(Westport, Conn. January 11, 2013) Westport Writers’ Workshop (www.westportwritersworkshop.com) founder and director Jessica Bram announced today new offerings for beginning writers and mothers. In addition to its high-level, craft-oriented workshops for experienced writers, Bram has now added new introductory-level workshops geared for these audiences in both an ongoing format and one-day sessions.
Would-be writers are invited to choose from several new workshops to include “Introduction to Fiction Writing,” “Beginning Memoir Writing,” and “Mother Writer: Finding Your Voice.” Alternative time slots taught by different workshop leaders are available.
For the novice interested in venturing into the world of fiction writing, two sections of “Introduction to Fiction Writing” are offered, led by workshop leaders Matt Debenham, MFA and Steve Otfinoski, MFA. No experience is required for the workshops; just an imagination, a story, and willingness to learn the craft. Through a combination of reading assignments, in-class exercises, and work prepared in advance, participants will be introduced to the building blocks of writing -- character, plot, tension, setting, point of view, and sensory description. By learning to weave original stories and sharing work in a supportive environment, students will develop early writing skills needed for a sturdy foundation.
The 8-week sessions of two-hours each, begin the week of January 15. The cost is $495 per person; $470 for members.
“Beginning Memoir Writing,” led by Marcelle Soviero, MFA, is a workshop for those who have a “story that needs to be told” but no idea how to get started. It is also appropriate for anyone seeking to pass down a wealth of wisdom the next generation. In small, friendly workshop settings, participants will learn basic techniques of the memoir narrative craft, including the use of scene and summary, internal and external dialogue, character development, sensory experience and descriptive elements. Each week, students bring short pieces of memoir based on assignments or their own work. Short lessons and gentle feedback will enable students to revise their work with the goal of making it both interesting and enjoyable.
Many a writer is born on maternity leave. The experience of motherhood -- new and vast, provides a plethora of content and new parents are especially eager to capture their experiences while preserving precious moments of childhood. For these first-time writers, a new one-day workshop, “Mother Writer: Finding your Voice,” will be taught by Marcelle Soviero, award-winning author of An Iridescent Life: Essays of Motherhood and Stepmotherhood. A mother of five herself, Soviero will cover topics such as making time to write, keeping a journal, putting ideas on the page, and submitting work for publication. Brief writing exercises will enable participants to get started in a safe atmosphere. “Mother Writer: Finding Your Voice” will take place on Saturday, January, 26 from 10 a.m to 12:30 p.m. and will be repeated at that time on Monday, January 28. The cost is $75; $70 for members.
“We expanded our 2013 curriculum to meet the need for introductory-level workshops. We’re please to provide beginners with varied options in a safe, ‘101-type’ environment,” Bram said.
Established in 2004, the Westport Writers’ Workshop offers workshops in fiction, nonfiction, memoir, writing for children, playwriting and business writing, designed to nurture creativity, inspire imagination and develop the writing craft.
The Westport Writers’ Workshop is located at 3 Sylvan Road South, Westport. For more information or to register online, visit www.westportwritersworkshop.com or call (203) 227-3250.
