Posted: November 25th, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Neelanjana Banerjee’s short story “Exile” was recently published in Breaking the Bow: Speculative Fiction Inspired by the Ramayana (Zubaan Books, 2012). Neela was also featured in the San Francisco Litquake LitCrawl reading “Masala This: South Asian Americans in Search of Poetry and Identity” at Bissap Baobab in San Francisco on October 13th. The reading featured readers from Indivisible: An Anthology of South Asian American Poetry (University of Arkansas Press, 2010), an award-winning anthology co-edited by Banerjee, Summi Kaipa, and Pireeni Sundaralingam.
Kelly Bergin published her essay “On Living Your Life Twice (With Help)” on the Huffington Post.
Melissa Chadburn interviewed A.M. Homes for the Tin House blog.
Chai Chan wrote “A Bra Editorial: Start with the (Real) Woman in the Mirror” for the website The Lingerie Addict.
Terrance Flynn was named a 2013 PEN Emerging Voices Fellow, a fellowship in which he will work on his memoir Dying to Meet You. You can read more about his project in this profile from The Detroit Free Press.
Andrea Galvez wrote the packaging copy for Paper or Plastik’s signature coffee line. She will soon marry the very lucky Alex Dandino at the Sportmen’s Lodge in Studio City.
Keitha Lowrance had her poem “Oh, How Hard it Is” published in the fall 2012 issue of Edible Ojai & Ventura County.
An essay by Amanda McCraven will be published in the upcoming New Zealand-themed issue of Penduline, a Portland-based literary and arts magazine.
Ella Martinsen Gorham won second place in the James Kirkwood Award in Creative Writing for her story “I Have Jonah.”
Lisa E. Sanchez published a review of May We Be Forgiven by A.M. Homes on The Millions.
Donna Spruijt-Metz‘s writing was included in Midrashic Mirrors, a book collecting nine women’s creative explorations of the Torah.
Sarah Tomlinson published her essay “Our School Shooting” in Salon. She also hosted “Never Have I Ever,” a reading at 826LA.
The fall 2012 advanced creative nonfiction class (Sara Campbell, Jennifer Drew, Christy Ellis, Terrance Flynn, Karen Lentz, Stephanie Ross, Joyce Salter, and Caroline Treadwell) will hold a student reading in December in Los Feliz.
Posted: November 19th, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
I’m pleased to announce that two very talented instructors, Shannan Rouss and Margaret Wappler, have been added to the WWLA roster! I’m equally pleased to welcome former student Catie Disabato as our first ever social media coordinator. The rumors are true: we are getting very fancy up in here.
Check out their impressive bios below, and look out for our winter 2013 class schedule, which will be posted very soon!
Shannan Rouss is the author of the short story collection, Easy for You, published by Simon & Schuster in 2010. Her story “Dog People” was selected for publication on the Storyville App in 2011. Shannan has an MFA from New York University, where she received a teaching fellowship from the school’s Expository Writing Program. She was a staff writer at Self, and her writing has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Nylon and Ladies Home Journal. Since 2011, she has been the executive editor at Glo.msn.com. When she’s not writing or editing articles on sibling rivalry, cohabitation, and “psychics as the new therapists,” she’s working on a novel about mail-order brides, philosophical counseling and the digital afterlife.
Shannan Rouss
Margaret Wappler wrote about arts and culture for the Los Angeles Times for seven years, and has also published features and criticism in Rolling Stone, the Believer, LA Weekly, Seattle Weekly, Time Out Chicago, JANE Magazine and several other publications. Her fiction has appeared in Another Chicago Magazine, Black Clock, Facsimile, Public Fiction, and was recently anthologized in Joyland Retro. In 2011, on the same bill as Ann Beattie, she read from her novel-in-progress as part of the New American Writing series at the Hammer Museum. She’s led writing workshops for children and adults, including disadvantaged youth in the Cabrini-Green housing projects of Chicago. She holds a BA from Columbia College and an MFA in Critical Studies from the California Institute of the Arts.
Margaret Wappler
Catie Disabato studied undergraduate creative writing at Oberlin College. She blogs and writes book reviews for Full Stop and has written essays for This Recording and The Millions. Her short fiction was recently featured on Joyland. She is working on her first novel and spends too much time on Twitter and Tumblr.
Catie Disabato
Posted: September 20th, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Ivy Pochoda is an accomplished writer and a wonderful teacher, and, lucky you, she will be teaching Novel I this fall. Go to our classes page to see the course description, and email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com if you’re interested in enrolling.
We asked Ivy a few questions about teaching, writing, and reading. Dang, that girl is smart.
You recently sold your second novel, to be published by Ecco/HarperCollins. What’s it called, and what do you tell people when they ask you what it’s about?
My novel is called Visitation Street. It’s set in Red Hook, Brooklyn, a fairly isolated, waterfront neighborhood that’s cut off from the rest of the borough. The novel follows the neighborhood’s reaction after a fifteen year old girl goes missing out on the water. It’s told from five points of view, but Red Hook itself is an much of a character as any of the people in the book.
You’re teaching Novel Writing I for WWLA. What’s the best piece of advice you ever got about writing? The worst?
The best piece of advice is: write a book you want to read. I know this sounds silly, but it really helped me.
The worst: You can’t mix first and third person in a book. Hey, if it works, why not?
How would you describe your teaching style? Do you have any philosophies about writing and reading that you bring to the classroom?
The most important element of my teaching style is, first and foremost, to encourage people to write. In a class such as Novel I, just getting over the fear of “what happens next” is such a major challenge that I like to create an environment where the emphasis on writing is supreme. Obviously, when starting a novel, no writer is sure where the story is going, so I like to encourage my students to try different pathways and not get hung up on the details. If something doesn’t make it into the final draft, so be it!
What kind of writing exercises do you like to throw at your students?
I like to have my students rewrite a scene (or a portion of a scene) from a different point of view. I think examining at something from a different angle brings depth and detail and might often be overlooked.
What’s one of your favorite novels, and why?
Gosh. Well, in trying to answer this question I scanned my bookshelves and realized that I really like multi-perspective, intricate novels. I love when a novel with a seemingly complex construction unfolds to reveal a wonderfully logical and straightforward story, for instance, Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon, A Visit from the Goon Squad and Look at Me by Jennifer Egan, and Black Swan Green by David Mitchell. I think I started gravitating towards these types of book after reading Charles Dickens’ large social novels which seemed daunting at first, but turned out to be delightful and surprisingly fun.
Posted: August 29th, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com to enroll in any of the classes listed below.
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POETRY
Mixed Levels Poetry Writing Workshop (with Elline Lipkin in Beverly Grove)
Tuesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
October 9, 2012 to December 4, 2012 (no class 11/20)
This 8-week mixed-levels class is designed to immerse students in the power and pleasure of poetry. Each week students will consider a particular theme through an in-class writing exercise, read examples of other poems, and be given an assignment sheet of poetry prompts to use during the week. Students will explore different types of poetic forms, practice using a variety of writing techniques, and offer feedback on each other’s work. This class is an opportunity for students to explore the art and craft of poetry at any level with the chance to experiment with words and feel inspired.
This course will take place in Beverly Grove, where wine and sparkling water—and the occasional gourmet cheese—will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
$380 for new students; $340 for returning students (payment plans available!)
If you enroll before 9/15, you will get a $20 parking pass FOR FREE!
**After 9/15, students have the option of paying $20 for a street parking pass; or, they can try for a metered parking nearby**
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
NONFICTION
Blogging for Writers: Seminar and Workshop (taught by Amelia Morris in Echo Park)
2 Saturdays, 12 to 4 pm
October 6, 2012 and October 20, 2012
This two-day course is designed for writers of all levels who are interested in launching (or re-focusing) their own blogs. In the first meeting, the class will read and reference a variety of notable blogs (both monetized and non-commercial) and use these examples to examine the reader experience and discuss the specific considerations of blogging, i.e. aesthetics, visual assets/elements, quality content, branding, and consistency.
Each student will be expected to arrive at the first class with three blogs they follow/enjoy. For the second meeting, two weeks later, students will have handed in the name of their blog, a sentence or two summing up their concept, and their first post (due one week prior), which will all be workshopped in class.
This course will be held in the instructor’s home in Echo Park, where sparkling water and some manner of fancy snacks will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
Course fee: $150 for new students; $130 for returning students
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
Mixed Levels Nonfiction (taught by Seth Fischer in Echo Park)
Thursdays, 7:30 to 9:30 PM
October 4, 2012 to November 29, 2012 (no class 11/22)
In this 8-week mixed levels course, students will read, discuss, and write essays (or chapters) that will explore the genre(s) of personal narrative and memoir. The readings will be selected to stimulate thinking, exemplify different techniques and styles, and suggest techniques for engaging personal and creative expression. There will be in-class and homework exercises that address topics such as persona, audience, story, description, memory and truth, and ethical considerations specific to the genre. Students will have the chance to workshop their writing in a serious environment meant to challenge and inspire each member of the class.
This course will take place in the instructor’s home in Echo Park, where wine and sparkling water—and the occasional gourmet cheese—will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
Course fee: $380 for new students; $340 for returning students (Payment plans available!)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
FICTION
Young Adult Fiction Writing: Seminar and Workshop (taught by Cecil Castellucci in Silverlake)
2 Sundays, 12 to 4 pm
October 21, 2012 and November 4, 2012
This two-day course is designed for writers of all experience levels who are interested in writing young adult fiction but have yet to fully embark on a project. In the first meeting, the YA genre will be examined and demystified, and the instructor will discuss–among other topics–what makes a book YA, and address fears about what is, and isn’t, allowed in the genre. Students will do in-class writing exercises to get them exploring their stories and characters, and there will be an option to share some of these exercises with the group. Each student will be expected to bring their favorite YA novel to discuss with the class. For the second meeting two weeks later, students will have handed in ten pages of prose (due one week prior), to be critiqued in class.
This course will be held in the instructor’s home, where coffee, sparkling water, and light snacks will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
$150 for new students; $130 for returning students
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
Fiction I (taught by Adam Cushman in Beachwood Canyon)
Tuesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
October 2, 2012 to November 20, 2012
This 8-week course will introduce beginning writers to the basic techniques of fiction writing such as characterization, dramatization, dialogue, point of view, and so on. In class, students will discuss published fiction from a craft perspective and do writing exercises designed to tackle particular techniques. Each week students will have short writing assignments to do outside of class, which will be turned in for feedback from the instructor. As this course is designed for beginning writers, there won’t be any formal workshopping. The class is also open to more experienced writers who simply want to brush up on the basics.
This course will take place in the instructor’s home in Beachwood Canyon, where wine and sparkling water—and the occasional gourmet cheese—will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
$380 for new students; $340 for returning students. (Payment plans available!)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
Fiction II (taught by Seth Fischer in Echo Park)
Wednesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
October 3, 2012 to November 28, 2012 (no class 11/21)
This 8-week intermediate-level class is designed for both short story writers and novelists. For the first four weeks, students will do in-class writing exercises and discuss published short fiction and novel excerpts from a craft perspective. The class will cover such topics as characterization, pacing, point of view, structure, voice, and scene, and there will be short take-home writing assignments designed to help students progress with their manuscripts. For the final four weeks of the course, students will be workshopped in a serious environment meant to challenge and inspire every member of the class. Each student will have the opportunity to workshop either one short story manuscript or one novel excerpt (maximum 25 pages).
This course will take place in Echo Park where wine and sparkling water—and the occasional gourmet cheese—will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
$380 for new students; $340 for returning students. (Payment plans available!)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
Fiction III (taught by Edan Lepucki in the Pico-Fairfax area)
Mondays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
October 1, 2012 to December 17, 2012 (no class 10/15 and 11/26)
This 10-week course is designed for experienced students who are interested in deepening their understanding of fiction writing craft and technique.
For the first few weeks, the class will discuss published fiction and do in-class writing exercises. Students will be given optional out-of-class writing assignments, and there will be short critiques of students’ work-in-progress and revisions. Each student will write two pieces of fiction (short stories or novel excerpts); one of those manuscripts will be workshopped by the class, and the other will be given to the instructor for feedback.
This course will take place in the instructor’s home in the Pico-Fairfax area, where wine and sparkling water—and an occasional assortment of cheese and chocolates—will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
$410 for new students; $380 for returning students. (Payment plans available!)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
Fiction IV (taught by Adam Cushman in Beachwood Canyon)
Wednesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
October 3, 2012 to December 12, 2012 (no class 11/21)
This 10-week course is designed for advanced writers with extensive workshop experience who are interested in deepening their understanding of fiction writing craft and technique. This course is by application only.
For the first few weeks, the class will discuss published fiction and do in-class writing exercises. Students will be given optional out-of-class writing assignments, and there will be short critiques of students’ work-in-progress and revisions. Each student will write two pieces of fiction (short stories or novel excerpts); one of those manuscripts will be workshopped by the class, and the other will be given to the instructor for feedback.
This course will take place in the instructor’s home in Beachwood Canyon, where wine and sparkling water—and an occasional assortment of chocolates—will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
$410 for new students; $380 for returning students. (Payment plans available!)
For more information about the application process, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
Novel Writing I (taught by Ivy Pochoda in Downtown L.A.)
Tuesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
October 2, 2012 to December 18, 2012 (no class 11/13 and 11/20)
In this 10-week course, students will write the first 40 pages of a novel. The class will spend the first few weeks doing writing exercises and discussing craft and technique from a novelist’s perspective. All assignments, both in- and out-of-class, will ask students to think deeply about their projects and aesthetic goals. There will be a weekly page-count requirement to keep students on task, and there will also be time set aside in class to work. The final weeks of the course will be devoted to workshopping student novel excerpts in an intense yet compassionate environment designed to challenge and inspire all members of the class.
This course will take place in the instructor’s home in Downtown L.A., where wine, sparkling water–and the occasional delicious snack–will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
$400 for all students (payment plans available!)
This class is open to experienced writers only. To apply for entry, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com with a description of your writing experience. You may be asked to submit a short writing sample.
***
8-Week Fiction Writing Group (taught by Amelia Morris in Echo Park)
Tuesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
October 2, 2012 to November 27, 2012 (no class 11/20)
In this course, students will have the opportunity to be a part of a fiction writers’ group facilitated by a published writer. Within a supportive environment, students will share new and in-process work, write from prompts, take home ideas for new stories, talk about writing, and ask questions about craft, creation and process. We will form our own writing community, giving and receiving feedback from one another, all the while having a good time. This is not a lecture class, nor will there be class assignments.
This course will take place in the instructor’s home in Echo Park, where wine, sparkling water, and the occasional snack, will be served.
Enrollment Limit: 8 students
Price: $250 (students must pay the full amount up front; no payment plans available for this course)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
Posted: August 22nd, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Writing Workshops Los Angeles is growing! I’m so excited to add writer, blogger and badass cook Amelia Morris to our roster of teachers. This fall she will be facilitating an 8-week fiction writing group, as well as teaching a seminar on blogging (stay tuned!).
I’m also over-the-moon that our second new instructor is the amazing Ivy Pochoda, who has published one novel and has a second on the way. (As if this weren’t enough: she also used to play squash professionally…) She’s going to be teaching a novel writing class this fall.
See their impressive bios below, and look out for their upcoming classes!
***
Amelia Morris holds an M.F.A. from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and authors the food blog, Bon Appétempt. Her blog and writing have appeared on saveur.com, bonappetit.com, Gourmet Live, Refinery 29, Los Angeles Times, Elle Girl Korea, McSweeney’s Joke Book of Book Jokes, and American Public Media’s The Splendid Table. Her piece, “Serious Food: In the Kitchen with Grandma” won Best Culinary Essay in Saveur Magazine’s 2011 Food Blog Awards. In 2012, Bon Appétempt won the Best Food Humor Blog category. She also has a day job and is at work on a Bon Appétempt book.
Amelia Morris
Ivy Pochoda is the author of the novel The Art of Disappearing, which was published in 2009 by St. Martin’s Press. A former professional squash player, she now works as a ghostwriter. Her short fiction has appeared in H.O.W. Journal and Canteen and she has contributed to The Rumpus and the Huffington Post book section. Her nonfiction articles have appeared in Fantastic Man, Time Out New York, House & Garden, Maxim, Minx, and BABY. She was the 2009 James Merrill House Writer in Residence. She has a BA from Harvard College in English and Classical Greek with a focus on dramatic literature and a MFA from Bennington College in fiction. Her second novel, Visitation Street, will be published in August 2013 by Ecco / HarperCollins.
Ivy Pochoda
Posted: August 21st, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Some very exciting developments! Congrats to these students:
Joy Allen participated in a reading for contributors to Ampersand Magazine at Book Soup.
Catie Disabato’s short story “Glory” was published in Joyland Magazine.
Helen Estrada has had poems published in Beacons Beyond, Crossed Genres Magazine, Contemporary Literary Review: India, Sister Ignition Magazine, Requiem E-zine and has more work forthcoming in Speculative Edge Magazine, as well as Requiem Magazine’s annual poetry anthology. She has also been accepted to the MFA program in Fiction at Mills College in Oakland, California.
Sarah Holswade will marry September 8, 2012 at Leo Carrillo State Park.
Aizita Magaña’s article on synchronized swimming “Going Under” was published at The Classical during the Summer Olympics.
Omolola Ogunyemi had her short story “Reflections from the Hood of a Car” accepted for publication in Camera Obscura.
Bill Olmstead published his short story “Four Stories Found In An Abandoned Desk” in Cafe Irreal. His short story “Hoodoo Watchdog” was published in Every Day Fiction.
David Slavin read his poem “The Swing” at the Pat Pincus Poetry Fest at the Brentwood Library.
Are you a WWLA student with news? Spread the word at writingworkshopsla@gmail.com…
Posted: August 19th, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
The fall roster of classes will be announced in a couple of weeks. To receive news about classes, contact Edan at writingworkshopsla@gmail.com to get on the email list.
Posted: June 4th, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
If you’d like to sign up for any of the courses listed below, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com to receive an enrollment confirmation. You must email for a confirmation BEFORE you enroll online. Thanks!
***
NONFICTION
Mixed Levels Creative Nonfiction: Personal Essay and Memoir (taught by Chris Daley in Los Feliz) **CLASS FULL; EMAIL TO GET ON WAIT LIST**
Thursdays, 7:30 to 9:30 PM
July 26, 2012 to September 13, 2012
In this 8-week mixed levels course, students will read, discuss, and write essays (or chapters) that will explore the genre(s) of personal narrative and memoir. The readings will be selected to stimulate thinking, exemplify different techniques and styles, and suggest techniques for engaging personal and creative expression. There will be in-class and homework exercises that address topics such as persona, audience, story, description, memory and truth, and ethical considerations specific to the genre. Students will have the chance to workshop their writing in a serious environment meant to challenge and inspire each member of the class.
This course will take place in the instructor’s home in Los Feliz, where wine and sparkling water—and the occasional gourmet cheese—will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
Course fee: $380 for new students; $340 for returning students (Payment plans available!)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
POETRY
Mixed Levels Poetry Writing Workshop (taught by Elline Lipkin in the Fairfax District) **CLASS FULL; EMAIL TO GET ON WAIT LIST**
Tuesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
July 24, 2012 to September 18, 2012 (no class 8/7)
This 8-week mixed-levels class is designed to immerse students in the power and pleasure of poetry. Each week students will consider a particular theme through an in-class writing exercise, read examples of other poems, and be given an assignment sheet of poetry prompts to use during the week. We’ll explore different types of poetic forms, practice using a variety of writing techniques, and offer feedback on each other’s work. This class is an opportunity for students to explore the art and craft of poetry at any level with the chance to experiment with words and feel inspired.
This course will take place in the Fairfax District, where wine and sparkling water—and the occasional gourmet cheese—will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
$380 for new students; $340 for returning students. (Payment plans available!)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
FICTION
Fiction Writing I (taught by Seth Fischer in Echo Park) **CLASS FULL; EMAIL TO GET ON WAIT LIST**
Wednesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
July 25, 2012 to September 12, 2012
This 8-week course will introduce beginning writers to the basic techniques of fiction writing such as characterization, dramatization, dialogue, point of view, and so on. In class students will discuss published fiction from a craft perspective and do writing exercises designed to tackle particular techniques. Each week students will have short writing assignments to do outside of class, which will be turned in for feedback from the instructor. As this course is designed for beginning writers, there won’t be any formal workshopping. The class is also open to more experienced writers who simply want to brush up on the basics.
This course will take place in the instructor’s home in Echo Park, where wine and sparkling water—and the occasional gourmet cheese—will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
$380 for new students; $340 for returning students. (Payment plans available!)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
6-Week Fiction Writing Group (taught by Edan Lepucki in the Pico-Fairfax area) **CLASS FULL**
Sundays, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
July 15, 2012 to August 26, 2012 (no class 7/22)
In this course, students will have the opportunity to be a part of a fiction writers’ group facilitated by a published writer. Within a supportive environment, students will share new and in-process work, write from prompts, take home ideas for new stories, talk about writing, and ask questions about craft, creation and process. We will form our own writing community, giving and receiving feedback from one another, all the while having a good time. This is not a lecture class, nor will there be class assignments.
This course will take place in the instructor’s home in the Pico-Fairfax area, where coffee and sparkling water–and the occasional assortment of bagels–will be served
Enrollment Limit: 8 students
Price: $200 (students must pay the full amount up front; no payment plans available for this course)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
Fiction Writing II (taught by Edan Lepucki in the Pico-Fairfax area) **CLASS FULL; PLEASE EMAIL TO GET ON WAIT LIST**
Mondays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
July 9, 2012 to September 10, 2012 (no class 7/23 and 9/3)
This 8-week intermediate-level class is designed for both short story writers and novelists. For the first four weeks, students will do in-class writing exercises and discuss published short fiction and novel excerpts from a craft perspective. The class will cover such topics as characterization, pacing, point of view, structure, voice, and scene, and there will be short take-home writing assignments designed to help students progress with their manuscripts. For the final four weeks of the course, students will be workshopped in a serious environment meant to challenge and inspire every member of the class. Each student will have the opportunity to workshop either one short story manuscript or one novel excerpt (maximum 25 pages).
This course will take place in the Pico-Fairfax area, where wine and sparkling water—and the occasional assortment of sweets—will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
$380 for new students; $340 for returning students. (Payment plans available!)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
Fiction Writing III (taught by Adam Cushman in Beachwood Canyon) **CLASS FULL; PLEASE EMAIL TO GET ON WAIT LIST**
Wednesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
July 11, 2012 to September 12, 2012
This 10-week course is designed for experienced students who are interested in deepening their understanding of fiction writing craft and technique.
For the first few weeks we will discuss published fiction and do in-class writing exercises. There will be optional out-of-class writing assignments, and we will hold short critiques of students’ work-in-progress and revisions. Each student will write two pieces of fiction (a short story or a novel excerpt); one of those stories will be workshopped by the class, and the other will be turned in to the instructor for feedback.
This course will take place in the instructor’s home in Beachwood Canyon, where wine and sparkling water—and an occasional assortment of chocolates—will be served.
Enrollment limit: 8 students
$410 for new students; $380 for returning students. (Payment plans available!)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
8-Week Fiction Writing Group (taught by Mary Guterson in North Hollywood)
**CLASS FULL; EMAIL TO GET ON WAIT LIST**
Wednesdays, 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Begins July 11, 2012
In this course, students will have the opportunity to be a part of a fiction writers’ group facilitated by a published writer. Within a supportive environment, students will share new and in-process work, write from prompts, take home ideas for new stories, talk about writing, and ask questions about craft, creation and process. We will form our own writing community, giving and receiving feedback from one another, all the while having a good time. This is not a lecture class, nor will there be class assignments.
This class will begin July 11th, and it should meet every Wednesday evening until September 5th. However, due to Mary’s work schedule, occasional meetings might have to be cancelled and rescheduled, and the class may thus run past September 5th. Either way, the class will meet a total of 8 times.
This course will take place in the instructor’s home in North Hollywood, where wine, sparkling water, and the occasionl snack, will be served.
Enrollment Limit: 8 students
Price: $250 (students must pay the full amount up front; no payment plans available for this course)
If you’re interested in signing up, please email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com
***
Posted: May 30th, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Check out all the terrific news below: publications, MFA and conference acceptances, and even a baby! Congratulations to all of our talented students!
***
Dolores Banerd published two of her essays: “A Budget Traveler Bites Back” and “How to Tell Your Travel Stories” in Airplane Reading.
Cecil Castellucci (who also occasionally teaches young adult fiction writing for WWLA) recently published The Year of the Beasts, a hybrid prose and graphic novel, illustrated by Nate Powell.
Melissa Chadburn published her essay “The Elephant’s Skull” in issue 4 of Slake. She was also accepted to, and will attend, the Tin House Writer’s Workshop.
L. Marie Cook’s self-published memoir Lay Me Down (workshopped through WWLA) won first prize in the wild card category at the Los Angeles Book Festival! Leslie’s essay “Lightning Flashes” was also published at Airplane Reading.
Caitlin Creevy was accepted to the Tin House Writer’s Workshop and to the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley. She will attend the latter.
Claire Cronin was accepted to the MFA program at UC Irvine, where she will study poetry writing.
Catie Disabato has been writing regularly for Full-Stop. Check out her reviews and essays here. Also, This Recording published her essay Blue Islands .
Kristen Havens had a short essay about “Leftovers” in the Readers Report Back feature at The Rumpus.
Shannon Herbert’s first child, Gabriel David Pelka-Herbert, was born April 1, 2012.
Brandi Kalicki was accepted to the MFA program at Columbia University, where she will study fiction writing.
Aizita Magaña published an adapted excerpt of her book in progress, Just Breathe: “How long can you hold on? Why it hurts to hold your breath” in Guru Magazine.
Sanam Mahloudji was accepted to the Tin House Writer’s Workshop, and to the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley. She received a scholarship from the latter, and will attend this summer.
Anthony Mohr published his essay 26.9 in Diverse Voices Quarterly.
Nick Morgan launched his hilarious and tragic website, Why They’re Single.
Jill Paris’s essay “Miracle Seeker” was published by The Saturday Evening Post.
Elina Shatkin was named the senior editor of Los Angeles Magazine.
Darcy Vebber writes regularly for Tribe Magazine, where she recently reviewed the Studio City restaurant Raphael.
Posted: May 29th, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
I’m excited to welcome Seth Fischer to the Writing Workshops Los Angeles faculty! Seth writes both fiction and nonfiction, and he sports a very pleasing blonde beard. Check out his bio and photo below, and stay tuned to hear about the class he will be teaching this summer. Good to have you, Seth!
Seth Fischer has been writing since he was five, when he hijacked his mom’s old Commodore 64 and began writing her an adventure novel called The Adventures of John Smith. His more recent work has appeared or is forthcoming in Pank, Guernica, Swink, Gertrude, and other literary journals. He is a contributing editor at The Rumpus and the founding editor of The Splinter Generation, and his work has been noted by Andrew Sullivan, Publisher’s Weekly, Canongate Publishing, Poets and Writers, the Utne Reader, BoingBoing, among others. He also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles, where he now teaches and tutors, and he’s currently at work on a novel and a collection of essays.
