Winter 2006 Workshops at Writers & Books

Cross-Genre

Daytime Aerobics

• WA6-M10
• 10 Fridays, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
• January 20 through March 24
• $99 W&B members / $129 general public
• Instructor: Nick DiChario

This workshop is a hybrid of our Writing Aerobics class. Each week, students will have the opportunity to write spontaneous, creative pieces in class from writing prompts provided by the instructor (and fellow students). Participants will work out their creative muscles and read and discuss their pieces in a supportive, friendly, roundtable atmosphere. Assignments may be given to rewrite work during the week or expand on ideas only flirted with during writing sessions. Whether you write fiction, plays, poetry, memoir, or anything in-between, this is a great way to jump-start your creative energy, write for fun, and polish your gems into publishable pieces.

Writing the Travel Essay

• WA6-M51
• Tuesdays, 7 - 9 p.m.
• January 31 through March 7
• $113 W&B members / $119 general public
• Instructor: Karen vanMeenen

Are you a traveler? Do you like to document your travels by writing in a journal and/or taking photographs? In this workshop, students will learn how to research, document, and write about their journeys, focusing on creating a strong sense of place. The class will read excerpts from the works of such masters of the literary travel essay as William Least Heat Moon, Bruce Chatwin, Paul Theroux, and John McPhee as well as fictionalized works from Tom Bodett, Paul Bowles, Virginia Woolf, and Jack Kerouac. This course is appropriate for any travelers with an interest in writing and the tendency to observe the world around them, whether in Penfield or Peru.

Register online

Editing 101

• WA6-B35
• One Saturday, 10 –2 pm
• February 18
• $37 W&B members / $39 general public
• Instructor: K. Howard

Do you need a quick refresher on editing before you ship that manuscript off to a potential publisher? Come join us for this one-day workshop on editing and proofreading. Learn the basics of grammar, punctuation, and proofreading. This is NOT a replacement for a detailed review of full-length manuscripts, but rather an overview of the areas of English usage important to any writer.

Register online

Storyboarding for Fiction Writers

• WA6-F30
• One Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• March 4
• $37 W&B members / $39 general public
• Instructor: Len Messineo

Storyboarding is an often-overlooked weapon in the fiction writer’s arsenal. It can be invaluable in planning a work or critiquing a completed draft. The instructor will explore various ways to establish a storyboard using paper or software, and examine ways to ensure that a story has a well-plotted arc, thematic coherence, a clear through-line, and adequate character development.

Register online

Get Shorty!

Literary and general interest magazines everywhere are clamoring for short-short fiction, also known as micro, fast, furious, skinny, miniscule, or postcard fiction. In this workshop students will look at successful short-shorts and their use of plot, character, dialogue, and conflict. The larger part of class will be dedicated to discussing ways to hone student manuscripts for publication with precise editing and story-telling principles. Writing between sessions will be encouraged.

Register online

A Sense of Place

• WA6-M57
• 5 Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
• April 1 through April 29
• $113 W&B members / $119 general public
• Instructor: Sonja Livingston

Rochester is quite a place! Besides enjoying a rich history, our city offers much to observe, inspire, and explore. Although our region has birthed entrepreneurs, poets, and pioneers of religious, social, and political change, we remain a shy city, often overlooking our own charms. In this class, students will visit significant area landmarks and respond creatively to sites visited. Part writing workshop, part field trip, this is a perfect way to familiarize (or re-familiarize) yourself with the area, and connect creatively to our city. Places to visit may include Rochester’s Public Market, Mt. Hope Cemetery, St. Mary’s Square, Lake Ontario, Eastman Garden, and/or others. Participants will write a lot and have fun!

You are here > Home > Winter 2006 Seminars, Courses & Workshops > Cross-Genre