The plot is the most basic element of a novel, and yet learning to plot is often the hardest challenge of the fiction writer. What is a plot? Are there different types? Do I need to outline? How do I learn how to plot? In this seminar, we’ll answer all ...
Setting in a novel isn’t simply the background to your story. It’s another character! Learn why the right setting can make or break your novel, how to choose the best setting for your story, how to research that setting without leaving your house, and how to develop your setting with ...
Join Julia Royston from BK Royston Publishing Company as she discusses the essential elements of building your author brand. From author platforms to messaging to social media to “turning your words into wealth,” You will be given an overview of the planning and preparation you can do to further connect ...
Writing a grant (or learning where to find one) can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Learn the basics about grant research, how to write a grant, what to include in your proposal and project budgets, the do’s and don’ts of grant writing, and more! This 90-minute class ...
Learn the process for seeking a literary agent, from beginning to end: where to find agents, the formula for writing a query letter, what may be required in your submission package, how to keep track of query submissions, and the proper etiquette for interacting with agents. Though your novel must ...
In this two-hour webinar, you will learn tips, tools, and techniques for revising and self-editing your fiction in preparation for querying, submission, traditional or self-publication. Tiffany Reisz is a USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels. She lives with her husband, author Andrew Shaffer, in Louisville. This class is suitable for intermediate ...
Submitting your work for publication can be an intimidating process, but this class will guide you through the entire process: from preparing your fiction, poetry, essays, and manuscripts for publication to writing a cover letter, from investigating magazines and presses to managing your active submissions, and from handling the sting ...
Black authors face special challenges in the publishing world, from blatant racism to microaggressions to dealing with the expectations of the publishing business, which is by and large centered in whiteness. Learn how you can succeed in writing and publishing while Black. Panelists: Claudia Love Mair, Crystal Wilkinson, makalani bandele, ...
If you’re interested in writing and have reached that golden age, this is the group for you! Participants can expect cross-genre writing prompts; feedback for family stories, memoirs, poems, and fiction; tips for reading and publishing your work; and lively conversation and fellowship Led by Sarah Combs, author of the ...
Join us for a monthly discussion of contemporary and classic novels as well as nonfiction chosen by the group. This group has been meeting since 1993 and always welcomes new members! To join or for information about current selections, contact Alan at church11@webtv.net or (859) 252-7041. Alan Church, Ph.D. is ...
This writing experience offers attendees the opportunity to engage in a creative and communicative loop without judgment. We write from a variety of prompts, designed to release the inner censor and simply get words on a page. After each timed session, writers read aloud their new work to participating attendees ...
Find focus, gain confidence, and learn about writing fiction for kids through discussion, peer sharing, and writing exercises. Come with a work in progress or an idea for a story you would like to develop. Led by Marcia Thornton Jones, an award-winning author who has published more than 130 books ...
Join us each session for generative in-class exercises, and share your work in a supportive environment. We will discuss writing concepts in an open format to build a strong foundation for a long-form project. Perfect for beginners and open to all genres and levels. This class is for emerging writers ...
In this workshop, we will learn how to weave seemingly distinct personal narratives and research to form a singular, cohesive essay that draws out new literary meaning through the braiding process. Writers can expect to write one full-length essay (2000-3000 words), complete weekly writing exercises, and prepare detailed critiques for ...
Are you ready to let your inner artist begin to play? If you are a practicing artist, would you like to deepen your creative process? Join us as we are guided by Julia Cameron’s seminal work, The Artist’s Way, that has been known to change lives. It’s powerful and fun! ...
The purpose of this circle is to offer a safer space (because there is no truly safe space) for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) womyn to write and share our truths. It will also serve to build a strong BIPOC womyn’s writing community. Each session will include writing ...
Join an imaginative, diverse group of genre writers looking to improve and expand their abilities in these forms of fiction. This is a chance to learn sci-fi and fantasy writing tips, get feedback from others, and gain confidence as you write in these genres. Please bring a story or excerpt ...
In need of feedback on your poetry? Looking to engage, or reengage, with a serious, welcoming, uplifting writing community? Join poet Sean L. Corbin as he explores the best ways to interact with the work of other poets and offers a platform for you to send your ideas, your images, ...
There is nothing more important than the stories of our lives, the tales of who we are and what we have experienced. No matter how big or small we imagine, our stories make up the human race. There’s no better way to connect us universally than to divulge fearlessly our ...
Over six weeks, students will develop their own voices and the most powerful ways to express them to an audience. Each class will be broken up into three segments. We’ll begin with a video portion that will be used to present examples ranging from poet readings to more performance-based work ...
If you’ve ever listened to The Moth Radio Hour or The Moth Podcast, you already know the power and fun of personal storytelling. The stories we tell at The Time Of My Life aren’t traditional tales, folktales, or stand-up comedy. They are part of our shared human existence. Sometimes dramatic, ...
Poetic clichés include words, phrases, or scenes that have lost their original effect because of overuse. Editors usually reject writing submissions with too many clichés. In this workshop, we will learn how to spot clichés and practice transforming them into crisp, new language. Is your neighbor a loose cannon? You ...
