2010 Classes & Workshops

Nailing Down Your Narrative: Successful Storytelling with Greg Garrett

Location: Writers' League Office, 611 S. Congress Ave, Suite 130, Austin

Writer and teacher Greg Garrett returns to the Writers' League this fall to lead a class on the fundamental elements of narrative, discussing tools that can be used by fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic writers alike. You will consider concrete ways writers evoke emotion, delineate strong characters, build powerful plots, and write stirring scenes. The class will include exercises designed to enhance your mastery of these concepts. Outside of class, interested students will have the opportunity to form and participate in small-group discussions of their work in progress.

The takeaways of the course:

Greg Garrett is the author of a dozen acclaimed books of fiction, memoir, and nonfiction, among them the novels Free Bird (named by Publishers Weekly and the Rocky Mountain News as among the best first fiction of 2002) and Shame, and a new literary study of the Harry Potter phenomenon, One Fine Potion. Greg is an award-winning Professor of English at Baylor University whose students have published short stories and novels and had TV and feature film scripts produced. He is a past winner of the Pirate's Alley William Faulkner Prize for Fiction and a member of the Texas Institute of Letters. Greg lives in Austin with his sons Jake and Chandler.

$ 199 members / $259 nonmembers Register online with credit card, Paypal or Google checkout. Deadline for registration is September 9.

Finding the Story of Your Life: A Memoir Writing Workshop with Robert Leleux

Location: Writers' League Office, 611 S. Congress Ave, Suite 130, Austin

In this workshop, we will explore the uses of childhood and memory as catalysts of creative nonfiction. Through writing exercises and short reading selections, we will explore such questions as, "How can we transform life into literature?" "How can we recreate experience on the page, while staying true to the past?"

The takeaways of the course:

By the end of this workshop, each participant will discover new insights about their craft and themselves. Participants should bring pens, paper, and a brief passage (no more than one page) from a favorite piece of literature.

Who Should Attend this Workshop?

Texas native Robert Leleux is the author of The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy (St. Martin's Press, 2008). His essays and articles have appeared in publications such as the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, and the Texas Observer, for which he writes the Tex in the City column.

Choosing the Writing Life II: New Tools for Art and Practice with Kathy Allen-Weber and Ann McCutchan

Location: Writers' League Office, 611 S. Congress Ave, Suite 130, Austin

As a sequel to their sold-out workshop in 2009, Ann McCutchan and Kathy Allen-Weber are presenting a second, all-new 6-hour intensive to help writers build awareness, commitment and practice in their writing lives. This inspiring medley of lectures, discussions, and exercises is designed for both beginning and established writers, and promises participants a thoughtful, invigorating boost, just in time for fall projects. Attendees from last year are welcome; this workshop incorporates some of the ideas presented in Choosing the Writing Life I, but contains new concepts, materials, and activities. Bring writing tools, an inquiring mind, and a playful spirit.

Who Should Attend?

With more than four decades combined experience as professional writers and popular, results-oriented workshop leaders, McCutchan and Allen-Weber specialize in offering fresh, insightful, practical approaches to creating a “best life” as a writer.

Kathleen Allen-Weber, M.A., Ph.D., L.P.C., practiced psychotherapy at the Center for Relational Care in Austin before establishing a private practice. A published writer, editor, and translator, as well as a former professor of English and French, she has long been attuned to the psychological dynamics of the writing process.

Ann McCutchan is the author of three books, including The Muse That Sings: Composers Speak About the Creative Process and Circular Breathing: Meditations From a Musical Life. A former journalist and editor, she has taught creative writing at Cornell University and the University of Wyoming, where she was founding director of the MFA program. She currently teaches at the University of North Texas and is prose editor of the American Literary Review.

How Do I Structure My Novel? with Amanda Eyre Ward

Location: Writers' League Office, 611 S. Congress Ave, Suite 130, Austin

Some writers begin writing on page one and find that their novel or nonfiction narrative comes out beautifully structured, one chapter following perfectly after another. This class is for everyone else.

You might have an idea for a novel or nonfiction book, or you might have 600 pages. But if you're wondering about how to structure your project, to make it as compelling as possible, this class is for you.

The class will cover:

Please bring a one-page description of your novel-in-progress and a copy of your favorite novel.

The class will include both lecture and class discussion. Each class member will receive a personal critique of his/her novel outline and tips on how to best structure the work-in-progress.

Amanda Eyre Ward wrote her first novel, Sleep Toward Heaven, in a Writers' League class. She received an MFA from the University of Montana and has published three novels (Sleep Toward Heaven, How to Be Lost, Forgive Me) and a collection of short stories (Love Stories in This Town). Her work has been optioned for film and television, chosen as a Target Bookmarked pick, and published in 15 countries. Amanda's new novel, Close Your Eyes, will be published by Random House in 2011. She is still figuring out how to structure it correctly.

$49 members / $109 nonmembers Register online with credit card, Paypal or Google checkout. Deadline for registration is November 4.

Writing the Successful Query Letter and Synopsis for Fiction: An Online Class with John Pipkin

This online class is designed to teach you how to write a concise, interesting, one-page synopsis of your novel or non-fiction book and how to compose a pitch-perfect query letter that will attract the attention of an agent. Whether you are just starting to write your book or have already finished writing, this class will help you see how the synopsis and query can not only help you sell your manuscript but can also help you develop and polish your work. The class will be held via webinar, where students will be able to hear the instructor lecture and will be able to ask questions via the online chat option.

By the end of class, each student will walk away with the following:

If you wish, prior to the class, each student will have the option to prepare a synopsis and query letter to edit and use during the class. Please note that this exercise is NOT MANDATORY. The instructor will make pertinent handouts available for those students wishing to prepare something prior to the class. Students will not be required to share work or critique work in class, although students are always welcome to share portions of their work if they wish to do so.

The synopsis portion of the class will cover:

The query letter portion of the class will cover:

Who Should Attend:

***PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INSTRUCTOR WILL NOT CRITIQUE INDIVIDUAL QUERY LETTERS OR SYNOPSES.

John Pipkin's first novel, Woodsburner, was published to national acclaim by Nan A. Talese/Doubleday in April 2009. Woodsburner won the New York Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the Massachusetts Center for the Book Novel Prize, and the Texas Institute of Letters Stephen Turner Prize for First Novel. John will be the Dobie Paisano Fellow for the spring of 2011. He recently sold his second novel to Doubleday based on just a query and synopsis. John received his Ph.D. in British Literature from Rice University in 1997 and was an Assistant Professor of Humanities and Rhetoric at Boston University, before working as an editor and content specialist in educational publishing. He is the former Executive Director of the Writers' League of Texas.

$49 members / $109 nonmembers Register online with credit card, Paypal or Google checkout. Deadline for registration is December 6.

Song of Yourself: Advanced Memoir Workshop
with Author Robert Leleux

Writing about yourself and your personal history can be incredibly difficult. In this advanced memoir workshop, author Robert Leleux will help writers focus on re-energizing a work in progress and will gain new perspectives to get back on track. Leleux is author of The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy. His essays and articles have appeared in the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine and the Texas Observer, for which he writes the "Tex in the City" column.

For more details, click here
Register for Song of Yourself: Advanced Memoir Workshop

To register, click "register" on the course description page. To get your WLT discount, select the Writers' League of Texas in the list of co-sponsoring institutions on the registration form. Fee for Writers' League of Texas members: $140 (a discount of $10!)

The Publishing Path: Finding a Home for Your Book with WLT Executive Director Cyndi Hughes

Whether you are just starting a book or have finally completed a manuscript, you will need to know the options available for publishing. This class will guide writers along the publishing path and share some practical, easy-to-follow steps that can lead to finding a home for your book. The class will cover everything from self-publishing versus traditional publishing to getting an agent and working with publishers.

For more details, click here
Register for The Publishing Path: Finding a Home for Your Book