The Writers Circle

Adult Weekly Classes - SUMMER 2025

July 7 - August 14

All times listed are Eastern Time (ET)

VIRTUAL and IN-PERSON workshops

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Want to give a class or special event as a gift? Gift Cards available here.

Where Do I Begin?

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.

Program	Location	Days/Times	Tuitions/Prices	Action
Where Do I Begin? - THURSDAY	Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Rd, Morristown, NJ 07960, USA	Jul 10, 2025 - Aug 14, 2025 Thursday 10:00 am - 11:30 am	$220.00 Instructors: Gabby Sher - IN-PERSON CLASS - 6 weeks	Register
Where Do I Begin? - TUESDAY	Zoom	Jul 15, 2025 - Aug 12, 2025 Tuesday 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm	$180.00 Instructors: Jared Harél - VIRTUAL CLASS - 5 weeks	Register

Adult Writers Circle

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.

Program	Location	Days/Times	Tuitions/Prices	Action
Adult Writers Circle - MONDAY	Zoom	Jul 07, 2025 - Aug 11, 2025 Monday 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	$230.00 Instructor: Judith Lindbergh - VIRTUAL CLASS - 6 weeks	Register
Adult Writers Circle - TUESDAY AM	Zoom	Jul 08, 2025 - Aug 12, 2025 Tuesday 10:00 am - 12:00 pm	$230.00 Instructor: Talia Tucker - VIRTUAL CLASS - 6 weeks	Register
Adult Writers Circle - TUESDAY PM	The Co-Co, 426 Springfield Ave 2nd floor, Summit, NJ 07901, USA	Jul 15, 2025 - Aug 05, 2025 Tuesday 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	$155.00 Instructor: Chris Kapp - IN-PERSON CLASS - 4 weeks	Register

Summer Writing Book Club

Truth is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow: A DIY Manual for the Construction of Stories by Steve Almond

“Always candid and humane, Almond’s book will appeal to writers of all different skill levels seeking insights into the wondrous art of storytelling.” (Kirkus Reviews)

During our four-week class, we will read Almond’s book and use it as a guide to writing to daily prompts, sharing our work, and setting new writing goals. Perfect for novice writers looking for craft and more experienced writers seeking new perspectives for ongoing projects, Almond’s witty, honest approach is an ideal centerpiece for this supportive, generative summer workshop.

Participants should purchase the book before the course begins.

Program	Location	Days/Times	Tuitions/Prices	Action
Summer Writing Book Club: Truth Is The Arrow, Mercy Is The Bow, by Steve Almond - THURSDAY	The Co-Co, 426 Springfield Ave 2nd floor, Summit, NJ 07901, USA	Jul 17, 2025 - Aug 07, 2025 Thursday 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm	$145.00 Instructor: Chris Kapp - IN-PERSON CLASS - 4 weeks	Register

Creative Nonfiction: Writing Memoir, Personal Essay, and Other True Tales

Itching to write about your own life? The experiences, events, journeys, and stories that really happened? Come write your own true tales, the ones that matter to you—and might mean something to others. Explore memoir, personal essay, and other ways writers put their personal past on the page, transforming personal stories into compelling literary work. Review published examples, discuss craft, try prompts, learn techniques and storytelling skills for the nonfiction page. Write and share new drafts for peer feedback and instructor guidance.

Program	Location	Days/Times	Tuitions/Prices	Action
Creative Nonfiction: Writing Memoir, Personal Essay, and Other True Tales - TUESDAY	The Baird, 5 Mead St, South Orange Village, NJ 07079, USA	Jul 08, 2025 - Aug 12, 2025 Tuesday 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	$230.00 Instructor: Lisa Romeo - IN-PERSON CLASS - 6 weeks	Register

Poetry Craft Workshop

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.

Program	Location	Days/Times	Tuitions/Prices	Action
Poetry Craft Workshop - MONDAY	Zoom	Jul 14, 2025 - Aug 11, 2025 Monday 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	$190.00 Instructor: Jared Harél - VIRTUAL CLASS - 5 weeks	Register

Writing Short Stories & Flash Fiction

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.

Program	Location	Days/Times	Tuitions/Prices	Action
Writing Short Stories & Flash Fiction - WEDNESDAY	Zoom	Jul 09, 2025 - Aug 13, 2025 Wednesday 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	$230.00 Instructor: Libby Cudmore - VIRTUAL CLASS - 6 weeks	Register

Creating Kid Lit

(for adult writers!)

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

Program	Location	Days/Times	Tuitions/Prices	Action
Creating Kid Lit - THURSDAY	Zoom	Jul 17, 2025 - Aug 14, 2025 Thursday 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	$190.00 Instructor: Mike Allegra - VIRTUAL CLASS - 5 weeks	Register

Writing Romance

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.

Program	Location	Days/Times	Tuitions/Prices	Action
Writing Romance - THURSDAY	Zoom	Jul 10, 2025 - Aug 14, 2025 Thursday 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm	$220.00 Instructor: Talia Tucker - VIRTUAL CLASS - 6 weeks	Register

Mystery Writers Circle

Get ready to write a mystery that will grip readers in this genre-specific 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.

Program	Location	Days/Times	Tuitions/Prices	Action
Mystery Writers Circle - WEDNESDAY	Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Rd, Morristown, NJ 07960, USA	Jul 09, 2025 - Jul 30, 2025 Wednesday 10:00 am - 12:00 pm	$155.00 Instructor: Mally Becker - IN-PERSON CLASS - 4 weeks	Register

Beginning Your Novel

The idea of beginning a novel is both exhilarating and intimidating. This class deconstructs the craft basics of plot and structure, description, character, dialogue, creating conflict, and more, and helps you learn how to tell the story that's burning within. Whether you're still contemplating what to write about, or have already begun your first draft, this is an excellent choice for any writer confronting the challenge of a long work.

Program	Location	Days/Times	Tuitions/Prices	Action
Beginning Your Novel - MONDAY	Zoom	Jul 07, 2025 - Aug 11, 2025 Monday 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	$230.00 Instructor: Gabby Sher - VIRTUAL CLASS - 6 weeks	Register

The Novel Continuum

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	Location	Days/Times	Tuitions/Prices	Action
The Novel Continuum - TUESDAY	The Co-Co, 426 Springfield Ave 2nd floor, Summit, NJ 07901, USA	Jul 08, 2025 - Aug 12, 2025 Tuesday 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm	$295.00 Instructor: Michelle Cameron - IN-PERSON CLASS - 6 WEEKS	Register
The Novel Continuum - WEDNESDAY	Zoom	Jul 09, 2025 - Aug 06, 2025 Wednesday 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	$245.00 Instructor: Katie Barasch - VIRTUAL CLASS - 5 weeks	Register

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.

*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.