March Workshops & Events
Writing Fiction: The Mythical Muse
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INSTRUCTOR: Kendra Presont Leonard
TIME: Two Saturdays, March 5 & 12, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Monday, February 28: $85 for members, $100 for nonmembers. After Monday, February 28: $100 for members, $115 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Writespace, 1717 Michigan Street, Houston, TX, 77006 (map) LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Have you ever wanted to write about Loki, the trickster of the Norse gods? Are you enthralled with the story of Persephone and her experience of living in two worlds? Do you want to take a peek inside Baba Yaga’s chicken-leg house? In this course, we will explore ways of writing with ancient and modern myths, creating and developing mythical characters, settings, and plots for our writing, and respectfully using myths from cultures that are not our own. Led by poet Kendra Leonard, whose work often draws on the myths of ancient Greece and other mythic materials, participants will learn how to research myths for inspiration, relocate mythic figures to different times and places, and develop frameworks for thinking about how myth resonates with or is in opposition to our own outlooks and values. We will have ample time for in-class writing, ranging from free-writing and brainstorming exercises, to writing about characters from myth, to incorporating myth into poetry, stories, and other genres. Feel free to bring a work in progress or start a brand new piece of writing as part of this seminar. |
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What Authors Need to Know about Business and Taxes
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INSTRUCTOR: Mike Kowis, Esq.
TIME: Saturday, March 5, 1–4 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Monday, February 28: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. After Monday, February 28: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 It's that time of year again when everyone (including authors) must do their taxes. Are you ready? If not, let’s take some of the stress out of tax season with this informative session where we’ll discuss everything you need to know about business and taxes. In this practical workshop, Mike Kowis (a local author and long-time tax attorney) will share general information on how to set up and run an author business, plus helpful tips about common author expenses and income, sales tax requirements, and tax forms. We’ll all get through this together! Come prepared with your questions. |
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
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Creating Stories and Family: Writing as a Parent
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INSTRUCTOR: Patricia Flaherty Pagan and Jae Mazer
TIME: Sunday, March 6, 3–6 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Tuesday, March 1: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. After Tuesday, March 1: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Writespace, 1717 Michigan Street, Houston, TX, 77006 (map) LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 How do you support both your creative calling and your loved ones? Can you “have it all,” and do you want it all? Join us as we write our vision and share strategies to make our writing lives stronger while embracing the joyful mess of parenting. Writing exercises, resources, and interactive discussion will touch upon owning your own nonlinear writing journey, focusing on your unique vision of success, finding and nurturing allies, multitasking like a mother, slaying the dragon of time management, self-care, and using the colorful chaos of family life in your stories and poems. |
Photo by Surface on Unsplash
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Latinx Authors: An Interactive Workshop
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INSTRUCTOR: Lorenzo Martinez
TIME: Saturday, March 12, 1–4 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Monday, March 7: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. After Monday, March 7: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Writespace, 1717 Michigan Street, Houston, TX, 77006 (map) LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Sooner or later, writers struggle with sensitivity issues concerning the correct pronoun or name that includes both genders. Is it his, her, or their? Have you found yourself in a similar situation? How have you gotten around it? Latinx is a gender-neutral alternative to Latino, Latina. The term, used by scholars, activists, and a growing number of journalists, is gaining popularity among the general public. This workshop will offer a safe place for participants to discuss their reaction to a word that has become part of mainstream literature. We will examine old classics and new voices alike, including Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, Sandra Cisneros’ House on Mango Street, Silvia Moreno-García’s Mexican Gothic, and Tomás Rivera’s ...y no se lo tragó la tierra (...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him), and discuss these works in relation to the term Latinx and how the popularity of the word has revolutionized the publishing industry. According to the Pew Research Center, there has been a significant growth in the number of Latinx voters in the last few years, making the United States more racially and ethnically diverse than ever. How this will translate into more readers of Latinx literature is still up for debate; the future, however, seems brighter for what once were marginalized voices. |
Photo by Nina PhotoLab on Unsplash
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Introduction to Writing Erotica
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INSTRUCTOR: Cassandra Rose Clarke
