|
Workshops for Adults One
and Two Day Workshops Workshops
for Young Writers |
| Special
Panel Workshop: |
Writer’s
Boot Camp:
How to
Get a Literary Agent
Saturday,
June 25, 9:30am-12:30pm $100
if enrolled by May 31, 2011*
$125 if enrolled on or after June 1, 2011*
Have
you ever thought, “maybe I’ve got a book here;” “so-and-so says I should share
my knowledge with others;” “maybe my story could help other people;” or “I think
I’ve got a great idea for a novel?”
This three-hour workshop will help
you get your project off the ground! This special session will feature five distinguished
panelists:
• Jessica Bram,nonfiction
author of Happily Ever After Divorce: Notes
on
a Joyful Journey
•
Lucy Hedrick, fiction author of Premarital Assets, as well as
five-time nonfiction author
•
Prill Boyle, nonfiction author of Defying Gravity: A Celebration
of Late-blooming Women
• Nina
Nelson, author of middle-grade children’s book, Bringing
the Boy Home
•
Denise Marcil, President & Founder, Denise Marcil Literary
Agency, New York, NY, who has sold almost 2,000 books
Participants will learn: what agents are looking for and what will distinguish
you from so many other submissions; requirements for current fiction and memoir;
requirements of nonfiction book proposals; the importance of ‘platform’ and how
to build one; how to research and meet agents, and the features of a query letter
that will get your work requested.
*An optional ‘Brown Bag’
lunch with the panelists is available for an additional $25 per person and is
limited to 15 participants.
| |
|
Summer
2011 Writing Workshops for Adults
To register, click here. |
WRITING
FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS
with Nora Baskin 6
WEDNESDAYS, 1:30-3:30pm
July 6 - Aug 10
Fee:
$240 (Baskin returnees $230), Code: NBs11a
This six week class will
take you through the basics of writing for young audiences, from creating believable
characters, finding your authentic voice, structuring both picture books and novels,
and understanding the business of publishing. There will be in-class writing,
take home exercises, and thoughtful positive group critiquing. There is no better
way to learn to write, than to take risks, write, share your work, and get feedback.
The young adult market has never been more creative, exciting, and open to fresh
new voices and ideas - break into the scene now! |
ADVANCED
CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITING
with Nora Baskin 6
MONDAYS, 1:30-3:30pm
July 11 - Aug 15
Fee:
$240 (Baskin returnees $230), Code: NBs11b
For those who have already
taken Baskin's Writing for Children and Young Adults or for those who have
a work-in-progress, this class will follow a standard, professionally lead critique
group format. Each week, students will come prepared to read from their WIP as
well as comment constructively on the work of others. There is no better way,
or perhaps no OTHER way to become a better writer than to WRITE , share your work,
and hear the feedback from others knowledgeable in the field. As a note, this
class is about gentle, thoughtful and timely commenting. It is about building
trust and confidence, and gaining an understanding of business of children and
young adult publishing. |
HOW
TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD THRILLER
with Suzanne Chazin 4
THURSDAYS 1-3pm
July 7 – 28
Fee:
$250, Code: SCs11a
Browse any list of bestselling novels and you’ll
notice that the majority turn out to be thrillers— stories full of action and
suspense with an irresistible question at their core: “What if…? What if the Catholic
Church were trying to hide the proof that Jesus Christ sired an heir? (Brown’s
The Da Vinci Code) What if dinosaurs could be cloned from fossilized DNA? (Crichton’s
Jurassic Park) What if a journalist and a computer hacker were asked to solve
a decades-old missing persons case? (Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
The question,
“what if,” often launches a thriller. But to weave that first spark of curiosity
and excitement into a fast-paced narrative can be a frustrating hit-or-miss endeavor.
