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

Start
March 24, 2025
End
May 12, 2025
Schedule
8 sessions
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
6

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Class will meet for 8 sessions on Mondays from 9:30-11:00 AM, March 24 through May 12th.

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, and build a craft archive of trauma.

We will explore the creative struggles of other writers and draw inspiration from what helped them put words to their experience. We will hold space for our own anxieties about writing the hardest part and engage in craft exercises meant to help us do so with care for and awareness of the self and the other. Writing will be generative, sharing will be optional, and a variety of prompts will be offered each week. Participants will leave with a framework for bringing their difficult experiences to the page.

*Those who have taken this course before are welcome, as some readings and materials will be different.

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.

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Crime Writing: How to Write Thriller, Mystery and Suspense Fiction (Adam Meyer)

Start
March 24, 2025
End
May 19, 2025
Schedule
8 sessions
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
0

Join waitlist

Class will meet in person for 8 sessions on Mondays from 6-8:30 PM, March 24 through May 19th with a week off on April 14th.

Description:

If you’ve ever dreamed of a life of crime–at least on the page!–then this class is for you. Whether you are writing a traditional, Agatha Christie style mystery or a thriller in the Jack Reacher mode, you will learn all the tricks and techniques you’ll need to write compelling, page-turning crime fiction. Students will also bring in pages to be read and critiqued by the class. This class is open to students who've taken the previous crime writing class at WriterHouse and to new students who want an introduction to the subject.

About the Instructor:

Adam Meyer is a novelist, short story writer and screenwriter. He is the author of the YA suspense novel The Last Domino, and recently finished a new thriller, Missing Rachel. His short fiction has been selected for Year’s Best Mystery and Suspense Stories 2023, nominated for the Derringer and Shamus Awards, and appeared in more than two dozen anthologies including Crime Travel, Mickey Finn 3 and Groovy Gumshoes. He’s also written TV movies for Lifetime including My Life As a Dead Girl and Kidnapped By A Classmate, plus series for Lifetime, Discovery, National Geographic, and various streaming services.

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Writing Memoir (Brendan Wolfe)

Start
March 25, 2025
End
May 13, 2025
Schedule
8 sessions
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
0

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This class will meet in person for 8 sessions on Tuesdays from 9:30 AM-12:00 PM, March 25 through May 13th.

Description:

Are you working on a memoir project? Whether you’re writing a single, book-length narrative or an essay or essays, this class will help make it sing. We’ll read published authors and talk about genre, voice, story construction, research, and truth and accuracy. We’ll discuss what it takes to be a good reader and why that matters. And, of course, we’ll workshop our own writing.

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.

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Start Writing Now: A Fiction Workshop (Tina Tocco)

Start
March 25, 2025
End
May 13, 2025
Schedule
8 sessions
Location
Online via Zoom -- instructor will provide link
Spaces left
9

Register

This class will meet online for 8 sessions on Tuesdays from 1:00-3:30 PM, March 25 through May 13th.

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.

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Joy & Delight: Poems that Energize & Excite (Aran Donovan)

Start
March 25, 2025
End
May 13, 2025
Schedule
8 sessions
Location
Online via Zoom -- instructor will provide link
Spaces left
11

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This class will meet online for 8 sessions on Tuesdays from 6:30 PM-8:30 PM, March 25 through May 13th.

Description:

At times of intense emotion, we often turn to poetry. Whether it’s an elegy or epithalamium, poetry helps us put words to our situation and share our feelings with others. In this eight-week, online class, participants will read across a broad spectrum of poetry, workshop their poems, and write in response to poetry prompts. More specifically, we’ll look at poems that share joy and delight or that find solace and a silver lining during turbulent moments. In the first four classes, we’ll generate poems. In the remaining four classes, we’ll workshop poems. This virtual class is scheduled for Tuesdays, from 6:30-8:00 pm This class is for intermediate-advanced students who have taken at least three poetry classes at a literary education center.

About the Instructor:

Aran Donovan is Assistant Director for the Virginia Center for the Book, where she works with both the Festival of the Book and Book Arts. She holds an MFA in Poetry and Translation from the University of Arkansas and an MA in Italian from Middlebury Summer Language Schools. She has attended residencies at the Edward A. Albee Foundation, the Vermont Studio Center, and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. Her work has appeared in Best New Poets 2013, Rattle, New Orleans Review, The Common, Willow Springs, and Juked. She has lived in Italy, France, New Mexico, and New Orleans, but Virginia is starting to feel like home.

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Baptism by Fire: An Advanced Fiction Workshop (Jay Kauffman)

Start
March 26, 2025
End
May 14, 2025
Schedule
8 sessions
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
7

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This class will meet in person for 8 sessions on Wednesdays from 6:00 PM-8:30 PM, March 26 through May 14th.

Description:

The goal of this workshop is to push you to a new level of professionalism and take you from a first draft to a submission-ready final draft. The workshop will be about quality, not quantity, as we adopt a more tough-minded, detailed approach. Since everyone is expected to have a certain level of experience, we will focus less on fundamentals and more on fine-tuning—from sentence level to overall structure. But perhaps the most crucial element of this workshop will be the emphasis on confronting some poignant, central theme in your life as an artist and how that impacts your writing. The point of this course is not simply to be proficient but to produce something genuine and important. Students interested in this class are asked to submit 2-3 pages of their work to the instructor for review prior to admission. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis and are due no later than March 19; email your submission to programs@writerhouse.org.

About the Instructor:

Jay Kauffmann is a former international model, travel writer, and award-winning poet. He attended Brandeis and UC/Berkeley and holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. He has taught at Randolph College and the University of Virginia, and is currently English Chair at the Miller School of Albemarle. Author of The Mexican Messiah: a Novella and Stories (forthcoming from Cornerstone Press), he was runner up for the Leapfrog Global Fiction Prize and nominee for a Pushcart Prize and Best New American Voices. His work has appeared in CutBank, Hunger Mountain Review, Prime Number, The Writer's Chronicle, upstreet, Mid-American Review, and other journals and anthologies.

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

Start
March 27, 2025
End
May 15, 2025
Schedule
8 sessions
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
7

Register

This class will meet in person for 8 sessions on Thursdays from 1:00 PM-3:30 PM, March 27 through May 15th.

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.

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Sell Your Books Without Selling Your Soul (Andi Cumbo-Floyd)

Start
March 29, 2025
End
April 12, 2025
Schedule
2 sessions
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
7

Register

This seminar will meet in person for 2 sessions on Saturdays, March 29 and April 12th from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM.

Description:

In this class, we will discuss the various options for selling your books - i.e., Amazon only, wide distribution, paperback, ebook, audio, etc. - and we will do some exploration to help each of us decide what feels authentic and genuine for us. We’ll also discuss various marketing strategies including social media ads and more traditional methods like press releases. Finally, we’ll begin marketing plans that assure you have the fundamental elements of your public presence in place for when you are ready to sell or increase your book sales.

About the Instructor:

Andi Cumbo-Floyd is a former creative writing professor, a professional editor, and a publisher who is the author of over 30 books that each incorporate real-life places, people, and events in their pages. She writes cozy mysteries, romantic comedies, YA fantasy, and creative nonfiction and holds and MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Antioch University. She has taught at Santa Clara University, Stevenson University, and George Mason University. When she’s not writing, she and her young son name his toys odd things like “Blech-agh-bah” and try to figure out Lego Fortnite together. She lives in Crozet.

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Novel Fundamentals: Writing Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction (Kathryn Erskine)

Start
April 01, 2025
End
April 15, 2025
Schedule
3 sessions
Location
Online via Zoom -- instructor will provide link
Spaces left
7

Register

This class will meet online for 3 sessions on Tuesdays, April 1, April 8, and April 15th from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM.

Description:

Are you a writer for young people? Do you want to be? This three-class Zoom workshop will cover the fundamentals of novel writing, especially for young readers. It’ll be an overview if you’re new to the genre and a refresher if you’re experienced. First class: Character, Dialogue & Voice. Second class: Plot & Pacing. Third class: Setting, Grounding & Mood. There will be writing prompts but you’ll only share your writing if you want to. This is a relaxed class, and we’ll laugh while learning because that’s the best way. You’ll receive lists of mentor texts and helpful craft books. And you’ll be ready to engage young readers with your story.

About the Instructor:

Kathryn Erskine is the author of six children’s novels including National Book Award winner, Mockingbird, Jane Addams Peace Award honor book Seeing Red, and most recently, The Incredible Magic of Being, and the picture book, Mama Africa: How Miriam Makeba Spread Hope with her Song. She draws on life stories and world events in her writing and is currently working on several more novels and picture books.

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The Writer's Promise: Gaining Readers' Trust (Kristie Smeltzer)

When
May 03, 2025
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location
Online via Zoom -- instructor will provide link
Spaces left
10

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This seminar will meet online for 1 session on Saturday, May 3rd from 1:00-4:00 PM.

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, pioneertown, 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. WriterHouse members get a 5% discount on Kristie’s services. Learn more at www.kristiesmeltzer.com.

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Writing Diverse Characters Responsibly (Andi Cumbo-Floyd)

Start
May 10, 2025
End
May 17, 2025
Schedule
2 sessions
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
8

Register

This seminar will meet in person for 2 sessions on Saturdays, May 10 and May 17th from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM.

Description:

The writing adage is to write what you know, but if we, as writers, only write about our own experience, are we limiting ourselves and our readers to a world that is too monochromatic? In this seminar, we’ll discuss the challenges of writing “the other” as well as our ethical and social responsibilities when doing so. We’ll talk about strategies and processes to help us be responsible and compassionate writers as well as what the limits might be for writing in the experience of a person who differs from us in ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or economic class. Participants will walk away from the course with a clear and personalized sense of what is available to them and what territories of experience they feel uncomfortable exploring.

About the Instructor:

Andi Cumbo-Floyd is a former creative writing professor, a professional editor, and a publisher who is the author of over 30 books that each incorporate real-life places, people, and events in their pages. She writes cozy mysteries, romantic comedies, YA fantasy, and creative nonfiction and holds and MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Antioch University. She has taught at Santa Clara University, Stevenson University, and George Mason University. When she’s not writing, she and her young son name his toys odd things like “Blech-agh-bah” and try to figure out Lego Fortnite together. She lives in Crozet.

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New Ways to Tell Old Stories: Poems About Families (Margaret Mackinnon)

When
May 10, 2025
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Location
WriterHouse
Spaces left
7

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This seminar will meet in person for 1 session on Saturday, May 10 from 1:30 -5:30 PM.

Description:

Families are the focus of countless poems by American writers, from Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays” to Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy.” In this one-day seminar, we will look at poems by contemporary writers who take new and interesting approaches to this familiar subject. In reflecting on what makes a successful poem, Robert Frost observed, “No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.” The poets whose work we’ll explore all look at family stories in surprising ways. Members of the class will be encouraged to use some of these poems as inspiration for their own work. Our time together will be spent reading and discussing these model poems, along with pieces contributed by those in the seminar.

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.

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Write On! Summer Camps for Young Writers

Start
July 14, 2025
11:00 AM
End
July 25, 2025
3:00 PM
Location
WriterHouse

Register

Description:

Session 1: Rising 6th to Rising 8th Grade Students

July 14 — July 18
11 AM to 3 PM

Session 2: Rising 9th to Rising 12th Grade Students

July 21 — July 25
11 AM to 3 PM

Unleash your creativity in this week-long writing workshop! You will have the freedom to write what you want (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, songs!) while also learning specific tools and techniques that are crucial to all types of writing. We will explore and discuss a variety of writing across genres, and use prompts and exercises to help you dive into your writing. We will also engage in activities around town to spark inspiration and creativity. Throughout the week you will have the opportunity to share ideas, work on something new or a work-in-progress, get feedback, and refine your work. Join us on this writing adventure!

Register online or send a check to WriterHouse, PO Box 222, Charlottesville, VA. Please complete and return the permission slip as campers will not be able to participate without it.

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.

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Upcoming Classes

About the Instructor: