Writers in Progress Workshops

Dori is the founder and Director of Writers in Progress, a literary arts center in the historic Brushworks Arts & Industry Building in Florence, MA.

We offer creative writing workshops for writers of every level and genre, with this underlying premise: anyone can learn to write powerfully, and great writing rarely happens in a vacuum.

In addition, Writers in Progress hosts a seasonal open house/reading as part of our Live Literature Series.

Upcoming Workshops for Fall 2010:

All workshops take place in our lovely Florence studio, include refreshments and are open to writers of all levels unless otherwise specified. Returning students receive a 10% discount.

Weekly Workshops:

Writing From Life with Dori Ostermiller: This popular workshop will inspire you to make significant creative leaps in a supportive environment. Through exercises, group discussion and creative exploration, we will access life experience, invigorate our craft, generate fresh material and deepen our commitment to the writing life.  Open to writers of all levels and genres.  Professional manuscript critique included!  Mondays, 6:00 – 9:00 pm
11-week fall session begins Monday, Sept 13 ($440)

Thursday Morning Jump-start, with Dori Ostermiller.  “If I could just fit writing into my schedule…” is the #1 lament I hear from both aspiring and professional writers. If you’re looking for quiet, structured writing time among peers, a few great ideas to get you going and some thoughtful feedback, look no farther!  Starting with a variety of imaginative prompts, we’ll engage in two sustained writing periods, then share some work in a supportive atmosphere.  Appropriate for all levels and genres. 
10 Thursdays, 9:30 am – noon, starting Sept 23 ($300)

The Fall Splurge, with Jacqueline Sheehan:  If you’ve been hankering to take the writing plunge, or are in need of creative recharging, this is the perfect opportunity! This four-week workshop is open to writers of all levels and genres.  We will write freely from imaginative prompts designed to break through blocks, quiet the critical, doubting mind and open up the playful writer who is ready to blossom.  Appropriate for beginners.  Four Thursdays, 6-9 pm, starting Sept 16 ($140)
 
Jacqueline Sheehan is the NY Times bestselling author of Truth, Lost and Found and Now and Then.  www.jacquelinesheehan.com

The Art of Memoir, with Celia Jeffries:
We will explore the major aspects of memoir: generating voice, handling difficult material, developing characters and setting, producing scenes and dialogue, and creating the right structure to hold it all together. Our work will include readings and discussion of craft, in-class exercises and short manuscript reviews. This is a supportive and generative environment for those at the beginning, as well those in the midst of a project.  Eight Tuesdays, 6-9 pm, starting Sept 221 ($320)

Celia Jeffries’ work has appeared in several journals, including Writers Chronicle and the anthology Beyond the Yellow Wallpaper. Celia has served as managing editor of Patchwork Journal and on the faculty of Lesley University. 

 

One-day workshops:

Publishing Your Manuscript, with David Lovelace: First, we'll discuss the annoying necessity of agents—where to look, how to research, approach and choose…  We’ll work on ‘elevator pitches’ (boiling down your book into one paragraph, then two sentences), and the types and components of queries and proposals.  Then we’ll talk about what comes next, when the editor finally calls…  one-day workshop. Sat, September 25, 9:30 am - 5 pm, with an hour for lunch ($120)

David Lovelace’s memoir, Scattershot, was published in 2008 by Dutton.

Where it’s at: Setting in fiction, with Ellen Meeropol. Where and when your story takes place is as crucial as what happened, or who done it. Eudora Welty wrote, “fiction is all bound up in the local… feelings are bound up in place.” In this one-day workshop, we’ll look at examples from published works and our own stories to explore how setting can highlight conflict, reflect characters’ emotions, engage the readers’ senses, and move the story toward its climax. Appropriate for all levels. Saturday, Nov. 6, 9:30 am - 5 pm, with an hour for lunch ($120)

Ellen Meeropol has published short stories in many journals, including Portland Magazine, Pedestal and Patchwork Journal.  Her first novel, House Arrest, is forthcoming in 2011 from Red Hen Press.

It Could Always Be Verse: A Poetry Workshop for Everyone, with Lesléa Newman. Whether you've always wanted to write poetry or have been writing it for years, this workshop is for you! As the poet Elsa Gidlow said, "The poet is not a special person. Every person is a special type of poet." In this one-day workshop we will do in-class writing exercises that help us dig deep to find our own rich material, and then learn how to shape it into powerful poetry that will make a reader feel (to quote Emily Dickinson) "like the top of my head has been lifted off.” No previous writing experience necessary. Bring a pen, paper, an open heart and mind. Saturday, October 23, 9:30 am to 5 pm. ($120).

Lesléa Newman was the poet laureate of Northampton, MA. Her many collections of poetry include, Still Life with Buddy, Nobody's Mother, and Signs of Love.

 

For more information or to register, contact Dori here.