A writer must walk a tightrope of competing interests: characters and settings
demand to be fleshed out, yet the pacing must remain taut. This course will demystify
the elements of a thriller in a step-by-step format full of practical tips, writing
exercises and critiquing sessions designed to sharpen your work. We’ll discuss
how to use point-of-view to its greatest advantage and how to move forward when
you’re blocked. In the end, we’ll discuss how to find an agent and showcase your
work. Whether you’re just starting out, or trying to rework an existing manuscript,
this course will help you move your idea from conception to the printed page.
|
EXPLORING
POETRY
with
Jo Ann Clark 6
FRIDAYS, 9:30-11:30am
July 8 - Aug 12
Fee: $240 (Clark returnees
$230), Code: JCs11a
Can’t take all 6 classes? Prorate
this course for $45 per class (minimum 4 classes).
Why
do poems we like please or move us? How do they take hold in our memory? In this
class we will read poems that are provocative, elegiac, ravishing, and just plain
fun. Participants will also write poems. Writers at all levels of experience are
welcome. Weekly prompts are individualized according to student needs and interest.
Students should bring two poems to the first class – one written by a favorite
author, the other by the participant. Status:
Open and accepting registrations
|
HOW
TO WRITE PAGE-TURNING FICTION
with Joanne Dobson 4
THURSDAYS, 7-9pm
Aug 4 - 25
Fee:
$160 (Dobson returnees $150), Code: JDs11a
If
you’ve ever stayed up ‘til three with a compelling novel, you’ve probably wondered,
“How do they do that?” Study the literary techniques of popular genres, and learn
how to create compelling plots in a unique voice, harnessing the conflict and
tension between sympathetic protagonists and disquieting antagonists. Whether
your characters inhabit the extreme world of detection and intrigue, or the everyday
life of private agonies and personal satisfactions, your writing can benefit from
that special “can’t-put-it-down” magic.
Status:
Open and accepting registrations |
THE
VERESATILE PERSONAL ESSAY
with Herb Hadad
4
TUESDAYS, 7-9pm
June
28 - July 19
Fee: $160 (Hadad returnees $150) Code: HHs11a
The
personal essay is a form for all seasons. It can be a memoir or a short story
in disguise; it allows for the most satisfying and polished examination of ideas,
beliefs, troubles and pleasures by writers of all experience levels. 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.
Bring a work in progress to the first session. Status:
Closed |
MEMOIR
WRITING WORKSHOP
with Susan Hodara
6
TUESDAYS, 10am-12:15pm
June 28 - Aug 2
Fee:
$240 (Hodara returnees $230) Code: SHs11a
Are
you inspired to record the transforming events of your life? Are you drawn to
explore the circumstances surrounding your most vivid memories? For those with
a work-in-progress or those starting fresh, this class will offer a supportive
environment wherein each week you will read aloud and receive constructive feedback.
Writers at all levels of accomplishment, and with projects both full-length and
short-form, are welcome. Status:
Sold Out! |
FROM
BEEKEEPING TO SURFING: EXPLORING YOUR OWN NEW POEMS
with Amy Holman 4
WEDNESDAYS, 6:45-8:45pm
July 6 – 27
Fee:
$190 (Holman returnees $180), Code: AHs11a This
class encourages participants to take their interests and curiosities in other
subjects and explore them in their poems, both to break out of current patterns
in their work and to infuse their poems with new ideas. We will read through poems
of other poets who have written on the subjects of bees, surfing, interest rates,
archaeology, medicine, math, biology, history, glassblowing, the news, and other
subjects, and review a few magazines receptive to particular subjects or themes.
Participants should bring an article or advertisement of interest to use in a
writing exercise. Status:
Open and accepting registrations |
| SONGWRITING
WORKSHOP*
with
Kinny Landrum
7
WEDNESDAY CLASSES & A SPECIAL CLASS CONCERT, 7–9pm
July 6 - Aug 17
Class
concert on Aug 24th at 7:30pm at the HVWC
Fee: $250 (Landrum returnees
$240), Code: KLs11a
This workshop will discuss the history and techniques
of songwriting, both lyrics and music, while analyzing songs from all genres and
eras. Through these classes the students will foster an appreciation and respect
for all genres of music and songwriting. The class is oriented towards both the
beginning songwriter as well as those who wish to improve or broaden their talents
and is most appropriate for students 16 and older. Instrumental expertise is not
required, but the willingness to have one’s songs performed, or to perform it
oneself, and to have it heard and discussed will be paramount.
