Find new depths to your writing in a radical, anti-workshop workshop with award-winning writer C Pam Zhang! This course is for advanced fiction writers who want the rigor of an MFA program combined with a radically humanist approach to thinking about work-in-progress as truly in progress: malleable, thrillingly alive with potential, and containing the seeds […]
Write your memoir with bestselling author Nicole Chung! This intensive workshop is open to writers working on a memoir or memoir-in-essays. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in lively craft discussions, reflections, and exercises designed to help you identify key ideas and themes you want to explore in your work. If you have an idea […]
Write your novel with bestselling author Julia Phillips! This 10-month intensive class is open to writers working on a book-length work of fiction. It focuses on creating a propulsive story that is truly satisfying for the reader. Together, we’ll explore the different aspects of craft that help make a thrilling, fulfilling novel, including stakes, characterization, […]
Write your memoir with award-winning author Edgar Gomez! In this intensive, you will learn about the art of creative nonfiction and be given the tools to ready your memoir or memoir-in-essays for publication. Format We will begin our time together with discussions about essential craft elements, such as structure, voice, audience, setting, characterization, navigating time, […]
Craft new work and rebuild your relationship to revision For some poets, the most difficult part of writing is getting to the page, but for others, it is the act of revisiting those early drafts. This course will help students not only write new work with ease, but also return to those poems with a […]
Have you always wanted to write a novel but didn't know where to start? This workshop will help you understand the process of writing a novel so you can get started putting pen to paper. The workshop will focus on everything from generating ideas to developing characters to establishing point of view. Participants will discuss […]
Edit your novel without an editor. Do you have a finished draft of a novel but don’t know what to do next? This workshop will take you through the revision and editing process step-by-step. From large-picture issues like plot and structure, characterization, etc… to line editing, we will look at what it takes to revise […]
Learn how our brains are wired for poetry, and use that knowledge to enrich your writing. “Whole-Brain Poetry” is an opportunity to explore some of the ways poetry interacts with the brain, and to enrich your writing with that knowledge. This includes but goes beyond the use of metaphor. Through writing exercises, close examination of […]
Learn how to write for television and develop your concept into a professional first draft. Applicable to comedy, drama, and reality, this unique course is designed for creative aspiring writers with no prior experience—as well as those with screenwriting experience—who seek to break into television writing. Learn in an interactive environment the basics of creating, […]
Learn how to navigate all phases of the creative process without giving up or burning out. As writers, it’s vital that we nurture our creativity through self-care so we can work with our natural rhythms and not against them. In this class, you will work through exercises that identify limiting beliefs, clarify needs and motivations, […]
Discover how to create compelling stories from scratch, using simple techniques to unlock your imagination and bring ideas to life. In this workshop you’ll learn how to craft engaging stories from scratch, even when you’re starting with no clear ideas. Through interactive exercises and creative techniques, we’ll explore how to tap into your imagination, develop […]
This Persona Poem Pop-Up will help writers get started on making their own persona poems. Part of the class will be lecture/discussion of what makes a good persona poem and what to avoid. The class will also feature discussion of 2-3 contemporary persona poems, concerning how they work and succeed and what students can learn […]
Women writers of DC! Join us for an informal gathering at The Writer’s Center! It’ll be a chance to talk shop, network, and hang out with other writers. Please bring a drink or an appetizer that serves six, and bring a friend, too. See you there! FREE & open to all women writers from the […]
Story middles are author traps—discover how to avoid them! This quick-take session focuses on ways to get yourself unstuck when a story’s middle gets thorny, or you lose your way. A relaxed, informative 90 minutes chockful of information from a multi-published author who often has to fight her way out of the middle of a […]
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of memoir! We’re joined by Sienna Liu to discuss her new book-length essay, Specimen. Sienna is in conversation with Zach Powers, novelist and Artistic Director at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to […]
Wield the tools of poetry with confidence! Poety's magic is for everyone. Join this workshop that uses plain language to explain the tools of writing poetry. By considering the fundamentals that contemporary poetry values, writers can approach any genre of writing with a more lyrical command of language. Participants will leave with the seeds of […]
Write your memoir in 9 months! If you're finally ready to write the memoir of your heart, we invite you to join longtime writing teacher and author Diane Zinna for her new class, Memoir Maker. This will be Diane’s 12th time leading a book-in-a-year course, which has helped bring so many writers to a finished […]
Write your memoir in 9 months! If you're finally ready to write the memoir of your heart, we invite you to join longtime writing teacher and author Diane Zinna for her new class, Memoir Maker. This will be Diane’s 12th time leading a book-in-a-year course, which has helped bring so many writers to a finished […]
Find Your Narrator’s Voice. Do the multitude of Point of View options elude you? We will look at everything from the first person point of view to the editorial omniscient, as well as some of the less traditional points of view, to help you choose the best voice to tell your story. Learn at your […]
Find Your Narrator’s Voice. Do the multitude of Point of View options elude you? We will look at everything from the first person point of view to the editorial omniscient, as well as some of the less traditional points of view, to help you choose the best voice to tell your story. Learn at your […]
Control perspective in your stories and avoid one of the most common reasons for rejection. Perhaps the most challenging fiction technique is Perspective. The Point of View plan that you choose for your story will often dictate its success. Learn to develop an effective and consistent POV that will enable readers to follow a story’s […]
Prose, poetry, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. Sign-up starts at 6:45pm, and readings begin promptly at 7pm. Limited to 20 readers, so arrive early if you plan to read. Sponsored by Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry magazine. […]
Ready to turn your manuscript into a published book? Join this interactive class to get expert guidance, insider tips, and the support you need to navigate the publishing world—designed especially for women authors. Demystify the path to publishing and get expert answers to your biggest book publishing questions—all in one hour. Led by founder Emily […]
The Writer's Center welcomes five participants from R. O. Kwon's Short Fiction Intensive for a virtual reading of work produced in the workshop. Featured readers: Margaret Chmiel, Blue Guldal, Alice Kim Hawari, Brent King, and Sergio Muro. FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. Marjee Chmiel is a writer, researcher, and documentarian who lives […]
Learn when your fiction is ready to be submitted, how to get it ready for publication and tricks to get it published. Is your short story, flash fiction, novella, or novel ready to be submitted and published? How do you polish it so it's as perfect as it could be? Do you need an agent […]
Learn when your fiction is ready to be submitted, how to get it ready for publication and tricks to get it published. Is your short story, flash fiction, novella, or novel ready to be submitted and published? How do you polish it so it's as perfect as it could be? Do you need an agent […]
Explore and practice the art of writing memorable characters. Whether you’re in the midst of your manuscript or just starting out, in this workshop you will develop your main (or a secondary) character through writing about them. We will start with exercises designed to ground your understanding of the character you choose. We will then […]
Explore the ways pop culture — movies, music, food, and famous people — inspire new poems. How can pop culture provide new and inventive ways to write poems, present complex truths, and provide an avenue into our deepest emotions? In this generative workshop, poet Courtney LeBlanc will provide examples that effectively, and creatively, weave pop […]
Are you a writer who identifies as disabled? Join us for an informal gathering at The Writer’s Center to hang out and talk writing! Please bring a drink or an appetizer that serves six. You’re welcome to bring a friend, too. FREE & open to all DMV writers who identify as disabled. RSVP required below. […]
When Mary Oliver tells us to let the soft animal of love what love, we know exactly what she means. But how does she engage the natural world to create pieces that linger on our tongues and in our hearts, and how can we endeavor to do the same? In this workshop, our goal is to […]
Ever wonder who else is taking classes at The Writer’s Center? Want the chance to hear the work being made in other classes? Meet with Instructors of the coming season’s courses? We invite you to attend our first ever End of Season Celebration, a time to meet and hear work from the participants from the […]
