Westport Writers' Workshop Fall 2010 Writing Workshop Schedule

WESTPORT WRITERS' WORKSHOP


FALL 2010 CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS


REGISTER AT WWW.WESTPORTWRITERSWORKSHOP.COM

Or

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call (203)227-3250 or email info@westportwritersworkshop.com



FICTION WRITING: CRAFTING YOUR NOVEL

with Suzanne Hoover, Ph.D.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

You are writing a novel ... or finally ready to make that long-held goal come true. If you are ready to start the journey, to plunge courageously into the writer's world of inventing and problem-solving, this workshop is for you. And be assured, you will be helped and guided at every step along the way.

This workshop will go deeply into the art and craft of fiction, including: structuring the story, characterization, point of view, plotting and sub-plotting, scene construction, dialogue, dramatic tension, pacing, and narrative voice. As these issues arise in the class readings and discussions, they will be explored for everyone's benefit.

The workshop is geared to writers whose stories are already on the way, or at least have already been conceived. We will take turns lighting the way for each other.

WHEN:

8 Mondays, 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$495 for 8-week session.

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 7



THE ART AND CRAFT OF STORY: FICTION AND MEMOIR

with Suzanne Hoover, Ph.D.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

The basic techniques of storytelling are similar for all the varieties of stories we tell, including fiction, memoir, nonfictional narrative, drama and film. Despite differences of approach among those modes, there is one issue at the core of all great storytelling: how to create powerful, meaningful dramatic movement.

This workshop welcomes those who are working on a novel, short story, or nonfictional narrative--at any stage of the process, from initial planning to revision of an existing manuscript. We will explore all aspects of craft as they arise, ranging from structure and development to scene construction and dialogue. Participants will have the opportunity to read some of their work at each meeting. They will get honest, deeply supportive feedback from everyone present, answers to their questions, and a clear sense of direction for revisions.

WHEN:

8 Tuesdays, 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 21, 28, Oct. 5, 12, 26 Nov. 2, 9, 16

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$495 for 8-week session.

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 7


WRITING ABOUT YOUR LIFE: A MEMOIR AND PERSONAL ESSAY WORKSHOP (Section 1)

with Jessica Bram

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

Have you ever wished you could communicate your thoughts in a compelling, well-written personal essay? Or do you wish to get started writing your memoirs, but don’t know how to begin? Join us for this friendly, supportive workshop in which to learn how to explore the fascinating material generated by our own lives, in either the personal essay or memoir form.

Emphasis will be on writing craft. Participants will develop and practice the various narrative techniques to make the work more engaging, interesting, and effective.

All writing will be done prior to each workshop meeting. Participants may either work on material they already have in mind to write, or write optional written “assignments” designed to spark your imagination and inspire your creativity. Each participant’s material will be shared each week in a constructive and supportive atmosphere designed to develop participants’ critiquing skills while elevating the quality of the work.

WHEN:

8 Tuesdays, 2 to 4 p.m.

Sept. 21, 28, Oct. 5, 12, 26 Nov. 2, 9,16

WHERE:

32 Webb Road, Westport

COST:

$445 for 8-week session.

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 6



POETRY OF EVERYDAY LIFE: A WORKSHOP ON CRAFT

Marcelle Soviero, MFA

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

Are you ready to write poetry? Or perhaps you were inspired after attending our A TASTE OF POETRY WORKSHOP October 14 (see below) and want to learn more? Join us for this 4-week workshop as we continue to look at new ways to craft poems from life experiences.]

The goal of this workshop is to fire up the creative process and get writing. Participants of all writing levels will write and revise poems with an aim to achieve fine-tuned, well-crafted pieces suitable for publication -- or sheer satisfaction. In addition participants will learn to use idea journals over the four weeks as a way to develop the practice of poetry.

Emphasis will be on the writing craft. We’ll cover a specific writing technique each week, followed by a short poetry prompt -- all designed to stimulate creativity and elevate the quality of writing.

Craft topics include imagery, musicality, structure and voice. These concepts will be brought to life using examples from contemporary poets. The majority time will be spent discussing student work in a lively and supportive atmosphere. Participants may work on new poems, poems-in-progress and/or longer poems.

Marcelle Soviero has an MFA in poetry and BA in creative studies from New York University. She has lectured at The New School, New York University, Montclair State College and in various school districts nationwide. She is the author of The Body That Wants, an award winning poetry chapbook.

WHEN:

4 Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to noon

Oct. 26, Nov. 2, 16, 30

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$195 for 4-week session.

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 12


BRINGING CHARACTERS TO LIFE

with Matt Debenham, MFA

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

“The writer begins by breathing life into his characters. But if you are lucky, they breathe life into you.”

~ Caryl Phillips

In this eight-week workshop, writers will learn how to create and develop living, breathing characters who will stay with the reader long after the final page has been turned. All the traditional elements of fiction will be covered (plot, scene, dialogue, description, etc.), along with deeper questions of how to identify your characters’ deepest wants, needs, and fears – and how to turn those characters into fascinating, unforgettable people.

Matt Debenham's short story collection, The Book of Right and Wrong, has been singled out by critics and readers for its compelling, all-too-human characters, including people "who love each other so much and so badly they would do anything for each other, including lie, maim, and kill." (Pam Houston, author of Cowboys Are My Weakness) As noted in the Huffington Post's summer reading roundup, "Debenham exposes specific turning points in lives so real and so engaging that my own life felt transformed -- illuminated -- by the changes wrought in the lives of the characters." .

This workshop is appropriate for those writing all forms of fiction, including both novels or short stories.

Matt Debenham’s collection of short stories, The Book of Right and Wrong, won the 2009 Ohio State University Press Prize for Fiction. Published by the Ohio State University Press in May, 2010, it immediately became that publisher's all-time fastest-selling fiction title. The Book of Right and Wrong has been endorsed by Slate.com and called a "brilliant debut collection" by the Huffington Post's Books section. Matt’s stories have also appeared in Painted Bride Quarterly, North Atlantic Review, Dogwood, Weston Magazine, The Pinch, and Roanoke Review. He was Peter Taylor Scholar at the 2007 Sewanee Writers' Conference, and has been the recipient of a fiction fellowship from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. He holds an MFA in Fiction Writing and Literature from the Bennington Writing Seminars and has worked one-on-one and in workshop with such writers as Amy Hempen, Richard Bausch, Susan Cheever, and Mary-Beth Hughes.

WHEN:

8 Tuesdays, 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Sept. 21, 28, Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov. 2, 9

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$445 for 8-week session.

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 7


WRITING FOR CHILDREN: A PROFESSIONAL APPROACH TO CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

with Patricia Hermes

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

Writing for children is very different from writing for adults. And in many ways, harder. In order to write well for children, one must remember what it is to be a child, must remember what the child cares about and fears and hates. One must speak like a child, think like a child, laugh and even cry like a child. Because inside every good writer lives a remembered child -- and the job of a good writer is to unearth that child.

In this workshop, participants will learn the craft of writing, as well as how that craft manifests itself in the different genres in children's literature: short stories, picture books, middle grade novels, young adult writing and chapter books. Over the course of the six weeks participants will be guided as they develop their own writing projects. All work will be prepared prior to the meetings, and shared each week in a comfortable and supportive atmosphere.

Patricia Hermes is the author of over fifty novels for young people, from early chapter books to young adults. She has written six historical novels for the Dear America/My America series for Scholastic. Her newest venture is the Emma Dilemma series of chapter books for Marshall Cavendish. Her numerous awards include the New York Library Best Book for Teens award for her nonfiction book, A Time to Listen; C.S. Lewis Honor Book award for her novel, On Winter's Wind; Smithsonian Notable Book award for her picture book, When Snow Lay Soft on the Mountain; and Children’s' Choice awards for many other novels. She also won the Iowa, Missouri, Michigan and California state awards for her classic novel, You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye, recently reissued by Source Books. She lectures nationally and internationally, speaking recently for the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India, as well as in Bahrain, and other countries. She has also written two adult nonfiction books and published in national magazines. Her books have been translated into seven languages including French, Chinese, Japanese, and Danish.

WHEN:

6 Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to noon

Sept. 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27 Nov. 3

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$425 for 6-week session.

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 7



THE CRAFT OF CREATIVE NONFICTION

with Jessica Bram

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

Everyday life offers us unlimited opportunities for reflection and for making sense of the world around us. But how do you structure your thoughts into a compelling, well-written personal essay? How do you assemble the jumble of events in your life into a coherent memoir? What steps does one undertake for a nonfiction writing project, such as an informational book, profile, or feature article?

