Tammy Greenwood
T. Greenwood is the author of 12 award-winning novels including Rust & Stardust, Where I Lost Her, and Bodies of Water. Bodies of Water was a finalist for a 2013 Lambda Award. She has received grants from the Sherwood Anderson Foundation, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the Maryland State Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She teaches creative writing for San Diego Writer’s Ink, Grossmont College, and online for The Writer’s Center.
Teaching style: Tammy’s online workshops combine weekly “lessons” (along with exercises and supplemental readings/resources). Exercises are posted and will receive instructor feedback.
September 2019
This interactive workshop is for writers of all levels who would like to create a memoir that values the struggles in their lives, makes sense of them, and explores their meaning. The focus will be practical and designed to help participants make rapid progress with their memoirs. We will discuss the reasons for writing a [...]
Find out moreTo register/purchase tickets: https://compassiontrain.eventbrite.com What is Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT)™ Through instruction, daily meditation, mindfulness, and in-class interaction, you can strengthen your innate qualities of compassion, empathy, and kindness—toward yourself and others! Designed by a team of contemplative scholars, clinical psychologists, and researchers at Stanford University, Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT)™ can help you live with [...]
Find out moreAt the core of every good tale, is a character with whom the reader wants to spend time. Discover how to move beyond the superficial and cliché, crafting characters who invite the reader to explore the human condition. Illustrations and exercises will help to uncover your character's inner values (in memoir that character is you) [...]
Find out moreSestinas are the short stories of the poetry world—so this class is perfect for fiction writers as well as poets. Take a crack at a sestina or learn how to write better ones in this fun and informative class. Sestinas often fail because writers don’t pair the form with the right sized story/idea, so we’ll [...]
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Prose, poetry, and spoken word Open Mic at The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. Limited space. Sign-up starts at 1:30, and readings begin promptly at 2. FREE and open to the public. Hosted by Amy Freeman, Emily Holland, & Zach Powers. Sponsored by Poet [...]
Find out moreIdentifying the key transformational turning points in your life is an important first step in writing your story. In this session, we will explore how to narrow down these turning points and associate specific stories and lessons to each one. Once you have the building blocks, how do you create a beginning, middle, and end? [...]
Find out moreLearn how to write a powerful memoir that will engage readers for years to come! Everyone has a story to tell (or multiple stories for that matter) which is why contemporary memoir—a form of autobiography where everyday people tell their stories—has become such a popular genre. Whether your life has been strange and quirky, highly [...]
Find out moreThere’s more to a good narrative poem than telling a story in lines rather than paragraphs. In this workshop we will examine the distinction between lyric and narrative poetry and look at some contemporary narrative poems to see what makes them succeed or flounder. We will discuss the varying perspectives from which a story can [...]
Find out moreFor anyone who wants to write a book but needs help getting started, this two session, four hour workshop will get you there! For novels, memoirs, or nonfiction, we'll talk about what goes where and how to get started. Please bring a 50-word description of your book project to the first class.
Find out moreBuild your author platform with the powerful tool of blogging! In this one-time class participants will learn about the five essential parts of a good blog, how and where to blog to get the most exposure for your message and the secrets to writing a blog that actually gets read. By the end of the [...]
Find out moreWhen writing a screenplay, your first five pages is the most important hurdle that you MUST clear.
Find out moreThis workshop will be dedicated to making your memories live on the page, with a special emphasis on capturing childhood scenes and adult reflections. Excerpts from memoirs and essays by authors such as James Baldwin, Tobias Wolff, Joan Didion, Maggie Nelson, Alexander Chee, and Lidia Yuknavitch will teach the art of scene-making. Participants can write [...]
Find out morePlease wait to be accepted into the course to register. This workshop is for writers who have a good understanding of what a personal essay is, are open to exploring further the many forms a personal essay can take, and are already working seriously in the genre. The focus will be participants' writing, supplemented with [...]
