Workshops

Each LitFest registration includes access to one of the following writing workshops, each limited to 15 participants. Register early to get a spot in the workshop of your choice.

Fiction Writing

How to Research and Write Historical Fiction Erika Mailman Author of The Witch's Trinity and Woman of Ill Fame Historical novelist Erika Mailman leads this workshop on creating richly detailed worlds when writing historical fiction. She will cover ways to avoid letting research overwhelm you, how to handle tweaking the facts to serve your story, and how to use sensory details to bring the past to life. Each participant will receive editorial feedback on your work in progress. By the end of this workshop, you'll have up to 10 revised pages of your current project. Live chat sessions online: Mondays, July 23 & 30, 8-9 pm ET

Romance Writing: It's All About Chemistry Sarah MacLean Author of Rules of Scoundrels series, A Rogue by Any Other Name (Avon) The first pages of a romance novel are crucial for creating a spark between the hero and heroine...and keeping readers invested in the story. Join romance author Sarah MacLean in this workshop focused on developing the perfect first meeting, setting up the powerful moments of genuine connection that come from it, and setting the tone for your entire novel. You'll learn how to use dialogue to create sparkling characters, how to build emotional and sexual tension quickly and effectively, and tips and tricks to ensure that your story promises a satisfying, sigh-inducing romance, all in the first few pages of your book. By the end of this workshop, you'll have up to 10 revised pages of the most important moment in your romance novel--when your hero and heroine meet, and readers start rooting for their happily ever after. Live chat sessions online: Tuesdays, July 24 & 31, 9-10 pm ET

Short Story Writing S. Kirk Walsh Writer
Learn to build strong characters and engaging scenes in this fiction writing workshop. Writer S. Kirk Walsh will help writers develop effective narrative tension and plot, write authentic dialogue, and learn tips publishing short fiction. By the end of this workshop, you'll have 10 revised pages of a story and a clear understanding of what it takes to get published. Live chat sessions online: Wednesdays, July 25 & August 1, 9-10 pm ET

Nonfiction Writing

Character Development in Nonfiction Kelly McMasters Author of Welcome to Shirley: A Memoir from an Atomic Town Beginning and intermediate writers often rely too heavily on exposition and self-examination in their work. This workshop will focus on helping you develop fully realized characters. Covering the creation of character in nonfiction from profiles to memoir to reportage, the class covers tricks to identify and convey the complexities of character, how to draw those complexities in a believable manner, how to use dialogue to deepen a character, and how to make use of your cast in the overall story. By the end of this workshop, you'll have up to 10 revised pages of your nonfiction project. Live chat sessions online: Wednesdays, July 25 & August 1, 9:30-10:30 pm ET

The Far Reach of Truth: Nonfiction Over the Edge Melissa Holbrook Pierson Author of The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing; Long-Distance Motorcycling's Endless Road; The Place You Love Is Gone: Progress Hits Home; Dark Horses and Black Beauties: Animals, Women, a Passion; and The Perfect Vehicle: What Is It About Motorcycles What are the limits of nonfiction? Is it possible to redraw the boundaries of the genre to create something wholly new? Facts are facts, true, but there are types of facts -- personal, observational, experiential -- that can enliven and deepen what nonfiction can be. Whether taking on ostensible subjects like art (Geoff Dyer) or science (Susan Orlean) or place (Ian Frazier), writers who expand the edges of what has long been considered bound by ʺtruthʺ are now creating the most revolutionary literature we have. How far can you go when you think about pushing the boundaries of nonfiction outward -- and in? By the end of this workshop, you'll have up to 10 revised pages of nonfiction and a sense of where to take it next. Live chat sessions online: Tuesdays, July 24 & 31, 8:00-9:00 pm ET

Mining for Memoir: What’s Your Story? Kelly McMasters Author of Welcome to Shirley: A Memoir from an Atomic Town Have you been writing around your story, unable to nail it down? This memoir writing workshop includes a collection of exercises to help you discover the heart of your personal story and make it come alive on the page. By the end of this workshop, you'll have up to 10 revised pages that crystalize the essence of your memoir. Live chat sessions online: Wednesdays, July 25 & August 1, 8:30-9:30 pm ET