Reading fine poetry often sparks new poems of your own. Find inspiration, share your work, and gain feedback from others who enjoy reading, writing, and responding to poetry. Poems by Galway Kinnell, Wendell Berry, Hans Ostrom, Langston Hughes, Elizabeth Bishop, and Lucille Clifton will be read. Join this class and ...
Can you write 50,000 words toward a novel in one month? Yes, you can! This two-time National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) winner will share with you how it’s done while living a busy life. The seminar includes strategies for meeting your word count, writing a quick first draft, and keeping ...
Learn about the crucial role Point of View plays in your writing—from first to third person and beyond. In this generative workshop, we’ll explore the differences, similarities, and impacts each perspective brings to a story and then practice on our own writing. You’ll leave with a better understanding of the ...
Writing is only part of what it takes to craft a non-fiction piece. From delving into genealogy to accessing public records to interviewing subjects, there’s a myriad of things that go into researching. You’ll learn where to find records, how to access them, and tips on interviewing people for your ...
You’ve written a book, now what? Learning how to self-edit will move your book toward publication faster. This seminar includes step-by-step guidance and tips to help you navigate the self-editing process to produce a competitive product in today’s booming marketplace. Bring your questions to this interactive seminar. Experienced Hollywood editor ...
In this generative workshop, we will examine how poetry evokes connections between human activity and the environment. This workshop moves beyond writing simply of and about nature; participants will learn how to convey and confront their experiences with the natural world through poetry in a time of environmental crisis. Sarah ...
For millennia, writers have taken inspiration from visual artists and musicians. This creative method is known as ekphrasis and is the central topic for this seminar. We will use visual art and music from LGBTQIA+ artists and musicians as prompts to write new work. This is a safe space. This ...
In this class, you will be introduced to the various productivity strategies used by some of the world’s most prolific authors, such as Stephen King and Nora Roberts. This class is offered in partnershipwith Louisville Literary Arts. New York Times bestselling author Andrew Shaffer—who wrote his first published novel in ...
It’s been said that dialogue is character, and character is plot. In this two-hour workshop, we will analyze dialogue from novels, memoirs, and screenplays and generate new material in response to prompts. By exploring a variety of techniques for conveying conflict, character, and plot through written dialogue, students will develop ...
This contemplative writing workshop provides an opportunity for participants to combine guided meditation and writing. We will journey into our bodies and then use a prompt to tell our stories from the inside out. We will commit what we find onto the page in the form of a freewrite. These ...
Join Sylvia Lovely for a three-part seminar series on how to write the stories of your life. From cave wall hieroglyphics to the great literary works, we are hard-wired to describe and understand our lives and the times in which we live through stories. Perhaps your story is about a ...
Break through your writing obstacles during a weekend writing retreat designed to provide motivation and promote writing flow. Each day of this retreat will include: freewriting exercises, goal-setting, independent writing time, craft discussions, and problem-solving sessions to help break through blocks. The retreat will culminate with a share/response session featuring ...
In this workshop, you will learn how to transcribe your life into poetry. We will read examples and write after generative exercises to get at the root of your path, whatever that has been and whatever it might be. Be prepared to conjure up where you are going and where ...
The simple formula for plot: give your character a desire and then prevent them from obtaining that desire until they change. But people are more complicated and now more than ever readers desire characters that they can relate to–or characters who challenge their world views. We’ll thoroughly examine character motivation ...
Too many writers see revision as a burden and not part of the creative process. Yet, revision is easily 50% of writing for publication. Revision gives the writer an opportunity to re-vision, often in community with other writers—a creative collaborative process. Participants in this workshop will learn the differences between ...
When we tell stories of our life, they could be fiction or fact, but they are always our truth. Most writers struggle with putting personal words to paper. Joy Harjo said, “I know I walk in and out of several wounds every day.” Rumi contemplated, “The wound is the place ...
For both fiction and non-fiction writers, the smallest building blocks of sensory detail can strengthen character, world, and setting in ways that will enthrall your reader and keep them reading until the last page. We’ll talk sensory detail and engage in exercises to better utilize imagination as well as the ...
Genres like fabulism, slipstream, and magical realism are known for blurring the boundaries between the fantastic and the mundane. This blurring often results in stories that feel familiar, yet new, and that allow the author to explore complex themes in an accessible way. In this class, we’ll dig into the ...
When it comes to roping in your reader, every page matters. We’ll explore and discuss the web of elements (character, plot, setting, style, etc.) that create a book that will keep the reader turning pages from start to finish. Tracee de Hahn is the author of the Agnes Lüthi mystery ...
Learn how to convey the most elemental of experiences in words that will be savored long after your work is read. We’ll read compelling food narratives and give you the ingredients to create essays that capture your food heritage. You’ll be given essay prompts, and if there’s time, we’ll workshop ...
By pitching at online events, it’s possible to secure a publisher and get your book traditionally published without an agent. Christine did! Learn about these events, how to find them, and how to participate. Helpful tips will sharpen your pitch, explain what happens when a publisher or agent “likes” your ...
This workshop is designed to allow you to build a vision board that is a reflection of your vision and goals as a writer for 2023. You will receive a checklist of tips on how to set your writing goals and unique ways on how to hold yourself accountable in ...
