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 ...
Learn 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 and communicate with your target audience. Julia Royston is an ...
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 ...
Can you write 50,000 words toward a novel in one month? Yes, you can! This ten-time National Novel Writing Month winner will teach you how to do it while living a busy life. The seminar includes strategies for meeting your word count, writing a quick first draft, and keeping track ...
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 ...
Black authors face special challenges in the publishing world: blatant racism, microaggressions, and dealing with the expectations of the publishing business, which is by and large centered on whiteness. Learn how you can succeed in writing and publishing while Black. Panelists include Claudia Love Mair, Crystal Wilkinson, makalani bandele, and ...
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 dos and don’ts of grant writing, and more! This 90-minute class ...
Workshop can be intimidating for any writer—whether it’s your first experience or your hundredth. In this seminar, we’ll cover all the basics to help you feel confident and well-prepared. We’ll discuss what to expect from the workshop, how to write a helpful feedback letter, how to make the most of ...
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 or Erin O’Donnell at ...
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) womxn to write and share our truths. It will also serve to build a strong BIPOC womxn’s writing community. Each session will include writing ...
Join us at the community table in the beautiful, light-filled reference room where we’ll be inspired to write from rotating prompts. We’ll do a few short-timed writing sessions designed to get your pen moving and to shut down the inner critic. After each timed session, writers will read their new ...
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 ...
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 ...
A distinctive trait of memorable writing is its (and its author’s) “sense of place.” Any “place” is much more than just its geographical location—it is also defined by history, culture, ecology, economics, sociology, and ethnography—all of which may have intensely personal, familial, and communal dimensions. Through a series of directed ...
There’s no better way to connect with others than to fearlessly divulge our individuality. Memoir is the art of capturing our memories, vividly and passionately, and molding them into pieces of literature, pieces of art. We’ll study masters of memoir over the centuries and work to craft your own stories ...
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. This class is for emerging writers (age 35 ...
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 ...
This cross-genre class will address the importance of crafting narrative through scenes. Through in-class writing exercises and discussion of the work of established writers, we will explore the thorniest of writers’ quandaries: When (and how much) do I show, and when (and how much) do I tell? Sarah Combs is ...
Learn how to write and sell a marketable screenplay in today’s competitive film industry. Explore the scripting process with an industry executive to guide you and provide valuable advice and resources for you to use throughout your screenwriting career. Bring an idea, a work in progress, or your questions about ...
This class is hyrbid, and meets in person as well as online. In person: Saturdays, January 28 & February 25, 10:30am–Noon Online: Saturdays, February 11 & 18, 10:30am–Noon Orson Welles’ hour-long radio play “War of the Worlds” that aired in October 1938 is said to have caused panic among its ...
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 ...
First Saturday of each month, February–April, 10:30am–Noon • FREE Join us for a monthly discussion group of contemporary Latin American, Latinx, and Hispanic fiction conducted in Spanish. The group welcomes members who are comfortable reading adult Spanish-language books and talking about them. Books will be selected based on group member ...
You don’t have to be an artist to write picture books! This workshop focuses on structuring, writing, and formatting your idea into a book perfect for the picture book market. Marcia Thornton Jones is an award-winning author who has published more than 135 books for children with sales totaling more ...
Since its beginnings as a medium to record and interpret the wanderings of the poet Bashō through 17th-century Japan, the haiku has been, and largely remains, an observational form. It’s rooted, first and foremost, in the poet’s direct experience of the world via the five senses, sight most of all ...
Flash fiction, short poems, mini-memoirs, haikus, and other short forms’ efficient use of imagery, discerning eye for detail, and thoughtful word choice effectively convey powerful messages and ideas. We will review some examples and discuss techniques to build your own toolkit. Jay McCoy has served the local writing community for ...
This seminar introduces the children’s market sub genres and provides pointers for targeting your story. Marcia Thornton Jones is an award-winning author who has published more than 135 books for children with sales totaling more than 48 million copies world-wide. Marcia also serves as the Carnegie Center’s Author Services Coordinator ...
