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VIRTUAL and IN-PERSON workshops

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If you’ve ever suspected that there might be a writer lurking under the skin, or perhaps harbored a secret notebook of half-started stories, this is the class for you. In this workshop you'll find your way first by releasing the writer within through creative prompts to get the words flowing, and then by discovering the elements of all good stories, including character, conflict, action, setting and more. For anyone who longs to write but doesn't know where to start, and for writers who have dabbled but lost their way. WARNING: this workshop just might seduce you into a life-long love affair with writing.

This year's special summer reading and writing class will use the book "The Writing Life" by Annie Dillard to launch a discussion about the joys, struggles, and hopes we have for our own writing lives. Through a reading (or re-reading) or the book, we will identify ways to build creativity, establish positive and forward-thinking writing habits, and set achievable goals. During our class meetings we will also write to a series of prompts and exercises inspired by the book that are designed to help writers of any stage find new energy for their writing. Students will be required to purchase the book for the class. It can be purchased here and is available at most booksellers.

How can writing help you become more you? Pick up a pen and find out! Inspired by Anna Quindlen's book Write For Your Life and Nancy Aronie’s Memoir as Medicine, this class asks you to explore what really matters in your life. What stories shaped you? What stories helped you grow? How can the craft of writing help you heal? Through thoughtful prompts, class discussion, and sharing, we will connect through the art of writing.

Our Adult Writers Circles are the heart of our workshops. They're where The Writers Circle began. We provide a supportive environment where writers work freely on various forms and genres, exploring projects developed in class or on their own. Craft issues like structure, point-of-view, character development, pace, and style are addressed, as is the ever-changing publishing marketplace. With great respect for each writer, our workshops take on a life of their own as writers learn to trust each other for ongoing critique and inspiration as they move toward completion of work and eventual publication.

To write poetry is to articulate the world around you. To find new and more precise ways to describe what it means to be alive. Poetry Craft Workshop is a course designed to not only generate new poems, but to sharpen poetic craft with an eye toward publication and/or creating a strong, cohesive body of work. This workshop-heavy course is perfect for writers looking for a supportive and constructive environment in which to challenge themselves—to write, revise and workshop the poems they’ve always dreamed of creating.

Lorrie Moore, in a The Paris Review interview, said: "A story is a kind of biopsy of human life [...] both local, specific, small, and deep, in a penetrating, layered, and revealing way." In this class, we'll write engaging short stories or pieces of flash fiction, build short form structures and improve voice, characterization, dialogue, setting, mood and more. In addition, every week we’ll read a published short work drawn from short story collections, magazines, and literary journals. These works serve as a springboard for craft discussion, as well as giving writers the opportunity to become familiar with potential markets for publishing their own work. You'll share your own work and receive gentle, constructive critique from fellow students and the instructor.

From the most adorable picture book to the most intense Young Adult novel, literature for younger readers fires the imagination and opens the world for its audience. In this hands-on workshop, writers will learn how to craft compelling stories and characters for all age ranges. Works in progress will be constructively critiqued in a supportive environment. In-class writing prompts will keep the creative spirit nimble. And real world advice on the publishing industry will help your completed manuscript stand out in a crowd

Romance novels are currently the most profitable corner of the publishing industry. Thanks to Netflix’s Bridgerton, new audiences are discovering—and penning—this most comforting of literary genres. In this eight week introductory class for new romance writers and writers who want to incorporate romantic elements in their fiction, we’ll cover the ingredients of a successful romance novel: plot structure, tropes, reader expectations, and “sizzle” levels. We’ll also read and discuss passages from romance novels to gain Fan overview of the genre, explore the fascinating ways recent books mirror cultural advances for women, and look at paths to publication. Generative writing prompts get you started writing your own romance and we’ll share excerpts in class for gentle, supportive feedback.

Get ready to write a mystery that will grip readers in this brand new Writers Circle workshop. Focus on an ongoing short story or novel, or experiment with something entirely new. Each week, we’ll address issues of the mystery writer’s craft through roundtable discussion and gentle, constructive critique. Writers learn to trust each other in a warm, supportive environment where they’ll receive feedback and guidance as they draft and revise their work. Perfect for confident beginners and pre-published writers looking to develop the crime fiction they’ve always wanted to write.

Now that you've begun your novel, the work is far from over. Novel writing is like a marathon - you have to be in it for the long haul.This class will include "off the page exercises" to help solidify description, dialogue, character, plot, and more. And we will critique your work in progress, in a constructive, supportive environment that will help you keep moving towards the finish line: a completed first draft! Note: This class is by invitation or submission only. Limited to eight seats per section. Please email or call for more information. If you are a first-time writer, we recommend taking Beginning Your Novel before considering this workshop.

This class is geared for the writer who is deep in a first draft or has already embarked on revision. Critique of work in progress is ongoing in a constructive, supportive environment . Note: This class is by invitation or submission only. Limited to six seats per section. Please email or call for more information. If you are a first-time writer, we recommend taking Beginning Your Novel and Continuing Your Novel before considering this workshop.

Program Cancellation Policy: Workshops or events that do not reach their minimum registration are at risk of cancellation.  Often registrations occur at the last minute. The Writers Circle does its best to wait as long as possible before cancelling any program.  Registered students are notified by email approximately 5 days prior to the scheduled program start date if their program is under-registered.  Cancellation is announced by email approximately 2 days prior to the scheduled program start date and registered students will be provided with opportunities for alternate programs, credits, or refunds.  The best way to ensure that a program runs is to register at least one week prior to the scheduled start of any workshop or event. 

TWC POLICIES: Freedom of Expression | Inclement Weather | Program Cancellation | Makeups | Trial Classes & Drop-ins | Refunds/Withdrawal

 

*The Writers Circle reserves the right to shift any in-person or hybrid program to virtual instruction based on the health and safety recommendations of the CDC, WHO, the State of New Jersey, or other authorities or involved parties.