Before you can effectively bring characters to life on the page, you must understand who they are and why they do what they do.
Your characters are the lifeblood of your stories, but writers sometimes overlook techniques that can make a character feel real on the page. Whether you’re inventing, researching, or remembering the characters you’re crafting, this webinar will introduce you to methods for uncovering the motivations, quirks, and inner lives of the people populating your pages.
In this prompt-driven webinar, you will explore proven techniques for writing memorable, believable, and indelible characters for both fiction and nonfiction prose. We will explore why your characters do what they do: their goals, secrets, and what screenwriters call the “ghost.” You’ll be able to apply these traits to your memoir or novel by showing unique behaviors, speech patterns, and physical traits that make us love (or not!) the people on your pages.
This generative (be ready to write!) webinar is a great fit for beginning and intermediate writers seeking practical, effective techniques for adding depth to their character portrayals (including real-life characters).
Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.
In this webinar, you will:
IDENTIFY your protagonist’s secret goals (and your antagonist’s too!)
DISCOVER the quirks and behaviors that make your characters unique
LEARN techniques for writing distinctive and realistic dialogue
DEVELOP a connection to your characters
Closed captioning is available. ✔ All registrants receive the recording. ✔
ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER
Jessica Handler is the author of the forthcoming novel The World to See. Her novel The Magnetic Girl was awarded the 2020 Southern Book Prize. She’s the author of Invisible Sisters, one of the “25 Books All Georgians Should Read,” and the craft guide Braving the Fire: A Guide to Writing About Grief and Loss. Her nonfiction has appeared on NPR, in Tin House, Drunken Boat, The Bitter Southerner, Brevity, Salvation South, Five Points, Image, Creative Nonfiction, Newsweek, The Washington Post, Oldster, and elsewhere. www.jessicahandler.com
Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com
FULL REFUNDS ARE AVAILABLE before the replay is sent out. For a refund, EMAIL us at info@WritingCraft.com. Canceling your Zoom invite will not initiate this process.
“Worldbuilding” calls to mind fictional settings—Hogwarts, Gatsby’s mansion, Alice’s Wonderland—but creating a vivid world on the page is just as essential in creative nonfiction.
Memoirs offer the unique opportunity to inhabit the inner world of the writer, accessing our deepest thoughts, feelings, and truths. Using hyper-specific detail and sensory images, memoirists can pull readers in, keep them engaged until the final sentence, and make them care about our stories and characters.
This webinar will explore why worldbuilding—both exterior and interior—is important in memoir and provide practical tips for creating memorable worlds that captivate your readers. We’ll look at examples from published memoirs to uncover how evocative settings make us care about a writer’s experience.
Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.
In this webinar, you will:
EXPLORE why worldbuilding is so important in memoir
LEARN to apply worldbuilding techniques to your own memoir, including the use of “telling details,” specificity, and the five senses
ADDRESS the practical challenges of worldbuilding in memoir, including memory gaps, which details to include vs. not include, and more
This webinar is ideal for writers…
in the process of drafting a memoir
revising a memoir and feeling their text could be richer
who need help enhancing the “world” of their memoir, both physical settings and the spaces of interiority
Closed captioning is available. ✔ All registrants receive the recording. ✔
This webinar was originally offered October 2024.
ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER
Katie Bannon’s teaching is encouraging and practical, with step-by-step guidance and concrete tools. Writers who want to access deep creativity with a solid framework will love her classes!
Katie Bannon is a writer, editor, and educator whose work has appeared in The Rumpus, ELLE Magazine, NPR, Newsweek, Narratively, and more. Her memoir manuscript, which charts her journey as a compulsive hair puller, was a finalist for the Permafrost Nonfiction Book Prize. A graduate of GrubStreet’s Memoir Incubator, she holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Emerson College. She is a developmental editor who loves working with nonfiction writers to find the “story” behind the “situation” of their memoirs and essays. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and two cats. Find Katie at www.katiebannon.com
Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com
FULL REFUNDS ARE AVAILABLE before the replay is sent out. For a refund, EMAIL us at info@WritingCraft.com. Canceling your Zoom invite will not initiate this process.
Learn how to follow the energy in your memoir to generate powerful, high-stakes material that bypasses your inner critic and gets to emotional truth.
For Memoirist
When we try to write methodically, we shut down the part of us that’s in flow. Planning every scene and forcing ourselves to be logical and linear blocks our creative energy. We produce stale, predictable pages that feel dull to write and even duller to read. Meanwhile, our inner critic gets louder, our perfectionism takes over, and we avoid the vulnerable places we need to go to make personal narrative work. Your subconscious knows what you need to write better than your logical mind does—but how can you access that energy on demand?
The “Write the Heat” method is an intuition-driven practice that helps you follow currents of energy rather than a premeditated sequence. By writing toward what feels tense, interesting, or unresolved (the moments that carry “heat”), we trick ourselves into saying the truest thing. We generate material that’s raw, compelling, and emotionally honest. With “Writing the Heat,” you’ll write faster, with more confidence, and stumble upon insights you never would have found through careful planning.
In this seminar, you’ll learn the foundational technique of Katie’s proven “Write the Heat” process and practice it through guided prompts. Discover how to silence your inner critic, follow your gut instinct, and generate high-stakes material that captures what your story is really about. You’ll take away concrete methods to produce more—and truer—pages every time you sit down to write.
In this interactive three-hour live seminar, you will:
DISCOVER how to identify “heat” in your story—the most tense, interesting, or emotionally charged moments
LEARN “heat mapping” and timed freewriting techniques to bypass your inner critic and generate high-stakes material quickly
PRACTICE writing toward what feels alive rather than what you think you “should” write
UNDERSTAND how following energy and intuition leads to truer, higher-stakes storytelling than logical planning
EXPERIENCE the relief of making “writing badly” the goal and lowering the stakes on your writing process
This course is ideal for…
whose perfectionism and inner critic stop them from getting words on the page
who know they need to “go there” but aren’t sure how to start
whose writing feels stale, predictable, or emotionally distant
who want to access the vulnerable, high-stakes material their stories require
who feel blocked when they try to write in a linear, methodical way and need permission to follow their intuition
Closed captioning is available. ✔ Think you might miss class? No worries, replays will be available 3 business days after the event. ✔
ABOUT YOUR Instructor
Katie Bannon’s teaching is encouraging and practical, with step-by-step guidance and concrete tools. Writers who want to access deep creativity with a solid framework will love her classes!
Katie Bannon is a writer, editor, and educator whose work has appeared in The Rumpus, ELLE Magazine, NPR, Newsweek, Narratively, and more. Her memoir manuscript, which charts her journey as a compulsive hair puller, was a finalist for the Permafrost Nonfiction Book Prize. A graduate of GrubStreet’s Memoir Incubator, she holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Emerson College. She is a developmental editor who loves working with nonfiction writers to find the “story” behind the “situation” of their memoirs and essays. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and two cats. Find Katie at www.katiebannon.com
Student Testimonials
“Katie is the best writing instructor I have ever had. Her presentation was impeccable. She provided an abundance of ideas, details, examples, and information. In fact, the class was overflowing with information. I have nothing but praise for Katie and the class content.”
“Katie was an amazing instructor. She explained core concepts with clarity and ease, provided excellent examples and writing samples, and created a very supportive learning environment. The class truly exceeded my expectations!”
“Holy moly, this was a superb class. Instructor was well-prepared with lots of valuable and well-organized information and ideas. I have already begun applying some of the tools from class to revise—and what a difference it’s making!”
THE FINE PRINT
We understand that life can get in the way of your plans. We want you to be able to get the most out of your course, and our refund policy is designed to balance your need for flexibility with our deadlines and obligations to our teachers.
Before the class, you may request a full refund.
Please keep in mind that no refunds or credits will be issued after class begins.
Learn to deliver the pitch that will sell your book–and how to build the platform you need to support that pitch.
BONUS Writers Bridge episode Tuesday April 21st from 1-2PM Eastern. LIVE ONLY NO RECORDING NO REPLAYS.