TIME: Saturday, March 19, 1–4 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Monday, March 14: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. After Monday, March 14: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 With the rise of e-readers, interest in erotica has exploded: readers can indulge their deepest desires without worrying that the saucy cover will give everything away. And many writers are eager for the chance to try their hand at getting salacious under a pen name. This workshop will serve as a safe space for the curious to get as salacious as they want—without ignoring their writing craft. We’ll examine how sexually explicit material can serve as a mode of character development and how sexually driven plot lines allow us to push boundaries and explore societal taboos. We’ll also look at how to write that sexually explicit material itself—and how to find the balance between the poetic and the pornographic. Please note that this workshop is rated NC-17. Participants can expect to read, hear, and (if they wish) use sexually explicit language, and we will be discussing sexually explicit scenarios. Out loud. |
Photo by Dainis Graveris on Unsplash
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Writing the Humorous Essay
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INSTRUCTOR: Justin Jannise
TIME: Sunday, March 20, 3-6 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Tuesday, March 15: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. After Tuesday, March 15: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Writing funny stuff can feel more like a talent handed out at birth and less like a skill learned in class, but the truth is that humor emerges from many of the same techniques that create a variety of literary effects: Pattern. Repetition. Sandwiches. Sandwiches? They're useful. Whether you're confident about your standup routine or looking to expand your tonal range, this workshop is for you. It will help low-carb and well-bread writers alike improve their Kraft mayo skills and roast beef up their prose. Exemplary essays you mustard read and study will be shared. Lettuce try to learn from their example while meating other funny writers in the process. |
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Revising Memoir
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INSTRUCTOR: Lorenzo Martinez
TIME: Four Thursdays, March 24, 31, April 7, 14, 6–9 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Saturday, March 19: $150 for members, $180 for nonmembers. After Saturday, March 19: $180 for members, $210 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Writespace, 1717 Michigan Street, Houston, TX, 77006 (map) LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 If you have completed a rough draft of a memoir or several scenes that you are unsure how to weave into a cohesive whole, this class is for you. This workshop will provide individual feedback and specific writing prompts to eliminate the evil of procrastination and help find a structure for your narrative. It will also deconstruct what makes a memoir dazzle: a clear theme, strong story arc, unique voice, and clear transitions. When we understand and properly use these elements, we will once again relish the art of memoir writing and feel encouraged to complete our manuscripts. During class, we will often refer to three books and use examples from each. They are: Linda Joy Myers’s Journey to Memoir Writing (Myers is the President of the National Association of Memoir Writers); Mary Karr’s The Art of Memoir Writing and her own memoir, The Liars’ Club, a New York Times best seller, which has been credited for launching a resurgence in the popularity of the memoir genre. If you have not read these books, please become familiar with them before joining the class. |
Photo by Nicolas Hoizey on Unsplash
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Writing Noir Now
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INSTRUCTOR: Icess Fernandez Rojas
TIME: Two Satrudays, March 26 & April 2, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Monday, March 21: $85 for members, $100 for nonmembers. After Monday, March 21: $100 for members, $115 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 The atmosphere. The language. The characters. When people think of noir stories, they think of these three things, but it can be difficult to pinpoint how they work together. How can we use these elements to create a noir story? And is there a modern noir that can show us the way? Joe Ide’s IQ has been called “one of the most original thrillers of the year . . . A sometimes scary, often whimsical, off-the-wall delight” by the Washington Post and is being adapted into a TV series. The first book in a series, IQ introduces readers to Isaiah "IQ" Quintabe, an unlikely and unlicensed detective in South Central Los Angeles, who was left an orphan after his brother, Marcus, was killed in a hit and run. But was it an accident? Meanwhile, IQ’s Sherlock Holmes–like observation skills have made him a hot commodity for those with mysteries to solve. How will he use his skills to survive while solving one of the most dangerous cases in his young career? And what really happened to his brother? In this two-session class, we’ll study how Ide plays with atmosphere, language, and characters to create a modern noir classic. Specifically, we’ll study how to build an unlikely hero, the language beyond the dialogue, and how to write what you know into a noir story. Familiarity with the book IQ by Joe Ide is a requirement for this workshop. |
Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash
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Antagonists: Why Fiction Needs Troublemakers
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INSTRUCTOR: Marian Szczepanski
