South Florida Writing Workshops: Sign Up Now!

A bunch of creative writing workshops, intensives, and seminars are busting out this fall, thanks to Blue Planet Writers Room (West Palm) and at Florida Center for the Literary Arts (Miami). 

Among the gems at the FCLA: Urbane travel writer and bon vivant Tom Swick, formerly of the Sun-Sentinel, where he was travel editor for a couple of decades, will be teaching "Writing the World." Marjetta Geerling (pictured left), whose hilarious, heartfelt Young Adult novel Fancy White Trash was published by Viking, will guide aspiring children's writers through the ins and outs of picture books, middle grade, and young adult fiction. (I took one of her workshops last summer, and she's a fantastic teacher.) The Center is also offering a memoir class, intro to fiction, a plotting workshop, and two Spanish-language creative writing classes.

I'll be running three workshops for Blue Planet Writers Room: Cover to Cover: Reading as a Writer; Intro to Writing Fiction for Kids; and Intro to Poetry Writing. Blue Planet will also host a memoir writing and a short story class -- full info on those below.



And master teacher/YA author/mentor Joyce Sweeney and Woodstream Writers director Jamie Morris have a few openings left for their Depth Charge workshop in Lake Worth, a weekend intensive running November 11-13. Joyce and Jamie will be coaching writers on how to deepen their novels with subplot and backstory  For further details and registration email Jamie@WoodstreamWriters.com or call 407-644-5163, or email Joyce Sweeney at grackle@bellsouth.net. By all accounts these are terrific intensives--I've registered for their plotting workshop in September, which is now full.

At Blue Planet, West Palm Beach Click here for full details and registration

Writing Your Life: How To Pen a Fascinating Memoir


Mondays 6-8:30 p.m. Begins September 12


Instructor:

 TBA

The Lie That Tells the Truth: Writing the Fictional Short Story


Thursdays 6-8:30 p.m. Begins September 15


Instructor: Cece Daratany



Cover to Cover: Reading as a Writer


Wednesdays 6:8:30 p.m. Begins September 14


Instructor: Gail Shepherd/ See right-hand sidebar for syllabus, under "pages"


After Harry Potter: Intro to Writing for Children


Dates and times TBA -- check back or visit the website


Instructor: Gail Shepherd/ See right-hand sidebar for syllabus, under "pages"



Introduction to Poetry Writing


Dates and times TBA -- check back or visit the website


Instructor: Gail Shepherd/See right-hand sidebar for syllabus, under "pages"

At FCLA, Miami Click here for full details and registration.


Mondays, September 19 - November 7 

6:30-8:30 p.m. Writing the World with Tom Swick





Tuesdays, September 20 - November 8 
6:30-8:30 p.m. What's Your Story? Writing Memoir with Andrea Askowitz



Tuesdays, September 20 - November 8
6:30-8:30 p.m. Introduction to Fiction Writing with George Tucker



Wednesdays, September 21 - November 9

6:30-8:30 p.m. KidLit: The World of Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult Fiction with Marjetta Geerling


Thursdays, September 22 - November 10
6:30-8:30 p.m. Talking Plot: Structuring Fiction and Nonfiction with David Beaty



Sábados, 24 de septiembre al 12 de noviembre
12:30-2:30 p.m. La Ventana Infinita: Taller de Literatura Infantil con Andres Pi

(Creative Writing Workshop in SPANISH)


Sábados, 24 de septiembre al 12 de noviembre
10 a.m.-12 p.m. Construccion de Personajes Inolvidables: Taller Especializado de Narrativa con Chely Lima

(Creative Writing Workshop in SPANISH)

I'll be adding to this list as I get more info from other teachers and venues. Please contact me if you know of other writing classes this fall that you'd like to see listed.