BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Craft Talks - ECPv6.16.4.1//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: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:20260423T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260507T210000 DTSTAMP:20260512T175839Z CREATED:20260224T171948Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T175839Z UID:10000105-1776970800-1778187600@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:3-WEEK WORKSHOP | Crash Course in Flash Nonfiction: Unlock the Power of Writing Short DESCRIPTION:Flash nonfiction is a powerful form for personal stories. Learn how to write punchy\, poetic flash essays that make a lasting impact on readers. \n\n\n\nRegular tickets are sold out\, but seats without instructor feedback are still available. \n\n\n\nFor Creative Nonfiction\, Flash Nonfiction\, Literary Nonfiction \n\n\n\nLive On Zoom | Thursdays\, April 23 – May 7\, 2026 | 7-9 pm eastern \n\n\n\nFlash nonfiction is the art of telling true stories from one’s life with power and brevity (in 1\,000 words or less). During this three-week generative workshop\, participants will learn the craft of writing flash nonfiction narratives\, write new drafts\, and receive feedback to practice what they’re learning.  \n\n\n\nTogether\, we’ll explore examples of expertly crafted flash nonfiction narratives and define what makes them effective. You’ll learn how to make your personal stories connect with readers by using theme and plot\, compression and layering\, and images and lyricism. Discover what editors look for when selecting flash nonfiction pieces for publication\, and write your own powerful pieces.  \n\n\n\nThis course will include readings\, writing prompts\, in-class writing time\, writing homework\, and Q&A. You’ll receive instructor feedback on two flash-length narratives.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOver these three weeks\, you will …\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE the key elements of flash nonfiction and how they work together to create powerful essays\n\n\n\nLEARN to create emotional resonance so that readers will be thinking about your piece long after they read it\n\n\n\nEXPLORE tips for writing engaging and powerful flash nonfiction that literary magazine editors will love\n\n\n\nDISCOVER how to use compression\, layering\, and lyricism to make each sentence pop\n\n\n\nWRITE flash nonfiction that’s powerful\, punchy\, personal\, and poetic\n\n\n\n\nSchedule\n\n\n\n\nWeek 1. Make it Powerful: Theme\, Plot\, & Research \n\n\n\nWeek 2. Make it Personal: Voice\, Vulnerability & Emotional Intensity\n\n\n\nWeek 3. Make it Punchy: Compression\, Lyricism\, & Form \n\n\n\n\nThis course is for intermediate writers who \n\n\n\n\nWant to generate new flash nonfiction work \n\n\n\nWant their flash nonfiction pieces to grab the attention of editors and readers\n\n\n\nWant to write more powerfully when writing short\n\n\n\nSeek to increase the impact of their prose\n\n\n\nHope to publish flash nonfiction pieces in literary magazines\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔Think you might miss a class? No worries\, replays will be available. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR\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 mini-memoir of flash nonfiction pieces\, Take Me Home. Her work has been published in more than 100 literary magazines\, including Brevity\, River Teeth\, and Chestnut Review. Her writing was selected for Best Spiritual Literature and Best Small Fictions\, and nominated for the Pushcart Prize\, The Best of the Net\, and Best Microfiction. Twice\, she earned first place in Women On Writing’s quarterly flash essay contest. Connect with her at bethanyjarmul.com or on social media: @BethanyJarmul. \n\n\n\nTestimonials from past students:\n\n\n\n“I love taking webinars taught by Bethany Jarmul and always get so much out of them. Bethany has a strong record of publication success and is skilled at sharing her techniques. In her webinars\, which are both affordable and easy to sign up for\, Bethany provides a huge amount of valuable information and writing strategies in clear\, concise\, easy-to-follow presentations.” – Beth Mulcahy  \n\n\n\n“Bethany’s workshops are helpful\, worthwhile\, and enjoyable. She is well organized and her workshops include step-by-step\, actionable strategies that help writers take their craft to another level. The techniques I learned in her workshops helped to generate more writing in different genres and improved the quality of my writing overall. I’m always happy to attend one of her classes.”  – Angelle McDougall \n\n\n\n“Bethany is prepared\, specific\, and encourages questions. I’ve attended several of her webinars\, even in a genre I don’t normally work in\, and found myself stretching into this new area. Highly recommend her work and her webinars.” – Mare Biddle  \n\n\n\n“Bethany is a wonderful presenter. So grateful for how generous she was with examples\, her own writing\, suggestions for submissions\, suggestions for continued diving into the craft…all in.” – Robin Perry \n\n\n\n“Bethany is a wonderful presenter\, speaks clearly and with enthusiasm. VERY present.” – Winnie Ganshaw \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 first class\, you may request a refund (less a $25 processing fee).After class begins\, you may request a refund for the remaining value of the course (less a $25 processing fee). \n\n\n\nNo credits or refunds will be available after the 1st class. \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\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/crash-course-in-flash/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Workshops and Masterclasses ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MASTER-Event-Templates-4.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260501T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260531T235959 DTSTAMP:20260427T220758Z CREATED:20260423T152437Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T220758Z UID:10000119-1777593600-1780271999@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:REPLAY | The Magic of Micro Prose: Find Your Story in 300 Words or Less DESCRIPTION:Unlock your storytelling potential and share your words with captivating brevity.\n\n\n\nREPLAY INCLUDES : VIDEO\, CHAT SCRIPT\, AUDIO FILE\, SLIDES\, HANDOUT\, AND TRANSCRIPT & MORE \n\n\n\nMicro prose—stories told in 300 words or less—provides an opportunity for more\, not less. Learn how this short but versatile form can amplify your creative nonfiction work (memoir and personal essay) and even poetry and fiction.  \n\n\n\nWe’ll look at examples of micro in the world\, how you can begin writing micro right away\, and submission opportunities as you ready your work for the world. Darien will share her methods for drafting and crafting micro prose\, and lead an in-class exercise so you can try it for yourself.  \n\n\n\nIf you’ve ever been curious about micro\, now’s a great time to add this powerful form to your writer’s toolbox. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLEARN about micro prose and its storytelling superpowers\n\n\n\nEXPLORE micro prose possibilities for creative nonfiction\, fiction or poetry projects\n\n\n\nCONSIDER submission and publication options for your own micro prose work \n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers who …\n\n\n\n\nwant to explore new ways to generate material\n\n\n\nare interested in learning more about short-form writing\n\n\n\nare ready to experiment with different ways of telling a story\n\n\n\nwant to publish short work as they write toward longer projects\n\n\n\nwant to deepen their literary craft\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\nDarien Hsu Gee is an international bestselling author published by Penguin Random House and the third Mark Twain Distinguished Writer-in-Residence at the University of Connecticut\, following Alexander Chee and Justin Torres. Her work spans genres\, from novels translated into eleven languages to award-winning micro prose and poetry collections. She is the executive editor of Nonwhite and Woman: 131 Micro Essays on Being in the World (IPPY Silver Award) and the author of Allegiance (IPPY Bronze Award)\, Other Small Histories (Poetry Society of America Chapbook Fellowship)\, and Writing the Hawaiʻi Memoir (Ka Palapala Poʻokela Award of Excellence). \n\n\n\nA recipient of a Sustainable Arts Foundation grant and a Vermont Studio Center fellowship\, Darien teaches creative nonfiction at UCLA Extension and Hugo House. She also leads specialized micro prose workshops through her platform\, Writer-ish\, and publishes two Substacks: Writer-ish\, focused on the art of micro prose\, and Drafts\, Deals & Detours\, a real-time look at the working writer’s life. \n\n\n\nHer service to the literary community includes board work with Short Reads and Flash Fiction Institute. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nBecause the replay is delivered instantly upon purchase\, all sales are final. \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/replay-the-magic-of-micro/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Gee.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260502T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260502T160000 DTSTAMP:20260427T214648Z CREATED:20260316T180527Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T214648Z UID:10000110-1777726800-1777737600@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:SEMINAR | 1\,000 Words in 3 Hours: “Writing the Heat” to Generate High-Stakes Material\, Faster DESCRIPTION:Learn how to follow the energy in your memoir to generate powerful\, high-stakes material that bypasses your inner critic and gets to emotional truth.\n\n\n\nFor Memoirist \n\n\n\nWhen we try to write methodically\, we shut down the part of us that’s in flow. Planning every scene and forcing ourselves to be logical and linear blocks our creative energy. We produce stale\, predictable pages that feel dull to write and even duller to read. Meanwhile\, our inner critic gets louder\, our perfectionism takes over\, and we avoid the vulnerable places we need to go to make personal narrative work. Your subconscious knows what you need to write better than your logical mind does—but how can you access that energy on demand?  \n\n\n\nThe “Write the Heat” method is an intuition-driven practice that helps you follow currents of energy rather than a premeditated sequence. By writing toward what feels tense\, interesting\, or unresolved (the moments that carry “heat”)\, we trick ourselves into saying the truest thing. We generate material that’s raw\, compelling\, and emotionally honest. With “Writing the Heat\,” you’ll write faster\, with more confidence\, and stumble upon insights you never would have found through careful planning.In this seminar\, you’ll learn the foundational technique of Katie’s proven “Write the Heat” process and practice it through guided prompts. Discover how to silence your inner critic\, follow your gut instinct\, and generate high-stakes material that captures what your story is really about. You’ll take away concrete methods to produce more—and truer—pages every time you sit down to write. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this interactive three-hour live seminar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nDISCOVER how to identify “heat” in your story—the most tense\, interesting\, or emotionally charged moments\n\n\n\nLEARN “heat mapping” and timed freewriting techniques to bypass your inner critic and generate high-stakes material quickly\n\n\n\nPRACTICE writing toward what feels alive rather than what you think you “should” write\n\n\n\nUNDERSTAND how following energy and intuition leads to truer\, higher-stakes storytelling than logical planning\n\n\n\nEXPERIENCE the relief of making “writing badly” the goal and lowering the stakes on your writing process\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis course is ideal for…\n\n\n\n\nwhose perfectionism and inner critic stop them from getting words on the page\n\n\n\nwho know they need to “go there” but aren’t sure how to start\n\n\n\nwhose writing feels stale\, predictable\, or emotionally distant\n\n\n\nwho want to access the vulnerable\, high-stakes material their stories require\n\n\n\nwho feel blocked when they try to write in a linear\, methodical way and need permission to follow their intuition\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔Think you might miss class? No worries\, replays will be available 3 business days after the event. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR Instructor\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKatie Bannon’s teaching is encouraging and practical\, with step-by-step guidance and concrete tools. Writers who want to access deep creativity with a solid framework will love her classes!  \n\n\n\nKatie Bannon is a writer\, editor\, and educator whose work has appeared in The Rumpus\, ELLE Magazine\, NPR\, Newsweek\, Narratively\, and more. Her memoir manuscript\, which charts her journey as a compulsive hair puller\, was a finalist for the Permafrost Nonfiction Book Prize. A graduate of GrubStreet’s Memoir Incubator\, she holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Emerson College. She is a developmental editor who loves working with nonfiction writers to find the “story” behind the “situation” of their memoirs and essays. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and two cats. Find Katie at www.katiebannon.com \n\n\n\nStudent Testimonials \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.”“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“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\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 refund less a $10.00 processing fee. \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/seminar-1000-words/ 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:20260506T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260506T160000 DTSTAMP:20260430T163553Z CREATED:20260409T154710Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260430T163553Z UID:10000115-1778079600-1778083200@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | The Art of Book Reviewing: Discovering Connection through Critique DESCRIPTION:In a crowded publishing marketplace\, professionally reviewing books is a way to network and build your byline.\n\n\n\nFocus: Creative Nonfiction though LARGELY THE PRINCIPLES APPLY ACROSS GENRES \n\n\n\nBook reviewing is a time-tested\, excellent way to connect with literary venues and network with writers further along in their careers. Whether you have a manuscript of creative nonfiction well underway or are just beginning to break into essay or memoir writing\, reviewing also allows you to practice critical approaches to writing that transfer to resolving thorny issues in your work.  \n\n\n\nIn a time of thumbs up or thumbs down and dashed-off Goodreads reviews of “this sucked” or “loved it\,” there’s an art to book reviewing—and a need for a blending of personal and critical analysis. But there are many different types and formats of book reviews and countless outlets that accept them\, so it may be difficult to know where to get started. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar we will outline different types of book reviews and outlets\, learn the do’s and don’ts (and the value!) in the writing and publishing process of book reviews\, and take home craft tools to create a successful review of your own. \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 do’s and don’ts of book review pitching and writing\n\n\n\nGAIN PERSPECTIVE on reviewing as a means of elevating your own writing and others’ \n\n\n\nDISCOVER how searching for comps in a book review helps find comps for your own manuscript\n\n\n\nLEARN how the practice of analysis and critique leads to stronger writing\n\n\n\nDISCOVER venues for your reviews and the expectations for different outlets\n\n\n\nLEARN how reviewing is a valuable networking tool in the creative nonfiction and independent publishing communities\n\n\n\nDECONSTRUCT a sample review structure\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers and readers of creative nonfiction who …\n\n\n\n\nhope to professionally network with others in the field\n\n\n\nseek practice pitching both critical and creative work\n\n\n\nare interested in book reviewing but not sure how to start\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\nBrooke Champagne is a native New Orleanian and the award-winning author of Nola Face: A Latina’s Life in the Big Easy\, named a Best Book of 2024 from Kirkus Reviews.  Her book of cultural criticism and reportage\, Drive-Thru Daiquiri\, is forthcoming with LSU Press.  Champagne serves as Book Reviews Editor for River Teeth: A Journal of Narrative Nonfiction.  She is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing in the MFA Program at the University of Alabama. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nBefore the replay is sent\, you may request a refund less a $10.00 processing fee. 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-art-of-book-reviewing/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Champagne.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260513T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260513T163000 DTSTAMP:20260507T123213Z CREATED:20260412T152910Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T123213Z UID:10000117-1778684400-1778689800@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Call and Response: Writing Beginnings and Endings in Essays DESCRIPTION:What tone to strike at the start? And how to shape an ending that responds? Learn how to make your essays move.\n\n\n\nFor Personal Essays \n\n\n\nEssays sing. Beginning sentences open the tune—and connect to the endings in how the song ends. An essay’s opening says something about what the writer wants to explore through different lenses or truths. The beginning can nail the “what\,” the essence of an essay’s quest\, through an image or inflection or voice or rhythm of language (“It was the best of times\, it was the worst of times”).  \n\n\n\nEssays move. Writers listen for a change—a mini-epiphany\, an angle through the mind’s eye that frames in a fresh way\, or a phrase like prayer in structure and sound. What might the last line say in response to the first? If beginnings and endings are siblings\, what is the connection that links them? How might the closing not just echo the opening but instead extend it\, go beyond what’s there? \n\n\n\nIn this practice-driven webinar (be ready to write)\, Jonathan Callard will guide you through possibilities in shaping strong openings and closings in essays and how they can work together to inspire movement and revelation in your work. \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 key elements of strong openings in essays and how to express them on the page.\n\n\n\nDISCOVER how closings can respond to openings to deepen a piece and ways to write strong closings.\n\n\n\nLEARN how beginnings and endings can work with a “what”—a tension/question—to create a transformative essay that pivots toward a change/shift\, a “then.”\n\n\n\nPRACTICE writing your own openings and closings in real time\, guided by exercises designed to unlock movement and revelation in your essays.