TIME: Saturday, March 26, 1–4 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Monday, March 21: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. After Monday, March 21: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Think Iago. Think Scrooge (before the ghosts arrived). Think Mephistopheles and the Joker and Voldemort. Without question, they stir things up. They lie and lust and lead the good guys (and girls) shockingly astray. A savvy fiction writer, however, can't live without them. This class will examine the nature, purpose, and three varieties of antagonists in fiction. We'll discuss specific examples, from classic to contemporary, paying particular attention to how the depicted antagonist functions in a narrative and especially what makes him/her/it complex and memorable rather than a stereotype. Our discussion will consider the impact of antagonists in a range of fictional styles: conventional, speculative, and magical realism. |
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Author Email List Building
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INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Cynthia Childress
TIME: Sunday, March 27, 3–6 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Tuesday, March 22: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. After Tuesday, March 22: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 You've probably heard that the best way to build your author email list is by giving away something free in exchange for email addresses. This can be called a freebie, an opt-in, or a lead magnet, but whatever name you choose to call it, this process can be daunting. Is it enough to give away a first chapter? What else would make sense to give to your readers? And if you had a freebie, how would people find it? In this class, Dr. Cindy will help you choose the best freebie to attract your readers and decide what strategies you'll use to spread the word. You'll leave this class with your freebie drafted and a great hook to get readers onto your author email list. |
Photo by Stephen Phillips on Unsplash
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In the Margins: Queer Latinx Writing
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INSTRUCTOR: Paige Quiñones
TIME: Six Tuesdays, March 29, April 5, 7, 12, 19, 26, May 3, 6–9 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Thursday, March 24: $210 for members, $240 for nonmembers. After Thursday, March 24: $240 for members, $270 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Afro-Caribbean writer Édouard Glissant said, “The first thing exported by the conqueror was his language.” In resistance, marginalized people in the Americas and elsewhere have used writing and storytelling to legitimize their culture, to challenge dominant norms, and to develop a complex view of the self. What makes this writing queer? We will begin this generative workshop with in-depth discussions of queer Latinx multi-genre literature from the Caribbean and the US-Mexico border, followed by both impromptu writing exercises and workshopping of our more developed pieces. We will carefully consider Latinx narrative, memoir, poetry, and cross-genre work in order to develop a cross-cultural idea of mestiza poetics and hone our own writing practices. In-class prompts will be based on themes, modes, imagery, code-switching, and other aspects of queer Latinx writing. We will also examine and analyze how the queer writer is formed on the page, especially as they relate to time and space. This course will enter you into the literary world of double-consciousness, cultural and linguistic slippage, and the erotic self. |
Photo by Katie Rainbow on Unsplash
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Microfiction: Dear Muse A Postcard Fiction Workshop and Reading
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INSTRUCTOR: Patricia Flaherty Pagan
TIME: Two Wednesdays, March 30 & April 6, 6:30–8:30 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird until Friday, March 25: $70 for members, $85 for nonmembers. After Friday, March 25: $85 for members, $100 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION:Online via Zoom LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 12 Join us as we generate and celebrate postcard microfiction in this unique in-person workshop and reading. We’ll create 100-word epistolary microstories (stories in the form of postcards), and use writing exercises and visual prompts to inspire us to create vivid, traditional microfiction. Whether you are new to writing 100-word stories or a veteran microfiction scribe seeking a creative challenge, you will enjoy corresponding with your muse. Class One: A generative, supportive, in-person microfiction workshop in which participants use writing exercises and visual postcard prompts to generate three 100-word stories, at least one of which should be epistolary. At the end of the workshop, participants will choose their favorite 100-word story and consult with the instructor on revision suggestions. Class Two: A celebration and supportive community reading and display of the postcard fiction we have created. Participants will meet to share their revised postcard fiction, reading first to the workshop group, and then to the Writespace community later that evening. This will be a great opportunity to celebrate the postcard form and gain confidence in the important skill of reading one’s work in public. Postcards will be displayed following the reading. Materials Fee (for a variety of postcards): $5 per student will go directly to instructor to reimburse her for materials. |
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READ ME:
- Registration closes 24 hours before start time or when workshop fills. No walk-ins, please.
- Please read our workshop policies before registering.
- Workshop tickets must be purchased online.
- Can't attend without a scholarship? Apply here.