Use your journaling practice to mine your memories for writing projects. This workshop is about the pursuit of insight through writing personal memories. Whether you currently keep a journal or want to start journaling to nurture a consistent writing practice, in this two-day workshop you will learn journaling techniques that help you recall significant memories […]
Use your journaling practice to mine your memories for writing projects. This workshop is about the pursuit of insight through writing personal memories. Whether you currently keep a journal or want to start journaling to nurture a consistent writing practice, in this two-day workshop you will learn journaling techniques that help you recall significant memories […]
Strengthen your poetry by understanding how meter interacts with the natural rhythms of speech Have you ever wondered how scanning the lines of your first draft can make for a better poem? Here’s an opportunity to improve your ear for meter—a major element of poetic prosody—and to fine-tune your understanding of how it works. Guided […]
This pop up session explores how architectural elements in literature reflect and intensify horror, tracing a path from Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher to contemporary works like In the […]
Prose, poetry, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. Sign-up starts at 6:45pm, and readings begin promptly at 7pm. Limited to 20 readers, so arrive early if you plan to read. Sponsored by Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry magazine. […]
Become concise as news, precise as law. Lead with the future — not background — for lead-ership, especially in a crisis. That’s the most important of eight journalism skills that […]
What is special about the sonnet? Guided by an award-winning and internationally published author of sonnets, villanelles, and other metrical poems, you’ll first read time-honored sonnets to see how and why they work. Next the class will write a group sonnet, and then -- with or without shortcuts -- you’ll start one of your own. […]
How to tell your story in pieces Create physical / digital collage poems representing your personal journey(s), origin stories, and / or future aspirations using found imagery and text. This […]
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by Kathleen Barber to discuss her new novel, Both Things Are True. Kathleen is in […]
Join us to explore the elements of memoir in small manageable bites. We'll read and discuss Micro Memoirs, also called Flash Memoir, (50-250 words) to inspire your own writing and enhance your storytelling skills. Each week, with provided prompts, you’ll write about a variety of incidents, stories, or memories while building specific craft skills (image, metaphor, point of view, rhetorical strategies to address memory “gaps,” and more).
Join us to explore the elements of memoir in small manageable bites. We'll read and discuss Micro Memoirs, also called Flash Memoir, (50-250 words) to inspire your own writing and enhance your storytelling skills. Each week, with provided prompts, you’ll write about a variety of incidents, stories, or memories while building specific craft skills (image, metaphor, point of view, rhetorical strategies to address memory “gaps,” and more).
Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Heather Christle to discuss her new collection, Paper Crown. Heather is […]
This workshop will help you understand the process of writing a novel so you can get started putting pen to paper. The workshop will focus on everything from generating ideas to developing characters to establishing point of view. Participants will discuss many elements of fiction (dialogue, scene, etc.) but the emphasis will be on discovering the writing process that works best for each writer.
This workshop will help you understand the process of writing a novel so you can get started putting pen to paper. The workshop will focus on everything from generating ideas to developing characters to establishing point of view. Participants will discuss many elements of fiction (dialogue, scene, etc.) but the emphasis will be on discovering the writing process that works best for each writer.
Do you have a finished draft of a novel but don’t know what to do next? This workshop will take you through the revision and editing process step-by-step. From large-picture issues like plot and structure, characterization, etc… to line editing, we will look at what it takes to revise your own novel without the assistance of a professional editor.
Do you have a finished draft of a novel but don’t know what to do next? This workshop will take you through the revision and editing process step-by-step. From large-picture issues like plot and structure, characterization, etc… to line editing, we will look at what it takes to revise your own novel without the assistance of a professional editor.
The Writer’s Center welcomes poet Michele Wolf for a reading from her new collection, Peacocks on the Streets. Michele is joined by poet Margaret McCarthy reading from her collection In […]
