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
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5 events,
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Register
$5,400.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 10 Sessions 
In this 10-week intermediate to advanced workshop, writers will complete a feature-length screenplay...
Register
$415.00
|
6 events,Honoring Reuben Jackson: Music as Muse
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 5 Sessions This workshop is a celebration and study of the life and work of Reuben Jackson who mentored generations of writers and taught at The Writer’s Center for over a decade. During the course of five sessions together, we will write vignettes about our interactions with this top-shelf teacher, poet, and jazz scholar. In addition, we will carefully read his poetry and use them as generative prompts to create new work. We will culminate this workshop at The Writer’s Center in a public reading/celebration to honor Mr. Jackson and keep his literary legacy alive on October 4.
Register
$250.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 5 Sessions This workshop is a celebration and study of the life and work of Reuben Jackson who mentored generations of writers and taught at The Writer’s Center for over a decade. During the course of five sessions together, we will write vignettes about our interactions with this top-shelf teacher, poet, and jazz scholar. In addition, we will carefully read his poetry and use them as generative prompts to create new work. We will culminate this workshop at The Writer’s Center in a public reading/celebration to honor Mr. Jackson and keep his literary legacy alive on October 4.
Register
$250.00
|
7 events,Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Diana Cao
Venue :
Zoom
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by author Diana Cao for a discussion of her debut poetry collection, Slipstream. Diana is […]
Register
Free
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8 events,(Wet Ink) Intro to the Novel
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 8 Sessions 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.
Register
$395.00
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 8 Sessions 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.
Register
$395.00
(Wet Ink) Creating Novel Characters
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 4 Sessions When writing a novel, we must know our primary characters inside and out. We need to understand their desires, motivations, and frustrations, their histories and their futures. This workshop will focus on the development of authentic characters. Participants will examine character as both autonomous and residing within the context of the other novelistic elements, and we will examine the challenge of creating and integrating these various elements into a cohesive and credible whole. Participants will explore the main character(s) in their novels-in-progress.
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 4 Sessions When writing a novel, we must know our primary characters inside and out. We need to understand their desires, motivations, and frustrations, their histories and their futures. This workshop will focus on the development of authentic characters. Participants will examine character as both autonomous and residing within the context of the other novelistic elements, and we will examine the challenge of creating and integrating these various elements into a cohesive and credible whole. Participants will explore the main character(s) in their novels-in-progress.
Register
$215.00
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8 events, |
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8 events, |
8 events, |
9 events,Writing the Truth: Lessons in Nonfiction Writing
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions The workshop is designed for beginning writers looking to gain a footing in non-fiction writing of different length and format, from first-person essays to long-form magazine writing and even book-length projects. You'll learn both by reading and by writing.
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions The workshop is designed for beginning writers looking to gain a footing in non-fiction writing of different length and format, from first-person essays to long-form magazine writing and even book-length projects. You'll learn both by reading and by writing.
Register
$215.00
|
12 events,Archival Research for Creative Writing
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 5 Sessions An introduction to archival research through narrative writing and experimentation. Learn how to work with and historical resources, interpret gaps, and reconstruct your own story as a public history tool. The workshop will include a presentation of examples from the instructor's current research process, featuring archival imagery, documents and story iterations. Participants will engage in exercises to think and write through their own narrative projects, whether meant for personal memoir or public scholarship. Designed for emerging scholars, writers, and community members interested in recovering underrepresented histories.
Register
$250.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 5 Sessions An introduction to archival research through narrative writing and experimentation. Learn how to work with and historical resources, interpret gaps, and reconstruct your own story as a public history tool. The workshop will include a presentation of examples from the instructor's current research process, featuring archival imagery, documents and story iterations. Participants will engage in exercises to think and write through their own narrative projects, whether meant for personal memoir or public scholarship. Designed for emerging scholars, writers, and community members interested in recovering underrepresented histories.
Register
$250.00
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 […]
Register
Free
Poetry Book Club w/ Chet’la Sebree!
Venue :
Zoom
Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal and The Writer’s Center welcomes poet Chet’la Sebree to our monthly Virtual Poetry Book Club for a discussion of her collection, Blue Opening. Chet'la 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 » […]
Register
Free
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12 events,The First 50 Pages: Craft a Submission-Ready Opening
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions 
This course is designed to help young adult writers shape those pages into an unputdownable introduc...
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions
This course is designed to help young adult writers shape those pages into an unputdownable introduc...
Register
$215.00
Inner Loop Author’s Corner w/ Hasan Dudar!