Getting your book to the shelves means talking about it–clearly, concisely, and in a way that builds excitement and anticipation. And talking about your platform is part of that pitch.
Practice pitching YOUR book to Literary Agent Jessica Berg and editor Allison K Williams. We’ll give you frank, useful feedback about your pitch–is it selling your book, and why or why not?
Then, dive deeper. Tell us your platform (or the one you’re thinking about building) and we’ll share our best tips and tools to find your audience and reach them. And if you don’t know yet? We’ll brainstorm it with you, right now.
All live attendees will receive a follow-up email with recommended tools and highlights from the session.
Literary Agent Jessica Berg has heard thousands of pitches, and helped the authors she represents shape their platform and refine their pitch to attract publishing deals, plan their marketing, and ultimately reach readers.
Cohost Allison K Williams has shepherded writers through live and virtual pitch events, and helped them get comfortable talking about themselves and their books with top agents in New York and London. She’s pitched a fair few books herself and learned some surprising new elements of her own platform for 2026.
Join us live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!
Your Hosts
Jessica Berg is a literary agent, author, and the founder of Rosecliff Literary. She loves stories that explore grief, longing, ambition, and survival and the complicated ways they intersect.
She earned her MFA from Spalding University and contributes regularly to Writer’s Digest. Jessica serves on the boards of the Women’s National Book Association and the Historical Novel Society, and teaches nationally on querying, comp titles, and the business of authorship, with a focus on building sustainable, long-term writing careers. Her client list includes Vincent Zandri, Lisa Roe, Arizona Bell, and others..
Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. She’s the author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, and an expert in author marketing and community building. Her own writing has also appeared in the New York Times, Travelers’ Tales and Writers Digest and her performed stories on The Moth, NPR and CBC-Canada. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.
Stop crossing your fingers and randomly sending out your work. Instead, learn to develop a strategy that’s fun and effective in getting your work published.
For all genres of literary writing: essays, flash CNF, micro-memoirs, flash fiction, short stories, and poetry
Our first submissions can feel overwhelming, and the endless rounds of sending our work to literary magazines can feel discouraging, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The process of publishing can be a fun and satisfying part of the writing life. During this live online class, Bethany Jarmul will demystify the submissions process and offer practical steps you can take to develop and achieve your writing and submitting goals.
During the webinar, we’ll explore eight different submission strategies and how to decide which one is right for you. Discover the pitfalls to avoid and learn tips and tricks to get the attention of editors and get your work published. You’ll leave this workshop with defined writing goals and a strategy for how to achieve them.
Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.
In this webinar, you will:
LEARN how to set realistic writing goals and achieve those goals
DISCOVER eight different submission strategies and how to choose the one that’s right for you
LEARN common submission mistakes to avoid
EXPLORE tips and tricks to get your work published in literary magazines
This webinar is ideal for writers who…
are new to submitting their work for publication
feel like they’re guessing where to submit
work in any genre, including essays, flash CNF/fiction, micro-memoirs, short stories, and poetry
fear or feel bad about rejections
want to get more acceptances from literary magazines this year
want to set writing and publishing goals and get ready to achieve them
Closed captioning is available. ✔ All registrants receive the recording. ✔
ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER
Bethany Jarmul is an Appalachian writer, poet, writing coach, and workshop instructor. She’s the author of a poetry collection, Lightning Is a Mother, and a mini-memoir of flash nonfiction pieces, Take Me Home. Her work has been published in more than 100 literary magazines, including Brevity, River Teeth, and Chestnut Review. Her writing was selected for Best Spiritual Literature and Best Small Fictions, and nominated for the Pushcart Prize, The Best of the Net, and Best Microfiction. Twice, she earned first place in Women On Writing’s quarterly flash essay contest. Connect with her at bethanyjarmul.com or on social media: @BethanyJarmul.
Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com
FULL REFUNDS ARE AVAILABLE before the replay is sent out. For a refund, EMAIL us at info@WritingCraft.com. Canceling your Zoom invite will not initiate this process.
