Name: Personal Storytelling: Finding the Extraordinary in Everyday Life
Start: 2026-12-16T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-12-16T21:00:00-05:00
Location: Zoom

Hank Wallace

Zoom

Lead with the future — not background — for lead-ership, especially in a crisis. That’s the most imp...

Diane Zinna

Zoom

Your query letter is your first introduction to a potential agent--which is to say, your first intro...

Claudia Gary

Zoom

To explore some of the fine points of meter, we will examine how metrical patterns can vary between ...

Edgar Gomez

Zoom

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Meet Edgar Gomez, instructor for our yearlong memoir workshop, and have all your questions about the program answered! The Writer’s Center staff will be on hand, too, to address any logistical questions. Register below! About the Program Application Deadline: September 21, 2026 Workshop Dates: Begins October 6, meeting twice a month for ~10 months Cost: $5,400 […]

Hannah Grieco

Zoom

What exactly is a tiered rejection? How does Submittable work? How do I learn about different literary journals? This pop-up is for writers who are new to submitting, as well as more experienced writers who want to improve their odds of acceptance. We'll discuss all the basics of submitting your fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry to literary […]

Atina Hartunian

Zoom

This craft talk and generative workshop examines how absence, memory, and longing operate in fiction...

Abdul Ali

Zoom

This workshop is a celebration and study of the life and work of Reuben Jackson who mentored generations of writers and taught at The Writer’s Center for over a decade. During the course of five sessions together, we will write vignettes about our interactions with this top-shelf teacher, poet, and jazz scholar. In addition, we will carefully read his poetry and use them as generative prompts to create new work. We will culminate this workshop at The Writer’s Center in a public reading/celebration to honor Mr. Jackson and keep his literary legacy alive on October 4.

Zoom

The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by author Diana Cao for a discussion of her debut poetry collection, Slipstream. Diana is in conversation with Brandon Johnson, poet and Events Director at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE […]

Eric Lichtblau

Zoom

The workshop is designed for beginning writers looking to gain a footing in non-fiction writing of different length and format, from first-person essays to long-form magazine writing and even book-length projects. You'll learn both by reading and by writing.

Saaret E. Yoseph

Zoom

An introduction to archival research through narrative writing and experimentation. Learn how to work with and historical resources, interpret gaps, and reconstruct your own story as a public history tool. The workshop will include a presentation of examples from the instructor's current research process, featuring archival imagery, documents and story iterations. Participants will engage in exercises to think and write through their own narrative projects, whether meant for personal memoir or public scholarship. Designed for emerging scholars, writers, and community members interested in recovering underrepresented histories.

Zoom

Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal and The Writer’s Center welcomes poet Chet’la Sebree to our monthly Virtual Poetry Book Club for a discussion of her collection, Blue Opening. Chet'la is joined by Book Club Host, Hannah Grieco. We encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local, independent bookseller or online » […]

Zoom

Carryout is The Inner Loop’s Author’s Corner spotlight. The Inner Loop cultivates and promotes the distinctive literary culture of Washington, DC. Author’s Corner supports local authors’ independently published books by spotlighting them in community programming and collaborations. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public, all times Eastern We encourage you to order a […]

Charlene Thomas

Zoom

This course is designed to help young adult writers shape those pages into an unputdownable introduc...

Charlene Thomas

Zoom

Over four weeks, participants will focus on the essential elements that make for strong opening pages in a YA novel, including narrative momentum, character development, and line-level clarity—with each session combining craft discussion and targeted revision strategies. The final session will function as a guided workshop in which participants exchange and discuss their first ten pages, applying the tools from earlier sessions while learning how to give and receive productive, professional feedback. By the end of the course, each writer will have a stronger, more polished opening and a clear understanding of how to continue refining their manuscript for submission. To effectively participate in this course, writers should have already written at least fifty pages of their manuscript and be ready to begin working with those pages on day one.

Marija Stajic

Zoom

Each week, participants will focus on a different stage of the revision and publishing process, including structural and line-level revision strategies, identifying common problems in manuscripts, understanding the role of agents and editors, and exploring different paths to publication. The workshop will combine discussion of craft principles, practical publishing guidance, and analysis of participant work in a supportive, workshop-based setting. By the end of the course, participants will have a clearer, more polished manuscript excerpt, a realistic understanding of its readiness for submission, and a practical toolkit for querying agents and navigating publication options with greater confidence. Participants should submit a draft of a short story or novel excerpt up to 3000 words to the first class.

Zoom

This workshop considers how big the genre of creative nonfiction can be by looking at the ways writers expand, explore, and break open different forms and sub-genres. We'll read a few short samples of contemporary writers who are pushing boundaries, then get into some prompts that lead us toward our own innovations in telling true stories.

Brandon Blue

Zoom

Ekphratic Poetry or poetry in conversation with art can seem formulaic; see a piece of art and use elements of it in a poem I am making. But why stop there? In this generative workshop, participants will be encouraged to embody their piece of art (visual, music, or dance) as a means of saying what only they can say about that piece of art. Students will learn many different approaches to ekphrasis and will leave with a draft of a new poem.

GG Renee Hill

Zoom

In this two-part workshop series, you'll first explore how to build a restorative, sustainable writing practice rooted in your values, interests, and natural creative rhythms. Then on day two, you'll learn how to thoughtfully shape your writing into a creative offering, identifying the messages you want to share, the audience you hope to reach, and the platforms or projects that best align with your goals. Whether you're beginning your writing journey, returning after time away, or looking for fresh direction, you'll leave with practical tools, greater creative clarity, and a deeper sense of purpose for both your writing practice and your creative life. Please note: If you've previously taken GG's standalone workshop, Writing as a Restorative Practice, the first day of this series covers much of that same material. The second day offers new content focused on shaping your writing into a creative offering and sharing it with intention.

Betsy Cornwell

Zoom

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Write your YA novel over the course of a school year with bestselling author Betsy Cornwell! In this intensive ten-month course, you'll take your young adult novel from concept to complete manuscript with guidance from New York Times bestselling author Betsy Cornwell, as well as mutual support from fellow participants. Attend the Virtual Info Session […]

Al Basile

Zoom

We all practice the results of the lyricist's trade whenever we sing a song we know, but in this course we'll look into how those choices are made, and get some practice at generating our own lyrics.This course starts the participant on the practice of putting words together with music. Writing a song lyric requires matching syllables in words with melody notes to be sung in time over a rhythm. We start with short phrases and build up to complete lyrics. By the end participants will have generated a lyric for a familiar existing song, and at least one lyric which can be set by a composer to produce a complete work.

Rita Bullwinkel

Zoom

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Meet Rita Bullwinkel, instructor for our yearlong short story workshop, and have all your questions about the program answered! The Writer’s Center staff will be on hand, too, to address any logistical questions. Register below! About the Program Application Deadline: October 5, 2026 Workshop Dates: Begins October 21, meeting twice a month for ~10 months Cost: […]

Kim Dana Kupperman

Zoom

"The histories of families cannot be separated from the histories of nations," writes Susan Griffin at the beginning of a book that sets her family's story into the context of the Second World War. Workshop participants will learn about different nonfiction forms that feature robust, compelling family narratives. Each session will include writing prompts and in-class time to respond to the prompts.By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to identify and use narrative elements that render a story vivid, concerned, and fulfilled.

John DeDakis

Zoom

This workshop deconstructs and demystifies the novel-writing process for struggling and/or aspiring writers. We'll go all the way from getting the nub of an idea to getting your book into the hands of expectant fans. Along the way, you'll learn how to stay organized, write in the voice of other genders, the art of rewriting, and how to overcome your writing and marketing fears. By the end of our time together, you'll be prepared to begin work on a novel and will be equipped with the skills to perfect it. The sessions will include time for writing and for being critiqued.

Zoom

The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by author Bret Anthony Johnston for a discussion of his new collection, Encounters with Unexpected Animals. Bret is in conversation with Varun Gauri, novelist and Board member at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are […]

Katherine Pickett

Zoom

For your book to succeed, you must know which books you are competing against. In this interactive workshop, we will look at resources for locating comparable and competing titles, analyze comparable and competing titles, and look at how to use that information to inform your writing as well as in your proposal or query letter.

Sylvia Jones

Zoom

The cento and the bop offer poets two radically different ways to make language communal, musical, and newly strange. Through close reading, discussion, generative exercises, and brief sharing, participants will explore the cento’s collage of borrowed lines and the bop’s movement through argument, refrain, and release. We will consider quotation, attribution, sonic pattern, cultural memory, ekphrasis, and the productive tension between influence and originality. By the end of the workshop, each participant will have drafted either a complete cento or the central architecture of a bop, along with strategies for revising it. No preparation is required, though participants may bring a favorite poem, song lyric, artwork, or small collection of language they would like to work from.

The proposal builds directly from the attached materials’ treatment of the cento as a composite of previously written lines and the bop as a 23-line form organized into three stanzas with recurring refrains.
The materials also frame both forms as methods of historical looking, cultural recombination, and resistance to narrow ideas of authorship.

Joy Cheriel Brown

Zoom

In this 10-week intermediate to advanced workshop, writers will complete a feature-length screenplay from outline to first draft. Participants are expected to arrive with a developed idea they are ready to write. The course begins with a brief review of key screenwriting principles—premise questions, structure, and character—before quickly moving into reviewing written pages the second week. Writers will be expected to generate approximately 10 pages per week, building toward a complete 90-page screenplay by the end of the course. Class sessions will focus on reading and discussing student work, with guided feedback designed to strengthen narrative momentum, deepen character arcs, and support each writer through the challenges of finishing a full draft. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a completed feature-length screenplay and a clearer understanding of how to sustain and execute a cohesive cinematic story.

Laura J. Oliver

Zoom

Do you have the instinct of a writer, but your subject eludes you? Does your subject feel too big, too vague, or perhaps too overwhelming? Do you want to write about a personal experience but fictionalize it? Using published examples, writing exercises, lively discussion, and expert instruction, this workshop will inspire from memory and imagination, the story you are meant to write with an ending that resonates.

Claudia Gary

Zoom

Here’s an opportunity to shed any misconception that poetic forms are only constricting. We will do brief writing exercises that use the enchantment of meter and rhyme to free your deeper imagination. After exploring several traditional forms, we will experiment with creating improvised (nonce) forms. Participants may leave with at least one new draft poem and ideas for creating more.

Indran Amirthanayagam

Zoom

We will read and write poems that increase our knowledge of war and peacemaking, We will seek to define terms. What is war? What is a poem written in the wake of a bombing? Who has the right to write the poem? Does poetry make something happen? Can we save ourselves, our communities, our countries by writing?

Zoom

More and more, popular culture has been fascinated by narratives that depict coming of age from the perspective of the child in the form of memoir, often demonstrating cultural diversity. This workshop will focus stories drawn from participants’ own life experiences that have certain fictional elements and are structured like fiction. During each week of the course, we will write short pieces of memoir, based on the following: certain places and individuals you remember, certain traditions and even collective traumas that predate the first-person narrator, certain positive events as well as troubling events, with the liberty to fictionalize and embellish the autobiographical story. We will develop a foundation for the elements of fiction: plot, character, internal monologue, and dialogue while studying published works in the genre.

Zoom

The goal of this course is to introduce the participant to three Japanese poetic forms: the haiku, tanka, and senryu and guide a writing practice that includes these forms. Each week the participant will read examples of poetry in one of the Japanese forms and then generate some poems. By the end of the workshop, the participant will have generated poems in the three Japanese forms and feel confident in writing in these forms.

Zoom

Most writers understandably cringe at the legal and technical jargon of book, magazine, or other contracts they need to sell their work. And copyrights can be downright scary. Ken Ackerman has navigated these waters often in his long career with multiple books and publishers, with all the related legal twists and turns. In this workshop, he'll give a primer on what writers need to know, in simple, understandable terms, about selling and securing their work.

James Alexander

Zoom

Learn how to pack a powerful punch when writing persuasively! This four-week workshop covers the processes involved in writing persuasively and with confidence, whether it is crafting newspaper op-eds and speeches or official emails, memos, letters and proposals. Everything starts with a core message. Think. Plan. Write. Participants will learn the techniques of audience analysis, message development, targeted research, organization, using persuasive language and effective use of "AI" in planning/strategizing. This class features hands-on writing instruction, engaging discussion and an extensive reading list.

D. M. Cross

Zoom

With so many crazy things going on today, should you even think about writing your story? Come to this interactive zoom workshop and take the first steps in learning how to bring your writing into the world. Come prepared to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.

Kathryn Johnson

Zoom

Can't find the time/energy/inspiration to get your novel written? This popular course, developed by the author of the book by the same name, will help you complete a rough draft in record time. During the 8 weeks of the course, students will receive encouraging guidance from professional writing coach Kathryn Johnson. Each author will commit to an aggressive writing schedule and learn the tricks pros use to create a productive working environment and meet their deadlines, despite life’s distractions. Each class will include accountability and progress reports from each student, live troubleshooting discussions, a brief lecture on a key skill of fiction writing, and the opportunity to submit a portion of the students’ works-in-progress to the instructor for individual feedback and guidance. (Note: This is not a work-shopping course. Further information will be sent to registered students, in advance of the first class.)

Rob Jolles

Zoom

You’ve written, or are writing your book; now it’s time to fight for it! In this workshop you’ll discover over 25 practical, budget-friendly book marketing strategies, from building a book launch to leveraging social media, blogs, podcasts, Amazon tools, press releases, and more. Each session will be fast-paced, idea-heavy, and packed with real-world tactics you can apply immediately. By the end of the program, you’ll walk away with a personalized, actionable marketing plan, and the confidence to promote your book like a pro.

Zoom

Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Aldo Amparán to discuss their new collection, THE HOUSE HAS TEETH. Aldo is in conversation with Emily Holland, poet and editor of Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual […]

Indran Amirthanayagam

Zoom

In this workshop you will learn how to transform your daily life into poetry and stories starting from the close observation of everyday routines. This includes details ranging from waking up, preparing coffee and buttering bread, to recalling a dream, or walking in the woods.

Bo Kaprall

Zoom

This workshop is an example of a mini-writers room. Lots of give & take and positive feedback. A true collaborative environment.

Kathryn Johnson

Zoom

Strengthening 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.

Claudia Gary

Zoom

Trauma can shut us down; writing poems can help free us to open up again. This workshop will present some of the many ways poetry has helped writers both heal trauma and prevent post-traumatic stress syndrome. Guided by an internationally published poet and health journalist, you will explore the science behind this and learn a range of techniques, immediately putting several of them to use in drafting new work. The workshop includes reading and discussion of time-honored poems, close attention to emotional and sensory aspects of poetry, several in-class writing exercises, and feedback on poems for those who wish to share them. (NOTE: All sharing is optional. This workshop is not a substitute for therapy.)

Mariah Barber

Zoom

Writing Yourself into a Person Your Poetry Can Be Proud Of is a workshop about using poetry not only to document your life, but to deepen your attention, integrity, and creative presence within it. Each week, participants will read and discuss poems that model artistic courage, self-examination, and transformation, alongside generative writing exercises designed to help them develop their own voice and habits of observation. Sessions will combine close reading, guided writing prompts, voluntary sharing, and constructive discussion in a supportive workshop environment. By the end of the workshop, participants will have produced a portfolio of new poems and a clearer understanding of the relationship between the life they live and the art they create. Preparation for the first class: Please bring one poem you admire and one poem of your own (published or unpublished) that feels representative of where you are as a writer right now.

Claudia Gary

Zoom

When you have an idea for a poem but aren’t sure where to start, try a triolet. This eight-line framework can become a powerful poem, or a stanza in a larger one. We’ll start by reading time-honored triolets to see how and why they work. Next we’ll write one together, then individually, with time at the end for feedback.

