Supporting Writers and Everyone Who Wants to Write
The Writer’s Center offers hundreds of writing workshops, hosts dozens of free events, and fosters a community of writers, virtually and in-person.
Workshops & Free Events Calendar
Events
Calendar of Events
|
Sunday
|
Monday
|
Tuesday
|
Wednesday
|
Thursday
|
Friday
|
Saturday
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 events,
Venue :
Zoom
Write your novel in a year with bestselling author Kristen Arnett! Are you looking for an exciting, fun, collaborative way to get your writing brain into gear? Are you ready to finally sit down and write that novel that you’ve been thinking about forever? Do you wish you had a confident, cheerful writing coach to guide you to the finish line? If so, then this is definitely the course for you! Students of this generative workshop will share their work with others in the class, learn to edit their own writing effectively, become naturals at crafting powerful openings, and will learn […]
Register
$5,400.00
Venue :
Zoom
Bring your novel to life with best-selling author Susan Coll! Whether you have been thinking about writing a novel for years but are not sure how to get started, or are already published but embarking on a new project, this year-long workshop is intended to help get the next book off the ground. Watch the Virtual Info Session Meet Susan Coll, instructor for our Novel Year workshop, and have all your questions about the program answered! WATCH NOW >>> Over the course of twenty sessions, we will: create a fun, warm, and supportive writing community discuss and engage in exercises focused […]
Venue :
Wet Ink
Through reflection, community, and practice, you’ll awaken the artist within and build a creative life that feels aligned and alive. This year-long journey through The Artist’s Way offers a sustained path for creative reawakening and artistic growth. Writers, artists, and creative seekers will move chapter by chapter through Julia Cameron’s classic text, reconnecting with their sense of purpose and play. The course offers the freedom to move at your own pace on Wet Ink, while regular virtual gatherings provide structure, engagement, and a sense of shared creative energy. Participants will receive guidance, accountability, and community support as you nurture your creative […]
Register
$2,000.00
Venue :
Zoom
Work on your memoir with bestselling author Nicole Chung! This intensive workshop is open to writers working on a memoir or memoir-in-essays. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in lively craft discussions, generative exercises, and in-depth workshops designed to help you identify and hone your strengths as a writer. If you have an idea for a memoir and are looking to jumpstart it—or are already underway, but want some help to maintain your momentum—this class will help you take concrete next steps and deepen your craft in a supportive community. Watch the Virtual Info Session Meet Nicole Chung, instructor for our […]
Venue :
Zoom
Jumpstart your novel and writing practice in this ten-month intensive! If you're wondering how to write a novel and sustain a writing practice in the midst of everything, Novel Club is for you. Together, with the guidance of an experienced mentor and author and the camaraderie of your Novel Club cohort, this is the year we will write and revise our novels. Through craft talks, workshops, and generative exercises, you'll experiment, look at your blocks, and define your creative process, building a regular writing practice that works for your project and busy life. You'll find a clear path forward for your […]
Register
$5,400.00
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 8 Sessions 
Have you always wanted to write a novel but didn’t know where to start? This workshop will help you understand the process of writing a novel so you can get started putting pen to paper. The workshop will focus on everything from generating ideas to developing characters to establishing point of view. Participants will discuss many elements of fiction (dialogue, scene, etc.) but the emphasis will be on discovering the writing process that works best for each writer. Learn at your own pace: This workshop will take place over Wet Ink, which is an asynchronous creative writing platform. The instructor will post a […]
Register
$395.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 6 Sessions 
Make the rhythm of your poetry run, skip, and dance! We'll learn the fundamentals of repeating rhyth...
Register
$295.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 5 Sessions
In this multi-week writing workshop, writers will be immersed in a safe space to experiment, fail, a...
Register
$250.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 6 Sessions
This workshop will offer a practical plan that takes you from the mere germ of an idea all the way t...
Register
$295.00
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 4 Sessions 
In this generative poetry course, we will immerse ourselves in the landscape of contemporary poetry ...
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions 
Learn how to pack a powerful punch when writing persuasively! This four-week workshop covers the pro...
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 5 Sessions 
An introduction to narrative writing and experimentation through historical research. Learn how to w...
Register
$250.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions 
Learn how to recognize a premise, extract the humor, and hone it into a stand-up act or funny story....
Register
$215.00
Washington Writers’ Publishing House Capital Love LitFest
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Capital Love LitFest is an 8-hour literary salon of writing workshops, deep-dive literary discussions, and poetry and prose readings from the new WWPH pocket-sized anthology, Capital Love. The Capital Love LitFest, and our anthology, are dedicated to all those who believe love is the antidote to hate, and that love is action, intent, healing, and hope. This event is a pay-as-you-can literary event designed to inspire and generate your writing, deepen your craft, introduce you to your Washington Writers’ Publishing House’s community, and raise up our collective voices in literary solidarity. Attendance will be limited to 120 people, which is the […]
Register
Free – $80.00
|
13 events, |
12 events, |
12 events,Using the Tools of Fiction in Nonfiction
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions 
Whether you are crafting an essay or writing a memoir, the tools of fiction can bring depth and susp...
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions
Whether you are crafting an essay or writing a memoir, the tools of fiction can bring depth and susp...
Register
$215.00
|
13 events,Finding Your Poetic Voice
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 6 Sessions
Writing poems is discovery on paper, and good poems surprise and delight the poet as much as anyone....
Register
$295.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 6 Sessions
Writing poems is discovery on paper, and good poems surprise and delight the poet as much as anyone....
Register
$295.00
|
13 events, |
12 events, |
12 events, |
14 events,The Art of Description
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 4 Sessions 
This six-week interactive class is designed to give you the skills to write rich descriptive sentenc...
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 4 Sessions
This six-week interactive class is designed to give you the skills to write rich descriptive sentenc...
Register
$215.00
Cafe Muse Literary Salon
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center welcomes the Café Muse Literary Salon for a reading featuring writers Greg Luce and Burgi Zenhaeusern. The evening begins at 7 PM with Michael Davis live on classical guitar. The readings begin at 7:30 PM with opening remarks by a Café Muse co-host. FREE & open to the public. RSVP on the Cafe Muse Website. Enjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation » |
12 events, |
13 events,Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Prose, poetry, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. Sign-up starts at 6:45pm, and readings begin promptly at 7pm. Limited to 20 readers, so arrive early if you plan to read. Sponsored by Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry magazine. FREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. If you need an accommodation for this event, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. Enjoying […]
Register
Free
Activating Creativity Through Play
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
Even the most disciplined writers encounter creative stalls, moments when the page feels resistant a...
Register
$60.00
|
13 events,Poems After Art, Media, and Ruin
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 7 Sessions 
This workshop studies how poems can respond to paintings, photographs, monuments, advertisements, fi...
Register
$350.00
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 7 Sessions
This workshop studies how poems can respond to paintings, photographs, monuments, advertisements, fi...
Register
$350.00
Writing the Feature-length Screenplay
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 10 Sessions 
In this 10-week intermediate to advanced workshop, writers will complete a feature-length screenplay...
Register
$415.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 10 Sessions
In this 10-week intermediate to advanced workshop, writers will complete a feature-length screenplay...
Register
$415.00
Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Jake Rose
Venue :
Zoom
Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Jake Rose to discuss their debut collection, JOAN. Jake is in conversation with Emily Holland, poet and editor of Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public, all times Eastern. We encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local, independent bookseller or online from the publisher » Jake Rose is the author of JOAN, winner of the 2026 Phoenix Emerging Poets […]
Register
Free
|
13 events,Intermediate Novel Writing: The 8 Cs
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 8 Sessions 
Are you serious about writing a novel but struggling? This intermediate course will examine the eigh...
Register
$395.00
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 8 Sessions
Are you serious about writing a novel but struggling? This intermediate course will examine the eigh...
Register
$395.00
|
17 events,How to Write A Grant Proposal
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions 
This workshop will cover how to research prospective funders, the elements of a good proposal, and h...
Register
$150.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions
This workshop will cover how to research prospective funders, the elements of a good proposal, and h...
Register
$150.00
Creating Conflict & Tension
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
Strengthening the conflict in any type of fiction will bump up the tension and turn limp, ordinary f...
Register
$60.00
Ten Pro Tips for Writing Life Stories
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
Where do you begin your life story and how do you guarantee it is interesting to others? With ten cr...
Register
$60.00
Write the Day
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
We will read and then write poems and stories starting from close observation of our day, from wakin...
Register
$60.00
|
14 events, |
14 events, |
15 events,UnClogging Your Brain
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 1 Session
Prompts will spark memories, characters, and places, turning them into poems, scenes, dialogues, and...
Register
$60.00
|
14 events, |
14 events,Chapter One Workshop
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 2 Sessions 
Learn how to hook a reader in the opening pages of your book. Every week we will go over the elements of what makes a good first chapter and what you can leave out and save for the middle of the book. We'll talk tone, genre, pacing, and reader expectations. By the end of the workshop, you should have the skills to write a first chapter that will have readers eager for more. Participants can come to class with a finished first chapter (or the first 2000 words of one) to be critiqued, but it's not necessary. • Hook the […]
Register
$115.00
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 2 Sessions
Learn how to hook a reader in the opening pages of your book. Every week we will go over the elements of what makes a good first chapter and what you can leave out and save for the middle of the book. We'll talk tone, genre, pacing, and reader expectations. By the end of the workshop, you should have the skills to write a first chapter that will have readers eager for more. Participants can come to class with a finished first chapter (or the first 2000 words of one) to be critiqued, but it's not necessary. • Hook the […]
Register
$115.00
Intro to Micro-Memoir and Flash Fiction
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session
What if the most powerful story you ever write is also the shortest? In this workshop, we'll explore...
Register
$60.00
|
13 events, |
13 events, |
14 events,Words that Heal: Expressive Writing for Self-Discovery
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session
Writing can be both a creative act and a path toward healing. In this workshop, we’ll explore the pr...
Register
$60.00
|
13 events, |
15 events,Advanced Fiction Workshop
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 6 Sessions 
Deep reading and insightful questions are the hallmarks of this course. If you have previous worksho...
Register
$295.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 6 Sessions
Deep reading and insightful questions are the hallmarks of this course. If you have previous worksho...
Register
$295.00
This Isn’t Real: Add Dream Logic to Your Work
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
Become the next David Lynch -- apply dream logic to your fiction, poetry, and hybrid work. Participa...
Register
$60.00
|
16 events,Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Prose, poetry, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. Sign-up starts at 6:45pm, and readings begin promptly at 7pm. Limited to 20 readers, so arrive early if you plan to read. Sponsored by Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry magazine. FREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. If you need an accommodation for this event, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. Enjoying […]
Register
Free
Poetry Book Club w/ Michele Evans!
Venue :
Zoom
Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal and The Writer’s Center welcomes poet Michele Evans to our monthly Virtual Poetry Book Club for a discussion of her collection, februaries. Michele is joined by Book Club Host, Hannah Grieco. We encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local, independent bookseller or online » ***Get a discount on februaries through the above link (Yellow Arrow Publishing) with the order code WritersCenter20*** FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. Michele Evans, the author of the poetry collection purl, returns with februaries—a chapbook of poems inspired by her participation in the National African American […]
Register
Free
|
13 events,Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Arielle Hebert
Venue :
Zoom
Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Arielle Hebert to discuss her debut poetry collection, Bottom Feeders. Arielle is in conversation with Emily Holland, poet and editor of Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public, all times Eastern. We encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local, independent bookseller or online from the publisher » Arielle Hebert is a queer poet based in North Carolina with roots in […]
Register
Free
|
11 events, |
14 events,Plot Like a Pro
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
You have a great idea for a story. Do you dive in and just begin writing, or start by drafting an ou...
Register
$60.00
Diane Zinna Book Release
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center welcomes writer Diane Zinna for a reading from her new book, Letting Grief Speak: Writing Portals for Life After Loss. FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. There will be a limited number of copies of Letting Grief Speak available for purchase at the Writer's Center. If you would like a signed copy, we hope you'll consider purchasing it before the event and bringing it with you. Purchase the book here>>> Diane Zinna is the author of Letting Grief Speak: Writing Portals for Life After Loss, a craft book on the art of telling our hardest stories, to be published July 21 […]
Register
Free
Writer Wayne Brown Book Reading
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center welcomes writer Wayne Brown for a reading from his new book, Sports...Biblically Speaking: Life Lessons From The World Of Sports. FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. Wayne Brown Sr. is a military veteran having served honorably for 13 years in the United States Air Force from 1979-1992. He and his wife, Joanne, have been married for 43 years and have five children while also enjoying nine grandchildren. They reside in Maryland and have been involved in some level of church ministry throughout their marriage, to include places in Virginia, Belgium, Illinois and now Maryland where he is an […]
Register
Free
|
10 events, |
11 events,Self-Publishing 101
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session
Discover the core steps of self-publishing from a 40-time bestselling author. Explore editing, writi...
Register
$60.00
|
9 events, |
9 events, |
11 events,Let the Soft Animals Speak: Writing the Wild with Craft and Care
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 2 Sessions 
When Mary Oliver tells us to let the soft animal of love what love, we know exac...
Register
$100.00
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 2 Sessions
When Mary Oliver tells us to let the soft animal of love what love, we know exac...
Register
$100.00
Virtual Craft Chat w/ Author Haili Blassingame
Venue :
Zoom
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of nonfiction! We’re joined by author Haili Blassingame for a discussion of her new publication, They All Fall in Love at the End. Haili is in conversation with Amy Freeman, author and Development Director at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public, all times Eastern We encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local, independent bookseller or online from Bookshop.org » Haili Blassingame is a producer for the NPR program 1A. She has written for […]
Register
Free
|
10 events, |
10 events, |
How Can We Support You?
Discover more about what we offer in the categories below.
Rent a Space at TWC
Make The Writer’s Center the venue for your next meeting or event in Bethesda, Maryland! From off-site business meetings to theater productions, we have a space that’s right for you.
Our Impact
How We Support Writers
Writing classes. Free events for writers. New friends and networking. Every year, The Writer’s Center delivers hundreds of ways to connect more deeply with the literary life. Our writers hone their writing craft, master editing and revision, share their work, and get published. Most importantly, we bring likeminded writers together into a fun and welcoming community.
0 +
workshop registrations annually
Over 0
free event attendees
0 +
programs for writers every year
Curated Conversation(s):
a Latinx Poetry Show
Curated Conversation(s) is a virtual discussion series. Season 1 features debut Latinx poets, and Season 2 pairs Latinx poets from the United Kingdom and United States.
Follow Us on IG
Learn how to recognize a premise, extract the humor, and hone it into a stand-up act or funny story. Join an engaging, workshop class led by a professional writer and comedian who will guide you through the craft of comedy, from idea generation to polished performance. We’ll study comedians and styles and work on your unique voice in a fun and supportive class.
Register at writer.org
These days, writers increasingly are expected to be their own best publicists, which can be a challenge for those of us introverts who enjoy playing with words in solitude. In this session, you’ll learn how to grow your author platform and publicize your book in smart, efficient, and cost-effective ways that go beyond social media posts and help you stay true to your authentic self. By the end of the class, you’ll feel energized and excited rather than daunted by the prospect of letting the world know who you are and what you create.
Register at writer.org
-
#shortstory #nonfiction #biography #LiteraryEvent #literarylife #literaryfiction #personalessay #poetrycommunity #poetry #novels #writinganovel #fictionbooks #literaryevents #writerscenter #creativewritingworkshop #dcwriters #dcliterary #creativewriting #dcartists #DCArts
Father`s day is around the corner and this is the time to think of something better than a tie or grill supplies. We`ve all heard our Dad`s 3 classic stories so why not help him craft another. Give a gift card this year at writer.org/gift-certificates.
Are you a writer who identifies as LGBTQ+? Let’s hang out and talk writing! Come join us for an informal gathering at The Writer’s Center. Please bring a drink or an appetizer that serves six. You’re welcome to bring a friend, too.
FREE & open to all DMV writers who identify as LGBTQ+. RSVP at writer.org
-
#nonfiction #nonfictionauthor #LiteraryEvent #literarylife #literaryfiction #personalessay #poetryreadingdc #poetrydc #novels #fictionwriter #queerbooks #lgbtq🌈 #lgbtqia #lgbtqcommunity #queermeetup #lgbtqpride #lgbtq #literaryevents #writerscenter #creativewriting #dcwriters #dcliterary #dcartists #DCArts
