CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS
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- Registration closes 24 hours before start time or when workshop fills. No walk-ins, please.
- Please read our workshop policies before registering.
- Can't attend without a scholarship? Apply here.
December Workshops
#Metoo: Writing about Sexual Harassment and Trauma with DR. CYNTHIA CHILDRESS
Many complex emotions can stop us from writing about sexual trauma and harassment, whether about ourselves or our characters
Many complex emotions can stop us from writing about sexual trauma and harassment, whether about ourselves or our characters
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TIME: Sunday, December 1st, 3-6 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Tuesday, November 26th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Tuesday, November 26th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Many complex emotions can stop us from writing about sexual trauma and harassment, whether about ourselves or our characters: shame, regret, shock, fear, even foggy memory. While trauma and harassment aren't the same, the difficulties of writing and speaking about them often overlap due to the complicated power dynamics running throughout both types of experiences. But writing about these experiences—even in fiction—can be the first step in finding healing.
In this class, you'll practice deciding what details are comfortable or necessary to share and how to channel anger and hurt into finely put turns-of-phrase. We'll examine examples of strong writing around difficult sex scenes to understand the elements of craft that shaped them and practice writing our own. Sharing your work is entirely optional.
In this class, you'll practice deciding what details are comfortable or necessary to share and how to channel anger and hurt into finely put turns-of-phrase. We'll examine examples of strong writing around difficult sex scenes to understand the elements of craft that shaped them and practice writing our own. Sharing your work is entirely optional.
Writing from Childhood with AMAL KASSIR
As adults, memories of our childhood can be fertile ground for creativity and self-expression.
As adults, memories of our childhood can be fertile ground for creativity and self-expression.
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TIME: Saturday, December 7th, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, December 2nd: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Monday, December 2nd: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Neverending summers, tyrannical teachers, schoolyard hierarchies: our childhood experiences help shape who we become as adults. And as adults, memories of our childhood can be fertile ground for creativity and self-expression.
Through generative list-making, we’ll delve into childhood, upbringing, homes, attachment styles, and the other factors that have shaped our adulthood. We’ll then use these lists to write poetry exploring our memories and experiences. Finally, there will be a welcoming open mic at the very end of the session during which you can share your work with a supportive audience!
Anyone interested in exploring their childhood is encouraged to participate, regardless of writing background.
Through generative list-making, we’ll delve into childhood, upbringing, homes, attachment styles, and the other factors that have shaped our adulthood. We’ll then use these lists to write poetry exploring our memories and experiences. Finally, there will be a welcoming open mic at the very end of the session during which you can share your work with a supportive audience!
Anyone interested in exploring their childhood is encouraged to participate, regardless of writing background.
Breaking the Mold in Writing Memoir with JOYCE BOATRIGHT
This workshop will inspire you to play with the memoir form in creative, delightful, nontraditional ways.
This workshop will inspire you to play with the memoir form in creative, delightful, nontraditional ways.
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TIME: Saturday, December 7th, 1-4 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, December 2nd: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Monday, December 2nd: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Want to write a memoir that stands out? This workshop will inspire you to play with the memoir form in creative, delightful, nontraditional ways, such as switching up point of view (who says memoir has to be in first person?), playing around with metaphor to get at your memoir’s theme, and taking some advice from Emily Dickenson: “Tell the truth but tell it slant.”
We'll read excerpts from writers who have discovered fresh approaches in crafting their memoirs. Writing prompts will encourage you to experiment with voice, verb tense, and points of view to craft your own story. While sharing is encouraged, it is never required.
We'll read excerpts from writers who have discovered fresh approaches in crafting their memoirs. Writing prompts will encourage you to experiment with voice, verb tense, and points of view to craft your own story. While sharing is encouraged, it is never required.
Digging In: A Generative Workshop on the Novella with THEODORA ZIOLKOWSKI
From romance to mystery and suspense to literary thrillers and domestic dramas—and beyond!—novellas come in a variety of genres.
From romance to mystery and suspense to literary thrillers and domestic dramas—and beyond!—novellas come in a variety of genres.
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TIME: Sunday, December 8th 3-6 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Tuesday, December 3rd: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Tuesday, December 3rd: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Novels are typically described as stories over 50,000 words. But short stories are usually expected to cap out at 10,000 words at their absolute longest. So what do you do with your 35,000-word masterpiece?
Congratulations: you’ve just written a novella! From romance to mystery and suspense to literary thrillers and domestic dramas—and beyond!—novellas come in a variety of genres. As writers, they offer us the opportunity to create stories that demand focused intensity while also asking that this intensity move beyond a short story’s constraints. In this generative workshop, we will assess the values of the form and explore techniques drawn from excerpts of a variety of published novellas for inspiration. To investigate ways to enter our own novellas, we will ask ourselves what kinds of stories are ripe for the concentration a novella affords. Novellas whose excerpts we will look at will include Joyce Carol Oates’s literary thriller Black Water, Nnedi Okorafor’s science fiction novella Binti, and Jennifer Weiner’s romance, Swim. Participants will leave the workshop having generated new material to help grow their novellas.
Congratulations: you’ve just written a novella! From romance to mystery and suspense to literary thrillers and domestic dramas—and beyond!—novellas come in a variety of genres. As writers, they offer us the opportunity to create stories that demand focused intensity while also asking that this intensity move beyond a short story’s constraints. In this generative workshop, we will assess the values of the form and explore techniques drawn from excerpts of a variety of published novellas for inspiration. To investigate ways to enter our own novellas, we will ask ourselves what kinds of stories are ripe for the concentration a novella affords. Novellas whose excerpts we will look at will include Joyce Carol Oates’s literary thriller Black Water, Nnedi Okorafor’s science fiction novella Binti, and Jennifer Weiner’s romance, Swim. Participants will leave the workshop having generated new material to help grow their novellas.
January Workshops
Making Pages: Keeping Your Resolutions for Fiction Writers (ONLINE) with BC OLIVA
We’ll motivate and encourage each other to write 1,000 words per day for ten days.
We’ll motivate and encourage each other to write 1,000 words per day for ten days.
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TIME: Ten days from Thursday, January 2nd - Saturday, January 11th, specific online times to be determined by participants’ specific schedules and availability.
PRICE: Early-Bird until Friday, December 28th: $210 members, $240 non-members. After Friday, December 28th: $225 members, $255 non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: ONLINE ONLY. Please note: Instructor will contact participants with online classroom invitation and entry instructions the day the workshop begins. LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 12 Writers |
We all make New Year’s Resolutions. I do every year. It’s the reason I run a five-minute mile, speak fluent French, and absolutely shred on the mandolin.
Just kidding. I can’t do any of those things. I can barely tune a mandolin.
If you’re like me, you’re terrible at keeping resolutions, because setting goals and forming new habits is really really really difficult. Sometimes though, all it takes is some accountability and a teensy bit of peer-pressure.
This bootcamp does exactly that. We’ll motivate and encourage each other to write 1,000 words per day for ten days. Because this bootcamp spans a weekend, you have the option of taking a break or catching up. Either way, you’ll end up with 7-10k words, or 28-40 pages. That’s a couple short stories, half a novella, or some novel chapters!
I’ll provide personalized feedback, advice, encouragement, and a mountain of rah-rah. This includes written responses and a final one-on-one video conference with each writer. Because this bootcamp is online, we’ll also have a discussion board to seek out and provide encouragement, share tips and strategies, and ask questions about this messy process of writing.
Note about Writespace’s online workshops: Participants should plan to commit three hours per week to reading, posting, and responding to assignments in the online classroom and one to two hours per week to writing outside the classroom. Online workshops offer built-in flexibility and are ideal for writers with busy schedules, as the times participants visit the classroom are determined solely by their own availability, whether they are available at 3 PM or at 3 AM or at any other times on any other days of the week. Participants will be invited to enter the online classroom and will receive instructions the day the workshop begins.
Making Pages: Keeping Your Resolutions for Memoir Writers (ONLINE) with JOYCE BOATRIGHT
Join the company of other struggling writers to jumpstart your writing practice.
Join the company of other struggling writers to jumpstart your writing practice.
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TIME: Ten days from Thursday, January 2nd - Saturday, January 11th, specific online times to be determined by participants’ specific schedules and availability.
PRICE: Early-Bird until Friday, December 28th: $210 members, $240 non-members. After Friday, December 28th: $225 members, $255 non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: ONLINE ONLY. Please note: Instructor will contact participants with online classroom invitation and entry instructions the day the workshop begins. LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 12 Writers |
We all make New Year’s resolutions to have a more disciplined writing life, but it’s hard to turn a resolution into a habit. Join the company of other struggling writers to jumpstart your writing practice. In this generative, instructor-led online workshop, we will motivate each other to write 1,000 words per day (that’s only a couple of pages) for ten days. This workshop does include a weekend: Know that you will have the option of either taking a break or catching up over this weekend.
Throughout our time, our instructor will provide personalized feedback, encouragement, and advice to each writer, including two one-page written responses and a final 30 minute one-on-one Skype session at the end of the workshop. Writers will also have the opportunity to seek and provide encouragement and ask questions in the classroom’s online forum. Following the workshop, those who would like to extend their time together for mutual accountability will have that option.
Note about Writespace’s online workshops: Participants should plan to commit three hours per week to reading, posting, and responding to assignments in the online classroom and one to two hours per week to writing outside the classroom. Online workshops offer built-in flexibility and are ideal for writers with busy schedules, as the times participants visit the classroom are determined solely by their own availability, whether they are available at 3 PM or at 3 AM or at any other times on any other days of the week. Participants will be invited to enter the online classroom and will receive instructions the day the workshop begins.
Throughout our time, our instructor will provide personalized feedback, encouragement, and advice to each writer, including two one-page written responses and a final 30 minute one-on-one Skype session at the end of the workshop. Writers will also have the opportunity to seek and provide encouragement and ask questions in the classroom’s online forum. Following the workshop, those who would like to extend their time together for mutual accountability will have that option.
Note about Writespace’s online workshops: Participants should plan to commit three hours per week to reading, posting, and responding to assignments in the online classroom and one to two hours per week to writing outside the classroom. Online workshops offer built-in flexibility and are ideal for writers with busy schedules, as the times participants visit the classroom are determined solely by their own availability, whether they are available at 3 PM or at 3 AM or at any other times on any other days of the week. Participants will be invited to enter the online classroom and will receive instructions the day the workshop begins.
Spiritual Memoir with CAMERON DEZEN HAMMON
Participants will work toward developing a spiritual vocabulary that articulates their individual experiences and traditions.
Participants will work toward developing a spiritual vocabulary that articulates their individual experiences and traditions.
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TIME: Three Saturdays, January 4th, January 11th, and January 18th, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, December 30th: $120 for members, $140 for non-members. After Monday, December 30th: $150 for members, $170 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
To borrow an aphorism—writing about spirituality is like dancing about architecture. In other words, it’s a challenge, though not an impossible one. In this workshop, we will discover that writing about our spiritual lives is not only possible but potentially enjoyable and rewarding. Through study of outstanding examples of the genre, in-class writing prompts, short lessons on craft, and class discussion, participants will work toward developing a spiritual vocabulary that articulates their individual experiences and traditions, while connecting them to the shared human experience. Spiritual memoir is open to writers from all spiritual and religious traditions, as well as to those who claim no spiritual or religious tradition. Essayist Joan Didion wrote, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” In this workshop, we will discover new and engaging ways to articulate our unique spiritual stories, in order to more fully explore and inhabit our spiritual lives.
Playing Frankenstein: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Prose Monster (ONLINE) with BC OLIVA
This generative workshop asks students to draft, submit, and evaluate each other’s work together, in discrete stages.
This generative workshop asks students to draft, submit, and evaluate each other’s work together, in discrete stages.
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TIME: Starts Monday, January 6th and ends Friday, February 14th; Specific online times to be determined by participants’ specific schedules and availability.
PRICE: Early-Bird until Wednesday, January 1st: $210 members, $240 non-members. After Wednesday, January 1st: $240 members, $270 non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: ONLINE ONLY. Please note: Instructor will contact participants with online classroom invitation and entry instructions the day the workshop begins. LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 12 Writers |
Instead of that traditional workshop model, in which writers submit a single draft, receive feedback, then spend the rest of their time focusing on peers’ work, this generative workshop asks students to draft, submit, and evaluate each other’s work together, in discrete stages. The processes of outlining a narrative, designing scenes, and composing are intimately connected and recursive. To model the type of engagement these processes require, we’ll tackle all three in turn, building upon previous work and drafting our prose in layers.
Writers will submit three times, every two weeks. Weeks 1-2, we’ll learn the tiered-outlining method and workshop each other’s narratives. Weeks 3-4, we’ll apply tiered-outlining to individual scenes and workshop each other’s single-scene outline. Weeks 5-6, we’ll study the nitty-gritty details of scene design and finally workshop each other’s fully-drafted scenes.
Each writer will receive personalized written feedback for each submission and a final one-on-one video conference. This workshop is open to writers of all genres and experience levels.