Answers to these questions do exist, and they all fall within the realm of writing craft. This craft-focused workshop is aimed at equipping participants with the techniques of narrative nonfiction.

In organized presentations at the outset of each meeting, we will focus on the various narrative techniques of creative nonfiction, including structure, use of scene versus summary, dialogue, pacing, reflection, back story and flashback, and tone of voice, to bring their nonfiction projects to life. In weekly assignments written prior to each workshop meeting, participants will practice and develop these critical techniques. Writing assignment may be either material that participants already have in mind to write or optional assignments designed to spark the imagination.

Each participant’s material will be shared each week in a constructive and supportive atmosphere designed to develop participants’ critiquing skills while elevating the quality of the work.

WHEN:

8 Wednesdays, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 22, 29, Oct. 6, 13, 27 Nov. 3, 10, 17

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$445 for 8-week session.

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 6

REGISTER NOW

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Please contact Jessica Bram at (203)227-3250 or info@westportwritersworkshop.com.


WRITING ABOUT YOUR LIFE: A MEMOIR AND PERSONAL ESSAY WORKSHOP (Section 2)

with Joe Freitas

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

Have you ever wished you could communicate your thoughts in a compelling, well-written personal essay? Or do you wish to get started writing your memoirs, but don’t know how to begin? Join us for this friendly, supportive workshop in which to learn how to explore the fascinating material generated by our own lives, in either the personal essay or memoir form.

Emphasis will be on writing craft. Participants will develop and practice the various narrative techniques to make the work more engaging, interesting, and effective.

All writing will be done prior to each workshop meeting. Participants may either work on material they already have in mind to write, or write optional written “assignments” designed to spark your imagination and inspire your creativity. Each participant’s material will be shared each week in a constructive and supportive atmosphere designed to develop participants’ critiquing skills while elevating the quality of the work.

Joe Freitas has recently completed the first draft of his memoir, An All American Dad.

WHEN:

8 Wednesdays, 7 to 9 p.m.

Sept. 22, 29, Oct. 6, 13, 27 Nov. 3, 10, 17

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$445 for 8-week session.

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 6


FICTION WRITING: THE FUNDAMENTALS

with Matt Debenham, MFA

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

Whether you are a novice or a natural-born storyteller who is ready to turn your ideas into stories that people want to read, this creative writing workshop will guide you surely and safely into the fiction writing life.

This workshop will cover the basic elements of fiction writing craft, including: plot, description, point of view, dialogue, setting, pacing and narrative voice. Using a series of prompts and exercises that will be prepared prior to the meeting, you will learn to use these techniques to make your stories come alive. By sharing your work in a safe and supportive atmosphere, you will be inspired, gain confidence, and gain a sense of where to move forward with your writing.

Matt Debenham’s collection of short stories, The Book of Right and Wrong, won the 2009 Ohio State University Press Prize for Fiction and was published by the Ohio State University Press in May, 2010. Matt’s stories have also appeared in Painted Bride Quarterly, North Atlantic Review, Dogwood, Weston Magazine, The Pinch, and Roanoke Review. He was Peter Taylor Scholar at the 2007 Sewanee Writers' Conference, and has been the recipient of a fiction fellowship from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. He holds an MFA in Fiction Writing and Literature from the Bennington Writing Seminars and has worked one-on-one and in workshop with such writers as Amy Hempel, Richard Bausch, Susan Cheever, and Mary-Beth Hughes.

WHEN:

8 Thursdays 1 to 3 p.m.

Sept. 23, 30, Oct. 7, 14, 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$445 for 8-week session.

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 7


THE EXAMINED LIFE (Advanced)

with Jessica Bram

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

This is a craft-focused workshop geared to the more advanced writer developing material intended for publication. The workshop time is spent wholly in sharing and critiquing participants’ material in a constructive atmosphere intended to elevate the caliber of the work. It is appropriate for all genres of nonfiction including personal essays, memoir, and opinion writing. Pre-approval by instructor is required.

WHEN:

8 Thursdays, 2 to 4 p.m.

Sept. 23, 30, Oct. 7, 14, 28 Nov. 4, 11, 18

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$445 for 8-week session.

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 6


MEMOIR WRITING: TELLING OUR STORIES

with Jessica Bram

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

What better reason is there to write one's memoirs than to pass down a wealth of material and wisdom to the next generations?

This is a friendly, supportive workshop in which to write your memoirs, share your memoirs with others, and learn good writing techniques to make your work interesting and enjoyable. This workshop is ideal for beginners who wish to get started writing their memoirs for the first time. It is also geared to those who have already done some memoir writing and are ready to share and further shape their work.

Participants will read from their work each week, with the objective of receiving feedback in a constructive and supportive atmosphere. Emphasis will be on developing narrative techniques including: use of scene and summary, internal and external dialogue, character development, sensory experience, and descriptive elements, to make the memoir interesting, informative, and compelling.

WHEN:

8 Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon

Sept. 24, Oct. 1, 8, 15, 29 Nov. 5, 12, 19

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$445 for 8-week session.

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 6


HOW TO WRITE AN IRRESISTIBLE NONFICTION BOOK PROPOSAL

with Lucy Hedrick

“This workshop gave each individual an opportunity to speak about her/his book idea and receive feedback from Lucy as well as the other group participants. The workshop had a great group dynamic …. Overall it was a successful workshop and much was accomplished. I thought Lucy was an articulate and organized moderator - she was informative, enlightening, constructive and approachable.”

~Meredith Gray, Norwalk, Conn.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

To secure an agent and publish a nonfiction book, an author must first submit a well-written, compelling, and polished book proposal. Learn the industry standards for a professional book proposal – the sections, the contents, the page length -- plus the art of the query letter and how to find an agent. Each section will be discussed in detail, and participants will leave with a proposal outline, a sample agent submission log, and online resources every writer must know. Space is limited so that each writer’s book concept can be discussed in detail.

Lucy Hedrick is the author of Five Days to an Organized Life (Dell, 1990), 365 Ways to Save Time, (William Morrow, 1992), 365 Ways to Save Time With Kids (William Morrow, 1993), 365 Ways to Save Money (William Morrow, 1994), and Get Organized in the Digital Age (NAL, 2002). These five titles sold more than 200,000 copies and were translated in to eight languages.

As Founder and President of Hedrick Communications, www.lucyhedrick.com, Lucy coaches authors on how to write non-fiction book proposals.

WHEN:

Saturday, Sept 25

9 a.m. to 12 noon

WHERE:

3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$150

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 12


BUSINESS WRITING FOR RESULTS:

CRAFTING CLEAR, CONCISE, AND PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATIONS

with Jane K. Cleland

“Over the years I've had the good fortune to create and participate in many dozens of meetings with hundreds of speakers. She is right up there with the best, and often better because she engages with her audience. That engagement allowed each participant to both learn, and to feel valued for input. She has affected a superb marriage of business experience and that of the writing experience.”

– Judy Schalick, Fairfield

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

No matter how skilled one may be in other areas, good writing skills are essential to succeed in the business world. From simple emails to reports, presentations, web sites, or complex proposals, how you communicate in writing is a vital component of how you are seen and judged by others.

This intensive workshop, which includes lunch, will provide the tools and tactics you need to write better business communications more quickly than you thought possible.

Topics presented will include the following:

Organizing Your Thoughts: Define objectives that make your writing more focused; analyze readers’ information needs and preferences; and select an appropriate organizational structure.

Writing First Drafts: Adapt the journalist’s “Five-W” strategy to your business writing; and use Jane’s Hub & Spokes model to quickly get your thoughts on paper.

Revising for Clarity: Determine the correct level of editing (e.g. high-level, word choice, or detailed proofreading); revise to a second draft with the Empathy Index; and ensure readability by using the Gunning Fog Index and by maintaining norms and proper standards for sentence and paragraph length.

Proofreading for Perfection: Adhere to the Rule of Five—when you proof early and often, you save your organization money; and catch even the hardest-to-find mistakes.

This workshop, which will include several in-class writing, grammar, and proofreading exercises, is appropriate for writers of all levels. You’ll leave this highly interactive and hands-on session with polished skills and new confidence.

Jane Cleland currently teaches at LIM College in Manhattan and has been a corporate trainer for more than twenty years. Her clients have included Pfizer, American Express, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, the State of Ohio, and Clemson University among scores of other small and large businesses, governmental agencies, and universities. She is also author of the Independent Mystery Bookseller Association best-selling and multiple award-nominated Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series (St. Martin’s Minotaur). Her books have been translated into Russian and Hungarian. She is a past president and current board member of the Mystery Writers of America/New York Chapter.

WHEN:

Friday Oct. 1, 2010

9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$295, which includes lunch and handouts

GET PUBLISHED NOW!

A Boot Camp for Getting Your Short Work Published

with Marcelle Soviero, MFA

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

You’ve worked hard to develop your craft. You know your essays, short stories or poems are good, and you get great feedback from readers. Isn’t it time you had your work published? Are you ready to begin building your portfolio of publishing credits?

Becoming a good writer is just the first step. Finding markets for your work takes research. Breaking into those markets requires a focused plan and dedicated follow-through. But where to begin?

The objective of this workshop is to show you how to develop a focused action plan for selling your short stories, essay, and poems to magazines, literary journals, respected online publications, and other reputable press venues.

Please note that the emphasis is on short pieces rather than novels or nonfiction books.

In this workshop you will learn how to:

Research small and large markets for individual works;

Define markets for your genre;

Evaluate dozens of publishing outlets including magazines, literary journals, anthologies, etc.;

Locate the correct contact person at target publications (without the contact, your piece will go unread);

Find out about writing contests by genre (if you don't submit, you can't win);

Build a submission tracker / submission binder;

Craft a simple cover letter;

Define the best membership sites for writers;

Evaluate top networking sites for building publishing connections;

Participants will receive a handout of resources, including websites, resources and other tools to enable you to take those next steps.

Marcelle Soviero has an MFA in Creative Writing/Poetry from New York University and a BA in Creative Studies from Hofstra University. She has published hundreds of poems, profiles, and nonfiction articles in literary journals, magazines, newspapers and newsletters, including her essay Electronically Yours published in the New York Times. She is the author of The Body That Wants, an award winning poetry chapbook, and regularly submits her essays to new markets. She has lectured at The New School, New York University, and in libraries, bookstores and schools.

WHEN:

Saturday, October 2

- OR -

Tuesday, November 9

9 a.m. to 12 noon

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$150, which includes lunch and handouts

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 15


A TASTE OF POETRY WORKSHOP

with Marcelle Soviero, MFA

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

Are you ready to write poetry? Ready to let your imagination take well-needed leaps? Join us for an evening seminar designed to fire up the creative process and get writing. We’ll look at new ways to find ideas and create poems from our life experiences. Using contemporary examples, we’ll learn how to employ the basic elements of the poet’s toolbox, such as imagery, voice, and structure. The ten steps for revising poems will also be covered.

The seminar will be divided between discussing craft and writing using poetry prompts; bring your notebook and get ready to enjoy, discuss and write poetry in a supportive and lively atmosphere!

Marcelle Soviero has an MFA in poetry and BA in creative studies from New York University. She has lectured at The New School, New York University and in various school districts nationwide. She is the author of The Body That Wants, an award winning poetry chapbook. She has published hundreds of poems, profiles, and nonfiction articles in literary journals, magazines, newspapers and newsletters, including her essay Electronically Yours published in the New York Times.

WHEN:

Thursday, Oct. 14, 7 to 9 pm

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$35

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 15


INSTANT FICTION: WRITING THE “SHORT SHORT”

with Tessa Smith McGovern

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

Do you have ideas for stories in your head but don’t know where to begin? Or are you just rusty? Would you like to write for the exploding new market of short fiction on mobile phones?

Here’s a great way to get your storytelling juices flowing: try your hand at the increasingly popular literary form known as the “short short.”

Short shorts are works of fiction typically from 50 to 2,500 words in length. Quick to write and easy to revise, they are the perfect entry point for novice writers, and stimulating for those with more experience. Trying your hand at the short short is a gentle, fun way to begin writing, or to try something new.

Short short stories are often easier to get published than longer pieces. Literary journals (print and online) can more easily fit a short piece into their pages, and there are literally hundreds of journals looking for work.

Plus, there is an exciting new market for these works: On mobile phones, readers are now buying short stories to read. By the end of 2010, there will be an estimated one billion mobile phones worldwide with internet access. Writers are now, truly, co-creators of the developing literary landscape.

In this interactive three-hour workshop led by Tessa Smith McGovern, a successful English writer who has created her own short story app for the iPhone, iPad and Android, we will refer to classic short shorts by writers such as Jamaica Kincaid, Virginia Woolf, and Raymond Carver. Using prompts and a series of timed exercises, participants will write two to three short pieces which they will be invited (but not required) to share with the group.

Tessa Smith McGovern is an award-winning English short story writer published in the US and the UK. Since her first publication in 1996, she's been waiting patiently for the rebirth of the paid short story and, thanks the meteoric rise of mobile publishing, her wish has finally been granted. Her short story collection, an app called 'London Road: Linked Stories' is available on the iPhone, iPad and Android. She is also the founder of eChook Digital Publishing LLC, which publishes single and multi-author short story apps. More information is available at www.tessasmithmcgovern.com.

WHEN:

Saturday, October 16

9 a.m. to 12 noon

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$125

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 12


ESSENTIALS FOR THE FICTION WRITER:

IRONY: Twists, Turns, and Reversals

with Suzanne Hoover, Ph.D.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

Stories need irony: twists, turns and reversals that have the power to alter the way our characters see themselves and their world. We can fulfill this need with large, dramatic surprises--or we can do it more subtly, baking different kinds and degrees of irony into the substance of our fictional world.

This workshop will offer a rare, close look at how irony works, its fundamental importance to narrative, and how to use it in your own novel or short story.

This is a valuable opportunity to learn advanced techniques from a master teacher of fiction writing craft. Suzanne Hoover holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University in English and Comparative Literature. The author of two novels, Suzanne was for 25 years, until her recent retirement, a full-time member of the Literature faculty of Sarah Lawrence College. She currently teaches in the Sarah Lawrence Graduate Writing Program.

WHEN:

Saturday, Oct 30

2 to 4:30 p.m.

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$55, or $45 for Westport Writers' Workshop members or participants currently registered in an 8-week Westport Writers' Workshop.

Essentials for the Fiction Writer is a series of high level, craft-oriented workshops for fiction writers. Each delves deeply into critical elements of writing the novel.

Previous Essentials for the Fiction Writer workshops:

1. Structuring Your Story

2. Developing Your Story

3. The Short Story

4. Character-Creation: Giving the Kiss of Life

CD’s of previous Essentials for the Fiction Writer presentations are available for sale by mail or at the event.


SILENCE YOUR INNER CRITIC: LET THE INSPIRATION FLOW!

with Jessica Bram

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

“I’ve always wanted to be a writer but I don’t have the discipline/ I’m not good enough/ I never seem to find the time.”

“You can’t make any money as a writer, so why bother?”

“I would write my story but what if my mother/husband/friends ever read it?”

“Writing doesn’t flow naturally for me … that must mean I’m not really a writer, right?”

Sound familiar?

Successful writers are plagued by all of these doubts, and more. But what makes them successful is persistence and the willingness to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) nevertheless.

In this three-hour interactive workshop, successful writer, NPR commentator and popular writing teacher Jessica Bram will tackle these doubts and more head-on. In interactive discussions and supportive, inspiring writing exercises, Jessica will guide a small group of aspiring writers through the steps to enable them to silence their inner critics and unlock the floodgates of their creativity.

As Founder and President of the Westport Writers' Workshop, Jessica Bram’s personal mission is to empower people to fulfill their deepest desires to write. She frequently addresses writers’ groups and consults with writers to help them break through writer’s block, silence their inner critics, and allow them to overcome all those doubts that prevent them from fulfilling their writing talent and potential.

“I attended your recent “Silence Your Inner Critic” workshop at the Fairfield Library. I wanted to let you know how valuable it was for me. Ever since then I've continued to write the first draft of a children's fantasy book using your guidelines. The empowerment you spoke of is happening for me. I thank you so much!”

~Robyn Boccardi, Fairfield, Conn.


“Jessica, thank you again for your inspirational talk, “Silence Your Inner Critic, Let the Inspiration Flow”. I needed to hear the part about writing being hard work! I sat down as scheduled today for two hours to write, and it really helps to have a schedule, as you said. Again, many thanks for your encouragement.”


~Maurya C. Keating, Fairfield, Conn.



“Someone is going to be published … it might as well be you!”

~Jessica Bram

WHEN:

Saturday, November 6

9 a.m. to 12 noon

WHERE:

Westport Writers' Workshop, 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport

COST:

$125

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 12


REGISTER AT WWW.WESTPORTWRITERSWORKSHOP.COM

Or

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call (203)227-3250 or email info@westportwritersworkshop.com

ALSO PLEASE NOTE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE WESTPORT WRITERS' WORKSHOP e-mail list, contact them by phone or email.  Jessica Bram really works hard at her newsletters. She also has author appearances in Westport regularly.