Fun, flexible, and highly marketable, the personal essay is an ideal way to extend our range and add to our writer’s toolbox.
For Nonfiction and Essay Writers
The personal essay is perhaps the oldest form of nonfiction prose yet remains one of the most misunderstood. This wonderfully flexible and creative form is as alive and inventive as the writer wishes it to be. More than memoir, but able to include elements of one’s own life experience, the essay remains an ideal vehicle for satisfying the human urge to not just live year to year, but to capture a bit of our relationship to the world.
What is an essay? Just this: the personal essayist takes a topic—virtually any topic under the big yellow sun—and holds it up to the bright light, turning it this way and that, upside and down, studying every perspective, fault, and reflection in an artful attempt to perceive something fresh and significant. But it is always an effort, a trial, an assay, not a lecture or diatribe. In the hands of contemporary practitioners such as Rebecca Solnit and Roxane Gay, the personal essay at its best is an idiosyncratic combination of the author’s discrete sensibilities and the endless possibilities of meaning and connection.
In this 90-minute course, noted essayist and editor Dinty W. Moore will guide you through examples of the myriad forms that an essay can take, will survey the infinite range of possible topics, and will leave you with useful prompts to help you determine your own essayistic opportunities.
Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.
In this webinar, you will:
EXPLORE the myriad ways the essay fits into both literary and commercial publishing
DISCOVER how the flexibility of the personal essay form can help with “stuckness”
RECONSIDER The role of research (and how it can be more fun than chore)
LEARN how to find the best markets (literary magazines and beyond)
This webinar is ideal for writers at any level who
want to expand their skills and opportunities
are looking for new ideas and fresh topics
want to grasp the idea of “memoir-plus”
feel “stuck” writing their memoir
wouldn’t mind getting paid every once in a while
Closed captioning is available. ✔ All registrants receive the recording. ✔
ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER
One of our most popular and beloved presenters, DINTY W. MOORE, is the author of the memoirs Between Panic & Desire and To Hell With It, and the writing guides Crafting the Personal Essay and The Mindful Writer, among other books. He has published essays and stories in Harper’s, The New York Times Magazine, Georgia Review, Kenyon Review, Southern Review, Short Reads, and elsewhere. He is founding editor of Brevity, the journal of flash nonfiction.
Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com
FULL REFUNDS ARE AVAILABLE before the replay is sent out. For a refund, EMAIL us at info@WritingCraft.com. Canceling your Zoom invite will not initiate this process.
You lived it. You wrote about it. Now, you want to adapt it.
For Memoir
Does your memoir have what it takes to be a film or TV series? Adaptation requires more than screenplay formatting. This class shows you how to evaluate your story like a producer, structure it like a screenwriter, and imagine yourself as a character an actor would want to play.
In this three-hour seminar, we move beyond personal reflection and examine memoir as dramatic source material. You’ll begin by clarifying what your story actually is: its scale, its genre, its central tension, and whether it is better suited to a feature film or television series format.
Next, we focus on the dramatic shift that drives adaptation. What is the disruption that alters the trajectory of the narrative? What decision, loss, or revelation creates forward motion? You’ll distinguish between interior point of view and visible action, identifying the turning points that can structure and sustain a film or series rather than simply recounting events.
Finally, we adopt a producer’s lens. What makes this story entertaining? What does it need to sustain the development process? What makes the central character strong enough to attract the talent that can help get it made?
Through focused exercises and real case studies—from big-budget movies to independent films and TV series—you’ll begin evaluating your memoir’s adaptation potential with clarity.
Attendees are invited to submit loglines, 250-word synopses, OR a single scene from the exercises in class for written feedback, up to 4 weeks after the session.
A resources handout with links and session slides will be available after the class.
