Winter 2003 Workshops at Writers & Books

Nonfiction

See also: A Woman’s Voice

Creating the Life-Book Journal

• W3–113
• Instructor: Patricia R. Schwartz [ bio ]
• Saturday, January 25, 1–4 pm
• $34 W&B Members/$43 General Public
• Limit: 25

A hands-on workshop in which participants will learn how to create a journal that can not only be used as a daily diary, but also as a resource for deeper self-understanding and crucible for poetry, fiction, or other writing.

Using techniques drawn from Julia Cameron, Sarah Ban Breathnac, Natalie Goldberg and others, the journal will include pictures, photos, and other mementos. As participants begin their journals, we will practice guided visualization and various free writing exercises.

A list of needed supplies will be sent prior to the class.

Memoir Writing

• W3-128
• Instructor: L. John Cieslinski [ bio ]
• 8 Tuesdays, starting January 28, 6:30–8:30 pm
• $116 W&B Members/$142 General Public
• Limit: 12

Everyone has a story to tell. Turn memory into memoir and create a legacy of your life. Join us in an atmosphere of mutual support, encouragement, and constructive ideas, with writing exercises and suggested reading to help you get started. Find the focus of your story and the thread of truth woven throughout it. Balance pithy dialogue with descriptive narration to bring people and places to life. Don’t wait until the details fade away. Write now!

Technical Writing II

• W3-131
• Instructor: Mary Anne Donovan [ bio ]
• 6 Thursdays, starting February 6, 4–6 pm
• $95 W&B Members/$105 General Public
• Limit: 12

This course will discuss common uses for technical writing, writing proposals, procedural approaches and styles, writing for the web, and finding work, whether it’s freelance or full-time.

Students should have basic computer knowledge, be at home with word processing and have a working familiarity with the Internet. You will produce at least one proposal and one procedure based document.

Essays to Live By: Reading & Writing Creative Nonfiction

• W3-111
• Instructor: Anaïs Salibian [ bio ]
• 8 Wednesdays, starting January 22, noon–2 pm
• $116 W&B members/$142 General Public
• Limit 12

When asked what had stumped him when he rewrote the last page of A Farewell to Arms thirty-nine times, Hemingway replied, “Getting the words right.”

This class is about the joy of learning to make prose sing. We’ll examine several authors for style and do writing exercises to practice the elements of good writing: sentence structure, diction, sound, and much more. Come with at least one draft to work on. You may have memoir, exposition, personal essay, profile, or any other non-fiction form. (If you need inspiration to generate writing, you’ll get that too.) You’ll end with essays to be proud of.

We’ll have a required text: Getting the Words Right: How to Rewrite, Edit & Revise by Theodore A. Rees Cheney. This book is written so well, I both laughed out loud and was moved to tears.

You are here > Home > Winter 2003 Seminars & Workshops > Nonfiction