WriterHouse - Calendar

Writing, Revising, Pitching (Randall Klein)

Start
January 08, 2025
End
September 17, 2025
Schedule
9 sessions
Location
Zoom — link to be shared by instructor

Overview:

Wednesdays, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM, By application only. Applications are closed.

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 written a substantive portion of a novel and seek to develop it in workshop, blended with a detailed look at how books are pitched and marketed. This class is designed for writers who already have something on the page, as writers will be asked to start with a project of at least 50,000 words.

Over the course of a leisurely nine months, writers will take their novel and receive detailed workshopping, receiving guidance from the instructor and the class as they continue toward the goal of getting the work ready for submission or publication. Each student will also receive guidance and feedback on writing a query / pitch letter for the work, and each class will involve some time of the instructor answering any publishing-related questions and discussing best practices for the process of finding / selecting an agent, crafting a query letter, etc. Work in any adult fiction genre is accepted, and writers of all levels are welcome to apply.

Details:

This class is designed to help novelists take a novel-in-process and workshop it to a complete draft, or to take a full draft and workshop it to a more polished revision. Through workshopping and discussion, it will also help writers to approach the process with stronger analytical tools, helping to make both the writing and revision process less frustrating and more productive. The class will meet roughly once a month, beginning in January of 2025 through September 2025 via Zoom.

Prospective attendees will apply with a writing sample of up to 7500 words of a work-in-progress. Class size will be limited to ensure that all writers have the time to develop their own work while also giving detailed reads to fellow writers. Each writer will have one class devoted to workshopping their writing and query / pitch letter, as well as availability for one-on-one feedback and discussion with the instructor.

The instructor will also select a recently published debut novel and one class will be dedicated entirely to discussing this book, breaking down the choices the author has made and how writers can apply these techniques in their own writing. Also, how do publishers market these books, and were they successful, and how can this influence how a writer pens a submission letter, or pitches his or her own work? These issues and others will be discussed by the class to give writers a foundation on how to build a novel, how to revise it, and once it’s ready, how to get others interested in it.

The first class session will be for meeting the class, scheduling, and a “Bookclub” discussion. The instructor will provide the title of the book in advance so writers are prepared for the discussion. The work will begin in earnest at the 2nd class. So, there are 9 meetings, but 8 of them will be for classwork. Class will meet online via Zoom on Wednesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for 9 sessions on the following dates:

Class 1: January 8, 2025 (Scheduling and Bookclub class. The purpose here is to get everyone used to the structure of a workshop without the pressure of evaluating the manuscript of a student).
Class 2: February 12
Class 3: March 12
Class 4: April 9 / April 16 (TBD)
Class 5: May 14
Class 6: June 11
Class 7: July 16
Class 8: August 20
Class 9: September 17

Application Requirements:

Application Deadline has been extended to November 29, 2024. Prerequisite: Substantial progress of at least 50,000 words on the first draft of a novel must be achieved by all students. Applications are closed at this time.

Please submit up to 7500 words of a work-in-progress. It may be from any adult fiction genre (mystery, romance, literary, science-fiction, etc.). Writing samples must be emailed to programs@writerhouse.org. Please note, this program is for novelists who are prepared to make a strong commitment to their work; students will be expected to participate in the entire program. A $100 nonrefundable deposit is due at the time of application. Deposits will be applied to the cost of tuition for students who are accepted to this program.

This class is limited to a maximum of eight writers. If there is enough demand a second section may be added, and writers accepted will be given a choice of schedules. Acceptance letters will be emailed to writers by December 6, 2024. Upon acceptance, the balance of the tuition will be due within a week. Payment plans will be available for students who are accepted in this program. The first payment will be due no later than December 11, 2024.

About the Instructor:

Randall Klein worked in publishing for a decade, starting at the literary agency Trident Media Group, then as an editor, first within the Random House Publishing Group, then for Diversion Books, where he acquired and edited over one hundred books across all genres. He is also the author of the novel Little Disasters, published in May of 2018 by Viking Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. He has been teaching at Writer House for over six years.

Show details

Writing the Hardest Part: How Writers Bring Difficult Experience to the Page - Part II (Erin James)

Start
September 15, 2025
9:30 AM
End
November 03, 2025
11:45 AM
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
0

Join waitlist

Class will meet in person at WriterHouse for 8 sessions on Mondays from 9:30-11:45 AM, September 15 through November 3.

* Prerequisite for this class: completion of Writing the Hardest Part - Part I

Description:

“Let’s face it. We’re undone by each other. And if we’re not, we’re missing something.” Judith Butler, Precarious Life

Much has been written about the self-care that writers must practice if engaged in the art of transforming our most painful and difficult moments into story. This class will leave that up to our therapists, and focus instead on the justifications for doing so, and how to care for those on the receiving end of our stories.

Rooted in Maggie Nelson’s theory of art as “a place where all elements—even extremities—of what it feels like to be human can be heard and find place,” we will explore the techniques used by various nonfiction writers to handle difficult content, expand upon the craft archive of trauma we began to build in Part I of this course, and workshop our works-in-progress.

In addition to exploring the creative struggles of other writers and drawing inspiration from what helped them put words to their experience, we will hold space for our own anxieties about writing difficult experience and engage in craft exercises meant to help us do so with care for and awareness of the self and the other.

Participants will also receive feedback on their works-in-progress and provide feedback to others. In-class writing will be generative, and a variety of prompts will be offered each week. Participants will leave with a framework for bringing their difficult experiences to the page and feedback on their current work.

About the Instructor:

Erin has taught English and Creative Writing for over a decade and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University in 2024.

In addition to working with students at WriterHouse for the past ten years, she has been a judge for the Writer‘s Eye Creative Writing Contest hosted by the University of Virginia’s Fralin Museum of Art. She has also been a student and teacher-counselor at UVA’s Young Writers Workshop. She has attended two week-long workshops for Teachers as Writers at Bard College’s Institute for Writing and Thinking in 2014 and 2016 and received an author fellowship to attend the Martha’s Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing in 2021. Before she began teaching, she studied Journalism and English at New York University and received her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Virginia. In addition to writing, Erin loves reading, hiking, practicing and teaching yoga, cooking, being outside, traveling, and spending time with her sons Noah and Jacob, and friends.

Show details

Start Writing Now: A Fiction Workshop (Tina Tocco)

Start
September 15, 2025
1:00 PM
End
November 03, 2025
3:30 PM
Location
Online via Zoom -- instructor will provide link
Spaces left
1

Register

This class will meet online for 8 sessions on Mondays from 1:00-3:30 PM, September 15 through November 4.

Description:

Have you always wanted to try your hand at fiction writing, but never took the leap? Maybe you’ve put down your pen for a while and need a jumpstart. Come experiment in this low-stress, generative class! If you’re thinking, “But I don’t have any ideas,” don’t worry! We’ll use fun prompts — music, sounds, images, objects, etc. — to kindle your imagination. Expect to write to at least one prompt in every class and to comment on your classmates’ pieces. Since this workshop is generative, we’ll stick to positive feedback and optional sharing to keep everyone’s experience relaxed and fun. You’ll walk away each week with at least one new piece of writing and the tools to continue on this path. In addition, you’ll receive (completely optional) take-home exercises to keep you writing during the week, PDFs of all in-class prompts, and other resources to help you with your writing. Who knows? You might even start some pieces you’d like to turn into something more!

NOTE: Returning students are welcome, as there will be new material used in this class.

About the Instructor:

Tina Tocco is a Pushcart Prize nominee. Her work has appeared in New Ohio Review, River Styx, Crab Creek Review, Roanoke Review, Hobart, Passages North, Potomac Review, Portland Review, Harpur Palate, and Italian Americana, among others. Tina’s writing has also been featured in various anthologies, including The Best Small Fictions 2019 (Sonder Press, 2019), Best Nonfiction Food (Woodhall Press, 2020), and The Haunted States of America (SCBWI-Henry Holt, 2024). A recipient of multiple awards, Tina was a finalist in CALYX’s Flash Fiction Contest and longlisted in The SmokeLong Quarterly Grand Micro Competition. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Manhattanville University, where she was editor-in-chief of Inkwell, the university’s national literary journal.

Show details

Writing Family Narratives Using Research (Brendan Wolfe)

Start
September 16, 2025
1:00 PM
End
November 04, 2025
3:30 PM
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
0

Join waitlist

This class will meet in person at WriterHouse for 8 sessions on Tuesdays from 1:00 PM-3:30 PM, September 16 through November 4th.

Description:

This class is part genealogy seminar, part traditional nonfiction workshop. We’ll focus on integrating storytelling with research in ways that make it impossible to separate one from the other. In the process you will learn some basic family history–research skills and then see how what you uncover can not only deepen your storytelling but guide it as well.

Come to class with one or more projects in mind. Be thinking about what story you are trying to tell and how research might help. What questions do you have that it might answer? You might be interested in writing a memoir about you and your immediate family, or investigating something further back in time. The title of this class notwithstanding, you’re also welcome to pursue a story outside of your family but that you nevertheless find yourself drawn to.

We will read and discuss published examples, present our research, and then workshop drafts of our narratives.

About the Instructor:

Brendan Wolfe is a professional genealogist and the author of three books, including Finding Bix: The Life and Afterlife of a Jazz Legend and Wolfe’s History. His personal essays and reviews have been published in Colorado Review, The Morning News, VQR, and Mud Season Review, among others. For twelve years Wolfe edited Encyclopedia Virginia, and has written numerous historical essays, including “The Train at Wood’s Crossing.” Honored as the best historical narrative of 2019 by Bunk magazine, it is included in Lynching in Virginia: Racial Terror and Its Legacy, edited by Gianluca De Fazio and published by the University of Virginia Press in August. Wolfe lives in Charlottesville with his daughter, Beatrix.

Show details

Tell Your Story: A Creative Writing Workshop (Deborah Harris)

Start
September 16, 2025
5:00 PM
End
November 04, 2025
7:00 PM
Location
Online via Zoom — link will be shared by instructor
Spaces left
2

Register

Description:

This class will meet online for 8 sessions on Tuesdays from 5:00 PM-7:00 PM, September 16 through November 4th.

Whether you’re just beginning a memoir or deep into your novel, this class will help you generate new work while practicing the fundamentals of creative writing that draw readers deeply into your story.

Each week, we’ll exercise our writing muscles with the help of a generative prompt. We’ll talk about published work we’ve read, considering story, character development, structure, and style. Finally, we’ll respond to shared student work in a generous and supportive spirit.

About the Instructor:

Deborah’s work has appeared in Dissent Magazine, The Southampton Review, and Five on the Fifth. She earned her MALS in literature from Wesleyan University and MFA in fiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She teaches here at WriterHouse, and at Hudson River Community Education, in New York.

Show details

Evening Poetry (John Most)

Start
September 17, 2025
6:30 PM
End
November 05, 2025
9:00 PM
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
0

Join waitlist

Description:

This class will meet in person at WriterHouse for 8 sessions on Wednesdays from 6:30 PM-9:00 PM, September 17 through November 5th.

In this class, which is open to all poets, we will spend most of our time writing and workshopping new poems. In addition to writing new poems, we will look at what different poets do in addition to writing the poem, whether it is writing about poetry, taking notes, thinking, researching, or reading.

About the Instructor:

John Most earned his PhD in media philosophy from the European Graduate School. His work has appeared in Jacket, Lungfull!, The Continental Review, Coconut, and Big Bridge. He is the author of Persephone, Atelier, and Field.

Show details

Daytime Combo: Fiction and Creative Nonfiction (Christina Ward-Niven)

Start
September 18, 2025
1:00 PM
End
November 06, 2025
3:30 PM
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
2

Register

This class will meet in person at WriterHouse for 8 sessions on Thursdays from 1:00 PM-3:30 PM, September 18 through November 6th.

Description:

In this MFA-style workshop, we will read one story or essay by a published author each week and discuss what makes it tick. How exactly does the piece work? We’ll dig into a wide range of craft topics, as they come up—point of view, characterization, pacing, clarity, mystery, and more. Next, we’ll turn the same lens to our own work, reading and responding to two participants’ pieces per week. Short stories, essays, and/or memoir are welcome. Links to online reading assignments will be provided weekly by the instructor, via email.

About the Instructor:

Christina Ward-Niven holds an MFA in Fiction from Warren Wilson College’s Program for Writers. She also earned a BA in English from William and Mary and an MS in Journalism from Boston University. She worked as a nonfiction writer and editor for several organizations in Washington, D.C., before moving to Charlottesville and shifting her focus to fiction. Her recent work has appeared in Husk Zine, Antioch Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Fiction Writers Review, CRAFT Literary, and elsewhere.

Show details

Time, Craft, & Culture

Start
September 18, 2025
6:30 PM
End
November 06, 2025
9:00 PM
Location
WriterHouse

Register

This class meets in person at WriterHouse on Thursdays, September 18 through November 6, from 6:30 to 9 PM.

Description:

As writers, we craft our readers' experience of time, creating suspense and adding meaning through such elements as pace and rhythm. We also—inevitably, if unconsciously—engage with cultural models of time through the forms we choose. In this eight-week workshop we'll consider how time operates in prose through readings, discussion, experiments, and workshopping your writing. Topics will include lyric and narrative modes, various shapes for story plots, understanding sentence-level choices, and more. Writers of any genre and experience level are welcome. Join us to spark new ideas and fuel your creativity!

About the Instructor:

Jenn Gibbs is a writer, editor, and communication Swiss Army knife specializing in prose forms and the creative process. Her stories and essays have appeared in literary journals and anthologies including The Gettysburg Review, Ocean State Review, The Chattahoochee Review, and Literature and Racial Ambiguity. Her obsession with the enigma of time has led her to study ways that narratives shape and are shaped by individual and collective identities. She holds a BFA in Writing Arts from the State University of New York College at Oswego, an MFA in Creative Writing from Bowling Green State University, and a PhD in English and American Literature with Creative Writing Emphasis from the University of Utah.

Show details

Introduction to Scrivener: Word Processing Software Meets Project Management (Kristie Smeltzer)

When
October 11, 2025
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location
In person at WriterHouse
Spaces left
7

Register

This seminar will meet in person at WriterHouse for 1 session on Saturday, Oct. 11th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Description:

Scrivener software can be a book-altering tool for writers, but many find the learning curve to implement it into their practice intimidating. Join us for a high-level overview of Scrivener’s functionality followed by real-life examples of how it may be used to organize book-length writing projects, such as novels and memoirs.

This hands-on seminar will provide participants the opportunity to apply concepts immediately in Scrivener. Explore features and practice setting up projects with the support of an experienced user on hand to answer your questions and make suggestions to help you get the most out of the tool’s functionality.

This seminar is a good fit for those who have already started with Scrivener or are interested in trying it. The software is useful to anyone working on a book-length manuscript. Participants will be asked to download the Scrivener free-trial or buy the software prior to the seminar.

About the Instructor:

Kristie Smeltzer’s fiction has been published by Scribes*MICRO*Fiction, MonkeyBicycle, Atticus Review, and others. She is currently working on several novels. She earned her MFA in creative writing at the University of Central Florida. Kristie has taught at WriterHouse since 2016, and her students have gone on to publish their work in literary magazines, with small presses, and through large publishing houses. She also helps others tell their stories as a developmental editor and writing coach. Learn more at www.kristiesmeltzer.com.

Show details

Revising Prose: Seeing Your Work Anew (Kristie Smeltzer)

When
October 11, 2025
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
7

Register

This seminar will meet in person at WriterHouse for 1 session on Saturday, October11th from 1:00-4:00 PM.

Note: This seminar will be also be offered online on Saturday, November 1 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The content will be the same in each session/format.

Description:

Sometimes what makes or breaks the success of a story is how well a writer sets and manages readers expectations. The first few paragraphs, pages, or chapters of a piece, depending on its length, establish its voice, tone, characters, and structure. Carefully building that foundation helps readers to trust you as the writer.

In this seminar, we'll discuss essential elements that writers need to set up early in their work to gain that reader trust and buy-in, in addition to grabbing their interest. Then we'll read some examples of published work to analyze how the writers' choices affect the readers' experience. Finally, we'll have time for participants to do activities with their own writing to identify existing strengths in terms of their promises to readers as well as identifying opportunities for additions and changes.

Both fiction and creative nonfiction writers will benefit from participating in this seminar. Those of any skill level are welcome to participate but having at least a basic understanding of story structure and essential story components will help participants get the most out of the seminar.

About the Instructor:

Kristie Smeltzer’s fiction has been published by Scribes*MICRO*Fiction, MonkeyBicycle, Atticus Review, and others. She is currently working on several novels. She earned her MFA in creative writing at the University of Central Florida. Kristie has taught at WriterHouse since 2016, and her students have gone on to publish their work in literary magazines, with small presses, and through large publishing houses. She also helps others tell their stories as a developmental editor and writing coach. Learn more at www.kristiesmeltzer.com.

Show details

Looking and Seeing: Poems of Description and Observation (Margaret Mackinnon)

When
October 18, 2025
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
0

Join waitlist

This seminar will meet in person at WriterHouse for one session on Saturday, October 18 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM.

Description:

On some level, most poems rely on description, but in this one-day seminar, we’ll discuss poems that use description and observation as primary strategies. In his biography of Henry David Thoreau, Robert Richardson echoes Thoreau when he observes, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” How can poets move beyond looking to a space of actually seeing in their work? How can a poem that begins in description become an act of exploration? Members of the class will receive a packet of poems reflecting this theme, including some ekphrastic poems (poems written in response to works of art). We’ll use our time together to talk about some of the sample poems, but our primary focus will be on work written by seminar participants. This seminar is open to poets at all stages of developing their craft.

About the Instructor:

Margaret Mackinnon is the author of two collections of poetry, The Invented Child (Silverfish Review Press 2013), winner of the 2014 Literary Award in Poetry from the Library of Virginia, and Afternoon in Cartago (Ashland Poetry Press 2022), winner of the Richard Snyder Memorial Publication Prize. Her work has appeared in The Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review, Image, Poetry, Blackbird, and other journals. She attended Vassar College and the University of North Carolina, and she received her MFA in poetry from the University of Florida. She lives with her family in Richmond.

Show details

The Novelist's Workshop: A Year Long Class in Novel Writing

Start
October 20, 2025
End
October 19, 2026
Schedule
20 sessions
Location
WriterHouse

Register

By application only.

Calendar:

Class meets on selected Mondays from 6 – 8 PM at WriterHouse.**

2025: October 20, November 3, November 17, December 1, December 15

2026: January 12, January 26, February 9, February 23, March 9, March 16, April 13, April 27, May 11, May 18, June 8, July 13, August 17, September 14, September 28, October 19

**Instructor reserves the right to change dates as needed, with student input, due to unforeseen circumstances

Class Description:

Writing a novel can be a long and sometimes mysterious process … but you don’t have to do it alone. With this class, you’ll join a group of other aspiring authors on a year-long journey to help you increase your productivity and hone your craft as you write and revise your work.

The class will meet in person regularly over the course of a year, for a total of approximately 20 sessions. (Most meetings will be in person although we may schedule occasional meetings on Zoom.) During this time, the instructor and class will offer you feedback on two submissions of fifty pages each. You will also get a series of lessons on the fundamentals of writing, including creating characters, pacing your story, revising your work, and more.

Students are encouraged to already have a manuscript of at least 20,000 words, with a focus on moving forward in their work and revising as needed. In addition to having a support network as they write, students will complete exercises to help deepen their understanding of their work-in-progress and get the chance to ask questions about challenges they face in their work. They’ll also have the opportunity to meet with the instructor one-on-one twice during the year to talk more in-depth about their novels.

Finally, we will look at selections from classic novel writing how-to guides, including This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley, Spider, Spider, Spin Me a Web by Lawrence Block, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, and more.

Application Guidelines:

Prospective students are asked to submit a writing sample of up to 20 pages double-spaced or 6,000 words. Identifiers on pages are ok. Writers may submit work in any genre of fiction, with all levels welcome to apply. Admissions will be made on a rolling basis until the class reaches a maximum of 10 students, with all decisions made by October 6th. Please note, this program is for novelists who are prepared to make a strong commitment to their work; students will be expected to participate in the entire program. Submission deadline is September 25th. Send your writing sample to programs@writerhouse.org.

Tuition and Fees

A nonrefundable deposit is due at the time of application, payable by check ($100) or online (with credit card fees, $103). The deposit will be applied to the cost of tuition for students who are accepted to this program. If you are paying by check, email programs@writerhouse.org to let us know the check is in the mail.

Tuition is $1,379 payable by check, or you may pay online with a credit card for an additional fee (assessed by the card company) of $40 for a total of $1,419. If paying by check, you must email programs@writerhouse.org to let us know the check is coming. Quarterly payment plans will be available for students who are accepted to the class. Email programs@writerhouse.org to learn more about payment plans. Upon acceptance, the balance of the tuition or the first installment payment will be due within a week to hold your space.

About the Instructor:

Adam Meyer is the author of the novel The Last Domino (Putnam), an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, and the Derringer award-winning novella Two Shrimp Tacos and a .22 Ruger among other works. His short fiction has been nominated for the Shamus Award and appeared in Best American Mystery Stories 2024, and he’s edited the short story anthologies Hollywood Kills and In Too Deep. He’s also written more than two hundred hours of television for Discovery, National Geographic, Lifetime and PBS, including the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Made With Love.

Show details

Revising Prose: Seeing Your Work Anew (Kristie Smeltzer)

When
November 01, 2025
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location
Online via Zoom -- instructor will provide Zoom link
Spaces left
10

Register

This seminar will meet online for 1 session on Saturday, November 1st from 1:00-4:00 PM.

Note: This seminar will be also be offered in person at WriterHouse on Saturday, October 11 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The content will be the same in each session/format.

Description:

Sometimes what makes or breaks the success of a story is how well a writer sets and manages readers expectations. The first few paragraphs, pages, or chapters of a piece, depending on its length, establish its voice, tone, characters, and structure. Carefully building that foundation helps readers to trust you as the writer.

In this seminar, we'll discuss essential elements that writers need to set up early in their work to gain that reader trust and buy-in, in addition to grabbing their interest. Then we'll read some examples of published work to analyze how the writers' choices affect the readers' experience. Finally, we'll have time for participants to do activities with their own writing to identify existing strengths in terms of their promises to readers as well as identifying opportunities for additions and changes.

Both fiction and creative nonfiction writers will benefit from participating in this seminar. Those of any skill level are welcome to participate but having at least a basic understanding of story structure and essential story components will help participants get the most out of the seminar.

About the Instructor:

Kristie Smeltzer’s fiction has been published by Scribes*MICRO*Fiction, MonkeyBicycle, Atticus Review, and others. She is currently working on several novels. She earned her MFA in creative writing at the University of Central Florida. Kristie has taught at WriterHouse since 2016, and her students have gone on to publish their work in literary magazines, with small presses, and through large publishing houses. She also helps others tell their stories as a developmental editor and writing coach. Learn more at www.kristiesmeltzer.com.

Show details

Calendar

Upcoming events