In this insightful three-hour live seminar, you will:
CLARIFY the scope, genre, and central tension of your memoir as potential screen material
DETERMINE whether your story is better suited to a feature film or a television series
IDENTIFY the pivotal disruption in your memoir and distinguish between internal point of view and the dramatic action required for film & TV
EVALUATE your memoir through a producer’s lens, assessing entertainment value, character strength, and development potential
ANALYZE case studies of major studio and independent adaptations to understand how true stories are reshaped for the screen
SUBMIT a logline, 250-word synopsis, OR short adaptation exercise for written feedback following the seminar
This course is ideal for…
memoirists who want to unlock the cinematic potential of their manuscript
writers ready to evaluate their book’s marketability through a producer’s lens
authors who want to translate true stories from source material to screen
screenwriters interested in adapting memoir and nonfiction projects
Closed captioning is available. ✔ Think you might miss class? No worries, replay will be available 3 business days after the event. ✔
ABOUT YOUR Instructor
Michelle Cutleris an award-winning screenwriter, storytelling coach, and developmental editor specializing in true stories and memoir, as well as an enthusiastic and collaborative teacher. She has worked with Academy Award–winning producers and directors, and her original and adapted screenplays have been optioned and developed by major studios and featured at international film markets.
She has written more than 1,700 advertising campaigns for global brands and worked as a script analyst for agencies and production companies. She previously served as a judge for the Independent Spirit Awards and as North American Curator for the Chinese Women’s Film Festival. She holds an MFA in film from NYU and a diploma in advanced creative writing nonfiction from Cambridge. She is currently writing I WON’T LET YOU DIE ALONE, a reported memoir from the trenches of modern elder caregiving.
Student Testimonials
“Consulting with Michelle on my memoir’s adaptation has been transformative. She brought fresh ideas and a professional perspective I never would have had on my own, while always honoring what my story was truly about at its core.” – Elizabeth Austin
“I participated in a highly informative seminar about adaptation with Michelle, where she discussed how books gain the attention of media-makers. She is very knowledgeable and generous with her time personally, as well.”- Christina Adams
“Michelle’s professionalism, knowledge, and humor made this workshop engaging and insightful. Her attention to detail and the case studies she shared made the adaptation process clear. I would highly recommend this class for anyone working on a memoir project.” – Grace Koo
“Working with Michelle on adapting my father’s story was an exceptional experience. Her care, thoughtfulness, and thoroughness were evident at every step. I highly recommend her for anyone seeking honest, creative storytelling techniques for true story adaptations.”– Patrick Boyd
THE FINE PRINT
We understand that life can get in the way of your plans. We want you to be able to get the most out of your course, and our refund policy is designed to balance your need for flexibility with our deadlines and obligations to our teachers.
Before the class, you may request a full refund.
Please keep in mind that no refunds or credits will be issued after class begins.
Flash nonfiction is a powerful form for personal stories. Learn how to write punchy, poetic flash essays that make a lasting impact on readers.
[Limited to 20 students]
For Creative Nonfiction, Flash Nonfiction, Literary Nonfiction
Live On Zoom | Thursdays, April 23 – May 7, 2026 | 7-9 pm eastern
Flash nonfiction is the art of telling true stories from one’s life with power and brevity (in 1,000 words or less). During this three-week generative workshop, participants will learn the craft of writing flash nonfiction narratives, write new drafts, and receive feedback to practice what they’re learning.
Together, we’ll explore examples of expertly crafted flash nonfiction narratives and define what makes them effective. You’ll learn how to make your personal stories connect with readers by using theme and plot, compression and layering, and images and lyricism. Discover what editors look for when selecting flash nonfiction pieces for publication, and write your own powerful pieces.
This course will include readings, writing prompts, in-class writing time, writing homework, and Q&A. You’ll receive instructor feedback on two flash-length narratives.
