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 […]
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.
What is this next story, and how shall I tell it? Using various writing prompts will invite ourselves into new stories, and explore new ways to tell familiar ones. Each week we will write together in response to prompts, and have the option and opportunity to share our fresh writing for positive feedback. We will […]
Bring your novel to life with best-selling author Susan Coll! Whether you have been thinking about writing a novel for years but are not sure how to get started, or are already published but embarking on a new project, this year-long workshop is intended to help get the next book off the ground. Watch the […]
Through reflection, community, and practice, you’ll awaken the artist within and build a creative life that feels aligned and alive. This year-long journey through The Artist’s Way offers a sustained path for creative reawakening and artistic growth. Writers, artists, and creative seekers will move chapter by chapter through Julia Cameron’s classic text, reconnecting with their […]
Through reflection, community, and practice, you’ll awaken the artist within and build a creative life that feels aligned and alive. This year-long journey through The Artist’s Way offers a sustained path for creative reawakening and artistic growth. Writers, artists, and creative seekers will move chapter by chapter through Julia Cameron’s classic text, reconnecting with their […]
Calling all BIPOC writers in the DMV! Let’s hang out and talk writing! Come join us for an informal gathering at The Writer’s Center to meet new writers, make new friends, and share your love of the written word. Please bring a drink or an appetizer that serves six. You’re welcome to bring a friend, […]
Work on 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, generative exercises, and in-depth workshops designed to help you identify and hone your strengths as a writer. If you have an idea for […]
Work on 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, generative exercises, and in-depth workshops designed to help you identify and hone your strengths as a writer. If you have an idea for […]
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of advocacy! We’re joined by former Puerto Rico Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi and author/attorney Mark A. Cymrot for a candid discussion of writing and speaking for a cause. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the […]
The Writer’s Center is pleased to present SUTRA, an exhibition of drawings and paintings by artist Deborah Tomlin, on display in the Center’s Joram Piatigorsky Gallery, January 29–March 23, 2026. Opening reception is FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. In 2022, Deborah Tomlin was diagnosed with breast cancer from a routine mammogram. She […]
The Writer’s Center welcomes Poet Bonnie Naradzay for a reading and discussion of her new collection, Invited to the Feast. Bonnie is in conversation with Poet David Keplinger who will also be reading his own poems. FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. Bonnie Naradzay’s poems appear in AGNI, New Letters (Pushcart Nomination), RHINO, […]
Learn the ins and outs of writing the perfect query letter! For many writers, to get a book deal first requires getting a literary agent. Through the querying process, prospective authors pitch their book projects to agents using a query letter—a very short introduction of less than 500 words to you, your book, and why […]
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. […]
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by author Chelsea Sutton for a discussion of her debut novella, Krackle’s Last Movie. Chelsea 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 are […]
The Writer's Center welcomes Y.S. Fing and Garinè Isassi for musical performances and a discussion on how music influences writing. As teens, these authors absorbed similar musical, cultural and literary vibes, which remained at the forefront of their creative pursuits. To celebrate Fing's newest book, Elysium, Part Three of The Profane Comedy and revisit Isassi's […]
Learn to Captivate a Reader in a Romance Novel USA Today Bestselling Author Golden Angel presents her tricks and tips on writing steamy scenes that stick with readers long after the book is over. It's really easy to write a bad steamy scene, it's difficult to write a good one. Golden Angel discusses the various […]
Keep the Valentine's Day spirit going by spending an afternoon hearing Steamy Scenes written with the guidance of USA Today Bestselling Author Golden Angel. This reading will be followed by a Q&A with Golden Angel about Romance Writing. This event is Free and Open to the public. Our Writing Steamy Scenes That Stick workshop will take […]
The Writer’s Center welcomes novelist Virginia Pye for a reading from her new novel, Marriage and Other Monuments. Virginia is joined by award winning writer, Mary Kay Zuravleff. FREE & open to the public. RSVP below. Virginia Pye’s most recent novel, Marriage and Other Monuments, published by Koehler Books in February, is set in Richmond, Virginia […]
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by author for a discussion of her new collection of stories, But Where's Home? Toni Ann 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 […]
Writer Steve Majors presents a staged reading of his new play, American Gothik, which grew out of a Writer's Center workshop. A full-cast reading will be presented Sunday, February 22 at 2pm inside the theatre at The Writer's Center. Admission is free.
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 […]
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 […]
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of nonfiction! We’re joined by Pulitzer Prize Winning author Jonathan Eig for a special Black History Month discussion of his Pulitzer Prize Winning biography, King: A life. Jonathan is in conversation with David O. Stewart, historian and board member at The Writer’s Center. RSVP […]
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. […]
Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Dora Malech to discuss her latest collection, Trying x Trying. Dora is in conversation with Brandon Johnson, poet and Events Manager of The Writer's Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual […]
Learn the ins and outs of publishing, make connections, and build your writing career! Publish Now is a one-day conference for writers interested in learning more about all the ways you can share and publish your work. You’ll attend up to 4 panels featuring experts in all aspects of the writing and publishing cycle. Topics […]