Chioma Urama

Zoom

How do we turn the fragments of memory into writing that resonates? In this workshop guided by award-winning poet Chioma Urama, you’ll learn the techniques of lyrical memoir writing—using image, rhythm, and voice to shape personal experience into powerful narratives. Through guided exercises and discussion, we’ll explore how to access subconscious thought and emotion, and how to find the deeper story hidden in everyday moments. With in-class prompts, shared readings, guided reflection, and a workshop, you’ll practice transforming raw memory into evocative writing that moves both you and your reader. You’ll leave with 2-3 new pieces of writing, a workshopped lyric essay, and inspiration to continue exploring your inner landscape.

Edgar Gomez

Zoom

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Write your memoir with award-winning author Edgar Gomez! In this intensive ten-month course, you will learn about the art of creative nonfiction and be given the tools to ready your memoir or memoir-in-essays for publication. Attend the Virtual Info Session Meet Edgar Gomez, instructor for our yearlong memoir workshop, and have all your questions about […]

Donald Illich

Zoom

Go beyond nature and love poetry to explore how you live and work in the suburb/city. Participants each week can expect to learn about basic poetry elements, such as line, image, point of view, and rhythm/music, as well as workshop poems each class as a group. Students will also learn how the themes of suburb/city can be used to create poetry that has relevance and purpose for readers and editors. By the end of the class, participants will learn how to go beyond their normal subjects for poems, as well as revise at least one poem.

Nikki Frias

Zoom

Even 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.

Sheila Wenz

Zoom

Sketch comedy has a specific architecture, and learning it will sharpen every kind of writing you do. Over four weeks, we'll break down the formulas professional comedy writers use to build original characters, sharp dialogue and hilarious situations from scratch. Each session we'll review popular comedy sketches and hold interactive table reads where your classmates perform your work on screen! By the end of the workshop, you'll have a polished, stage-ready comedic sketch and a set of comedy writing tools you can apply to fiction, essays, plays, and screenplays. No prior comedy experience required.

Zoom

70,000 is The Inner Loop’s Author’s Corner spotlight. The Inner Loop cultivates and promotes the distinctive literary culture of Washington, DC. Author’s Corner supports local authors’ independently published books by spotlighting them in community programming and collaborations. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public, all times Eastern We encourage you to order a […]

Mary Quattlebaum

Zoom

Learn how to write a picture book from a successful author of thirty award-winning books for children. Each session will begin with a short discussion of an aspect of writing for children, including story openings and arcs, characterization, plot/pacing, rhythm/sound, and marketing. Suggested readings, prompts, and feedback on in-class writing will inspire and guide writers in the class. By the end of the workshop, participants should have written and/or revised part or all of a picture book and have a better sense of how to create one in the future. Feedback will be offered on in-class exercises only rather than workshopping writing done outside of class.

Zoom

In this short workshop, we'll explore writing that doesn't care what you call it, work that resists easy attempts at categorization and chooses to wow us instead. We'll read samples from some contemporary writers who are doing this best, and consider why anyone would bother to categorize their work at all, then we'll get into prompts that lead us toward our own hard-to-classify texts. We'll work through a few prompts of our own and leave the workshop with some short pieces to polish or expand, along with a better understanding of resisting genre.

Kelly Sather

Zoom

In this class, we will look at what makes effective openings in stories, how we draw readers in, introduce characters and begin creating their world, and how we develop resonant endings. We'll also discuss how beginnings set the tone for endings. Each week, looking closely at a few short story openings or endings, we'll discuss style, setting, characterization, and answer the often asked questions how to show and what to tell. Classes include generative exercises writing openings and endings, and guidance on developing a daily writing practice.

Zoom

Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal and The Writer’s Center welcomes poet Taylor Byas to our monthly Virtual Poetry Book Club for a discussion of her collection, Resting Bitch Face. Taylor is joined by Book Club Host, Hannah Grieco. We encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local, independent bookseller or online […]

Zoom

The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by author Kirsten Kaschock for a discussion of her poetry collection, AutoPortrait (as flotsam). Kirsten is in conversation with Brandon Johnson, poet and Events Director at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via […]

Laura J. Oliver

Zoom

Agents say it all the time. What sells a manuscript? A standout voice! Acquire the tools you need for developing a compelling voice of your own through the study of entertaining published examples, a clear explanation, and writing exercises designed to ignite your unique way of expressing yourself. You will enjoy a sense of excitement in this inspiring and instructive workshop as you successfully translate the voice in your head to the page.