Over these three weeks, you will …
EXPLORE the key elements of flash nonfiction and how they work together to create powerful essays
LEARN to create emotional resonance so that readers will be thinking about your piece long after they read it
EXPLORE tips for writing engaging and powerful flash nonfiction that literary magazine editors will love
DISCOVER how to use compression, layering, and lyricism to make each sentence pop
WRITE flash nonfiction that’s powerful, punchy, personal, and poetic
Schedule
Week 1. Make it Powerful: Theme, Plot, & Research
Week 2. Make it Personal: Voice, Vulnerability & Emotional Intensity
Week 3. Make it Punchy: Compression, Lyricism, & Form
This course is for intermediate writers who
Want to generate new flash nonfiction work
Want their flash nonfiction pieces to grab the attention of editors and readers
Want to write more powerfully when writing short
Seek to increase the impact of their prose
Hope to publish flash nonfiction pieces in literary magazines
Closed captioning is available. ✔ Think you might miss a class? No worries, replays will be available. ✔
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Bethany Jarmul is an Appalachian writer, poet, writing coach, and workshop instructor. She’s the author of a poetry collection, Lightning Is a Mother, and a mini-memoir of flash nonfiction pieces, Take Me Home. Her work has been published in more than 100 literary magazines, including Brevity, River Teeth, and Chestnut Review. Her writing was selected for Best Spiritual Literature and Best Small Fictions, and nominated for the Pushcart Prize, The Best of the Net, and Best Microfiction. Twice, she earned first place in Women On Writing’s quarterly flash essay contest. Connect with her at bethanyjarmul.com or on social media: @BethanyJarmul.
Testimonials from past students:
“I love taking webinars taught by Bethany Jarmul and always get so much out of them. Bethany has a strong record of publication success and is skilled at sharing her techniques. In her webinars, which are both affordable and easy to sign up for, Bethany provides a huge amount of valuable information and writing strategies in clear, concise, easy-to-follow presentations.” – Beth Mulcahy
“Bethany’s workshops are helpful, worthwhile, and enjoyable. She is well organized and her workshops include step-by-step, actionable strategies that help writers take their craft to another level. The techniques I learned in her workshops helped to generate more writing in different genres and improved the quality of my writing overall. I’m always happy to attend one of her classes.” – Angelle McDougall
“Bethany is prepared, specific, and encourages questions. I’ve attended several of her webinars, even in a genre I don’t normally work in, and found myself stretching into this new area. Highly recommend her work and her webinars.” – Mare Biddle
“Bethany is a wonderful presenter. So grateful for how generous she was with examples, her own writing, suggestions for submissions, suggestions for continued diving into the craft…all in.” – Robin Perry
“Bethany is a wonderful presenter, speaks clearly and with enthusiasm. VERY present.” – Winnie Ganshaw
THE FINE PRINT
We understand that life can get in the way of your plans. We want you to be able to get the most out of your course, and our refund policy is designed to balance your need for flexibility with our deadlines and obligations to our teachers.
Before the first class, you may request a refund (less a $25 processing fee).
After class begins, you may request a refund for the remaining value of the course (less a $25 processing fee).
No credits or refunds will be available after the 1st class.
Learn to deliver the pitch that will sell your book–and how to build the platform you need to support that pitch.
BONUS Writers Bridge episodes March 10th and April 21st. All sessions Tuesdays from 1-2PM Eastern. LIVE ONLY NO RECORDING NO REPLAYS.
Getting your book to the shelves means talking about it–clearly, concisely, and in a way that builds excitement and anticipation. And talking about your platform is part of that pitch.
Practice pitching YOUR book to Literary Agent Jessica Berg and editor Allison K Williams. We’ll give you frank, useful feedback about your pitch–is it selling your book, and why or why not?
Then, dive deeper. Tell us your platform (or the one you’re thinking about building) and we’ll share our best tips and tools to find your audience and reach them. And if you don’t know yet? We’ll brainstorm it with you, right now.
All live attendees will receive a follow-up email with recommended tools and highlights from the session.
Literary Agent Jessica Berg has heard thousands of pitches, and helped the authors she represents shape their platform and refine their pitch to attract publishing deals, plan their marketing, and ultimately reach readers.
Cohost Allison K Williams has shepherded writers through live and virtual pitch events, and helped them get comfortable talking about themselves and their books with top agents in New York and London. She’s pitched a fair few books herself and learned some surprising new elements of her own platform for 2026.
Join us live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!
Your Hosts
Jessica Berg is a literary agent, author, and the founder of Rosecliff Literary. She loves stories that explore grief, longing, ambition, and survival and the complicated ways they intersect.
She earned her MFA from Spalding University and contributes regularly to Writer’s Digest. Jessica serves on the boards of the Women’s National Book Association and the Historical Novel Society, and teaches nationally on querying, comp titles, and the business of authorship, with a focus on building sustainable, long-term writing careers. Her client list includes Vincent Zandri, Lisa Roe, Arizona Bell, and others..
Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. She’s the author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, and an expert in author marketing and community building. Her own writing has also appeared in the New York Times, Travelers’ Tales and Writers Digest and her performed stories on The Moth, NPR and CBC-Canada. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.
How can you build a multi-audience platform around one vision?
Discover how building your own audience springs from commitment to what YOU want to write.
Sari Botton publishes Oldster Magazine, Memoir Land and Adventures in Journalism to an enormous audience of Substack and email subscribers, social media admirers, and live event attendees. Over a long career from journalist to magazine publisher, she’s interviewed notable writers and, through Oldster Magazine, explores what it means to travel through time in a human body at every phase of life.
She’s created an ecosystem of complementary publications, featuring her own writing, guest essays, interviews and more–and they all lead back to her vision of intergenerational communication and just plain good writing.
We’ll talk about how Sari’s work has evolved over her career while staying true to her vision, how to make a living by creating what you care about, and finding the audience that cares, too.
Join us TUESDAY February 24th at 1PM EASTERN – live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!
Our special guest
Sari Botton‘s memoir in essays, And You May Find Yourself…Confessions of a Late-Blooming Gen-X Weirdo, was chosen by Poets & Writers magazine for the 2022 edition of its annual “5 Over 50” feature. An essay from it received notable mention in The Best American Essays 2023, edited by Vivian Gornick. For five years, she was the Essays Editor at Longreads. She edited the bestselling anthologies __Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving NewYork __and Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York. She publishes Oldster Magazine, Memoir Land, and Adventures in Journalism. She was the Writer in Residence in the creative writing department at SUNY New Paltz for Spring, 2023.
Join your hosts Allison K Williams (SEVEN DRAFTS), Sharla Yates (CRAFT TALKS) and our special guest for this lively, funny hour of frank talk about publishing, platform, and always following your mission.
FREE, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before.
Closed captioning is available. ✔ All registrants receive the recording. ✔
ABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS
Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. An expert in author marketing and community building, her platform includes the Brevity Blog (80k+ followers), Instagram (10k+), a mailing list (12k+), and Facebook (5k+), with publications in the New York Times and appearances on NPR and CBC. Her book, Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, sold on proposal. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.
Sharla Yates is the author of the poetry chapbook What I Would Say if We Were to Drown Tonight, published by Stranded Oak Press (2017). She hosts a webinar series, CRAFT TALKS for writers on writing, and co-hosts The Writers Bridge with Allison K Williams. Her nonfiction essay, “Address” was a finalist for the 2015 Columbia Journal writing contest and the 2016 Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award. She is the former Director of Education at the Creative Nonfiction Foundation and teaches creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.
Traditional publishing is already competitive. Stop self-sabotaging and get your best work out there.
For Long-Form Narrative (Fiction and Memoir)
Is traditional publishing your goal? One of the best ways to get there is by securing literary agent representation. Except, after countless hours of writing and editing your book, it’s daunting to research agents, write a query, and sum up your book in a quick pitch. But relax—it’s not out of reach. You just need some help. This webinar will help put your best foot forward before hitting SEND.
Let’s get organized! In this info-packed session, we’ll cover all the necessary materials: the query letter and its essential components, the author bio, elevator pitch, synopsis, and manuscript formatting. We’ll discuss the process, submission guidelines, and how to avoid common faux pas, using both DO and DON’T examples.
At the end of this webinar, you’ll have everything you need—and zero excuses not to query!
Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.
In this webinar, you will:
LEARN the materials you need to pitch and query
ELIMINATE embarrassing rookie mistakes
UNDERSTAND the three essential components of a query letter
FIND online tools to help with submission
APPRECIATE the accepted norms and rules
INCORPORATE best practices in your querying
This webinar is best for writers with a completed (or nearly complete) manuscript who
want the traditional publishing route
are overwhelmed by the process
don’t know what they do and don’t need
could use some confidence
OR
are pretty sure they know what they’re doing, but want a gut check before diving in
Closed captioning is available. ✔ All registrants receive the recording. ✔
ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER
Kristin Owens, PhD is an award-winning educator and writer living in sticky southwest Florida. She’s a contributor to Writer’s Digest, 5280, and Wine Enthusiast. Her debut novel, ELIZABETH SAILS, was shortlisted for the 2025 Gilda Prize and Killer Nashville’s Award for Best Cozy. With her background in university instruction, she takes complex subjects and breaks them down into entertaining bite-sized pieces. Her buoyant, high-energy presentations motivate writers to stick with it. She can usually be found (playing and working) onboard a cruise ship.
Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com
FULL REFUNDS ARE AVAILABLE before the replay is sent out. For a refund, EMAIL us at info@WritingCraft.com. Canceling your Zoom invite will not initiate this process.
A great memoir isn’t just about remembering your life—it’s about shaping your story for the page.
For Memoir Writers
Whether you’re just starting your memoir, stuck in the middle, or looking to refine an existing draft, in this webinar you’ll learn actionable strategies for crafting a narrative that captures readers from the very first sentence.
Discover how to find your voice, get tips for structuring your story for maximum impact, and learn how—and when—to sidestep common mistakes that can weaken your memoir. By the end of the session, you’ll have a toolkit of strategies to write with confidence, precision, and authenticity.
Beyond crafting an engaging narrative, this webinar also addresses what makes a memoir publishable. Make your story stand out so you can grab an editor’s attention—and keep your reader reading.
Write a memoir that matters. From refining your voice to avoiding common mistakes and capturing readers’ attention, this course gives you the tools to move from memory to a polished, publishable story.
Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.
In this webinar, you will:
SHAPE lived experience into story by using narrative craft—scene, structure, tension, and momentum
DEVELOP a credible, compelling voice that sounds like you on the page, not a performance of yourself
WORK with memory as material—accessing it, questioning it, and shaping it responsibly on the page
DESIGN titles that carry weight—that suggest depth, tension, and literary authority without explaining too much
HOOK readers fast with openings that signal stakes, urgency, and control
IDENTIFY and avoid common memoir pitfalls—moves that signal inexperience and turn away readers
TRANSFORM memory into narrative using the essential tools of memoir craft
CLAIM and REFINE your voice so the work feels grounded, intimate, and intentional
This webinar is perfect for…
writers new to memoir who want practical craft tools for shaping personal experience into publishable work
fiction or poetry writers crossing into memoir who already have a strong voice but want guidance on memory, structure, and narrative control
intermediate memoirists who have drafts in progress and need revision strategies that work
writers aiming for publication in literary magazines or with book-length ambitions
authors who want to understand what editors respond to—and what turns them off
Closed captioning is available. ✔ All registrants receive the recording. ✔
ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER
Dr. Heather Sellers is the author of You Don’t Look Like Anyone I Know, a popular memoir about family and face blindness. An O Oprah Book-of-the-Month Club selection and Editor’s Choice at the New York Times Book Review, the award-winning book was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, Dick Gordon’s The Story, and Dateline, The Today Show, and Good Morning America with George Stephanopolis. Her essays appear in The New York Times, The Sun, Reader’s Digest, Good Housekeeping, The Best American Essays, and numerous journals and anthologies. She is the author of four books on the craft of writing, including The Practice of Creative Writing.
Her fifth collection of poetry is coming out in June: Women in Tampa Talking About Alligators.
Heather has been teaching for over 30 years. Currently she is a member of the MFA faculty at the University of South Florida, where she won the university’s highest teaching award. She also offers in-person workshops and private lessons for writers at all levels.
Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com
FULL REFUNDS ARE AVAILABLE before the replay is sent out. For a refund, EMAIL us at info@WritingCraft.com. Canceling your Zoom invite will not initiate this process.
