Author: Sharla Yates

  • SEMINAR | Scene vs. Summary: When to Show, When to Tell, and How

    SEMINAR | Scene vs. Summary: When to Show, When to Tell, and How

    April 25 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT

    What to include, what to show, and what to summarize? This class teaches you exactly when to show, when to tell, and how to make every moment count.

    For Fiction and Memoir

    Struggling to know when to slow your story down—or when to speed it up? Unsure what belongs and what to leave out? We’ll dive into your two core storytelling tools—scene and summary—and explore how they work together to make your writing rich, compelling, and memorable. 

    You’ll learn how to use scene intentionally to shape pacing and flow, and discover the four types of summary, with best practices for placement and timing. By the end of the workshop, you’ll know how to deploy these techniques in concert, crafting sequences that keep readers hooked from start to finish.

    This seminar gives you clear, practical strategies for deciding exactly when to show, when to tell, and how to make every moment count. Whether you’re polishing a memoir, starting a novel, or shaping any narrative, you’ll leave with actionable strategies to create stories built from scenes and summaries that truly rivet readers.

    In this insightful three-hour live seminar, you will:
    • MASTER pacing to control the speed and rhythm of your story
    • WEAVE scenes and summaries seamlessly for maximum impact
    • IDENTIFY AND USE the four types of summary effectively
    • BREAK DOWN the parts of a scene to understand what makes it work
    • DEEPEN your story and increase emotional resonance with pacing
    • CONSTRUCT strong, compelling scenes that draw readers in
    This course is ideal for…
    • writers who want to turn various scenes into a story that clicks
    • memoirists struggling to condense life into compelling moments
    • novelists who know their plot but need sharper scene structure
    • storytellers who want readers to fall deeply into the story
    • anyone tired of “too much info” and craving clarity and impact
    • new writers looking to master the art of what to leave in—and what to cut
    • experienced writers who want their stories to land emotionally 

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    Think you might miss class? No worries, replays will be available 3 business days after the event. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR Instructor

    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.

    Student Testimonials

    “This was one of the most substantive classes I’ve taken. The craft insights were deep, but everything was presented in a clear, usable structure that made revision feel possible instead of overwhelming.” – Anon

    “I loved how rigorous the content was without ever feeling dry. The pacing, humor, and energy kept me completely engaged—and I left with concrete tools I used immediately.” – Grace L, New York

    “What stood out most was how intentional the teaching was.” –Kate S, NJ

    “I expected inspiration, but I didn’t expect this level of craft depth. The class was smart, funny, and incredibly well organized.” – Constance, Holland, MI

    “You can feel how much thought has gone into the structure of the presentation. Nothing felt random—everything connected, and Heather is so personable and smart and fun.” – BethAnn, Tampa, FL

    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.

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    $75 Early Bird | $99 Cost of Event
    Register
    Event Organizer

    Heather Sellers

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom

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  • SEMINAR | Speculative Memoir Magic: Reclaiming Your Memoir’s Power through Speculative Elements

    SEMINAR | Speculative Memoir Magic: Reclaiming Your Memoir’s Power through Speculative Elements

    March 21 @ 1:00 pm – March 28 @ 3:00 pm EDT

    Using speculative elements in your memoir deepens your writing and can crack open blocks in unexpected ways.

    Live on Zoom | Saturdays March 21 & 28, 1-3 pm Eastern

    For Memoir

    The speculative can help memoirists dramatize things that have been previously unspeakable (& unwritable!) Aligning the imaginative realms with the external events of life is a natural connection for storytellers. Far from being untruths, speculative elements can bring a reader deeper into the emotional and psychological realities of the memoirist’s psyche. 

    Speculative memoir is finding its rightful place in the world of creative nonfiction. Books like Jami Nakamura Lin’s The Night Parade: A Speculative Memoir, Carmen Maria Machado’s Into the Dream House, Ariel Gore’s We Were Witches, Anna Joy Springer’s The Vicious Red Relic, Love, Monster Portraits by Sofia Samatar, and the presenter’s memoir, A Constellation of Ghosts: A Speculative Memoir of Ravens, have been breaking new ground in memoir, showing a wide range of storytelling approaches unbound by the traditional restraints of the genre. 

    This seminar offers insight into the vast potential of speculative memoir and provides tools for you to bring speculative elements into your own writing. After reviewing key terms and looking at a brief breakdown of the author’s use of speculative in her memoir, we will practice with generative writing prompts of varying lengths, with ample opportunity to share, receive reflective feedback, and ask questions. We will also learn a deep inquiry process of active imagination to help with writer’s blocks of all kinds.

    All participants will receive the slide deck and a powerful Speculative Memoir Playbook, designed by Laraine Herring, with a recommended reading list and additional prompts, tools, and insights into how they can incorporate speculative elements into their work.

    In this 2-day seminar, you’ll:
    • EXAMINE how memoir always engages with the speculative, even without apparent ghosts or magical elements
    • CONSIDER various definitions of speculative memoir
    • UNDERSTAND, through a short case study of the presenter’s speculative memoir, how and why the form was selected for her story and how it changed the book
    • LEARN how, when, and why to use speculative elements in your memoir
    • PRACTICE engaging with speculative elements in your writing
    • LEARN a deep inquiry practice that utilizes active imagination to help with blocks
    • SHARE work (if willing) and receive generative, reflective feedback
    This course is ideal for intermediate or advanced memoirists who are:
    • Stuck writing psychologically challenging scenes
    • Incorporating ancestral stories and voices into their work
    • Seeking to deepen emotional scenes without becoming overly sentimental
    • Feeling blocked or uncertain about their story
    • Searching for the right structure or form for their memoir
    • Struggling to access and vividly portray defining moments from their lives
    • Writing memoirs with a stronger internal focus than external events
    • Facing challenges in dramatizing emotional responses like grief, love, anger, and joy

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    Think you might miss part of the class? No worries, replays will be available 3 business days after each session. ✔

    This seminar was originally offered January 2025.

    ABOUT YOUR Instructor

    Laraine Herring’s memoir, A Constellation of Ghosts: A Speculative Memoir with Ravens, was released in 2021 from Regal House. She’s the editor of the anthology Becoming Real: Women Reclaim the Power of the Imagined through Speculative Nonfiction (Pact Press, 2024), and a trilogy of writing books from Shambhala, including Writing Begins with the Breath: Embodying Your Authentic Voice. She’s a retired professor of creative writing and psychology, and has worked with writers for thirty years. She’s also an illustrator and a grief counselor, and creator of The Grief Forest: a book about what we don’t talk about. She founded the online ‘zine Hags on Fire, a place for women to share stories about menopause, and co-designed The Imaginal Memoir Cave immersion program with Gayle Brandeis. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Tiferet, The Rumpus, The Manifest-Station, and many more places. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Counseling Psychology, and lives in the mountains of northern Arizona with many cats.

    Student Testimonials

    “Laraine helped my book tell me what it wants to be and challenged me to do the work to get it there. I am grateful for her intuitive, empathic, supportive approach and for her enthusiasm when I arrived at the realizations she was hoping I’d get to as I did that work. Laraine’s skills are many, and she is fantastic to work with. She is dedicated, direct, detailed, dependable, and delightful.” — Meg Weber, author of A Year of Mr. Lucky

    “Through Laraine’s authentic nature and ability to listen, I learned that writing is as much an act of bravery and strength as it is about being gentle and flexible. I can’t wait to be one of her students again!” — Naomi K.

    “Without a doubt, Laraine is the most generous, inspirational, and challenging writing instructor I have ever met. Using provocative writing exercises, she guided me through creative discovery, helping reveal ideas and truths I had previously locked away. She challenged me to delve deeper into my story, even if it meant going into the dark hidden corners.” — Janine W.

    “Laraine opened doors inside my mind and created space for me to come into relationship with my writing in a refreshing way that was all my own. I had more than one breakthrough working with her. With ease and honesty, she created an authentic, interesting, and inviting space to grow.” — Grace W.

    “Laraine encourages students to dig deep. She provides original, interesting exercises designed to pull past the first obvious idea and find the more compelling material underneath. She is as invested in students’ work as the students themselves.” — Janet B.

    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.

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    $125 Cost of Event
    Register
    Event Organizer

    Laraine Herring

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom

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  • WEBINAR | How Did We Get Here? Crafting Compelling Character Backstories

    WEBINAR | How Did We Get Here? Crafting Compelling Character Backstories

    March 11 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm EDT

    Strong characters reveal just enough backstory. How much should you reveal about a character’s history?

    For Creative Nonfiction and Fiction Writers

    A character walks into the room…and brings an entire lifetime of baggage with them. How much do readers need to know? How should the writer decide what to include out of all we know about the character’s real or invented past? Often, writers spend time writing extensive character backstory or family history that isn’t essential to the story, but we’re so close to the material, it’s difficult to narrow down the most important details, those necessary to move the story forward.

