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Winter 2004 Workshops at Writers & Books
Cross-Genre
 Writing the Words That Hurt
- One Saturday, March 13, 10 am–1 pm
- $25 W&B members / $30 general public
- Instructor: Martin Napersteck [ bio ]
Writing about the death of a loved one, a failed personal relationship, confessions or serious mistakes, or anything else that has caused you pain, whether you write fiction or non-fiction, is extraordinarily difficult. There are temptations to be self-protective, melodramatic, accusatory, or dismissive.
This workshop will concentrate on the nature of honesty and courage, and how they apply to painful writing.
(Please note that this is not a therapy course. The focus is on writing.)
Making Sense of the Sentence
- One Saturday, April 3, 10 am–2 pm
- $36 W&B members / $40 general public
- Instructor: Len Messineo [ bio ]
Gertrude Stein said, “A long complicated sentence should force itself upon you, make you know yourself know it.”
The sentence is the basic building block of prose and ties the story to the oral voice of the storyteller. In this class, students will look at expressive considerations in writing sentences, constructing clear, graceful lines and jagged fragments.
The instructor will focus on how sentences serve as a vehicle for discovering what you don’t know you mean, and how sentences shape and enforce meaning in dialogue, scene and exposition. Open to discussion and experimentation, according to the instructor, “This is more a finger painting class than a grammar class.”
(The 2000-Word Club also recommended.)
The 2,000-Word Club
- Ten Mondays, January 12 – March 22, 6:30–8:30 pm
- No class January 19
- $170 W&B members / $190 general public
- Instructor: Len Messineo [ bio ]
This class will allow students to write and workshop short fiction or creative nonfiction. The focus of the class will be to study the techniques of fiction and creative nonfiction side by side in order to help class members write timely, high impact, publishable narratives in 2000 words or less.
The instructor will also focus on how and where to market your gems. In addition to getting helpful feedback, Len will host a monthly fiction and creative nonfiction open mike reading (optional), which will allow class members to showcase their work.
(Less is More also recommended.)
Time To Write: Explore Creative Writing
- Twelve Thursdays, January 15 – April 8, Noon–1:30 pm
- No class February 19
- $128 W&B members / $150 general public
- Instructor: Wendy Low [ bio ]
Have you been having trouble finding time to start or continue the practice of creative writing?
This class may help. Students will read excerpts from writers on the practice of writing and how to overcome inner and outer challenges. The instructor will offer open-ended exercises leading to poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and drama. Students will discover creative ways to find time to write amid their busy lives. Optional assignments outside class will be offered to stimulate creative juices.
When the instructor sees your special interests, she will select activities and invite guest speakers to address them. Whether you have always promised yourself to try creative writing, or whether you’ve taken too long a break, this class will get your pen moving again.
(Those wishing to stay in the classroom beyond 1:30 to read or write may do so.)
Travel Writing
- Six Mondays, January 19 – February 23, 7–9 pm
- $108 W&B members / $120 general public
- Instructor: Karen vanMeenen [ bio ]
- Required text: The Best American Travel Writing 2003, edited by Ian Frazier
Are you a traveler? Do you like to document your travels by writing in a journal and/or taking photographs?
In this workshop, students will learn how to research, document and write about their journeys. The class will read excerpts from the works of such masters as William Least Heat Moon, Bruce Chatwin, Paul Theroux and John McPhee as well as fictionalized works from Tom Bodett, Paul Bowles, Virginia Woolf and Jack Kerouac.
This course is appropriate for any travelers with an interest in writing and the tendency to observe the world around them, whether in Penfield or Peru.
Genre, Genre, Who’s Got Genre?
- One Saturday, March 13, 10 am–1 pm
- $36 W&B members / $40 general public
- Instructor: Patricia Roth Schwartz [ bio ]
Micro-fiction, narrative and lyric poetry, memoir and creative non-fiction, speculative fiction, autobiography, historical fiction, romance, erotica, prose poem, haiku, the ten-minute play—Is your head spinning yet?
There are new genres, cross genres, and hybrids cropping up every day. This course, designed for beginners as well as experienced writers, will help students identify literary genres and determine where your own work fits (or doesn’t).
The instructor will discuss definitions, help students decide what genre makes the most sense for their work, and talk about the advantages and disadvantages of writing in genres where special knowledge is required. A bibliography and handouts will be provided.
Writing More & Suffering Less: Understanding & Improving Your Writing Behavior
- Eight Tuesdays, March 2 – April 27, 7–9 pm
- No class April 6
- $140 W&B members / $160 general public
- Instructor: David Pascal [ bio ]
- How can you get that book you want out of the daydream stage?
- How can you stay with it and finish it?
- How can you make writing it a pleasure, not a pain?
- How can you deal with blocks and relapses and get back on track?
The instructor combines his own professional writing experience with multiple degrees in Psychology and the Humanities to help writers take their projects all the way to the top. This course will show students how to analyze their own writing habits and eliminate problems and distractions; it will be especially useful to those attempting a novel or other book-length project. Several tested, successful approaches will be discussed, explored, and tailored to individual needs.
Does an Academic Press Want You?
- One Saturday, January 17, 10–1 pm
- $38 W&B members / $42 general public
- Instructors: Molly Cort [ bio ] & Tim Madigan [ bio ]
Academic presses, usually associated with universities or colleges, are often unexplored possibilities for writers who wish to be published.
In this workshop, the instructors will discuss the process involved in getting a manuscript published by an academic press, from proposal to readers evaluation and board approval, to the editing, typesetting and printing.
- What types of works are scholarly presses looking for?
- How do you prepare a proposal?
- How do you make the publication process go as smoothly as possible?
These and many other questions will be answered.
- Twelve sessions, see schedule below
- $216 W&B members / $240 general public
- Instructor: Karen vanMeenen [ bio ] & L. John Cieslinski [ bio ]
W&B is looking for teens with a passion for creative writing.
Students will learn all the steps involved in producing a literary journal:
- acquiring material,
- soliciting ads,
- communicating with contributors,
- editing,
- proofreading,
- layout and design,
- preparing files for printing [and, (the webgeek hopes,) preparing files for online publishing—Ed.],
- distribution, and
- mounting a publication party and reading
This is a great course for young people interested in creative writing and learning, from the inside, how magazines are made.
Schedule:
- Tuesday, January 13, 5:30–7:30 pm
- Tuesday, January 27, 5:30–7:30 pm
- Tuesday, February 10, 5:30–7:30 pm
- Tuesday, February 24, 5:30–7:30 pm
- Saturday, February 28, 10 am–2 pm
- Tuesday, March 9, 5:30–7:30 pm
- Tuesday, March 23, 5:30–7:30 pm
- Saturday, April 3, 10 am–2 pm
- Tuesday, April 6, 5:30–7:30 pm
- Tuesday, April 20, 5:30–7:30 pm
- Tuesday, May 4, 5:30–7:30 pm
- Finally, we will schedule a publication party
Writing Aerobics: Winter Session
- Saturdays, January 10 – April 17, 10 am–11:45 am
- No class April 10
- Each session $12 W&B members / $16 general public
Join Todd Beers, Sarah Freligh, Len Messineo, Joe Flaherty, Anaïs Salibian, and many more of Writers & Books’ talented instructors in guided writing exercises guaranteed to get you into the writing spirit.
Impromptu writing exercises can generate great moments of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama, not to mention valuable endorphins. The emphasis each Saturday is on generating spontaneous work. Students may share their efforts in class if they feel comfortable, but this is not a critiquing workshop. Each session is meant to get those brain cells pumping! You are here > Home > Winter 2004 Seminars, Courses & Workshops > Cross-Genre
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