Village Books & Paper Dreams - Fairhaven
Sun: 10am-8pm
Mon-Sat: 9am-8pm
Village Books - Lynden
Need a boost to your writing for the New Year? Come out of your writing cave and connect with other writers and experts in our writing community. We'll feature a series of workshops, presentations, and conversations about writing, from generation to publication and beyond. Registration includes a boxed lunch.
Spend four evenings discovering the power of "wild mind writing"! Based on Natalie Goldberg's book Writing Down the Bones, this intriguing class frees the mind through a unique practice that eliminates writer's block. Instructor Nancy Canyon will lead new and experienced students through a variety of exercises--rewarding participants with a daily practice-style, fundamentally changing one's writing forever. Ms. Canyon holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University and has studied with Natalie Goldberg. She invites all inquisitive minds to enroll.
Working from family photographs and writing prompts, we'll explore our family stories and see what other writers have to tell us about the role of memory, what to say or not say in autobiographical writing, and how to make our stories accessible and interesting to others. In this generative class, we'll be working in both prose and poetry. You'll be encouraged to try both, but can focus on the genre you're most drawn to. Writers at all levels welcomed.
What makes a novel or memoir a good prospect for a screenplay? Knowing how films are made in relation to the script can help you write with visual storytelling in mind. This workshop shows how elements of film craft--shot types, camera perspective, motif--are written into screenplays and how authors can implement these techniques. Throughout her career in filmmaking, Lisa Spicer has taught workshops in visual literacy and video production, written screenplays, a novel, and won three Emmy Awards.
This course will cover the basics of creative non-fiction writing for the memoirist. Instructor Melissa Johnson will take students through the entire writing process, from choosing a compelling personal story to a final finished short-form memoir. Melissa Johnson is a filmmaker, writer, teacher, and lifelong learner.
Take all six workshops in The Writer's Toolbox Series and SAVE! Join Roby Blecker for this linked series of practical exercises that will provide you with tools in your writing toolbox. Our goal will be to emphasize and improve your craft as a writer. Rather than general theory, this series gives you writing practice at your level, challenges you to move within and beyond that level with confidence. If you have a work in progress or are just thinking about ideas to work on, this series will provide you with the means to take the next step. These workshops can be taken as a whole, or you can select from some individual two-part workshops to suit your needs. Space is limited--register early!
When we think of memoir, we tend to think of prose accounts, but for centuries poets have been telling their life stories through poems. In this workshop, we'll explore how you can write about important moments in your life in poems. We'll look at some examples of memoir poems, and then, through lively and playful writing exercises, begin to craft our own memoirs in verse. Barbara Bloom has an MA in creative writing from San Francisco State University and has taught creative writing for over 30 years.
Many fast decisions are made on submissions that come from smart, talented, careful writers, and they get a rejection anyway. In this course we will discuss strategies, tips, and considerations when sending submissions of all types. We will consider how to write a query for an agent; how to submit poetry, essays, and short stories; and how to pitch. Instructor Tennison Black is the Managing Editor at a small press and former EIC of Hayden's Ferry Review among others.
In this workshop, instructor Brenda Wilbee explores fiction's foundation: conflict, crisis, climax, and resolution. What do your characters want, how are they thwarted? How do things get worse? What is their darkest hour? Finally, what choices do they make to overcome? Bring your characters to class, and we'll put them through their paces. Brenda has written ten books and conducted fiction workshops for over 20 years. Her "Fiction's Cornerstones" is part of a series endorsed by Charles Johnson, award-winning novelist and UW Professor.