Class: Amy Novesky - On-the-Spot Children's Writing Workshop
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Sophie & Liz Epstein - Create Your Own Blog: Hands-on Workshop
Please note new date and time!
Bring your laptop! Blogger extraordinaire Sophie Epstein, from the young adult book blog MrsMagooReads.com, teams up with her mother Liz Epstein (Jane Austen Literary Salon) as they present their ever-popular blogging workshop—now with a twist! Beginning bloggers of all ages are invited to learn how to start a blog, how to attract readers, how to position your blog, and much more. New to this workshop, using Blogger.com as a platform, you will receive hands-on help to create your own blog before you leave class!
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Mary Mackey - Your Incredible Life
Everyone has a unique life story, so whether you’re writing for publication or to give the gift of family history to your children and grandchildren, you’re never too young or too old to write your memoirs. In this half-day course, Mary will show you how to find your personal voice, help you decide what to put in and what to leave out, and teach you techniques to make your memoir vivid and compelling. Mary Mackey is the New York Times bestselling author of 14 novels. Her latest novel is The Widow’s War.
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Mary Mackey - Secrets of Writing Great Dialogue
Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em cry, make ‘em come back for more. Whether you’re writing literary fiction, mysteries, or romance novels, you need to learn the secret of creating lively, realistic, compelling dialogue that will make your readers feel as if they’re eavesdropping on a great conversation. Are your characters speaking woodenly right now or (worse yet) refusing to speak at all? Don’t worry. Mary is ready to share the secret of creating dialogue that will jump off the page and into your readers’ hearts and minds. Mary Mackey is the New York Times bestselling author of 14 novels. Her latest novel is The Widow’s War.
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Leslie Keenan - Is There a Book in You?
Four Wednesdays: June 6 - 27
Have you always wanted to write but weren’t sure where to begin? Do you think you don’t have the time or the discipline? Leslie Keenan
has 28 years’ experience in helping people uncover and release their
ideas. She has worked on over 80 published books. She knows what it
takes to get a book from the first glimmer of an idea into its published
form. A student wrote, “Leslie is inspiring, compassionate and has a
natural gift for creating a safe place for a writer. She’s like a living
life preserver.”
"If it weren't for Leslie
Keenan's courses at Book Passage, I would never have written a word of
fiction, and I would never have been published. To this day, I still use
the tools she gave me for understanding my process, finding my voice,
and fighting my fears."
-Tammy Kaehler, author of Dead Man's Switch, Poisoned Pen Press
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Martha Engber - Grow a Great Character
People aren’t simply vehicles for stories, they are the stories—that’s true of novels, memoirs, screenplays, or even nonfiction. Through discussion & writing exercises, Martha Engber shows what makes a character irresistible and unbelievable. Engber is an editor, and author of the novel Wind Thief and Growing Great Characters from the Ground Up.
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Nina Solomita - Introduction to Writing for the Theater
Discover how writing scenes for the stage is different from writing scenes for the page. This workshop will introduce you to the 3 Ds: Discovery, Decision, Doing that form the basis for powerful stage scenes. In addition, we will explore the concept of character masks: What face(s) do characters present to the world? What is the back story behind them? How do these masks crumble, melt, and fade as the action of the play progresses? You will be guided through short evocative writing exercises. Nina Solomita, MFA, has had plays produced in Massachusetts and California; her monologues were published in the ICWP Mother-Daughter Series, and she has taught playwriting at Pacific Repertory Theatre, Carmel.
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Roger Housden - Poetry To Change Your Life: How Poetry Gives Voice to our Joys, Sorrows, Loves, and Longings
Three Tuesdays: June 12-26
Poetry is prophetic speech, a spoken epiphany. A good poem gives voice to feelings, thoughts, and intuitions in us that we may have sensed the presence of, but never known how to say. This is poetry’s power: it summons the best, the deepest of who we are, and captures it in language.Roger will explore some of the world’s great poems, and with the help of simple exercises and reading aloud, the group shall reflect together upon the echoes, meanings, and relevance they have for our own lives. Poetry phobics are as welcome as poetry lovers—the point is not to study poetry, but to use it as a means to explore our own authentic feelings and perceptions.
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Karen Benke and Prartho Sereno - Ripping & Stirring: A Creative Writing Adventure Camp
Four Mondays: June 18-July 9
for kids entering 4th & 5th grade with Karen Benke, author of RIP THE PAGE! and Prartho Sereno, author of Causing a Stir
Here’s a camp to get you to open up to your inner life, rip into favorite words, and cook up some tantalizing images. We’ll play on and off the page with original detail and paint—literally—our poems into illustrations and greeting cards. You’ll leave with favorite haiku, pantoums, and poetry riddles. Just come with your curiosity and willingness to be surprised! All materials included.
Karen Benke has inspired kids’ creative journeys in the form of poem-making for 17 years as a California Poet in the Schools and has authored a collection of poems, Sister, and a new book for kids and kids-at-heart, Rip the Page! Adventures in Creative Writing. Prartho Sereno has been one of Marin County’s beloved Poets-in-the-Schools for over 12 years. Her prize-winning poetry collections include Causing a Stir: The Secret Lives and Loves of Kitchen Utensils (winner of a 2008 IPPY) and Call from Paris.
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Tressa Berman - Art of the Interview
The interview is so much a part of our multi-media society that rarely do we consider what it takes. In this workshop, we will look at the structure of interviews - dialogue, conversation, street exchanges,. We will explore in-class how to use these in subtle or surprising ways to feed our own writing. Tressa Berman has interviewed people from the hood of a car on a North Dakota highway to a five-star hotel in NYC to a tent in the middle of Occupied Oakland. She is the author of two books and numerous magazine articles. She credits her success to listening to the stories of others.
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Laura Deutsch - Mapping Out Your Memoir
Three Wednesdays: July 11 - 25
Find the "flow" in your story and discover the secrets of transforming life experiences into memoir. You'll learn to uncover your best material and craft it into engaging, compelling pieces. Includes instruction, in-class writing, and an opportunity to bring writing for feedback. All levels welcome.
Laura Deutsch's personal essays, memoir and feautres have appeared in the L.A. Times, S.F. Chronicles, and More magazine, among others. Her next book, Writing From the Senses, will be published by Shambhala in 2013. Laura has taught writing at U.C. Berkeley, and leads writing retreats from Tassajara to Tuscany.
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Albert DeSilver - The Mindful Writer: Practices for Great Writing & a Great Life
Four Wednesdays: July 11 - August 1
This class will guide students through simple yet profound mindfulness exercises, dynamic fun writing practices, readings, and discussion. Open to beginning and advanced writers. Internationally published poet, author, publisher, and writing coach, Albert Flynn DeSilver is the author most recently of "Beamish Boy: A Memoir" (The Owl Press, 2012) and several books of poetry. He has taught writing workshops everywhere from the British Institute in Paris to San Quentin State Prison. He served as Marin County's Poet Laureate from 2008-2010.
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Meredith Maran - How to Write for Magazines
By the end of this class, you'll be equipped with everything the aspiring magazine writer needs to write and pitch story ideas that sell. You'll learn how to pick a topic, write a compelling query letter, match your query to the appropriate magazine(s), establish all-important personal contact with the editors you're pitching to, negotiate your fee, and move up the magazine food chain. Come prepared to take copious notes; this will be a jam-packed day of practical instruction. You'll go home with at least one query that's ready to go. Meredith Maran writes for People, Ladies Home Journal, Salon.com, Self, and many more. Her new novel is A Theory of Small Earthquakes.
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Dalya Massachi - Writing to Make a Difference
How to Create Marketing/Outreach Materials that Move Your Readers to Act
You know the strategic importance of outstanding marketing/outreach materials. Clear and concise professional writing is a powerful tool that no one can afford to misuse! This highly interactive class, based on Massachi's award-winning book, Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact, will help build your copywriting skills. Please bring 2 copies of a marketing/outreach piece you would like to work on. Dayla Massachi has worked for nearly twenty years as a trainer, writing coach, grantwriter, executive director, journalist, editor and organizer. Class registrants receive 10% discount on Writing to Make a Difference ($22.95).
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Wendy Tokunaga - Strong Beginnings
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Kate Hopper - Use Your Words
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Lewis Buzbee - Writing for Young Writers
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
Class: Laura Deutsch - Starting Your Memoir
Three Thursdays: Aug. 16 - 30
If the hardest part of writing is "showing up," the second hardest may be figuring how to begin. This class will help you get started, whether you're writing for family or a wider audience. You'll learn how to find the juice in your material and turn it into a page-turner. Includes instruction, in-class writing and feedback.
Laura Deutsch's personal essays, memoir and feautres have appeared in the L.A. Times, S.F. Chronicles, and More magazine, among others. Her next book, Writing From the Senses, will be published by Shambhala in 2013. Laura has taught writing at U.C. Berkeley, and leads writing retreats from Tassajara to Tuscany.
- Street:
- 51 Tamal Vista Blvd
- City:
- Corte Madera ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94925
- Country:
- United States