*
This workshop will take place at The JCC on the Hudson – 371 South Broadway, in
Tarrytown. Through this partnership the HVWC is able to waive the registration
fee for this class to all JCC on the Hudson members.
Status:
Open and accepting registrations |
JUMP-STARTING
YOUR STORY: USING THE FORMS OF FICTION
with David
Surface 5
SATURDAYS, 10am-12pm
July 9 – Aug 6
Fee:
$250 (Surface returnees $240), Code: DSs11a
As
a writer, one of your most important tools is reading. Writers read other writers
for inspiration, for ideas, and sometimes just for fun. But what are the most
important things to take away from our reading that will help us become better
writers? What is the quickest, most powerful way to turn reading into writing?
In this workshop, you will learn to “read like a writer.” Through this class you’ll
discover what great writers are doing on the page and then learn to use what you’ve
learned to write powerful stories of your own. Status:
Open and accepting registrations
|
STRATEGIES
FOR MEMOIR AND NONFICTION
with
Mindy Lewis
4
FRIDAYS, May 6 & 20; June 3 & 17
12:30-3pm
Fee:
$225 (Lewis returnees $220); Code: MLw11b
You
have a slew of pages-or just a great idea. Now what? This intensive workshop will
help you clarify the subject and scope of your project, identify thematic threads,
hone in on voice and point of view, and explore possibilities of form and structure.
Writing prompts, handouts and class discussion will inspire new writing and deepen
understanding of craft. Open to those writing personal narrative in any form:
memoir, personal essay, creative nonfiction, autobiographical fiction. Status:
Closed
To Register for this class by fax
click here.
|
|
Summer
2011 One and Two Day Workshops
To register, click here. |
WRITER'S
BOOT CAMP: HOW TO GET A LITERARY AGENT
with
Prill
Boyle, Jessica Bram, Lucy Hedrick,
Denise Marcil,
& Nina Nelson
1
SATURDAY, June 25, 9:30am-12:30pm
Code:
LHs11a
$100 if enrolled by May 31
$125
if enrolled on or after June 1
Have
you ever thought, “maybe I’ve got a book here;” “so-and-so says I should share
my knowledge with others;” “maybe my story could help other people;” or “I think
I’ve got a great idea for a novel?” This three-hour workshop will help you get
your project off the ground!
This special session will feature five distinguished
panelists:
• Jessica Bram, nonfiction author of Happily Ever After
Divorce: Notes on a Joyful Journey
• Lucy Hedrick, fiction author of Premarital
Assets, as well as five-time nonfiction author
• Prill Boyle, nonfiction
author of Defying Gravity: A Celebration of Late-blooming Women
• Nina
Nelson, author of middle-grade children’s book, Bringing the Boy Home
•
Denise Marcil, President & Founder, Denise Marcil Literary Agency, New York, NY,
who has sold almost 2,000 books
Participants will learn: what agents are
looking for and what will distinguish you from so many other submissions; requirements
for current fiction and memoir; requirements of nonfiction book proposals; the
importance of ‘platform’ and how to build one; how to research and meet agents,
and the features of a query letter that will get your work requested.
*An
optional ‘Brown Bag’ lunch with the panelists is available for an additional $25
per person and is limited to 15 participants. Status:
Closed
|
MIDSUMMER
MEMOIR INTENIVE
with Mindy Lewis
2
FRIDAYS, July 8 & 22
12:30-3pm
Fee: $110,
Code: MLs11a
Can’t
make both classes? Take just one of them at a prorated cost of $65.
Take
a break and refresh your writing practice in a stimulating atmosphere of collaborative
exploration. Participants will share and discuss their writing. Take one, take
the other, or take both and get a discount! Continuing and new writers welcome;
genres: memoir, creative nonfiction, personal essay, autobiographical fiction. Status:
Open and accepting registrations
|
SECRETS
OF SUCCESFUL INTERVIEWING FOR WRITERS
with Penny
Pearlman
1 WEDNESDAY, June 29
7-9pm
Fee:
$75, Code: PPs11a
Interviewing
skills are invaluable for obtaining the kind of stories and information that add
color to fiction, non-fiction, news articles and radio and television interviewing.
Getting the most interesting stories and comments from interview subjects is an
art. Participants at the workshop will learn how to get subjects to meet with
them, whether that person is a celebrity or the woman on the street, how to put
both yourself and your interview subject at ease, and how to prepare and ask the
right questions to elicit information that hasn’t been told to others, as well
as other interviewing techniques. During the workshop, participants will have
the opportunity to practice interviewing skills.
Status:
Closed
|
“CAN
YOU HEAR ME NOW?” - READING YOUR WORK ALOUD
with Estha
Weiner
2 MONDAYS, July 11 & 18
7-9pm
Fee: $160 (Weiner returnees
$150), Code: EWs11a This is a vital intensive for any writers
who will ever want to read their work aloud, or for any writer who has an upcoming
reading to prepare for, or who has just had a book published and needs help selling
it (or for anyone who just wants to feel easy about reading aloud)! When reading
aloud you are both an actor and a writer – a piece of prose or poetry lives on
the page and “on the stage.” In two 2-hour intensives, we will provide you with
a variety of easily-developed skills in order to create a memorable experience
for you and your audience by practicing techniques and projection. It will be
hands-on, so bring something to read, and jump in! Status:
Open and accepting registrations
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Summer
2011 Workshops for Young Writers
To register, click here. |
| SAT
PREP COURSE
with Tom Caserta 4
TUESDAYS, 10am-1pm
Aug 9 - 30
Fee:
$395, Code: TCs11a
To
enter the college of your choice, you must prepare for the challenge of the S.A.T.
There is no substitute for gaining familiarity with the content and rhythm of
the S.A.T. The format of the test does not vary, and each student needs to understand
how to tackle the questions within this format.
Over the course of four
weeks and 12 classroom hours, Thomas Caserta (one of the most recognizable names
in Westchester in the field of S.A.T. preperation) will teach your student how
to pace him or herself, keep calm, and master the art of taking this important
standardized test. The course will focus on test content, strategies and techniques,
proper use of test time, guessing probability, scoring, confidence building, and
individual needs. Students learn every aspect of the test and gain experience
and confidence in the writing, critical reading, and math sections.
Students
will practice impromptu 25 minute essay writing, grammar, logical flow of ideas,
comparrison reading, Latin prefixes, functions, fractions, arithmatic, geometry,
and more.
Thomas Caserta has been teaching this comprehensive course for
over 20 years and has developed on-going classes at a number of schools in Westchester
including Hackley, Fordham Prep, Briarcliff, Ursuline, Rye Country Day School,
and CITYterm at The Masters School.
*Students will also be responsible
for purchasing The Official S.A.T. Study Guide by The College Board (ISBN: 9780874478525)
and bring it to every class. Status:
Open and accepting registrations |
LEARNING
TO SEE™ LITE:
CREATIVE WRITING FOR TEENS
with Brenda
Connor-Bey 6
WEDNESDAYS, 10:30am-12pm
June 29 - Aug 3
Fee:
$250 (Connor-Bey returnees $240), Code: BCBs11a
Can’t
take all 6 classes? Prorate this course for $45 per class (minimum 4 classes).
Want to write poetry? A short short? A story
idea? Or learn how to use journals to organize your life? These are some of the
same topics covered in depth during Connor-Bey’s successful Saturday workshops.
