The Lab

“The Lab … [is] … about wrestling with the things that won’t leave us alone … and the truths we’re not sure we can admit.” – Peter Orner, author of Am I Alone Here?: Notes on Reading to Live and Living to Read“More than a craft book, The Lab examines what drives us to write … identifying what’s deeply true, strange, or compelling, then shaping that into a genre.” – Alia Volz, bestselling author of Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco“Ideal for writers like me to keep on their desk for quick inspiration.” – Toi Derricotte, author of I: New and Selected Poems“The Lab is the place to be in all stages of the writing process. This guide is crammed with ways to expand and reimagine your practice and project. Every page delivers an invigorating opportunity.” – Jac Jemc, author of Empty Theatre“Davison and LaPlante take a deep dive into the often mysterious alchemy of literary craft, and provide writers with a tangible roadmap to expanding their creative boundaries. The exercises that are liberally peppered throughout the book are more than prompts—they’re experiments that push you to stretch form and uncover what your voice is capable of.” – Mieke Eerkens, author of All Ships Follow Me“Davison and LaPlante…turn writers’ hopes, ideas and aspirations into manifestations. Grab your pencil, pen, paper, or laptop. Then grab this book, embrace it as your guide, and start and keep writing.” – Jerome Joseph Gentes, Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing, Institute for American Indian Arts“The Lab: Experiments in Writing Across Genre is a masterclass in the creative process. This is an essential guide for writers navigating the rich, interdisciplinary possibilities of contemporary storytelling.” – Evan Rehill, Professor at Rutgers University“The Lab shakes off the tired rules of traditional writing guides and replaces them with something more electrifying: a call to action for writers who want to discover their fiercest, most authentic work.” – K.M. Soehnlein, Creative Writing MFA Faculty, University of San Francisco“With its inventive exercises and deep respect for literary experimentation, The Lab urges writers to embrace uncertainty and create something entirely their own.” – Miah Jeffra, Professor at Santa Clara University

Matthew Clark Davison is the author of Doubting Thomas and founder of The Lab, a generative writing workshop. He is emeritus faculty in Creative Writing at San Francisco State University, and lives in Oakland, California with his husband.

Alice LaPlante is the author of the craft book The Making of a Story and the New York Times best-selling novel Turn of Mind. She has taught creative writing at Stanford and San Francisco State University and lives in Mallorca, Spain, with her family.