The "Yes, And..." of Writing: Improvising Creativity Without the Spotlight with Lillian Li

Event Summary

Date(s): Monday, July 27, 2026
Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Venue: Downtown Branch of AADL
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Event Description

Do you ever find yourself staring at a blinking cursor, waiting for the perfect sentence to appear? This program bridges the gap between the spontaneity of improv comedy and the focused craft of creative writing. Improv is fundamentally about listening and building on what is already there. By applying these techniques to your writing practice, you will learn how to:

Silence the Inner Critic: Learn why “perfect” is the enemy of “done.”
Bypass Blocks: Use low-stakes prompts to jumpstart your narrative.
Expand Ideas: Practice the “Yes, And” and “If this is true…” method to turn a single sentence into a full scene or story.

This is a “performance-free” zone. You will not be asked to act, perform improv, or speak in front of a group. Instead, we will use improv’s core principles—such as “Yes, And,” embracing mistakes, and rapid-fire ideation—as tools to silence your inner critic and get your ideas flowing onto the page. However, be ready to write, whether on a current project or a new prompt provided during the session.

This event includes books for sale.

Lillian Li is the author of the novel Bad Asians, and Number One Chinese Restaurant, which was an NPR Best Book, and longlisted for the Women’s Prize and the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize. Her work has been published in the New York Times, Granta, One Story, Bon Appetit, Travel & Leisure, and The Guardian. She has been performing improv since 2021, most recently as part of Hear.say Theater’s Friday night house team, Eleven Non-Blondes.

For teens & adults.