Lynn Auld Schwartz

Zoom

At the core of every good tale is a character with whom the reader wants to spend time. Discover how to move beyond the superficial and cliché, crafting characters who invite the reader to explore the human condition. Illustrations and exercises will help you uncover your character's inner values (in memoir, that character is you), understand how flaws shape what a character wants and does, and recognize why a character must act—not just react—for a story to move forward. We'll examine techniques for depicting yearning, internal conflict, and transformation, and consider what's at stake if your character fails. This workshop will benefit those writing a novel, short story, or memoir.

Chris Gamble

Zoom

Learn techniques to write about mental health with intention. Along with general guidelines, examples from popular media will be reviewed so you can learn how to avoid clichés and dig deeper into what shapes people’s various experiences with mental health. Participants will apply psychological concepts to plot and character development.

Patricia Gray

Zoom

Jump-start your creativity with fun exercises in poetry, memoir and fiction. You’ll take home two original poems plus at least one short piece of fiction and a memoir scene or character. Opportunities to read your writing aloud and receive positive feedback can help you identify your specific writing talents. Please bring your favorite writing instruments to the workshop and check your email the night before to print out any handouts to bring with you the next day.

GG Renee Hill

Zoom

Traditional writing advice doesn't work for every writer. Created with neurodivergent writers in mind, this workshop is also for anyone whose writing process is shaped by a busy mind, limited time or energy, or the competing demands of everyday life. If you think in loops and layers, struggle with focus, overwhelm, or organizing ideas, or find yourself caught between bursts of inspiration and periods of resistance, you're not alone. Drawing from lived experience and years of teaching writers, we'll explore writing practices that honor the way different minds create. You'll learn to recognize your unique attention patterns, work with rather than against your creative process, and develop strategies for navigating common challenges such as idea overwhelm, perfectionism, non-linear thinking, executive dysfunction, and wavering motivation. You'll leave with practical techniques to support each phase of the writing process—from prewriting and drafting to revisin —in ways that are flexible and sustainable. Whether you're navigating ADHD or another form of neurodivergence, living with chronic illness, balancing caregiving responsibilities, experiencing burnout, or simply finding that traditional writing advice doesn't fit your life, this workshop offers adaptable tools that help you build a writing practice that works with your mind and circumstances, not against them.

Beth Kanter

Zoom

Each session of Boot Camp for Writers will begin with a prompt followed by writing time. Participants will have the opportunity to share and discuss their work as well as receive in-class feedback. The workshop is designed so that participants will have the start of six new pieces by the end of class. Former Boot Camp participants are always (and happily) welcome. Note: No meeting November 3 and 24.

Rita Bullwinkel

Zoom

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Write new short stories with award-winning author and editor Rita Bullwinkel! Writing is a unique art medium in that it is both made and, generally, consumed in isolation. Through the space of the writers' workshop, an author can escape the isolation in which they made their work, understand their work from a consciousness other than […]

Katherine Pickett

Zoom

Fictional characters are the entry point for readers to engage with the worlds that writers create. In this class, we will explore three facets of character—tragic flaws, contradictory behavior, and backstory—and reveal how you can combine them to create characters readers will love. Come ready to write! This class includes hands-on writing exercises. Attendees will walk away with the tools they need to craft compelling characters.

Eric Lichtblau

Zoom

This advanced class will go beyond the basics of nonfiction writing to provide an extra focus on fleshing out characters, incorporating a narrative voice, and developing more sophisticated tools for narrative storytelling.

Aaron Hamburger

Zoom

Dialogue is essential to characterization storytelling, yet can be incredibly tricky to master. In this course, we’ll look at transcripts of conversations from life and published work to develop strategies to make your dialogue shine in your writing. Then we’ll do some targeted exercises to explore different types of dialogue strategies that go beyond direct quotation to create a symphony of distinct speaking voices for your characters. All genres welcome.

Rachel Coonce

Zoom

Whether you are writing short pieces or are embarking on a full-length memoir, you need a roadmap. Over the course of four weeks, we will cover the tools you need to write a memoir from start to finish. We will discuss methods for starting a piece and getting content on the page. We’ll explore memoir structures and the relationship of form and content. We will learn editing techniques on both the sentence and big picture levels. Finally, we will talk about publishing options for memoir projects large and small. Participants will leave with the tools and confidence to start and complete a memoir project.

Rob Jolles

Zoom

In this workshop we’ll focus on how to prepare your pitch materials, how to get booked on podcasts, how to be a great guest, and even how to create a professional podcasting environment.

Zoom

The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by author Amber Blaeser-Wardzala for a discussion of her debut novel, Another Name for Red at the End. Amber is in conversation with Amy Freeman, author and Development Director at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual […]

Claudia Gary

Zoom

“Whole-Brain Poetry” is an opportunity to explore some of the many ways poetry interacts with the brain, and to enrich your writing with that knowledge. This includes but goes beyond the use of metaphor. Through writing exercises, close examination of time-honored and recent poems, workshopping of participant poems, and brief reading assignments, we will examine the neurology and psychology of poetry, the relationship between time and memory, how science has influenced well-known poets, how poetry can help to heal trauma and prevent PTSD, and more.

Atina Hartunian

Zoom

This workshop introduces a revision strategy that uses interconnected generative prompts to re-enter an existing draft, uncover hidden emotional dynamics, and reveal new possibilities for character, conflict, and story. Through visual presentation, brief craft discussions, guided writing exercises, and opportunities to reflect and share, participants will use these prompts to push both themselves and their characters in unexpected directions, breathing new life into stalled scenes and rediscovering the emotional momentum of their work. By the end of the workshop, participants will have generated new material, uncovered fresh insights into their characters, and developed a practical revision technique they can return to whenever a draft loses momentum. Participants are invited to have work-in-progress—a draft, scene, chapter, or story they'd like to revisit.

Kathryn Johnson

Zoom

You may think you don't have the time, energy, or inspiration to write because of your hectic lifestyle. Wrong! We'll share methods many professional writers use to complete their books in months instead of years, their short stories in mere weeks. Become the dedicated author you've always dreamed of being. (Ideal for writers who don’t have 8 weeks to dedicate to the Extreme Novelist course.)

Zoom

This workshop will offer a lecture each week, followed by workshoping participants’ poems. The class will focus on the elements of story, musicality, figuration, and most of all feeling. Open to all poets at all levels, who are curious about poetry and its craft and tools for revision.

Sue Ellen Thompson

Zoom

There is no "right" or "wrong" when it comes to deciding how a poem should end. But there are some options that might be more effective than others. This workshop will focus on closure—the strategies that poets have traditionally used to bring their poems to a clear, resonant conclusion. We will also discuss anti-closure—the resistance that so many feel toward poems that “click shut.” By looking at the work of several contemporary poets, we will discuss what worked best for their poems and might help yours.

Ariel Katz

Zoom

This course focuses on writing and reading *very* short fiction. Together, we’ll investigate the following questions: what can a story accomplish in a single page? In a single paragraph? How can we, as writers, create character, place, plot, or voice in such a compressed form? What techniques are helpful for drafting and revising a super-short story? How does contemporary “flash fiction” or "micro fiction" relate to older forms—like the fable—and other genres, like poetry? What makes a piece of very short prose a "story" at all? Each week, we will workshop participants' fiction and do writing exercises to learn about this form. We’ll also read a range of published flash fiction from a craft perspective. By the end of the workshop, each participant will have written and received feedback on at least one very short story (under 2,000 words). The course will conclude with a discussion of strategies for submitting very short fiction to literary magazines.