    In this webinar, discover the key questions that unlock your character’s history—even if that’s you! —and learn how to use backstory strategically to power the plot and reveal information effectively to readers. We’ll take a look at prompts you can use to develop intentional backstory and learn methods of incorporating backstory into narrative, including dialogue, exposition, and flashback.

    Whether you’re working on your first book or refining your approach to character, this webinar will give you practical tools to make better decisions about backstory—so you can write with clarity and confidence.

    Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.

    In this webinar, you will:
    • IDENTIFY the essential questions that unlock your character’s past and reveal what truly matters to your story
    • DEVELOP a clear strategy for deciding which backstory details to include—and which to leave out
    • LEARN effective methods for weaving history into your narrative without stalling plot momentum
    • UNDERSTAND how to use backstory strategically to drive plot forward and deepen reader connection

    Through lecture, prompts, and discussion, you’ll leave with practical tools for creating intentional characters whose histories enhance rather than overwhelm your story.

    This webinar is perfect for you if you’re:
    • planning or drafting a new project and want to develop compelling character backstories from the start
    • in the early stages of revision and realize your characters feel flat or their motivations unclear
    • struggling with how much backstory to include—unsure whether you’re revealing too much, too little, or at the wrong times
    • spending too much time writing character history that never makes it into the actual story
    • feeling overwhelmed by everything you know about your character and need a strategy for deciding what matters
    • writing fiction or memoir where character depth and motivation are essential to the narrative
    • an emerging or developing writer looking to strengthen your craft fundamentals around character development
    • stuck in backstory dumps and want to learn how to weave history seamlessly into your narrative

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER

    Stephanie Dethlefs is a certified book coach and former teacher. She is the author of the middle grade novel Unspoken, and her stories, essays, and articles can be found in Tahoma Literary Review, Christian Science Monitor, Literary Mama, Flash Fiction Magazine, diyMFA, WOW-Women on Writing, and more. Through her online community, teaching, and coaching, Stephanie strives to help people with stories on their hearts get them onto the page with ease and self-compassion. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest. Find her on Substack at WritingFromTheGroundUp.Substack.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.

    Registration Info
    $30 Cost of the Event
    Register
    Event Organizer

    Stephanie Dethlefs

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom

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  • WEBINAR | The Fallacy of One Voice: The Fractured Self in Memoir

    WEBINAR | The Fallacy of One Voice: The Fractured Self in Memoir

    February 25 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm EST

    Writers are often searching for their “voice” on the page. But in good writing, especially in memoir, writers balance multiple voices to tell their stories. 

    For Creative Nonfiction and Memoir Writers

    As a teacher of creative writing for the last 30 years, I have found that the goal of most emerging writers is to “find their voice.” But why is this idea of “voice” phrased in the singular? 

    In this webinar, we will not only discuss the many voices within us but also talk about how the singular voice in contemporary American memoirs is a fallacy. That we live in a fractured place, with a fractured history, occupied by fractured citizens. But there is beauty in fractures. It is what memoir writers explore—the cracks and crevices of our lives. 

    During the webinar, we will look at voice from many perspectives: 1) what voices get us to the page or prevent us from getting to the page; 2) how writers control voice in their writing—like Lidia Yuknavitch, Kiese Laymon, and Stephen Kuusisto; 3) analyze how multiple voices weave seamlessly through one another.  We explore our many fractured identities and how to put those identities on the page.

    Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.

    In this webinar, you will:
    • ANALYZE how other writers use multiple voices in their life writing
    • INTERROGATE the myth of the singular voice in American memoir
    • CONSIDER the relationship between fractured identity, history, and narrative voice.
    • CREATE language rules for our voices
    • REFLECT on which voices enable or obstruct a writer’s ability to tell the truth
    This webinar is ideal for intermediate and advanced writers who are…
    • writing a memoir or deeply interested in exploring life writing
    • interested in nontraditional memoirs
    • eager to deepen their understanding of voice in complex, nontraditional writing

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER

    Ira Sukrungruang is the author of the forthcoming book, Under and Up: Fatherhood and Fear in the Age of Distrust. He has published four nonfiction books:This Jade World, Buddha’s Dog & Other Meditations, Southside Buddhist, and Talk Thai: The Adventures of Buddhist; the short story collection The Melting Season; and the poetry collection In Thailand It Is Night.  Ira is the recipient of the 2022 Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year in Nonfiction, 2015 American Book Award, New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Nonfiction Literature, an Arts and Letters Fellowship, and the Anita Claire Scharf Award in Poetry. His work has appeared in many literary journals, including The Rumpus, American Poetry Review, The Sun, andCreative Nonfiction. He is one of the founding editors of Sweet: A Literary Confection (sweetlit.com), and is the Richard L. Thomas Professor of Creative Writing at Kenyon College.

    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.

    Registration Info
    $30 Cost of the Event
    Register
    Event Organizer

    Ira Sukrangruang

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom

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  • WEBINAR | Point of View: Finding the Right Lens for Your Story

    WEBINAR | Point of View: Finding the Right Lens for Your Story

    February 18 @ 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm EST

    When you understand the purpose of your story, you can choose the best perspective to bring it to life. 

    For All Writers

    Whether writing fiction, memoir, or poetry, understanding point of view/POV is essential to clear, compelling writing. One of the most complex craft tools available to writers, point of view is frequently a source of frustration and confusion. Point of view in story is so much more than your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-person pronoun choice. Point of view depends on a story’s purpose, the perspective that a character (or narrator/author) inhabits, and the emotional distance that the point of view has from both character and story. To top it off, ‘point of view’ and ‘perspective’ also mean ‘opinion,’ which is not at all what they mean in creative writing. 

    Even if you’re confident in your current point of view choice for your work-in-progress, when you inevitably find yourself stuck in a scene, an exercise in changing the point of view can reveal new aspects of the scene and subject, creating deeper and more compelling stories and poems. 

    This webinar balances craft instruction on the three primary points of view (and their subsets) with opportunities to practice playing with less familiar choices and distances to see how they impact your scene.

    Bring a short scene you’re working on or stuck in if you’d like to use that for practice, but that’s not required to participate in the exercises.

    Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.

    In this webinar, you will:
    • LEARN the three major point-of-view options and their subsets
    • EXPLORE how psychic/emotional distance impacts point of view
    • VIEW examples of a variety of point-of-view strategies
    • DISCUSS the pros and cons of different point-of-view choices
    • PRACTICE applying various point-of-view choices to a sample scene
    This webinar is ideal for writers…
    • Are overwhelmed by the enormity of point of view
    • Are curious about how point of view can deepen their writing
    • Want to experiment with unfamiliar points of view
    • Consistently use only one point of view in their work and want to broaden their tools
    • Frequently receive feedback that they’ve “changed point of view” or are “head-hopping” and don’t know how to fix that

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER

    Laraine Herring’s memoir, A Constellation of Ghosts: A Speculative Memoir with Ravens, was released in 2021 from Regal House. She’s the editor of the anthology Becoming Real: Women Reclaim the Power of the Imagined through Speculative Nonfiction (Pact Press, 2024), and a trilogy of writing books from Shambhala, including Writing Begins with the Breath: Embodying Your Authentic Voice. She’s a retired professor of creative writing and psychology, and has worked with writers for thirty years. She’s also an illustrator and a grief counselor, and creator of The Grief Forest: a book about what we don’t talk about. She founded the online ‘zine Hags on Fire, a place for women to share stories about menopause, and co-designed The Imaginal Memoir Cave immersion program with Gayle Brandeis. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Tiferet, The Rumpus, The Manifest-Station, and many more places. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Counseling Psychology, and lives in the mountains of northern Arizona with many cats.

    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.

    Registration Info
    $30 Cost of the Event
    Register
    Event Organizer

    Laraine Herring

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom

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  • WEBINAR | Using Research in Creative Nonfiction and Fiction: How Facts Enhance Creative Work

    WEBINAR | Using Research in Creative Nonfiction and Fiction: How Facts Enhance Creative Work

    February 12 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm EST

    “Sometimes it’s not enough simply to peer intently into your own soul. Sometimes you have to look out the window and see the world in all its complicated glory.” ~ Philip Gerard, The Art of Creative Research: A Field Guide for Writers.

    For Creative Nonfiction and Fiction Writers

    For many writers, “research” got separated from our creative impulses sometime in high school. We associate sources and quotes with credibility rather than inspiration. We assume that poets, essayists, and novelists operate purely from their muse, that it’s only imagination that produces art. 

    But research is an important but often overlooked collaborator and powerful tool in the writing process. Even in this squishy age of “truthiness” and “fake news,” writers can enhance their fictional narratives, poetic images, and personal stories with chosen facts, carefully uncovered and discovered.

    In this webinar, we will examine how writers such as Anthony Doerr, Sabrina Imbler, Adam Hochschild, Sandra Tsing Loh, Hilary Mantel, Robert Pinsky, Sarah Vowell and Ellen Austin-Li use “creative research” in their work, and to what effect. We’ll discuss the ways “fact” can help you reach your truth — whether you’re writing historical fiction about the 18th century or trying to accurately capture a hazy family memory — and how to make facts and data come alive on the page.

    We’ll look at preparing a research plan for your own projects, balancing research and writing time, and how not to get lost in the research. We’ll also go over research and reporting tools and skills, including interviewing, fieldwork, and using archives.

    In this webinar, you will:
    • DISCOVER the many ways in which research can be used in creative writing
    • LEARN about research methods and techniques
    • EXPLORE how research can be applied to their own projects
    • UNDERSTAND how to integrate facts seamlessly into narrative without overwhelming voice, scene, or momentum
    • DEVELOP a flexible research plan tailored to your genre, project stage, and writing goals
    This webinar is ideal for writers who:
    • wonder how to navigate fact versus fiction
    • are curious about how to integrate research into their projects
    • want their work to feel grounded, credible, and vivid
    • feel intimidated by research but suspect it could strengthen their writing
    • are working on projects that require accuracy without sacrificing imagination

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER

    Ethan Gilsdorf is a writer, teacher, performer, and a huge nerd. He is the author of the award-winning memoir Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. His work appears in the New York Times, Washington Post, Esquire, Wired, Salon, O the Oprah Magazine, Huffington Post, Brevity, Electric Literature, Poetry, and The Southern Review, among other publications, and is named “Notable” by The Best American Essays. 


    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.

    Registration Info
    $30 Cost of the Event
    Register
    Event Organizer

    Ethan Gilsdorf

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    Location

    Zoom

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  • WEBINAR | Fact, Memory, Imagination: Connecting the Dots to Uncover Meaning in Our Moments

    WEBINAR | Fact, Memory, Imagination: Connecting the Dots to Uncover Meaning in Our Moments

    February 4 @ 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm EST

    You have the raw materials of a story or the start of an idea. But how can you turn information into artful narrative? By exploring the craft of the literary list, you’ll find the moments of surprise and epiphany that turn bare facts into powerful art.

    For Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, & Poetry

    Unexpected juxtapositions create meaning. Unusual sequences. Well-framed themes. In writers like Tracy K. Smith, Sonya Huber, Pablo Neruda, and Christina Sharpe, we discover—and can learn from—the power of deliberately chosen details and masterfully constructed themes.

    Just as a puzzle becomes a picture, it’s the connections and the order of information that transform moments into a compelling narrative. In this webinar, we’ll examine how Pablo Neruda’s poetry collection Odes to Common Things proves the power of the list as a starting place for a story and see how poems that begin as seemingly simple declarations evolve into compelling narratives. 

    We’ll learn from the masters. We’ll practice artful list building. We’ll explore, as well, the child’s dot-to-dot puzzle and how its emphasis on dots, lines, and color can help us frame our works in progress. 

    Prepare to write briefly to prompts. Prepare to discover epiphanies. Prepare for a process that is not just fruitful but fun. Beth will close by sharing the process she used to write Tomorrow Will Bring Sunday’s News: A Philadelphia Story, which draws on fact, memory, and imagination—on dots, and lines, and color.

    In this webinar, you will:
    • ENJOY the clever evolution of Neruda’s poems
    • EXPLORE the power of lists in the making of stories, prose and poems
    • LEARN to convert stodgy facts into interesting scenes
    • GAIN insights into the literary fulcrum and cascade (and what, precisely, those are)
    • PURSUE the elevated ending in your own writing
    • LEARN how Beth Kephart developed a constellation of dots to create the hybrid novel based on her family history
    This webinar is ideal for writers who:
    • having compiled or discovered facts, wish to advance the story
    • wishing to write intimate memoir, poetry or fiction
    • begin with lists, or writers who have eschewed them
    • wishing to have more fun with the process

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER

    National Book Award finalist Beth Kephart is the award-winning author of some forty books in multiple genres, an award-winning teacher, a paper artist, and the author of the popular Substack, The Hush and the Howl. My Life in Paper: Adventures in Ephemera was a finalist in the 2025 Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award. Tomorrow Will Bring Sunday’s News: A Philadelphia Story was a Silver Medalist in the North American Book Awards (historical fiction). “Conversations with Women in Blue” won the 2025 Creative Nonfiction Prize from The Porch.

    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.

    Registration Info
    $30 Cost of the Event
    Register
    Event Organizer

    Beth Kephart

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom

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  • WEBINAR | Essays on the Writing Life: How to Write, Publish, and Get Noticed

    WEBINAR | Essays on the Writing Life: How to Write, Publish, and Get Noticed

    January 28 @ 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm EST

    Essays on writing craft and the writing life are a great opportunity for you to get noticed—and published.

    For All Writers | Included in the Season Pass

    This may sound kind of meta (and it is), but writing about writing is a prime way for emerging and experienced writers to get published, build platform, develop their voice, and join the literary communities they’d like to be part of. 

    In this 75-minute live webinar, Andrea, an editor at The Brevity Blog, will take you through the steps of how to write powerful, thoughtful, and fun essays using published examples from The Brevity Blog and other key literary outlets as a hands-on guide.

    Attendees will reflect on who they are as a writer, what they write, and what they’ve learned about writing and themselves. Andrea will present the wide range of potential topics for these essays and review the key elements and craft that help published pieces succeed and connect with readers. Considering your earlier reflection, you’ll brainstorm ideas for essays you can write and how to approach them. 

    You’ll take away a template to follow when writing about writing, a list of potential outlets with detailed descriptions and tips for submitting, and links to strong essay examples published in the outlets

    Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.

    In this webinar, you will:
    • DISCOVER what writing about writing means and the impact these essays have
    • FIND potential essay topics that mine your own writing experience 
    • EXPLORE key elements to writing an engaging and insightful essay about writing craft, writing process and your writing life
    • LEARN why and how writing about writing leads to publication, builds platform, and grows your writing community.
    • RECEIVE a list of potential outlets to target with your essays, along with specific examples
    • LEARN how to develop and (when required) submit a pitch for your essay

    This webinar is ideal for emerging and experienced writers who…
    • want  to get published, gain readers, and get noticed
    • have a longer work published or in process who want to build their platform and create awareness for their project
    • want to engage with and create a literary community
    • want to write about their art and writing process to establish and share their expertise
    • want to support and spread the word about their work as teacher, editor, or publisher
    • want to provoke thought on a writing topic or raise a call to action

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER

    Andrea A. Firth is an essayist, editor and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s an Editor at The Brevity Blog, cofounder of Diablo Writers’ Workshop, and has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Saint Mary’s College of California. Andrea has taught dozens of courses on a wide range of creative writing topics, including how to submit and get published in literary magazines and commercial outlets. Her writing focus is personal essay, which she writes about in her Substack newsletter Everything Essay! 

    Andrea was a finalist for The Missouri Review’s 2021 Perkoff Prize in creative nonfiction, and her work has appeared in Dorothy Parker’s Ashes, Allium, Please See Me, Motherwell, The Coachella Review among others. Andrea leads a free, monthly co-working session called Submit It Now! at Chill Subs, and hopes you will join her there.

    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.

    Registration Info
    $30 Cost of the Event
    Register
    Event Organizer

    Andrea A. Firth

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom

  • The Writers Bridge | LIVE ONLY Pitch & Platform with Literary Agent Jessica Berg & Allison K Williams

    The Writers Bridge | LIVE ONLY Pitch & Platform with Literary Agent Jessica Berg & Allison K Williams

    February 3 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

    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 January 6th, February 3rd, March 3rd and April 7th. 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.

    Enjoy past recorded WRITERS BRIDGE sessions here

    Closed captioning is available. ✔

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link
    Location

    Zoom

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  • SEMINAR | Writing Your Modern Love: From Idea to Draft

    SEMINAR | Writing Your Modern Love: From Idea to Draft

    February 7 @ 2:00 pm – February 14 @ 4:00 pm EST

    Starting with the right material is 90% of the battle when it comes to Modern Love. Understanding what they want (and what they don’t want) will make success much easier.

    Live on Zoom | Saturdays February 7 & 14, 2-4 pm Eastern

    For Creative Nonfiction Writers

    The most popular personal essay column in the world—spawning countless memoirs, a TV show, and a popular podcast—the NYT’s weekly Modern Love column is one of the writing world’s only true meritocracies. As a result, getting a Modern Love published is a big goal for many writers. Writing a great Modern Love column can be surprisingly straightforward if you have the right tools and techniques. And if you publish one, it might just change your life.

    This two-day seminar will focus on the most critical elements of crafting a Modern Love, namely grasping the very specific criteria that the editors are looking for and understanding if your material fits. Learn the simple techniques and craft elements of successful Modern Loves, around pacing, characterization, and balance of scene and summary.

    After reviewing hundreds of Modern Love columns over the years, reading great essays about the column, and publishing his own Modern Love column, instructor Peter Mountford will demystify this specific literary form. We’ll look carefully at published examples, and you’ll receive a list of prompts and resources.

    Throughout the seminar, there will be dedicated time for brainstorming, drafting, and sharing work, and selected pieces will be live edited by the instructor.

    In this 2-day seminar, you’ll:
    • IDENTIFY what makes an idea “pitchable” for Modern Love—clear premise, emotional engine, and stakes editors can spot in seconds
    • TEST your idea against Modern Love criteria before you draft, so you don’t waste time on material that won’t fit
    • DRAFT with intention, using a proven structural roadmap tailored specifically to Modern Love essays
    • CRAFT an opening hook that signals confidence and clarity from the first paragraph
    • BALANCE scene and reflection to keep momentum without over-explaining or under-contextualizing
    • SHAPE conflict into forward motion, even in quiet or interior stories
    • UNDERSTAND Modern Love tone—how to sound intimate, self-aware, and honest without sentimentality
    • REVISE strategically, using live edits and peer feedback to see what’s working (and what isn’t) on the page
    • DEVELOP multiple draft options, so you can choose the strongest version—or pivot if needed
    • LEARN how editors read, including common reasons essays are rejected even when the writing is strong
    This class is ideal for writers who want to break into the Modern Love column and share their stories with huge audiences.

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    Think you might miss part of the class? No worries, replays will be available 3 business days after each session. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR Instructor

    Writing coach and developmental editor Peter Mountford is the author of the novels A Young Man’s Guide to Late Capitalism (2012 Washington State Book Award in fiction) and The Dismal Science (NYT editor’s choice). His next book, a collection of short stories called Detonator, is now out from Four Way Books. His work has appeared in The Paris Review, Southern Review, The Atlantic, The Sun, NYT (Modern Love), Granta, and The Missouri Review. Peter teaches at the MFA program at the University of Nevada, Reno, at Lake Tahoe.

    Student Testimonials

    “Peter has helped me elevate the quality and power of my work through his exceptional craft courses as well as one-on-one coaching. He has an unerring sense of a story’s center of gravity and the structure that best suits the material. He’s the kind of merciless editor that any serious writer would value. Since working with him, I’ve had a story and two essays accepted by prestigious literary magazines and highly regarded essay columns. In a star rating, he’d get a full 5 from me.” — Robin Reif

    “I took Peter’s yearlong course at Hugo House in 2019-2020, and I found him to be an invaluable instructor. His instincts for how good prose works, from craft elements to the realm of publishing, were instrumental in my writing career. He is an honest critic but an encouraging mentor, and I saw him provide acute feedback to short fiction, novels, essays, and memoirs alike. He helped me figure out how to risk sentimentality in my work, to push toward intensity when possible, and how to think about readership when it comes to where I want to publish. I cannot recommend him enough to anyone looking to get more serious about their writing.” — Chad Petrie (MFA candidate at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, class of 2023)

    “Peter helped me improve in just about every facet of my writing life. A few specifics that come to mind: he gave me story critiques that encouraged while setting high standards; set me up with a mini-group who were fun, dedicated, and generous; advised on writing life in a way that totally reframed my conceptions about progress. I left class seeing how much more I need to write and read, how much more there is to learn, which is humbling and exciting.” — Michael Barry (MFA candidate at Bennington, class of 2023)

    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.

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    $125 Cost of Event
    Register
    Event Organizer

    Peter Mountford

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom

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  • SEMINAR | Send, Build, Grow: Strategies for a Sustainable Newsletter Practice

    SEMINAR | Send, Build, Grow: Strategies for a Sustainable Newsletter Practice

    February 21 @ 2:00 pm – February 28 @ 4:00 pm EST

    Sharpen your voice and clarify your process to transform your newsletter into an intentional, sustainable audience connection.

    Live on Zoom | Saturdays February 21 & 28, 2-4 pm Eastern

    For All Creatives

    Whether your author newsletter is thriving at 3000 or well-intentioned but rarely sent to primarily friends and family, the path to building and sustaining a meaningful email-to-audience practice is rarely straightforward. There are ebbs and flows. Subscribes and unsubscribes. Bursts of momentum followed by long periods of self-doubt and posting-into-the-void vibes.

