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Fall 2009 Writing Workshops | ||||
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note that there is a nonrefundable $25 registration fee per workshop Due to Metro North’s ongoing Hudson Line station rehabilitation project at our Philipse Manor station home, some or all of our Fall 2009 workshops may be held offsite. You will be notified as far in advance as possible if your workshop location changes. | ||||
| Fall Workshops for Adults
One and Two-Day Workshops
Fall Workshops for Young Writers
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Fall 2009 Writing Workshops for Adults Please note that, in addition to the adult workshop fees shown below, there is a $25 nonrefundable registration fee (per workshop) charged to registering students who are not members of the Writers’ Center (HVWC). Registration fees are waived for HVWC members. For workshops at Pelham Art Center (PAC), registration fees are also waived for PAC members. For
instructor bios, click here. | ||||||||||
| JUMP
START YOUR POETRY 5
Wednesdays, 7 - 9 pm Give
your poetry a "jump start" by exploring image and language. In this
workshop, we will read poems, engage in writing exercises, and respond to one
another's work. For those just starting out as well as those Status: canceled | ||||||||||
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HOW
TO WRITE PAGE-TURNING FICTION 8
Thursdays, 7 - 9 pm We’ve all done it, stayed awake until three a.m. compulsively turning pages until we finish the book or our eyes betray us and we fall asleep. How do writers grab us like that and not let go? As writers ourselves we can learn from literary techniques of popular genres how to keep the story moving in a compelling fashion. Whether we write about the everyday dramas of ordinary life or the extreme situations of the detective novel or the pulse-pounding thriller, our work will benefit from consideration of how to develop compelling and sympathetic protagonists, disquieting antagonists, a unique voice, well-considered plots, conflict and tension. Our characters may or may not be seeking the Holy Grail, but everyday life with its quiet agonies and quiet satisfactions is equally sacred to the writer of intelligent fiction—and equally deserving of that special magic it takes to keep the reader turning “just one more page.” Status: completed | ||||||||||
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A
HARVEST SEASON POETRY WORKSHOP 5
Mondays, 7 - 9 pm Bring your work to fruition this fall. In five sessions spaced two weeks apart, this workshop will support the process of developing and completing new work—from the inspiration to the envelope. We will begin with strategies for culling fresh material and generating first drafts, then address the revision process and methods for strengthening and intensifying the work. Ongoing discussion will address many aspects of poetic craft, including voice, persona, form, imagery, and musicality, and some exercises will be done in class, but the emphasis will be on gathering momentum for individual projects over the course of the fall. Participants should be comfortable drafting poems and expect to complete a suite of five or more poems in the 10-week period. The workshop will also include coaching for the submission process, offering practical tips, resources, and camaraderie. Status: completed | ||||||||||
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POETRY
MASTER CLASS 3
Saturdays, 9 am - noon As
far as I'm concerned poetry is about elegy. Every poem is a memory of some kind,
a celebratory elegy. "Each workshop we will use the hours at our disposal to do a close reading of a poem by each member of the group. As we proceed I hope the poets will gather a few useful suggestions not only about their own work, but about the whole issue of evaluation. In other words, we'll try, in as communally agreeable a way as possible, to expand our own critical vocabularies in ways useful to us as both writers and readers of poetry. There will also be one "exercise" which will be continued through the three sessions."
Status: completed | ||||||||||
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THE
ART OF THE ESSAY 8
Tuesdays, 7 - 9 pm More than any other kind of non-fiction writing, the essay offers the opportunity to express, in a short and conversational form, the whole range of thoughts and feelings, from intimacy and grief to joy and epiphany. This once-neglected form, now in renaissance, allows for the most satisfying and polished examination of ideas, beliefs, troubles and pleasures by writers beginning, renowned, and (like most of us) in between. Status: canceled | ||||||||||
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MEMOIR
WRITING 10
Tuesdays, 10:15 am - 12:15 pm Are you compelled to write about the transforming events in your life? Do you want to record stories from your past? Are you haunted by vivid memories and drawn to explore the circumstances that surround them? Whether you are in the process of writing a memoir or just getting started, this workshop is a supportive environment where you will read your work aloud each week and receive constructive feedback. It also provides a structure to help you develop and maintain a regular writing practice. Writers of all levels, working on short pieces or book-length works, are welcome. Status: completed | ||||||||||
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CREATIVE
NONFICTION 6
Fridays, 12:30 - 2:30 pm Explore the realm of narrative possibility at the juncture of observed reality, memory, and imagination. Drawing on techniques of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, students write and share short pieces in an atmosphere of lively, supportive discussion. Writing prompts and handouts by contemporary and historic masters provide inspiration to hone the tools of strong writing: distinctive voice, precise language, resonant imagery, vivid sensory description, dramatic scene and dialogue, inventive form. Status: full; started 10/9 | ||||||||||
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HOW
TO PLAN, WRITE, AND DEVELOP A BOOK 6
Mondays, 1:30 - 4:30 pm* Whether you’re a nonfiction author, memoirist, or novelist, and whether you have a book almost finished or merely a concept for one, this 6 week class will help you get to know your book—what it is about, how to structure it, how to finish it! You’ll learn a step-by-step plan (including timetables, chapter grids, story-boarding, and other techniques) and ways to flow chapters, find holes in your material that need filling, organize research and concepts, and construct plots. You’ll also learn how to package your book for agents and publishers and gain essential tips on editing and evaluating your book at all stages. Status: completed *Note:
Ms. Moore will also run several workshops for returning students only. | ||||||||||
| FINDING
THE HEART OF YOUR STORY 6
Saturdays, October 3, 17, 24; November 7; December 5, 12 "What's your story about?" Many writers hate that question because they think it reduces something big and complex to something small and simplistic. The truth is that when we can't get a story started or when we labor for months or years on dozens of drafts, it's often because we haven't found the simple human truth that the story is trying to tell. Fortunately, there are techniques we can use to cut through the fog and discover what your story is trying to be. In this workshop for begining and experienced fiction writers, we'll look at how other writers have turned simple human truths into the driving engine for their stories, and try those techniques ourselves in a supportive and creative setting. For more information, go to Status: full; started 10/3 | ||||||||||
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SERIOUSLY
SCARY STORIES 6
Saturdays, October 17, 24, 31; November 7; December 5, 12 "Scary stories" are more popular than ever. Practitioners of supernatural fiction, such as Neil Gaiman and Steven King occupy the best seller list while "literary" writers such as Joyce Carol Oates and Alice Sebold delve into the supernatural to reveal deep human truths. In this workshop, we will examine the art of the scary story from a craft-based perspective, looking at works by classic masters of the genre such as Edgar Alan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft as well as contemporary writers such as Joe Hill and Glen Hirshberg who are bringing new ideas and new life to the genre. We will also do writing exercises that will open up the darker side of your imagination and get you started on your own "seriously scary" story. For more information, go to http://web.mac.com/davidsurface/Site_2/Seriously_Scary_Stories_Workshop.html Status: started 10/17 | ||||||||||
| MEMOIR
WRITING 6 Thursdays,
7:00 - 9:00 pm at Pelham
Art Center, 155 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY Are you compelled to write about the transforming events in your life? Do you want to record stories from your past? Are you haunted by vivid memories and drawn to explore the circumstances that surround them? Whether you are a first-time writer or seeking response to ongoing work, this class provides a supportive environment where you will read your writing aloud each week and receive constructive feedback. It also provides a structure to help you develop and maintain a regular writing practice. Writers of all levels welcome. Status: Oct/Nov session completed; Dec/Jan session open and accepting registrations | ||||||||||