Do you want to effectively express your opinions in blog posts, op-ed columns, letters to the editor of your local newspaper, and on social media? Learn how to write persuasive, engaging, fact-based commentary and get it published. Tom Eblen is an award-winning columnist, former managing editor of the Lexington Herald-Leader, ...
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) womxn to write and share our truths. It will also serve to build a strong BIPOC womxn’s writing community. Each session will include writing ...
Are you ready to set off on a new writing journey in the new year? Or do you feel lost as a writer and need to reprogram your writing GPS? Let us help you on your way to your writing destination. Learn how to lay out a road map, overcome ...
If you thought writing your book was the hardest part of the writing journey, think again. The hardest part is marketing and promoting your book. Even if your book is not yet finished, get a jump on the marketing and promotional process that is key to selling your book. Julia ...
Conceived out of the grief of losing loved ones to addiction and a desire to have said the important things while still possible, this is a collaborative workshop to write a legacy in words for our friends and families. This workshop is intended to honor the folks in our lives ...
In this workshop we’ll look at several poets—from the well-known (Kim Addonizio) to the relatively unknown (Meaghan Strimas, a Canadian poet)—who succeed at writing sassy poems with edge and attitude. Their strategies for writing poems include employing unlikely juxtapositions, using giddy language, and subverting a reader’s expectations. We’ll write our ...
Whether a snarky rhyme in a poem or a humorous turn in an essay, humor can serve a variety of roles in your writing. In this class, we will look at fun and poignant examples of writers turning to comedy as an essential tool. We will also discuss our own ...
Session I–Characters: Thursday, March 16, 5:45–7:15pm If your characters are memorable, readers will follow their journey (and your book) to the end. We will discuss how to create a cast of characters that rings true. Are they larger-than-life? Do they fulfill necessary roles in your story? Are you simply in ...
If your characters are memorable, readers will follow their journey (and your book) to the end. We will discuss how to create a cast of characters that rings true. Are they larger-than-life? Do they fulfill necessary roles in your story? Are you simply in love with them, or do they ...
So, you’ve got your cast of characters, but what happens next? Your characters live at the center of the conflict of your story. What obstacles do they overcome? How does this moment in their life propel this exact story? We’ll talk about the tug of war between great characters and ...
Join us to learn about the many forms of “outdoor writing”—from creative nonfiction (Steven Rinella), fiction (Ernest Hemingway), to the combination of both (Norman Maclean). This extensive market not only includes magazine stories, but also book-length essays, novels, and even weekly newspaper columns. The outdoor industry adds $70 billion to ...
The draft is finished, now what? The final polish can make a difference between getting the attention of an agent, or being ignored by one. We will review format, POV, characters, themes, and, of course, the writing, among other need-to-get-it-right details. You’ll walk away with a workable strategy for making ...
ONLINE: Fourth Saturday of each month, April through September (May session will meet on May 20) This once-a-month workshop provides writers options for structuring their novels, developing pivotal plot scenes, writing prompts designed to help writers make progress, and group mentoring/brainstorming to help break through obstacles. Feel free to bring ...
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. Marcia Thornton Jones is an award-winning author who has published more than 135 books for ...
There’s no better way to connect with others than to fearlessly divulge our individuality. Memoir is the art of capturing our memories, vividly and passionately, and molding them into pieces of literature, pieces of art. We’ll study masters of memoir over the centuries and work to craft your own stories ...
Writer George Saunders says, “When you read a short story, you come out of it a little more aware and a little more in love with the world around you.” This short story workshop will nurture the artistic impulses of writers who want to craft rich and meaningful short stories ...
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. This class is for emerging writers (age 35 ...
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 ...
Join us at the community table in the beautiful, light-filled reference room where we’ll be inspired to write from rotating prompts. We’ll do a few short-timed writing sessions designed to get your pen moving and to shut down the inner critic. After each timed session, writers will read their new ...
