New authors know their tales are good. The question is, how long can you make the reader wait before showing them the proof? Will Hahn looks at some great first lines in famous novels, and demonstrates what choices you have, the many things you can accomplish right in the first sentence of your tale. There… Read more »
Strategies for Self-Editing: Your first draft is complete. What now? This workshop will give practical tips on revising, polishing, and proofing at two levels: macro (big picture) and micro (small details). Macro will address story structure, plotting, characterization, and setting. Micro will examine your writing as paragraphs, sentences, and words. Bring a story or chapter… Read more »
In this workshop, learn the major reasons you should write short fiction for anthologies—and how this can enhance your freelance writing career. What makes an anthology editor decide “yes” on a submitted story? What gets a definitive “no”? We’ll share ways to increase your odds for acceptance. We’ll also discuss how to work with an… Read more »
This workshop will take place before the start of the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. As this can be a particularly difficult time for some, it is a good time for the Writing for Healing workshop. Writing is a wonderful tool for organizing thoughts and expressing feelings in a constructive and safe way. Recording thoughts, experiences, and feelings… Read more »
Once a reader finds a writer they enjoy and can count on for a “good read,” they tend to read that writer “in depth,” meaning they read everything else he or she has written. Writing a series builds loyalty among readers and sends them back hungry for additional stories featuring the same characters. That increases sales… Read more »
Creative nonfiction writing is described as a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. This workshop will discuss examples of creative nonfiction from several writers including the instructor, highlight the differences between creative nonfiction and other genres, such as historical fiction or news reporting, and emphasize that accomplished… Read more »
Who doesn’t like to talk about food? There are many different approaches to food writing and in this interactive workshop we’ll explore several of them. After examining illustrative examples, participants will experiment with a variety of ways to bring a tasty dish to life on the page. We’ll cover a number of forms (food blogs,… Read more »
Playwright Lisa Lutwyche explores five elements of creating scripts for the stage. The audience has to sit there and listen, in the dark. What are we offering to them? We will discuss what it means to write in “real time,” how to create memorable, believable characters, how to “hear” their dialogue, an understanding of how… Read more »
Even experienced writers make mistakes, but good writers learn to avoid the errors commonly made by novices that turn off editors, publishers, and readers. This workshop will cover a wide range of issues and provide hands-on exercises to help you identify flaws in your writing and learn how to fix them. Topics will include story,… Read more »
Flash fiction is part narrative and part poetry. Most flash fiction is under 1,000 words, but do not focus on word count. Do focus on beginning at a point of high conflict—usually an image–and not letting go until the image takes you where it wants you to go and says what it wants you to say…. Read more »
Learn how much the Delaware Division of the Arts has to offer to writers and how easy it is to participate. Information on who is eligible and the application process will be covered. You will also learn what the Delaware Arts Roster can do to get your work in the public eye and open up opportunities… Read more »
Viewpoint / Point of View (POV) may be the most confusing technique to understand when writing fiction. Viewpoint is the identity and emotional focus of the person who relates the events of a story, i.e. the narrator. It is an important part of the relationship between writer and reader. It is about whose “eyes” we… Read more »