At WriteByNight, your work comes first.

Too many workshops are satisfied with a ten or—gasp!—even five-minute discussion of a writer’s work. As writers ourselves, we know firsthand how much time and energy goes into producing a creative work. No question about it, this kind of commitment should be respected and rewarded. That’s why our workshop community will reflect your gargantuan effort back to you through thoughtful consideration and quality feedback.

Creative Writing Workshop

We devote 30-45 minutes to each and every piece of written work submitted by our members—more if the discussion calls for it. We aim for the highest possible level of critique. We believe that the quality of your writing is entirely dependent upon your understanding of the building blocks of prose. For this reason, our focus is on core issues of narrative such as characterization, perspective, structure and technique.

Discussions are wide open. We encourage you to speak freely, but avoid superficial observations regarding word choice, typos and page formatting. Such commentary does nothing to improve a writer’s work and robs him or her of an otherwise valuable, in-depth critique.

We workshop two or three pieces per meeting. The remaining time is devoted to publishing advice, question and answer, and analysis of published work by contemporary authors such as Lorrie Moore, Robert Stone and George Saunders.

The 4-week Creative Writing Workshop includes a 30-minute private consultation with the instructor.

Writing Your Family History Workshop

Local biographer Milt Thomas takes members through the process of authoring an original family history. Learn how to prepare, conduct research, write and edit your work, format the finished product, and get it out there for the world to see.

This workshop uses a combination of lecture, role playing, workshopping and Q&A to create a unique educational experience. You’ll get a jump start on your project and the tools necessary to see it through to completion anxiety-free. Writers of all experience levels are welcome.

Poetry Workshop

The Poetry Workshop is designed to strengthen and polish members’ work, promote understanding, identification and implementation of poetic techniques, and create a fun, thoughtful, supportive community for poets in the area.

The core of each class is the discussion of members’ poems. We explore three to five poems per session, depending on the length and complexity of each. Our readings examine the meaning, emotion and narrative of each poem as well as formal issues such as rhyme, rhythm and diction. We devote sufficient time to each poem to explore all of these elements fully, as well as to answer the poet’s questions and/or concerns. We encourage honest feedback and open dialogue, while emphasizing the importance of constructive criticism. Our explorations seek to polish the poem(s) under consideration, inspire new work and leave each poet with a clearer sense of his or her voice, focus and writing process.

Discussions of members’ work are supplemented by group analysis of published poetry. These readings allow us to explore specific poetic techniques in the hands of masters of the craft, such as Thomas Hardy, Emily Dickinson and Mary Oliver, enhancing our ability to appreciate and use these tools ourselves.

Finally, each session ends with an exploration of a particular publication or process issue followed by a question and answer session. We’ll talk about publishing poetry in journals, creating chapbooks and other poetry books, making time to write, giving poetry and other literary readings and more.

Screenwriting Workshop

The first meeting of the Screenwriting Workshop will provide an overview of the art, touching upon such topics as formatting, style and structure. Each subsequent meeting will focus on a particular aspect of the craft, promoting full comprehension through detailed discussion, hands-on practice and analysis of produced samples from such feature films as Chinatown, The Sixth Sense and Sideways. 

Selections from each member’s original work will be  read and critiqued at each and every meeting, with up to 30 minutes devoted to each submission.

This workshop seeks to refine work, hone skill and educate members on the realities of the  film industry.

Workshop Time Commitment

Between meetings, you can expect to read and provide written commentary on the work submitted by your fellow workshop participants. Our literature/poetry/screenplay discussions require that you read one short story/a few poems/a screenplay excerpt every week. And of course, you should plan for time to produce your own creative work.

Turnaround time will vary, depending upon an individual’s reading speed and critiquing experience.

We all lead extremely busy, demanding lives, but try to keep this in mind: paying ample attention to your fellow writers’ work promises that they will do the same for you.

Workshop Fees

$165 per 4-week session
$240 per 8-week session

Click here to register today!

 

 

 

 

 

WriteByNight is sponsored by The Arts Council, Inc. Serving Stuart & Martin County 
and the Cultural Council of Indian River County