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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260730T190000
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SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat w/ Author Haili Blassingame
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of nonfiction! We’re joined by author Haili Blassingame for a discussion of her new publication\, They All Fall in Love at the End. Haili is in conversation with Amy Freeman\, author and Development Director at The Writer’s Center. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online from Bookshop.org » \n\nHaili Blassingame is a producer for the NPR program 1A. She has written for publications like The New Republic and The New York Times\, in which she published the essay “My Choice Isn’t Marriage or Loneliness” for “Modern Love”. She was one of twelve essayists selected to write a follow-up piece for the column’s 20th anniversary in October 2024. Her debut novel is THEY ALL FALL IN LOVE AT THE END. She lives in Washington\, DC. \n\nAbout THEY ALL FALL IN LOVE AT THE END\nCat St. Clair is ready for her messy love triangle era now that she’s in an open relationship. But she didn’t foresee a forbidden love triangle with the only two people who are off-limits: her boyfriend’s best friend and his girlfriend. Being a twenty-something writer who lives for plot\, she falls for them anyway\, with deliciously disastrous consequences\, in this electric literary debut for fans of Xochitl Gonzalez\, Coco Mellors\, Lily King\, and Raven Leilani. \nIt’s the fall of 2024\, and twenty-four-year-old Cat isn’t asking for too much: all she wants is three boyfriends\, to write her little novels\, and to survive another chaotic presidential election. She’s in an open relationship with her college sweetheart Jay\, but nonmonogamy isn’t just a hot trend she’s trying. It’s her sliver of freedom in a world eager to wrestle it from her for being a Black woman going after what she wants with reckless abandon. \nWhile political tensions roil the campus where Cat is slowly earning her creative writing degree\, she finds herself drawn to Jay’s best friend\, Tristan\, who’s smart\, super hot\, and…in a monogamous relationship. And then she meets Tristan’s girlfriend\, Nia\, a captivating art student with her own gravitational pull. \nFriends and family urge her to just be happy with Jay\, but Cat is determined to have it all—or blow up her life trying. As she falls for all the wrong people\, racking up lies\, betrayals\, and terrible drafts of her novel\, she tries to write her way to a happy ending. But in art\, politics\, and love\, true liberation may take more than rewriting the old scripts. It may mean inventing something entirely new. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/haili-blassingame/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260727T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260727T203000
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SUMMARY:Self-Publishing 101
DESCRIPTION:Ever wanted to learn more about the self-publishing process? Then this workshop might be the right fit for you!\nDiscover the core steps of self-publishing from a 40-time bestselling author. Explore editing\, writing\, and publishing tips intended to expedite the drafting journey. Delve into the core tools necessary to turn a strong draft into a memorable novel. Please come prepared with questions which will be discussed near the end. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nEditing tips\nIntellectual property tools\nCopyright details\nPublications pointers\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nIndividuals interested in publishing their own novel or curious about the self-publishing realm.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/self-publishing-101/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Beginner Level,Publishing,Workshop,Zoom
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260725T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260725T153000
DTSTAMP:20260616T180424Z
CREATED:20260616T180424Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T180424Z
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SUMMARY:Writer Wayne Brown Book Reading
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center welcomes writer Wayne Brown for a reading from his new book\, Sports…Biblically Speaking: Life Lessons From The World Of Sports. \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP below. \n\nWayne Brown Sr. is a military veteran having served honorably for 13 years in the United States Air Force from 1979-1992.  He and his wife\, Joanne\, have been married for 43 years and have five children while also enjoying nine grandchildren. They reside in Maryland and have been involved in some level of church ministry throughout their marriage\, to include places in Virginia\, Belgium\, Illinois and now Maryland where he is an ordained minister and currently pastors. \n\nAbout Sports…Biblically Speaking\nApplying sports language and examples to day-to-day life with corresponding biblical scriptures that show God is willing to be a part of all that we do provided we yield to and trust Him in all things. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/wayne-brown/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260725T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260725T123000
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SUMMARY:Plot Like a Pro
DESCRIPTION:Think you can’t plot? Join us for this course\, and we’ll show you how!\nYou have a great idea for a story. Do you dive in and just begin writing\, or start by drafting an outline? Are you a born planner or a writer who loves to discover stories organically (i.e.\, a pantser)? Understanding how to structure a well-conceived story around a main character and central conflict\, while paying attention to pacing\, can make the difference between a finished\, publishable manuscript and an abandoned work-in-progress. Plotting provides a safety net that never robs the author of the joy of writing and always reduces revision time. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nBeating Writer’s Block\nHow to Find Ideas\nPainless Plot Outlines\nFlexible Plans that Grow Themselves\nWhere Inspiration Comes From\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nAny writer of short stories\, novels\, creative nonfiction or memoir who finds themself “stuck\,” unsure of how to start\, or searching for the missing parts of their project.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/plot-like-a-pro-4/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Fiction,Workshop,Zoom
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260725T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260725T120000
DTSTAMP:20260707T172247Z
CREATED:20260706T150429Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260707T172247Z
UID:10005313-1784973600-1784980800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Diane Zinna Book Release
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center welcomes writer Diane Zinna for a reading from her new book\, Letting Grief Speak: Writing Portals for Life After Loss. \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP below. \nThere will be a limited number of copies of Letting Grief Speak available for purchase at the Writer’s Center. If you would like a signed copy\, we hope you’ll consider purchasing it before the event and bringing it with you. Purchase the book here>>> \n\nDiane Zinna is the author of Letting Grief Speak: Writing Portals for Life After Loss\, a craft book on the art of telling our hardest stories\, to be published July 21 from Columbia University Press. Her novel\, The All-Night Sun (Random House\, 2020)\, was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and Cabell First Novelist Award. Her short works have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and honored in Best American Essays 2025. For the past 6 years\, she has led the free online class Grief Writing Sundays. Meet her there or online at dianezinna.com. \n\nAbout Letting Grief Speak: Writing Portals for Life After Loss\nSociety doesn’t always make it easy to tell stories about loss. Grief can make us feel that we have crossed over to another side\, where people can’t reach us and we can’t reach others. We’re encouraged to move quickly through the often-misunderstood “stages of grief”; we fear that we are burdening others with our pain. But pain can feel more manageable when we find ways to describe it—and writing about grief can help us connect with others who have felt pain of their own. \nLetting Grief Speak is a creative writing craft book on the art of telling our hardest stories. Based on a class called Grief Writing Sundays that Diane Zinna has led for several years\, it provides ninety writing prompts with accompanying craft techniques to help people find language for their grief. By turns gentle\, unexpected\, rebellious\, and wonderfully strange\, these prompts open portals: entryways into spaces where difficult emotions can become meaningful narratives. Warm\, sensitive\, and honest\, Letting Grief Speak is a memoir of the craft\, interwoven with stories from the author’s own life. It also includes pieces from acclaimed writers and more than forty of her Grief Writing students\, inviting readers to find their own ways to tell vulnerable stories. A tool for writers and a companion for grievers\, this book meets writers of all levels where they are\, no matter what kind of grief they hold. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/diane-zinna/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260723T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260723T200000
DTSTAMP:20260331T160142Z
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SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Arielle Hebert
DESCRIPTION:Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Arielle Hebert to discuss her debut poetry collection\, Bottom Feeders. Arielle is in conversation with Emily Holland\, poet and editor of Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry journal. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern. \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online from the publisher » \n\nArielle Hebert is a queer poet based in North Carolina with roots in Florida and Louisiana. Her debut poetry collection\, Bottom Feeders\, was a finalist for the St. Lawrence Book Award and is forthcoming from Black Lawrence Press in June 2026. She holds an MFA in poetry from North Carolina State University. Her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net and have appeared in Southern Humanities Review\, Poetry Daily\, Best New Poets\, Grist\, Great River Review\, Nimrod\, and Redivider\, among others. Arielle believes in ghosts and magic. \n\nAbout Bottom Feeders\nA vibrant and gritty debut from poet Arielle Hebert\, Bottom Feeders is a queer coming-of-age collection set in late 2000s Florida\, during the height of the opioid epidemic. Here\, overdoses\, red tide blooms\, and hurricanes are as much a part of growing up as fleeting teenage desires\, beach parties\, and prom. \nThis is a landscape of glitter and grime\, where young queer love is tested by the tides of addiction and recovery. The collection thrums with a sense of spectacle and surreality\, accented by Sarasota’s history as a circus town and Florida’s deadly wildlife—alligators\, needlefish\, invasive snakes. The heat\, humidity\, and salt air of the Gulf become characters in their own right\, as haunting as the love\, grief\, and loss found here. Despite the long shadows cast over these poems\, there is beauty\, friendship\, chosen family\, and hope in Bottom Feeders. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/arielle-hebert/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260722T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260722T210000
DTSTAMP:20251216T165816Z
CREATED:20251216T165816Z
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SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-july2026-2/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260722T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260722T200000
DTSTAMP:20260618T153602Z
CREATED:20260602T182036Z
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SUMMARY:Poetry Book Club w/ Michele Evans!
