BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Craft Talks - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Craft Talks X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://writingcraft.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Craft Talks REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250806T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250806T150000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250714T173910Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250802T152400Z UID:10000044-1754485200-1754492400@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Writing the Synopsis: Solve Your Plot and Sell Your Book DESCRIPTION:You need a synopsis to sell your book to agents and publishers. Writing it now can solve plot and structure problems\, determine which characters belong\, and create a map to finish your book.\n\n\n\nfor Creative Nonfiction\, Nonfiction and Fiction \n\n\n\nWriters often dread distilling their beautiful story into a dry synopsis—and they’re right! It’s not creative and fun. But the synopsis is not only a requirement for querying and publishing\, it’s also a valuable tool to shape your story and get closer to “The End.” A good synopsis gives an overview of your whole book\, in an easy-to-process form. By examining turning-point scenes\, character objectives\, and the underlying dramatic question that propels your book\, you’ll know where you’re going and how to get there.  \n\n\n\nYou’ll be able to send a draft of your working synopsis in advance. Allison will use volunteer examples to show what makes a synopsis work (and what doesn’t!). Then she’ll live-edit participant synopses to show how to reverse-engineer your manuscript from your synopsis to create more tension\, power\, and literary might. (Please note\, she won’t get to everyone: examples will be chosen to benefit the whole group!) \n\n\n\nSuitable for writers with a manuscript in any stage from messy early draft to ready-to-query. \n\n\n\nThis is a TWO HOUR class\, with 20 minutes of writing time in the middle. \n\n\n\n\n40 minutes – Learn how to write a synopsis\, using images\, turning points\, and character objectives. Allison will use submitted examples and synopses of already-published books to show what works and what doesn’t.\n\n\n\n10 minutes – Q&A to fully understand and apply the information.\n\n\n\n20 minutes – Revise your synopsis with new tools and knowledge. Allison will continue taking questions in the chat. OPTIONAL: volunteer for live-editing and upload your scene as a Word doc or docx.\n\n\n\n40 minutes – Allison will live-edit some of the shared synopses\, showing where the writer is succeeding\, and what revisions she suggests. During live edits\, she’ll call out specific techniques and tips for everyone to apply to their own work\, right away. \n\n\n\n10 minutes – more Q&A and planning your writing from here.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nUNDERSTAND why agents and publishers need a synopsis—and how they use it to assess your manuscript\n\n\n\nLEARN how opening and closing images anchor your synopsis and your book\n\n\n\nDISCOVER how “Chekhov’s Gun” makes your synopsis actually interesting!\n\n\n\nUSE “but\, because\, therefore” to write a rough synopsis\n\n\n\nDEVELOP a working synopsis to guide your writing process\n\n\n\nREFINE your synopsis for querying your book\n\n\n\n\nThis workshop suits …\n\n\n\n\nWriters of fiction and nonfiction who intend to traditionally publish\n\n\n\nNovelists stuck in the “messy middle”\n\n\n\nMemoirists whose draft has “gotten away from them” and needs shape and focus\n\n\n\nWriters working on a second book… who’d like the process to move faster this time!\n\n\n\nWriters hearing feedback that their book lacks tension\, needs a stronger hook\, or the story is “hard to follow” or “didn’t grab the reader”\n\n\n\nDevelopmental editors who want to understand synopses and better communicate that knowledge to their author clients.\n\n\n\n\nYou’ll receive the slides and prompts to take this work into your manuscript \n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAllison K Williams is the author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro From Blank Page to Book. She’s helped writers sell to Big Five and literary publishers\, hit the NYT Bestseller list\, and sign multi-book deals. She’s guided essayists and humorists to publication in media including the New Yorker\, Time\, the Guardian\, the New York Times\, McSweeney’s\, Refinery29\, Hippocampus\, the Belladonna and TED Talks. As Social Media Editor for Brevity\, she inspires thousands of writers with weekly blogs on craft and the writing life. \n\n\n\nAllison works with literary and commercial fiction and nonfiction\, and is familiar with the conventions of most genres. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Western Michigan University and spent 20 years as a circus aerialist and acrobat before writing and editing full-time. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/writing-the-synopsis/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Event-Template-1-6.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250813T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250813T160000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250709T141538Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250807T133440Z UID:10000041-1755097200-1755100800@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Everyone's on Substack: Should you be? DESCRIPTION:Thousands of writers are jumping on the Substack bandwagon every month. Learn how to break in with your newsletter.\n\n\n\nRegular email newsletters allow writers to build an organic audience based on direct connection with readers\, and this kind of platform can be attractive to literary agents. Substack has more than 20 million active subscribers\, and over 17\,000 writers are being paid for their writing on the platform. But with thousands of writers joining every month—many of them famous—how can a new writer break in? \n\n\n\nAfter nearly four years writing her Substack Between Two Things\, Lindsey DeLoach Jones has learned lots of lessons the hard way. In this presentation\, she’ll give tips for writing essays that will succeed in the email format\, building an audience (using Notes and other features)\, and connecting with other like-minded writers. She’ll also help you think through your newsletter goals (from earning money to practicing your skills to building an email list that supports your writing and publishing). \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE various ways to interact on Substack\n\n\n\nLEARN how to write a newsletter people want to read \n\n\n\nSET goals for your newsletter.\n\n\n\n\nYou should take this webinar if you\n\n\n\n\nAre new to building a platform\n\n\n\nHave considered moving to Substack\n\n\n\nWant to better reach your audience\n\n\n\nAre unsure how to tackle the Substack essay format\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLindsey DeLoach Jones is a writer living in Greenville\, South Carolina. She often finds herself inside the tension between seemingly opposed forces—the spiritual and the practical\, the mysterious and the mundane\, the Mother and the Artist. In this spirit\, she has been writing a Substack called Between Two Things since 2021. \n\n\n\nLindsey holds a BA and MA in English and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction. She has served as the Writer-in-Residence at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and has taught literature and writing at Clemson University. Lindsey currently teaches writing online and in person at Writeshare\, the writers’ network she co-founded in Upstate SC\, and for organizations such as CRAFT TALKS. She previously served as Editor of Emrys Journal and Edible Upcountry. \n\n\n\nLindsey’s essays have appeared in HuffPost\, HuffPost Parenting\, Split Lip\, Under the Gum Tree\, and Motherwell. She is a recipient of the Vandermey Nonfiction Prize\, and an essay nominated by Pigeon Pages was recently a finalist for Best of the Web. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/everyones-on-substack/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Jones.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250816T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250816T170000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250708T232008Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250805T180147Z UID:10000040-1755352800-1755363600@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:SEMINAR | Telling the True Story: Essential Strategies for Writing Memoir DESCRIPTION:A memoir is a story from a life\, not a whole life story.\n\n\n\nLive on Zoom | Saturday\, August 16 @ 2:00-5:00 pm  EDT \n\n\n\nEveryone has a story worth telling. This seminar will help you tell yours with clarity\, power\, and purpose. Designed for writers at all levels\, this course offers essential strategies for crafting a compelling memoir.  \n\n\n\nWe’ll explore how to shape memory into narrative\, how to handle time and structure\, and how to find the story within the story. We’ll also tackle the ethical challenges of writing about family and loved ones\, the difference between confession and art\, and how to build a memoir with scenes\, summary\, reflection\, stakes\, and a plot. We examine relevant examples as we learn tools and no-fail techniques you can take straight to the page. \n\n\n\nYou’ll leave with a solid foundation for your memoir project—and a clear understanding of how to transform lived experience into literature. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this insightful three-hour live seminar\, you’ll learn to:\n\n\n\n\nDISCOVER how to deploy the double perspective memoir requires\n\n\n\nADDRESS the “WHY NOW?” principle\n\n\n\nLEARN HOW memoirists use literary craft\, and not just raw memory\, to build a story\n\n\n\nEXPLORE ethics and ways to sharpen your memory\n\n\n\nCOME TO GRIPS with conflict; even internal journeys must have tension\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis seminar is ideal for writers who:\n\n\n\n\nAre intrigued by the idea of writing memoir\n\n\n\nAre working in micro memoir\, memoir essays\, or book length\n\n\n\nHave a draft and are embarking on revision\n\n\n\nAre interested in publishing memoir\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR Instructor\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOne of CRAFT TALKS’ most popular presenters\, for her insightful and inspiring webinars\, HEATHER SELLERS is the author of 11 books\, including four books on craft\, a memoir\, a children’s book\, a collection of short stories\, and four volumes of poetry.  She teaches in the MFA program at the University of South Florida\, and her work has appeared in The New York Times\, Reader’s Digest\, The Sun\, and The Best American Essays. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nTestimonials from past students:\n\n\n\n“Simply the best teacher I have ever had\, ever.” – Kate L. \n\n\n\n“There is so much content! All the time was full\, and there are so many concepts that are so\, so useful.”  – Anon \n\n\n\n“Heather Sellers is a born teacher. She can convey complicated writing skills in ways that can be practiced immediately. I recommend her workshops & books!” -Pat D. \n\n\n\n“Her workshops are a gift for any writing student.” -Eva I. \n\n\n\nTHE FINE PRINT \n\n\n\nWe 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. \n\n\n\nBefore the class\, you may request a full refund. \n\n\n\nPlease keep in mind that no refunds or credits will be issued after class begins. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/telling-the-true/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Seminars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MASTER-Event-Templates.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250820T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250820T163000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250710T163323Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250819T233015Z UID:10000042-1755702000-1755707400@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Memoir-Plus: The Key to Writing a Memoir That Sells DESCRIPTION:You have a story to tell. But how do you convince the publishing industry that people want to read it?\n\n\n\nIn a world where an estimated two to three million books are published every year\, your memoir needs to stand out\, not just with compelling storytelling\, but with a marketable hook that expands its audience. Enter memoir-plus\, a powerful approach that blends memoir with something more\, making it bigger\, bolder\, and more irresistible to readers and publishers alike. \n\n\n\nThis idea-packed webinar will help you explore new ways to frame your memoir\, whether you’re still brainstorming or deep into drafting. You’ll leave with fresh inspiration\, actionable insights\, and a clearer path toward a memoir that stands out in a very crowded field. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLEARN the distinction between traditional memoir and memoir-plus\, and why it matters\n\n\n\nENCOUNTER standout memoirs\, discovering how their marketing copy positions them as “pluses”\n\n\n\nGET INSPIRED with over 20 different “pluses” you can add to your memoir\n\n\n\nFIND OUT where to highlight your memoir-plus elements in a book proposal\, to attract agents and publishers\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for you if You’re …\n\n\n\n\nJust getting started and want to build a memoir concept with marketability in mind from the beginning\n\n\n\nIn the muddy middle and feel called to reframe or reimagine your project to make it bigger\, bolder\, and more marketable\n\n\n\nReady to pitch your memoir-plus and need strategies to make it stand out\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJennifer Leigh Selig is an LBGTQ+ teacher\, international speaker\, book publisher\, and author whose writing and teaching career spans four decades. She’s the author of dozens of newspaper articles\, book reviews\, essays\, journal articles\, short stories\, screenplays\, and books\, including the Nautilus Gold award-winning book\, Deep Creativity: Seven Ways to Spark Your Creative Spirit\, The Writer’s Block Workbook: A Psychologist’s Guide to Working With and Through Writer’s Block\, and Deep Memoir: An Archetypal Approach to Deepen Your Story and Broaden Its Appeal. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/memoir-plus/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Event-Templates-copy-2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250827T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250827T161500 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250728T145347Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250821T141707Z UID:10000046-1756306800-1756311300@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | The Dreaded 'So What?’: How to Build Stakes That Make Readers Care DESCRIPTION:When nothing feels at risk\, readers stop caring. Learn how to build compelling stakes that keep readers turning pages.\n\n\n\nfor Personal Essay and Memoir \n\n\n\nLow stakes are the #1 reason personal narratives get rejected. As writers\, we’re faced with a dreaded question: So what? How do we get a stranger to care about our lives—and why should they? How do we encourage readers with short attention spans to keep turning pages? \n\n\n\nLearn 5 key tools for building tension and emotional stakes in personal narratives. Using works by writers like Natasha Trethewey\, Kristen Iversen\, and Alex Marzano-Lesnevich\, we’ll crack the code on how nonfiction writers build high stakes and sustain them throughout their narratives. Then we’ll apply these techniques to your own manuscript through hands-on exercises: defining internal and external stakes\, creating obstacles that keep readers engaged\, using strategic time shifts to build suspense\, and more. \n\n\n\nYou’ll leave with a complete toolkit for building and sustaining stakes that keep readers engaged from start to finish. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLEARN 5 tools for ramping up the stakes in your memoir or personal essay\, making readers feel instantly invested \n\n\n\nEXPLORE how nonfiction writers use stakes & suspense to keep readers turning pages \n\n\n\nAPPLY new stakes-building techniques to your own narratives\n\n\n\nBUILD a toolkit of strategies for defining stakes\, seeding conflicts\, and building suspense\, to make your pages stand out to agents\, editors\, and readers\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers at any level who:\n\n\n\n\nWant to ramp up the emotional stakes & tension in their story \n\n\n\nAre getting rejections and need tools for making their work more compelling and high-stakes\n\n\n\nAre struggling to identify the larger “so what?” of their personal story\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKATIE BANNON is a writer\, editor\, and educator whose work has appeared in The Washington Post\, The Rumpus\, ELLE Magazine\, 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 loves helping memoirists and essayists tell their most vulnerable\, taboo stories. She lives in Central Massachusetts with her partner and two cats. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/the-dreaded-so-what/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250828T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250918T120000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250805T203513Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250819T232947Z UID:10000049-1756378800-1758196800@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:FREE WEBINAR | Weekly Meetup: Working Through The Artist's Way  DESCRIPTION:Creativity calls for intention and connection. Let’s show up together.\n\n\n\nfor All Writers and Creative Types \n\n\n\nYou’ve probably heard of The Artist’s Way—maybe it’s on your shelf\, maybe you’ve cracked it open once or twice\, maybe you’ve promised yourself you’ll return to it “someday.” Well\, here’s your chance! We’re gathering for a chill\, no-cost\, weekly meetup to work through the first four chapters. That’s it. No grand declarations. Just four weeks of showing up for one hour on Zoom to be writers in community. \n\n\n\nWe’ll talk about morning pages (whether you’re doing them or just dodging them)\, artist dates (how to make them happen and where you might take yourself)\, and the strange\, wonderful ways creativity starts to wake up when we give it a little room. \n\n\n\nWe’ll ask questions. Share ideas. Probably write a little.  \n\n\n\nIt’s not a class\, not a critique group\, not therapy—just people committing (again or for the first time) to bringing writing and creativity back into their routine. You don’t even need to consider yourself “a writer.” If you’re drawn to the creative practice\, you’re welcome to join. \n\n\n\nWe recommend borrowing The Artist’s Way from your local library and reading the first chapter\, “Recovering a Sense of Safety\,” before our first meetup. If you’d prefer your own copy\, we suggest this edition: The Artist’s Way: 25th Anniversary Edition by Julia Cameron. There’s also a companion workbook—but it’s completely optional. One note: Julia Cameron talks a lot about spirituality and the idea of a creative force greater than ourselves. You don’t have to subscribe to that\, but if it’s a turnoff\, this might not be your jam. That said\, it’s free and friendly\, and you’re welcome to pop in and see how it feels. \n\n\n\nCan’t make every session? No worries—join us the following week. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE the first four chapters of The Artist’s Way\n\n\n\nBUILD momentum with weekly creative check-ins\n\n\n\nFIND support and CONNECTION with other writers and creative types\n\n\n\nDISCOVER practical ideas for tackling resistance\n\n\n\nWRITE together in a low-stakes space\n\n\n\nREFLECT on the link between creativity and habit\n\n\n\nBE INSPIRED to keep going—even after the four weeks are up\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for those who:\n\n\n\n\nAre feeling stuck\, stalled\, or disconnected from their work\n\n\n\nWant to rebuild (or build) a sustainable creative habit\n\n\n\nAre curious about the practices of The Artist’s Way\n\n\n\nNeed a gentle nudge to reengage with morning pages or artist dates\n\n\n\nCrave creative conversation\n\n\n\nAre seeking inspiration\, not necessarily instruction\n\n\n\nWant to explore their ideas without the pressure or need for perfection\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSHARLA YATES is the program director of CRAFT TALKS\, a webinar series for writers on writing\, and the former director of education at the Creative Nonfiction Foundation\, where she led a robust weekly webinar series and online writing program. She currently teaches creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh and is a multi-genre writer and experienced instructor. \n\n\n\nSharla is the author of the poetry chapbook What I Would Say if We Were to Drown Tonight (Stranded Oak Press\, 2017). Her nonfiction essay “Address” was a finalist for the 2015 Columbia Journal Writing Contest and the 2016 Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award and was published by Short Reads. She also co-hosts The Writers Bridge\, a free monthly platform-building series for writers\, alongside Allison K Williams. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/free-weekly-meetup/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MASTER-Event-Templates.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250903T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250903T163000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250804T191918Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T145217Z UID:10000047-1756911600-1756917000@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Making the Personal Universal: Transform Your Essays with Research  DESCRIPTION:Incorporating research can enliven our narratives\, add resonance to the stories we tell\, and make the personal universal.\n\n\n\nfor Creative Nonfiction\, Narrative Nonfiction \n\n\n\nAmy Shea’s powerful essay in the Massachusetts Review\, “Deaths of Disparity\,” weaves personal experience\, narrative\, and research into addiction and treatment to explore questions of human dignity. What makes this essay so effective\, and how can you figure out when\, how\, and how much research to include in your creative writing?  \n\n\n\nJoin Amy Shea as she pulls back the curtain on her process and deconstructs her long-form essay. We will explore why to include research\, how hard facts and cultural context can improve an essay\, considerations on how to format and present those facts\, the balance of critical and creative elements\, and how to enhance braided research and narrative through literary elements such as voice\, tone\, and register.  \n\n\n\nClass will include time for close reading of other examples and writing practice. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLEARN to identify when research can serve your story—and when it might distract\n\n\n\nEXPLORE ways to weave facts seamlessly into a narrative without losing emotional impact\n\n\n\nEXAMINE well-integrated research in creative nonfiction \n\n\n\nGAIN INSIGHT through a behind-the-scenes look at the presenter’s process and essay\n\n\n\nPRACTICE incorporating research into your own writing through guided exercises\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers at any level who:\n\n\n\n\nWant to move beyond purely personal narratives\n\n\n\nAre interested in weaving research into essays without losing their creative voice\n\n\n\nAre ready to transition from short pieces to longer-form work\n\n\n\nWant to explore braiding multiple elements in a non-chronological structure\n\n\n\nEnjoy studying other writers’ processes to deepen and inspire their own practice\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAMY SHEA is an essayist and is the author of Too Poor to Die: The Hidden Realities of Dying in the Margins. Her work has appeared in The Missouri Review\, Pangyrus\, Portland Review\, The Massachusetts Review\, Spry Literary Journal\, Fat City Review\, From Glasgow to Saturn\, and the Journal of Sociology of Health & Illness. She works as the Writing Program Director for Mount Tamalpais College\, a free community college for the incarcerated people of San Quentin. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/making-the-personal-universal/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Shea-Event-Templates.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T163000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250809T204401Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250904T135516Z UID:10000050-1757516400-1757521800@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Hybrid Memoir: The Fine Art of Flexible Storytelling DESCRIPTION:Stop worrying if your work falls into a particular category and just write your story.\n\n\n\nfor Memoir\, Essay\, Literary Journalism\, Hybrid \n\n\n\nMemoir\, essay\, lyric or informational? Just write! Learn how combining various nonfiction modes helps tell your story as best you can\, using the most advantageous tools.  \n\n\n\nWith examples ranging from Claudia Rankine to Joan Didion to Robin Wall Kimmerer\, we’ll explore how long and short\, familiar and uncommon forms might combine to create memorable work\, surprising work\, lively work\, and work that is eminently publishable.  \n\n\n\nWith prompts and friendly nudges\, this webinar will spark fresh ideas for memoirists starting something new and those stuck on a current project.  \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nDISCOVER how memoirists break genre rules all the time\, and how doing so invigorates the work.\n\n\n\nEXPLORE the role of curiosity and improvisation in creating lively nonfiction. \n\n\n\nLEARN how unexpected approaches and points of view—what Emily Dickinson calls “telling it slant” —deepen your storytelling.\n\n\n\nFREE UP your style. \n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers at any level who:\n\n\n\n\nWorry that their writing is predictable and unremarkable\n\n\n\nFeel stuck\n\n\n\nAre adventurous\n\n\n\nAre willing to branch out into new approaches\n\n\n\nWould like their work to immediately capture the attention of editors\, agents\, and readers\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDinty 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 numerous other books. He has published essays and stories in Harper’s\, The New York Times Magazine\, Georgia Review\, Kenyon Review\, Ploughshares\, and elsewhere. He is founding editor of Brevity\, the journal of flash nonfiction\, and has taught nonfiction writing for more than 30 years. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/webinar-hybrid-memoir/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Moore.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250913T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250920T170000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250805T172809Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250913T191110Z UID:10000048-1757775600-1758387600@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:SEMINAR | Master Your Memoir's Structure DESCRIPTION:Learn how to build a structure that serves your themes and propels readers forward.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLive on Zoom | Saturdays\, September 13 & 20 @ 3:00-5:00 pm  EDT \n\n\n\nStructure is often the hardest part of writing a memoir. How do we decide what material is relevant? How do we find a container for our stories that will convey meaning? And how do we arrange our memories and experiences into a strong arc that keeps readers turning pages? \n\n\n\nThis 2-part seminar will give you hands-on tools for going from messy first draft to a clear\, compelling structure. We’ll address 3 key elements of memoir structure: scope (what belongs and what doesn’t)\, sequencing (how to arrange chapters and scenes)\, and container (i.e. braided\, associative\, chronological\, etc.).  \n\n\n\nIn Part 1\, you’ll learn how to distinguish between “story” and “situation\,” evaluate what material belongs and doesn’t\, and build your arc.  \n\n\n\nPart 2 will focus on finding the perfect container for your story\, sequencing your scenes\, and crafting strong transitions that guide readers from start to finish.  \n\n\n\nThrough hands-on exercises and published memoir examples\, you’ll leave with a structural blueprint and a clear roadmap for refining your memoir’s arc. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this insightful TWO-DAY live seminar\, you’ll learn to:\n\n\n\n\nIDENTIFY the scope of your memoir by finding the deeper “story” beneath the “situation” of your experiences.\n\n\n\nEXPLORE different memoir structures (using published memoirs as examples) and find the right fit for your story.\n\n\n\nLEARN HOW to strengthen your narrative arc\, and which scenes to expand\, cut\, or rearrange to build momentum and emotional resonance.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis seminar is ideal for writers who:\n\n\n\n\nNeed help deciding what material belongs and doesn’t belong in their memoir\n\n\n\nHave a complete or near-complete draft of a memoir\, and need help shaping it into a compelling arc\n\n\n\nWant to explore different structural possibilities for their memoir\n\n\n\nWant to hone the structure of their manuscript before submitting it to agents and editors\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR Instructor\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKatie Bannon is a writer\, editor\, and educator whose work has appeared in The Washington Post\, The Rumpus\, ELLE Magazine\, 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 memoirists and essayists on how to write and revise their most vulnerable\, taboo stories. She teaches at GrubStreet and lives in Central Massachusetts with her partner and two cats. \n\n\n\nStudent Testimonials\n\n\n\n\n“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.” \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“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!” \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“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!” \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE FINE PRINT \n\n\n\nWe 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. \n\n\n\nBefore the class\, you may request a full refund. \n\n\n\nPlease keep in mind that no refunds or credits will be issued after class begins. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/master-your-memoir/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Seminars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Event-Template-from-Canva-3.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250917T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250917T163000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250818T205944Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T140818Z UID:10000051-1758121200-1758126600@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Stop Getting in Your Own Way: End Writing Self-Sabotage and Unlock Creative Flow DESCRIPTION:If all the productivity tricks still leave you stuck\, it’s time to stop hacking and start honoring what truly works for you.\n\n\n\nFor all Writers \n\n\n\nWriters often pride themselves on working hard—but what if that hard work is actually self-sabotage in disguise? In this 90-minute live webinar\, we’ll uncover the subtle\, energy-draining ways self-sabotage shows up in the writing life. From perfectionism pretending to be productivity to rigid routines that keep you stuck\, you’ll learn how to spot the behaviors and beliefs that are quietly derailing your progress. We’ll also explore how to recognize when you’re working against your creative nature instead of flowing with it. \n\n\n\nThis isn’t just another list of writing hacks—it’s an opportunity to challenge the story you’ve been telling yourself about what it means to be a writer. If you’re ready to enter creative flow with more ease\, reconnect with your true motivations\, and create from a place of grounded confidence and joy\, this session is for you. Join us to stop spinning your wheels—and start writing the stories your heart was meant to tell. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nFIND OUT how self-sabotage masquerades as discipline or diligence\n\n\n\nDISCOVER the unconscious beliefs keeping you stuck in cycles of frustration\n\n\n\nIDENTIFY the inner patterns blocking your flow\, and how to break free from them\n\n\n\nLEARN practical\, soul-nourishing tools to rewire your mindset\, reclaim your creative energy\, and work with your unique creative operating system.\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is appropriate for all skill levels\, but especially helpful for writers who feel burned out\, stuck\, or like they’re working hard but not making progress or finishing their projects. It’s ideal for writers who…\n\n\n\n\nSEEK to build a sustainable\, long-term creative practice\n\n\n\nSTRUGGLE to make progress despite hard work and dedication \n\n\n\nFEEL BURNED OUT or stuck \n\n\n\nMISS DEADLINES and don’t complete their projects \n\n\n\nHAVE TRIED all the productivity hacks but find nothing works\n\n\n\nFEAR that their greatest skill is procrastination   \n\n\n\nDISLIKE rigid structures and practices\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLisa Cooper Ellison is an author\, speaker\, trauma-informed writing coach\, and the host of the Writing Your Resilience podcast. She works and writes at the intersection of storytelling and healing\, combining her clinical training and writing expertise to help writers transform difficult experiences into art. Her essays and stories have been featured on Risk! and in The New York Times\, HuffPost\, Kenyon Review Online\, and The Loss of a Lifetime: Grieving Siblings Share Stories of Love\, Loss\, and Hope\, among others. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/stop-getting-in-your-own-way/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MASTER-Event-Templates-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250924T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250924T161500 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250820T200311Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250918T171501Z UID:10000053-1758726000-1758730500@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Best Beginnings: Announcing Yourself At The Start DESCRIPTION:Sometimes the beginning is the first thing you write. Sometimes it’s the last. How do you know if your beginning is doing its best work for you? \n\n\n\nfor Fiction and Nonfiction \n\n\n\nA beginning plants seeds. A beginning announces voice and tone and mood. A beginning establishes the writer’s authority to tell the story or to offer the opinion that is coming. The way you start your essay\, your book\, or your Substack newsletter will determine just how many readers (and agents! and editors!) read on.  \n\n\n\nJoin us to explore the best among beginnings and to discover the very best in you.  \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, we’ll take a good look at exquisite beginnings\, as well as a few that … might have been improved. We’ll spend some time learning from Janet Malcolm’s famous essay “Forty-one False Starts.” We’ll respond to prompts and writerly cascades that will both set new stories into motion and help redirect or reshape beginnings that already exist. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nCONSIDER the power of false starts in your writing process\n\n\n\nDISCOVER the key to best beginnings\n\n\n\nWRITE some brand new beginnings in response to given prompts\n\n\n\nLEARN to revise old beginnings in ways that will make your work feel brand new\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for new and intermediate writers …\n\n\n\n\nCONTEMPLATING the start of a new work in progress\n\n\n\nUNDERTAKING their final revisions of a work in progress\n\n\n\nWho WISH to gain the attention of editors and agents\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBeth Kephart is the award-winning writer of three-dozen books in multiple genres\, an award-winning teacher of memoir\, and a paper artist. She is the author\, most recently\, of Wife|Daughter|Self: A Memoir in Essays\, My Life in Paper: Adventures in Ephemera\, and Tomorrow Will Bring Sunday’s News: A Philadelphia Story\, as well as a series of craft books. Find her art and her musings on language and life at her Substack\, The Hush and the Howl. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/best-beginnings/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MASTER-Event-Templates-2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250930T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250930T140000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250822T145811Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250825T194008Z UID:10000054-1759237200-1759240800@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:The Writers Bridge | Publicity 101 for Authors DESCRIPTION:Finally understand what publicists know (and what your publisher isn’t telling you)\n\n\n\nSo you’ve written a book—congratulations! Now comes the fun part: convincing the world to actually read it. Our special guest\, professional publicist Shanetta McDonald\, will demystify the often-overwhelming world of book publicity\, starting with why press coverage still matters in our digital age and how it translates into actual readers and sales. \n\n\n\nWe’ll break down the difference between what your publisher’s in-house team handles versus what external PR agencies do\, plus help you figure out what you can tackle yourself versus when it’s worth hiring help. You’ll learn how to build your own roadmap through the publicity maze\, with practical strategies that won’t break your budget. \n\n\n\nToday’s media landscape is brutal. Journalists are drowning in pitches (they only open about 45% of what hits their inbox)\, newsrooms are shrinking\, and news cycles move faster than a caffeinated hummingbird. But don’t panic—we’ll dive into the art of media pitching. Learn how to work with news cycles\, understand lead times\, and most importantly\, how to develop compelling media angles that transform your book from just another title into a newsworthy story that editors and producers want to cover. \n\n\n\nWhether you’re a debut author feeling lost or a seasoned writer looking to up your publicity game\, you’ll leave with a FREE book media launch timeline and checklist–so you’ll know exactly what to do and when to do it–and the confidence to give your book the launch it deserves. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOur special guest \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShanetta McDonald is the founder of The Giselle Agency\, a boutique PR agency dedicated to supporting women\, BIPOC\, and queer authors with intentional\, story- and mission-driven book launches. With over 16 years of experience\, she has spent her career challenging societal norms and shifting cultural conversations. Today\, she proudly focuses on amplifying the voices of those who need it most\, marginalized groups who are making a difference. \n\n\n\nShanetta’s own writing has been featured in Allure\, Refinery29\, HuffPost\, Essence\, and Well+Good\, where she explores themes of identity\, healing\, body image\, and belonging. \n\n\n\nJoin your hosts Allison K Williams (SEVEN DRAFTS)\, Sharla Yates (CRAFT TALKS) and our special guest for this lively\, funny hour of frank talk about Substack\, newsletters\, essays\, and building platform by doing what you love. \n\n\n\nFREE\, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEnjoy past recorded sessions here\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAllison 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSharla 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/bridge-publicity-101/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Writers Bridge ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TWB-logo-2023-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T150000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250825T195635Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250925T192724Z UID:10000055-1759582800-1759590000@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Beyond Description: Creating Powerful\, Realistic Characters in Fiction and Memoir DESCRIPTION:The most powerful characters on the page are complex and multi-layered\, and they both surprise and convince readers with (and within!) their reality.\n\n\n\nfor Fiction and Memoir \n\n\n\nNovelists create characters from nothing\, who must feel as real as anyone we’ve met. Memoirists must pack a lifetime of knowledge into selected details to show readers the people they engaged with\, as those people truly are. But too often\, writers default to physical description—characters pausing in front of conveniently reflective surfaces—or narrating our own judgements of the people we know\, rather than allowing readers to make those discoveries themselves. As an actor\, playwright\, and director\, Allison K Williams has explored character creation inside and out. \n\n\n\nIn this special 2-hour (Saturday) webinar\, you’ll learn how to use tools from theatre to analyze your own text and create stronger characters on the page. With examples from fiction and memoir\, we’ll examine how objectives\, passions\, and foibles drive characters and deepen their dramatic impact; how qualities of movement are expressed in verbs and adverbs; the difference between high-context dialogue and “stuff I needed the reader to know so I made a character say it”; and even dive into how punctuation can shape a character’s emotion in a scene. \n\n\n\nYou’ll raise your craft level and gain a tool kit to help you present all your characters\, real or fictional\, as fully rounded beings\, regardless of their word count\, and make each one memorable and worthy of their time on the page. \n\n\n\nIn-class writing time and live editing will give you a chance to apply this to your writing right away. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis is a TWO-HOUR class\, with 20 minutes of writing time in the middle.\n\n\n\n\n45 minutes – Learn the tools of character analysis\, and key writing techniques to show character on the page\n\n\n\n10 minutes – Q&A to fully understand and apply the information.\n\n\n\n20 minutes – Revise a scene that introduces one of your key characters to heighten the character’s impact on the page and more skillfully show who they are\, what they want and why they matter. Allison will continue taking questions in the chat. \n\n\n\nOPTIONAL: volunteer for live-editing and upload your scene as a Word doc or docx to a Google Drive (link will be provided in class\, no pages will be accepted before they are called for).\n\n\n\n40 minutes – Allison will live-edit pages shared on screen\, noting where the writer is succeeding and what revisions could make the prose even more effective. During live edits\, she’ll call out specific techniques and tips for everyone to apply to their own work\, right away. \n\n\n\n10 minutes – Q&A and planning your writing from here.\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar will cover\n\n\n\n\nHOW the interplay of passion and foible creates conflict and tension within and between characters\n\n\n\nThe “CHARACTER ZERO” of Commedia Dell’ Arte and how it relates to modern prose\n\n\n\nSHOWING villainous\, abusive\, narcissistic and harmful behavior in ways that allow the reader to judge—and why moments of “good” give evil more impact\n\n\n\nWORLDBUILDING through character action and dialogue\n\n\n\nWHEN\, HOW\, and WHY to use adverbs (hint: “in a _____ tone” is needlessly verbose! Bring on the adverbs!)\n\n\n\nThe ACTOR’S TECHNIQUE for bringing to life the most minor of characters—and how to use it in writing.\n\n\n\nOBJECTIVES and OBSTACLES\, and how they make characters active in every scene.\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for\n\n\n\n\nNovelists with a large cast of characters who need distinction; or only a few characters who must hold the reader’s attention throughout the book\n\n\n\nMemoirists who want to write vivid characters without getting lost in their own emotional past experience\n\n\n\nCreative writing students and graduates of MFA programs who want to expand their writing craft with conscious practice.\n\n\n\nDevelopmental editors who want to grow their knowledge of characterization in prose and better communicate that knowledge to their author clients.\n\n\n\n“Plotters” struggling with bringing a character dossier to life on the page \n\n\n\n“Pantsers” who need to fill in background and personality without info-dumping\n\n\n\nWriters hearing feedback that their characters blend together\, or are too “black-and-white” and need more depth\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAll registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔ \n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAllison K Williams is the author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro From Blank Page to Book. She has edited and coached writers to Big Five and literary/university publishing deals and the New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. She’s guided essayists and humorists to publication in media including the New Yorker\, Time\, the Guardian\, the New York Times\, McSweeney’s\, Refinery29\, Hippocampus\, the Belladonna and TED Talks. As Social Media Editor for Brevity\, she inspires thousands of writers with weekly blogs on craft and the writing life. \n\n\n\nBefore turning to writing and editing fulltime\, Allison was a classically-trained actor. With a BA in Theatre and an MFA in Playwriting\, she has acted and directed with American Stage\, The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival\, Eckerd College\, Western Michigan University\, and many more. Her plays for young actors have been noted by Dramatics Magazine as top-ten most produced worldwide\, and her multi-character solo show TRUE STORY won Best of Fringe at the London Fringe Festival and toured the USA and Canada. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/beyond-description/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Event-Template-1-6.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T160000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250910T003113Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T114808Z UID:10000057-1759935600-1759939200@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Personal Essays for Mainstream Media: the Form\, the Market & What Editors Want DESCRIPTION:Pitching and writing short personal essays for commercial media means answering Why you? and Why now? right up front! \n\n\n\nfor Creative Nonfiction and Personal Essay \n\n\n\nLearn the nuts and bolts of the 750- to 1\,500-word personal experience essays commonly found in popular\, mainstream publications\, ranging from the Boston Globe Magazine “Connections\,” The New York Times “Modern Love\,” HuffPost Personal\, and special-topics publications like travel (Yankee\, Afar)\, food (Bon Appétit)\, parenting (Motherwell)\, and other niche interests\, lifestyles\, and hobbies.  \n\n\n\nLearn how to craft essays that are straightforward\, direct\, and to the point; that focus on a poignant personal transformation; that have a strong “I” voice narrator from the start; and that provide the reader with some universal takeaway or lesson. We’ll also make sure your essays answer the “why now? ” question by showing how to make your essays timely\, topical\, and responsive to newsworthy events\, anniversaries\, and seasons—which editors love.  \n\n\n\nThis webinar will NOT focus on experimental\, lyrical\, or literary essays. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nUNDERSTAND the form\, structure\, and marketplace for mainstream essays.\n\n\n\nAVOID the top mistakes that writers of these essays make.\n\n\n\nDISCOVER how to craft personal experiences into short essays.\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers at any level who:\n\n\n\n\nwant to publish in mainstream outlets\n\n\n\nstruggle finding a clear focus and takeaway for their essays\n\n\n\nwant to turn their personal experiences into marketable narratives\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nETHAN GILSDORF is a writer\, teacher\, performer\, and the author of the Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. His work has appeared in the New York Times\, Washington Post\, Esquire\, Wired\, Salon\, O the Oprah Magazine\, Brevity\, Electric Literature\, Poetry\, The Southern Review\, among other publications\, and named “Notable” by The Best American Essays. He teaches workshops in essay\, creative nonfiction and memoir at GrubStreet in Boston\, where he leads the Essay Incubator program\,  and at LitArts RI. He is also on the faculty of the Solstice MFA Program at Lasell University. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/personal-essays-for-mainstream/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Event-Templates-copy.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T143000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250907T215311Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T232213Z UID:10000056-1760184000-1760193000@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:SEMINAR | The Right Words: Boost Your Author Platform with Storytelling DESCRIPTION:Your author platform rests on your public identity. Create and define your online self to capture readers’ attention and showcase your story.\n\n\n\nAfter creating your art privately\, over time\, marketing can feel disingenuous\, even tacky. But to attract attention from readers\, agents\, and publishers\, you need a clearly defined public persona that truly reflects who you are and what you offer. Storytelling is the key to getting noticed in a click-away world without compromising your message.  \n\n\n\nThis 2.5-hour generative seminar will help you align your website\, social media\, and content with who you are while also ensuring your work is discoverable online. This isn’t a tech-heavy session—it’s about using your words to define your digital identity in a way that resonates with your audience and gets found by search engines. If you hate your current website or are procrastinating launching one altogether\, or if you rely on social media platforms for your audience engagement but worry they could change or disappear overnight\, this seminar is for you! \n\n\n\nYou’ll learn how to research and reflect on your current online identity\, avoid common SEO and AI pitfalls\, and generate key search words through storytelling. Through writing prompts and case studies\, we’ll focus on crafting drafts for your Home and About pages\, giving you the tools to build a digital presence that feels true to you. Whether you’re just starting your author website or renovating the one you have\, you’ll leave this workshop with actionable steps to take your online presence to the next level and connect more effectively with your intended audience. \n\n\n\nThis seminar offers live workshopping for HOME or ABOUT pages of 5–7 selected websites. Submit your URL a week in advance (instructions in your confirmation email) for a chance to be featured live. If time allows\, additional links may be shared in the chat. All participants—whether featured or not—will receive personalized feedback by email for up to two weeks after the session\, including on content drafted during the workshop. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this Interactive seminar\, you’ll learn to:\n\n\n\n\nALIGN your online presence with your true creative identity.\n\n\n\nLEARN to analyze and apply insights from different website styles. \n\n\n\nDEVELOP clear and engaging content for key website pages\, while maintaining a personal voice and clarity.\n\n\n\nCREATE effective\, engaging calls-to-action and website copy that draws visitors in and makes it easy for them to connect. \n\n\n\nEXPLORE practical steps to refine an online identity that supports your professional and personal goals. \n\n\n\nENGAGE in Q&A to discuss specific challenges in shaping your website and digital presence.All registered attendees will receive the Golden Notes summary with actionable steps and the slides from the presentation\, including prompts for further reflection and implementation.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis seminar is ideal for writers\, freelancers\, and creatives who \n\n\n\n\nAre frustrated with their current website or procrastinating on launching one\n\n\n\nHave changed careers or writing styles and need to update their digital presence\n\n\n\nAre online-phobic and unsure how to navigate creating an authentic\, engaging digital identity\n\n\n\nFeel their social media presence isn’t enough and want to take full control of their online persona\n\n\n\nWant to boost visibility without relying on complex SEO tactics or tech-heavy jargon\n\n\n\nLooking to align their website\, social media\, and content with who they truly are\, while making sure it works for SEO and engagement\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR Instructor\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Michelle Cutler is an award-winning screenwriter\, storytelling coach\, and essayist with more than 15-years of experience as a freelance advertising writer and brand strategist. She has worked on over 1\,700 commercial campaigns across the U.S.\, U.K.\, and Europe\, collaborating with top directors and agencies on projects ranging from the world stage of the Olympics to episodic television\, feature films\, and luxury house paint. Her reported and personal essays have appeared in HuffPost\, Business Insider\, Trail Runner Magazine\, Under the Gum Tree\, Brevity Blog\, and elsewhere. She loves working with individual writers and artists on personal storytelling\, branding\, pitching\, and audience engagement. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nTestimonials from past students:\n\n\n\n“Michelle Cutler knows her stuff! And she is very generous and patient in sharing her expertise. I need to go back and listen to the recording again to glean even more benefit from her workshop!” – Andi Penner (IWWG hosted workshop participant) \n\n\n\n“Michelle’s webinar gave me immediate and concrete steps to improve my website in a clear and easily understood manner. She is very charming and seemed genuinely interested in my questions\, answering all of them by the end of the session. Well worth the time and money spent.” – Diana Eden (IWWG hosted workshop participant) \n\n\n\n“I am a gardener in Nevada City California. My mother signed me up for this workshop. It absolutely turned my head around about the approach that I’ve been taking. It was fun and smart and it made the “lights in my building” brighter! I highly recommend it.” – Kathy Irving (IWWG hosted workshop participant) \n\n\n\n“Michelle’s clear presentation and focus were invaluable! Her “SEO of Me” workshop was exactly what I needed as I work to tell my story as an online presence.” – Lisa St. John (IWWG hosted workshop participant) \n\n\n\nTHE FINE PRINT \n\n\n\nWe 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. \n\n\n\nBefore the class\, you may request a full refund. \n\n\n\nPlease keep in mind that no refunds or credits will be issued after class begins. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/seminar-the-right-words/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Seminars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MASTER-Event-Templates.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T163000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250915T185718Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251009T153008Z UID:10000058-1760540400-1760545800@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Micro Memoirs: Writing Tiny True Stories DESCRIPTION:Can you write a powerful\, true story in less than 300 words? Learn how to write emotionally resonant\, attention-grabbing micro memoirs. \n\n\n\nFor Creative Nonfiction\, Personal Essay and Memoir \n\n\n\nMicro memoirs (a sub-genre of flash creative nonfiction) are true stories from one’s life written with power and brevity. Generally defined as 300 words or less\, these tiny essays pack a powerful punch! With a limited word count\, every word matters. Through writing micros\, you’ll learn to distill what’s most important\, focus on a single experience\, and rely on images and sensory details to make your work pop on the page—work that can help your scenes\, essays\, and manuscripts\, too. \n\n\n\nDuring this online generative webinar\, participants will look at examples of evocative micro memoirs and explore what makes them effective. They’ll learn how to create a lasting emotional impact on readers with just a few words by using precise sensory details\, poetic devices\, and metaphor. At the end\, Bethany will provide three writing prompts as optional homework to jumpstart your writing! \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE the six key elements of a successful micro memoir.\n\n\n\nDISCOVER how to create emotional resonance so readers keep thinking about your piece long after they read it.\n\n\n\nGET TIPS for writing engaging and powerful micro memoirs that editors and readers will love.\n\n\n\nEXPLORE how compression\, sensory details\, and lyricism increase the impact of your writing.\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers who want to…\n\n\n\n\nExplore the possibilities of tiny prose\n\n\n\nImmediately capture the attention of editors and readers\n\n\n\nIncrease the impact and emotional resonance within all their writing\n\n\n\nLearn how to use compression and sensory details to make their work come alive\n\n\n\nExplore a form that can be written in liminal moments\, in the midst of life’s busyness\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBethany 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 memoir\, Take Me Home. Her work has been published in more than 100 literary magazines including Rattle\, Brevity\, and Chestnut Review. Her writing was selected for Best Spiritual Literature and Best Small Fictions and nominated for the Pushcart Prize and The Best of the Net.  \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/micro-memoirs/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MASTER-Event-Templates-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T140000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251015T215250Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251015T233332Z UID:10000065-1761051600-1761055200@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:The Writers Bridge | Funny on Purpose: The Craft of Writing Comedy DESCRIPTION:With Emmy-award winning writer Elliott Kalan\, former Head Writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.\n\n\n\nWhat’s the difference between a book that makes people smile and one that makes them snort-laugh on the subway? \n\n\n\nIntent. And technique. \n\n\n\nMost writers stumble into humor by accident—a clever turn of phrase here\, a self-deprecating moment there. But award-winning comedy writer Elliott Kalan (winner of four Emmys\, a Peabody\, and Head Writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) knows something most authors don’t: being funny on purpose is a learnable skill\, whether you’re writing memoir\, fiction\, or anything in between. \n\n\n\nIn this months’ Writers Bridge\, Elliott will reveal why relying on natural wit isn’t enough—and how his “joke farming” method can help you cultivate intentional humor that enhances your story. He’ll show you how to plant comedic moments that feel organic\, tend to them with the right structure and timing\, and harvest laughs that serve your larger narrative. \n\n\n\nJoin us TUESDAY October 21st at 1PM EASTERN – live and FREE on Zoom\, all welcome! \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOur special guest \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nElliott Kalan is an Emmy\, Peabody\, and Writers Guild Award–winning television writer and producer whose credits include head writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and head writer for the reboot of Mystery Science Theater 3000\, among other shows. He is currently executive producer and showrunner for the forthcoming Ghostbusters animated series on Netflix. \n\n\n\nElliott also hosts or cohosts the podcasts SmartLess Presents: ClueLess\, The Flop House\, and The Power Broker\, a limited series from 99% Invisible. Additional writing credits include the history podcast Presidents Are People\, Too!\, the children’s sketch comedy show The Who Was? Show\, three children’s picture books\, and comic book series for Marvel and DC Comics. \n\n\n\nJoin 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 comedy\, writing for TV\, and the wonderful chaos of the writers’ room. \n\n\n\nFREE\, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEnjoy past recorded sessions here\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAllison 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSharla 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/bridge-funny/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Writers Bridge ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TWB-logo-2023-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251022T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251022T163000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250915T195237Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251103T193955Z UID:10000059-1761145200-1761150600@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Writing the Hermit Crab Essay: Telling Your Story in Borrowed Forms  DESCRIPTION:Learn to write and revise a Hermit Crab essay from the teacher who coined the term\, and have fun generating new and surprising work!\n\n\n\nFor Creative Nonfiction\, Personal Essay and Memoir \n\n\n\nThe “Hermit Crab” essay\, Brenda Miller writes in Tell It Slant\, borrows a form that already exists in the world to tell a personal story. Like the hermit crab creatures themselves\, these essays need a found shell to contain their vulnerable underbellies.  \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, Brenda Miller will show how you can find your own shells and use them to coax out material that otherwise might not have found its way. She will provide powerful examples and guide you in a fun and inspiring writing practice to generate new and unexpected material. She will also describe revision approaches and submission strategies for these innovative essays. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLEARN how to identify and use the Hermit Crab essay form in your own work. \n\n\n\nDISCOVER how to select compelling “shells” for Hermit Crab essays.\n\n\n\nSTUDY the relationship between form and content. \n\n\n\nPRACTICE writing techniques that coax out new material by working within borrowed forms.\n\n\n\nLEARN specific revision strategies for refining Hermit Crab essays. \n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers who…\n\n\n\n\nNeed a little “spark” in their writing practice\n\n\n\nWant to explore and experiment with new forms\n\n\n\nFind themselves challenged in writing difficult material.\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBrenda Miller is the author of six essay collections\, most recently A Braided Heart: Essays on Writing and Form (University of Michigan Press\, 2021). Her book of collaborative essays with Julie Marie Wade\, Telephone: Essays in Two Voices\, won the Cleveland State Poetry Center Award for an essay collection and was published in 2021. She co-authored Tell It Slant: Creating\, Refining\, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction  (Third Edition 2019) and The Pen and The Bell: Mindful Writing in a Busy World. Her poetry chapbook\, The Daughters of Elderly Women\, received the 2020 Floating Bridge Press Chapbook Award. Her work has received seven Pushcart Prizes. She is a Professor Emerita at Western Washington University\, where she taught creative writing for 25 years. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/writing-the-hermit-crab-essay/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/4.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251030T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251030T153000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20250919T205751Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251103T193949Z UID:10000060-1761832800-1761838200@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Navigating Literary Magazines:  Great markets for YOUR work DESCRIPTION:Feeling overwhelmed by the landscape of literary magazines? Join us in this fun and lively session for answers to your lit mag questions.\n\n\n\nFor All Writers \n\n\n\nThe landscape of literary magazines can be overwhelming. With over 6\,000 journals currently on the market\, writers often struggle with finding the best and most appropriate magazines for their projects. In this lively and informative talk\, we will look at the tools available to writers to narrow down the market and discuss ways to find journals specifically suited to their interests.  \n\n\n\nAre contests good to enter? How do you determine a credible writing contest?  \n\n\n\nWhat are things to look for in deciding whether to submit to a newer lit mag?  \n\n\n\nShould writers pay submission fees?  \n\n\n\nWhat do rejection letters really mean?  \n\n\n\nAnd so much more!  \n\n\n\nGain empowerment to find exciting journals and submit your work for publication. Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLEARN best practices for success in lit mag publishing and writing contests\n\n\n\nDISCOVER ways to narrow the market and target those journals most suitable for your work\n\n\n\nFIND new resources to help you with lit mag publishing\n\n\n\nGET inspired and empowered to send your writing into the world\n\n\n\nASK any questions you have about lit mag publishing \n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers of all genres who are seeking successful strategies for submitting their work for publication.\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBecky Tuch is a fiction and nonfiction writer based in Pennsylvania. Her short stories have been honored with awards from Moment Magazine\, Briar Cliff Review\, Glimmer Train as well as fellowships from The MacDowell Colony and elsewhere. Additional work has appeared in Atticus Review\, Gulf Coast\, Post Road\, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency\, and other publications. She is the creator of Lit Mag News\, a Substack dedicated to demystifying the world of literary magazines. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/navigating-literary-magazines/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MASTER-Event-Templates-2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251105T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251105T161500 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251008T235850Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251103T193942Z UID:10000063-1762354800-1762359300@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Writing with Your Ghosts: Turning Hauntings into Portals DESCRIPTION:The questions\, voices\, places\, and ideas that haunt you are a roadmap into the deepest layers of your writing. \n\n\n\nFor All Writers \n\n\n\nAs writers\, we have themes and questions that we return to over and over again in our work. Sometimes this can feel limiting\, but what if what you can’t shake off is meant to stick?  Our “hauntings” are threads we’re holding that haven’t found their pattern. Writing is one of many ways we weave their patterns so they can rest. \n\n\n\nWhat may feel common or repetitive is really the foundation of everything that is ours. These recurring themes contain the portals to our strongest stories.  Let’s look at what we can learn from the things that haunt us and populate our unique writer’s point of view. \n\n\n\nIn this generative writing workshop\, we will engage with exercises that help you meet and get to know the things that haunt you and your work. Not only will you name and dialogue with a haunting or two\, but you’ll also learn ways to turn your hauntings into generative writing portals\, create three fresh approaches to an old question\, and take a short detour through the work of Georgia O’Keeffe’s skull paintings. \n\n\n\nCome prepared to explore the other worlds that live inside of you! \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE questions and themes that haunt you\n\n\n\nIDENTIFY a common thread among your obsessions\n\n\n\nREFLECT on the use of a single subject in the skull paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe\n\n\n\nLEARN HOW to re-energize what feels familiar and stale\n\n\n\nCREATE three different writing approaches to one of your hauntings \n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers who…\n\n\n\n\nAre curious about the secrets hidden in their hauntings \n\n\n\nFeel their work has become repetitive\n\n\n\nAre seeking new approaches to their writing themes\n\n\n\nWant to learn how to re-energize a familiar topic\n\n\n\nAre feeling stuck inside a single story\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLaraine 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. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/writing-with-your-ghosts/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Event-Templates-2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T161500 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251014T144823Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251106T152232Z UID:10000064-1762959600-1762964100@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Finding and Writing Your Joy: The Unexpected\, the Inexplicable\, and the Lovely DESCRIPTION:For All Writers \n\n\n\nThere is no darkness without light. Find the light\, and write it.\n\n\n\nWe can forget\, when the world presses hard upon us\, that one of our responsibilities is to locate joy. To feel it. And\, if we are writers\, to make room for it on our pages. In this craft workshop we’ll rediscover the joy in writers like Brian Doyle\, Ross Gay\, and Mary Oliver\, explore how language works to connect ourselves and our readers with joy\, and bring our voices to the page with complexity and surprise. \n\n\n\nWe’ll think of joy in all its manifestations—as happiness\, as light\, as entertainment\, as awareness\, as epiphany. We’ll pause to consider simple prompts. We’ll think about the pairing of joyful verbs and the avoidance of cliché. We’ll find joy\, together. A workshop for all ages\, all genres\, and all frames of mind. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nREDISCOVER the writers who have mastered joy\n\n\n\nBECOME PROFICIENT in surprising turns of phrase\n\n\n\nLEARN HOW to modulate your voice—soft to loud\, loud to exultant\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers who are…\n\n\n\n\nSeeking to build complexity into their work\n\n\n\nWishing to sidestep cliche as they write toward joy\n\n\n\nHoping to more completely access and write their emotional life\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBeth Kephart is the award-winning writer of three dozen books in multiple genres\, an award-winning teacher of memoir\, and a paper artist. She is the author\, most recently\, of Wife|Daughter|Self: A Memoir in Essays\, My Life in Paper: Adventures in Ephemera\, and Tomorrow Will Bring Sunday’s News: A Philadelphia Story\, as well as a series of craft books. Find her art and her musings on language and life at her Substack\, The Hush and the Howl. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/finding-and-writing-joy/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MASTER-Event-Templates-2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T161500 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251023T141943Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251113T143618Z UID:10000066-1763564400-1763568900@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | How to End a Memoir: Finding Closure Without Cliché DESCRIPTION:For Memorists \n\n\n\nGreat memoirs don’t just stop—they land. Learn how to craft conclusions that feel earned\, emotionally true\, and satisfying.\n\n\n\nEndings are where memoirs earn their meaning. They show us not only what happened\, but also what it all added up to—how the writer has changed\, what they’ve learned\, and where the story leaves them (and us).  \n\n\n\nYet endings are also one of the hardest parts to get right. How do we bring emotional closure without tying things up too neatly? How do we signal growth and understanding without drifting into cliché or sentimentality?. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE how endings satisfy readers\, with examples from published memoirs.\n\n\n\nEXAMINE three powerful approaches to endings.\n\n\n\nFIND the ending form that best fits your story’s emotional truth.\n\n\n\nLEARN HOW to create resolution\, even in the absence of recovery.\n\n\n\nIDENTIFY common pitfalls in memoir endings \n\n\n\nLEARN THE CRAFT of conclusions that feel resonant\, true\, and earned.\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers with complete or near-complete memoir drafts…\n\n\n\n\nWhose endings feel flat\, rushed\, or too neatly tied up\n\n\n\nWho want to craft endings that echo emotionally without turning sentimental\n\n\n\nReady to move beyond “summary endings” to endings that feel inevitable\, earned\, and alive\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKATIE BANNON is a writer\, editor\, and educator whose work has appeared in The Washington Post\, The Rumpus\, ELLE Magazine\, 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 loves helping memoirists and essayists tell their most vulnerable\, taboo stories. She lives in Central Massachusetts with her partner and two cats.Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/how-to-end-memoir/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251125T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251125T140000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251028T023427Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251106T153039Z UID:10000070-1764075600-1764079200@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:The Writers Bridge | From Zero to 100K Followers: Midlife Social Media DESCRIPTION:How to build your presence and get a book deal–by doing what you actually enjoy.\n\n\n\nHow can a midlife writer make a dent on social media? \n\n\n\nBy showing up. \n\n\n\nWhen Lucie Frost first tried to sell her memoir\, she heard the dreaded “not enough platform.” And she didn’t want to violate her own privacy or get trapped into following fads. \n\n\n\nInstead\, she focused on what drove her writing: curiosity. Her Instagram and TikTok appearances\, sharing what she wanted to know and why\, built a multi-generational audience of inquisitive readers\, ready for her book\, How the Hell Did I Not Know That: My Midlife Year from Couch to Curiosity. \n\n\n\nIn this months’ Writers Bridge\, Lucie will share the tips and tricks she used to feel comfortable and happy building her platform\, how she protected her online self\, and how that platform led to a traditional publishing deal. She’ll also answer all your questions about how you can do it\, too! \n\n\n\nJoin us TUESDAY November 25th at 1PM EASTERN – live and FREE on Zoom\, all welcome! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOur special guest \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLucie Frost is a no-longer-practicing lawyer and the author of How the Hell Did I Not Know That? (Trinity University Press\, August 2025). \n\n\n\nShe has written humor and satire for NextTribe\, Slackjaw\, The Belladonna\, Points in Case\, Emrys Journal\, and others. She is active on social media\, with 100k+ engaged followers across various platforms. \n\n\n\nShe lives in Central Texas with her three needy\, delightful dogs. \n\n\n\nJoin 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 comedy\, writing for TV\, and the wonderful chaos of the writers’ room. \n\n\n\nFREE\, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEnjoy past recorded sessions here\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAllison 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSharla 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/bridge-midlife-social/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Writers Bridge ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TWB-logo-2023-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251203T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251203T161500 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251025T164113Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251127T161411Z UID:10000067-1764774000-1764778500@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Writing Through Menopause: Navigating Our Changing Voices DESCRIPTION:When what used to work no longer works\, rather than turn away from your creative practice\, turn inward with compassion. \n\n\n\nFor All Writers \n\n\n\nThe physical\, emotional\, and psychological effects of perimenopause and menopause touch every aspect of the life of the person living through it. For many\, this period feels like an unraveling\, a time when change is demanded in many different ways\, and our writing is not exempt.  \n\n\n\nWe may have changes in lifestyles\, schedules\, health\, or personal responsibilities that have required us to shift the ways we used to write. We may discover that we want something different than what we’ve been pursuing or that our current values are no longer aligned with our earlier years. Even the ways we use language may change. This can feel at best destabilizing\, at worst\, terrifying. Who am I becoming? What do I need to say? What do I no longer need to say? What if I have nothing left to say? \n\n\n\nIn an environment where artists are encouraged to “stay in their lane\,” creating similar content (especially if they’re achieving external success)\, we may be afraid to try something new or lose hope and connection to one thing that has always kept us tethered to ourselves: our writing. \n\n\n\nIn the natural pause and unspooling that comes with menopause and aging\, we can let the changes teach us their secrets and grow in unexpected ways—both with our craft and our content. Our writing voices\, interests\, and routines will change. Learn to move into those changes with ease and compassion for yourself and for your writing. Using gentle questions and generative prompts\, we’ll honor where we’ve been\, where we are\, and where we’re going next. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXAMINE how peri/post-menopausal changes impact your writing\n\n\n\nEXPLORE ways in which you’ve changed as a writer during this season of life\n\n\n\nLEARN ways to be at ease with the natural pauses and changes in a writing life\n\n\n\nIDENTIFY a key shift in your own life story\n\n\n\nCONNECT that shift to your creative work\n\n\n\nREFLECT on questions to imagine new work and new ways of creating\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers…\n\n\n\n\nfeeling the impact of (peri)menopause on the way they relate to writing\n\n\n\ncurious about how (peri)menopause can be an invitation to new ways of storytelling\n\n\n\nwho feel disconnected from the writer they used to be\n\n\n\nwho are moving into a new stage in their work or life\n\n\n\nwho feel boxed in to being a certain kind of writer or working in a certain genre\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLaraine 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. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/writing-through-menopause/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Event-Templates-2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251206T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251206T163000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251025T161859Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251127T161510Z UID:10000068-1765029600-1765038600@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:SEMINAR | The Final Polish: Make Every Sentence Shine DESCRIPTION:Even the strongest stories falter if the sentences don’t sing.\n\n\n\nFor All Writers \n\n\n\nYou’ve revised your structure\, developed your characters\, and deepened your themes—but you’re still wondering\, is this ready to submit\, or does it need more work? Perhaps the prose feels flat\, predictable\, or cluttered with unnecessary words. Your voice doesn’t feel powerful. It’s not just you! Most writers face this challenge after completing their macro-level revisions: the sentences themselves need work\, but it’s hard to see exactly what’s wrong or how to fix it. We all need a clear framework for evaluating prose at the sentence level. \n\n\n\nThis seminar focuses on the final polish—the sentence-level work that transforms a narrative from solid to striking. We’ll tackle the specific issues that drain energy from your prose: repetitive sentence structures that lull readers to sleep\, vague language that tells instead of shows\, and filler words that bloat your word count without adding meaning. You’ll learn how to fine-tune syntax\, word choice\, rhythm\, and cadence to create prose that engages\, surprises\, and resonates with readers on every page.  \n\n\n\nMost importantly\, you’ll develop the editorial eye to spot when your prose is polished and ready to be shared. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this insightful seminar\, you’ll:\n\n\n\n\nIDENTIFY common sentence-level problems and how to avoid them.\n\n\n\nEXPLORE variations in syntax and sentence length to create rhythm\, tension\, and emotional pulse.\n\n\n\nDISCOVER strategies for sharpening word choice\, enhancing specificity\, and using fresh\, precise language.\n\n\n\nPRACTICE “purging” techniques to eliminate unnecessary words from your prose–easily! \n\n\n\nLEARN to know when your prose is truly ready to submit. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis seminar is ideal for intermediate and advanced writers who:\n\n\n\n\nHave a complete or near-complete draft of a book\, essay\, or story and want to elevate it with sentence-level polish.\n\n\n\nStruggle with clichés\, generalities\, or filler words and want to make their language fresher\, more precise\, and more impactful.\n\n\n\nAre ready to refine their work before submission\, publication\, or sharing with readers.\n\n\n\nWant to move beyond structural revision into micro-level craft mastery.\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR Instructor\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKatie Bannon is a writer\, editor\, and educator whose work has appeared in The Washington Post\, The Rumpus\, ELLE Magazine\, 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 memoirists and essayists on how to write and revise their most vulnerable\, taboo stories. She teaches at GrubStreet and lives in Central Massachusetts with her partner and two cats. \n\n\n\nStudent Testimonials\n\n\n\n\n“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.” \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“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!” \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“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!” \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE FINE PRINT \n\n\n\nWe 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. \n\n\n\nBefore the class\, you may request a full refund. \n\n\n\nPlease keep in mind that no refunds or credits will be issued after class begins. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/the-final-polish/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Seminars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Event-Template-from-Canva-3.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251213T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251213T163000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251103T203231Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251204T160621Z UID:10000071-1765638000-1765643400@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | The Words That Start the Wave: Memoir Openings Designed to Move DESCRIPTION:Great memoirs begin with a single\, unforgettable moment. In this session\, we’ll explore how to write an opening that pulses through your story—anchoring tone\, tension\, and truth from the first lines.\n\n\n\nFor Memorists \n\n\n\nIn this 90-minute webinar\, you will dive headfirst into the art of crafting an unforgettable memoir opening. Learn skills that allow you to deploy metaphor with precision in order to create depth for your story\, and study how the use of ordinary moments and crystal clear images set up patterns that will linger in the reader’s mind. Examine how sentences can be crafted to establish your singular voice and raise the stakes from the very first line. And gain experience in cueing the thrum of backstory—the invisible pulse of what has already happened\, which creates a powerful undertow that pulls your reader through the story.   \n\n\n\nBy the end of the session\, you will have a set of shiny new tools\, along with some insights and inspiration to create an opening that will hook your readers\, launching your memoir on a wave that will carry them from the first word to the last. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXAMINE the key elements of a strong memoir opening \n\n\n\nLEARN to use those elements in your own work\n\n\n\nDISCOVER opening pitfalls—common reasons agents/publishers/readers don’t read on\n\n\n\nBALANCE backstory with the story that launches on page one\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers who:\n\n\n\n\nAre uncertain how to start writing their memoir.\n\n\n\nHave a memoir in progress\, but are stuck.\n\n\n\nAre embarking on a revision of a current project.\n\n\n\nWant to capture the attention of readers—and hold them.\n\n\n\nAre receiving rejections without feedback.\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOne of CRAFT TALKS’ most popular presenters\, for her insightful and inspiring webinars\, HEATHER SELLERS is the author of 11 books\, including four books on craft\, a memoir\, a children’s book\, a collection of short stories\, and four volumes of poetry.  She teaches in the MFA program at the University of South Florida\, and her work has appeared in The New York Times\, Reader’s Digest\, The Sun\, and The Best American Essays. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/words-that-start/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Event-Template-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251217T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251217T163000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251114T202340Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251210T213904Z UID:10000072-1765983600-1765989000@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Using AI for Writing Business Efficiency: The Practical\, Ethical Way to Spend More Time Doing What You Love DESCRIPTION:If you’ve ever spent hours on tedious research or business tasks\, struggled to come up with marketing plans or marketing copy\, or felt intimidated by the rapidly evolving landscape around AI\, this session is for you.\n\n\n\nFor All Writers \n\n\n\nWriters and publishing professionals are suddenly awash in AI promises—“Outsource your editing to AI!” or “Use AI to automate your marketing!” —yet most of us are quietly wondering: Can these tools really help without compromising quality or ethics?  \n\n\n\nYes.  \n\n\n\nIf you apply your critical thinking skills and thoughtfulness to the process\, and if you’re willing to pay a monthly fee for the professional versions of today’s AI tools. \n\n\n\nIn this class\, publishing industry expert Jane Friedman demystifies the current AI landscape and shows through examples and live demos how to incorporate AI tools into your workflow so you can reclaim creative time and reduce time sinks. Drawing on other authors’ examples and her use\, Jane shows how to use AI responsibly\, with human oversight and respect for readers\, writers\, and the larger community. It is possible to use AI in a way that keeps your voice your own and your copyright intact. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nIDENTIFY administrative and business tasks ripe for AI assistance\, especially marketing and promotion tasks\n\n\n\nLEARN HOW AI can be used as a research assistant\, with citations you can check—and how it can serve as another layer of protection against errors creeping into your work\n\n\n\nDISCOVER HOW AI can be helpful for brainstorming and idea refinement (it’s great at generating common\, boring ideas to work against!)\n\n\n\nGET methods of generating of quick first drafts using your own words\n\n\n\nLEARN HOW to prevent AI from training on material you upload\n\n\n\nGAIN a clearer sense of how to use AI with care and transparency\n\n\n\n\nWhat is not covered:\n\n\n\n\nUsing AI to generate images or video\n\n\n\nUsing AI to write longform articles or books from scratch (but short summaries? yes!)\n\n\n\nAn explanation of all the AI tools and features available today; instead\, Jane will focus on a handful of tools she uses and knows best\, primarily ChatGPT\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBut isn’t AI illegal/unethical? While lawsuits are underway about the legality of how some of these models have been trained\, the courts have not yet made any decisions about whether that training was fair use (legal) or infringement. Even if the courts find that the models constitute infringement\, the most likely outcome is that financial remedies will be put in place. The AI companies will not suddenly be shut down or go out of business. AI technologies will continue to develop just as they always have and on a global scale. \n\n\n\nAI companies now legally license material from established media outlets and publishers\, including the largest New York publishers and educational corporations. AI is taught in schools\, used by professors\, and plays a role in nearly every business around the globe. It’s true that some people use AI in unethical or illegal ways. In fact\, Jane was personally affected by such use. But that’s not the same as the tool itself being unethical or illegal. This class will emphasize how to use the technology in an ethical\, legal manner. \n\n\n\nBut isn’t AI bad for the environment? The energy required to use AI is akin to any modern convenience. Here’s a ​big-picture overview​ from a former physics teacher about the environmental costs and a data scientist who cares about sustainability (and has published a book on the topic) who ​agrees​ with his conclusions: Cheat Sheet & Carbon Footprint.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for people who have little or no experience using AI tools and aren’t sure how to use them; those using AI who want to guard their copyrights and learn best practices; and authors in any genre or category.\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFor nearly three decades\, Jane Friedman has helped thousands of authors build sustainable careers. She is the author of The Business of Being a Writer\, Second Edition (University of Chicago Press) and a frequent speaker at global industry events. Her expertise has been cited by The New York Times\, Publishers Weekly\, and Poets & Writers\, and her long-running newsletter\, The Bottom Line\, helps industry professionals stay on top of publishing trends—especially the evolving role of AI. With a background that spans traditional publishing\, digital marketing strategy\, and entrepreneurial authorship\, Jane offers a uniquely balanced perspective on harnessing technology without sacrificing craft or ethics. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/using-ai/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Jane-Friedman.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251230T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251230T140000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251227T205130Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260128T132105Z UID:10000078-1767099600-1767103200@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:The Writers Bridge | How to Pitch Your Book in 2026 with Literary Agent Jessica Berg DESCRIPTION:Whether you’re talking to agents\, publishers or readers\, you need to comfortably talk about your book.\n\n\n\nWhat makes a great pitch\, and the platform you need to support your book. \n\n\n\nGetting 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. \n\n\n\nLiterary 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. \n\n\n\nCohost 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. \n\n\n\nWe’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. \n\n\n\nJoin us TUESDAY December 30th at 1PM EASTERN – live and FREE on Zoom\, all welcome! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOur special guest \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJessica 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. \n\n\n\nShe 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.. \n\n\n\nJoin 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. \n\n\n\nFREE\, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEnjoy past recorded sessions here\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAllison 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSharla 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/bridge-pitch/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Writers Bridge ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TWB-logo-2023-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260111T223000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260111T233000 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251212T154732Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260108T145729Z UID:10000075-1768170600-1768174200@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:REPLAY | Organize Your Writing Life: Get UNstuck in 2026 DESCRIPTION:Tired of feeling guilty about unfinished work? Stop drowning in drafts. You need a mission and a map to cross the finish line.\n\n\n\nFor All Writers | TO BE SENT ON MONDAY 1/12/26 \n\n\n\nNew year\, new plan—what kind of writer do you want to be? What book are you dying to start (or finish!) What’s the mission that will get you going to bring your words into the world? And is FINAL-final-draft-6B.doc the most recent manuscript? (it’s been a few weeks since you sat down!) \n\n\n\nHere’s the truth: if you start with “organizing” you’ll never get finished. What you need is a practical\, flexible approach that meets your actual life and fits your limited calendar. To cut through the overwhelm and focus on the story you want to tell and the readers you need to reach. And of course\, a specific list of the steps to take to get from draft to done. \n\n\n\nIn this 90-minute webinar with Allison K Williams\, get clear on your goals and learn how tomerge linear planning with creative flexibility to organize your files and your projects. You’ll set (doable!) goals that matter and learn patterns to stay focused on your project despite the demands of work\, family and home. You’ll get tips and tricks to stay motivated and confident when you’re not getting much feedback\, and easy\, free ways to connect with other writers. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will learn:\n\n\n\n\nThe Brain Dump Method: How to get every project\, idea\, and obligation out of your head and onto paper—then decide what actually matters (and what you can let go)\n\n\n\nThe Lifeboat: A powerful technique to identify which project deserves your focus right now\, even when you’re torn between multiple manuscripts\n\n\n\nA 5-minute technique to organize ALL your digital files: find what you need in 30 seconds\, not 30 minutes!\n\n\n\nProject planning for creative minds: How to map your manuscript structure using sticky notes\, index cards\, or digital tools—and why treating each scene as its own accomplishment changes everything\n\n\n\nUnderstanding your creative energy\, bravery\, and commitment—and how to stop spending them in the wrong places\n\n\n\nHow to balance research and writing: The revolutionary way to store and use your research without getting sucked into rabbit holes \n\n\n\nCreating habits that stick: The “if-then” formula that gets you writing\, and why your tiny\, frightened lizard brain needs to hear “I’ll come back\, I promise”\n\n\n\nYour platform is your writing: How to build author presence without taking focus off your writing\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for… \n\n\n\n\nFiction\, nonfiction and memoir writers with a manuscript at any stage—started\, murky middle\, revisions\, or just a compelling idea demanding your attention\n\n\n\nThose building a writing side hustle—teaching\, editing\, coaching—and need strategies to balance the paid work with your own creative projects\n\n\n\nCreatives juggling multiple unfinished projects who need clarity on which one to prioritize\n\n\n\nWriters with child/family/caregiver obligations who just can’t see where the time will come from \n\n\n\nWriters with disabilities or neurodivergence that hinder writing time\, focus or stamina\n\n\n\nWriters who want to form and define their writing life through conscious practice\n\n\n\nCreative Writing students and MFA graduates having a hard time writing without external deadlines\n\n\n\nWriters who alternate between prolific writing binges and “hitting a wall” or getting creatively blocked\n\n\n\n\nNot for people who have their lives\, their time\, and their schedule 100% together and everything is fine! (Please\, tell us how!) \n\n\n\nYou’ll receive:\n\n\n\n\nWorksheets to plan your time\, rank your priorities\, and determine which project will be your focus this year\n\n\n\nPDF of the slides from the workshop\n\n\n\nAccess to daily FREE co-writing sessions\, all year long\n\n\n\nA renewed sense of purpose in your writing.\n\n\n\n\nThis isn’t about becoming someone who has it all together. It’s about becoming someone who makes progress despite not having it all together. Because that’s the only way any of us actually finish books. \n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAllison K Williams is the author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro From Blank Page to Book. She has edited and coached writers to publishing deals with Big Five\, independent & literary presses. She’s guided essayists and humorists to publications including the New Yorker\, Time\, the Guardian\, the New York Times\, McSweeney’s\, Refinery29\, Hippocampus\, the Belladonna and TED Talks. Her own writing on travel\, craft\, culture and comedy has appeared in/on National Public Radio\, CBC-Canada\, the New York Times\, the Christian Science Monitor\, Writers Digest\, Creative Nonfiction\, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency\, Kenyon Review Online\, Travelers’ Tales and Flash Nonfiction Funny. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/organize-your-writing-life/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Event-Template-1-6.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T161500 DTSTAMP:20260507T182522 CREATED:20251219T163922Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260108T143736Z UID:10000076-1768402800-1768407300@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Self vs. Self: Writing Your Best Essays from Contradictions DESCRIPTION:The confusions and contradictions you notice in yourself and the world are your richest source of material.\n\n\n\nFor essayists and creative nonfiction writers | Included in the Season Pass \n\n\n\nAs humans\, we seek certainty. As writers\, diving into the messiness of our own opinions creates our most powerful work. Transcendent\, complex works of nonfiction often depend on confusions and contradictions. A writer can intentionally build tension in an essay by identifying and illuminating paradox\, contradiction\, and incongruity in oneself\, one’s subject\, one’s culture\, and the world. Leaning into and exploring contradiction is often the difference between a simple\, underdeveloped draft and a powerful\, published essay\, article\, or memoir.  \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, we’ll examine works of nonfiction\, including Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz (a memoir of grief and joy intertwined)\, to learn how authors establish and contend with opposite principles\, conflicting perspectives\, and subjects that seemingly clash. You’ll also generate your own list of contradictions you can return to time and again for inspiration. \n\n\n\nCan’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE the works of master nonfiction essayists and memoirists to see how to utilize contradictions thematically and stylistically\n\n\n\nDISCOVER why paradox and confusion make the richest material\n\n\n\nPRACTICE making your own lists of contradictions for future inspiration\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYou should take this webinar if… \n\n\n\n\nYou are an intermediate or advanced writer who wants to dig beneath the obvious stories you’ve been telling\n\n\n\nYou need help generating material\n\n\n\nYou want to add depth\, tension\, and nuance to your essays and nonfiction\n\n\n\nYou are eager to clarify (rather than avoid) the contradictions that shape your voice\n\n\n\nYou are writing on grief\, loss\, or other strong subjects\, and it’s difficult to find the tension or dramatic arc beyond one set of powerful feelings\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLindsey DeLoach Jones is a writer living in Greenville\, South Carolina. She writes about the tension between seemingly opposed forces—the spiritual and the practical\, the mysterious and the mundane\, the Mother and the Artist—in her Substack\, Between Two Things. \n\n\n\nLindsey holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction and has served as the Writer-in-Residence at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts. She has taught literature and writing at Clemson University and currently teaches writing online and in person at Writeshare\, the writers’ network she co-founded in Upstate SC. She previously served as Editor of Emrys Journal and Edible Upcountry. Among other places\, Lindsey’s essays have appeared in HuffPost\, HuffPost Parenting\, Split Lip\, Under the Gum Tree\, and Motherwell. She is a recipient of the Vandermey Nonfiction Prize\, and an essay nominated by Pigeon Pages was a finalist for Best of the Net. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/self-vs-self/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Jones.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR