Creative Writing Workshops
Now Registering for the Following:
Creative Writing for Young Teens Ages 12-14
Creative Writing for Teens Ages 15-18
Writing About Your Life: A Memoir and Personal Essay Workshop
The Examined Life - Advanced
Memoir Writing: Telling Our Stories
Screenwriting: Writing in Pictures
How To Find an Agent (and The Art of the Query Letter)
Fiction Writing (Westport- Day)
Fiction Writing (Greenwich- Evening)
Fiction Writing (Greenwich- Day)
WORDS, PLAY, EXPLORATION:
CREATIVE WRITING FOR YOUNG TEENS, Ages 12-14
with Jessica Bram
WHAT:
No grades. No tests. No wrong answers -- just plenty of inspiration for young writers interested in story-writing, poetry, journaling, song lyrics, or writing for the screen. Sessions will be structured with games and free writing to prompt ideas and release the pressure of the "right answer." Students will be encouraged to write outside of class and bring in anything they want. The fee includes original handouts, prompts, booklists, a copy of the final class anthology, and snacks at breaks. Classes are limited to 8, to allow individual attention.
WHEN:
Mondays and Wednesdays
9:30 a.m. to 12 noon
June 29 - July 31 (5 weeks)
WHERE:
32 Webb Road, Westport
COST:
$495 for 5 weeks
MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 8REGISTER NOW
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Jessica Bram at (203)227-3250 or jessica@westportwritersworkshop.com.
YOUR WORDS CAN SET YOU FREE:
CREATIVE WRITING FOR TEENS, Ages 15-18
with Patrick McCord Ph.D.
WHAT:
Song lyrics, movies scripts, journals, the internet, novels... anything goes in this workshop for creative teens. Without the pressure of grades, deadlines, or assignments, high school age writers will have the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild. Taught by award-winning poet, screenwriter, and published story-writer Patrick McCord, this workshop is designed to help young writers discover their voices, exercise their talents, and unlock their creativity. Each student will be encouraged to follow her or his own inspiration and intuitions. In addition to sharing writing, we will look to stories, video, music, and other media for inspiration and for insights into what makes really exciting work.
WHEN:
Mondays and Wednesdays, 2 - 4:30 p.m.
June 29 - July 31 (5 weeks)
WHERE:
32 Webb Road, Westport
COST:
$495 for 5 weeks
MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 8REGISTER NOW
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Jessica Bram at (203)227-3250 or jessica@westportwritersworkshop.com.
WRITING ABOUT YOUR LIFE: A MEMOIR AND PERSONAL ESSAY WORKSHOP
with Jessica Bram
WHAT:
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?
Everyday life offers us unlimited opportunities for reflection and for making sense of the world around us. 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:
5 Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to noon:
June 30, July 7, 14, 21, 28
WHERE:
32 Webb Road, Westport
COST:
$295 for 5-week session.
MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 6REGISTER NOW
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Jessica Bram at (203)227-3250 or jessica@westportwritersworkshop.com.
THE EXAMINED LIFE (Advanced)
with Jessica Bram
WHAT:
Everyday life offers us unlimited opportunities for reflection and for making sense of the world around us. Join us to explore the fascinating material generated by our own lives and at the same time, develop the writing techniques to make the writing more engaging, interesting, and effective.
This is a craft-focused workshop geared to the more advanced writer working on material intended for publication. It is appropriate for all genres of nonfiction including personal essays, memoir, and opinion writing. Written work will be shared in a constructive atmosphere intended to elevate the caliber of the work.
WHEN:
5 Thursdays, 2 to 4 p.m.:
July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
WHERE:
32 Webb Road, Westport
COST:
$295 for 5-week session.
MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 6REGISTER NOW
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Jessica at (203)227-3250 or jessica@westportwritersworkshop.com.
MEMOIR WRITING: TELLING OUR STORIES
with Valerie Seiling Jacobs
WHAT:
Have you been waiting for the right time to begin writing your memoirs? Whether you have a compelling story to tell, or would just like to pass down a wealth of wisdom to the next generation, now may be the perfect time to begin.
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:
4 Fridays, 10 a.m. to 12 noon
July 10, 17, 24, 31
WHERE:
32 Webb Road, Westport
COST:
$225 for 4-week session.
MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 7REGISTER NOW
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Jessica at (203)227-3250 or jessica@westportwritersworkshop.com.
SPECIAL EVENT
SCREENWRITING: WRITING IN PICTURES
with Patrick McCord Ph.D.
WHAT:
Thinking like a screenwriter is not like the thinking process involved in other kinds of writing. While movies may seem as infinitely various as dreams, they have an intrinsic image-based logic as well as specific structural strategies. This half-day workshop is designed to give screenwriters an understanding of the movie-image logic and how to use it with conventional structural strategies.
The following topics will be covered:
- Freeing your image-brain to work with your word-brain: write in pictures.
- Structural requirements of the screenplay.
- Understanding the shot, the scene, then linking scenes: how pictures link together.
- Bringing characters to life via imagery.
WHEN:
Saturday, July 18
9 a.m. to 12 noon
WHERE:
32 Webb Road, Westport
COST:
$55
$65 after July 1
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Jessica Bram at (203)227-3250 or jessica@westportwritersworkshop.com.
HOW TO FIND AN AGENT (AND THE ART OF THE QUERY LETTER)
with Denise Marcil
WHAT:
A good agent does far more than sell an author's book. But do you know what an agent does for you? And how do you go about finding one?
This workshop, led by experienced literary agent Denise Marcil, president of Denise Marcil Literary Agency, Inc., will answer those two pressing questions. First, she will explain the role of literary agents: what they do, how they develop and guide the careers of writers, how they negotiate contracts, and how they advocate for their writers in negotiations with their publishers. Second, she will describe what steps writers need to take in order to secure an agent.
Participants will learn the art of the agent query letter, which is the critical first step in attracting an agent. Denise will describe the process for identifying which agents to pitch with your query letter, and how to find and contact them.
In this hands-on workshop, participants will have an opportunity to receive feedback on a sample agent query letter that they may either bring with them or draft in the workshop. Enrollment is limited to 9 to enable each participant to discuss his or her own publishing goals.
Denise Marcil, who has launched the writing careers of hundreds of authors, represents a wide variety of commercial fiction and non-fiction, from thrillers to management books. She has been an active board member of the Independent Literary Agents Association and the the Association of Author's Representatives.
WHEN:
Saturday, June 13
9 a.m. to 12 noon
WHERE:
32 Webb Road, Westport
COST:
$150
Early Bird Discount: $125 if paid by March 15.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Jessica at (203)227-3250 or jessica@westportwritersworkshop.com.
MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 8REGISTER NOW
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Jessica Bram at (203)227-3250 or jessica@westportwritersworkshop.com.
FICTION WRITING (Westport)
with Suzanne Hoover, Ph.D.
WHAT:
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. 21, Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov. 2, 9, 16
WHERE:
32 Webb Road, Westport
COST:
$475 for 8-week session.
MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 7REGISTER NOW
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Jessica at (203)227-3250 or jessica@westportwritersworkshop.com.
FICTION WRITING (Greenwich-Evening)
with Suzanne Hoover, Ph.D.
WHAT:
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, 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, 7 to 9:30 p.m.:
Sept. 21, Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov. 2, 9, 16
WHERE:
Round Hill Community Church
395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich
(Exit 28 off Merritt Parkway)
COST:
$475 for 8-week session.
MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 7REGISTER NOW
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Jessica at (203)227-3250 or jessica@westportwritersworkshop.com.
FICTION WRITING (Greenwich-Day)
with Suzanne Hoover, Ph.D.
WHAT:
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, 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 Tuesdays, 2 to 4:30 pm:
Sept. 22, 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov. 3, 1
WHERE:
Round Hill Community Church
395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich
(Exit 28 off Merritt Parkway)
COST:
$475 for 8-week session.
MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 7REGISTER NOW
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Jessica at (203)227-3250 or jessica@westportwritersworkshop.com.