July 2019
Literary Fiction Critique Group
This is a closed group facilitated by Lauren Hebert for writers who seek thoughtful critical feedback on their work and are able to provide the same support for other group members. In addition to reading and commenting on individual submissions, we also engage in craft-related discussions, writing exercises, and free-write sessions.
Find out more »Open Writing Hours Today!
WriterHouse will be offering the volunteer operated Open Writing Hours today. Come in and enjoy a nice quiet place to write, meet with your writer friends, and have a cup of coffee on the house. Want to see more open hours? We do too! Become a volunteer for WriterHouse today to help us promote the creation and appreciation of the literary arts in your community.
Find out more »Summer Novel Starter (This class is full!)
Instructor: Randall Klein $300 Members | $330 Nonmembers TEN Wednesdays, 6/5/19 – 8/14/19 | 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm It's summer! You can accomplish a lot or you can accomplish just a little. BUT, if it is on your bucket list to start a first draft of a novel guided by a seasoned veteran of the writing world, why would you say no? This class is designed to help writers start a novel in any genre in a condensed and…
Find out more »Dabblers Group
This is a closed writing group organized by member Carol Cutler that meets in the Salon.
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Off-Season NaNoWriMo Meeting
This is a closed meeting of NaNoWriMo organizers facilitated by Jennifer Ehlers.
Find out more »Open Writing Hours Today!
WriterHouse will be offering the volunteer operated Open Writing Hours today. Come in and enjoy a nice quiet place to write, meet with your writer friends, and have a cup of coffee on the house. Want to see more open hours? We do too! Become a volunteer for WriterHouse today to help us promote the creation and appreciation of the literary arts in your community.
Find out more »Open Writing Hours Today!
WriterHouse will be offering the volunteer operated Open Writing Hours today. Come in and enjoy a nice quiet place to write, meet with your writer friends, and have a cup of coffee on the house. Want to see more open hours? We do too! Become a volunteer for WriterHouse today to help us promote the creation and appreciation of the literary arts in your community.
Find out more »August 2019
Why Then? Why There? Setting Fiction in Time and Place
Instructor: Cliff Garstang $60 Members | $65 Nonmembers Saturday, 8/3/19 | 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm In this seminar we will examine the implications of making particular choices for the setting of a work of fiction. Does it matter when the story takes place? Does it matter if the narrative is current or retrospective? And how can the writer use the physical setting to deepen the reader’s engagement with the work. Through examination of well-known works, both stories and novels,…
Find out more »Gender Benders: Exploring the “Other”
Instructor: BettyJoyce Nash $60 Members | $65 Nonmembers Sunday, 8/4/19 | 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Suppose you identify as female but want to write a male’s point of view? Literature would suffer if writers failed to explore characters of the “other” gender, male or trans. Gender refers to individuals’ concept of themselves; sex refers to biological differences. Not every female is nurturing and emotionally expressive; all males aren’t silent and emotionally distant. Not only do socialization and embedded cultural…
Find out more »Point of View: POV – Easy as 1-2-3
Instructor: Kristie Smeltzer $94.50 Members | $105 Nonmembers Monday - Thursday, 8/5 - 8/8/19 | 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm A clear understanding of point of view is part of the foundation for any successful writer. POV determines how readers interact with your characters, and choosing the right POV and using it properly can make or break your story. Join us in this class about the basics of POV. Participants will learn about the different types of POV, tips to…
Find out more »Crafting Successful Characters in Children’s Literature
Instructor: Kathy Erskine $60 Members | $65 Nonmembers Tuesday, 8/6/19 | 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm Characters can make or break your story, whether you’re writing picture books, early readers, or middle grade and young adult novels. We’ll talk about how to make caustic characters engaging, bland characters attention-grabbing, and all characters feel like real people. This is a hands-on workshop so come prepared to do exercises in class—not sit-ups and pushups … unless, of course, that’s what your character…
Find out more »Memoir in a Year Part II: Drafting and Revising Your Book-Length Memoir (This class is full!)
Instructor: Lisa Ellison$1399* Members | $1399* NonmembersSelect Thursdays 1/24/19 – 12/5/19 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM*Payment plans of $335 per quarter will be available to students accepted into this program.**For a complete list of class dates, please see the Memoir in a Year Part II Syllabus. Have a powerful life story you absolutely must tell? Looking for support as you harness the power of that narrative? Memoir in a Year Part II: Drafting and Revising Your Book-Length Memoir is…
Find out more »Navigating Self-Publishing Using Amazon KDP (Only 3 spots left!)
Instructor: John Nicolay $60 Members | $65 Nonmembers Saturday, 8/10/19 | 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm This seminar takes the student through the process of using Amazon’s “Kindle Direct Print” for publishing any project as a softcover book. We will discuss each element of the process, starting with formatting the “to-be” work so that KDP remains happy. John Nicolay is a professor in The Graduate School, University of Maryland. He is an officer with the Blue Ridge Writers, and a…
Find out more »Telling Your Story: Personal Essay and Memoir (Only 3 spots left!)
Instructor: Bill Glose $60 Members | $65 Nonmembers Sunday, 8/11/19 | 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm This seminar will focus on structure and storytelling elements of essays and memoirs. Practical exercises will incorporate brainstorming and organizational techniques to gather details and focus your story on a particular theme. The class will also discuss ethical dilemmas associated with true-life stories. Bill Glose is a former paratrooper and combat platoon leader. Now a civilian, he undertakes intriguing pursuits—such as walking across Virginia…
Find out more »Writing, Revising, Pitching: Getting Your Novel Out of the Drawer and Off to Market (This class is full!)
Instructor: Randall Klein $1299* Members | $1299* Nonmembers Select Mondays 1/14/19 – 9/23/19 | 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM *Payment plans of $412 per quarter (3 quarters) will be available to students accepted into this program. Overview: For most novelists, the ultimate goal is to get published. Before that, however, comes much revision, along with some frustration and confusion at a seemingly impenetrable system of submission, waiting, and hoping. Writing, Revising, Pitching is a class for people who have…
Find out more »WriterHouse Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror/Speculative Fiction Writers Group
Do rolling green hills inspire you to think of brutal orc armies bearing down on ancient elfin civilizations? Intrepid heroes slashing their way through overgrown jungles in search of the one cure to a deadly pandemic? Forgotten tribes descended from a humanoid ancestor other than our own? Government enclaves for top secret and highly unethical experiments? Mother Nature’s healing touch after the nuclear apocalypse? If so then we would love to hear about it! The WriterHouse Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror/Speculative Fiction Writers Group…
Find out more »Poets At Large
This is a closed group facilitated by Sharon Ackerman and Priscilla Melchior. The group's goal is a detailed study of the craft of poetry.
Find out more »September 2019
Putting the Pen to the Page: Drafting Your Novel in One Year
Instructor: Kristen-Paige Madonia $1,399* Members | $1,399* Nonmembers Select Mondays, 9/9/19 - 5/21/20** | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM *Payment plans of $335 per quarter will be available to students accepted into this program. Overview: Putting the Pen to the Page is an opportunity for writers to study the craft of creative writing, share and workshop portions of their novel manuscript, provide and receive constructive criticism, and work with a published author at an MFA-level of instruction as they write…
Find out more »Cville YA Writers Group
This group is open to any member of WriterHouse. At this meeting, one member will read a short piece for us to critique. We will also discuss an article about writing antagonists. We welcome more voices in our lively discussions about writing as it pertains to the YA audience. Questions? Contact Bonnie Redding at riderwriter5@yahoo.com
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