Find new depths to your writing in a radical, anti-workshop workshop with award-winning writer C Pam Zhang! This course is for advanced fiction writers who want the rigor of an MFA program combined with a radically humanist approach to thinking about work-in-progress as truly in progress: malleable, thrillingly alive with potential, and containing the seeds […]
Write your memoir with bestselling author Nicole Chung! This intensive workshop is open to writers working on a memoir or memoir-in-essays. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in lively craft discussions, reflections, and exercises designed to help you identify key ideas and themes you want to explore in your work. If you have an idea […]
Write your novel with bestselling author Julia Phillips! This 10-month intensive class is open to writers working on a book-length work of fiction. It focuses on creating a propulsive story that is truly satisfying for the reader. Together, we’ll explore the different aspects of craft that help make a thrilling, fulfilling novel, including stakes, characterization, […]
Write your memoir with award-winning author Edgar Gomez! In this intensive, you will learn about the art of creative nonfiction and be given the tools to ready your memoir or memoir-in-essays for publication. Format We will begin our time together with discussions about essential craft elements, such as structure, voice, audience, setting, characterization, navigating time, […]
Write your memoir in 9 months! If you're finally ready to write the memoir of your heart, we invite you to join longtime writing teacher and author Diane Zinna for her new class, Memoir Maker. This will be Diane’s 12th time leading a book-in-a-year course, which has helped bring so many writers to a finished […]
Write your novel in a year with bestselling author Kristen Arnett! Are you looking for an exciting, fun, collaborative way to get your writing brain into gear? Are you ready to finally sit down and write that novel that you’ve been thinking about forever? Do you wish you had a confident, cheerful writing coach to […]
If the idea of starting on a novel or novella sounds daunting, or you wish to finally make the move from short fiction to long fiction—this is the class for you! This course is designed to help you launch and advance an outline and rough draft of a novel in 8 weeks. Expect guidance, encouragement, strategy, and development ideas of MFA caliber. Participants will write daily for at least 1 hour, or 7 to 10 hours per week.
Classes will include craft lessons, discussions of vision and revision, as well as the chance to share a portion of your work-in-progress with your instructor and peers for fast feedback and first impressions. This is not an 8-week workshop model. It is primarily a generative and project development course that will culminate with submissions for feedback.
Are you serious about writing a novel but struggling? This intermediate course will examine the eight fundamental elements of the novel to help you find the strengths and weaknesses of your work-in-progress. From Concept to Conclusion, we will study the key components of a novel, with generative and evaluative exercises along the way. Written lessons, curated online resources, and targeted exercises (along with instructor and peer feedback) will help guide you as you continue to draft your novel. (Note: This course is a good follow-up to Tammy Greenwood’s Intro to the Novel workshop.)
Journeys, relationships, hardships, love, and loss—these are just a few of the subjects personal essays explore. In this workshop we’ll examine essays from magazines, literary journals, and newspapers to illuminate the ways imagery, dialogue, scene, and crafting an “I” narrator transform a personal experience into a compelling story. You’ll generate new material each week through in-class exercises, plus receive in-class feedback on your draft. Note: No meeting November 25.
Each week we will use writing prompts to generate fresh authentic work and invite participants to share their new work for immediate encouraging feedback. In week 2 we will discuss editing strategies that enhance the craft of narrative fiction and nonfiction. Additionally, for weeks 3, 4, and 5 participants are invited to submit one polished piece to the group for more comprehensive feedback.
Join us for five months of craft lessons, workshops, editor visits, and personal editorial feedback! This small and inclusive class meets bi-weekly on Zoom, with the goal of creating an intimate, writer-based community of essayists who learn and grow together.
You’ll read, brainstorm, and write drafts. You’ll explore different essay forms and practice a variety of narrative techniques. You’ll learn tangible self-editing tools, then revise, workshop, and revise some more! You’ll discover the publications you love, whether literary or freelance in nature (or both!), and you’ll create a plan to get those bylines! You’ll receive supportive, thoughtful peer workshop feedback on six drafts. You’ll have three personal one-on-one meetings (with detailed line edits) from your instructor. You’ll meet editors, attend panels, and participate in a final online reading event to celebrate your hard work! You’ll discuss next steps in publication, including how to pitch editors and begin forming a full collection.
This workshop is for writers who already have some experience publishing personal essays in either literary or freelance publications. The workshop model will be carefully scaffolded and writer-centric, evolving as the class evolves. Writers will finish the class with ten complete drafts and a path forward for publication.
