You should write the story of you. Everybody tells you so. Or maybe it’s just that voice in your head, telling you what you already know: You have a meaningful story to tell and it’s high time you got it on the page. But with a lifetime of memories, including those important events, how do
This generative craft workshop explores the key elements of strong writing and storytelling, whether fiction or non-fiction, regardless of genre. Each week, we explore different aspects of creative writing, including developing compelling protagonists, exploring different points of view, experimenting with different writing forms, creating compelling scenes and more. You will leave each class with an
Write fantasy, science fiction and horror with Stoker Award- and Nebula Award-winning teacher and writer Nina Kiriki Hoffman! Common wisdom says write what you know. Nina says, write what you want to find out about or explore. Write what you can invent! Through a series of conversations on craft, in-class explorations and exercises, and feedback
This workshop happens LIVE on Zoom. Under the tutelage of our amazing writer and instructor, the Stoker- and Nebula-Award winner Nina Kiriki Hoffman, writers in this fun and interactive workshop will move forward with a piece of science fiction, fantasy, or horror, and generate new work. Get feedback on your writing from Nina and your
Writing a novel involves creating a world populated by compelling characters while making sure every moment brings the story to its fullest potential. We’ll develop the skills to make that happen. Approaches to plotting will receive special attention. Other topics include voice, point of view, dialogue and more. Perhaps you’ve already sketched out some characters or jotted
Do you want to write for children and/or teens? Maybe you have an idea you’d like to develop. Perhaps you’ve even written part of a story, picture book or chapter book—but you aren’t sure what to do next. Writing for young readers offers special rewards. An author’s words can bring joy and comfort, teach and inform, and inspire
In this workshop, you will take your memoir-writing to the next level, learning how to best present, revise and strengthen your personal story. We will address all elements of personal non-fiction, with an emphasis on shorter (non-book-length) pieces: personal essays, lyrical essays, memoir, first-person narrative and more, doing all that we can to understand the
Calling parents, teachers and caregivers: an evening workshop, just for you! Do you want to write picture books for children? Maybe you have ideas you’d like to develop, or you have already written a book, but you aren’t sure what to do next. Writing for children offers special rewards. An author’s words can bring joy and comfort and inspire a
Join the exciting world of writing historical fiction and conquer the genre’s craft. Analyze bestselling authors, learn how to gather and integrate research, expand worldbuilding skills and create your own practical toolbox of craft techniques to breathe life into your historical stories. Learn tools of the trade, spend your “off week” getting feedback on some
(In-person at the Studio or live on Zoom.) Are you a writer for children who would like to move forward with your work? This workshop is for experienced writers who have learned the basics and want to sharpen their skills and polish their work. We’ll discuss higher-level techniques for plotting, characterization, description, scene development, theme
Weekend workshop. Coming this fall!! In this hands-on, fun and informative workshop, author and teacher Sally Simon will unravel the mysteries of getting published in literary magazines. Over the course of a weekend, you will learn: Sally will demonstrate and share tips and techniques for submitting, and will guide you in the submission process if
This workshop is a continuation of veteran TV writer GiGi New’s “Writing for Television” course. You will work on the elements essential for developing a strong comedy, drama or dramedy script. You will better understand the platform for your program (Amazon, Hulu, Apple+, Netflix etc) or network (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX), nail the genre, determine
Looking for a special gift for the writer or budding writer near and dear to you (or inside you)? How about a gift certificate to the Fairfield County Writers’ Studio? We have an extraordinary faculty capable of helping to bring a story from the heart and mind to the page or the screen. Buy a
We all have stories. Personal essayists and memoirists turn those stories into powerful pieces that help others feel connected and think differently about how to see the world. Crafting a compelling essay or piece of memoir takes time and skill, but it’s time well spent; to make your story meaningful to others, you first have
Living through a series of transformational events can be hard enough; oftentimes, writing about them can seem equally challenging. How do you do it? Here, with bestselling author, editor, teacher and memoir ghostwriter Jacqueline Burt Cote. In this workshop, you will learn how to give shape and structure to your story, so that you can
How many times have you watched a TV show and thought, I have an idea that’s just as good, if not better. And chances are, you might, but you just aren’t sure how to execute it. Before you even start typing you’ll need to know what–exactly–the story is, and how to execute it. You will
Wrestle that plot already! You’ve got an idea for a novel. Maybe you’ve even written a big chunk. But where’s it going? What’s your story arc? What’s the theme? Who’s opposing whom and what’s the transformation? If you’re not so sure about the answers, you can figure it out here, in Summer Short: Plotters Toolkit.
Writing is hard, no matter who you are. But for LGBTQ+ writers, the work is often made harder by having to do it in writing communities that find their difference threatening, exotic, or unwelcome.
Good for you for writing a manuscript that more or less makes sense! Now what do you do with it? The Studio’s Stephanie Lehmann can help. She is a critically acclaimed author, awesome teacher, manuscript diagnostician and agent-insider. Stephanie can meet with you (virtually) one-on-one to help you navigate your roadblocks. Confused about scenes? Stuck
Hats off to Carol Leonetti Dannhauser, co-founder of the Fairfield County Writers’ Studio, for winning second place in the 2020 Connecticut Entrepreneur Awards, Entrepreneur of the Year/Main Street category. “I am honored and grateful. I didn’t even know that we were nominated,” said Dannhauser, a journalist and author who seamlessly led the Studio’s migration to digital
NOTE: THIS CLASS IS FULL Join extraordinary memoirist Joyce Maynard at the Fairfield County Writers’ Studio for a one-day Master Class devoted to the art and craft of personal storytelling. Joyce is the author of the bestselling memoir At Home in the World and, more recently, of The Best of Us—as well as hundreds of short-form essays featured
WRITING ABOUT YOUR LIFE: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE Everyday life offers us unlimited opportunities for reflection and for making sense of the world around us. Join us to explore the fascinating material generated by our own lives and, at the same time, develop the writing techniques to make the writing more engaging, interesting, and effective.
We are thrilled to announce that Elizabeth Onusko, an extraordiary poet and teacher, has joined the faculty at the Fairfield County Writers’ Studio. She will teach Poetry Writing Workshop, Level Two, which is for experienced poets who have published or are preparing work for publication, and are hoping to gain insight into their poems and
Now is the perfect time to kick-start your writing and strengthen your skills with our awesome slate of workshops at the Fairfield County Writers’ Studio!!
Whether you are a best-selling novelist, a burgeoning blogger, a maybe-memoirist or are completely new to the page, we can help.