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May 2020
$50.00 / $40.00 Sold out
What if the simple act of reading a poem could open doors into your own new work? What if another poet’s words could beckon your own words to the page? Join poet Molly Spencer for this workshop that explores the importance of reading for your writing practice, and the ways close reading of a poem [...]
Find out moreJune 2020
$50.00 / $40.00 11 seats left
There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for story structure. Let’s discuss a plan that is right for you. We’ll brainstorm the strengths and weaknesses of your story’s destination and the journey along the way. Is there a rich narrative and character arc, a strong point of entry, appropriate placement of flashbacks, a transformative and resonant ending, [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 15 seats left
Improve your sonnet skills, or write your first one. Guided by an internationally published author of sonnets, villanelles, and other metrical poems, you’ll first read classic and contemporary sonnets to see how and why they work. Then -- with or without shortcuts -- you’ll write one or more of your own. Next you'll see how [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 4 seats left
Writing a novel takes commitment, but it doesn’t need to be daunting. Learn how to generate a handful of plots from which to choose, methods for effectively planning your story, and simple hacks for fine tuning your basic fiction skills. Participants will initiate a flexible writing plan that will keep their writing flowing. This is [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 16 seats left
Learn quick and easy techniques to polish your essays and stories! Do you have a piece that isn't quite working? Are you struggling to revise your work without help? This workshop will help finish those drafts and get them submission-ready. Bring 2-3 pieces to work on! LIVE VIDEO CONFERENCE: This workshop will be held via [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 14 seats left
An introduction to the world of publishing. What is the difference between freelance publications and literary journals? How do we get our work out to a wider audience? A fast-and-furious workshop about publishing essays, articles, short stories, and poetry. Bring all your questions. Leave inspired! LIVE VIDEO CONFERENCE: This workshop will be held via our [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 48 seats left
Having a children's book published in today's tough market may seem like an impossible dream. But, in reality, getting your book idea into shape and into print can hinge on just the right advice from a pro. Do you need an agent? Should you connect with an artist? What about self-publishing? In a DC-area exclusive [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 20 seats left
Rejection letters from agents, editors, and the like are often written in frustratingly diplomatic and opaque language. In this one-session class, we'll translate some of the more common phrases into usable advice to help you understand how others are reacting to your prose. Then we'll try some writing exercises to loosen up your thinking about [...]
Find out more$25.00 / $20.00 20 seats left
In this one-hour Pop-Up, historian/biographer Ken Ackerman shows the nuts and bolts of investigating our family trees, going back generations, using archives, interviews, internet sources, family records, and memories - perfect for memoirists, biographers, or people just interested to learn where they came from, or how to organize their family knowledge for children and grandchildren.
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 15 seats left
Improve your villanelle skills, or write your first one. Guided by an internationally published author of sonnets, villanelles, and other metrical poems, you’ll first read classic and contemporary villanelles to see why they work. Next, the class will write a group villanelle, and then, with or without shortcuts, you’ll write one of your own. You'll [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 9 seats left
This workshop will allow writers of all genres to think and ‘write’ on their feet, using memory prompts to create a poem or micro-memoir to share. Get rid of the negativity blocking your creativity in a judgment free zone. LIVE VIDEO CONFERENCE: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform, Zoom. The dates [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 13 seats left
Do you know why listening for the natural rhythms of speech can strengthen your writing? Have you ever wondered how scanning the lines of your first draft can make for a better poem? Here is an opportunity to improve your ear for meter, and fine-tune your understanding of how meter works in poetry. Guided by [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 21 seats left
Whether you want to write a memoir, blog, college essay, letter to your granddaughter, or use your own life as the basis for fiction, life story writing requires that we tell where we come from and who we are. Learn to identify your story's essence, the truth it reveals, and to engage the reader through [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 17 seats left
It's often said that without conflict there is no story. It also holds true that 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 [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 15 seats left
Self-care means different things to different people. As writers, we sometimes have to go into dark places and recall difficult memories to tell our stories. We grapple with inner and outer critics as we expose ourselves in ways that can leave us emotionally drained and in need of replenishment. Further, many of us become so [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 10 seats left
This workshop offers a practical 16-point plan that takes you from the mere germ of an idea all the way through the creative process, with an eye on getting a finished book into the hands of potential fans. Participants will discuss how to transform the nub of an idea into a book-length project, populated with [...]
Find out moreJuly 2020
$50.00 / $40.00 12 seats left
This workshop offers a practical 16-point plan that takes you from the mere germ of an idea all the way through the creative process, with an eye on getting a finished book into the hands of potential fans. Participants will discuss how to transform the nub of an idea into a book-length project, populated with [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 18 seats left
Whatever your writing style, it’s important to connect with other writers and become part of the literary community. This one-day workshop will introduce the many writing groups, readings, bookstore events, and online resources that the DC area offers. You’ll walk out the door with a folder full of writing tools and ideas!
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 18 seats left
Sooner or later, you will need to write a query letter and plot synopsis of your story, if you want to be traditionally published. Learn how to write an effective query for literary agents and encapsulate your plot for your own use, as well as create a showcase for your story when you’re ready to [...]
Find out more$115.00 / $100.00 19 seats left
The fact is, anyone can write a book. With the right information, the right process, and the right teacher, you can and will write your book. In this workshop you’ll focus on all aspects of writing business books including outlining the manuscript, creating a writing routine, marketing options, proposal writing, publishing options, and more. What’s [...]
Find out more$135.00 / $120.00 14 seats left
A day-long workshop that 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 the opposite sex, the [...]
Find out moreAugust 2020
$50.00 / $40.00 200 seats left
To capture a reader's attention and hold it, an author needs a great first sentence, paragraph...chapter. How do we provide the hook that will draw readers into our stories, no matter the genre? This fun workshop will reveal tried-and-true techniques for launching your novel, short story, or memoir that will make your story's opening irresistible. [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 12 seats left
This workshop offers a practical 16-point plan that takes you from the mere germ of an idea all the way through the creative process, with an eye on getting a finished book into the hands of potential fans. Participants will discuss how to transform the nub of an idea into a book-length project, populated with [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 20 seats left
Revision is a dirty word to some writers. But you needn’t fear the challenges of polishing a manuscript before submission and publication. This fast-paced, half-day class focuses on the ten most common mistakes and concerns, often overlooked by authors before they send their story out into the world. Everything you do to your manuscript after [...]
Find out more$50.00 / $40.00 19 seats left
Lead with the future — not background. That’s the most important of eight journalism skills that will transform your writing. The others: write your readers’ language, be positive (to be both clear and upbeat), lay out logically, be consistent, be precise, be brief, and choose strong verbs. Highlights: communicate in a crisis, correct errors the [...]
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