Note about Writespace’s online workshops: Participants should plan to commit three hours per week to reading, posting, and responding to assignments in the online classroom and one to two hours per week to writing outside the classroom. Online workshops offer built-in flexibility and are ideal for writers with busy schedules, as the times participants visit the classroom are determined solely by their own availability, whether they are available at 3 PM or at 3 AM or at any other times on any other days of the week. Participants will be invited to enter the online classroom and will receive instructions the day the workshop begins.
Writers will submit three times, every two weeks. Weeks 1-2, we’ll learn the tiered-outlining method and workshop each other’s narratives. Weeks 3-4, we’ll apply tiered-outlining to individual scenes and workshop each other’s single-scene outline. Weeks 5-6, we’ll study the nitty-gritty details of scene design and finally workshop each other’s fully-drafted scenes.
Each writer will receive personalized written feedback for each submission and a final one-on-one video conference. This workshop is open to writers of all genres and experience levels.
Note about Writespace’s online workshops: Participants should plan to commit three hours per week to reading, posting, and responding to assignments in the online classroom and one to two hours per week to writing outside the classroom. Online workshops offer built-in flexibility and are ideal for writers with busy schedules, as the times participants visit the classroom are determined solely by their own availability, whether they are available at 3 PM or at 3 AM or at any other times on any other days of the week. Participants will be invited to enter the online classroom and will receive instructions the day the workshop begins.
Writing a Series with ADAM HOLT
How do you plot a series? What kind of worldbuilding needs to take place?
How do you plot a series? What kind of worldbuilding needs to take place?
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TIME: Three Mondays, January 6th, 13th, 20th, 6-9 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Wednesday, January 1st: $120 for members, $140 for non-members. After Wednesday, January 1st: $150 for members, $170 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
So, you thought you were writing a standalone novel, but the novel had other ideas. Now you have an idea for a series spilling onto the page and out of your hands. Congratulations, Pandora. It's a good problem to have, one that can help you develop a fan base so loyal that they will try to push trolley carts through solid brick walls.
But...
How do you plot a series? What kind of worldbuilding needs to take place? How does a writer shape satisfying character arcs? This 3-part course seeks to explore those questions and help you shape your story into an engaging series. This workshop will help writers assess their series ideas in these terms. Writers should expect to leave with questions as well as answers, and more than anything, the grit and determination it takes to believe - as they want their readers to believe - in the magic of the series taken shape on the page.
Photo credits to the author, who is pretty sure he felt the cart budge, if just for a fleeting moment, at King's Cross.
But...
How do you plot a series? What kind of worldbuilding needs to take place? How does a writer shape satisfying character arcs? This 3-part course seeks to explore those questions and help you shape your story into an engaging series. This workshop will help writers assess their series ideas in these terms. Writers should expect to leave with questions as well as answers, and more than anything, the grit and determination it takes to believe - as they want their readers to believe - in the magic of the series taken shape on the page.
Photo credits to the author, who is pretty sure he felt the cart budge, if just for a fleeting moment, at King's Cross.
Travel Writing with PAT BALDWIN
Whether you are writing for media or family and friends, travel writing is a fun genre of nonfiction.
Whether you are writing for media or family and friends, travel writing is a fun genre of nonfiction.
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TIME: Two Tuesdays, January 7th and January 14th, 6-9 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Thursday, January 2nd: $85 for members, $100 for non-members. After Thursday, January 2nd: $100 for members, $115 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Travel writing can encompass writing about food, art, sports, nature, outdoors, politics,technology, adventure and more. Whether you are writing for media or family and friends, travel writing is a fun genre of nonfiction. In this workshop, you will learn about story angles and how to turn one destination into dozens of ideas. The sessions will emphasize the conceptual and technical skills needed to produce descriptive articles that are downright “good reads.” Writers of all levels will benefit. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to enhance your writing, this workshop will help you improve your skills by guiding you through a practical travel writing experience.
The Fundamentals of Memoir with PAT BALDWIN
This course will guide students through the communication techniques and formats for capturing and preserving their life story.
This course will guide students through the communication techniques and formats for capturing and preserving their life story.
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TIME: Ten Wednesdays, January 8th, January 15th, January 22nd, January 29th, February 5th, February 12th, February 19th, February 26th, March 4th, 11th, 6-9 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Friday, January 3rd: $335 for members, $355 for non-members. After Friday, January 3rd: $375 for members, $395 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 12 Writers |
A memoir, personal history, or special occasion narrative – printed or electronic – will be a treasured legacy for family, friends and generations to come. This course will guide students through the communication techniques and formats for capturing and preserving their life story, special memory or ongoing journal. Students will learn about the writing process and story elements such as structure, beginnings and endings, and narrative flow as well as learning how to enhance stories with dialogue, description, personal reflection and editing. Students will also explore ideas about how to handle versions of truth and boundaries of disclosure.
Crafting Beautiful Prose with MARK HABER
Beautiful language is one of the most important elements of good fiction.
Beautiful language is one of the most important elements of good fiction.
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TIME: Four Thursdays, January 9th, January 16th, Skip January 23rd, January 30th, February 6th, 6-9 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Saturday, January 4th: $150 for members, $180 for non-members. After Saturday, January 4th: $180 for members, $210 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
All stories require fascinating characters and a compelling plot to be successful. But how do we reveal those characters and stories? Movies have images, music and sound. Comic books combine art and writing. Prose fiction, though, just has words.
In this workshop, we’ll examine these powerful building blocks of fiction by focusing on the importance of beautiful prose. Beyond the story itself, how does a writer elevate the language in their story to express something? This workshop aims to improve the quality of a writer's prose as well as the ability to avoid tired expressions and cliches.
Beautiful language is one of the most important elements of good fiction, so come learn how to make your shine.
In this workshop, we’ll examine these powerful building blocks of fiction by focusing on the importance of beautiful prose. Beyond the story itself, how does a writer elevate the language in their story to express something? This workshop aims to improve the quality of a writer's prose as well as the ability to avoid tired expressions and cliches.
Beautiful language is one of the most important elements of good fiction, so come learn how to make your shine.
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TIME: Saturday, January 11th, 1-4 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, January 6th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Monday, January 6th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Let’s get real. Does any author actually LIKE social media and digital marketing? Isn’t it just “that wretched thing we have to do” between writing our books?
What if it didn’t have to be such a chore?
This isn’t your typical author marketing class. There is no “one right way to do it” when we write, so why should we believe there is a secret formula for success when it comes to promoting our work? This workshop is not about ads, formulas, funnels, or tactics to grow your newsletter list or puff up your social media follower count. It’s about translating your creativity into poignant, powerful messages to reach the right kind of readers, then designing and executing strategies to keep them engaged with your work.
For three hours, we will shine a light on your work, develop your unique voice on social media, and make the marketing of your book as joyful and fulfilling as the process of writing it.
As we start the new year, let’s resolve to look at social media marketing through new eyes—finding ways to make it an extension of our storytelling.
What if it didn’t have to be such a chore?
This isn’t your typical author marketing class. There is no “one right way to do it” when we write, so why should we believe there is a secret formula for success when it comes to promoting our work? This workshop is not about ads, formulas, funnels, or tactics to grow your newsletter list or puff up your social media follower count. It’s about translating your creativity into poignant, powerful messages to reach the right kind of readers, then designing and executing strategies to keep them engaged with your work.
For three hours, we will shine a light on your work, develop your unique voice on social media, and make the marketing of your book as joyful and fulfilling as the process of writing it.
As we start the new year, let’s resolve to look at social media marketing through new eyes—finding ways to make it an extension of our storytelling.
Technical Writing with ANDREANA BINDER
Technical writing can be a beneficial career path for people who have strong writing and editing skills.
Technical writing can be a beneficial career path for people who have strong writing and editing skills.
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TIME: Sunday, January 12th, 3-6 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Tuesday, January 7th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Tuesday, January 7th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Have you tried making money with writing, but it won’t quite pay the bills? Consider learning more about how a career in corporate writing can support your after-hours creative writing efforts while simultaneously strengthening your prose.
Technical writing can be a beneficial career path for people who have strong writing and editing skills, and the field is growing, providing increased employment opportunities. In this course, we’ll discuss what technical writing entails as a career, the types of documents a technical writer typically prepares under deadline, and the software tools a writer new to the field might need to begin their career.
The session will conclude with a Q&A. Please bring a laptop to try out short writing exercises designed to emulate the assignments that technical writers typically encounter.
Technical writing can be a beneficial career path for people who have strong writing and editing skills, and the field is growing, providing increased employment opportunities. In this course, we’ll discuss what technical writing entails as a career, the types of documents a technical writer typically prepares under deadline, and the software tools a writer new to the field might need to begin their career.
The session will conclude with a Q&A. Please bring a laptop to try out short writing exercises designed to emulate the assignments that technical writers typically encounter.
Journalism and Reporting: Tropes and Techniques with ALEX WUKMAN
“Investigative reporter” is a common trope in fiction, but what does one actually do and how does it get done?
“Investigative reporter” is a common trope in fiction, but what does one actually do and how does it get done?
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TIME: Saturday, January 18th, 1-4 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, January 13th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Monday, January 13th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
“Investigative reporter” is a common trope in fiction, but what does one actually do and how does it get done? This workshop will explore some of the introductory aspects of journalism and investigative techniques in order to help fiction writers better understand reporting and newsgathering.
Additionally, students will be given an overview of some of the functions and operations of modern and historical newsrooms as well as an introduction to newspaper jargon.
Additionally, students will be given an overview of some of the functions and operations of modern and historical newsrooms as well as an introduction to newspaper jargon.
Action Scense That Kick A** with MATTHEW HEFTI
How can writers create action scenes that are as exciting to read as they are to watch?
How can writers create action scenes that are as exciting to read as they are to watch?
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TIME: Sunday, January 19th, 3-6 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Tuesday, January 14th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Tuesday, January 14th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
A thrilling car chase tearing up the streets of New York City. An assassin jui-jitsuing his way to vengeance for a murdered dog. A swordswoman leaping through the air before delivering her final blow. In film, we love our action scenes.
Kick-butt action sequences belong in literature, too. Unfortunately, the balletic athleticism on display in filmed action scenes can be difficult to capture on the page, resulting in sequences that are boring, confusing, or both at once. How can writers create action scenes that are as exciting to read as they are to watch? Which literary techniques can recreate the excitement and drama of our favorite fictional fights? Join us for a workshop exploring the ins and outs--and ups, downs, backflips, and perfect punches--of writing action scenes that kick a**.
Kick-butt action sequences belong in literature, too. Unfortunately, the balletic athleticism on display in filmed action scenes can be difficult to capture on the page, resulting in sequences that are boring, confusing, or both at once. How can writers create action scenes that are as exciting to read as they are to watch? Which literary techniques can recreate the excitement and drama of our favorite fictional fights? Join us for a workshop exploring the ins and outs--and ups, downs, backflips, and perfect punches--of writing action scenes that kick a**.
Femme Fatales, Sidekicks, and Gumshoes: Writing a Noir Mystery (ONLINE) with ICESS FERNANDEZ ROJAS
Noir is a mystery subgenre that has its own grim and grit.
Noir is a mystery subgenre that has its own grim and grit.
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TIME: Starts Sunday, January 19th and ends Saturday, February 15th; specific online times to be determined by participants’ specific schedules and availability.
PRICE: Early-Bird until Tuesday, January 14th: $150 for members, $180 for non-members. After Tuesday, January 14th: $180 for members, $210 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: ONLINE ONLY. Please note: Instructor will contact participants with online classroom invitation and entry instructions the day the workshop begins. LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 12 Writers |
The femme/homme fatale, the detective, the side kick, the villian. Sprinkle in dark, moody atmosphere, a crime, the snarky voice of a lead character--and you have the ingredients of a stellar noir story.
Noir is a mystery subgenre that has its own grim and grit. From Raymond Chandler to Jessica Jones, the genre has moved and shifted over time but one thing remains the same, you know noir when you see (or read it!). In this online course, we’ll discover what makes a noir story tick, how to flesh out the characters, and he best way to tackle place and atmosphere. By the end of our time together we’ll create our own noir stories, as dark and gritty as a dark, windless night.
Note about Writespace’s online workshops: Participants should plan to commit three hours per week to reading, posting, and responding to assignments in the online classroom and one to two hours per week to writing outside the classroom. Online workshops offer built-in flexibility and are ideal for writers with busy schedules, as the times participants visit the classroom are determined solely by their own availability, whether they are available at 3 PM or at 3 AM or at any other times on any other days of the week. Participants will be invited to enter the online classroom and will receive instructions the day the workshop begins.
Noir is a mystery subgenre that has its own grim and grit. From Raymond Chandler to Jessica Jones, the genre has moved and shifted over time but one thing remains the same, you know noir when you see (or read it!). In this online course, we’ll discover what makes a noir story tick, how to flesh out the characters, and he best way to tackle place and atmosphere. By the end of our time together we’ll create our own noir stories, as dark and gritty as a dark, windless night.
Note about Writespace’s online workshops: Participants should plan to commit three hours per week to reading, posting, and responding to assignments in the online classroom and one to two hours per week to writing outside the classroom. Online workshops offer built-in flexibility and are ideal for writers with busy schedules, as the times participants visit the classroom are determined solely by their own availability, whether they are available at 3 PM or at 3 AM or at any other times on any other days of the week. Participants will be invited to enter the online classroom and will receive instructions the day the workshop begins.