\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers who …\n\n\n\n\nfeel stuck on how to begin or end their pieces\n\n\n\nwant to play with structure of narrative or idea\n\n\n\nwant to hone their essays to engage agents\, editors\, and readers\n\n\n\nwant to understand how a central tension or question can guide an essay\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\nJonathan Callard is a writer\, editor\, and teacher who helps writers shape stories and find their voice. The winner of the Prairie Schooner Creative Nonfiction Contest judged by National Book Award honoree Sarah M. Broom\, his work has appeared in Prairie Schooner\, PublicSource\, Creative Nonfiction\, Hotel Amerika\, Gulf Coast\, Image\, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review\, Pittsburgh Magazine\, Arts & Letters\, and the Dallas Morning News\, among others\, and has earned fellowships from the Ragdale Foundation\, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts\, and the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts. Having previously taught for the Creative Nonfiction Foundation\, he currently offers writer-mentoring services and also teaches for the University of Pittsburgh\, where he received an MFA in nonfiction writing. He lives in Pittsburgh\, Pennsylvania. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nBefore the replay is sent\, you may request a refund less a $10.00 processing fee. 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/call-and-response/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Callard.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T170000 DTSTAMP:20260514T160448Z CREATED:20260422T175949Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T160448Z UID:10000120-1779289200-1779296400@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Mind the Gaps: Writing Less While Saying More DESCRIPTION:Beyond show-don’t-tell\, create powerful scenes through details\, images\, and juxtaposition.\n\n\n\nFor Fiction Writers\, Memoirists\, and Essayists \n\n\n\nOur strongest writing makes the reader feel with our characters/our narrator selves. But too often\, we over-write—spelling out emotions\, explaining through dialogue\, interrupting memoir scenes with reflection or novel scenes with backstory—so that readers are watching someone else have an experience. By paring down our prose to singular details and powerful images\, we give room for the reader to “lean in” to the story\, actively assemble information\, and share the discoveries\, realizations\, tears\, and laughter on the page. \n\n\n\nIn this interactive webinar (let’s call it a workshop!) we’ll prune text\, remove summaries to let details stand\, and use gestures and images to create meaning and feeling. We’ll examine how to “score” text by arranging it on the page\, making the visual processing of words and white space part of the reader’s experience. In published examples from fiction and memoir\, we’ll learn how juxtaposition\, high-context dialogue\, and purposeful repetition give emotional punch. And we’ll challenge ourselves to create endings without explanations that resonate in the reader’s mind long after they’ve closed the book. \n\n\n\nRaise your craft level and gain a tool kit. In-class writing time and live editing will give you a chance to apply this to your writing right away. \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\nThis is a TWO-HOUR class\, with 20 minutes of writing time in the middle. \n\n\n\n\n45 minutes – Learn a new tool kit of writing techniques to give fewer words more power.\n\n\n\n5 minutes – Q&A to fully understand and apply the techniques.\n\n\n\n20 minutes – Revise a scene from your novel\, memoir\, short story\, or essay using your new tools. Allison will continue taking questions in the chat. \n\n\n\nOPTIONAL: Volunteer for live editing and upload your revised scene as a Word doc or docx to a Google Drive (link will be provided IN CLASS; no pages accepted early).\n\n\n\n40 minutes – Allison will live-edit volunteer pages on screen\, noting where the writer is succeeding and what revisions could make the prose even more effective. She’ll call out specific techniques and tips for everyone to apply to their own work. \n\n\n\n10 minutes – additional Q&A and more on applying this work to your writing.\n\n\n\n\nIn this workshop you will: \n\n\n\n\nHEAR how the interplay of said and unsaid makes dialogue more powerful\n\n\n\nSEE how scoring text on the page establishes distance and attitude\, smooths transitions\, and increases dramatic tension\n\n\n\nDISCOVER ways to increase emotional power on the page through specific details\n\n\n\nAPPLY the tools and techniques to your own scene\, essay or story\n\n\n\nCREATE powerful emotional connection with deliberate craft choices\n\n\n\n\nThis Course is ideal for writers who are …\n\n\n\n\nNovelists who want readers to feel what the characters are feeling\n\n\n\nMemoirists and essayists who want to write powerful emotions without over-explaining their own feelings or over-using reflection.\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 white space\, details\, and juxtaposition in prose and better communicate that knowledge to their author clients.\n\n\n\nWriters hearing feedback that they are “telling” or info-dumping on the page\n\n\n\nWriters struggling with realistic dialogue\, whether recreating a remembered scene or writing fiction.\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\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.As a memoirist\, essayist\, and travel journalist\, Allison has written craft\, culture and comedy for National Public Radio\, CBC-Canada\, the New York Times\, the Christian Science Monitor\, 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\nBefore the replay is sent\, you may request a refund less a $10.00 processing fee. 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\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/mind-the-gaps/ 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:20260527T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260527T161500 DTSTAMP:20260521T165455Z CREATED:20260409T161303Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260521T165455Z UID:10000116-1779894000-1779898500@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Blurb Clinic: The 150 Words That Hook Agents\, Editors\, and Readers DESCRIPTION:Write your book’s “blurb”—the sharp\, versatile pitch for submissions\, promotion\, and marketing that defines what your book is and why it matters.\n\n\n\nAll Genres \n\n\n\nWhether you call it “jacket copy\,” an “extended pitch” or the meat of your query\, your book’s blurb is critical. This short piece of persuasive copy determines whether someone reads on\, requests the manuscript\, or buys the book. Just 150 words do a lot of heavy lifting: positioning your book in the market\, introducing your protagonist and stakes\, and making a promise that reading will be worth the commitment.  \n\n\n\nBut many writers get stuck with blurbs that sound generic or interchangeable with another author’s book. Shortcuts\, AI\, and borrowed language won’t sum up the heart of 100\,000 words. You have to step inside your book and ask what it is truly offering—and then stress-test whether or not your manuscript delivers on that promise. \n\n\n\nWhen I finally arrived at the right 150 words for my own memoir/reported nonfiction project\, everything fell into place. I received thoughtful\, encouraging passes instead of crickets\, and in a very short period of time\, two offers of publication. As I wrote and revised\, the blurb became a microcosm of my story’s logic and the reason someone would choose my book over anything else in front of them. \n\n\n\nAgents are looking for the blurb in your query letter (and will use it to sell your book to publishers). Editors are looking for the blurb in your book proposal. Marketers are looking for the blurb in your materials. And most importantly\, your readers are looking to be fulfilled by the blurb’s promise. They want to read your book; give them every chance to be excited. This session shows you how to make those 150 words count. \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\nDEFINE what a blurb is (and is not) and see how it functions across queries\, proposals\, websites\, and sales materials\n\n\n\nANALYZE real blurb examples to see how a clear\, compelling story or concept is expressed in 150 words\n\n\n\nSTRUCTURE a blurb for yourself that introduces the protagonist/author\, stakes\, and take-away (without summarizing the entire book!)\n\n\n\nIDENTIFY and AVOID common pitfalls that weaken blurbs\, including generic language and over-reliance on trends\n\n\n\nEVALUATE whether your blurb makes a promise your manuscript actually delivers on\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers who are …\n\n\n\n\nnot getting responses from their query letters or book proposals\n\n\n\nplanning to self-publish and needing strong sales copy for online retail pages and author websites\n\n\n\nfinished with their manuscript and need to articulate what the book is about\n\n\n\nstruggling to describe their book clearly\, concisely\, and in a compelling way\n\n\n\ngetting stuck in the weeds of their book and need to refine the premise\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\nMichelle Cutler is an award-winning screenwriter\, storytelling coach\, and developmental editor specializing in true stories and memoir\, as well as an enthusiastic teacher. She has written more than 1\,700 advertising campaigns for global brands\, humanizing brand copy for short form content. She holds an MFA in film from NYU and a diploma in advanced creative writing nonfiction from Cambridge. She is currently writing I WON’T LET YOU DIE ALONE\, a reported memoir from the trenches of modern elder caregiving for Bloomsbury. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nBefore the replay is sent\, you may request a refund less a $10.00 processing fee. 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/blurb-clinic/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Cutler.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260601T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260630T235959 DTSTAMP:20260604T144450Z CREATED:20260520T145148Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260604T144450Z UID:10000126-1780272000-1782863999@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:REPLAY | Writing Through the Lens: Think Like a Photographer to Craft Compelling Scenes DESCRIPTION:Struggling with writing scenes or recreating lost memories? Thinking like a photographer can help.\n\n\n\nREPLAY INCLUDES: VIDEO\, CHAT\, PROMPTS\, HANDOUT\, AND TRANSCRIPT \n\n\n\nNot included in the Season Pass \n\n\n\nImages can be a remarkable tool for creative nonfiction writers. Photographers use vivid prose to describe their work\, and the techniques they use to create inspired\, memorable photos can have the same effect on your writing. \n\n\n\nAs memoirists\, we choose what events and moments belong in our work. Photographers make similar decisions when composing images\, and the elements that make a picture memorable and meaningful are often the result of choices that the casual observer doesn’t even realize the person behind the camera is making. Whether you’re writing a memoir or creative nonfiction\, photographs can be a powerful tool to help you not only tap into what is happening but also show the reader why these scenes are taking place. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, we will examine samples of memoir and essay that draw upon photographs to deepen scenes and characters\, and you will learn how to use these practical techniques in your own storytelling. \n\n\n\nRegistrants will receive a handout with prompts and actionable tips. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLEARN to read photographs in order to better understand composition of scenes\n\n\n\nDRAW inspiration from two-dimensional images to “frame” your own scenes\n\n\n\nLEARN how to create compelling prose that draws your reader into your story \n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is for creative nonfiction writers who are struggling to make old memories or family tales come to life.\n\n\n\nThe live event happened in November 2023. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGrace Hwang Lynch is a storyteller in journalism\, essays\, and photography. Her work can be found on outlets including Tin House\, Catapult\, and NPR. Her food memoir How to Cook Rice: On the Care and Feeding of an Immigrant Family will be published in early 2027 by Regalo Press. Website: www.gracehwanglynch.com \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nBecause the replay is delivered instantly upon purchase\, all sales are final. \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/replay-writing-through-the-lens/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Hwang.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260603T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260603T163000 DTSTAMP:20260529T030024Z CREATED:20260427T215933Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260529T030024Z UID:10000122-1780498800-1780504200@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Making Memoir Real: Captivate Your Readers with Dynamic Settings & Characters DESCRIPTION:Dropping our readers into a particular time\, a particular place\, populated by particular people\, is essential to making readers care about our stories. Learn to create vibrant\, convincing reality on the page.\n\n\n\nFor Memoirist and Essay Writers \n\n\n\nMemoir is a juggling act. As writers\, our job is to bring the potent emotional stakes of our story to the page right from the beginning\, introducing conflicts and launching the book’s dynamic journey. But equally important is establishing the story’s reality and dropping our readers into a particular time\, a particular place\, populated by particular people. This is how readers begin to care deeply and invest their hearts in our work. \n\n\n\nThis interactive webinar will closely examine the techniques of setting and characterization—often taught in fiction workshops—and how important they are to memoir. We will study the difference between mere “description” and active\, dynamic detail and movement. Prompts will be provided for new work and for work-in-progress. \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 to transplant readers directly into the world of your memoir through vivid\, specific detail\n\n\n\nLEARN the craft of characterization techniques borrowed from fiction and applied to true stories\n\n\n\nIDENTIFY the difference between static description and dynamic\, active detail that propels your narrative forward\n\n\n\nPRACTICE writing prompts designed to deepen both new work and works-in-progress\n\n\n\nEXPLORE how to establish emotional stakes early while simultaneously grounding readers in time\, place\, and character\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers at any level who…\n\n\n\n\nwould  like their work to immediately capture attention\, to engage agents\, editors and—most of all—readers\n\n\n\nstruggle with “Why would anyone care about my story?”\n\n\n\nworry their prose is moving too slowly\, that they may be “explaining too much” and showing too little\n\n\n\nare insecure about their storytelling skills (that’s all of us)!\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 our most popular and beloved presenters\, DINTY W. MOORE\, is the author of the memoirs Between Panic & Desire and To Hell With It and the writing guides Crafting the Personal Essay and The Mindful Writer\, among other books. He has published essays and stories in Harper’s\, The New York Times Magazine\, Georgia Review\, Kenyon Review\, Southern Review\, Short Reads\, and elsewhere. He is founding editor of Brevity\, the journal of flash nonfiction. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nBefore the replay is sent\, you may request a refund less a $10.00 processing fee. 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-memoir-real/ 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:20260606T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260607T150000 DTSTAMP:20260529T025936Z CREATED:20260427T214703Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260529T025936Z UID:10000121-1780750800-1780844400@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:SEMINAR | Give Sorrow Words: Grief Writing as Sanctuary DESCRIPTION:Learn to write compelling pieces that go beyond self-healing to provide paths through grief and sanctuary for your readers.\n\n\n\nLive on Zoom | Saturday & Sunday\, June 6-7 | 1:00-3:00 pm EDTFor All Writers \n\n\n\nArt serves a vital role as witness to events and emotions we have trouble naming. We know which poem arrived at just the right time in our lives\, which song helped us imagine a path through deep feelings\, and which book helped us navigate our grief. \n\n\n\nBut what makes those pieces resonate in readers’ hearts? How does writing foster empathy? How can language\, with its strengths and inadequacies\, help us build sanctuaries within ourselves and where others can go to be witnessed and held? \n\n\n\nTaught by one of our most knowledgeable and empathetic presenters\, this deeply experiential seminar is a hybrid of generative writing and craft conversation. We’ll begin with a gentle writing practice to help you gather the glimmers of your own grief; then move into craft conversation and generative writing portals. grief\, \n\n\n\nWe’ll discuss key craft elements in published poetry\, how they can elevate emotional subjects from sentimentality to specificity\, and connect readers to an emotional experience.   \n\n\n\nWe’ll examine a variety of grieving experiences through the lenses of reckoning\, regret\, remembrance\, ritual\, revitalization\, and restoring (re-story-ing). This framework will offer six possible portals into exploring and writing about your own grief\, creating a sanctuary for your soul and the souls of others.  \n\n\n\nWe will have space for optional sharing at the end. In the seminar’s confirmation email\, you’ll receive a packet of recommended prep work\, containing additional optional readings and links to (very) short films on grief. After the class\, you’ll receive the seminar recording\, slide deck\, and all poems used for our conversation. \n\n\n\nPlease be prepared to write. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this interactive 2-Day live seminar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLEARN key craft elements that help dramatize emotion\n\n\n\nUNDERSTAND the difference between sentimentality and sentiment\n\n\n\nANALYZE poems addressing different aspects of grief\n\n\n\nENGAGE with your own grief to create six new portals to longer work\n\n\n\nPRACTICE writing through different lenses on grief\n\n\n\nIMAGINE how writing can serve as sanctuary to self and others\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis course is ideal for writers in all genres who are interested in using language to help meet personal and collective grief.\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔Think you might miss class? No worries\, replays will be available 3 business days after the event. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR Instructor\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFunny\, kind\, and direct\, Laraine Herring is a popular CRAFT TALKS presenter and one of our strongest voices on deeply personal writing that powerfully connects with readers. \n\n\n\nLaraine’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. A retired professor of creative writing and psychology\, Lariane 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. Laraine’s work has appeared in The New York Times\, Tiferet\, The Rumpus\, The Manifest-Station\, and many more. 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\nStudent Testimonials \n\n\n\n“Laraine helped my book tell me what it wants to be and challenged me to do the work to get it there. I am grateful for her intuitive\, empathic\, supportive approach\, and for her enthusiasm when I arrived at the realizations she was hoping I’d get to as I did that work. Laraine’s skills are many\, and she is fantastic to work with. She is dedicated\, direct\, detailed\, dependable\, and delightful.” \n\n\n\n— Meg Weber\, author of A Year of Mr. Lucky (Sincyr Publishing) \n\n\n\n“Through Laraine’s authentic nature and ability to listen\, I learned that writing is as much an act of bravery and strength as it is about being gentle and flexible. I can’t wait to be one of her students again!” \n\n\n\n— Naomi Kaplan \n\n\n\n“Without a doubt\, Laraine is the most generous\, inspirational and challenging writing instructor I have ever met. Using provocative writing exercises\, she guided me through creative discovery\, helping reveal ideas and truths I had previously locked away. She challenged me to delve deeper into my story\, even if it meant going into the dark hidden corners.” \n\n\n\n— Janine Weyers \n\n\n\n“Laraine opened doors inside my mind and created space for me to come into relationship with my writing in a refreshing way that was all my own. I had more than one breakthrough working with her. With ease and honesty\, she created an authentic\, interesting and inviting space to grow.” \n\n\n\n— Grace Welker \n\n\n\n“Laraine encourages students to dig deep. She provides original\, interesting exercises designed to pull past the first obvious idea and find the more compelling material underneath. She is as invested in students’ work as the students themselves.” \n\n\n\n— Janet Burrue \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 refund less a $10.00 processing fee. \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/give-sorrow-words/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Seminars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/MASTER-Event-Templates-1-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260610T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260610T163000 DTSTAMP:20260604T142919Z CREATED:20250508T193202Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260604T142919Z UID:10000025-1781103600-1781109000@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Self-Publishing Foundations: Prepare\, Plan and Promote for Long-term Success DESCRIPTION:Savvy book marketers know that successful promotion starts long before publication.\n\n\n\nAll Genres \n\n\n\nSet yourself up for lasting success with key decisions to make and actions every self-publishing author should take before publication—steps that significantly impact how well your book will market once it’s out in the world. While these elements aren’t always labeled as “marketing\,” neglecting them can limit your book’s reach and longevity. \n\n\n\nWhat can you do when you’re not active on social media (and should you be)? When marketing\, where should you spend and where should you save? How can you connect with other authors as colleagues\, early readers\, and potential blurbs? Through David’s expert experience and case studies showing how people with limited free time put these principles to work to achieve their goals\, you’ll understand how to weave marketing strategy into the publishing process itself so your book launches stronger and stays marketable for the long haul. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLEARN the “forever decisions”: the 9 things you cannot change without republishing your book.\n\n\n\nUNDERSTAND the 5 types of comp titles research and how each contributes to a successful launch.\n\n\n\nDISCOVER why creating a distribution plan is the first and most important step in self-publishing.\n\n\n\nGET THE NITTY-GRITTY on how to coordinate print book pre-ordering using IngramSpark and Amazon KDP to meet deadlines\, make/save money\, and avoid publishing the wrong version of your book.\n\n\n\nLEARN the A-B-C list method for reaching testimonial writers\, influencers\, and readers/buyers.\n\n\n\nFORMULATE a review strategy: a framework for seeking and using editorial and customer reviews during book preparation.\n\n\n\nKNOW HOW TO LEVERAGE the strengths of self-publishing when it comes to distribution\, pricing\, media outreach\, and contacting influencers.\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for Writers who…\n\n\n\n\nWonder if self-publishing is right for them\n\n\n\nNeed to know more about self-directed marketing\, even if they’re publishing traditionally\n\n\n\nWant to build connections with readers long before their book is released\n\n\n\nUnderstand better with detailed case studies of how other authors “did it”\n\n\n\nDon’t have vast sums of money for marketing\, or vast amounts of time to spend online\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\nOriginally presented on June 3\, 2026 \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDavid Wogahn is the author of six self-published books\, including the Countdown to Book Launch® series of publishing guides and the Before the Launch workbook. In 2012\, he became the author of the first LinkedIn Learning course on the topic of self-publishing (Lynda.com at the time).David is a frequent speaker and trainer and has given presentations for the Independent Book Publishers Association\, IBPA Publishing University\, the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)\, the Independent Writers of Southern California\, the Santa Barbara Writers Conference\, and Jane Friedman\, among other publishing professional organizations.Before founding the author services firm AuthorImprints.com in 2011\, David worked for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and the Los Angeles Times\, and was co-founder and COO of the first online publisher of sports-team branded websites known today as the CBS College Sports Network. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nBefore the replay is sent\, you may request a refund less a $10.00 processing fee. 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-publishing-foundations/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Event-Templates-1.png ORGANIZER;CN="David Wogahn":MAILTO:davidw@authorimprints.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260617T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260617T160000 DTSTAMP:20260611T143020Z CREATED:20260518T161918Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260611T143020Z UID:10000124-1781708400-1781712000@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Artful Intelligence: What the Rise of AI Can Teach Us about Great Writing DESCRIPTION:In all the hype and paranoia around AI\, it’s still our flawed\, funny\, and felt humanity that brings art into the world.\n\n\n\nFor Creative Nonfiction\, Nonfiction\, and Poetry \n\n\n\nArtificial Intelligence can’t do what you can do because it doesn’t feel what you feel. Learn to harness those feelings to make original and unforgettable human art.  \n\n\n\nWe’ll explore AI via literature and writing\, with an overview of how chatbots produce “original” works\, trends in publishing and marketing related to the rise of AI\, and what artificial writing can teach us about our own\, human craft.  \n\n\n\nAs part of our investigation\, we’ll study technical aspects of AI to learn how it works and how to detect its usage. And we’ll examine how our own response to the emergence of AI can help us contend with the social\, moral\, and aesthetic challenges posed by advancements in technology.  \n\n\n\nThis webinar will allay your fears over AI taking over the world—or at least taking over the writing world—and putting all of us creative writers out of business. No prior technical knowledge is required—only a passion for reading\, exploring how technology shapes storytelling\, and uncovering how human stories shape technology. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nUNDERSTAND how so-called Artificial Intelligence actually writes\n\n\n\nEXPLORE what AI reveals about writing formulas and clichés to avoid in our own work\n\n\n\nLEARN how to write\, publish\, and stand out in a world beset by emerging technologies\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is for beginning and intermediate writers who …\n\n\n\n\nworry about AI and its impacts on their own writing and prospects for publication\n\n\n\nseek to make their own work more original and attention-grabbing\n\n\n\nwant to recognize AI “in the wild” and understand its use as a tool\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\nJaswinder Bolina’s superpower is translating complicated ideas into conversational\, humorous sessions that students find transformational for their work. Noted for being analytical yet highly approachable\, Jaswinder’s most recent book English as a Second Language and Other Poems (2023) was awarded the 2025 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award from Claremont Graduate University. He is author of three previous poetry collections\, The 44th of July (2019)\, Phantom Camera (2013)\, and Carrier Wave (2007)\, and of the essay collection Of Color (2020).  \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nBefore the replay is sent\, you may request a refund less a $10.00 processing fee. 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/artful-intelligence/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Event-Templates-copy.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260620T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260620T170000 DTSTAMP:20260611T143043Z CREATED:20260512T155738Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260611T143043Z UID:10000123-1781964000-1781974800@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:SEMINAR | Get Your Book Unstuck: How to Fall Back in Love with Your Manuscript DESCRIPTION:Reconnect with the energy\, spark\, and joy that compelled you to tell this story in the first place — and discover the strategies to move your manuscript toward publication.\n\n\n\nFor Memoirist \n\n\n\nYou needed to tell this story. There was heat in it—urgency and the conviction that you have something important to say. But somewhere in the months or years of drafting and revising\, that heat got harder to find. Now\, sitting down with the manuscript feels like a chore\, and the work that used to excite you feels like pulling teeth. \n\n\n\nThis is one of the most common and least talked-about challenges in long-form writing: not a craft problem\, but a relationship problem. When revision starts to feel like spinning your wheels rather than making meaningful progress\, resistance builds. Once that resistance takes hold\, the deep\, generative work a draft needs to evolve becomes nearly impossible. \n\n\n\nThis seminar will change that. We’ll explore how to reconnect with the heat that compelled you to write this story\, how to treat revision like play again\, and how to experiment with your material in fresh and exciting ways. You’ll leave the seminar with a renewed relationship to your manuscript and a concrete plan for what comes next. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this interactive three-hour live seminar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nDISCOVER what’s still alive in your manuscript and use those moments as your entry point back into the work\n\n\n\nLEARN to treat revision as exploration rather than correction\, so the process feels generative instead of draining\n\n\n\nEXPLORE concrete strategies for experimenting with structure\, perspective\, and form\, and shake loose new possibilities\n\n\n\nRECONNECT with the heat that compelled you to tell this story and use that energy to move your draft into its next evolution\n\n\n\nLEAVE with renewed excitement about your manuscript and a concrete plan for what to work on next\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis course is ideal for writers who…\n\n\n\n\ndread opening their manuscript instead of looking forward to it\n\n\n\nfeel stuck in a cycle of revision that isn’t moving the work forward\n\n\n\nwant to approach their manuscript differently but aren’t sure what that looks like\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔Think you might miss class? No worries\, replays will be available 3 business days after the event. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR Instructor\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA lively and insightful speaker who brings new energy to CRAFT TALKS writers\, Katie Bannon is a writer\, editor\, and educator whose work has appeared in The Rumpus\, ELLE Magazine\, NPR\, Newsweek\, Narratively\, and more. Her memoir manuscript\, which charts her journey as a compulsive hair puller\, was a finalist for the Permafrost Nonfiction Book Prize. A graduate of GrubStreet’s Memoir Incubator\, she holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Emerson College. She is a developmental editor who loves working with nonfiction writers to find the “story” behind the “situation” of their memoirs and essays. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and two cats. \n\n\n\nStudent Testimonials \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.”“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“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\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 refund less a $10.00 processing fee. \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/get-your-book-unstuck/ 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:20260624T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260624T161500 DTSTAMP:20260618T124558Z CREATED:20260518T163624Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T124558Z UID:10000125-1782313200-1782317700@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Poetry\, Prose\, or Both? Writing and Publishing a Hybrid Memoir DESCRIPTION:Crossing genres can be an obstacle—or a selling point. Explore the craft of writing and the art of pitching a memoir that wants both poetry and prose.\n\n\n\nFor Creative Nonfiction\, Poetry\, and Hybrid \n\n\n\nSometimes a moment demands the compression of a poem. Sometimes it needs room to breathe in prose. But what happens when your memoir wants both? In this webinar\, we’ll explore the craft of hybrid memoir—how to recognize when a piece is calling for verse versus essay\, how to let both forms coexist without flattening or repeating yourself\, and how each genre can do work the other can’t.We’ll also tackle the practical challenges of bringing hybrid and multi-genre work to publication: how to structure the manuscript\, how to describe it in a query\, how to find receptive publishers\, and how to talk about your book when it defies easy categorization.Drawing from Brenda’s experience writing and placing Love You\, Bye: A Daughter’s Journey in Essays and Poems (Skinner House Books\, April 2026)\, she’ll share both the creative and publishing lessons learned along the way. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLEARN to recognize when a moment\, image\, or memory wants to be a poem or an essay\n\n\n\nGAIN permission to try different forms and genres for the same material\n\n\n\nDISCOVER strategies for letting poetry and prose speak to each other without redundancy\n\n\n\nEXPLORE organizing principles for a hybrid manuscript\n\n\n\nPRACTICE language for describing multi-genre work to agents\, editors\, and readers\n\n\n\nIDENTIFY which presses are most open to unconventional memoir forms\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is for…\n\n\n\n\nwriters who enjoy the freedom to explore more than one genre at once (and want to feel better about it!)\n\n\n\nanyone who has wondered: “Is this a poem or is this an essay?”—and suspected the answer might be “yes”\n\n\n\n writers working on a book that feels like “essays” and “memoir” and “maybe poetry” all at once\n\n\n\nanyone who has been told their manuscript is “hard to categorize” or “difficult to shelve”\n\n\n\nthose preparing to query or submit a multi-genre project and unsure how to describe it\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 noted for making form “feel like a gift\, not a constraint” and teaches as “a wise friend who’s read everything and still gets excited about a well-placed line break.” Warm\, practical\, and full of “what ifs\,” Brenda’s sessions are full of the mutual joy of discovery.  \n\n\n\nBrenda Miller’s new hybrid collection\, Love You\, Bye: A Daughter’s Journey in Essays and Poems\, is just out from Skinner House Books (April 2026). She is the author of six additional essay collections\, including A Braided Heart: Essays on Writing and Form\, andAn Earlier Life\, winner of the Washington State Book Award for Memoir. Her work has received seven Pushcart Prizes. She co-authored\, with Holly J. Hughes\, The Pen and the Bell: Mindful Writing in a Busy World\, and\, with Suzanne Paola\, Tell It Slant: Creating\, Refining\, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction\, now in its third edition. She coined the term “Hermit Crab Essay.” Her website is www.brendamillerwriter.com. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nBefore the replay is sent\, you may request a refund less a $10.00 processing fee. 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/poetry-prose-or-both/ 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:20260701T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261230T160000 DTSTAMP:20260619T212053Z CREATED:20250414T172552Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260619T212053Z UID:10000018-1782864000-1798646400@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:SEASON PASS | Webinar Subscription Special DESCRIPTION:Unlock every CRAFT TALKS webinar from July to December 2026 (plus office hours) with one simple pass!\n\n\n\nYour Season Pass includes automatic registration\, live access\, replays\, and follow-up materials for every CRAFT TALKS webinar through December 2026. You’ll also get exclusive office hours with writing coach and editor Allison K Williams—your chance to ask questions\, meet other writers\, and receive feedback on your pages. \n\n\n\nHere’s what that means…\n\n\n\nSeason pass holders are registered for all webinars from July 1 to Dec 30\, 2026—that’s 23 dynamic lectures packed with insights\, practical exercises\, and expert advice. No sign-ups. No stress. Fewer marketing emails. Less worry about missing the next great webinar. \n\n\n\nFor each webinar\, you’ll receive:\n\n\n\n\nLive access to each session where you can ask questions\, join the lively chat\, and take away ideas you can put into action immediately.\n\n\n\nDownloadable materials and follow-ups for 30 days—delivered to your inbox within 3 business days.\n\n\n\n\nPlus\, drop-in office hours with Allison!\n\n\n\nSix hours with writing coach\, editor\, and co-founder of CRAFT TALKS\, Allison K Williams (dates TBD)\, where you get to: \n\n\n\n\nAsk questions about craft\, publishing\, and next steps in your writing life\n\n\n\nLearn from watching live edits on submissions\n\n\n\nReceive personalized feedback on every page submitted\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThroughout the season\, learn from acclaimed teachers and authors on everything from story and structure to publishing and the writing life. *Webinar topics include:\n\n\n\n✍️ Lyrical Writing with Bethany Jarmul🔍 Finding New Avenues\, Finding New Material with Dinty W. Moore🎬 The Art of the Cinematic Close-Up with Ethan Gilsdorf🌿 Nature Writing with Megan Baxter🖼️ Writing the Image+Text Essay with Chelsea Biondolillo📖 Novel Writing Essentials with Allison K Williams📰 Launching and Growing a Substack Newsletter with Becky Tuch🧵 Crafting Successful Braided Memoir with Heather Sellers💡 How Curiosity Fuels Craft with Dinty W. Moore💰 Publishing Possibilities: Dollars and Sense with Kristin Owens🍽️ Food Writing with Grace Hwang Lynch👤 Writing in First-Person: Getting Past “I” with Amy L. Bernstein🚀 Publish Without Gatekeepers with Allison K Williams📝 Literary Short Forms: Prose Poetry\, Flash Fiction\, and Micro Memoir with Heather Sellers🪞 The Art of Reflection in Memoir with Katie Bannon📚 Research Strategies for CNF with Michael Copperman⏰ The Art of Time in Fiction with Sherrie Flick❤️ Finding the Heart of Your Memoir with Laraine Herring✏️ The Art & Craft of Revising Memoir with Dinty W. Moore⚡ Sentencing: Packing Power Inside Every Line with Heather Sellers🌊 The Art of the Braided Essay with Katie Bannon \n\n\n\n*Subject to change \n\n\n\nWant a season of learning\, feedback\, and progress?It’s already on the calendar. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYou can read more about the Season Pass from subscriber Char Wilkins. “As a Writer\, I Should Be Committed: How Community Saved Me.” \n\n\n\nSeason Pass Holders Say…\n\n\n\n“Craft Talks always either add to a skill I have or teach me something about writing I don’t do/haven’t explored yet. The reminders once a week or so to trust your reader and focus your revisions\, etc. are helpful! And I heart Office Hours.” –Jenna N. \n\n\n\n“Just deep thanks to Sharla and Allison for consistently excellent programming\, delivered so professionally\, with rarely a glitch. Plus\, thanks for making it fun.” –Donna C. \n\n\n\n“It’s an intensive MFA program at a phenomenal price!” — Marcy D. \n\n\n\n“I really love having the opportunity to learn from such a varied group of excellent writers and to invest in my own development as a writer.” –Laura C. \n\n\n\n“I was lucky to have my work reviewed by Allison during office hours—a *huge* value for me. I feel more confident in the viability of my writing in the marketplace & more capable of making decisions about publication\, promotion\, platform\, etc.” — Marj H. \n\n\n\n“The talks really stay with me. I spend weeks and sometimes even months reflecting on them.” — Becs T. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Fine Print\n\n\n\n✨ This is a limited opportunity\, and we’re excited about our commitment to you! \n\n\n\n📅 Can’t attend live? No worries! You’ll always get the recording and can download the webinars to watch at your convenience. \n\n\n\n🚫 No refunds after Jul 1st. \n\n\n\n❌ The Season Pass does not include Seminars\, Intensives\, or Workshops or Masterclasses. \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\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/season-pass/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Event-Template-1-2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260701T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260701T163000 DTSTAMP:20260610T150618Z CREATED:20260603T164418Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260610T150618Z UID:10000128-1782918000-1782923400@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Crafting Emotion & Imagination: Exploring Lyrical Writing DESCRIPTION:Learn the secrets to writing gorgeous\, lyrical work that makes editors and readers say\, “Wow!” \n\n\n\nFor Creative Nonfiction\, Fiction\, and PoetryIncluded in the upcoming Season Pass \n\n\n\nDo you want your writing to be beautiful and imaginative while staying true to the emotional moment? Would you like to improve the sound and musicality of your sentences? During this generative session\, we’ll dive deep into techniques and tools you can use to increase the lyricism of your writing\, regardless of genre.  \n\n\n\nFirst\, learn the difference between lyrical and narrative writing and when you may want to use one or the other. Then explore the five key elements of lyrical writing\, with examples from virtuoso writers\, and what makes each one powerful for readers. Finally\, practice applying lyrical techniques to your own writing with a prompt and writing time. You’ll leave with the start of a new draft and additional exercises to explore and develop your writing on your own. \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 five key elements of lyrical writing\n\n\n\nEXPLORE the differences between lyrical and narrative writing\, and how (and why!) to use both\n\n\n\nPRACTICE suspending or manipulating time in your essays\, stories\, or poems\, along with other lyrical techniques\n\n\n\nDISCOVER strategies to increase the emotional and musical resonance of your writing at the sentence level\n\n\n\nUSE imaginative tools to add layers to your work\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for intermediate writers who want to…\n\n\n\n\nexplore lyrical writing \n\n\n\ndeepen and develop their writing voice\n\n\n\nincrease the musicality and beauty of their prose or poetry \n\n\n\ntap into higher levels of imagination and emotion in their writing\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBethany Jarmul is an Appalachian writer\, poet\, writing coach\, and enthusiastic\, engaging\, and inspiring 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/crafting-emotion/ 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:20260708T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260708T163000 DTSTAMP:20260610T150205Z CREATED:20260610T150205Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260610T150205Z UID:10000129-1783522800-1783528200@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Shake It Loose! Unexpected Prompts and Nudges to Spark “The Muse” DESCRIPTION:Inspiration is tied to innovation\, and innovation is a deliberate act.\n\n\n\nFor Nonfiction\, Memoir\, and Fiction WritersIncluded in the upcoming Season PassThis webinar will be entirely interactive\, with varied suggestions\, nudges\, and obstructions carefully designed to uncover fertile new directions for your work\, whether you are looking to start something new or trying to regain momentum in your current work-in-progress.\n\n\n\nWell-meaning folks often ask about our “inspiration\,” as if some external force—an angel\, a bluebird\, the Muse—mysteriously slips a brilliant idea into our brain as we sleep\, and all we need do is wake up and write it down. Easy peasy! \n\n\n\nBut it doesn’t work like that. Inspiration is tied to innovation\, and innovation is a deliberate act. We achieve success by being the ones who jump up from the rut of normal and predictable\, by walking bravely into an unexplored forest of fresh ideas and raw emotions\, and trusting we will find something worth writing about there. \n\n\n\nAnd how do we find these forests of artistic innovation? One of the surest ways is prompts and nudges\, as odd and varied as we can find. \n\n\n\nThis approach can work wonders. And by the way\, it’s also fun! Bring a pencil or two\, some paper\, your brain\, and a willingness to go in unexpected directions. Shake it up and let’s write! \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 to shake loose new ideas\, new angles and fresh perspectives\n\n\n\nLEARN the power of odd associations\, mixed signals\, curveballs\, and stretching the muscles of the imagination\n\n\n\nEXPERIENCE prompts and nudges that work to open up neural pathways\, and lubricate the imagination (and memory)\n\n\n\nUNCOVER fertile new directions for your work\n\n\n\nSURPRISE YOURSELF with new writing in new directions\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers at any level who…\n\n\n\n\nworry that they keep writing the same thing or feel stuck in an established comfort zone\n\n\n\nare concerned that they have “run through” all of their good ideas\n\n\n\nfeel stuck on a current project (large or small)\n\n\n\nhave just finished a draft and desperately need a palate-cleanser\n\n\n\nare looking for fresh places to take future projects\n\n\n\nwant to have fun\, surprise themselves\, and take some chances\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 our most popular and beloved presenters\, DINTY W. MOORE\, is the author of the memoirs Between Panic & Desire and To Hell With It and the writing guides Crafting the Personal Essay and The Mindful Writer\, among other books. He has published essays and stories in Harper’s\, The New York Times Magazine\, Georgia Review\, Kenyon Review\, Southern Review\, Short Reads\, and elsewhere. He is founding editor of Brevity\, the journal of flash nonfiction. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nBefore the replay is sent\, you may request a refund less a $10.00 processing fee. 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/shake-it-loose/ 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:20260723T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260723T163000 DTSTAMP:20260615T170010Z CREATED:20260615T170009Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T170010Z UID:10000130-1784818800-1784824200@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:WEBINAR | The Art of the Cinematic Close-Up: Crafting Details that Immerse Readers in Your Story DESCRIPTION:Learn to use your writerly “lens” to focus on the solitary details that open a narrative universe of fluid\, truthful\, and seamless prose.\n\n\n\nFor Creative Nonfiction and Fiction WritersIncluded in the upcoming Season Pass \n\n\n\nWriters of fiction and nonfiction alike understand: we can’t use ostentatious or flowery language\, nor vague or abstract moments\, if we want to truly grab our readers and immerse them in the world of our story. Learn how to focus your scenes with concrete details\, vivid imagery\, original language\, and apt metaphor that is scaled to the task at hand. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, we’ll use the metaphor of photography and cinema to focus our writing lenses on the art of the close-up—the particular\, singular\, and sustained. Looking at writers from Cheryl Strayed to Virginia Woolf\, J.R.R. Tolkien to Zadie Smith\, we’ll examine how to describe physical things and people\, places\, as well as discreet moments in time\, states of high emotion\, and interiority with rigor and specificity. From “close-ups” like a dying moth on a windowsill; the way a drunken father stumbles around the house; the moment you tossed your second hiking boot off the mountaintop; a feeling of foreboding partway through a quest; you’ll discover how to use language beautifully and truthfully to create what John Gardner called a “vivid and continuous” dream in the reader’s imagination.   \n\n\n\nYou’ll leave having written some new passages that you can use in any writing project. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE the craft of sustained\, vivid description\n\n\n\nDISCOVER how to manipulate your writerly lens of focus with intention\n\n\n\nLEARN the difference between the particular and specific vs. the vague and abstract\n\n\n\nPRACTICE writing new passages using close-up techniques you can immediately apply to your own work\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers who:\n\n\n\n\nfeel their work is flat or lacking depth\, focus or specificity\n\n\n\nare finding their writing voice\n\n\n\nstruggle with writing description\n\n\n\nwant to move beyond generic imagery and find the singular\, unexpected detail that brings a scene to 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\nA sharp\, funny presenter\, Ethan Gilsdorf is a writer\, teacher\, performer\, and a huge nerd. The author of the award-winning memoir Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks\, his work appears in the New York Times\, Washington Post\, Esquire\, Wired\, Salon\, O the Oprah Magazine\, Huffington Post\, Brevity\, Electric Literature\, Poetry\, and The Southern Review\, among other publications\, and has been named “Notable” by The Best American Essays.  \n\n\n\nEthan 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. At Hampshire College\, he studied filmmaking and creative writing and received an MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry) from Louisiana State University. He presented the TEDx talk “Why Dungeons & Dragons is Good for You (In Real Life)” and offers workshops teaching adults\, children\, and organizations how to play Dungeons & Dragons. \n\n\n\nREFUNDS (less a $10 processing fee) 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\nThere are no refunds after the replay is sent.Questions? 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\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/art-of-the-cinematic/ 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:20260723T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260806T200000 DTSTAMP:20260521T174839Z CREATED:20260521T173405Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260521T174839Z UID:10000127-1784826000-1786046400@writingcraft.com SUMMARY:3-WEEK WORKSHOP | Words That Matter: Writing for Advocacy and Change DESCRIPTION:Words have the power to inform\, move\, and mobilize. Learn to craft essays that mine your experience while speaking out on important issues\, challenging injustice\, and calling on readers to act.\n\n\n\nOpen to 10 writers only\, working in Creative Nonfiction\, Narrative Nonfiction\, or Personal Essay \n\n\n\nLive On Zoom | Thursdays\, July 23 – August 6\, 2026 | 5-8 pm Eastern \n\n\n\nIn this generative writing workshop\, we’ll explore how the creative nonfiction essay conveys important themes and messages and questions the status quo\, bends a critical eye to social norms\, and brings to light a range of issues that need addressing\, from the small to the big. \n\n\n\nWe’ll explore a variety of essay styles and stories\, from thoughtful commentary to powerfully emotional pieces\, many of which explore difficult\, political\, and important contemporary issues: works rooted in truth but done so with the creative flair of artful formatting and prose. Most importantly\, we’ll practice and write our own advocacy essays. \n\n\n\nIf you’re passionate about speaking out against injustice\, expressing dissent\, and stimulating imagination of a better world\, join us to refine your skills and build your publication record with essays that make a difference. \n\n\n\nIncludes the instructor’s written feedback on your work. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOver these three weeks\, you will …\n\n\n\n\nQUESTION creative nonfiction essays to understand how they can convey important themes and messages\n\n\n\nPRACTICE employing craft elements to successfully advocate for issues in a way that emotionally connects with readers\n\n\n\nWORKSHOP one another’s work to provide diverse feedback\, perspectives\, and reactions\n\n\n\nEXPLORE a variety of essay styles and stories featuring difficult\, political\, and important contemporary issues\n\n\n\nGENERATE new writing to develop into powerful essays\n\n\n\n\nSchedule\n\n\n\n\nWeek 1: Short writing practice to get into the writing zone; discussion of essay examples distributed and read before class; longer writing sprint with brief on-the-spot reading/feedback\n\n\n\nWeeks 2 and 3: A workshop of up to 1\,000 words for each student; discussion of essay examples distributed and read before class; end with short writing practice to send us off with more ideaFollowing the final session\, the instructor will send written feedback to each student\n\n\n\n\nThis course is for beginning and intermediate writers who …\n\n\n\n\nwant to learn how craft elements create effective messaging\n\n\n\ndesire to use their craft for advocacy purposes\n\n\n\nhave stories to tell or want to speak out on issues they are passionate about\n\n\n\nwant to explore more experimental styles of essay writing\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔Think you might miss a class? No worries\, replays will be available. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmy Shea is an essayist with an MFA and a doctorate in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow and is the author of Too Poor to Die: The Hidden Realities of Dying in the Margins.  \n\n\n\nAn energetic and encouraging teacher\, Amy focuses on practice-based instruction with time to write\, play\, and close-read examples to stretch your writing skills. Always inclusive\, she loves to provide lots of examples\, so students end up with lots of SWAG (Stories We All Get [to read])!Amy Shea’s work has appeared in The Missouri Review\, Portland Review\, The Massachusetts Review\,  the Journal of Sociology of Health & Illness\, among others. She works as the Writing Program Director for Mount Tamalpais College\, a free community college for the incarcerated people of San Quentin. Learn more about her work at https://amysshea.com. \n\n\n\nTestimonials from past students:\n\n\n\n“Amy Shea’s classroom presentations to my college writing classes were excellent and informative. She was a guest writer in both introductory and advanced writing classes\, and in both cases the students raved afterwards about how helpful her presentations were for them. Her focus on different kinds of research\, writing\, and editing in the context of writing creative nonfiction is useful for writers at all levels. Highly recommended!” –David Buuck\, Academic Director\, Oakland Clemente Course in the Humanities & Assistant Adjunct Professor of English\, Mills College \n\n\n\n“Amy is a wonderful lecturer and educator! She asks great questions that always stimulate lots of discussion and creates a great learning environment for the attendees with her warmth and creativity.” –Justine Juson \n\n\n\n“Amy presented her research and writing practices to my students\, who mostly saw research and writing as exacting hard work that was beyond them but not beyond others. Amy’s descriptions\, sometimes humorous and always instructive\, encouraged my students to think differently\, and by the end of class\, my students felt empowered to explore creativity and research in their own writing practices.” –Jeff Magnin \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 first class\, you may request a refund (less a $25 processing fee).After class begins\, you may request a refund for the remaining value of the course (less a $25 processing fee). \n\n\n\nNo credits or refunds will be available after the 1st class. \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\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/words-that-matter/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Workshops and Masterclasses ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/shea.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR