Winter 2003 Workshops at Writers & Books

Write It! Workshops

Writing Erotic Fiction

• W3-168
• Instructors: Patricia Ryan  [ bio ] and Tim Wright [ bio ]
• Saturday, March 8, 10 am–1 pm
• $42 W&B Members/$49 General Public
• Limit: 25
• Open to ages 18 and over only

In all genres–literary, mainstream, suspense, horror, romance, even science fiction and fantasy–there are plots in which the characters’ sexuality is a major, or even the major, story element.

Eroticism, whether subtle or graphic, can add a compelling dimension to a novel or short story. It also sells, as evidenced by the number of publishers currently seeking manuscripts with erotic content.

Pat Ryan and Tim Wright, both of whom are published in erotic genre fiction, share advice and insights in this three-hour workshop, which is open to students eighteen and over.

Comedy Writing for Fun & Profit!

• W3-169
• Instructor: Allison Roberts [ bio ]
• 6 Tuesdays, Beginning February 4, 6:30–8:30 pm
• $99 W&B Members/$120 General Public
• Limit: 12

Be prepared to have a great time, and be prepared to eventually stand up in front of the class and make them laugh. We’ll go over comedy script writing, we’ll do improvisational games, and we’ll free write to inspire those comedic juices. If you have something you want to share or polish, please bring it to the first class. Let the good times roll!

Writing for Healing

• W3-146
• Instructor: Patricia R. Schwartz [ bio ]
• Saturday, February 15, 10 am–1 pm
• $34 W&B Members/$43 General Public
• Limit: 12

Recent research has determined that journal writing contributes to an individual’s healing from psychological pain and contributes to greater physical health.

Join writer/psychotherapist Pat Schwartz to explore how to use the techniques of free writing, journaling, and guided imagery visualization to help free emotional baggage from the past (whether childhood or more recent).

Personal sharing will be on a voluntary basis and kept appropriate to the setting. (Designed to serve as part of any other personal healing process that is currently a part of your life, and not as a substitute for therapy.) Bring a notebook, writing implements and a bag lunch.

Basic Grant Writing: Write Fundable Proposals While Saving Your Time & Sanity

• W3-174
• Instructor: Carolyn Kourofsky [ bio ]
• Two Saturdays, January 18 & 25, 10 am–noon
• $46 W&B Members/$60 non-members
• Limit: 15

This two-part workshop provides the fundamentals of grant writing to help you quickly and efficiently produce a fundable proposal for your non-profit organization. You can save your time and your sanity by understanding:

• What a proposal is, and does;
• Types of proposals, and funders;
• The “Key Questions” funders have in mind when considering your proposal;
• The Rochester Area Common Application Form and logic model;
• Where to find potential funders;
• How to keep others—and yourself—from derailing your deadline;
• How to polish your proposal to perfection (including the two words you must find and expunge from your proposal!)

Advanced Grant Writing (Critique Class)

• W3-175
• Instructor: Carolyn Kourofsky [ bio ]
• Two Saturdays, March 8 & 15, 10 am–noon
• $46 W&B Members/$60 Non-members
• Limit: 6

This advanced class allows you to have your completed draft proposal reviewed and critiqued by the class and instructor to help you make your case better, stronger, and clearer. Two proposals will be read in-class and critiqued during the first session; the remaining proposals will be take-home reading and will be critiqued during the second session. Participation in the class requires:

• Bringing 7 copies of your completed draft proposal to the first session.
• Committing to reading and critiquing other participants’ proposals.

Travel Writing

• W3-179
• Instructors: Mary Anne Donovan [ bio ] and Jennifer Hutchins [ bio ]
• Two Saturdays, March 15 & 22, 10 am–1 pm
• $70 W&B Members/$85 Non-members
• Limit: 12

Have you ever considered writing about a hike through a local park or a trip to Bombay? What does it take to research, write and submit a destination piece or travel essay?

This course will help writers develop articles about their travel experiences, whether they are heading to another state, another country or to their favorite destination up the road. We’ll discuss markets and differences between types of travel articles. We’ll look at some of the greats in travel writing McPhee, Theroux and William Least Heat-Moon. We’ll discuss your responsibilities as a travel writer. We’ll do in-class exercises. And we’ll go on a field trip on which we’ll take notes and do some in-class writing.

Students will also have the opportunity to read their work in class (strictly voluntary), then revise their work with help from the workshop leaders. So put on your walking shoes and join this two-day class.

Writing More & Suffering Less: Understanding & Improving Your Writing Behavior

• W3-180
• Instructor: David Pascal [ bio ]
• 8 Mondays, starting January 20, 6:30–8:30 pm
• $116 W&B Members/$142 General Public
• Limit: 12

How can you get that book you want to write out of the daydream stage? How can you stay with it and finish it? How can you make writing it a pleasure and not a pain? How can you deal with blocks and relapses and get back on track?

David Pascal combines his extensive professional writing experience with multiple degrees in psychology and the humanities to put your writing behavior and habits on the right track. This workshop will show you how to analyze your own writing habits, eliminate problems and distractions, and build simple everyday writing behaviors to take your project all the way to the publisher; it will be especially useful for someone attempting a novel or other book-length project.

Several tested successful approaches will be discussed, explored, and tailored to your own situation.

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