Are you ready to set off on a new writing journey in the new year? Or do you feel lost as a writer and need to reprogram your writing GPS? Let us help you on your way to your writing destination. Learn how to lay out a road map, overcome ...
Are you ready to set off on a new writing journey in the new year? Or do you feel lost as a writer and need to reprogram your writing GPS? Let us help you on your way to your writing destination. Learn how to lay out a road map, overcome ...
Spend some time in a workshop setting writing new poems, revising old ones, and sharing your poems with others in class. We will work on the basic stuff of poetry: imagery, the use of sound to fortify meaning, lineation, and various approaches to formal structure and free-verse structure. We’ll support ...
This is an opportunity for fiction writers of all genres and levels of experience. Through hands-on writing exercises and discussion of contemporary fiction, we will examine such nuts-and-bolts elements as voice, point of view, mood, and plot. Sarah Combs is the author of the YA novels Breakfast Served Anytime and ...
This class will teach you what freelance writing is, how to get assignments, what tools of the trade you’ll need, and how to manage the business end of freelance writing. By the end of this class, you’ll not only know where to look for ideas and markets, but you’ll have ...
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 ...
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 ...
As Mothers of these adult children, our numbers are growing. Our stories are unique, painful, and never-ending. This is not a support group or therapy. This course is not about our children, how they got to where they are, or why. It is about us, the Mothers. Emphasis will be ...
Well-written dialogue can advance your plot, convey information, and create tension that lurks beneath the surface of the spoken language. This workshop will examine what good dialogue can accomplish using examples from contemporary fiction. Laurie Calkhoven is the author of more than 50 books for children, ranging from early readers ...
Whether you already dabble in comics or are a self-proclaimed “person who can’t draw,” you are welcome here! In this cartooning workshop, we will look at different examples of self-discovery and self-expression through comics. We will do some quick drawing and writing exercises to get warmed up and generate ideas ...
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, ...
Typically, we label poems as either lyric or narrative: there are poems that tell stories from our lives and there are poems that sing the songs of the self. What if you can have it both ways? What if the songbird can spin a yarn while trilling its song? We ...
Great books make great films! Discover the joy and the challenges of adapting a novel into a script for the movies or a Limited Television Series. This workshop will offer the basics of writing a screenplay and explore how to bring unforgettable characters and sizzling plots to the screen. Always ...
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) womxn to write and share our truths. It will also serve to build a strong BIPOC womxn’s writing community. Each session will include writing ...
OPTION 1–ONLINE & LIVE VIA ZOOM: Saturday, May 6, 11:30am–1:30pm • FREE OPTION 2–RECORDED VIDEO OF LIVE CLASS: After May 10 • FREE Link will be emailed to you within two days of registering (after May 10) This class is only available to registrants of the 2023 Books In Progress ...
Mysteries can be crammed with fun, action, romance, and/or violence (depending on your preferences). We’ll explore various types of mysteries, tricks of the trade, and more. Whether you love cozy or hard-boiled, private eye or police procedurals, all mystery writers are invited to explore your options. Karen M. Leet has ...
Transformation and queerness go hand in hand. Anne Sexton’s Transformations queers the fairy tale. torrin a. greenhouse writes about self-transformation in her poetry. Jos Charles’ feeld takes readers on a transformative experience through language itself. We’ll examine poems that use transformation in a variety of ways. Then we’ll write our ...
For those thinking about writing a memoir, or already working on one, join renowned memoirist and writer Sallie Bingham for a two-day seminar designed to explore the process from beginning to end. We will talk about everything—from the initial decision to write a memoir to the total honesty the process ...
In Mastering Your Query, Alice will cover the basic structure of a query letter, tips and tricks for improving it, and tactics to avoid. Participants will then write (or revise) a query letter for their book, which they can then share for critique. The goal of this workshop is for ...
This generative workshop will explore ways to focus on the voice of a poem—that unique presence that speaks a poem. We will work to claim and speak our memories and give ourselves permission to speak in our own voices. We’ll also study methods to claim the essence of other voices ...
