In each of these sessions, you will be introduced to creative ways to generate ideas for your writing.  There will be three sessions of this workshop and each session will have different writing prompts. Register for all three sessions for a discounted rate.

Age: 18+

Instructor: Lisa Lowry plus guest instructors

Note: This workshop is also offered on 03/24/20 and 04/21/20

Time: 10:00 am -12:00 pm

Cost: $25 each or $60 for all three sessions 

Location: St. Barnabas Church Annandale (4801 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA 22003)

Level: All.  Absolute beginners are encouraged to join us.

To register, click the “Register” link below.

Have you always wanted to write a picture book? If so, this is the class for you! This workshop is targeted at beginning picture book writers from absolute novices through writers starting to think about submitting to agents. We will cover pagination, word choice, pacing, art notes and much more.

Instructor: Laura Gehl

Age: 18+

Date: 05/05/20

Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Cost: $45 thru 04/21/20; $55 after 04/21/20

Location: 3700 S. Four Mile Run, Arlington, VA 22206

Level: All

To sign-up click the “Register” link below.

Fast-drafting is a skill that many writers will use at some point in their careers. It could be for a deadline, for NaNoWriMo, or for a final push to get a stubborn idea fully on the page. We’ll explore practical tips and exercises that a writer can do to train themselves to become a fast-drafter. We’ll share and discuss roadblocks to fast-drafting and brainstorm solutions, including how to turn off that annoying internal editor.

Instructor: Erin Teagan

Age: 18+

Date: 04/28/20

Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Cost: $45 thru 04/14/20; $55 after 04/14/20

Location: 3700 S. Four Mile Run, Arlington, VA 22206

Level: All

To sign-up click the “Register” link below.

In each of these sessions, you will be introduced to creative ways to generate ideas for your writing.  There will be three sessions of this workshop and each session will have different writing prompts. Register for all three sessions for a discounted rate.

Age: 18+

Instructor: Lisa Lowry plus guest instructors

Note: This workshop is also offered on 03/24/20 and 05/12/20

Time: 10:00 am -12:00 pm

Cost: $25 each or $60 for all three sessions 

Location: St. Barnabas Church Annandale (4801 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA 22003)

Level: All.  Absolute beginners are encouraged to join us.

To register, click the “Register” link below.

Canceled

In each of these sessions, you will be introduced to creative ways to generate ideas for your writing.  There will be three sessions of this workshop and each session will have different writing prompts. Register for all three sessions for a discounted rate.

Age: 18+

Instructor: Lisa Lowry plus guest instructors

Note: This workshop is also offered on 04/21/20 and 05/12/20

Time: 10:00 am -12:00 pm

Cost: $25 each or $60 for all three sessions 

Location: St. Barnabas Church Annandale (4801 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA 22003)

Level: All.  Absolute beginners are encouraged to join us.

To register, click the “Register” link below.

The first chapter of your novel will seal your book’s fate. In this workshop, you will learn how to construct those important first pages, including how to establish your setting, launch your plot and introduce your characters.

Instructor: Thierry Sagnier

Age: 18+

Date: 03/03/20

Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Cost: $45 thru 02/18/20; $55 after 02/18/20

Location: 3700 S. Four Mile Run, Arlington, VA 22206

Level: All

To sign-up click the “Register” link below.

Open to writers of all levels and genres looking for a practical guide to build, or stick to, a sustainable writing practice. In this workshop, you will learn how to create a regular writing routine in order to reach a writing goal or to add more creativity to your life. As a group, we’ll discuss obstacles to success, bust some myths that hold us back, and take note of some common pitfalls. Bring your calendar for goal setting. This workshop will leave you with a renewed commitment to your work and a strong plan to put in place!

Instructor: Melanie Figg

Age: 18+

Date: 02/29/20

Time: 10:30 am – 2:00 pm w/ 30 minute lunch break. Please bring your own lunch. Drinks will be provided.

Cost: $70 thru 02/15/20; $85 after 02/15/20

Location: 3700 S. Four Mile Run, Arlington, VA 22206

Level: All

To sign-up click the “Register” link below.

You've written a picture book manuscript . . . now what? In this workshop, we'll explore revision strategies, tips, and techniques to help your story shine its best and brightest. 

Instructor: Megan Wagner Lloyd

Age: 18+

Date: 02/25/20

Time: 10:00 am -12:00 pm

Cost:  $45 thru 02/11/20; $55 after 02/11/20

Location: St. Barnabas Church Annandale (4801 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA 22003)

Level: Beginning to Advanced (but should be already actively writing picture book manuscripts)

Do you dream of telling a story on screen?  If so, this workshop is for you.  You will learn the basics of effective screenwriting—structure, story, and drama (even if you’re writing a comedy).  The class is geared to those new to screenwriting, who are either seasoned writers in other mediums or just want to tell a cinematic story. 

Instructor: Brian Daniel Schwartz

Ages: 18+

Date: 02/04/20

Time: 07:00 pm-09:00 pm

Cost: $45 thru 01/28/20; $55 after 01/28/20

Location:  3700 S. Four Mile Run, Arlington, VA 22206

Level: All

To sign-up click the “Register” link below.

Learn about metaphor and its role in making poems jump off the page. Hear sample poems from master poets that compare two very unlike things, then practice on metaphors of your own in class. For beginning and intermediate students.

Instructor: Lee Woodman

Age: 18+

Date: 01/28/20

Time: 10:00 am -12:00 pm

Cost:  $45 thru 01/21/20; $55 after 01/21/20

Location: St. Barnabas Church Annandale (4801 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA 22003)

Level: Beginner and Intermediate

To register, click the “Register” link below.

Once considered a guilty pleasure, romance novels are now part of the mainstream-and for good reason. The genre, however, is highly competitive and specialized. There are specific expectations for trope use, characterization and book length that are required before most literary agents will represent you or before publishers will consider publication. This brief course will guide you on how to write the kind of romance novel that will get you noticed and how to build a writing career in an ever-evolving marketplace.

Instructor: Harper Kincaid

Ages: 18+

Date: 01/11/20

Time: 10:30 am-2:00 pm w/30-minute lunch break. Please bring your own lunch. Drinks will be provided.

Cost: $70 thru 01/04/20; $85 after 01/04/20

Location: 3700 S. Four Mile Run, Arlington, VA 22206

Level: All

To sign-up click the “Register” link below.

More details coming soon.

Date: 11 December 2019

Time: 12:30 to 2:30pm

Location: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church of Annandale (4801 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA 22003)

Level: All levels. Beginners welcome.

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.

Famous writing advice: Show Don’t Tell. But what does it mean and how do you show? In this workshop we’ll explore writing emotion, how characters express emotion, and how to ground your reader in the sensory details that will make your novel a visceral experience.

Date: 10 December 2019

Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22204)

Level: All levels. Beginners welcome.

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.

Forgiving someone, or ourselves, can be very hard. In this workshop we’ll focus on the tougher aspects – things we’ve done or experienced that we still battle with. We’ll write poems that focus on forgiveness and moving on.

Date: 3 December 2019

Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22204)

Level: All levels. Beginners welcome.

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.

This workshops is for those dreaming of writing a picture book but unsure how to get started.  Learn about the craft of picture book writing and gain insight into the industry.

Date: 20 November 2019

Time: 12:30 to 2:30pm

Location: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church of Annandale (4801 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA 22003)

Level: Beginners

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.

In this workshop we focuses on how to make characters three dimensional.  You will learn how to create believable heroes and villains, as well as secondary characters and passing personalities.  

Date: 12 November 2019

Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22204)

Level: All levels. Beginners welcome.

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.

It’s all in the delivery! This dialogue workshop is exercise-rich and will allow you to practice dialogue techniques that will make your characters feel real and authentic.

Date: 5 November 2019

Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22204)

Level: All levels. Beginners welcome.

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.

This workshop is for those who are interested in poetry but haven’t yet found the courage to begin writing. No need to know any poetry terms – we’ll focus on reading a few poems and then using these as inspiration to write our own poems.

Date: 29 October 2019 (also offered on 24 September 2019)

Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22204)

Level: Beginners

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.

In this poetry workshop, we will look at images and objects that prompt surprising poems. Through examples from master poets and thought-provoking pictures, we’ll create some poems of our own.

Date: 23 October 2019

Time: 12:30 to 2:30pm

Location: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church of Annandale (4801 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA 22003)

Level: All levels. Beginners welcome.

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.

November is National Novel Writing Month. Join us for a Plot Your Novel Workshop. We’ll look at story structure, outlining techniques, and how to include “key” scenes in your novel.

Date: 22 October 2019

Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22204)

Level: All levels. Beginners welcome.

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.

Anytime you write you create worlds and these worlds must be believable to the reader.  This workshop focuses on the craft of world building.  Through examples and writing exercises you will learn how to construct worlds for your characters to inhabit.

Date: 1 October 2019

Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22204)

Level: All levels. Beginners welcome.

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.

Looking to start writing but not sure where to begin.  Flash fiction (stories under 1000 words) is a great place to embark on your writing journey.  Learn how these short short stories work through examples and then try writing some of your own.

Date: 25 September 2019

Time: 12:30 to 2:30pm

Location: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church of Annandale (4801 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA 22003)

Level: Beginners

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.

This workshop is for those who are interested in poetry but haven’t yet found the courage to begin writing. No need to know any poetry terms – we’ll focus on reading a few poems and then using these as inspiration to write our own poems.

Date: 24 September 2019 (also offered on 29 October 2019)

Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22204)

Level: Beginners

Age: 18+

Please read class policies.