She has designed this summer series to highlight some of these topics so that
you walk away with tools in each of these genres. (For
teenagers 14 years and older)
|
CREATIVE
WRITING FOR 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th Graders
with
Kate Gallagher
9
MONDAYS and THURSDAYS, 10am-12pm
June 27 - July 28 (No class: July 4)
Fee:
$300 (Gallagher returnees $285), Code:KGs11a
Can’t
take all 9 classes? Prorate this course for $36 per class (minimum 4 classes).
Every day you notice the world: a fly perched on a leaf, the smell
of sauce on the stove, the sound of traffic outside your window. How do you learn
to use your imagination to express what your senses and your emotions teach you?
Come learn different writing techniques and share your ideas in a comfortable
atmosphere. Status:
Open and accepting registrations |
WRITING
POWERFUL PERSONAL ESSAYS: TOOLS FOR THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ESSAY
with
David Surface 2
SATURDAYS, 1-2:30pm
July 30 & Aug 6
Fee: $175, Code:DSs11b The
personal essay is one of the most important parts of a student’s college admissions
application. It’s also a student’s best chance to shine and show what makes them
special. Unfortunately, many high schools do not adequately prepare students for
this important writing skill.
In this special intensive course, students
will learn effective, practical methods for writing a powerful personal essay
that will stand out from the crowd. Using a unique system of tools and writing
activities, students will learn:
- How to supercharge their essay with
powerful personal experience and observations
- How to craft their personal
experiences into compelling and persuasive prose
- How to discover and present
their own unique view of the world
- How to allow their own personal voice
to be heard on the page
Status:
Open and accepting registrations
David
Surface is an award-winning published writer and arts educator with twenty
years of experience teaching writing in public and private schools. He is the
founder of WriteMind Workshop, a writing enhancement program for students and
teachers of grades 4 – 12 and leads professional development seminars and writing
residencies in schools throughout New York City and Westchester County. He has
been writer-in-residence at the Bronx High School for Writing and Communication
Arts, part of the Bill and Melinda Gates New Visions for Public Schools program,
and his professional development workshops for teachers have been approved for
continuing education credit by the Tarrytown Union Free School District, the Ossining
Union Free School District, and the Rockville Teachers Center.
|
| GETTING
CREATIVE WITH WRITING IN SCHOOL
with
David Surface
2 SATURDAYS, Aug 13 & 20
Fee:
$140
Session
1: For Students in Grades 5-8 only
11am-12:30pm, Code:DSs11c
Session
2: For Students in Grades 9-12 only
1-2:30pm,
Code: DSs11d
Students who enjoy using their imaginations to write
creative stories are sometimes challenged by standard school writing assignments
that may seem dry or boring. The truth is that the same skills that students use
to write imaginative stories – vivid details, lively language, a sense of drama,
and a strong personal voice – can also help them write outstanding school reports
and essays.
In this special workshop, students in grades 5-8 (Session
1) and 9-12 (Session 2) will learn fun, creative approaches to two expository
writing assignments – the persuasive essay and biography – while developing greater
enjoyment and self-confidence as writers.
Status:
Open and accepting registrations
David
Surface is an award-winning published writer and arts educator with twenty
years of experience teaching writing in public and private schools. He is the
founder of WriteMind Workshop, a writing enhancement program for students and
teachers of grades 4 – 12 and leads professional development seminars and writing
residencies in schools throughout New York City and Westchester County. He has
been writer-in-residence at the Bronx High School for Writing and Communication
Arts, part of the Bill and Melinda Gates New Visions for Public Schools program,
and his professional development workshops for teachers have been approved for
continuing education credit by the Tarrytown Union Free School District, the Ossining
Union Free School District, and the Rockville Teachers Center.
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Please
note that there is a nonrefundable $25 administrative fee per workshop
for students
who
are NOT members of the Writers' Center (HVWC).
($15 for youths, seniors, and our shorter one and two-day workshops)
|
For
further information on any of our workshop offerings, call the HVWC at 914.332.5953
or email us at info@writerscenter.org |
|
Recent Past workshop digital catalogs:
Winter/Spring
2011
Fall 2010
Summer
2010
Spring
2010
|
