Winter 2003 Workshops at Writers & Books

For Younger Writers

For more information or to register for these workshops, contact Wendy Low, Director of Youth Education and Community Outreach, at 473-2590 x109 or

Young Writers Club: Dramatic Writing

• WY3-737
• Ages 9–13
• Instructor: Robert Ricks [ bio ]
• Ten Saturdays, starting January 11, 9:30–11:15 am
• $139 General Public / $119 W&B Members
• Limit 12

Do you identify with Harriet the Spy? Are you the next Judy Blume, Faith Ringgold, Shel Silverstein, or J.K. Rowling?

If you’re a young writer, developing all the skills that make your favorite writers great, you can get support and encouragement in the Young Writer’s Club. Have fun creating 3-D characters that can talk, walk, and chew gum at the same time.

Play with nouns, verbs, rhythm, and rhyme. Learn to grab your reader from the very first line. Dress up your thoughts and lay out your emotions in literary dungarees. Impress family and friends as your characters come alive in a final performance.

Let’s Write

• WY3-749
• Ages 8–12
• Instructors: Ken Wilson [ bio ] & Wendy Low [ bio ]
• Five Thursdays, starting January 16, 10:30–Noon
• $69 General Public / $57 W&B Members
• Limit 12

In this enrichment class for students who learn from home, we approach writing as an amazing tool for exploring our view of the world and developing our own minds.

This class is designed to nurture and add to your strengths by guiding you through a variety of methods used by adult authors. You will develop stories and edit them. You will learn to keep various types of journal entries to support the writerly habits of noting interesting observations, using clear, vivid language, and thinking deeply.

The rich writing experiences offered will give you many tools to adapt for writing to your own purposes.

Write & Have Fun!

• WY3-755
• Ages 10-12
• Instructor: Ken Waldman [ bio ]
• Saturday, March 29, 9:30 am–2 pm
• $41 General Public / $33 W&B

Members Spend an entertaining creative day in the company of other writers. Alaska’s Fiddling Poet will be visiting the area, and will lead you in fun, proven writing exercises. Ken has had over 350 stories and poems published, and knows how to lead you down the road to being a writer. Bring a bag lunch, or order one from Edibles!

The Art of Horror

• This adult course is also appropriate for older teens
• W3-167
• Instructors: Robbi Hess [ bio ] & Donna M. Marbach [ bio ]
• 4 Wednesdays, starting January 29, 6–8 pm
• $60 W&B Members/$73 General Public
• Limit: 15

Got the mid-winter blues and feel like you need a little excitement to get the blood pumping again? If so, we may have just the remedy for you. If you love vampires, ghosts and other creepy things, you will love this workshop. Do you pre-order Stephen King and Ann Rice books? Do you have the complete video collection of Friday the 13th? Ever wanted to try writing a scary story yourself?

Then come join us for a few evenings of fright, laughter, and learning. Together, we will explore some of the history of horror writing and look at a few examples by noted authors. We will review basic writing techniques with an eye to those most applicable to the horror genre. Mostly though, it will be a class of experimentation and fun. We will provide in-class “recipes“ and writing prompts to get you started, but the writing part will be up to you.

So dust off those story skeletons, wake up those psychopathic thoughts and join us for a mid-winter fright fest. The course will end with a reading and a small party. There, we will share our best work with each other (and friends and family if you’re brave enough). And as a special added treat, we will feature a reading by at last one internationally published horror writer.

February Writing Break

• Ages 8-13
• Instructors: See each workshop below
• During February School Break
  February 18, 19, 20 & 21, 9 am to 3:30 pm
• Priced as listed
• Multiple days discount: $8 off for each additional day for the same child

The maple sap is rising in the veins of the trees, and everything in nature is secretly starting to stir. Should you be sitting on the couch all week? In school you have been writing academic essays. Take a break to write creatively!

We will offer four separate days of concentrated writing power to keep your mind engaged. Choose your favorites, or take all four below. Early drop off or late pick up can be arranged.

For a Song

• WY3-751
• Instructor: Doug Waterman [ bio ]
• Tuesday, February 18, 9 am–3:30 pm
• $61 General Public / $49 W&B Members

Anything can be a song! A book you love, or a day you hate. Strong feelings are the number one ingredient you need to turn everyday life into your own song. In this workshop, we’ll sharpen our songwriters’ tools, and explore techniques, as well as write song lyrics separately and together.

Musicians may take a special interest, but musical training is not a must. Robert Burns couldn’t carry a tune, and he’s one of the greatest song writers ever!

Write A Book in Just One Day

• WY3-752
• Instructor: Wendy Low [ bio ]
• Wednesday February 19, 9 am–3:30 pm
• $61 General Public / $49 W&B Members

One of the major complaints of beginning writers is that they have difficulty finishing a story plot. Wendy Low will guide you in the creation of a story from beginning to end. You will leave with a first draft of a complete story, which you can elaborate on and edit.

The Writer as Spy

• WY3-753
• Instructor: Reenah Golden [ bio ]
• Thursday February 20, 9 am–3:30 pm
• $61 General Public / $49 W&B Members

We’ll spend the morning investigating cafés and museums, identifying interesting characters and overhearing bits of conversation. Then we will return to Writers & Books to expand, from our imaginations, on what we’ve seen and heard.

By the end of the day you will have completed at least one good character description and will have a good idea of the kinds of questions writers ask themselves all the time.

In Character: Who’s Up for a Little Performing?

• WY3-754I
• Instructor: Reenah Golden [ bio ]
• Friday February 21, 9 am–4 pm
• $69 General Public / $49 W&B Members

Take a character you have developed (Perhaps on Wednesday or Thursday) and use theater and writing exercises to create a performance where that character gets to speak for himself or herself. At 3:30 pm we will mount a revue performance in the Verb Café for friends and family to attend.

For more information or to register for these workshops, contact Wendy Low, Director of Youth Education and Community Outreach, at 473-2590 x109 or

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