Find out moreThese are exciting times to be a screenwriter. With more shows and television channels than ever, the opportunities for inventive ways of storytelling increase daily. This hands-on workshop will guide beginning and intermediate screenwriters through the process of crafting a professional-grade screenplay and/or TV pilot. Participants will examine proven methods for adapting fiction and narrative [...]
Find out moreIf you have always wanted to write but haven't known how to begin, this interactive workshop is for you! In one afternoon, participants will explore and try their hand at fiction, poetry (including prose poems), and memoir in order to "jump start" their writing. Exercises started in class will generate ideas to take back home. [...]
Find out moreIn this seven-week workshop for participants who are ready to put together a chapbook (must have 30 pages of strong poetry), we’ll explore how groups of poems can work together to create a focused and whole experience. During the first six weeks, participants will read model chapbooks and consider various strategies of organization, prepare their [...]
Find out moreIn the end, you write largely what you have read. We all hope to be original, of course, and to develop that most elusive quality: our own voice. But just as we learn to speak by hearing others speak around us, it’s our lifetime of reading that largely makes us who we are as writers. [...]
Find out moreOctober 2019
You've led an interesting life and want to tell some of your stories to others. You've read some memoirs and personal essays, and have been stashing some of your own efforts in a notebook somewhere. Now it's time to pull them out and begin to craft them into a narrative. Come explore with us, through [...]
Find out morePoetry reading by Dr Nishi Chawla and Maryland's Poet Laureate Grace Cavalieri, in honor of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. Sudeshna Basu and Stuti Banerjee will also sing Gandhi’s favorite songs.
Find out moreThis follow-on course to the popular Extreme Novelist is intended for writers serious about their publication goals. Participants will focus on revision and learn ways to avoid the most common issues that result in rejection. Plotting pitfalls, slow beginnings, and weak endings are just a few of the topics tackled as each writer works independently [...]
Find out moreLearn how to write a picture book from a successful author of more than two dozen award-winning books for children. Each session will begin with a short discussion of an aspect of writing for children, including story openings and arcs, characterization, plot/pacing, rhythm/sound, and marketing. Suggested readings, prompts, and feedback will inspire and guide writers [...]
Find out moreWhether you are an organized planner or a writer who flies by the seat of their pants, a novel still needs structure. In this four-week online workshop, participants will study the architecture of a novel and devise plans for plotting their novels.
Find out moreThrough prompts and texts lets write, read, and workshop really short fiction (under 1,000 words, maybe even under 55 words!) When we strip stories down like that, what remains? Let's explore this space together!
Find out moreWriting 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 moreDialogue is the playwright's primary tool for conveying a story that ultimately becomes a visual, aural and emotional experience for an audience. But dialogue also features in poetry, screenplays, fiction and even non-fiction. In this workshop, we will explore dialogue through exercises and close readings of various published work, in the context of scene structure, [...]
Find out moreHave a poem that's almost there but seems to be missing that last touch? Or a poem for which you have questions? In this poetry workshop condensed into one afternoon, we will discuss your poems and help them go from good to great. Bring 15 copies of 2-3 poems (time permitting) for feedback and critique. [...]
Find out moreWe often see ourselves differently than others do and wish they understood who we really are with our work. With the different roles we portray in life, we can create private and public personas that others might never recognize unless we incorporates these roles in our own "Identity Poetry." Everyone's voice, identity, and work is unique! By reading selected identity poems, this [...]
Find out moreTired of waiting for a theater to say “yes”? In this workshop, you'll give yourself the “yes” by learning everything you need to produce you own play on any budget, starting at zero. Week one will cover how to write a budget-friendly play, where to find a space, as well as who you'll need to [...]
Find out moreProse, poetry, and spoken word Open Mic at The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. Limited space. Sign-up starts at 1:30, and readings begin promptly at 2. FREE and open to the public. Hosted by Amy Freeman, Emily Holland, & Zach Powers. Sponsored by Poet [...]
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