Winter 2005 Workshops at Writers & Books

Non-Fiction

Memoir: Finding Meaning in Your Life Story

• WA5-N11
• Eight Saturdays, January 22 – March 12, 11 am–1 pm
• $139 W&B members / $159 general public
• Instructor: Anaïs Salibian

Do you want to write a memoir but don’t know how to start or what to write about?

This workshop is designed for the experienced or inexperienced writer interested in memoir. The instructor will begin with exercises that help students discover the themes and conflicts in their lives that may eventually take shape on paper. (Students should be prepared for new insights into themselves and their experiences.)

The instructor will help participants mine their memories and organize them into meaningful stories. Topics include the basics of story structure, ways to structure memoirs, and how to craft dramatic scenes that bring major themes to life.

A Woman’s Voice: Journal & Memoir

• WA5-M189A
• Twelve Wednesdays, January 19 – April 13, 7–9 pm
• No class on March 2
• Instructor: Karen vanMeenen
• $216 W&B members / $240 general public

or

• WA5-M189B
• Twelve Thursdays, January 20 – April 7, 7–9 pm
• Instructor: Anaïs Salibian
• $216 W&B members / $240 general public

This unique writing workshop offers women a safe, open forum to write stories, poems, essays and diatribes about what is important to them, what changes have taken place in their lives over time and space, and what remains the same.

Participants will be particularly encouraged to keep personal journals, and the class will explore various means of doing so while maintaining interest in the process. Women will share these writings—which will take many forms, according to individual interests—as well as read passages from some of the great women diarists and other writers working in a personal style.

Honesty in Business Writing

• WA5-B32
• One Saturday, February 26, 10 am–1 pm
• $25 W&B members / $29 general public
• Instructor: Martin Naparsteck

Too often the ethical standards for business writers—whether in memos, resumes, form letters, or annual reports—have been far too low.

This course will offer workable methods to give participants the moral courage to resist pressure from bosses and clients to “spin” reality, report only “happy facts,” and put “the bottom line” before the truth.

My Thoughts Exactly: Column Writing for Everyone

• WA5-N24
• Four Thursdays, March 10–31, 6:30–8:30 pm
• $72 W&B members / $79 general public
• Instructor: Robbi Hess

Are you the kind of person who has an opinion on just about everything? Do you have knowledge in a particular area of study or field of interest that you would like to impart to the masses? If so, this may be the perfect class.

Columns are everywhere: newspapers, magazines, on-line, etc. This course will show students how to expand their ideas, brainstorm topics, hone their writing skills, and attack the marketplace.

The instructor will guide participants in some in-class writing exercises, and everyone will have an opportunity to see their pieces edited.

The Art of Copywriting: Newsletters, Business Writing, Advertising, and the Web

• WA5-B33
• Eight Mondays, January 24 – March 21, 6:30–8:30 pm
• No class February 14
• $139 W&B members / $159 general public
• Instructor: David Pascal

Need to write something at work, or for a business project, or to raise money? Want to craft the kind of effective prose that gets results?

In this workshop a professional copywriter and marketing consultant will reveal the techniques and secrets of “power copywriting.” The instructor will introduce participants to the classic copywriters and their methods, and offer examples of how strong copy is written for newsletters, press releases, large and small print ads, Web design, and more—relating it all to your own business interests.

Whether you’re looking to enter a new, fascinating, and lucrative writing field, or just produce writing that sells without having to pay high agency fees, this is the class for you.

The Literature of Non-Fiction

• WA5-N33
• Eight Wednesdays, February 9 – March 30, 2–4 pm
• $139 W&B members / $159 general public
• Instructor: Sonja Livingston

No matter what you call it—creative non-fiction, the art of fact, literary non-fiction, or the fourth genre—this workshop will help you convey personal experience using the snap and pizzazz of fiction and the language and lyricism of poetry.

In recent years, essay writing has gone from being a boring offshoot of academic writing to one of the most dynamic and expansive literary forms published today. The participants will examine examples of contemporary essays and memoirs, experiment with form and style, and discuss the importance of detail, framing, and other literary devices.

The emphasis of this workshop will be on students sharing their work and providing effective feedback to others. (For writers who have some previous workshop experience and want to take their work to the next level.)

Check our Calendar of Events for Sonja’s reading on Tuesday evening, March 15!

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