DESCRIPTION:Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry journal and The Writer’s Center welcomes poet Michele Evans to our monthly Virtual Poetry Book Club for a discussion of her collection\, februaries. Michele is joined by Book Club Host\, Hannah Grieco. \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online » \n***Get a discount on februaries through the above link (Yellow Arrow Publishing) with the order code WritersCenter20*** \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP below. \n\nMichele Evans\, the author of the poetry collection purl\, returns with februaries—a chapbook of poems inspired by her participation in the National African American Read-In (AARI) founded by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Chronicling and preserving the achievements and contributions of ancestors Harriet Tubman\, Billie Holiday\, Maya Angelou\, and others\, februaries\, a museum constructed of poignant poems diverse in form\, reminds readers: Black History is American History\, and it should be “celebrated\, appreciated\, and narrated” well beyond the annual 28-day observance. \n\nAbout februaries\nChronicling and preserving the achievements and contributions of ancestors Harriet Tubman\, Billie Holiday\, Maya Angelou\, and others\, februaries\, a museum constructed of poignant poems diverse in form\, reminds readers: Black History is American History\, and it should be “celebrated\, appreciated\, and narrated” well beyond the annual 28-day observance. \nInspired by the literary tradition established by an assembly of living legends from the Washington\, D.C.\, metropolitan area\, such as Dr. Joanne V. Gabbin and E. Ethelbert Miller\, Evans\, a fifth-generation Washingtonian (D.C.) and English teacher\, revisits significant and complicated moments from America’s past to spark necessary and challenging conversations about the future of humanity. \n\nAbout Book Club\nThis is no run-of-the-mill book club. Visiting writers will read excerpts\, join the discussion\, and answer your questions about craft\, process\, the publishing industry\, and getting advice for our own writing! We’ll hang and eat snacks with the authors and escape your doomscrolling. \nPoetry Book Club will meet on Zoom every second Wednesday of the month with a new poet. \nFiction Book Club will meet every third Sunday of the month in person at The Writer’s Center with a new author. \nCome build community and read amazing books that the Big 5 didn’t have the sense to publish! \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/poetry-book-club-w-michele-evans/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260721T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260721T213000
DTSTAMP:20260609T171431Z
CREATED:20260427T234857Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T171431Z
UID:10005247-1784660400-1784669400@writer.org
SUMMARY:This Isn't Real: Add Dream Logic to Your Work
DESCRIPTION:Use dream logic techniques to make your work weird and beautiful!\nBecome the next David Lynch — apply dream logic to your fiction\, poetry\, and hybrid work. Participants in this one-day class will learn what dream logic is and its methods. They will practice these strategies through an in-class generative exercise. Participants will leave with one piece started and ideas for further exploration. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nDream Logic\nStream-of-consciousness\nWeird Strategies\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is for any writer who wants to add a taste of the strange and weird to their work.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/this-isnt-real-add-dream-logic-to-your-work/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Beginner/Intermediate Level,Mixed Genre,Workshop,Zoom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260719T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260719T170000
DTSTAMP:20260609T171533Z
CREATED:20260427T234900Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T171533Z
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SUMMARY:Words that Heal: Expressive Writing for Self-Discovery
DESCRIPTION:Transform pain into meaning through the power of personal narrative.\nWriting can be both a creative act and a path toward healing. In this workshop\, we’ll explore the practice of narrative healing—using storytelling and expressive writing to process life’s challenges and uncover meaning in our experiences. Participants will learn a creative\, accessible approach to the expressive writing method\, a well-researched practice shown to support emotional well-being\, resilience\, and personal growth. Through guided exercises\, reflective prompts\, and discussion\, writers will explore memories\, emotions\, and emerging insights that can be shaped into personal narratives\, reflections\, or creative pieces. This workshop focuses on self-discovery and meaning-making for idea generation\, rather than structuring memoirs or book-length projects. Participants will leave with new insights\, creative starting points\, and approaches for continuing their own reflective writing practice. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nHow to break down emotionally-charged experiences through using the expressive writing method\nTechniques that combine the healing power of writing with the tools of literary craft\nHow to develop a healing narrative arc for your story\nStrategies for developing a reflective writing practice that supports emotional insight and creativity\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is for beginning and intermediate writers interested personal reflection\, healing-centered writing\, and developing ideas for personal narrative projects.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/words-that-heal-expressive-writing-for-self-discovery/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Beginner/Intermediate Level,Nonfiction,Workshop,Zoom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260716T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260723T203000
DTSTAMP:20260609T171640Z
CREATED:20260605T170146Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T171640Z
UID:10005299-1784228400-1784838600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Chapter One Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Learn how to hook a reader in the opening pages of your book. \nEvery week we will go over the elements of what makes a good first chapter and what you can leave out and save for the middle of the book. We’ll talk tone\, genre\, pacing\, and reader expectations. By the end of the workshop\, you should have the skills to write a first chapter that will have readers eager for more. Participants can come to class with a finished first chapter (or the first 2000 words of one) to be critiqued\, but it’s not necessary. \n  \n• Hook the reader: How to grab the reader’s attention by starting in the middle of a high-stakes situation.\n• Introduce your Main Character: Give your reader a protagonist they can root for or identify with right away and clarify the point-of-view.\n• Establish Setting: Make sure the physical space your character is in sets the tone\, heightens tension\, underscores the mood\, and adds to the story.\n• Conflict: Set up a problem or dilemma early on that fits within your genre’s expectations.\n• Learn What to Avoid: Starting the story too early\, information dumping (too much backstory too soon)\, too many characters to keep track of\, and rushing into action without establishing who your protagonist is and why we should care.\n \n  \nParticipants are welcome to bring in a first chapter (up to 2000 words) for critique. \n\nIn-person class: This workshop will take place at The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh St\, Bethesda MD. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/chapter-one-workshop/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:2 Sessions,Beginner Level,Beginner/Intermediate Level,Fiction,Intermediate Level,The Writer's Center,Workshop
