MEWS - Montclair Editors and Writers » Classes

Creative Nonfiction Classes

admin — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:45:10 +0000

Lisa Romeo’s popular online mini-course, Memoir and Personal Essay Creative Nonfiction 4×4, gets underway again on Monday, September 13. Sign-ups are accepted until noon the day before. Writers tackle four key topics of creative nonfiction in four weeks, with plenty of personal (private) feedback from Lisa, and many options to tailor assignments. Mews members receive a $10 discount.

Details are at her blog: http://lisaromeo.blogspot.com

For those interested in a more immersive class, Lisa will again be teaching in the Rutgers University Writing Program Extension (continuing education). Her 8-week Memoir & Creative Nonfiction Writing course meets three times on the New Brunswick campus (9/25, 10/16, 11/20), and the other five weeks are conducted online (self-paced, does NOT require being online at particular days/times).

Details at: http://wpx.rutgers.edu/courses/creative/C034.html.

Lisa’s nonfiction work has been widely published in print and online media, literary journals, and essay collections. She holds an MFA from Stonecoast and a BS in journalism from Syracuse. Her writing students and writing coaching clients can count on in-depth feedback, commentary, editing suggestions, and constructive advice. Lisa can be reached at LisaRomeoWrites@gmail.com, or call 973-857-4383.

How To Turn Your Blog Into A Bestselling Book

pam — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:16:39 +0000

Pam Satran is doing a webinar this Wednesday, July 14, from 1 to 2 pm online at shewrites.com on How To Turn Your Blog Into A Bestseller. Satran, whose blog How Not To Act Old was published as a book by Harper Collins last summer and became a New York Times bestseller, will cover everything from how to launch your blog to where to publicize to how to create your book proposal to tips for making it a bestseller. The webinar includes a lecture, q & a, and downloadable power point.

Penny University-Creating Complex, Believable Characters-FREE Writing Workshop

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:04:22 +0000

“Creating Complex, Believable Characters”
Tuesday, June 29 at 9:30am
Join us this week at The Fine Grind in Little Falls (near Willowbrook Mall and Costco in Wayne) for a writing workshop with MSU professors and directors of “Montclair Writing Workshops”
Stacy Rubis and Janis Hubschman.
They will use discussion, literary examples, and writing exercises to help participants create characters who are dimensional, have a desire, and drive the plot.
Bring your notebooks!

The Fine Grind Coffee Bar
101 Newark Pompton Turnpike
(Route 23)
973-837-0199
www.thefinegrindcoffeebar.com

Seeking Writing Contest Sponsors

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:21:59 +0000

MEWSIE and Montclair State writing professor DAVID GALEF writes: Starting this fall, Montclair State University will have a creative writing minor. The students are talented, and we want to reward the best with annual awards in both fiction and poetry. Would anyone out there be interested in sponsoring one of these contests to the tune of $100-200 per year? It’s a good opportunity not just to support the arts but also to plug whatever business or individual is supplying the funds. We have a printed pamphlet listing sponsors and an annual awards night where the sponsors can make short speeches.

Contact David at 973-655-5145 or galefd@mail.montclair.edu

What To Do Before You Debut

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 15:34:55 +0000

Authors, writers, and anyone interested in this brave new world of publishing…Please join us for a night of food, fun, and fascinating discussion! Three debut novelists appear at Watchung Booksellers on Friday May 21st at 7:00PM to discuss the process of bringing a book into the world in the latest installment of the exciting Writing Matters series.

For more information, please visit the store’s Writing Matters web page:

http://www.watchungbooksellers.com/writing-matters

Creative Writing Master Classes and more at Columbia University this summer

admin — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:35:57 +0000

Columbia University School of the Arts 2010 Summer Program
Enrollment is Open Now

http://arts.columbia.edu/summer

More than 40 courses in Film, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts and Writing
Credit and non-credit options available

Offerings include:
Creative Writing Master Classes
Seven Workshops including “More Than Memoir,” “Make it Strange: Writing Stories from the In-Between” and “Writing Historical Fiction”

TV Writing with Film Program Chair Jamal Joseph

Auteur Study: Clint Eastwood

Composition for the Stage: Explorations in Time/Space/Text/Music

http://arts.columbia.edu/summer

Social Media for Writers

admin — Wed, 12 May 2010 02:12:02 +0000

Social Media for Writers
19 May, 2010 at 6.00pm to 9.00pm at Van Vleck House,

Sree Sreenivasan
Dean of Student Affairs & digital media professor, Columbia Journalism School
will be giving a seminar on social media for writers. Topics include, how to use social media to build an audience for your work; how to make the most of Twitter, facebook, linkedIn, etc. and many other topics. The cost is $40 and space is limited. For more info:

http://www.socializr.com/event/504443816

New Master Class: Indie Publishing

pam — Tue, 11 May 2010 12:43:33 +0000

The last MEWS Master Class of the season, on Self-Publishing, will take place on Thursday, May 20th, from 7-9 pm in the Rotunda Room at the Unitarian Church in Montclair. The basics:

Over 764,000 books were self-published last year. Want to find out how to DIY? Amy Edelman and Claire McKinney of IndieReader (www.indiereader.com) will walk you through the basics…from obtaining an ISBN and finding an editor to the importance of a great cover and how-to format an e-book.

While you don’t need to RSVP for this class, I need someone who’s planning to be there to help me with something — if that’s you and you’re up for taking on a bit of responsibility, please email me at pam@mewsie.org.

Online Nonfiction Writing Classes

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 03:52:35 +0000

The next session of MEWSIE Lisa Romeo’s popular online four-week Memoir and Personal Essay 4×4 Class gets underway on May 17. Tackle a different element of creative nonfiction each week. The next session covers: Writing Scenes, Using Humor, the Narrative Line, and Revising (and liking it).

Whether writing a full length memoir, shorter memoir pieces, or personal essay, you will learn and try new skills to dramatically enhance your prose and improve craft. There is a weekly lesson, examples, and suggested craft readings, writing exercises and assignments; plus several opportunities each week to turn in work for feedback from the instructor. Also, a private online forum to interact with others enrolled in the class.

To register or inquire further, send an email to: LCRPR@aol.com or call 973-857-4383. Cost is $145. (nonrefundable). Payment is accepted via check or PayPal. Mention MEWS and take $5 off.

Lisa, a working writer and freelance editor, also teaches memoir, creative nonfiction, and freelance writing in the Rutgers University Writing Program Extension. Her work has been published in the New York Times, O,The Oprah Magazine, and dozens of other print and online media, essay collections, and literary journals. She holds an MFA in creative writing and a BS in journalism. (LisaRomeo.net)

Two Great Writing Workshops This Saturday

pam — Wed, 05 May 2010 12:53:42 +0000

I want to send you all a personal enthusiastic recommendation for two fantastic writing workshops that are going on this Saturday morning right here in Montclair at the Unitarian Church’s Muse in Montclair event.

I took novelist Martin Roper’s amazing The First Page workshop last year and found it truly inspirational and extremely helpful. Roper will help you create the best possible first page for your novel, story, or memoir. And if you heard Amy Einhorn, publisher of “The Help,” tell the audience at the Montclair Adult School last month that she decides whether or not to pursue a book based on reading only the first page, you’ll know why you need Roper’s distinctive class.

This year I’m taking MEWSie JOE SUTTON’S Playwriting Workshop. Joe is a Pulitzer-nominated and widely produced playwright who also teaches at Dartmouth. I thrilled at this opportunity to study drama with him and, really, you should be too.

The cost is $60 for each workshop, the time is 9 a.m. till noon, and you can register and pay online. Looking forward to seeing you there!