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
Calendar of Events
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Saturday
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16 events,
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 21 Sessions 
Write your novel with bestselling author Julia Phillips! This 10-month intensive class is open to writers working on a book-length work of fiction. It focuses on creating a propulsive story that is truly satisfying for the reader. Together, we’ll explore the different aspects of craft that help make a thrilling, fulfilling novel, including stakes, characterization, […]
Register
$5,400.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 21 Sessions
Write your memoir with award-winning author Edgar Gomez! In this intensive, you will learn about the art of creative nonfiction and be given the tools to ready your memoir or memoir-in-essays for publication. Format We will begin our time together with discussions about essential craft elements, such as structure, voice, audience, setting, characterization, navigating time, […]
Register
$5,400.00
Venue :
Zoom
Write your memoir in 9 months! If you're finally ready to write the memoir of your heart, we invite you to join longtime writing teacher and author Diane Zinna for her new class, Memoir Maker. This will be Diane’s 12th time leading a book-in-a-year course, which has helped bring so many writers to a finished […]
Register
$5,400.00
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 […]
Register
$5,400.00
Venue :
Zoom
Join us for five months of craft lessons, workshops, editor visits, and personal editorial feedback! This small and inclusive class meets bi-weekly on Zoom, with the goal of creating an intimate, writer-based community of essayists who learn and grow together. You’ll read, brainstorm, and write drafts. You’ll explore different essay forms and practice a variety of narrative techniques. You’ll learn tangible self-editing tools, then revise, workshop, and revise some more! You’ll discover the publications you love, whether literary or freelance in nature (or both!), and you’ll create a plan to get those bylines! You’ll receive supportive, thoughtful peer workshop feedback on six drafts. You’ll have three personal one-on-one meetings (with detailed line edits) from your instructor. You’ll meet editors, attend panels, and participate in a final online reading event to celebrate your hard work! You’ll discuss next steps in publication, including how to pitch editors and begin forming a full collection. This workshop is for writers who already have some experience publishing personal essays in either literary or freelance publications. The workshop model will be carefully scaffolded and writer-centric, evolving as the class evolves. Writers will finish the class with ten complete drafts and a path forward for publication.
Register
$2,600.00
Venue :
Wet Ink
Sessions: 8 Sessions 
This workshop will help you understand the process of writing a novel so you can get started putting...
Register
$395.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions
John Boyne wrote The Boy in the Striped Pajamas in less than three days. Kazuo Ishigurodrafted The R...
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 4 Sessions 
When asked about her creative process, the writer Can Xue said: "Emotions are completely unleashed. ...
Register
$215.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 6 Sessions 
Imagine your poem as though you held a camera and planned a sequence, choosing what to include “in t...
Register
$295.00
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 5 Sessions 
What is this next story, and how shall I tell it? Using various writing prompts will invite ourselves into new stories, and explore new ways to tell familiar ones. Each week we will write together in response to prompts, and have the option and opportunity to share our fresh writing for positive feedback. We will […]
Register
$250.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions 
Trauma can shut us down; writing poems can help free us to open up again. This workshop will present...
Register
$150.00
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 […]
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 8 Sessions 
In this generative fiction writing workshop, we'll confront the blank page head-on. Our emphasis wil...
Register
$395.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 5 Sessions 
Think now of poetry as a school for emotions, and the lyric has had a revelatory power evoked throug...
Register
$250.00
The Artist’s Way: A Year of Creative Reawakening w/ Lindsey Van Wagner
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 […]
Register
$2,000.00
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 […]
Register
$2,000.00
BIPOC Writers Mixer
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Calling all BIPOC writers in the DMV! Let’s hang out and talk writing! Come join us for an informal gathering at The Writer’s Center to meet new writers, make new friends, and share your love of the written word. Please bring a drink or an appetizer that serves six. You’re welcome to bring a friend, […]
Register
Free
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14 events,
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14 events,
Memoir Year w/ Nicole Chung
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 […]
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 […] 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
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13 events,
|
16 events,
Boot Camp for Writers
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 7 Sessions 
Each session of Boot Camp for Writers will begin with a prompt followed by writing time. Participant...
Register
$350.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 7 Sessions
Each session of Boot Camp for Writers will begin with a prompt followed by writing time. Participant...
Register
$350.00
Writing Picture Books
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions 
Learn how to write a picture book from a successful author of thirty award-winning books for childre...
Register
$150.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions
Learn how to write a picture book from a successful author of thirty award-winning books for childre...
Register
$150.00
Virtual Craft Chat on Advocacy with Pedro R. Pierluisi & Mark A. Cymrot
Venue :
Zoom
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of advocacy! We’re joined by former Puerto Rico Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi and author/attorney Mark A. Cymrot for a candid discussion of writing and speaking for a cause. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the […]
Register
Free
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16 events,
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...
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...
Register
$215.00
|
20 events,
Writing Food & Memories
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions 
Food carries the stories of who we are and where we come from. In this workshop, we’ll explore how t...
Register
$150.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions
Food carries the stories of who we are and where we come from. In this workshop, we’ll explore how t...
Register
$150.00
Finish Writing Your Book!
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 1 Session 
Have you been working and reworking the beginning of your manuscript but can’t seem to push past a c...
Register
$60.00
Sonnet Crash Course
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session
Guided by an award-winning and internationally published author of sonnets, villanelles, and other m...
Register
$60.00
Opening Art Reception for Deborah Tomlin’s SUTRA
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center is pleased to present SUTRA, an exhibition of drawings and paintings by artist Deborah Tomlin, on display in the Center’s Joram Piatigorsky Gallery, January 29–March 23, 2026. Opening reception is FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. In 2022, Deborah Tomlin was diagnosed with breast cancer from a routine mammogram. She […]
Register
Free
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20 events,
Words that Heal: An Expressive Writing Workshop
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 2 Sessions
Writing can be both a creative act and a path toward healing. In this workshop, we’ll explore the pr...
Register
$115.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 2 Sessions
Writing can be both a creative act and a path toward healing. In this workshop, we’ll explore the pr...
Register
$115.00
Poetry as Autobiography
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
The autobiographical impulse has always been a strong one in American poetry, but it wasn’t until th...
Register
$60.00
Poet Bonnie Naradzay Book Launch
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center welcomes Poet Bonnie Naradzay for a reading and discussion of her new collection, Invited to the Feast. Bonnie is in conversation with Poet David Keplinger who will also be reading his own poems. FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. Bonnie Naradzay’s poems appear in AGNI, New Letters (Pushcart Nomination), RHINO, […]
Register
Free
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19 events,
Interiority: What Is It and How Do I Do It?
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
In this one-session workshop we'll dive into the creative writing workshop buzzword "interiority" so...
Register
$60.00
|
19 events,
$40 Pop Up: Write Your Query Letter
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session
Learn the ins and outs of writing the perfect query letter! For many writers, to get a book deal first requires getting a literary agent. Through the querying process, prospective authors pitch their book projects to agents using a query letter—a very short introduction of less than 500 words to you, your book, and why […]
Register
$40.00
|
20 events,
Crafting Fiction, Element by Element
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 7 Sessions 
By studying basic craft elements of fiction, participants will build a strong foundation for their w...
Register
$350.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 7 Sessions
By studying basic craft elements of fiction, participants will build a strong foundation for their w...
Register
$350.00
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 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. […]
Register
Free
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20 events,
Virtual Craft Chat on Fiction w/ Chelsea Sutton
Venue :
Zoom
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by author Chelsea Sutton for a discussion of her debut novella, Krackle’s Last Movie. Chelsea is in conversation with Zach Powers, novelist and Executive & Artistic Director at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are […]
Register
Free
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18 events,
|
20 events,
Mystery Novel for the Novice
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
Learn how to differentiate the unique mystery tropes while gaining a better understanding of the exp...
Register
$60.00
Music in the Words: Book Launch for Y.S. Fing’s Elysium, Part Three with Garinè Isassi
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer's Center welcomes Y.S. Fing and Garinè Isassi for musical performances and a discussion on how music influences writing. As teens, these authors absorbed similar musical, cultural and literary vibes, which remained at the forefront of their creative pursuits. To celebrate Fing's newest book, Elysium, Part Three of The Profane Comedy and revisit Isassi's […]
Register
Free
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20 events,
Writing Steamy Scenes that Stick with Golden Angel
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 1 Session 
Learn to Captivate a Reader in a Romance Novel USA Today Bestselling Author Golden Angel presents her tricks and tips on writing steamy scenes that stick with readers long after the book is over. It's really easy to write a bad steamy scene, it's difficult to write a good one. Golden Angel discusses the various […]
Register
$75.00
A Steamy Reading and Q&A with Romance Writer Golden Angel
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Keep the Valentine's Day spirit going by spending an afternoon hearing Steamy Scenes written with the guidance of USA Today Bestselling Author Golden Angel. This reading will be followed by a Q&A with Golden Angel about Romance Writing. This event is Free and Open to the public. Our Writing Steamy Scenes That Stick workshop will take […]
Register
Free
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17 events,
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19 events,
Scene Stealers: Details and Dialogue
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions 
What makes a scene stay in your mind, is it rhythmic language, a character’s gesture, or that line o...
Register
$150.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 3 Sessions
What makes a scene stay in your mind, is it rhythmic language, a character’s gesture, or that line o...
Register
$150.00
Novelist Virginia Pye Book Release in Conversation with Mary Kay Zuravleff
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
The Writer’s Center welcomes novelist Virginia Pye for a reading from her new novel, Marriage and Other Monuments. Virginia is joined by award winning writer, Mary Kay Zuravleff. FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. Virginia Pye’s most recent novel, Marriage and Other Monuments, published by Koehler Books in February, is set in Richmond, Virginia […]
Register
Free
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19 events,
The Extreme Novelist
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 8 Sessions 
If you struggle to get your novel written, you aren't alone. Most novelists never complete the story...
Register
$395.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 8 Sessions
If you struggle to get your novel written, you aren't alone. Most novelists never complete the story...
Register
$395.00
Playwriting I: The Playwright’s Toolbox
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 10 Sessions 
Write your first (or newest) play, break that writers’ block, and unlock your theatrical voice! Duri...
Register
$450.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 10 Sessions
Write your first (or newest) play, break that writers’ block, and unlock your theatrical voice! Duri...
Register
$450.00
|
21 events,
30 Ways to Market Your Book 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 dis...
Register
$115.00
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 dis...
Register
$115.00
Virtual Craft Chat on Fiction w/ Toni Ann Johnson
Venue :
Zoom
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by author for a discussion of her new collection of stories, But Where's Home? Toni Ann is in conversation with Zach Powers, novelist and Executive & Artistic Director at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events […]
Register
Free
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19 events,
|
23 events,
How to Write a Lot
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session
You may think you don't have the time, energy, or inspiration to write because of your hectic lifest...
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. Inspired by...
Register
$60.00
So, You Want to Write a Book?
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Sessions: 1 Session
Do you feel called to write a book? Is there something important that you have always wanted to say ...
Register
$60.00
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19 events,
American Gothik: The Changing Face of American Families – A Staged Reading
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Writer Steve Majors presents a staged reading of his new play, American Gothik, which grew out of a Writer's Center workshop. A full-cast reading will be presented Sunday, February 22 at 2pm inside the theatre at The Writer's Center. Admission is free.
Register
Free
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19 events,
Literary Agents: What Do They Do?
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session
Literary agents play a crucial role in the publishing world, yet authors are often in the dark about...
Register
$60.00
|
21 events,
Writing Personal Essays
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 5 Sessions
Journeys, relationships, hardships, love, and loss—these are just a few of the subjects personal essays explore. In this workshop we’ll examine essays from magazines, literary journals, and newspapers to illuminate the ways imagery, dialogue, scene, and crafting an “I” narrator transform a personal experience into a compelling story. You’ll generate new material each week through […]
Register
$250.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 5 Sessions
Journeys, relationships, hardships, love, and loss—these are just a few of the subjects personal essays explore. In this workshop we’ll examine essays from magazines, literary journals, and newspapers to illuminate the ways imagery, dialogue, scene, and crafting an “I” narrator transform a personal experience into a compelling story. You’ll generate new material each week through […]
Register
$250.00
Poem Fundamentals
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 6 Sessions 
This class aims to teach students how to write poems that surprise with imagery and ingenuity. Sever...
Register
$295.00
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 6 Sessions
This class aims to teach students how to write poems that surprise with imagery and ingenuity. Sever...
Register
$295.00
Virtual Craft Chat w/ Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Jonathan Eig
Venue :
Zoom
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of nonfiction! We’re joined by Pulitzer Prize Winning author Jonathan Eig for a special Black History Month discussion of his Pulitzer Prize Winning biography, King: A life. Jonathan is in conversation with David O. Stewart, historian and board member at The Writer’s Center. RSVP […]
Register
Free
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21 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. […]
Register
Free
|
21 events,
Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Dora Malech
Venue :
Zoom
Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Dora Malech to discuss her latest collection, Trying x Trying. Dora is in conversation with Brandon Johnson, poet and Events Manager of The Writer's Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual […]
Register
Free
Crafting Compelling Characters
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
Fictional characters are the entry point for readers to engage with the worlds that writers create. ...
Register
$60.00
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18 events,
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19 events,
Publish Now! A One-Day Conference @ The Writer’s Center
Venue :
The Writer’s Center
Learn the ins and outs of publishing, make connections, and build your writing career! Publish Now is a one-day conference for writers interested in learning more about all the ways you can share and publish your work. You’ll attend up to 4 panels featuring experts in all aspects of the writing and publishing cycle. Topics […]
Register
$175.00
Mapping Strategies for Story Structure
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for story structure. Let’s discuss a plan that works for you....
Register
$60.00
Ten Pro Tips for Writing Life Stories
Venue :
Zoom
Sessions: 1 Session 
With ten crucial tips and in-class writing prompts, learn how to capture your life on the page scene...
Register
$60.00
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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.
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workshop registrations annually
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free event attendees
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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
QueryTracker is a powerful tool for finding literary agents, sending them queries, and tracking their responses. In this course we’ll cover the basics: search tools, the who-represents-whom tool, and data view options. We’ll also look at cool features that are a little harder to find: pasting in agency/agent notes, flagging agents by priority, and setting alerts for when closed agents become open.
Register at writer.org
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The Writer’s Center hosts a series of FREE affinity mixers for writers of the DMV.
Whether you`re new to the area, new to writing, or just looking for more ways to expand your writing network, a Writer`s Center Mixer is the place to find your community! Join us for an informal gathering at The Writer’s Center to hang out, talk, and maybe even do some writing! Please bring a drink or an appetizer that serves six. You’re welcome to bring a friend, too.
Mixers are limited to those who identify with the affinity noted in the title. RSVPs are highly encouraged at writer.org
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The Writer’s Center welcomes novelist Nancy Garruba for a reading and discussion of her debut novel, The Vanishing of Rose B. Nancy is in conversation with Katherine Gekker. FREE & open to the public. RSVP at writer.org
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#LiteraryEvent #literarylife #literaryfiction #literary #novels #writinganovel #fictionbooks #fictionwriter #creativewriting #dcwriters #dcliterary #dccreatives #dcartists #DCArts
Ever wonder who else is taking classes at The Writer’s Center? Want the chance to hear the work being made in other classes? Meet with Instructors of the coming season’s courses?
We invite you to attend our first ever End of Season Celebration, a time to meet and hear work from the participants from the numerous workshops we’ve hosted for the past four months.
Register today at writer.org
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