Mags to Riches II: The Art of the Article with JODY TOWNSLEY MORSE
Dive into the actual skill and craft of penning brilliant nonfiction articles.
Dive into the actual skill and craft of penning brilliant nonfiction articles.
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TIME: Saturday, January 25th, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, January 20th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Monday, January 20th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
In this follow-up course to 'Mags to Riches: Writing for Magazines 101', instructor Jody T. Morse will lead participants through a brief recap of the basic how-tos of launching a career in magazine writing and then dive into the actual skill and craft of penning brilliant nonfiction articles. In this generative session, attendees will cultivate three lead (or “nutgraf,” to use publishing slang) seedlings that can be turned into pitches or fleshed out into full-length articles. As well, students will learn the art of crafting catchy titles and examine some of the instructor’s favorite articles of all time, gleaning their best attributes. The atmosphere will be a balance of fun and professionalism, friendliness and productivity.
February Workshops
Writing about Place with ICESS FERNANDEZ ROJAS
A place is another character in a story.
A place is another character in a story.
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TIME: Saturday, February 1st, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, January 27th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Monday, January 27th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
“The house ached. It creaked when the wind hit it. The winter cold rattled its beams and windows. The warmth that was there beforehand leaked through the cracks and was replaced with enough emptiness to invite mourning in. This was the house that started it all; this was the house that ended it all. The alpha and omega of tragedy and I was in the middle of it all, letting it all soak in.”
A place is another character in a story. Writers have heard this so much it’s almost cliche. However, cliches are not always wrong. Learning to treat a place like a character is easier said than done. Who cares about the house, or the lobby, or the room where a story takes place? Your reader does, and setting can do some of the heavy lifting of storytelling. When you factor in not only location but the time period and the rules of a place, the boundaries of setting can enhance stories to their full potential. In this workshop, we’ll read some examples, do our own writing, and look at place as a person.
A place is another character in a story. Writers have heard this so much it’s almost cliche. However, cliches are not always wrong. Learning to treat a place like a character is easier said than done. Who cares about the house, or the lobby, or the room where a story takes place? Your reader does, and setting can do some of the heavy lifting of storytelling. When you factor in not only location but the time period and the rules of a place, the boundaries of setting can enhance stories to their full potential. In this workshop, we’ll read some examples, do our own writing, and look at place as a person.
Writing Memoir with Emotional Honesty with JOYCE BOATRIGHT
Refine the art of “showing, not telling."
Refine the art of “showing, not telling."
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TIME: Saturday, February 1st, 1-4 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, January 27th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Monday, January 27th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Refine the art of “showing, not telling” and replace dreary, flat writing with expressive, descriptive prose. Write honestly by sharpening your skill in describing the emotional landscape of your memoir without over-writing or coming across as melodramatic. Improve your craft through clear description, imagery, and metaphor. If you are struggling with painful memories of addiction, abuse, or shame, this workshop will help you have the courage to write with clarity, self-awareness, and strength.
Indie Publishing for Speculative Fiction Authors with D.L. YOUNG
Come and learn the tips, strategies, and secret tricks of today’s most successful self-published authors.
Come and learn the tips, strategies, and secret tricks of today’s most successful self-published authors.
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TIME: Three Sundays, February 2nd, February 9th, February 16th,
3-6 PM PRICE: Early-Bird until Tuesday, January 28th: $120 for members, $140 for non-members. After Tuesday, January 28th: $150 for members, $170 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Want to self-publish your SF or Fantasy novel, but have no idea where to begin? Or have you self-published a novel already and found limited success?
The self-publishing market is constantly evolving. What worked a year ago may not work today. In this 3-session, comprehensive workshop, we’ll cover every must-know area for SF&F self-publishers. Come and learn the tips, strategies, and secret tricks of today’s most successful self-published authors.
Content Management: Learn how the industry’s best-selling self-publishers manage their content and how you can apply these formulas and principles to your own work.
Business Management and Marketing Basics: Do you need an ISBN number? Do you form an LLC or use a sole proprietorship for your writing? What about copyrights? We’ll cover all the major aspects of managing your writing business, including marketing fundamentals.
Advanced Marketing: What’s a Facebook pixel? What are redirect links? In the last session, we’ll cover the advanced marketing techniques (and a few secret ninja tricks!) today’s top-selling self-published authors are using to supercharge their sales.
The self-publishing market is constantly evolving. What worked a year ago may not work today. In this 3-session, comprehensive workshop, we’ll cover every must-know area for SF&F self-publishers. Come and learn the tips, strategies, and secret tricks of today’s most successful self-published authors.
Content Management: Learn how the industry’s best-selling self-publishers manage their content and how you can apply these formulas and principles to your own work.
Business Management and Marketing Basics: Do you need an ISBN number? Do you form an LLC or use a sole proprietorship for your writing? What about copyrights? We’ll cover all the major aspects of managing your writing business, including marketing fundamentals.
Advanced Marketing: What’s a Facebook pixel? What are redirect links? In the last session, we’ll cover the advanced marketing techniques (and a few secret ninja tricks!) today’s top-selling self-published authors are using to supercharge their sales.
Introduction to Poetry with JUSTIN JANNISE
Poetry can connect people across thousands of years and miles.
Poetry can connect people across thousands of years and miles.
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TIME: Four Mondays, February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th, February 24th, 6-9 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Wednesday, January 29th: $150 for members, $180 for non-members. After Wednesday, January 29th: $180 for members, $210 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
A poem can elevate and capture a specific experience--an image, memory, or sensation--so profoundly, that its power can seem mysterious. It can connect people across thousands of years and miles, kindling an intimacy even deeper than the intimacy they share with people they see each day. So how do we create that magic for ourselves?
This course is designed to nurture you along a poetic journey through close readings of poems, generative writing assignments, and lively discussion. We’ll talk image and idea, line and sentence, sense and nonsense. We will conclude by discussing revision strategies and opportunities for publication. No prior experience with poetry writing is required, but advanced poets are also welcome.
This course is designed to nurture you along a poetic journey through close readings of poems, generative writing assignments, and lively discussion. We’ll talk image and idea, line and sentence, sense and nonsense. We will conclude by discussing revision strategies and opportunities for publication. No prior experience with poetry writing is required, but advanced poets are also welcome.
Handling Time: A Hands-On How To with MARK HABER
One of the most difficult challenges in fiction is handling time.
One of the most difficult challenges in fiction is handling time.
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TIME: Two Saturdays, February 8th and February 15th, 1-4 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, February 3rd: $85 for members, $100 for non-members. After Monday, February 3rd: $100 for members, $115 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Time is tricky enough in real life--spring forward? Fall back? How are we saving time with all this nonsense?
But in fiction, it can be even trickier. In fact, one of the most difficult challenges in fiction is handling time. As the writer, we have to decide how we want time to move in our story--or if we even want it to move at all. Whether time is propelling forward, looking backwards, or stuck in one significant moment can have huge effects on the story and readers’ experience.
This workshop will focus on strategies for handling time in narrative in both creative and seamless ways to ensure the time in your story flows exactly how you want it.
But in fiction, it can be even trickier. In fact, one of the most difficult challenges in fiction is handling time. As the writer, we have to decide how we want time to move in our story--or if we even want it to move at all. Whether time is propelling forward, looking backwards, or stuck in one significant moment can have huge effects on the story and readers’ experience.
This workshop will focus on strategies for handling time in narrative in both creative and seamless ways to ensure the time in your story flows exactly how you want it.
Writing the Immigrant and International Experience with ONYINYE IHEZUKWU
How do we approach storytelling as writers with uniquely lived experiences of otherness?
How do we approach storytelling as writers with uniquely lived experiences of otherness?
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TIME: Saturday, February 15th, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, February 10th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Monday, February 10th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
In this workshop we will explore how to create narratives that capture the complexities of what it means to be an incomer to a culture different from that of one’s place of origin. How do we approach storytelling as writers with uniquely lived experiences of otherness? What does it mean to be “other”? How do we refine our prose towards dismantling prejudices as well as provoke invigorating insight into the various representations of a humanity shared by all, regardless of cultural association? As a writer from a non-American background, your instructor shares an interest in questioning our different affiliations and seeking ways to chart or retell the stories of loved ones who beat the odds as they sailed across shores in a search of survival. Our goal will be to help you find your voice and help you develop a keen eye for sentences that will transport your reader. This workshop is open to writers of all experience levels, including those with very little writing experience.
Writespace has set aside several generous scholarships for this workshop. To find out more and apply, click here.
Writespace has set aside several generous scholarships for this workshop. To find out more and apply, click here.
Writing the Self-Implicating Essay with JUSTIN JANNISE
The self-implicating essayist, as we’ll call her in this two-week course, renounces the privilege of making herself look good.
The self-implicating essayist, as we’ll call her in this two-week course, renounces the privilege of making herself look good.
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TIME: Two Thursdays, February 20th and February 27th 6-9 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Saturday, February 15th: $85 for members, $100 for non-members. After Saturday, February 15th: $100 for members, $115 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
When we sit down to write about ourselves, we often often get caught up in defining just who that self is. Often writers get around this question by making use of a persona, simplifying or exaggerating certain qualities in order to sidestep themselves completely so they can move on to the fun stuff.
But there’s another tactic, and it involves embracing the very risks of the narrator’s subjectivity. The self-implicating essayist, as we’ll call her in this two-week course, renounces the privilege of making herself look good. She confesses her crimes. She owns up to being clumsy or foolhardy. Inevitably, she tells us that the work we’re reading — the fruits of her endless labor — may be part of the problem she’s trying to solve.
Together, we’ll look at examples of this very modern type of essay with the dual aims of learning how to write one and using its techniques to become better storytellers no matter whose story we’re telling.
But there’s another tactic, and it involves embracing the very risks of the narrator’s subjectivity. The self-implicating essayist, as we’ll call her in this two-week course, renounces the privilege of making herself look good. She confesses her crimes. She owns up to being clumsy or foolhardy. Inevitably, she tells us that the work we’re reading — the fruits of her endless labor — may be part of the problem she’s trying to solve.
Together, we’ll look at examples of this very modern type of essay with the dual aims of learning how to write one and using its techniques to become better storytellers no matter whose story we’re telling.
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TIME: Saturday, February 22nd, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, February 17th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Monday, February 17th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Writespace lives in an ecosystem of Art--literally! Our home in Silver Street Studios means that every day we breathe the very air of line, color, motion, texture, and technique. In this three-hour workshop, we will make use of our proximity to so many thriving examples of visual art to practice another art of our own — the critical art essay. We’ll start by defining what this exciting genre of writing can mean, though we’ll quickly sense the many liberties we may take. Next, we’ll draft a piece about a particular work on display in the studios. Finally, We’ll conclude by discussing revision strategies and opportunities for publication. (Hint: there are many!)
Get Woke: Understanding and Using Your Dreams to Enrich Your Writing with CATHERINE VANCE
We’ll explore a variety of topics at the intersection of dreaming and writing.
We’ll explore a variety of topics at the intersection of dreaming and writing.
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TIME: Two Saturdays, February 22nd and February 29th, 1-4 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, February 17th: $85 for members, $100 for non-members. After Monday, February 17th: $100 for members, $115 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Writers, dreams are literally gifts from your mind. They provide characters, plots, and images that you can translate into your fiction and poetry. The ability to capture and understand these strange little narratives from our psyches can help you develop your creativity and provide insight into your writing subjects and approaches.
In this course, you’ll learn about dream elements and emotions, themes and feelings, archetypes and shadows. In addition, we’ll explore a variety of topics at the intersection of dreaming and writing, from dream analysis to dream drama, and we’ll do several brief writing exercises. Please come prepared with at least two dreams written down and ready to share and use creatively.
In this course, you’ll learn about dream elements and emotions, themes and feelings, archetypes and shadows. In addition, we’ll explore a variety of topics at the intersection of dreaming and writing, from dream analysis to dream drama, and we’ll do several brief writing exercises. Please come prepared with at least two dreams written down and ready to share and use creatively.
March Workshops
Cinematic Writing (ONLINE) with ZACH FEHST
We’ll be looking at how to use the “language” of film to make our writing more electric.
We’ll be looking at how to use the “language” of film to make our writing more electric.
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TIME: Starts Monday, March 2nd and ends Friday, March 27th; specific workshop times to be determined solely by participants’ specific schedules and availability.
PRICE: Early-Bird until Wednesday, February 26th: $150 for members, $180 for non-members. After Wednesday, February 26th: $180 for members, $210 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 12 Writers |
Alfred Hitchcock said that drama is “life with the dull bits cut out.” Writing should be that way, too. In this workshop we’ll be looking at how to use the “language” of film to make our writing more electric. This is not a screenwriting course; rather, it’s about learning to write the way a movie feels. Learning to think in terms of camera moves and visual editing can help hone your pacing, adding immediacy and clarity to scenes that might otherwise drag or become confusing.
In each session we’ll discuss different cinematic conventions, then watch examples of these in action, using short movie clips and/or selections from stories or novels to guide our thinking and writing exercises. We’ll then discuss how to apply these lessons to your own written scenes. Is your scene a series of quick-cut close-ups, or long panning shots? What’s the quality of the lighting? What’s in sharp focus and what isn’t? Have you thought about crosscutting between two different events to build tension?
University of Southern California film school graduate, former TV and movie actor, and published author Zach Fehst will help guide you into a new way of approaching your writing. Your story is already splashed across the big, silver screen of your mind; this class will help you get it on the page.
Note about Writespace’s online workshops: Participants should plan to commit three hours per week to reading, posting, and responding to assignments in the online classroom and one to two hours per week to writing outside the classroom. Online workshops offer built-in flexibility and are ideal for writers with busy schedules, as the times participants visit the classroom are determined solely by their own availability, whether they are available at 3 PM or at 3 AM or at any other times on any other days of the week. Participants will be invited to enter the online classroom and will receive instructions the day the workshop begins.
In each session we’ll discuss different cinematic conventions, then watch examples of these in action, using short movie clips and/or selections from stories or novels to guide our thinking and writing exercises. We’ll then discuss how to apply these lessons to your own written scenes. Is your scene a series of quick-cut close-ups, or long panning shots? What’s the quality of the lighting? What’s in sharp focus and what isn’t? Have you thought about crosscutting between two different events to build tension?
University of Southern California film school graduate, former TV and movie actor, and published author Zach Fehst will help guide you into a new way of approaching your writing. Your story is already splashed across the big, silver screen of your mind; this class will help you get it on the page.
Note about Writespace’s online workshops: Participants should plan to commit three hours per week to reading, posting, and responding to assignments in the online classroom and one to two hours per week to writing outside the classroom. Online workshops offer built-in flexibility and are ideal for writers with busy schedules, as the times participants visit the classroom are determined solely by their own availability, whether they are available at 3 PM or at 3 AM or at any other times on any other days of the week. Participants will be invited to enter the online classroom and will receive instructions the day the workshop begins.
Self-Editing Your Novel with JOY PREBLE
Learn tips and tricks to help make the revision process as painless as possible!
Learn tips and tricks to help make the revision process as painless as possible!
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TIME: Two Tuesdays, March 3rd and March 10th, 6-9 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Thursday, February 27th: $85 for members, $100 for non-members. After Thursday, February 27th: $100 for members, $115 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Ready to take your manuscript to the next level? Perhaps you just won Nanowrimo back in November and are now ready to revise and polish. Perhaps you’re ready to query an agent. Or maybe you just want to know what editors and agents and reviewers look for when they are assessing a book.
In this workshop, we’ll focus on how to edit your novel for the basics: Pacing, transitions, voice, plot, structure, dialogue, point of view, character development, flow of narrative, and more. Learn tips and tricks to help make the revision process as painless as possible! This workshop is designed for writers with a novel either in progress or completed. Come with a copy of your manuscript on your laptop or printed out and be ready to dig in.
Recommended Texts:
In this workshop, we’ll focus on how to edit your novel for the basics: Pacing, transitions, voice, plot, structure, dialogue, point of view, character development, flow of narrative, and more. Learn tips and tricks to help make the revision process as painless as possible! This workshop is designed for writers with a novel either in progress or completed. Come with a copy of your manuscript on your laptop or printed out and be ready to dig in.
Recommended Texts:
- The Magic Words by Cheryl B. Klein
- The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
Everyone Has Everything in Them: Creating Complex Characters with MATTHEW HEFTI
We’ll take a deep dive into characterization and writing full, complex characters.
We’ll take a deep dive into characterization and writing full, complex characters.
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TIME: Saturday, March 7th, 1-4 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, March 2nd: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Monday, March 2nd: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
It’s said that the best characters are those with a flaw, but what does this mean in practice? It’s rare that we can give a character a single, likeable flaw, like clumsiness or a proclivity for profanity, and call it a day. Rather, the best characters are those who, like real-life humans, contain multitudes.
In this workshop, we’ll take a deep dive into characterization and writing full, complex characters. What distinguishes a sinner from a saint? A hero from a villain? And in good fiction, how clear-cut are those labels anyway? We’ll step away from writing solely from our own experiences and examine the thoughts, actions, and histories of characters whose lives and ethics may seem completely alien to our own.
In this workshop, we’ll take a deep dive into characterization and writing full, complex characters. What distinguishes a sinner from a saint? A hero from a villain? And in good fiction, how clear-cut are those labels anyway? We’ll step away from writing solely from our own experiences and examine the thoughts, actions, and histories of characters whose lives and ethics may seem completely alien to our own.
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TIME: Six Thursdays, March 12th, March 19th, March 26th, April 2nd, April 9th, April 16th, 6-9 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Saturday, March 7th: $210 members, $240 non-members. AfterSaturday, March 7th: $240 members, $270 non-members. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 12 Writers |
Performance poetry is a huge part of the Houston literary scene: our previous Poet Laureate, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, is a performance poet, and poetry slam events happen regularly around the city. But what exactly is performance poetry? How does it differ--in form, structure, content--from traditional written poetry?
Join us for an all around spoken word workshop with accomplished performance poet Amal Kassir as well as invited guests from the local scene. We’ll learn to not only write poems, but to perform them--both individually and as a group. And at the end of the workshop, students will have the chance to participate in slam poetry competition with the greater Houston poetry community.
Join us for an all around spoken word workshop with accomplished performance poet Amal Kassir as well as invited guests from the local scene. We’ll learn to not only write poems, but to perform them--both individually and as a group. And at the end of the workshop, students will have the chance to participate in slam poetry competition with the greater Houston poetry community.
Scrivener 101 with CASSANDRA ROSE CLARKE
The powerful, designed-for-authors writing software Scrivener has a solution.
The powerful, designed-for-authors writing software Scrivener has a solution.
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TIME: Saturday, March 14th, 1-4 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Monday, March 9th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Monday, March 9th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
How many of us have wasted time scrolling through a three hundred page Microsoft Word document looking for one specific scene? The powerful, designed-for-authors writing software Scrivener has a solution. How many of us have deleted pages of material only to realize later that we want it back? Once again, Scrivener to the rescue. Or maybe you just want to organize your story notes in one place? Or write on a simple blank screen as clean as a sheet of paper? Scrivener can do all these things and more.
In this workshop we’ll learn the fundamentals of using Scrivener software for writers to discover how it can streamline your drafting and editing process. As powerful as Scrivener is, it can be overwhelming to new users, so we’ll start simple and learn through hands-on experience. By the end of the workshop, students will walk away with an understanding of Scrivener’s basic functionality, and perhaps a whole new approach to writing. Please bring a laptop with Scrivener installed. A free trial is available on Scrivener’s website.
In this workshop we’ll learn the fundamentals of using Scrivener software for writers to discover how it can streamline your drafting and editing process. As powerful as Scrivener is, it can be overwhelming to new users, so we’ll start simple and learn through hands-on experience. By the end of the workshop, students will walk away with an understanding of Scrivener’s basic functionality, and perhaps a whole new approach to writing. Please bring a laptop with Scrivener installed. A free trial is available on Scrivener’s website.
A Workshop of Unusual Texts: Generating Ideas from Strange Sources with ICESS FERNANDEZ ROJAS
Sometimes a piece of paper or a strange book can jump start a new story, poem or essay.
Sometimes a piece of paper or a strange book can jump start a new story, poem or essay.
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TIME: Sunday, March 15th, 3-6 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Tuesday, March 10th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Tuesday, March 10th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Have you ever created a story from a phone book? Or used a dictionary to write an essay? How about a poem from a grocery receipt? Every day, we encounter several kinds of texts that easily lend themselves to creating new and interesting work. Sometimes a piece of paper or a strange book can jump start a new story, poem or essay. But how do you harness that idea into something great?
During this generative workshop we will look at several texts (the stranger the better) to create new work. We’ll also read some examples from other writers who have done the same! Participants will get out of their comfort zone to see where the Muse takes them. By the end, you’ll leave with a fist full of possibilities and a new eye for inspiration search. After all, who says that a menu can’t inspire new writing?
During this generative workshop we will look at several texts (the stranger the better) to create new work. We’ll also read some examples from other writers who have done the same! Participants will get out of their comfort zone to see where the Muse takes them. By the end, you’ll leave with a fist full of possibilities and a new eye for inspiration search. After all, who says that a menu can’t inspire new writing?
Writing Realistic Young Protagonists with JULIE HERMAN
You’ll walk away with a greater understanding of the world through the eyes of children.
You’ll walk away with a greater understanding of the world through the eyes of children.
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TIME: Sunday, March 22nd, 3-6 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Tuesday, March 17th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Tuesday, March 17th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Young people are more than just short adults speaking in unfathomable slang. Their psychology, physiology, and way of seeing the world is different. And as an adult writer telling their stories, you need to make sure you can portray them fairly and realistically.
This three hour workshop will help you chart your way to an intricate youthful main character. Together, we’ll discuss examples and work through writing exercises. By the end of our session, you’ll walk away with a greater understanding of the world through the eyes of children.
This three hour workshop will help you chart your way to an intricate youthful main character. Together, we’ll discuss examples and work through writing exercises. By the end of our session, you’ll walk away with a greater understanding of the world through the eyes of children.
The Focused Eye with VIPArts with DEBORAH D.E.E.P. MOUTON and MARCELL MURPHY
Color, shape, space, and form help us to better understand the world around us.
Color, shape, space, and form help us to better understand the world around us.
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TIME: Four Fridays, March 27th, April 3rd, April 10th, and April 17th, 6-9 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Sunday, March 22nd: $160 for members, $190 for non-members. After Sunday, March 22nd: $190 for members, $220 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 12 Writers |
Back by popular demand!
For most humans, sight is our dominant sense. Color, shape, space, and form help us to better understand the world around us. And while writing may be not be a visual medium in the same way painting or sculpture is, image is still deeply important in crafting compelling work.
This workshop takes a deeper dive into the use of image as a catalyst for memory and experience. From crafting ekphrastic work to reliving childhood memories, this workshop will help you build your unique voice as an observer and responder to the world around you. Work with seasoned writer Marcell Murphy and Houston's Third Poet Laureate Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, and in four weeks watch your truest voice emerge.
This workshop is being presented in conjunction with VIP Arts Houston.
For most humans, sight is our dominant sense. Color, shape, space, and form help us to better understand the world around us. And while writing may be not be a visual medium in the same way painting or sculpture is, image is still deeply important in crafting compelling work.
This workshop takes a deeper dive into the use of image as a catalyst for memory and experience. From crafting ekphrastic work to reliving childhood memories, this workshop will help you build your unique voice as an observer and responder to the world around you. Work with seasoned writer Marcell Murphy and Houston's Third Poet Laureate Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, and in four weeks watch your truest voice emerge.
This workshop is being presented in conjunction with VIP Arts Houston.
Introduction to Personal Essay and Memoir: Turning the Pen on Ourselves with MARK DOSTERT
Memoir and personal essay should be a gift to readers.
Memoir and personal essay should be a gift to readers.
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TIME: Sunday March 29, 3-6 PM
PRICE: Early-Bird until Tuesday, March 24th: $45 for members, $60 for non-members. After Tuesday, March 24th: $55 for members, $70 for non-members. Become a member here. Scholarships available here. LOCATION: Writespace at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards #208, Houston, TX 77007 LEVEL: All Levels CAP: Limited to 15 Writers |
Why might a stranger care about my experiences, thoughts, feelings, joys, sorrows, musings, and confusions? Memoir and personal essay should be a gift to readers, a text that enables them to see something consciously that they had only previous known subconsciously. Our controlling idea will be that effective personal essay and memoir writing does not center itself primarily in confession but rather in self-examination. The essayist/memoirist must interrogate his/her own stories to find something particular in which to offer something universal, and then determine how best to present their theme and meaning through engaging narrative arcs.
We will use mentor texts (both memoir and essay) to consider how what engages a reader most is when something is at stake. Once something is at stake, Point-of-View, Imagery, Diction, Details, and Syntax can then infuse the narrative with aesthetic pleasure, regardless of the essay’s subject matter. We will also consider how Tone, Figurative Language, and Allusions impact and enrich such nonfiction writing.
Participants are encouraged to bring the opening one-five pages of a personal essay or opening of a book-length memoir manuscript for feedback according to the writing craft concepts introduced and discussed.
We will use mentor texts (both memoir and essay) to consider how what engages a reader most is when something is at stake. Once something is at stake, Point-of-View, Imagery, Diction, Details, and Syntax can then infuse the narrative with aesthetic pleasure, regardless of the essay’s subject matter. We will also consider how Tone, Figurative Language, and Allusions impact and enrich such nonfiction writing.
Participants are encouraged to bring the opening one-five pages of a personal essay or opening of a book-length memoir manuscript for feedback according to the writing craft concepts introduced and discussed.
READ ME:
- Registration closes 24 hours before start time or when workshop fills. No walk-ins, please.
- Please read our workshop policies before registering.
- Can't attend without a scholarship? Apply here.
Writing Workshops for Non-Writers
Writespace also offers workshops for business professionals upon request.
Writespace also offers workshops for business professionals upon request.