| FICTION
WRITING 6
Tuesdays, 7:00 - 9:00 pm at Pelham
Art Center, 155 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY Someone once said that fiction is a lie that tells the truth. If fiction writing is basically "making things up", how can we make things up that feel true? What is it that turns a character from a bunch of random ink marks on a page into a flesh and blood human being? How can we change our stories from something other people will merely read about into something they will experience? In this workshop, we will explore practical techniques for breathing life into fiction and finding the truth in our stories. One session will be devoted to a practical discussion of how to give your writing the best chance of getting published. Status: canceled | ||||||||||
| Fall 2009 One and Two-Day Workshops Please note that, in addition to the one and two-day workshop fees shown below, there is a $15 nonrefundable registration fee (per workshop) charged to registering students who are not members of the Writers’ Center (HVWC). Registration fees are waived for HVWC members. For workshops at Pelham Art Center (PAC), registration fees are also waived for PAC members. For
instructor bios, click here. | ||||||||||
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ELEVEN
ESSENTIALS TO WRITING YOUR BEST CHILDREN’S BOOK 2
Mondays, November 30 & December
7 This two-part
workshop is designed to provide the necessary tools to help meet the challenge
of creating a children’s book. The class will focus on Eleven Essentials to think
about on every page. We’ll have time for thorough critiques of students’ work
submitted in advance*, as well as the practical application of self-starting and
obstacle-smashing exercises. There will be required reading before and homework
in between the two sessions. NOTE: Marthe Jocelyn will also review work (separate from that discussed in class) of up to 20 pages in advance of the class and meet with you for a 20-minute one-on-one session by appointment following class. Fee for the manuscript review and one-on-one session is $75. Status: full; started 11/30 | ||||||||||
| WRITING
YOUR ROOTS 2
Thursdays, October 29 & November
19 We all have family stories that shape us: both the ones we know well and the ones we only half-know, or imagine, as we fill in the silences and omissions. Using models, on-the-spot exercises, and discussion as springboards, participants explore the connections between who we are and our family histories. We will focus on how memory, research, photos, even sayings around the house, work together to create writing that family, friends, and community will want to read. NOTE: This is a two-part workshop three weeks apart, so that participants have time to search the attic, interview relatives, and/or check the archives, Google, and old newspapers for information that strengthens the ties between memoir (my story) and history that make family stories more powerful. Status: completed | ||||||||||
| SEX
AND SERIOUS FICTION 2
Saturdays, November 14 & 21 There's no denying that sex is one of the most powerful forces in human life--why, then, do writers tend to get cold feet when their characters hit the sheets? In this special two-day workshop, we will explore the "subtle" as well as the "graphic" approach to writing about sex and try writing exercises designed to breathe life into the erotic element of your stories. Readings will include Marguerite Duras, Harold Brodkey, Reynolds Price, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Robert Musil and John Berger. Additional biographical information: David Surface has published fiction and non fiction in a wide variety of print and online journals. His novella Going Out With Angela was anthologized in The Best New Erotica. His story "Carmen Who Lives at the Lake" was anthologized in From Porn to Poetry: Clean Sheets Celebrates the Erotic Mind, and was also nominated for a Pushcart Prize in fiction. He received a 2005 Fellowship in Non Fiction Literature from the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and was one of six statewide finalists for the NYFA Prize. Status: completed | ||||||||||
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FINDING
THE HEART OF YOUR STORY Saturday,
September 26 "What's your story about?" Many writers hate that question because they think it reduces something big and complex to something small and simplistic. The truth is that when we can't get a story started or when we labor for months or years on dozens of drafts, it's often because we haven't found the simple human truth that the story is trying to tell. In this special 3-hour intensive workshop for begining and experienced writers, you will learn a set of practical techniques for finding the emotional core of your story and building on that foundation to craft a powerful piece of fiction. Note: Also see our 6-class session of this workshop above. Students who take this one-day intensive workshop and then register for the 6-class session will receive an additional $5 discount on the 6-class session. Status: completed | ||||||||||
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SERIOUSLY
SCARY STORIES Saturday,
October 3 "Scary stories" are more popular than ever. Practitioners of supernatural fiction, such as Neil Gaiman and Steven King occupy the best seller list while "literary" writers such as Joyce Carol Oates and Alice Sebold delve into the supernatural to reveal deep human truths. In this special four-hour intensive workshop, we will examine the art of the scary story from a craft-based perspective, looking at works by classic masters of the genre such as Edgar Alan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft as well as contemporary writers such as Joe Hill and Glen Hirshberg who are bringing new ideas and new life to the genre. We will also do writing exercises that will open up the darker side of your imagination and get you started on your own "seriously scary" story. Bring a bag lunch, if you'd like. Note: Also see our 6-class session of this workshop above. Students who take this one-day intensive workshop and then register for the 6-class session will receive an additional $5 discount on the 6-class session. Status: canceled | ||||||||||
| Fall 2009 Workshops for Young Writers Please note that, in addition to the youth workshop fees shown below, there is a $15 nonrefundable registration fee (per workshop) charged to registering students who are not members of the Writers’ Center (HVWC). Registration fees are waived for HVWC members. For workshops at Pelham Art Center (PAC), registration fees are also waived for PAC members. For
instructor bios, click here. | ||||||||||
| LEARNING
TO SEE™: CREATIVE WRITING FOR TEENS AGE 14+ 8
Saturdays, September 26 - December 12 (skips
Oct 3, Oct 10, Oct 17, Nov 28) Eight workshop sessions in which writers age 14 and up can refine their “writer’s eye” and find their own voices. Participants will be challenged to use their imaginations and every sense of their being to get beyond the surface of things and to put on paper the stories and ideas that come to them. They will also celebrate the sound of words and the images they create. “It’s not like school,” says Connor-Bey, and the small groups allow for maximum individualization. Status: full; started 9/26 | ||||||||||
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CREATIVE
WRITING FOR AGES 11 - 14 10
Tuesdays, October 6 - December 15
(skips
Nov 24) Some of us like nature stories, some like fantasy, some like adventure, some like personal stories, and some of us like to write poetry. In this workshop we will tap into our experiences and let our imaginations flow. We will listen to our dreams and ideas as we explore the world around us and the world within us. We will embark on an adventure in writing, as we mold our words into stories and poems. Status: started 10/6 | ||||||||||
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CREATIVE
WRITING FOR THIRD, FOURTH, AND FIFTH GRADERS 10
Thursdays, October 1 - December 10 (skips Nov 26) Each day you take in the world around you—a fly perched on a leaf, the smell of spaghetti sauce bubbling on the stove, the sound of traffic rushing by on the street outside our window. How do use these things to create stories and poems? This class will help stimulate your senses, imagination, and emotions, and allow you to try out various writing techniques and share ideas in a comfortable atmosphere. (Note that some sessions will be taught by Kate Gallagher and others will be taught by Charlotte Walsh.) Status: started 10/1 | ||||||||||
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CREATIVE
WRITING FOR AGES 11 - 14 Session
A: 6 Mondays, October 19 - November 23 at
Pelham
Art Center, 155 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY Some of us like nature stories, some like fantasy, some like adventure, some like personal stories, and some of us like to write poetry. In this workshop we will tap into our experiences and let our imaginations flow. We will listen to our dreams and ideas as we explore the world around us and the world within us. We will embark on an adventure in writing, as we mold our words into stories and poems. Status: session A completed; session B open and accepting registrations | ||||||||||
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For information on any of our instructors, click here For further information on any of our workshop offerings, call the HVWC at (914) 332-5953 or email us at info@writerscenter.org. Due to Metro North’s ongoing Hudson Line station rehabilitation project at our Philipse Manor station home, some or all of our Fall 2009 workshops may be held offsite. You will be notified as far in advance as possible if your workshop location changes. | ||||||||||
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Notes: HVWC = The Hudson Valley Writers' Center, 300 Riverside Drive, Sleepy Hollow, NY. Classes and worshops are held in the restored Philipse Manor railroad station. For travel directions, visit our Directions page or see train schedules at Metro-North's Hudson River Line. PAC = Pelham Art Center, 155 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY. For directions, click here. Junior League = The Junior League of Westchester-on-Hudson, 35 South Broadway, Tarrytown, New York. Due to Metro North’s ongoing Hudson Line station rehabilitation project at our Philipse Manor station home, our Monday - Friday daytime workshops are occasionally moved to the Junior League. The building is located at the intersection of South Broadway (Route 9) and West Elizabeth Street, north of the Tappan Zee Bridge.
For further information about any of these classes or workshops, call the Writers' Center at 914-332-5953. The Hudson Valley Writers' Center - Home Page
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