    This two-session seminar is designed for writers who have already launched a newsletter—maybe months or even years ago—and now want to step back, take a clear-eyed look at what they’ve built, and make it stronger, clearer, and easier to maintain. We’ll examine your newsletter as it exists right now: what’s working, what’s unclear or underpowered, and where there are opportunities for improvement.

    Rather than starting over, we’ll refine what’s already there—sharpening your voice, clarifying your focus, and improving how you talk about your newsletter so it’s easier for others to understand, share, and recommend. We’ll also look at how to build stronger, more intentional relationships with your readers over time and identify sustainable, low-lift ways to increase engagement, visibility, and momentum.

    This seminar is not about launching a newsletter or chasing growth at all costs. It’s about turning an existing newsletter into a more intentional, sustainable practice—one that fits realistically into your writing life and continues to earn its place over time. You’ll leave with concrete adjustments, clearer decisions, and a simple system that helps you show up consistently—without burnout, pressure, or performative “best practices.”

    NOTES: This seminar assumes you already have a newsletter—active or on hiatus. It is NOT a step-by-step guide to launching from scratch. 

    The seminar will be appropriate for users of any newsletter platform, including Substack—you do not need to be on a specific email service. We will look at common elements like metrics and audience data, but we will not be deeply exploring the technical capabilities of any one service.

    In this 2-Day seminar, you’ll:
    • ANALYZE the general forms and philosophies of author newsletters: what works, what stalls out, and why 
    • EXAMINE your own newsletter’s purpose, audience, and value—what it’s actually offering readers, not just what you hope it does
    • REFINE your format, voice, and focus so your newsletter feels aligned with your strengths and interests
    • RETHINK how you present your newsletter—on your site, on social media, and in conversation—so it’s easier for others to understand and share
    • IDENTIFY low-effort, sustainable ways to increase visibility and subscribers without adding stress
    • STRENGTHEN your reader relationship through clearer expectations, better framing, and more intentional communication
    You will leave with…
    • A clearer, more intentional newsletter that reflects your voice and values
    • A realistic system you can actually sustain
    • Concrete decisions instead of generic advice
    • Renewed confidence in why your newsletter matters—and who it’s for
    • A sense that your newsletter can be a meaningful, energizing part of your writing life, not just another obligation
    This course is for writers and creatives…
    • With an existing newsletter who want to improve clarity, consistency, and engagement
    • Whose newsletters have gone quiet—and want a realistic way to restart and re-engage
    • Who feel unsure how their newsletter fits into their broader creative or professional goals
    • Who want growth, but not at the expense of joy or sustainability

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    Think you might miss part of the class? No worries, replays will be available 3 business days after each session. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR Instructor

    Stephen Knezovich is a marketing strategist who works with writers, artists, and arts nonprofits. He is the co-founder of the literary magazine Short Reads, the marketing director and co-founder of Ascender Book Services, the marketing strategist for Off Assignment, a collage artist, and the curator of two email newsletters: Read This and Gluu. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife and two kids.

    Stephen’s philosophy is simple: marketing should be creative, personal, human—and sustainable.

    Student Testimonials

    “Working with Stephen has been a game-changer. Stephen helped me more than double my newsletter subscribers, gave me clear focus, and completely transformed my website.” — Kristen Weber, Inside an Editor’s Brain

    “Stephen put my mind at ease that building an audience does not have to be ‘hard.’” — Betsy B. (Attendee of From Here to There)

    “Wonderful presentation. I felt like I was talking to a friend.” — Susan B. (Attendee of From Here to There)

    “I deeply appreciate the more grounded, down-to-earth approach that the presenter took. I also appreciated the very earnest and honest tone of this presentation.” — Justin A. (Attendee of From Here to There)

    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.

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    $125 Cost of Event
    Register
    Event Organizer

    Stephen Knezovich

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom

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  • The Writers Bridge | How to Pitch Your Book in 2026 with Literary Agent Jessica Berg

    The Writers Bridge | How to Pitch Your Book in 2026 with Literary Agent Jessica Berg

    December 30, 2025 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

    Whether you’re talking to agents, publishers or readers, you need to comfortably talk about your book.

    What makes a great pitch, and the platform you need to support your book.

    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.

    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.

    We’ll talk about successful book pitches, how your platform can support your pitch, and hear some of YOUR pitches on the next episode of The Writers Bridge.

    Join us TUESDAY December 30th at 1PM EASTERN – live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!

    Our special guest

    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..

    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 writing and publishing.

    FREE, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before.

    Enjoy past recorded sessions here

    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.

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link
    Location

    Zoom

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