Enrollment limit: 8 students
$420 new; $380 returning

Flash! Workshop with Christopher DeWan in Pasadena

Tuesdays
7:30 to 9:30 pm
May 1, 2021 to June 19, 2021

Flash is the shortest of short-form narrative—shorter even than a short story, sometimes as short as a single sentence. But just because it's short doesn't mean it's easy! Flash demands a writer use all the elements of storytelling (character, setting, plot, etc.) in a way that's distilled down to its most sudden, urgent, and evocative form.

Flash, says Amy Hempel, is "like most ordinary short stories—only more so." How can we make our own stories "more so"? During this eight-week workshop, we'll read diverse examples of minimalist storytelling (fiction and creative nonfiction) and write many of our own. We'll create and share work every week, and along the way, we'll experiment with techniques to make our flash "flashier."

This workshop is open to experienced writers and enthusiastic, serious beginners. The class will take place in Pasadena, where wine, sparkling water, and the occasional gourmet snack will be served.

Enrollment limit: 8 students
$420 new; $380 returning

Revising Your Full Manuscript with Diana Wagman in Echo Park

Tuesdays
7:30 to 9:30 pm
May 1, 2021 to June 19, 2021

Roald Dahl believed, “Good writing is essentially rewriting.” Ernest Hemingway claimed, “The only kind of writing is rewriting.” Michael Crichton said, “Books aren’t written—they’re rewritten.” Spontaneous eloquence rarely happens. Whether you've completed a first draft of a novel or memoir, it's now time to get down to the business of serious revision. This eight-week workshop is for writers who have completed a full draft of a manuscript. We will begin by reading outlines of each book and together discuss ways to help each story move forward so the plot is best served. We will then look at complete chapters from each participant, starting with the first, and talk about introducing your protagonist and your conflict as well as your use of language and appropriate style techniques. Finally, you will be able to choose any chapter and share that with the group. By that time, we will have a good introduction to your work and your intended outcome and we will be able to help you see how to edit, rework, and polish that chapter. You should leave the workshop with a good basis for continuing to work on your rewrite on your own, chapter by chapter. Each participant will share an outline of their entire book and at least two complete chapters.

This class will take place in Echo Park, where wine, sparkling water, and the occasional gourmet snack will be served.