Writing Police Reform
The Muse Writers Center 2200 Colonial Avenue, #3, Norfolk, VA, United StatesHow have police forces and police work changed in the US over our 200 year history? And how do we make our stories of crime and punishment or social outrage and heroic sacrifices ring true to a reader, no matter the era? In this Research for Writers Seminar led by a noted police officer, take…
Making Historical Writing Real
The Muse Writers Center 2200 Colonial Avenue, #3, Norfolk, VA, United StatesDo you have an awesome idea for a piece of historical fiction, but it’s set in ancient Rome and your only knowledge of the period is based solely on the movie “Gladiator” or Monty Python’s “Life of Brian?” How about if you have a killer idea for a medieval story, but the brutality of “Braveheart”…
Writing While White: How to be a Voice of Change
The Muse Writers Center 2200 Colonial Avenue, #3, Norfolk, VA, United StatesThese are confusing times to be a white writer with inclusive intentions. How do you address diversity in your work? What do you have permission to write about? How do you create realistic nonwhite characters? How do you be an ally when white voices are subject to so much scrutiny? This session will be a…
Punctuation and Grammar Revealed
The Muse Writers Center 2200 Colonial Avenue, #3, Norfolk, VA, United StatesIn this interactive seminar, we'll start by writing your grammar and punctuation questions on the whiteboard, and then explore them together using simple exercises, examples, and tips. In the last half of our session, we'll take a look at samples from your own writing and find ways to make your prose shine more brightly, unencumbered…
World-Building Through Language Creation
Online or at The MuseA seminar for curious-minded writers of all levels
Design Your Own Plague
Online or at The MuseAre you a horror writer struggling to create a germ to turn Earth’s population into zombies? Are you a science fiction writer who wants to design a Martian virus but you don’t know where to start? Are you writing historical fiction but you’re unsure what infectious diseases occurred during the time period you’re writing? Then…
Writing about the Ocean and Ships
The Muse Writers Center 2200 Colonial Avenue, #3, Norfolk, VA, United StatesThere are many fictional accounts of the sea and ships, in books, movies and video games that have emerged over the years and many or most of them get it wrong. The Ocean Sciences and Naval Architecture are esoteric and exceedingly complex, but they are not unfathomable. This course is taught by a vastly experienced…
Design Your Own Plague
The Muse Writers Center 2200 Colonial Avenue, #3, Norfolk, VA, United StatesAre you a horror writer struggling to create a germ to turn Earth’s population into zombies? Are you a science fiction writer who wants to design a Martian virus but you don’t know where to start? Are you writing historical fiction but you’re unsure what infectious diseases occurred during the time period you’re writing? Then…
Canceled CANCELLED Write Like An Egyptian
The Muse Writers Center 2200 Colonial Avenue, #3, Norfolk, VA, United StatesWas ancient Egypt the first culture to develop true writing? Were hieroglyphs simply pictographs, or could they encode more sophisticated meanings? Who created and used them—and why were hieroglyphs eventually banned? In this Research for Writers seminar, we will explore the history and function of hieroglyphic writing, from the Narmer Palette to the Rosetta Stone…
Deep History of English (Two Sessions)
Online or at The MuseIn the first session of this two-part seminar, we’ll start with a look at the forgotten societies of prehistoric Europe and what can be gleaned of the languages they spoke. From there we’ll look at the language and culture of the Proto-Indo-European speakers and follow their dispersal and expansion to become the founders of many…