This workshop is for writers looking to begin, or deepen, their exploration of poetry with a focus on craft. Each session is devoted to one aspect of craft—imagery, line, form, voice, etc.—and begins with a chance to share your work aloud (not workshop). Participants learn by discussing great poems, reading short, engaging chapters, and doing fun weekly assignments. One session will be devoted to revision. Please bring a copy of The Poet’s Companion by Addonizio and Laux to the first class.
The workshop will allow participants to write non-fiction works in different formats and lengths, from first-person writing to essays and magazine-style pieces.
What brings a short story to life? We’ll investigate this question by paying close attention to craft elements—the nuts-and-bolts of storytelling—in participants’ work and in published fiction. Each week, we’ll zoom in on a different aspect of the form such as plot, character, dialogue, place, or point of view. Together, we’ll explore the vast and varied potential of the short story, reading across eras and styles to expand the horizons of our own work. Participants will submit at least one short story for peer and instructor feedback during the workshop. As time allows, we’ll also do in-class writing exercises and read essays on the craft of fiction writing and art of revision.
Whether you are an organized planner or a writer who flies by the seat of their pants, a novel still needs structure. In this workshop, participants will study the architecture of a novel and devise plans for plotting their novels. Using the three-act structure as a map, we will explore the basic components of a novel’s plot.
The Writer’s Center welcomes the Café Muse Literary Salon for a reading featuring poets Karren Alenier, Anne Becker, Ellen Cole, Henry Crawford, and M. Mack reading from the anthology, From the Belly: Poets Respond to Gertrude Stein’s Tender Buttons Vol. III, Rooms. The evening begins at 7 PM with Michael Davis live on classical guitar. The […]
This workshop will provide ideas and suggestions for promoting your new collection of poetry. Courtney LeBlanc is the author of four full length collections of poetry and for her 3rd collection she went on a self-organized book tour that encompassed 9 months, 18 states, and 64 readings. Not only is this an impressive feat, but she *made money* on her book tour! She'll share her tips and tricks for promoting your work without feeling icky doing it.
Are you a writer who identifies as disabled? Join us for an informal gathering at The Writer’s Center to hang out and talk writing! Please bring a drink or an appetizer that serves six. You’re welcome to bring a friend, too. FREE & open to all DMV writers who identify as disabled. RSVP required below. […]
Pain is part of life, whether it’s the loss of a job, a pet, a friendship, your innocence, your health, or a loved one. In my case, I've lost a sister to suicide and a son to a heroin overdose. Even though death is a part of life, it need not be crippling or debilitating. In this session, we’ll look at strategies -- including journaling and storytelling -- to help you move forward, through and beyond the pain and into a future that can once again be filled with hope—and even joy. The session includes short writing exercises.
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of nonfiction! We’re joined by author Steve Majors for a discussion of his new collection of essays, Man Made. Steve is in conversation with Zach Powers, novelist and Executive & Artistic Director at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events […]
The Writer's Center welcomes the Graduate students from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Maryland to a dialogue with Professor Laura Demaría about her recent book, Provincias- Un-Idas: Un itinerario conceptual en el presente (LASA Press, 2025). In the book, the concept of the province unfolds as a theoretical category that […]
This quick-take session focuses on ways to get yourself unstuck when a story’s middle gets thorny, or you lose your way. A relaxed, informative 90 minutes chockful of information from a multi-published author who often has to fight her way out of the middle of a manuscript…and onward to a completed novel. Loads of tips and tricks for you to take away!
Have you ever wondered how scanning the lines of your first draft can make for a better poem? Here’s an opportunity to improve your ear for meter—a major element of poetic prosody—and to fine-tune your understanding of how it works. Guided by an internationally published author of sonnets, villanelles, and other metrical poems, this one-day workshop includes scansion of well-known poems, writing exercises, and, if you like, close examination of a poem you’ve drafted prior to class. You’ll leave with new insights about improving the auditory qualities of all your poems and prose.
Do you ever think to yourself: “Why is it so hard to get my ideas out of my head and onto the page?” This workshop offers a variety of techniques that help writers develop their ideas and break down barriers to writing. Whether you are a plotter or a pantser, neurotypical or neurodivergent, you will come away understanding your creative process on a deeper level so you can work with it and not against it. You will experiment with different approaches to idea generation, prewriting, outlining, drafting and revising so when you get stuck, you can reach into your toolbox and try a different method. Writers will come away with a rough draft of a personal narrative and a new appreciation for each stage of the writing process.
Do you ever think to yourself: “Why is it so hard to get my ideas out of my head and onto the page?” This workshop offers a variety of techniques that help writers develop their ideas and break down barriers to writing. Whether you are a plotter or a pantser, neurotypical or neurodivergent, you will come away understanding your creative process on a deeper level so you can work with it and not against it. You will experiment with different approaches to idea generation, prewriting, outlining, drafting and revising so when you get stuck, you can reach into your toolbox and try a different method. Writers will come away with a rough draft of a personal narrative and a new appreciation for each stage of the writing process.
Diction, or word choice, is crucial to poetry, where every word matters. In this workshop, we will examine what diction is "appropriate" in a poem and why understanding where certain words come from is essential to using them effectively. We will discuss the relationship between diction and tone, the difference between idiom and cliché, and the role that ambiguity can play. We will also talk about “poetic diction” and how to avoid it.
Meet Nicole Chung, instructor for our Memoir Year workshop, and have all your questions about the program answered! The Writer’s Center staff will be on hand, too, to address any logistical […]
The Writer’s Center welcomes author Francene Hill as she shares insights from her new biography, Tiny Tots in Tiaras and Tuxedos: The Life, Love, and Business Success of Kermit B. Hill. Francene will read excerpts and discuss how she transformed genealogy records, weather reports, and newspaper clippings into a vivid, creative biography. She will also touch on […]
The Writer’s Center welcomes poet Lee Woodman for a reading from her new collection, Colorscapes. Lee is joined by Emily Holland, poet and editor of Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal. FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. Lee Woodman is the author of the “Scapes” poetry series (Homescapes, Mindscapes, Lifescapes, Artscapes, and Soulscapes) and […]
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. Sign-up starts at 6:45pm, and readings begin promptly at 7pm. Limited to 20 readers, so arrive early if you plan to read. Sponsored by Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry magazine. […]
Meet Susan Coll, instructor for our Novel Year workshop, and have all your questions about the program answered! The Writer’s Center staff will be on hand, too, to address any logistical […]
Join us for cocktails at No Kisses Bar to mingle with friends of The Inner Loop, The Writer's Center, DC Writers Room and PEN/Faulkner! Register here »
A dynamic workshop on the single most important skill any writer can have. Skilled writers make readers feel and intuit precisely what they want them to by using the technique of showing writing. No other element of craft promises this immediacy and power to bring a work to life. This is how to make a flat passage sing, how to gain your readers’ trust and emotional participation. Through exploration of compelling published examples, exercises, lively discussion, and inspiring instruction, you will learn to elevate your stories to submission-quality prose.
The Writer’s Center welcomes author Peter Mountford for a reading from his new collection, Detonator. Peter is joined by novelist Karin Tanabe. FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. Peter Mountford is the author of the novels A Young Man’s Guide to Late Capitalism (winner of the Washington State Book Award in Fiction), and The Dismal Science (a New York […]
Guided by an award-winning and internationally published author of sonnets, villanelles, and other metrical poems, you’ll first read time-honored sonnets to see how and why they work. Next the class will write a group sonnet, and then -- with or without shortcuts -- you’ll start one of your own. You’ll leave with at least one new (draft) or improved sonnet, as well as insights about how writing poems in form can unlock deeper meaning and enhance everything you write.
This class pulls back the curtain on the ins and outs of publishing by walking participants through the component parts of the publishing industry. From the role of literary agents to the dreaded query letter to what an editor’s job is to the different types of publishers (big 5, indie, small press, vanity press, self-publishing) to how authors are paid, this jam-packed class takes a practical approach that will focus on the business side of writing with lots of time for Q&A. Whether you want to know how books come to exist or are simply curious about how this notoriously opaque industry works, this class is for you.
Please note: This class will touch on what query letters are and the purpose they serve but this is not a class on how to write query letters.
PRIOR PARTICIPANTS SAY:
— “A remarkable two hours. That was the very best—and most helpful—presentation on publishing I've ever experienced.”
— “Outstanding seminar. Lacey was well prepared, organized, knowledgeable, experienced & responsive. She engaged attendees & provided ample yet structured time for questions.”
— “Very helpful and I learned a lot. I liked how she was realistic but hopeful.”
— “It’s totally worth the time and money.”
— “Absolutely do it if you’re able. I absolutely loved the class and got a ton out of it.”
Meet Lindsey Van Wagner, instructor for The Artist's Way: A Year of Creative Reawakening, and have all your questions about the program answered! The Writer’s Center staff will be on […]
