The Ongoing Poetry Workshop with Gary Copeland Lilley (afternoon)

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Dates: Thursdays, January 7th - March 11th
Time: 2:30 to 5:00
Cost: $200
Limited to: 8 participants
​Where: Online
​Full

​A weekly poetry workshop open to writers of any skill level or genre, a gathering of writers coming together in a supportive environment to work on the development and refining of our personal aesthetics. Yes, free to do your poetic thing with a focus on the crafting of poems, and on not judging poets. That is exactly the attitude this ongoing workshop has always maintained, while working the literary elements we use to create poems: gaining an understanding of poetry’s major operating modes, discovering ways to build the sharper images, enhance the poem’s musicality, and to convey those subtle meanings and significant statements uncovered in the poetic process. Each week, bring 9 copies of a poem in progress. Simply put, this workshop rocks as much as you want it to.
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Gary Copeland Lilley: is the author of eight books of poetry, the most recent being The Bushman's Medicine Show, from Lost Horse Press (2017), and a chapbook, The Hog Killing, from Blue Horse Press (2018). He is originally from North Carolina and now lives in the Pacific Northwest. He has received the Washington DC Commission on the Arts Fellowship for Poetry. He is published in numerous anthologies and journals, including Best American Poetry 2014, Willow Springs, The Swamp, Waxwing, the Taos International Journal of Poetry, and the African American Review. He is a Cave Canem Fellow.

The Ongoing Poetry Workshop with Gary Copeland Lilley (evening)

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Dates: Thursdays, January 7th - March 11th
Time: 5:30 to 8:00
Cost: $200
Limited to: 8 participants
​Where: Online
​Full
​​
​A weekly poetry workshop open to writers of any skill level or genre, a gathering of writers coming together in a supportive environment to work on the development and refining of our personal aesthetics. Yes, free to do your poetic thing with a focus on the crafting of poems, and on not judging poets. That is exactly the attitude this ongoing workshop has always maintained, while working the literary elements we use to create poems: gaining an understanding of poetry’s major operating modes, discovering ways to build the sharper images, enhance the poem’s musicality, and to convey those subtle meanings and significant statements uncovered in the poetic process. Each week, bring 9 copies of a poem in progress. Simply put, this workshop rocks as much as you want it to.
​
Gary Copeland Lilley: is the author of eight books of poetry, the most recent being The Bushman's Medicine Show, from Lost Horse Press (2017), and a chapbook, The Hog Killing, from Blue Horse Press (2018). He is originally from North Carolina and now lives in the Pacific Northwest. He has received the Washington DC Commission on the Arts Fellowship for Poetry. He is published in numerous anthologies and journals, including Best American Poetry 2014, Willow Springs, The Swamp, Waxwing, the Taos International Journal of Poetry, and the African American Review. He is a Cave Canem Fellow.

Submitting Your Essay: Crafting the Perfect Pitch with Samantha Ladwig

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Date: Saturday, March 13th
Time: 10:00 to 2:00
Cost: $150 -- Half of the proceeds will go to the WA Black Trans Task Force
Limited to: 8 participants
​Where: Online

Do you have a personal essay but aren’t sure where or how to submit it? This one-day workshop is for any writer looking to pitch their completed or in-progress work to online and print magazines. 

During our time together, we will: 

• Discuss best pitching practices by reviewing examples of pitches.
• Analyze the piece you’d like to pitch in order to find the right publication for your work.
• Write and review your own pitch in a supportive setting.

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From this class, you can expect to gain an understanding of what editors are looking for, how to explore your own newly formed ideas, and most importantly, how to formulate a clear and concise pitch. Please note that this is not a workshop on submitting to literary magazines.
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Samantha Ladwig is a writer, book reviewer, and the owner of Imprint Bookstore in Port Townsend, Washington. Her work has been published by Literary Hub, New York Magazine, Bustle, Real Simple, Vice, Bust Magazine, and others. For clips and more information, visit www.samanthaladwig.com.   

But I Don’t Like This Prompt!: Poetry Prompts to Push You Out of Your Comfort Zone with Lauren Davis​

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Dates: Mondays, April 5th – 26th
Time: 10:30am to 11:30am
Cost: $65
Limited to: 7 participants
​Where: Online
​​Full
 
Are you feeling stagnant? Do you want a challenge? Do you enjoy experiencing frustration, slight confusion, and a little outrage? Does only one side of your brain get all the say in your writing? During this workshop, Davis will provide a variety of poetry prompts designed to shakeup your approach to the page. The focus will be on creating first drafts. Join her in celebrating National Poetry Month!

Lauren Davis is the author of Home Beneath the Church (Fernwood Press, forthcoming), and the chapbooks Each Wild Thing’s Consent (Poetry Wolf Press) and The Missing Ones (Winter texts). She holds an MFA from the Bennington College Writing Seminars. She is a former Editor in Residence at The Puritan’s Town Crier and has been awarded a residency at Hypatia-in-the-Woods. Her work has appeared in over fifty literary publications and anthologies including Prairie Schooner, Spillway, Poet Lore, Ibbetson Street, Ninth Letter and elsewhere.

Navigating Independent Publishing Successfully with Terry Persun

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Date: Saturday, April 17th
Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm
Cost: $125
Limited to: 15 participants (5 minimum)
​Where: Online

​Independent publishing – or self publishing – has gifted writers the opportunity to distribute their work without having to go through the traditional publishing houses. This class will cover all the key aspects of publishing your fiction, nonfiction, or poetry collection independently. We’ll start with answering why you might choose this path then move on to what is required of you as, essentially, the publisher of your own book. This will include discussions on editing and proofreading, cover art, layout and design, getting blurbs, creating a launch, publishing options, and marketing. There’ll be plenty of time for questions and discussion along the way.

Terry Persun has been writing professionally for over thirty years. His technical articles, ad copy, brochures, etc. have been published in literally hundreds of journals. Persun’s poetry and short stories have been published in a wide variety of University and independently run journals across the U.S. In the past thirty years, he has had over twenty novels and six poetry collections published by small independent publishers, and won several poetry awards (Proper pH Chapbook Award, Jeanne Voege Excellence in Poetry Award, and others) and fiction awards (a Book Excellence Award in science fiction, a Silver IPPY in historical fiction, a Star of Washington award in mainstream fiction, two POW Book of the Year awards, two USABookNews awards). He’s a three-time finalist in the ForeWord magazine Book of the Year Award. Persun has also published several nonfiction books about writing and publishing.

The Art of the Query Letter with Jennifer Haupt

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Date: Sunday, April 25th
Time: 1:00 to 3:00
Cost: $90
Limited to: 20 participants (10 minimum)
​Where: Online

Whether you are trying to secure an agent for your book or querying small publishers directly, sending a stand-out query letter is essential. You only have one shot so make it count with a concise, intriguing, and description of your book as well as a bio that puts you in the best light possible. This 2-hour workshop will go over the basic components of a perfect query letter and how to put your special spin on your query. We'll also spend time with writing prompts geared to help you write your pitch.

Jennifer Haupt is the author of the novel In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills (April 2018) and editor of ALONE TOGETHER: Stories of Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19 (Sept. 2020). She has also ghost-written memoir, and her essays and articles have been published in O, The Oprah Magazine, Psychology Today, The Rumpus, Spirituality & Health, The Sun, and elsewhere. She teaches at Hugo House in Seattle, and writing conferences and workshops around the country.

​Volta: A Poetry Workshop with Kathryn Hunt and Spencer Reece

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Dates: Saturday and Sunday, May 8th and 9th
Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday, 12:00pm to 4:00pm on Sunday
Cost: $350
Limited to: 10 participants
​Where: Online

Volta means turn around, tumble, waltz. In a sonnet, it’s the turn of thought or direction that channels surprise and originality. Our two-day workshop will focus on ways to roll and roam with your own poetry and allow it to take you in new directions. We'll consider the work of contemporary poets from the U.S. and abroad and explore ways you might employ risk and invention in your work, moving your poem forward and inward at the same time. We’ll provide writing prompts and, during the course of the weekend, each participant will receive feedback from the instructors on a draft. We’ll also send you a small packet of poems to read before we meet. You’ll finish the weekend with four drafts of new poems. The class is open to all lovers of poetry — beginners and experienced writers alike. Please come with a notebook or laptop and an open mind.
 
Spencer Reece’s debut collection of poetry The Clerk’s Tale was chosen by Louise Glück for the Bakeless Poetry Prize. His second collection The Road to Emmaus was a longlist nominee for the National Book Award and a finalist for the Griffin Prize from Canada. Reece’s poems explore faith, family, love, and loss and are filled with what Glück calls “shimmering intelligence. . . [and] unobtrusive wit;” “half cocktail party, half passion play.” His honors include fellowships and grants from the Guggenheim Foundation and an Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship. His memoir, The Secret Gospel of Mark: A Poet’s Memoir, from Seven Stories Press, will be published in 2021. A book of watercolors All the Beauty Still Left: A Poet’s Book of Hours from Turtle Point Press and a chapbook, Letters from Spain, will also arrive on the bookshelves this year. He lives in Jackson Heights, New York.

Kathryn Hunt makes her home on the coast of the Salish Sea. Her poems have appeared in The Sun, Radar, Orion, Missouri Review, Carolina Quarterly, and Narrative. She is the author of Long Way Through Ruin from Blue Begonia Press. Seed-wheel, her second collection, will be published by Lost Horse Press in 2021. She is the recipient of residencies and awards from Ucross, Willapa AIR, Artists Trust, and Joya AIR (Spain). She’s worked as a waitress, shipscaler, short-order cook, bookseller, printer, food bank coordinator, filmmaker, and freelance writer. kathrynhunt.net

Edit Your Novel Like a Pro: The Focused Draft Approach with Nicole J. Persun

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Date: Saturday, May 15th
Time: 10:00 to 2:00 (with a 30 minute lunch break)
Cost: $200
Limited to: 12 participants (minimum of 6)
​Where: Online

When it comes to editing your messy first draft, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and get lost in the weeds. In this class, we’ll discuss an editing framework that will keep you organized. The focused-draft approach offers a holistic, multi-level view of your manuscript. By tackling different areas of craft - such as structure, pacing, emotion, and more - separately, you’ll stay grounded and productive without overworking your passionate prose. If you’re looking to gain confidence, efficiency, and organizational skills in your editing process, this class is for you.

Nicole J. Persun is an award-winning and internationally bestselling author. She got her start publishing fantasy, but nowadays writes book club fiction under the pen name Jennifer Gold. Nicole has a master’s degree in writing and instruction and is a board member of the Pacific Northwest Writers’ Association. In addition to her writing career, Nicole works as a horse caretaker on a large farm in the Pacific Northwest. She fills her spare time with books, animals, and coffee. Learn more at nicolejpersun.com  and jennifergoldauthor.com.