WORKSHOP ON WRITING SKILLS

Effective writing is both an art and a science—demanding concentration, practice, and constant reworking. Participants in this workshop, led by published writers, spend two hours per week discussing and reading their writing with classmates—and at least that much time writing, reading, and thinking about writing. Students should be prepared to attend every week and to do all the assignments.

Through reading assignments in the course texts and in-class writing exercises, we will explore different genres of writing and stretch our writing “wings”. The fall term concentrates on non-fiction writing, including essays, journals, and letters, culminating in the writing of an essay. In the winter term, we move to fiction writing, working on dialogue, character, and plot. The final paper, a short story, builds on and combines all these elements.

The maximum number of students is 15; students are encouraged to register as soon as possible. The two terms of this course may be taken separately. Our core texts will include On Writing Well W. Zinsser, Bird by Bird A. Lamott, and two others.

COURSE LENGTH: 12 weeks fall/ 12 weeks winter
INSTRUCTION TEAM: Joanne Carnegie, Kathe Lieber
FIRST SESSION: Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 6:15 pm (F) Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 6:15 pm (W)