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260716T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260716T203000
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CREATED:20260427T234857Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260716T182643Z
UID:10005246-1784226600-1784233800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Intro to Micro-Memoir and Flash Fiction
DESCRIPTION:Short-form writing is its own art—and the discipline it demands will sharpen everything else you write.\nWhat if the most powerful story you ever write is also the shortest? In this workshop\, we’ll explore the surprisingly expansive world of micro-memoir and flash fiction—stories of 1\,000 words or less that pack an emotional punch far exceeding their size. These compressed forms have their own distinct demands: finding the singular moment that encapsulates everything\, resisting the urge to over-explain\, and choosing only the precise word. But here’s the deeper reward: mastering the discipline of the short form will sharpen your instincts and strengthen your writing across every genre you work in. Whether you’re a seasoned writer seeking a new challenge or a beginner ready to discover your potential\, this introductory session will reveal what makes these little stories tick and send you home with fresh ideas and inspiration. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nWhat micro-memoir and flash fiction are—and aren’t\nHow to elevate your story beyond the anecdote\nHow a singular moment can carry the full emotional weight of your narrative\nHow to generate new work ready to develop and submit to literary magazines\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is open to all writers who want to learn short-form writing and sharpen their craft across all genres.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/intro-to-micro-memoir-and-flash-fiction/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Beginner Level,Mixed Genre,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Writing-Hands.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260714T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260714T203000
DTSTAMP:20260609T170552Z
CREATED:20260427T234856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T170552Z
UID:10005245-1784055600-1784061000@writer.org
SUMMARY:UnClogging Your Brain
DESCRIPTION:Improvisation fearlessly puts you directly into the heart of the moment allowing your creative genius to ‘script’ on the spot in a judgement free zone.\nPrompts will spark memories\, characters\, and places\, turning them into poems\, scenes\, dialogues\, and stories. During ‘UnClogging’ you will likely come up with an ‘idea’ that you feel compelled to expand on\, or perhaps be re-inspired to continue an unfinished work later. Find new perspective and confidence! \n\nIn-person class: This workshop will take place at The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh St\, Bethesda MD. \n\nTime Requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/unclogging-your-brain-8/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Mixed Genre,The Writer's Center,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Writing-Confetti.jpg
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260711T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260711T130000
DTSTAMP:20260609T170306Z
CREATED:20260427T234905Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T170306Z
UID:10005268-1783767600-1783774800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Write the Day
DESCRIPTION:You will transform your day into poetry and fiction. You will make poems and stories from everyday details of your life.\nWe will read and then write poems and stories starting from close observation of our day\, from waking to preparing coffee and buttering bread\, to recalling a dream\, to answering a nagging question from the night’s quarrel\, to walking in the woods. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn how:\n\nTo write from dreams\nTo consider every experience as material for poetry and fiction\nTo write a poem in ten minutes\nTo make writing a kind of exercise like walking or filling out a crossword puzzle\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nPoets\, fiction writers\, memoirists\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/write-the-day-3/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Writing-Handmade-Paper-Notebook.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260711T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260725T123000
DTSTAMP:20260623T221827Z
CREATED:20260427T234908Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260623T221827Z
UID:10005275-1783764000-1784982600@writer.org
SUMMARY:How to Write A Grant Proposal
DESCRIPTION:Learn how to write proposals to request grants from funders.\nThis workshop will cover how to research prospective funders\, the elements of a good proposal\, and how to approach funders. Proposal writing is a practical skill that\, applied to those who work or volunteer for non-profit organizations\, can be a good source of freelance writing income. Please come to class with a non-profit or project in mind to use as the focus of your research and proposal. By the end of class\, you will have a draft of a proposal to use for fundraising. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nProspect Research\nSections of a Good Proposal\nReporting and Budgeting\n\nTime requirements\n\n1-2 hours/week\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nWriters associated with non-profit organization\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/how-to-write-a-grant-proposal-3/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:3 Sessions,All Levels,Professional Writing,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Writing-Notebook.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260711T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260711T123000
DTSTAMP:20260609T165512Z
CREATED:20260427T234850Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T165512Z
UID:10005226-1783764000-1783773000@writer.org
SUMMARY:Creating Conflict & Tension
DESCRIPTION:Learn how to build tension in virtually every scene…and keep readers turning pages.\nStrengthening the conflict in any type of fiction will bump up the tension and turn limp\, ordinary fiction into an extraordinary tale that will keep readers turning pages. Whether you choose to write literary fiction\, mysteries\, family sagas\, thrillers\, historical fiction\, sci-fi or fantasy—you can learn techniques for drawing readers into your tales through action\, dialogue\, setting details\, and plot twists that make your work stand out from the crowd. Join us and leave with ideas to apply to your stories. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nCharacters’ Motivation\nStructure\nEmotion\nSensory Details\nAction\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nAny fiction author who worries that their stories lack the necessary tension to hold readers’ attention\, or whose past submissions for publication have not met with success.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/creating-conflict-tension-7/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Fiction,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Writing-in-Notebook-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260711T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260711T120000
DTSTAMP:20260609T165413Z
CREATED:20260427T234859Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T165413Z
UID:10005254-1783764000-1783771200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Ten Pro Tips for Writing Life Stories
DESCRIPTION:Learn ten solid tips for the successful writing of your life story for both a personal and a public readership.\nWhere do you begin your life story and how do you guarantee it is interesting to others? With ten crucial tips and in-class writing prompts\, learn how to capture your life on the page scene by scene. From point-of-entry to transformative conclusion\, you will find your story subjects\, create tension\, and most of all\, meaning–so that the story you tell is the one that most mattered. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nSelecting the best story material\nCreating tension\nFinding insight\nDeveloping meaning and emotional depth\nFinding transformation\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is for new and experienced writers alike who need help in selecting material\, finding a structure\, and an overall plan for writing life stories\, as stand-alone pieces or collectively as a memoir.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/ten-pro-tips-for-writing-life-stories-3/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Nonfiction,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Writing-Fountain-Pen-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260709T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260709T200000
DTSTAMP:20260421T180554Z
CREATED:20260421T180554Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T180554Z
UID:10005208-1783623600-1783627200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Jake Rose
DESCRIPTION:Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Jake Rose to discuss their debut collection\, JOAN. Jake is in conversation with Emily Holland\, poet and editor of Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry journal. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern. \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online from the publisher » \n\nJake Rose is the author of JOAN\, winner of the 2026 Phoenix Emerging Poets Book Prize\, published by the University of Chicago Press in March 2026. A poet\, artist\, and educator living in California’s Central Valley\, Rose teaches at the University of California\, Davis\, and has work published in West Branch\, The Atlantic\, The Academy of American Poets\, Foglifter\, Coach House Books\, and elsewhere. Other literary works include The Art of the Death\, a book-length erasure poem; Spectropoetics\, a location-based series of interspecies writing; and The Month Books\, a collection of handmade chapbooks exploring chronic illness and hybrid form. \n\nAbout JOAN\nA narrative sequence of lyric poems reimagining Joan of Arc as a framework for queer identity\, transformation\, and poetic voice. \nCollapsing biography and autobiography\, the poetry of Jake Rose’s debut explores queer identity\, grief\, and desire through the historical framework of Joan of Arc’s life. Moving through rural landscapes of the speaker’s youth\, contradictions of faith\, consequences of desire\, and fragmentations of trauma\, JOAN is structured as an excavation of the speaker’s most intimate moments\, combining poetry with historical quotations\, visual collage\, and a sequence of film stills. Through vivid lyric moments\, the poems construct a speaker and world both intimate and charged­—“I have to touch my farthest feeling\,” “the sapphire dusk draping its lace arias”—with clarity and vibrant intensity. Refusing resolution\, these poems dwell in rupture\, reinvention\, and fluid forms of gender that come to life outside of inherited boundaries. This collection speaks from the margins\, searching for a body the self might inhabit and asking what it means to transform through language\, gender\, and desire. \nJOAN is the winner of the Phoenix Emerging Poet Book Prize. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/jake-rose/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Jake-Rose-Event-Header-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260708T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260708T210000
DTSTAMP:20260615T171617Z
CREATED:20260427T234856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T171617Z
UID:10005243-1783537200-1783544400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Activating Creativity Through Play
DESCRIPTION:Participants will leave with new work on the page\, a toolkit of exercises they can use in their own writing practice\, and a renewed sense of creative momentum.\nEven the most disciplined writers encounter creative stalls\, moments when the page feels resistant and momentum fades. This workshop is designed to help writers restart their creative engines through structured exercises\, collaborative prompts\, and short creative challenges. Across a series of guided activities\, participants will engage in quick writing sprints\, storytelling games\, and group sharing designed to lower resistance and spark new ideas. The goal isn’t simply to “have fun\,” but to reconnect writers with the generative side of their practice\, where curiosity\, experimentation\, and risk-taking often lead to unexpected breakthroughs. By combining playful exercises with thoughtful discussion\, the workshop offers writers practical strategies for overcoming blocks\, generating fresh material\, and maintaining a sustainable creative rhythm. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nStructure & Plot\nCharacter Development\nConcrete Detail\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop would be for people looking to reignite their writing practice\, generate new material\, and reconnect with the creative side of their craft through structured exercises\, prompts\, and collaborative exploration.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/activating-creativity-through-play/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Mixed Genre,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Writing-Books-Tube.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260708T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260708T210000
DTSTAMP:20251216T165631Z
CREATED:20251216T165631Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T165631Z
UID:10005127-1783537200-1783544400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-july2026-1/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Open-Mic-1400.jpg
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260706T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260706T203000
DTSTAMP:20260105T201559Z
CREATED:20260105T201559Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T201559Z
UID:10005143-1783364400-1783369800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Cafe Muse Literary Salon
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center welcomes the Café Muse Literary Salon for a reading featuring writers Greg Luce and Burgi Zenhaeusern. The evening begins at 7 PM with Michael Davis live on classical guitar. The readings begin at 7:30 PM with opening remarks by a Café Muse co-host. \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP on the Cafe Muse Website. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/cafe-muse-literary-salon-july-26/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260706
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260728
DTSTAMP:20260706T170522Z
CREATED:20260427T234849Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260706T170522Z
UID:10005224-1783296000-1785196799@writer.org
SUMMARY:The Art of Description
DESCRIPTION:Learn the secret to engaging readers with your writing!\nThis four-week interactive class is designed to give you the skills to write rich descriptive sentences and paragraphs that infuse life into your characters and the worlds you create. During this course\, you will strengthen your powers of observation through a variety of assigned weekly readings and writing exercises. You’ll also share some of your own writing and enjoy reading the work of other participants. A new lesson will open on Mondays and assignments will be due by the end of each week. After the completion of this course\, you’ll have new material that may springboard future stories. \n\nLearn at your own pace: This workshop will take place over Wet Ink\, which is an asynchronous creative writing platform. The instructor will post a lesson and assignment at the beginning of each week\, and participants can log in and read the lessons/post assignments/comment on other classmates’ work at their convenience. Shortly before the start date\, participants will receive an invite from Wet Ink to create their login info and access the class. Please check your spam if you don’t see it. \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nHow to write rich and varied descriptive sentences\nHow to incorporate the five senses into your writing\nConcrete details\n\nTime requirements\n\n2-4 hours/No reading required in advance\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is designed for any writer hoping to improve their description skills.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/the-art-of-description-2/
LOCATION:Wet Ink
CATEGORIES:4 Sessions,All Levels,Fiction,Wet Ink,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Writing-Hands.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260701T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260722T210000
DTSTAMP:20260609T164202Z
CREATED:20260427T234859Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T164202Z
UID:10005253-1782932400-1784754000@writer.org
SUMMARY:Using the Tools of Fiction in Nonfiction
DESCRIPTION:Enrich your nonfiction with the powerful tools of fiction.\nWhether you are crafting an essay or writing a memoir\, the tools of fiction can bring depth and suspense to your work. Each week this class will focus on one tool of fiction\, reading both classic and contemporary examples of nonfiction pieces that utilize them\, and using generative exercises to practice them. There will be the opportunity to submit your work and receive feedback. Participants will leave with the confidence to bring characterization\, dialogue\, metaphor\, and counterfactuality to their nonfiction. Writers should come with a piece they are working on or want to start. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nRich Characterization\nDynamic Dialogue\nExtended Metaphor\nCounter-factuality\n\nTime requirements\n\n4 hours/week (2 hours in class\, 2 hours outside of class)\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is for writers in the midst of or hoping to start a work of nonfiction\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/using-the-tools-of-fiction-in-nonfiction-2/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:4 Sessions,Intermediate/Advanced Level,Nonfiction,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Writing-Pen-Dramatic.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260628T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260628T180000
DTSTAMP:20260626T131021Z
CREATED:20260416T135710Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260626T131021Z
UID:10005204-1782640800-1782669600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Washington Writers' Publishing House Capital Love LitFest
DESCRIPTION:The Capital Love LitFest is an 8-hour literary salon of writing workshops\, deep-dive literary discussions\, and poetry and prose readings from the new WWPH pocket-sized anthology\, Capital Love. The Capital Love LitFest\, and our anthology\, are dedicated to all those who believe love is the antidote to hate\, and that love is action\, intent\, healing\, and hope. \n\nThis event is a pay-as-you-can literary event designed to inspire and generate your writing\, deepen your craft\, introduce you to your Washington Writers’ Publishing House’s community\, and raise up our collective voices in literary solidarity. Attendance will be limited to 120 people\, which is the capacity for the theater at The Writer’s Center\, so reserve your seat now. \nWriters scheduled to appear include co-presidents Caroline Bock and Jona Colson along with legendary Grace Cavalieri and E. Ethelbert Miller\, plus\, Kim Roberts\, Bernardine ‘Dine’ Watson\, Samantha Neugebauer\, Jason Gebhardt\, Emily Holland\, and over 25 more! A dozen literary presses from across the DMV will also be there. A reception for all will culminate the day. \nA complete schedule of the day’s events can be found here »\nAll monies from this pay-as-you-can donation will be shared between your WWPH and the Writer’s Center of Bethesda\, two nonprofit literary organizations dedicated to supporting the DMV literary community. The Washington Writers’ Publishing House is grateful to The Writer’s Center for their partnership and support with the Capital Love LitFest. \nThe Capital Love LitFest is made possible by generous grants from the Maryland State Arts Council and the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.
URL:https://writer.org/event/capital-love/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/wwph-capital-love-logo.png
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T153000
DTSTAMP:20260114T202050Z
CREATED:20260114T202050Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260114T202050Z
UID:10005158-1782568800-1782574200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Melanie McCabe & Brad Barkley Book Launch
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center welcomes writers Melanie McCabe and Brad Barkley for a reading from their respective novels\, Road Longer Than Memory and The Reel Life of Zara Kegg. \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP below. \n\nMelanie McCabe is a writer of poems\, essays\, memoir\, and most recently\, fiction. She is a lifelong Virginian and was a high school English and creative writing teacher in Arlington for twenty-two years. Her debut novel\, Road Longer Than Memory\, will be published by Oceanview Publishing on June 2\, 2026. Her forthcoming book of poems\, All The Signs Were There\, won the Longleaf Poetry Prize and will be out in the winter of 2026. Her memoir\, His Other Life: Searching For My Father\, His First Wife\, and Tennessee Williams\, won the 2016 University of New Orleans Publishing Lab Prize and was published in the fall of 2017. Previous books of poems include: The Night Divers (Terrapin Books)\, What The Neighbors Know (FutureCycle Press) and History of the Body (David Robert Books.) Her essays have appeared in The Washington Post\, Reader’s Digest\, Shenandoah\, Cumberland River Review\, Sweet\, Forge Literary Magazine and elsewhere. \nBrad Barkley is the author of the novels Money\, Love and Alison’s Automotive Repair Manual\, two collections of short stories\, and three YA novels with Penguin (including Scrambled Eggs at Midnight).  His work has been translated into five languages. His short stories have appeared in 40+ magazines\, including Fractured Lit\, The Southern Review\, The Virginia Quarterly Review\, Glimmer Train\, and USA Today.  He’s won numerous awards\, including Four Individual Artist Awards from the State of Maryland\, and a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. \n\n\nAbout Road Longer Than Memory\nSometimes the road home runs through everything you tried to forget \nAfter  a failed relationship and an unsettled teaching career\, Sara Barlow  returns to her childhood home in Arlington\, Virginia\, hoping for a fresh  start. But when she applies for a job at her old high school\, a chance  glimpse into the gymnasium shakes her to the core—she spots the man she  suspects was involved in a classmate’s violent death a decade earlier. \n\nHaunted  by the past\, Sara confronts the memories she’s spent years trying to  suppress: her sister Suzanne’s fatal car crash\, her secret summer with  the reckless Devlin Barrie\, and the anonymous 911 call she made after  witnessing what she believes was a murder. As the construction of  Interstate 66 physically fractures her community\, Sara grapples with  emotional fault lines of her own—guilt\, silence\, and buried truth. \nSet against the backdrop of suburban upheaval in the 1970s and ’80s\, Road Longer Than Memory is a compelling story of memory\, reckoning\, and the cost of what we leave unsaid. \n\n\nAbout The Reel Life of Zara Kegg\nLove\, grief\, Godzilla\, and one very weird winter at the beach… \nThree years after her mother’s death\, 16-year-old Zara is still settling into life in Carolina Beach\, N.C.\, where she knows almost no one. Working as the lone projectionist at the Palace Theatre—a rundown movie house that shows only vintage ’50s sci-fi and horror flicks—Zara spends her nights in a dusty booth\, fueled by coffee\, pushups\, and the occasional existential crisis (with popcorn). \nThen she meets Zachary\, whose “Z” name feels like fate. His clothes don’t match\, his stories don’t always add up\, and he might be the most interesting person she’s ever met. As their friendship deepens into something more\, Zara learns about the struggles Zachary hides beneath his charm—and wonders if trust is possible. \nWhen her boss tasks her with organizing a Valentine’s Day Godzilla marathon—complete with 150 inflatable Godzillas on the roof—Zara must confront the chaos in her own life. Like any good Godzilla movie\, the big question remains: who will survive\, and who will be crushed? \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/mccabe-barkley/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T123000
DTSTAMP:20260519T213509Z
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UID:10005223-1782554400-1782563400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Your First (or Next) Novel
DESCRIPTION:Prepare yourself for a literary adventure–writing book-length fiction!\nWriting a novel takes commitment\, but it doesn’t need to be daunting. Learn how to generate a handful of plots to choose from\, methods for effectively planning your story\, and simple hacks for fine tuning your basic fiction skills. Students will initiate a flexible writing plan that will keep their writing flowing. This is a great half-day session for the beginning long-form fiction writer\, or for the more experienced author in need of a quick strategy brush-up. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nHow to Begin\nFinding Inspiration\nBuilding Confidence\nThe 3 Most Important Element of Every Scene\nCreating a Writing Routine\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is designed to help novice writers move into longer form fiction or aid experienced authors refresh their writing and rediscover their muse.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/your-first-or-next-novel-7/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Fiction,Workshop,Zoom
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260625T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260625T200000
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UID:10005209-1782414000-1782417600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Kay E. Bancroft