Venue :
Zoom
The Inner Loop and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by Hasan Dudar, author of the short story collection Carryout. Hasan is in conversation with author Madeleine Moss. Carryout is The Inner Loop’s Author’s Corner spotlight. The Inner Loop cultivates and promotes the distinctive literary culture of Washington, DC. Author’s Corner supports local authors’ independently […]
Register
Free
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10 events, |
14 events,Preparing Your Work for Submission
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 10 Sessions Each week, participants will focus on a different stage of the revision and publishing process, including structural and line-level revision strategies, identifying common problems in manuscripts, understanding the role of agents and editors, and exploring different paths to publication. The workshop will combine discussion of craft principles, practical publishing guidance, and analysis of participant work in a supportive, workshop-based setting. By the end of the course, participants will have a clearer, more polished manuscript excerpt, a realistic understanding of its readiness for submission, and a practical toolkit for querying agents and navigating publication options with greater confidence. Participants should submit a draft of a short story or novel excerpt up to 3000 words to the first class.
Register
$415.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 10 Sessions Each week, participants will focus on a different stage of the revision and publishing process, including structural and line-level revision strategies, identifying common problems in manuscripts, understanding the role of agents and editors, and exploring different paths to publication. The workshop will combine discussion of craft principles, practical publishing guidance, and analysis of participant work in a supportive, workshop-based setting. By the end of the course, participants will have a clearer, more polished manuscript excerpt, a realistic understanding of its readiness for submission, and a practical toolkit for querying agents and navigating publication options with greater confidence. Participants should submit a draft of a short story or novel excerpt up to 3000 words to the first class.
Register
$415.00
Pushing Genre Boundaries: More Than Memoir
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session This workshop considers how big the genre of creative nonfiction can be by looking at the ways writers expand, explore, and break open different forms and sub-genres. We'll read a few short samples of contemporary writers who are pushing boundaries, then get into some prompts that lead us toward our own innovations in telling true stories.
Register
$60.00
Ekphrastic Fantastic: Responses and Conversations with Art
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session Ekphratic Poetry or poetry in conversation with art can seem formulaic; see a piece of art and use elements of it in a poem I am making. But why stop there? In this generative workshop, participants will be encouraged to embody their piece of art (visual, music, or dance) as a means of saying what only they can say about that piece of art. Students will learn many different approaches to ekphrasis and will leave with a draft of a new poem.
Register
$60.00
Hunger Action Month Reading
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
EC Poetry and Prose, The Writer's Center, Poet Lore, and Poetry x Hunger are partnering to raise funds in honor of Hunger Action Month! Each September, Hunger Action Month unites […]
Register
Free
|
13 events,Turning Your Writing Practice into a Creative Offering
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 2 Sessions In this two-part workshop series, you'll first explore how to build a restorative, sustainable writing practice rooted in your values, interests, and natural creative rhythms. Then on day two, you'll learn how to thoughtfully shape your writing into a creative offering, identifying the messages you want to share, the audience you hope to reach, and the platforms or projects that best align with your goals. Whether you're beginning your writing journey, returning after time away, or looking for fresh direction, you'll leave with practical tools, greater creative clarity, and a deeper sense of purpose for both your writing practice and your creative life. Please note: If you've previously taken GG's standalone workshop, Writing as a Restorative Practice, the first day of this series covers much of that same material. The second day offers new content focused on shaping your writing into a creative offering and sharing it with intention.
Register
$100.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 2 Sessions In this two-part workshop series, you'll first explore how to build a restorative, sustainable writing practice rooted in your values, interests, and natural creative rhythms. Then on day two, you'll learn how to thoughtfully shape your writing into a creative offering, identifying the messages you want to share, the audience you hope to reach, and the platforms or projects that best align with your goals. Whether you're beginning your writing journey, returning after time away, or looking for fresh direction, you'll leave with practical tools, greater creative clarity, and a deeper sense of purpose for both your writing practice and your creative life. Please note: If you've previously taken GG's standalone workshop, Writing as a Restorative Practice, the first day of this series covers much of that same material. The second day offers new content focused on shaping your writing into a creative offering and sharing it with intention.
Register
$100.00
Submit-O-Thon!
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Submit your Work for a Cause! Each autumn, thousands of lit mags and journals open their portals/queues/websites to read your work. We know that submitting on your own can be […]
Register
$50.00
|
16 events,(Wet Ink) Experimentation in Flash Fiction
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 4 Sessions Discover how creative constraints can unlock surprising new possibilities in your writing. In this four-week generative workshop, we will explore how playing with time, form, and omission can change stories and move them beyond the familiar. Through close reading, discussion, and in-class exercises, participants will experiment with techniques to play with their stories. By the end of the workshop, participants will have several new drafts as well as a toolkit of exercises and strategies for future work. Participants should come prepared to write and to read a small selection of flash fiction between sessions; no advance preparation is required for the first class.
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 4 Sessions Discover how creative constraints can unlock surprising new possibilities in your writing. In this four-week generative workshop, we will explore how playing with time, form, and omission can change stories and move them beyond the familiar. Through close reading, discussion, and in-class exercises, participants will experiment with techniques to play with their stories. By the end of the workshop, participants will have several new drafts as well as a toolkit of exercises and strategies for future work. Participants should come prepared to write and to read a small selection of flash fiction between sessions; no advance preparation is required for the first class.
Register
$215.00
(Wet Ink) Finding Your Authentic Voice
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 8 Sessions Look beyond your inner critic and limiting beliefs to tap into the flow of your boundless creativity, as you discover the powerful impact of your authentic voice. Over eight weeks, we'll be identifying unhelpful thoughts, deconstructing doubt, and building a sustained creative recovery practice that lets you write compelling pieces and foster a special connection with your readers. In a safe and supportive space, reintroduce your childlike wonder around creativity so you can write freely, reclaim your power, and uncover your true gifts. Unleash your brilliance and honor the impact of your stories, lessons, and innermost thoughts. Walk away feeling empowered with fresh awareness, confidence in your writing, and practical tools to stay inspired and let your art flow freely—long after the workshop ends. While the core workshop runs asynchronously on Wet Ink, it includes two optional live Zoom sessions, one at the start to meet as a group and set intentions, and one at the midpoint to check in, share progress, and troubleshoot together. Dates and times will be pre-set and shared upon registration; attendance is optional and encouraged, not required.
Register
$395.00
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 8 Sessions Look beyond your inner critic and limiting beliefs to tap into the flow of your boundless creativity, as you discover the powerful impact of your authentic voice. Over eight weeks, we'll be identifying unhelpful thoughts, deconstructing doubt, and building a sustained creative recovery practice that lets you write compelling pieces and foster a special connection with your readers. In a safe and supportive space, reintroduce your childlike wonder around creativity so you can write freely, reclaim your power, and uncover your true gifts. Unleash your brilliance and honor the impact of your stories, lessons, and innermost thoughts. Walk away feeling empowered with fresh awareness, confidence in your writing, and practical tools to stay inspired and let your art flow freely—long after the workshop ends. While the core workshop runs asynchronously on Wet Ink, it includes two optional live Zoom sessions, one at the start to meet as a group and set intentions, and one at the midpoint to check in, share progress, and troubleshoot together. Dates and times will be pre-set and shared upon registration; attendance is optional and encouraged, not required.
Register
$395.00
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 from outline to first draft. Participants are expected to arrive with a developed idea they are ready to write. The course begins with a brief review of key screenwriting principles—premise questions, structure, and character—before quickly moving into reviewing written pages the second week. Writers will be expected to generate approximately 10 pages per week, building toward a complete 90-page screenplay by the end of the course. Class sessions will focus on reading and discussing student work, with guided feedback designed to strengthen narrative momentum, deepen character arcs, and support each writer through the challenges of finishing a full draft. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a completed feature-length screenplay and a clearer understanding of how to sustain and execute a cohesive cinematic story.
Register
$415.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 10 Sessions In this 10-week intermediate to advanced workshop, writers will complete a feature-length screenplay from outline to first draft. Participants are expected to arrive with a developed idea they are ready to write. The course begins with a brief review of key screenwriting principles—premise questions, structure, and character—before quickly moving into reviewing written pages the second week. Writers will be expected to generate approximately 10 pages per week, building toward a complete 90-page screenplay by the end of the course. Class sessions will focus on reading and discussing student work, with guided feedback designed to strengthen narrative momentum, deepen character arcs, and support each writer through the challenges of finishing a full draft. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a completed feature-length screenplay and a clearer understanding of how to sustain and execute a cohesive cinematic story.
Register
$415.00
Cafe Muse Literary Salon
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center welcomes the Café Muse Literary Salon for a reading featuring writers Luther Jett and Julia Kolchinsky. The evening begins at 7 PM with Michael Davis live on […] |
17 events,One Year to Your YA Novel w/ Betsy Cornwell
Venue :
Zoom
Write your YA novel over the course of a school year with bestselling author Betsy Cornwell! In this intensive ten-month course, you'll take your young adult novel from concept to […]
Register
$5,400.00
Venue :
Zoom
Write your YA novel over the course of a school year with bestselling author Betsy Cornwell! In this intensive ten-month course, you'll take your young adult novel from concept to […]
Register
$5,400.00
Writing Song Lyrics
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 8 Sessions We all practice the results of the lyricist's trade whenever we sing a song we know, but in this course we'll look into how those choices are made, and get some practice at generating our own lyrics.This course starts the participant on the practice of putting words together with music. Writing a song lyric requires matching syllables in words with melody notes to be sung in time over a rhythm. We start with short phrases and build up to complete lyrics. By the end participants will have generated a lyric for a familiar existing song, and at least one lyric which can be set by a composer to produce a complete work.
Register
$395.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 8 Sessions We all practice the results of the lyricist's trade whenever we sing a song we know, but in this course we'll look into how those choices are made, and get some practice at generating our own lyrics.This course starts the participant on the practice of putting words together with music. Writing a song lyric requires matching syllables in words with melody notes to be sung in time over a rhythm. We start with short phrases and build up to complete lyrics. By the end participants will have generated a lyric for a familiar existing song, and at least one lyric which can be set by a composer to produce a complete work.
Register
$395.00
|
21 events,From Novice to Novelist
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 6 Sessions This workshop deconstructs and demystifies the novel-writing process for struggling and/or aspiring writers. We'll go all the way from getting the nub of an idea to getting your book into the hands of expectant fans. Along the way, you'll learn how to stay organized, write in the voice of other genders, the art of rewriting, and how to overcome your writing and marketing fears. By the end of our time together, you'll be prepared to begin work on a novel and will be equipped with the skills to perfect it. The sessions will include time for writing and for being critiqued.
Register
$295.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 6 Sessions This workshop deconstructs and demystifies the novel-writing process for struggling and/or aspiring writers. We'll go all the way from getting the nub of an idea to getting your book into the hands of expectant fans. Along the way, you'll learn how to stay organized, write in the voice of other genders, the art of rewriting, and how to overcome your writing and marketing fears. By the end of our time together, you'll be prepared to begin work on a novel and will be equipped with the skills to perfect it. The sessions will include time for writing and for being critiqued.
Register
$295.00
The Art of Family Narrative
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions "The histories of families cannot be separated from the histories of nations," writes Susan Griffin at the beginning of a book that sets her family's story into the context of the Second World War. Workshop participants will learn about different nonfiction forms that feature robust, compelling family narratives. Each session will include writing prompts and in-class time to respond to the prompts.By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to identify and use narrative elements that render a story vivid, concerned, and fulfilled.
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions "The histories of families cannot be separated from the histories of nations," writes Susan Griffin at the beginning of a book that sets her family's story into the context of the Second World War. Workshop participants will learn about different nonfiction forms that feature robust, compelling family narratives. Each session will include writing prompts and in-class time to respond to the prompts.By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to identify and use narrative elements that render a story vivid, concerned, and fulfilled.
Register
$215.00
Reading and Responding to Gertrude Stein’s Tender Buttons
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 3 Sessions We will write response poems and learn from the strategies of this early Modernist poet who still intrigues well into the Post Modernism of today. Let’s investigate and play with Stein’s words such as, “The sudden spoon is the same in no size” or “grass greediness” or “a white hunter is nearly crazy.”
Register
$150.00
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 3 Sessions We will write response poems and learn from the strategies of this early Modernist poet who still intrigues well into the Post Modernism of today. Let’s investigate and play with Stein’s words such as, “The sudden spoon is the same in no size” or “grass greediness” or “a white hunter is nearly crazy.”
Register
$150.00
Virtual Info Session for The Art of the Short Story w/ Rita Bullwinkel
Venue :
Zoom
Meet Rita Bullwinkel, instructor for our yearlong short story workshop, and have all your questions about the program answered! The Writer’s Center staff will be on hand, too, to address any logistical questions. Register below! About the Program Application Deadline: October 5, 2026 Workshop Dates: Begins October 21, meeting twice a month for ~10 months Cost: […]
Register
Free
|
24 events,Writing the Cento and the Bop
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 7 Sessions The cento and the bop offer poets two radically different ways to make language communal, musical, and newly strange. Through close reading, discussion, generative exercises, and brief sharing, participants will explore the cento’s collage of borrowed lines and the bop’s movement through argument, refrain, and release. We will consider quotation, attribution, sonic pattern, cultural memory, ekphrasis, and the productive tension between influence and originality. By the end of the workshop, each participant will have drafted either a complete cento or the central architecture of a bop, along with strategies for revising it. No preparation is required, though participants may bring a favorite poem, song lyric, artwork, or small collection of language they would like to work from. The proposal builds directly from the attached materials’ treatment of the cento as a composite of previously written lines and the bop as a 23-line form organized into three stanzas with recurring refrains.
Register
$350.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 7 Sessions The cento and the bop offer poets two radically different ways to make language communal, musical, and newly strange. Through close reading, discussion, generative exercises, and brief sharing, participants will explore the cento’s collage of borrowed lines and the bop’s movement through argument, refrain, and release. We will consider quotation, attribution, sonic pattern, cultural memory, ekphrasis, and the productive tension between influence and originality. By the end of the workshop, each participant will have drafted either a complete cento or the central architecture of a bop, along with strategies for revising it. No preparation is required, though participants may bring a favorite poem, song lyric, artwork, or small collection of language they would like to work from. The proposal builds directly from the attached materials’ treatment of the cento as a composite of previously written lines and the bop as a 23-line form organized into three stanzas with recurring refrains.
Register
$350.00
The Visual Language of Poetry
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 1 Session Delve into a poem’s visual language. Participants will learn techniques that poets use every day to form undeniably poignant work. Generative writing exercises and examples will encourage participants to view their writing in a new way. With multiple works written in-workshop, place your pieces in a small portfolio. This workshop emphasizes the poetic line and varying syntax. Participants will leave with more strategies to begin a poem and vary their syntax.
Register
$60.00
Virtual Craft Chat on Fiction w/ Bret Anthony Johnston
Venue :
Zoom
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by author Bret Anthony Johnston for a discussion of his new collection, Encounters with Unexpected Animals. Bret is in conversation with Varun Gauri, novelist and Board member at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are […]
Register
Free
Know Your Competition!
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session For your book to succeed, you must know which books you are competing against. In this interactive workshop, we will look at resources for locating comparable and competing titles, analyze comparable and competing titles, and look at how to use that information to inform your writing as well as in your proposal or query letter.
Register
$60.00
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21 events, |
27 events,How to Find and End a Story
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session Do you have the instinct of a writer, but your subject eludes you? Does your subject feel too big, too vague, or perhaps too overwhelming? Do you want to write about a personal experience but fictionalize it? Using published examples, writing exercises, lively discussion, and expert instruction, this workshop will inspire from memory and imagination, the story you are meant to write with an ending that resonates.
Register
$60.00
Freedom With Forms
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session Here’s an opportunity to shed any misconception that poetic forms are only constricting. We will do brief writing exercises that use the enchantment of meter and rhyme to free your deeper imagination. After exploring several traditional forms, we will experiment with creating improvised (nonce) forms. Participants may leave with at least one new draft poem and ideas for creating more.
Register
$60.00
Recent Grad Writers Mixer
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Are you a writer who recently graduated? Join us for an informal gathering at The Writer’s Center to hang out and talk writing! Please bring a drink or an appetizer […]
Register
Free
|
23 events,Writing the Fictionalized Autobiography: Coming-of-Age Stories
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 5 Sessions More and more, popular culture has been fascinated by narratives that depict coming of age from the perspective of the child in the form of memoir, often demonstrating cultural diversity. This workshop will focus stories drawn from participants’ own life experiences that have certain fictional elements and are structured like fiction. During each week of the course, we will write short pieces of memoir, based on the following: certain places and individuals you remember, certain traditions and even collective traumas that predate the first-person narrator, certain positive events as well as troubling events, with the liberty to fictionalize and embellish the autobiographical story. We will develop a foundation for the elements of fiction: plot, character, internal monologue, and dialogue while studying published works in the genre.
Register
$250.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 5 Sessions More and more, popular culture has been fascinated by narratives that depict coming of age from the perspective of the child in the form of memoir, often demonstrating cultural diversity. This workshop will focus stories drawn from participants’ own life experiences that have certain fictional elements and are structured like fiction. During each week of the course, we will write short pieces of memoir, based on the following: certain places and individuals you remember, certain traditions and even collective traumas that predate the first-person narrator, certain positive events as well as troubling events, with the liberty to fictionalize and embellish the autobiographical story. We will develop a foundation for the elements of fiction: plot, character, internal monologue, and dialogue while studying published works in the genre.
Register
$250.00
Haiku, Tanka, and Senryu
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions The goal of this course is to introduce the participant to three Japanese poetic forms: the haiku, tanka, and senryu and guide a writing practice that includes these forms. Each week the participant will read examples of poetry in one of the Japanese forms and then generate some poems. By the end of the workshop, the participant will have generated poems in the three Japanese forms and feel confident in writing in these forms.
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions The goal of this course is to introduce the participant to three Japanese poetic forms: the haiku, tanka, and senryu and guide a writing practice that includes these forms. Each week the participant will read examples of poetry in one of the Japanese forms and then generate some poems. By the end of the workshop, the participant will have generated poems in the three Japanese forms and feel confident in writing in these forms.
Register
$215.00
|
23 events,Finish Your Poetry Book
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 10 Sessions Whether you have just started your manuscript, or have made significant progress, this course will help you get over the finish line. We'll learn how to structure the book in a way that adds layers of meaning to the poems within, generate new work to fill in the structure, and hone poems until they are book-ready. To finish, students will revise the book as a whole and make a publication plan.
Register
$415.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 10 Sessions Whether you have just started your manuscript, or have made significant progress, this course will help you get over the finish line. We'll learn how to structure the book in a way that adds layers of meaning to the poems within, generate new work to fill in the structure, and hone poems until they are book-ready. To finish, students will revise the book as a whole and make a publication plan.
Register
$415.00
|
26 events,Fundamentals of Persuasive Writing
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions Learn how to pack a powerful punch when writing persuasively! This four-week workshop covers the processes involved in writing persuasively and with confidence, whether it is crafting newspaper op-eds and speeches or official emails, memos, letters and proposals. Everything starts with a core message. Think. Plan. Write. Participants will learn the techniques of audience analysis, message development, targeted research, organization, using persuasive language and effective use of "AI" in planning/strategizing. This class features hands-on writing instruction, engaging discussion and an extensive reading list.
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions Learn how to pack a powerful punch when writing persuasively! This four-week workshop covers the processes involved in writing persuasively and with confidence, whether it is crafting newspaper op-eds and speeches or official emails, memos, letters and proposals. Everything starts with a core message. Think. Plan. Write. Participants will learn the techniques of audience analysis, message development, targeted research, organization, using persuasive language and effective use of "AI" in planning/strategizing. This class features hands-on writing instruction, engaging discussion and an extensive reading list.
Register
$215.00
Finding Your Balance: A Fall Equinox Workshop
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 1 Session The fall equinox marks a moment of perfect balance, equal parts light and dark, holding on and letting go. In this seasonal workshop, we'll use themed prompts and gentle ritual to reflect on what the past season has taught you, release what no longer serves, and write an intention to carry into what's next. You'll leave with several pieces of intuitive writing and a written intention for the season ahead. Please bring a journal or notebook and a pen; no other preparation is needed. We'll close with an optional oracle card pull, a small ritual to carry your intention forward beyond the page.
Register
$60.00
Contracts and Copyrights for Writers
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session Most writers understandably cringe at the legal and technical jargon of book, magazine, or other contracts they need to sell their work. And copyrights can be downright scary. Ken Ackerman has navigated these waters often in his long career with multiple books and publishers, with all the related legal twists and turns. In this workshop, he'll give a primer on what writers need to know, in simple, understandable terms, about selling and securing their work.
Register
$60.00
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27 events,The Extreme Novelist
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 8 Sessions Can't find the time/energy/inspiration to get your novel written? This popular course, developed by the author of the book by the same name, will help you complete a rough draft in record time. During the 8 weeks of the course, students will receive encouraging guidance from professional writing coach Kathryn Johnson. Each author will commit to an aggressive writing schedule and learn the tricks pros use to create a productive working environment and meet their deadlines, despite life’s distractions. Each class will include accountability and progress reports from each student, live troubleshooting discussions, a brief lecture on a key skill of fiction writing, and the opportunity to submit a portion of the students’ works-in-progress to the instructor for individual feedback and guidance. (Note: This is not a work-shopping course. Further information will be sent to registered students, in advance of the first class.)
Register
$395.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 8 Sessions Can't find the time/energy/inspiration to get your novel written? This popular course, developed by the author of the book by the same name, will help you complete a rough draft in record time. During the 8 weeks of the course, students will receive encouraging guidance from professional writing coach Kathryn Johnson. Each author will commit to an aggressive writing schedule and learn the tricks pros use to create a productive working environment and meet their deadlines, despite life’s distractions. Each class will include accountability and progress reports from each student, live troubleshooting discussions, a brief lecture on a key skill of fiction writing, and the opportunity to submit a portion of the students’ works-in-progress to the instructor for individual feedback and guidance. (Note: This is not a work-shopping course. Further information will be sent to registered students, in advance of the first class.)
Register
$395.00
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 […]
Register
Free
Your Writing Journey Begins With Your Journey
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session With so many crazy things going on today, should you even think about writing your story? Come to this interactive zoom workshop and take the first steps in learning how to bring your writing into the world. Come prepared to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.
Register
$60.00
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28 events,Book Marketing On A Budget
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 2 Sessions You’ve written, or are writing your book; now it’s time to fight for it! In this workshop you’ll discover over 25 practical, budget-friendly book marketing strategies, from building a book launch to leveraging social media, blogs, podcasts, Amazon tools, press releases, and more. Each session will be fast-paced, idea-heavy, and packed with real-world tactics you can apply immediately. By the end of the program, you’ll walk away with a personalized, actionable marketing plan, and the confidence to promote your book like a pro.
Register
$100.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 2 Sessions You’ve written, or are writing your book; now it’s time to fight for it! In this workshop you’ll discover over 25 practical, budget-friendly book marketing strategies, from building a book launch to leveraging social media, blogs, podcasts, Amazon tools, press releases, and more. Each session will be fast-paced, idea-heavy, and packed with real-world tactics you can apply immediately. By the end of the program, you’ll walk away with a personalized, actionable marketing plan, and the confidence to promote your book like a pro.
Register
$100.00
Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Aldo Amparán
Venue :
Zoom
Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Aldo Amparán to discuss their new collection, THE HOUSE HAS TEETH. Aldo 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 […]
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Free
Reading and Open Mic for Amsterdam Quarterly
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center welcomes contributors to Amsterdam Quarterly for a reading and open mic in celebration of the latest issue. Readers include Claudia Gary, Bari Lynn Hein, and AQ editor Bryan […]
Register
Free
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26 events, |
28 events,Novel Premise & Pitch
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 1 Session In a world where so much is vying for our attention, writers must hook agents, editors, and readers with an initial premise and be able to pitch their ideas succinctly. In this workshop you’ll learn three ways to create exciting ideas for novels and brainstorm a list of premises that are sure to get attention. You’ll then craft short written pitches—for your completed novel, work-in-progress, and/or one of your new premises—and practice pitching your ideas to the class. This workshop is perfect for anyone who is starting to write a novel, querying a completed manuscript, or preparing for an agent/editor meeting. The next time you find yourself in an elevator with an agent, editor, or potential reader, you’ll be ready when they ask, “so, what’s your book about?”
Register
$60.00
Write The Day
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session In this workshop you will learn how to transform your daily life into poetry and stories starting from the close observation of everyday routines. This includes details ranging from waking up, preparing coffee and buttering bread, to recalling a dream, or walking in the woods.
Register
$60.00
Writer James Kleiger Book Release
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center welcomes writer James Kleiger for a reading from his new book, Pareidolia. Illusions, Deceptions, and Murder. James is joined by writers Francene M. D. Hill and Gary […]
Register
Free
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26 events,Latine Heritage Through a Literary Lens
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center and Tintas DC presents a FREE, informative, and inspiring symposium exploring Latine heritage in literature and popular culture. The event will feature free creative writing workshops followed […]
Register
Free
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26 events,Virtual Craft Chat w/ Author Rebecca Lee
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of nonfiction! We’re joined by author Rebecca Lee for a discussion of her new publication, Rogues, Widows and Orphans: Mischief and Misadventures in the World of Books. Rebecca is in conversation with Amy Freeman, author and Development Director at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive […]
Register
Free
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26 events,Bill Wilburn Book Release
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center welcomes writer Bill Wilburn for a reading from his debut novel, First Comes Winter. Bill is joined by Emily Barrosse for a discussion of his novel. FREE & […]
Register
Free
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24 events, |
23 events,Creating & Writing Your Own TV Pilot
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 8 Sessions This workshop is an example of a mini-writers room. Lots of give & take and positive feedback. A true collaborative environment.
Register
$395.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 8 Sessions This workshop is an example of a mini-writers room. Lots of give & take and positive feedback. A true collaborative environment.
Register
$395.00
|
22 events,(Wet Ink) Plotting Your Novel
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 4 Sessions Whether you are an organized planner or a writer who flies by the seat of their pants, a novel still needs structure. In this workshop, participants will study the architecture of a novel and devise plans for plotting their novels. Using the three-act structure as a map, we will explore the basic components of a novel’s plot.
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 4 Sessions Whether you are an organized planner or a writer who flies by the seat of their pants, a novel still needs structure. In this workshop, participants will study the architecture of a novel and devise plans for plotting their novels. Using the three-act structure as a map, we will explore the basic components of a novel’s plot.
Register
$215.00
|
26 events,Poetry Vs. Trauma
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions Trauma can shut us down; writing poems can help free us to open up again. This workshop will present some of the many ways poetry has helped writers both heal trauma and prevent post-traumatic stress syndrome. Guided by an internationally published poet and health journalist, you will explore the science behind this and learn a range of techniques, immediately putting several of them to use in drafting new work. The workshop includes reading and discussion of time-honored poems, close attention to emotional and sensory aspects of poetry, several in-class writing exercises, and feedback on poems for those who wish to share them. (NOTE: All sharing is optional. This workshop is not a substitute for therapy.)
Register
$150.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions Trauma can shut us down; writing poems can help free us to open up again. This workshop will present some of the many ways poetry has helped writers both heal trauma and prevent post-traumatic stress syndrome. Guided by an internationally published poet and health journalist, you will explore the science behind this and learn a range of techniques, immediately putting several of them to use in drafting new work. The workshop includes reading and discussion of time-honored poems, close attention to emotional and sensory aspects of poetry, several in-class writing exercises, and feedback on poems for those who wish to share them. (NOTE: All sharing is optional. This workshop is not a substitute for therapy.)
Register
$150.00
Writing Yourself into a Person Your Poetry Can Be Proud of
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions Writing Yourself into a Person Your Poetry Can Be Proud Of is a workshop about using poetry not only to document your life, but to deepen your attention, integrity, and creative presence within it. Each week, participants will read and discuss poems that model artistic courage, self-examination, and transformation, alongside generative writing exercises designed to help them develop their own voice and habits of observation. Sessions will combine close reading, guided writing prompts, voluntary sharing, and constructive discussion in a supportive workshop environment. By the end of the workshop, participants will have produced a portfolio of new poems and a clearer understanding of the relationship between the life they live and the art they create. Preparation for the first class: Please bring one poem you admire and one poem of your own (published or unpublished) that feels representative of where you are as a writer right now.
Register
$150.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions Writing Yourself into a Person Your Poetry Can Be Proud Of is a workshop about using poetry not only to document your life, but to deepen your attention, integrity, and creative presence within it. Each week, participants will read and discuss poems that model artistic courage, self-examination, and transformation, alongside generative writing exercises designed to help them develop their own voice and habits of observation. Sessions will combine close reading, guided writing prompts, voluntary sharing, and constructive discussion in a supportive workshop environment. By the end of the workshop, participants will have produced a portfolio of new poems and a clearer understanding of the relationship between the life they live and the art they create. Preparation for the first class: Please bring one poem you admire and one poem of your own (published or unpublished) that feels representative of where you are as a writer right now.
Register
$150.00
Creating Conflict and Tension
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session Strengthening the conflict in any type of fiction will bump up the tension and turn limp, ordinary fiction into an extraordinary tale that will keep readers turning pages. Whether you choose to write literary fiction, mysteries, family sagas, thrillers, historical fiction, sci-fi or fantasy—you can learn techniques for drawing readers into your tales through action, dialogue, setting details, and plot twists that make your work stand out from the crowd. Join us and leave with ideas to apply to your stories.
Register
$60.00
1455’s Women’s Writers Anthology Reading
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center welcomes 1455 to celebrate the launch of their Women Writers Anthology for a Q&A between 1455 Executive Director Sean Murphy and local author Hannah Grieco, followed by […]
Register
Free
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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.
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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.
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What does it mean to write from a wound? What does it mean to write from a scar? There are readers out there right now who need to see someone giving language to what they feel. But even with permission, it can be hard to find our way into a hard piece. In this gentle 2-hour class, we’ll explore five different hermit crab forms that work beautifully for grief writing and take inspiration from freeing, empowering examples. Each participant will leave with the starts of five pieces of writing and inviting ideas for how to continue. There is nothing you need to prepare in advance–come as you are.
Register at writer.org
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When the first draft is complete, the real work begins. You should not be your only editor, but you can be the first. Learn tips on how to tighten your prose, improve the immediacy and urgency of your work, identify plot holes, and more so that your work shines when you send it out wherever you decide to send it next. Note, this is not a class in grammar. You will learn the rules of developmental editing, so that you can follow or break them if you choose!
Register at writer.org
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Writers will explore how honesty and vulnerability can strengthen personal narrative. Through guided prompts, reflection, and discussion, participants will examine the internal barriers—such as fear, perfectionism, and self-censorship—that can prevent deeper truth from emerging on the page. By the end of the workshop, writers will leave with fresh insights for writing with greater authenticity and emotional clarity. No preparation required.
Register at writer.org
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Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal and The Writer’s Center welcomes poet Adam Gianforcaro to our monthly Virtual Poetry Book Club for a discussion of his collection, Poems to Stage Dive to. Adam is joined by Book Club Host, Hannah Grieco. FREE & open to the public. RSVP at writer.org
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