitate workshops for youth on the following topics or adapt one of the workshops listed above for youth:
Intro to Zine-making Workshop: This workshop will introduce creators to what zines are, an overview of zine history in the US, examples of my favorite zines as well as local Texas zine culture and will provide space for participants to make their own mini-zines, either individually or collaboratively.
Here’s what participants and partners have said about me!
Leticia is a frequent guest-author at both my in-person and virtual retreats. Her sessions are always illuminating and inspiring. Her lectures center the writer-heart and encourage a radically present approach to process; her guided activities are both generative and reflective. As a retreat facilitator, I know my attendees are in good hands and will walk away from these sessions feeling powerful and purposeful. Leticia’s teaching lights a gentle spark in each writer and guides them home to their individual magic.
-Claire Campbell, Blue Stone Writers
“Leticia guided us through body horror imagery and lore, engaging us in discussions and providing multiple opportunities to write, share, and read from our work. It was great to be in a community of writers interested in this topic! Leticia provided an inviting space with inspiring content, and we left with a collection of new resources to explore. She generously provided valuable feedback beyond the workshop as well! I look forward to her upcoming workshops. ”
-Ilza (workshop participant)
