In a world where attention spans are shrinking, novels are formatted to fit the screens of our handheld devices, and our daily witticisms are limited to 140 characters, it’s no surprise that the Flash Fiction story format has taken off. As Dorothy Parker once said, “Brevity is the soul of Flash fiction.” Just kidding, she said, “Brevity is the soul of lingerie.” But the point is, brevity is even more important for a story with a 500-1,000 word limit. Join…

In the last couple decades, the publishing world has seen an explosion of literature written for younger audiences, many of which have adult crossover readers. This workshop will explore the unique pacing, character, and elements of writing fiction about teens, for teens. Members of the group will actively write and revise original short stories and chapters of novels and submit material for review. You will have at least two to three opportunities to be critiqued during the session. This intermediate…

The Fiction Workshop is for new members from Introduction to Fiction Writing and members with fiction writing experience. Members of the group will actively write and workshop original work while taking a deeper look at the essential craft elements of fiction writing. We will refine the understanding of POV and the limitations & benefits of those choices, learn revision on the sentence level, continue to learn how to give and take constructive critique, and master writing active prose. All members…

The Fiction Workshop continues with returning members, new members from Introduction to Fiction Writing, and new members with fiction writing experience. Members of the group will actively write and workshop original work while taking a deeper look at the essential craft elements of fiction writing. We will refine the understanding of POV and the limitations & benefits of those choices, learn revision on the sentence level, continue to learn how to give and take constructive critique, and master writing active…

Returning members, new writers from Introduction to Creative Nonfiction & Memoir, and new members with CNF writing experience will actively write and workshop original work while taking a deeper look at the essential craft elements of writing that polishes the truth. We will learn the power of the first person and the limitations & benefits of writing in the third, practice and refine research and memory habits and techniques, continue to learn how to give and take constructive critique, and…

It is easy to underestimate the complexity and resonance of shorter poems. In reading and writing haikus, tankas, sonnets and anything in between, we find that the discipline required to make it happen in a short poem simply intensifies our moment-to-moment engagement with poems of any length. In this workshop led by National Book Award Nominee and former Virginia Poet Laureate, Tim Seibles, we will read and discuss various short poems by established authors and, from this, we will develop…

Writing the Dark Memoir is designed for the student who is struggling to find a safe audience and space to voice and express work that divulges sensitive material. The writers may not feel comfortable sharing mature or explicit material in a traditional classroom environment such as topics ranging from sexual abuse, grief/ death, trauma, drug addiction, incarceration, deep family secrets, guilt or shame. You find a safe haven here to share and critique without judgment. Whether you are working on…

This workshop will focus on the all-important revision process in screenwriting, with members sharing the successes and difficulties encountered in the scripting process for feature-length, short, or TV scripts. You will have at least three opportunities to turn in pages of a screenplay for group review, workshop, and discussion—all in an atmosphere of mutual exploration and understanding. This class is open to continuing members as well as students who have either taken the Introduction to Screenwriting class, completed an early…

Returning members, new writers from Introduction to Creative Nonfiction & Memoir, and new members with CNF writing experience will actively write and workshop original work while taking a deeper look at the essential craft elements of writing that polishes the truth. We will learn the power of the first person and the limitations & benefits of writing in the third, practice and refine research and memory habits and techniques, continue to learn how to give and take constructive critique, and…

The Poetry Workshop continues with returning members, new members from Introduction to poetry Writing, and new members with poetry writing experience. .Members of the group will actively write and revise original poems, focusing on elements of craft and analyzing select poems by our best poets that effectively model those elements. All group members will have the opportunity to submit material for the workshop. Your instructor will make every effort to tailor the submission schedule to your individual goals. Please note:…