Winter 2008 Workshops at Writers & Books

Creative Writing

Getting Started in Children’s Books—Part I

WA8-C01
1 Saturday 1–4 p.m.
Mar. 1
$35 W&B members /$39 general public
Instructor: Will Hubbell

Interested in writing for children?  This seminar will get you started.  Published children’s author and illustrator Will Hubbell provides three hours of inspiration and information.  The emphasis will be the unique challenges and opportunities of the field.  The history and aesthetics of writing for children will also be covered. Handouts provided. Note: This class can be taken independently of Part II.

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Getting Started in Children’s Books—Part II

WA8-C02
1 Saturday 1–4 p.m.
Mar. 8
$35 W&B members /$39 general public
Instructor: Will Hubbell

Have you written a children’s book?  Are you considering writing one?  Published children’s author and illustrator Will Hubbell provides three hours of essential information on getting published for aspiring children’s authors.  Topics include the nut-and-bolts of submission, the publishing process, agents, contracts, and even taxes.  Handouts provided. Note: This class can be taken independently of Part I.

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Writing in First Person Unfamiliar

WA8-C03
3 Tuesdays 7–9 p.m.
Jan. 22 through Feb. 12 (No class Jan. 29)
$56 W&B members / $59 general public
Instructor: Renan Salgado

As fiction writers or poets, we most often choose to write in voices that mirror our own. But what happens when we want to write in a voice of the opposite gender, of a mentally retarded child, a ghost, or even a monster? Through a process of  discussion and sharing, this workshop—in the first week—will explore techniques of making that important leap into the heart-intelligence of the other. For the second class we will choose a book or play to read in which the author has successfully made this transition, The Sound and the Fury, Hamlet, or Frankenstein, and then we’ll incorporate what we learn from it into the discussion.  In the final class we will workshop one another’s paragraphs or poems to see what we have learned.

Course Canceled

When Bad Writing Happens to Good People: The Cure for Limping Prose

WA8-C04
8 Thursdays 7–9 p.m.
Mar. 6 through Apr. 24
$159 W&B members / $165 general public
Instructor: Anais Salibian

Why are you looking in this catalog? Why do you have this mysterious urge to write? Who cares what you have to say, anyway? Secretly, instinctively, you know that each person has a unique and important story to tell, a gift to offer. Most of the time, you’re a good person, and you can write decent sentences and paragraphs. So why does that vital inner life end up as listless prose on the page?

In this class, we’ll learn how to (1) find your material; (2) make sure your emotional connection to the material makes it onto the page; (3) structure your work, down to the sentences, so that your readers are compelled to keep reading; (4) how to write what you don’t know yet. You may bring work you’ve already begun, or use classroom prompts to generate new material.

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The Awakening Writer Enters Spring

WA8-C05
1 Saturday 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
April 26
$36 W&B members / $39 general public
Instructor: Patricia Roth-Schwartz

Get your creative juices flowing with fun and stimulating multi-genre writing exercises—poetry, fiction, non-fiction, journaling—to help your writing bloom into a new season of growth. Music, guided imagery, relaxation, affirmations, a walk outside, and more. All levels of experience welcome. Bring a bagged lunch, wear loose clothing and comfortable shoes. Coffee and tea will be provided.

Course Canceled

Writing for Personal Growth and Healing

WA8-C06
6 Mondays, 6:30–8:30pm
Feb. 4 to Mar. 10
No class October 8 or November 12
$100 W&B members / $110 general public
Instructor: Karen vanMeenen

A practice of personal writing can be helpful in exploring ingrained behaviors, attitudes and beliefs, can assist in the processing of experiences and feelings, and can lead to personal healing on many levels. We will experiment with writing exercises in various genres designed to address important emotional and cultural issues as well as free up the writing process. Participants will be encouraged to share what they write from exercises suggested during the sessions, but it will not be mandatory. This workshop is appropriate for individuals at all levels of writing experience. This workshop is not intended as a substitute for primary therapy.

Course Canceled