Zoom

A History of Existing Life is The Inner Loop’s Author’s Corner spotlight. The Inner Loop cultivates and promotes the distinctive literary culture of Washington, DC. Author’s Corner supports local authors’ independently published books by spotlighting them in community programming and collaborations. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public, all times Eastern We encourage […]

Laura J. Oliver

Zoom

In this one-night introduction, historian/biographer Ken Ackerman shares the tricks of the trade for investigating our family roots, going back generations, using archives, interviews, internet sources, family records, and memories - and ideas to organize and share our heritage with children and grandchildren.

Lynn Auld Schwartz

Zoom

There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for story structure. Let’s discuss a plan that works for you. We’ll examine your story’s strengths and weaknesses, focusing on both the destination and the journey. Does your narrative feature a compelling character arc, a strong point of entry, well-placed flashbacks, and a transformative, resonant ending? Will readers care? We will use maps, sketches, and diagrams, emphasizing the importance of revising your initial plan as your story evolves. Bring your specific idea for a short story, memoir, or novel.

Michele Wolf

Zoom

This intensive one-day workshop will offer all poets—whether they have yet to submit their first poem to a literary journal or are ready to present a publisher with a book-length manuscript—hands-on advice on how to achieve their publishing goals.

Nikki Frias

Zoom

“Show, Don’t Tell” is an interactive writing workshop designed to help participants bring their stories, ideas, and experiences to life on the page. Through guided prompts, sensory exercises, and creative writing activities, participants will practice moving beyond explanation and into vivid, specific, emotionally engaging writing. This workshop invites writers to explore how detail, dialogue, action, setting, and perspective can create stronger connections with readers. Participants will have opportunities to write, reflect, share, and revise in a supportive environment. Whether they are working on personal essays, fiction, professional storytelling, or simply looking to strengthen their creative voice, this workshop offers practical tools to make writing more immediate, memorable, and alive.

Zoom

In this one-night introduction, historian/biographer Ken Ackerman shares the tricks of the trade for investigating our family roots, going back generations, using archives, interviews, internet sources, family records, and memories - and ideas to organize and share our heritage with children and grandchildren.

Zoom

The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of nonfiction! We’re joined by author Mathangi Subramanian for a discussion of her new publication, Our Periods, Ourselves: An Empowered Teen's Guide. Mathangi is in conversation with Amy Freeman, author and Development Director at The Writer’s Center. RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events […]

Kathryn Johnson

Zoom

Learn the methods professional writers use to come up with winning plots for their fiction.

Kathryn Johnson

Zoom

Writing 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.

Sue Ellen Thompson

Zoom

How poets handle syntax—the arrangement of words in a sentence—is crucial to everything from establishing the voice of a poem to evoking a particular response from the reader. In this workshop, we will take a close look at how sentences are put together and how changing their structure can send a poem off in a new direction. We will also examine the relationship between the sentence and the line and how to control the tension between them.

Hank Wallace

Zoom

Lead with the future — not background — for lead-ership, especially in a crisis. That’s the most important of eight journalism skills that will transform your writing. The others: write your readers’ language, be positive (to be both clear and upbeat), lay out logically, be consistent, be precise, be concise and choose strong verbs. (Plus a Speak Like the News skill: avoid “uptalk?”) Emulate the vivid news examples you’ll see in this workshop, and you’ll strengthen your writing voice with lively, engaging news style. At 7 sharp, we’ll critique TheWallStreetJournal.com, seeing how to communicate your main point in just a few words. To cover as much ground as possible, we’ll have just a few writing exercises and most of them will take less than a minute each.

Claudia Gary

Zoom

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.

Nikki Frias

Zoom

Everyone has stories worth telling, they just don't always recognize them. This interactive workshop helps participants uncover meaningful moments from their everyday lives and transform them into engaging pieces of writing. Through guided reflection, creative prompts, and interactive writing exercises, participants will explore memory, emotion, and observation to discover the stories hiding in ordinary experiences. Rather than focusing on perfect prose, this workshop encourages curiosity, authenticity, and play. Writers will experiment with different ways of approaching personal storytelling while gaining practical tools they can use long after the workshop ends. Participants will leave with new writing, a collection of prompts to inspire future work, and greater confidence in their ability to find stories wherever they go.

August 2026

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December 2026