I will be giving this FREE presentation Wednesday June 4, 2008 at the Farmington Library, 6 Monteith Drive, Board Room 1, Farmington, CT, 7:00—8:00 p.m.  I will talk about easy ways to get the creative juices flowing, the use of humor, metaphor, active sentence structure, action words, and painting word pictures to make writing entertaining, enlightening, informative, and fun.  Advance registration is required for this program.  Please call Hal Bright, Head of Adult/Information Services at Farmington Library: 860-673-6791.

When you register for a workshop I will send you Ten Tips To Keep The Writing Flow.  All Workshops will be held in central Connecticut in the Greater Hartford area.  Directions will be sent via e-mail.  Register early since class size is limited.  Get 10% discount on the second workshop, of equal or greater value, when you sign up and prepay for two or more workshops.  DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION FORM and call Tricia for mailing address and directions to workshops.

Beginning Short Fiction Writing Workshop— 4 2-Hour Sessions — $100
Thursday June 12, 19, 26, Jly 3, 2008, 7-9 p.m. (Registration Deadline Thursday May 29, 2008)
Character drives the story, plot, theme, scene description, narrative, and dialogue.  The short story form is where writers practice and learn how to put it all together before jumping off into novellas and novels.  In this workshop we will begin with character and take the actor’s approach to beginning to learn the art and craft of fiction through improvisational interaction.  We will then take that hands-on learning approach into the writing arena with writing assignments and constructive feedback.  You will learn how to be gentle with yourself during the writing process, and how to take the seed of an idea and grow it into a workable story.  We will share our stories and give constructive critique.  Bring writing pads, pencils, and pens.

Beginning Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop— 4 2-Hour Sessions — $100
Thursday Jly 10, 17, 24, 31, 2008, 7-9 p.m. (Registration Deadline Thursday June 26, 2008)
Creative nonfiction answers the journalism questions of who, what, when, where, and why, and your personal experiences are woven into telling the story.  You will learn how to ask the “Reporter’s Question” to reveal more interesting facts during interactive interviews.  Character, scene, theme, conflict, discovery, enlightenment, and story telling is just as relevant in creative nonfiction as it is in fiction writing.  Learn how to put your ideas down on paper and create urgency to your message as you write and put it all together into news you (and others) can use.  We will share our stories and give constructive, gentle critique.  Bring notebook, pencils, and pens.
Recommended Reading:
Forché, C. & Gerard, P. (2001).  Writing Creative Nonfiction: Instruction and Insights From the Teachers of the Associated Writing Programs.  Cincinnati: Story Press.

How To Get Started & Keep Going On Your Book — 2 Hours — $25
Monday June 16, 2008, 7-9 p.m. (Registration Deadline Friday June 6, 2008)
Learn how to get started on the fiction or nonfiction book you’ve been thinking about writing.  If you’ve already begun your book but have stopped, this workshop will get you unstuck.  You will learn how to keep the creative flow going once you have begun writing and how to be gentle with yourself during the discovery process of writing the first draft, and keys to overcome fears and obstacles.  Instruction and exercises will give you a do-able action plan to keep you writing from beginning to end.  Bring notebook, pens, and pencils.

The Journey of Screenplay Writing — How To Write A Short Screenplay — 6- 2 ½ Hour Sessions and 2-3 Hour Sessions for a total of 8 Sessions — $250
Mondays, Jun 30, Jly 7, 14, 21, 28, Aug 4, 11, 18.  All classes will be held 7-9:30 p.m., with the exception of Jly 14 & Jly 28, which will be held 7-10 p.m. (Registration Deadline June 16, 2008)
This eight-week workshop is for writers who want to learn the basics of turning a short story into a screenplay.  Our focus will be on how character drives story and the characters’ journeys and transformations as seen through the medium of film.  Students are expected to have some experience with writing short stories and we will study the essential elements that drive screenplay:  Character, actions and reactions between characters, and how to convey character and story through the visual medium.  We will view and analyze two films and break the parts down into concrete elements.  Through reading and class discussions, we will study the types of characters and their specific functions within the story that form the architecture of the screenplay to translate a short story into a screenplay.  Bring notebook and pens/pencils.
Reading will be from the following Required Texts (Order from Amazon.com and allow 2-3 weeks for delivery):
Vogler, C. (1998).  The Writer’s Journey, 2nd ed: Mythic Structure for Writers.  Studio City:  Michael Wiese Productions. $17.95 at Amazon.com.
Thompson, E. (1995).  Sense and Sensibility: The Screenplay & Diaries.  New York: Newmarket Press.  39¢-$80 at Amazon.com.
Suggested Texts/Additional Reading:
Bales, D. & Orland, T. (1993).  Art & Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking.  Santa Cruz: Image Continuum Press.  $12.95
Katz, S.B.  (2000)  Conversations With Screenwriters.  Portsmouth: Heinemann.  $17.95

Revealing the Past — Memoir Writing Workshop — 4 2-hour sessions — $100
Monday Aug 25, Sep 1, 8, 15, 7-9 p.m. (Registration Deadline Monday Aug 11)
The memoirist has a challenge in sifting through the past to find the meaningful highlight to tell the story of his or her life.  This workshop will help you decide what to write, what to leave out, and how to break down your story into manageable essays and chapters.
Recommended Reading:
Zinsser, W. (2004).  Writing About Your Life.  New York: Marlowe & Company.