DESCRIPTION:Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Kay E. Bancroft to discuss their debut collection\, Bloodroom. Kay is in conversation with Emily Holland\, poet and editor of Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry journal. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern. \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online from the publisher » \n\nKay E. Bancroft (they/them) is a queer nonbinary writer\, poet\, editor\, educator\, and artist based in Cincinnati\, OH. They hold an MFA in Poetry from Randolph College\, and a BA from the University of Cincinnati. You can find their writing in Poet Lore\, Pleiades Journal\, RHINO Poetry\, Passengers Journal\, The Rumpus\, & more. Explore more at kayebancroftpoet.com. \n\nAbout Bloodroom\n“Do you identify with any of the above terminology? Occasionally. Some days they feel appropriate. Others\, I resent these tools of our language. I reject and embrace\, synchronously.” \nBloodroom is a howling\, scorching debut collection of deftly formatted poetry—circling\, and delicately probing\, themes of familial debt\, legacy\, obligation\, and the matriline. Through an index of past wounds and inherited scars\, the speaker bleeds their histories together with the slow erosion of nostalgia. These poems offer an incisive and scalding interrogation of gender\, yet are often unbearably tender—a swirling emulsion of grief and anger poured into an intricately technical and beautifully challenging mold. Each piece draws out a tragic\, cyclical song of love and loss\, resentment and admiration\, as though drawing poison from a wound. Bancroft’s writing is meditative\, cleansing\, and compulsively readable: recounting a feminine childhood transformed into something monstrous until seen through a new lens. Bloodroom is a plea to identity\, to the process of searching for purpose and of seeking certainty in a broken world. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/kay-bancroft/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260624T210000
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UID:10005126-1782327600-1782334800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-jun2026-2/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260621T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260621T150000
DTSTAMP:20260604T163246Z
CREATED:20260421T195333Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260604T163246Z
UID:10005212-1782050400-1782054000@writer.org
SUMMARY:***CANCELED** Fiction Book Club w/ Lauren D. Woods!
DESCRIPTION:This event has been canceled and will be rescheduled for another date.\nThe Writer’s Center welcomes author Lauren D. Woods\, to our monthly Fiction Book Club for a discussion of her most recent novel\, The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe\, at The Writer’s Center! Zach is joined by Book Club Host\, Hannah Grieco. \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online directly from the publisher» \n***The above link will give you a 22% discount and free shipping*** \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP below. \n\nLauren D. Woods\, originally from the Dallas area\, now lives and writes in Washington\, DC\, where she was a 2024-25 Washington\, DC Arts and Humanities Fellow for Fiction. Her writing has appeared as a spotlighted story in The Best Small Fictions\, as well as in The Antioch Review\, The Normal School\, Passages North\, Hayden’s Ferry Review\, Red Rock Review\, Southern Humanities Review\, and Lunch Ticket\, among others. Lauren works in consulting and lives with her husband\, four children\, two cats\, and a guinea pig. The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe is her debut collection. \n\nAbout The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe\nWinner of the 2024 Autumn House Fiction Prize\, these lyrical\, haunting stories invite us to question the stories we tell ourselves and to imagine other paths—joyful\, whimsical\, even absurd—through the world. \nA wife finds herself literally shrinking in her house\, day by day; a mother recalls the surreal day when her infant daughter survives a close encounter with a bear; and\, inside her lover’s heart\, a woman discovers a secret nightclub populated by all the women he’s loved and left. \nIn the worlds Woods conjures\, childhood memories ripple through adult lives\, and characters test the limits of their self-created realities. The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe urges us to contemplate how we can escape loneliness and heartbreak and live on our own terms. \n\nAbout Book Club\nThis is no run-of-the-mill book club. Visiting writers will read excerpts\, join the discussion\, and answer your questions about craft\, process\, the publishing industry\, and getting advice for our own writing! We’ll hang and eat snacks with the authors and escape your doomscrolling. \nPoetry Book Club will meet on Zoom every second Wednesday of the month with a new poet. \nFiction Book Club will meet every third Sunday of the month in person at The Writer’s Center with a new author. \nCome build community and read amazing books that the Big 5 didn’t have the sense to publish! \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/lauren-woods/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260620T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260620T133000
DTSTAMP:20260519T213315Z
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UID:10005244-1781955000-1781962200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Finding Your Light on the Page: A Summer Solstice Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Harness the energy of the longest day of the year to uncover your authentic writing voice.\nThis generative workshop invites writers to explore what becomes visible when we write toward the light. Through guided prompts\, reflection\, and discussion\, participants will explore how internal censorship and perfectionism can obscure authentic voice and limit creative expression. By the end of the workshop\, writers will leave with new material and practical strategies for writing more freely\, with greater clarity and confidence. No preparation required. \n\nIn-person class: This workshop will take place at The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh St\, Bethesda MD. \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nTechniques for quieting internal censorship while writing\nHow instinctive writing can reveal authentic voice\n\nMethods for generating surprising material through timed prompts\n\nStrategies for moving past perfectionism and self-editing\n\nHow to identify and develop the voice that already exists\n\nTime Requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is designed for writers who want to reconnect with their highest voice on the page. It’s ideal for writers feeling blocked\, over-edited\, or stuck in perfectionism\, as well as those looking for a supportive space for self-exploration.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/finding-your-light-on-the-page-a-summer-solstice-workshop/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Beginner/Intermediate Level,Mixed Genre,The Writer's Center,Workshop
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