Instructor:  Sarah Ginter
Date: 4 Wednesdays: February 21, 28; March 14, 21 (skips March 7)
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: IWC 
Cost: $225 Nonmembers, $153 members, $137 student members/teacher members/senior members/military members/librarian members
* The price of this class includes an additional $25 manuscript fee

In this 4-week writing workshop, we will study some of the masters of creative nonfiction, but we will also look at contemporary works being published in popular media like BuzzFeed, as well as, popular literary magazines and literary contest winning pieces. In reading and discussing these works we can better understand how to take our own hectic, mesmerizing, beautiful, and frantic experiences of life and create an artful narrative.

You will have the opportunity to be “workshopped” every week in this class. You can bring in something that you have been working on whether it be a personal essay or a chapter from a memoir, or you can start on something new. In order for everyone to have the time to read and critique your work every week, I am limiting the personal essays and chapter excerpts to 5 double-spaced pages. Students won’t be required to read any more after the fifth page if more is submitted. 

In the workshop setting, your work is critiqued by the instructor and students through live discussion. This is a great opportunity to get your work read by others. You will send your work to me about a week in advance in order to give the class the chance to read and take notes on your writing. Then during the next class we will discuss student submissions for the week. When I send out the student works, I will also send readings of classic and/or contemporary personal essays in advance so that we can all discuss the craft and art of the piece.

You will receive a written critique from the instructor on your writing, detailing things that are working well and suggestions for improvement. It is a valuable writing exercise to be able to read other’s writing and critique in a group setting.

Register online or download and print a registration form.