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WOW! Women On Writing Classes & Workshops
Back to School: Focus on Your Writing this Fall!
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Greetings!
With the kids back to school, now is the perfect time to focus on yourself and your writing. Do you want to break into magazine writing? Now that editors are back from their summer breaks and looking forward to their fall lineup, it's the perfect time to focus on your craft and queries. What about promoting your book, or yourself as an author or author-to-be, online? Fall is also a great time to get serious about online promotion--more people are back at their desks and will be spending more time online. Start building your audience now for the upcoming new year. What about learning something new? We have plenty of classes to quench your thirst for education. Everything from poetry writing to screenwriting! We have a fabulous selection of classes and instructors lined up for you. All of these ladies are fantastic mentors and are here to help you reach your writing goals. Here is a quick breakdown of what's coming up by starting date:
September 7, 2009: Last Week to Register!
PUBLISH THAT BOOK: HOW TO WRITE A NONFICTION BOOK PROPOSAL THAT SELLS by Andrea Campbell
September 14, 2009: New Class!
ADVANCED WRITING FOR MAGAZINES by Linda DiProperzio
September 15, 2009:
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CRAFT OF SCREENWRITING by Christina Hamlett
September 21, 2009: New Class!
ONLINE AUTHOR AND BOOK PROMOTION by Annette Fix
September 30, 2009: New Class!
WRITING FOR CHILDREN: SHORT STORIES, ARTICLES & FILLERS by Margo L. Dill
October 2, 2009: New Class!
THEME POWER! POETIC EXPLORATIONS by Melanie Faith
October 5, 2009:
CREATING A CHARACTER SKETCH by Janie Sullivan
October 15, 2009:
MAGAZINE WRITING SUCCESS by Wendy Meyeroff
October 20, 2009:
GET PAID TO WRITE: BECOME A FREELANCE WRITER! by Nicole LaMarco
November 3, 2009:
SHORT FICTION WRITING by Gila Green
November 9, 2009: New Class!
WRITING "REAL LIFE" FOR MAGAZINES by Linda DiProperzio
 How the courses work: All of the courses operate online--whether through email, website, chat room, or listserv, depending on the instructor's preferences--and are taught one-on-one with the instructor. The flexibility of the platform allows students to complete assignments on their own time and work at their own pace in the comfort of their own home. It's a wonderful experience and an excellent way to further develop your skills, boost your income, or to try your hand at something completely new! Below are the details of the courses we have coming up, listed by date. Be sure to enroll early for guaranteed placement. Some of the instructors only take 8-10 students per course, so make sure you look at the requirements. Enjoy! |
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| Last week to register!
HOW TO WRITE A NONFICTION BOOK PROPOSAL THAT SELLS
INSTRUCTOR: Andrea Campbell
START DATE: Monday, September 7, 2009
DURATION: 8 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Let me show you through my intense, 8-week-long workshop how to get a nonfiction book proposal ready for publishers. This is your opportunity to gain a serious business advantage over other writers who will try to wing it. And even if your first book doesn't sell, you will have the skills and the template to apply to other ideas and other projects. You may even come up with more ideas for more books as you work through this course.
And my workshop is different. I keep the classes small so you receive a lot of individual attention; class size is limited to 10 students. In addition, you will have e-mail feedback on all assignments. Another thing I do in my workshops is to have weekly chat sessions. Yes, every Thursday night, we will meet online to ask questions, discuss the lesson plans, and talk about additional information or details that you might have missed. Chats are an important tool for learning (and camaraderie) and why shouldn't we work together to leverage our knowledge? And to make it worth your while, you will also receive additional materials to help illustrate important points from the lesson plans or that you can use to aid you in staying abreast of what is happening in the publishing industry.
This course is for intermediate level students. Try to clear your plate of other things that may distract you and be prepared to work hard. If you want results, you will get them but this class involves work and preparation week after week.
In this class, you can expect to learn:
- If your idea is a good one
- The essential ingredients of a book proposal
- What the format and overall look of the actual proposal should be
- How to write your proposal letters and the best markets for your book
- Why you must exploit your "intellectual capital"
- The nuts and bolts of the nonfiction book publishing industry
By the end of class, students will have a marketable, nonfiction book proposal package ready to send out to agents, including a query letter, along with the confidence to market his/her product.
WEEKS AT A GLANCE:
Week 1: Introduction and Your Idea or Concept, Book Proposal Overview, Titles & Categories
Week 2: Your Idea Sculpted, The Market (& Your Audience), About the Author
Week 3: Marketing Tone; About the Book, and the Competition
Week 4: Table of Contents, The Outline, Organization & Structure, Chapter Summaries
Week 5: Production Details, Promotion, Selling Points, Media, Information Sources
Week 6: Sample Chapters & Creative Nonfiction
Week 7: Agents, Editors, Query letters, Cover Letters, Appendix
Week 8: Format, Packaging Tips, Success or Return, Ethics, Final Tips & Goals
 ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Andrea Campbell is the author of twelve traditionally published nonfiction books on a variety of topics including forensic science, criminal law, primatology and entertaining using interactive games, among others. Her latest book is the 2nd edition of Legal Ease: A Guide to Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedure, which has just been updated and fashioned into a college law textbook. Her next book, a historical-biography about the world's first detective, will be out in January 2010 with Overlook Press.
Andrea is a member of several professional organizations and stays current with book business. Her classes always offer students much more than they thought they'd get. One of her students recently got a "very good deal," and, according to Publisher's Lunch, a $100,000-plus book contract.
COST: $379, which includes access to a private Yahoo! Group, a weekly 1 hour chat, a weekly critique and assessments/corrections done by the instructor.
LIMIT: 10 STUDENTS. Register now!
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| New!
ADVANCED WRITING FOR MAGAZINES
INSTRUCTOR: Linda DiProperzio
START DATE: Monday, September 14, 2009
DURATION: 8 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: If you've already taken an intro to magazine writing class--and have
even had a few of your pieces published--this course can bring you to
the next level. Not only do I share my real life experience as a
freelance writer and editor with my students, but I also offer valuable
feedback on all assignments and ideas. My previous students have been
published in such national publications as Redbook, In Touch, Woman's World, Cooking Light, Prevention.com, Vibe, and Ladies' Home Journal.
WEEKS AT A GLANCE:
Week 1: Developing story ideas/The full-length service article
Finding and "spinning" ideas into full-length features. Researching for
service articles, and incorporating tips/advice into story; finding the
perfect expert; etc.
Assignment: Write a 500-750 word-service article.
Week 2: The personal essay
Using moments in your life for content; how newsworthy events can play
a role in your essay, how to find the right publication for the piece;
etc.
Assignment: Write a 500-750-word personal essay.
Week 3: The human interest story
Finding "real life" people to profile; conducting interviews; making
the piece relatable to readers, etc.
Assignment: Write a 750-1,000-word human interest profile.
Week 4: The Query Letter/How to Pitch Editors
Writing a pitch that will get attention; finding the right editor to
pitch and making contact; sending clips; etc.
Assignment: Write a pitch letter for one of the assignments you've
completed. [Students will send this out during class so we can discuss
their pitching experience]
Week 5: Q&A
Formatting and editing your interview into a Q&A piece
Assignment: Write an 800-1,200-word Q&A
Week 6: Self-editing and revising
Assignment: Revise one of your pieces.
Week 7: Pitching editors continued
Following up on pitches; turning in your work; getting paid; etc.
Assignment: Pitch another assignment; follow up on your first pitch!
Week 8: After the assignment
Revisions; dealing with a difficult editor; getting paid (and what to
do when a publication is slow to pay); etc.
 ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: As a full-time freelance writer and editor, Linda DiProperzio has worked for such publications as Marie Claire, Woman's Day, All You, The Knot, Woman's World, The Nest, and Seventeen. She began her career at Hachette Custom Publishing, and then moved on to First for Women,
where she crafted and edited stories ranging from women's health and
relationship articles to celebrity fashion trend and travel pieces.
Linda has an MA in magazine journalism from NYU, and has taught for
Mediabistro, Seton Hall University, and William Paterson University.
She currently teaches for the University of Phoenix.
COST:
$300, which includes email support and feedback from your instructor, weekly
assignments, and a weekly one-hour online chat (Wednesday nights at 9PM
EST) held through Yahoo! Chat. (8 weeks, starting 9/14/2009) LIMIT: 8-10 STUDENTS. Register now!
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SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES: AN INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING
INSTRUCTOR: Christina Hamlett
START DATE: Tuesday, September 15, 2009
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This 6-week class provides an overview of the techniques and formatting
requirements to develop an original screenplay. The lectures and
assignments cover character development, dialogue, genre, structure,
pacing, budget, and marketability. All materials submitted are
critiqued by a professional screenplay consultant and learners are free
to ask as many questions as they'd like about how to turn a story idea
into a commercial, pitch-ready script.
WEEKS AT A GLANCE:
Week 1: Recognizing the differences between movies, books, and plays.
ASSIGNMENT: A short essay in which you will identify a favorite film
and (1) discuss why it works and (2) whether it would or would not work
as a novel or stage play.
Week 2: Divide and Conquer--A discussion of the formulaic nature of screenwriting and how it can make your writing easier.
ASSIGNMENT: Watch a film of any type and break it down into each of the
four acts discussed in lecture.
Week 3: Formatting--The basics of writing a script for the screen.
ASSIGNMENT: Write a two page original scene in standard screenplay format.
Week 4: Titles, log lines, synopses, and target audiences.
ASSIGNMENT: Come up with a title, a log line, a 500-word synopsis, and
identify who your movie would appeal to...and why.
Week 5: Film treatments.
ASSIGNMENT: Write a treatment of your movie not to exceed 1000 words.
Week 6: Hooking an Audience & Not Letting Them Go
ASSIGNMENT: Submission of the first 10 pages of your own script.
 ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Former actress/director Christina Hamlett is a professional script
consultant and ghostwriter whose credits to date include 26 books (3 of
which are on the craft of screenwriting), 128 plays, 5 optioned
features, and hundreds of articles/interviews that appear in trade
publications throughout the world. She is also the screenwriting editor
of Writers Journal, and has conducted workshops on scripts and the
performing arts for over 30 years.
COST: $150, which includes one-on-one support and critiques through email.
With the exception of two assignments that need to be sent via U.S.
mail, all content and critiques are exchanged by email. (6 weeks, starting 9/15/2009) LIMIT: 10 STUDENTS. Register now!
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ONLINE AUTHOR & BOOK PROMOTION: I Know I Need a Web Presence. But Where Do I Start?
INSTRUCTOR: Annette Fix
START DATE: Monday, September 21, 2009
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: A six-week intensive workshop that will take you step-by-step
through the process of finding your audience and carving your niche in
cyberspace. By the end of this class, you will have a viable online
marketing plan for your book, a platform for building awareness of your
expertise/book/writing services, and a working knowledge of the vast
options for online marketing.
WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS WORKSHOP?
This class is for writers who would like to create a cost-effective and
efficient online marketing plan to globally promote themselves and
their writing. This workshop is essential for fiction and nonfiction
authors, freelance writers, and writing service providers who are ready
to promote themselves on the World Wide Web.
To
get the most out of this workshop, you must be willing to dive in to
explore technology and online applications of which you may be
unfamiliar. You don't need to be tech savvy, just willing to learn.
*This
is not a technical workshop.* Assignments that require you to use a
blogging platform, social networking pages, etc., do not include
instruction for how to create them. However, you will be guided to the resources you will need to complete the tasks. The focus of this workshop is how to use online marketing effectively.
WEEKS AT A GLANCE:
Week 1: Goal setting and individual project analysis. Includes introducing students to the best options available for marketing themselves and their writing online.
Week 2: Establishing/expanding your online presence. Includes website/blog review (or creation) and tools to improve (or create) content, traffic ranking, and visibility.
Week 3: Social networking.
Includes choosing the right social network for your goals, the dos and
don'ts of how to promote yourself and your writing, and the best way to
connect with industry professionals.
Week 4: Article syndication (nonfiction), Reading Group Guide development (fiction), and online review resources.
Week 5: Exploring online multimedia. Includes an introduction to using audio and video for promotion, including book trailers, vlogging, and podcasting.
Week 6: Putting it all together.
Includes setting a realistic timeline for implementing the stages of
your marketing action plan, and how to set up your own online book tour
and topic-specific blog carnival.
Final Monday: Wrap-party chat and peer review.
 ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Annette Fix is the author of The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir. Her
memoir was recently optioned for development as a cable television
series (which was the direct result of social networking online). She
speaks at writer's conferences about online promotion, and provides
freelance services that include editing and manuscript analysis.
COST: $350, which includes access to a private Google Group, individual support and
feedback from your instructor customized for your promotion goals,
weekly assignments, a weekly one-hour group chat, filtered resources
from top experts in the industry, and a free ebook of handouts that
take you step-by-step through the process of establishing your presence
online. (6 weeks, September 21 - November 1, 2009) LIMIT: 10 STUDENTS. Early registration is recommended.
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New!
WRITING FOR CHILDREN: Everything You Need to Know About Short Stories, Articles, and Fillers
INSTRUCTOR: Margo L. Dill
START DATE: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
DURATION: 7 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class will teach the basics of writing for children's magazines,
crafting short stories, nonfiction articles, poetry, and fillers. The
student will come away with a short story and cover letter, nonfiction
query letter, and a filler or poem. She will also have a list of
potential markets, fitting her manuscripts. The instructor will also
share an organizational tool for submissions and information on finding
other children's writers and networking.
WEEKS AT A GLANCE:
Week 1: Overview of writing for children's magazines:
We will discuss different types of manuscripts that magazines accept,
how to read magazine guidelines, setting goals and expectations for the
seven weeks, answering questions, and breaking myths about children's
writing.
Assignment: Find three markets (and their guidelines)
that you would be interested in submitting to and sharing them with the
other members of the class through the Google group.
Week 2: Crafting short stories:
This week will focus on writing a short story for the children's
magazine market. You should have a market from week one's assignment
that will help you write a short story while having a market in mind.
We will discuss creativity vs. marketing your story.
Assignment: Write a short story for a children's magazine.
Week 3: Cover letters and submissions:
Now you have a short story draft. You will learn this week how to write
a cover letter for your short story; how to format your short story
manuscript; and what to include in your submission package.
Assignments: 1. Upload your short story to the Google group. 2.
Critique (using the critique form the instructor provides) your
partner's short story. 3. Create a cover letter for your short story.
4. Revise your short story to turn in next week.
Week 4: Nonfiction articles:
This class will discuss writing nonfiction articles for children's
magazines, which are easier to sell to magazines. We will discuss
possible topics, how to narrow and focus topics, ways to begin magazine
articles, outlining, and researching topics.
Assignments: 1.
Upload your cover letter and short story to the Google group. 2. Come
up with a topic or two for a nonfiction article that targets one of the
markets from week one. Include your angle, beginning of article, and
any sources you will use. Create a brief outline.
Week 5: Query letters and submissions:
Once you have your topic for a nonfiction article and a rough outline,
you are ready to query a magazine to see if editors would be interested
in the article. We will look at sample query letters and talk about the
different parts of a query letter. We will also talk about what to
include in your submission packages for a nonfiction query proposal.
Assignment: Write a query letter to a children's magazine.
Week 6: Fillers and Poetry:
Children's magazines use a lot of recipes, activities, crafts, quizzes,
puzzles, jokes, and poems. These are often called fillers, and they pay
and provide clips! We will discuss these, some tricks to the trade, and
how to submit them to magazines.
Assignments: 1. Upload query
letter to Google group. 2. Critique partner's query letter. 3. Write a
filler or a poem for your target magazine.
Week 7: Tracking Submissions, Organization, Support and Networking for Children's Writers:
When you write for magazines, it is important to keep track of
submissions, wait times, and rights. We will discuss different
organizational systems. We will talk about what to do if you do not
hear back from an editor after an acceptable amount of wait time. We
will also discuss how to find support and networking opportunities for
children's writers from SCBWI to local groups to social networking.
Assignment: Fill out the evaluation
 ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Margo Dill has written for children since she
completed a course from the Institute of Children's Literature nine
years ago. Her children's writing has won awards, including honorable
mention in the annual Writer's Digest contest. She has had
articles, short stories, poetry, activities, and recipes accepted and
published in various publications such as Fun for Kidz, Pockets, Cuivre River Anthology III, Characters, Highlights for Children, and Calliope: A Writer's Workshop.
She has taught children's writing at the University YMCA in Champaign,
IL. She has spoken to writing groups on subjects such as writing
articles, networking, and short stories, and she is the children's
writing coordinator for Saturday Writers in St. Peters, MO.
COST: $200, which includes access to a Google group, ability to upload work to
Google group for discussion with instructor and other class members, a
free first-page critique from the instructor and a free query or cover
letter critique from instructor, private email discussions with
instructor as needed.(7 weeks, starting 9/30/2009) LIMIT: 15 STUDENTS. Early registration is recommended.
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THEME POWER!: POETIC EXPLORATIONS in Memory, Love & Longing, Loss and The Natural World & Awakening
INSTRUCTOR: Melanie Faith
START DATE: Friday, October 2, 2009
DURATION: 4 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Ever notice how writers tend to wax poetic about the same
time-tested themes? As Henry James noted, "I hold any writer
sufficiently justified who is himself in love with his theme." In this
4-week, workshop-style poetry class, we will focus on four popular
themes: Memory, Love & Longing, Loss, and The Natural World &
Awakening. Using In The Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop
as a springboard, we will delve into several poetic examples, noticing
how literary techniques shine within themed poems. A weekly assignment
from thematically-linked prompts will be the next step in enhancing
poetic skills.
The
instructor will provide a helpful weekly critique of each student's
submitted poem, offering suggestions as well as positive feedback on
elements which work well. This class is meant to inspire your own
poetic Muse--from strengthening your knowledge of literary techniques to
providing a bridge for sparking your own life-breathing, imaginative
poems from pen to printed page.
WEEKS AT A GLANCE:
Friday, October 2, 9, 16, 23 (instructor handouts with poetry analysis and tips)
Friday, October 9, 16, 23, 30 (poem due for instructor comment)
Week 1: Poems of Memory (Handouts and assigned reading given)
Assignment: Write a poem on one of several prompts
Week 2: Poems of Love and Longing (Handouts and assigned reading given) Assignment: Write a poem on one of several prompts. Instructor critiques last poem.
Week 3: Poems of Loss (Handouts and assigned reading given) Assignment: Write a poem on one of several prompts. Instructor critiques last poem.
Week 4: Poems of the Natural World and Awakening (Handouts and assigned reading given) Assignment: Write a poem on one of several prompts. Instructor critiques last poem.
 ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: MELANIE FAITH is a poet, educator, and photographer who holds an MFA in
Poetry from Queens University of Charlotte, NC. In addition to her
current poetry chapbook, Bright, Burning Fuse, which was a finalist in the 2008 Keyhole Magazine Chapbook contest and was published by Etched Press in Dec. 2008, she is the author of Restless: Relative Poems (published
by Foothills Publishing in 2003). She spent much of June 2009 traveling
through Italy, France, and Spain, and in July '09 taught an online
poetry writing class through WOW!
Her poems and landscape and architectural photography recently appeared or will appear in Newport Review, MO: Writings From The River (Montana State University, Spring '09 issue), The Broken Plate (Ball State University,April '09 issue), Shape of a Box (Dec. '08), The Binnacle (University of Maine), Mademoiselle's Fingertips, Emprise Review and The Iguana Review.
She has been a small-town newspaper journalist, an ESL classroom
teacher for international students, and (currently) a literature and
writing tutor at a private high school in rural Pennsylvania. In
addition to writing two novels seeking representation, her articles
about creative writing appeared in RWR (Dec. '08) and will be published in The Writer (Nov. '09) and Writers' Journal (July/Aug. '09 and Sept/Oct. '09).
COST: $125, which includes one-on-one support and critiques through email. (4 weeks, starting 10/2/2009) LIMIT: 8-10 STUDENTS. Early registration is recommended.
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CREATING A CHARACTER SKETCH
INSTRUCTOR: Janie Sullivan
START DATE: Friday, October 5, 2009
DURATION: 3 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Developing a character sketch for each character in the story is essential to the success of the story. The writer needs to know who the characters are, what they are thinking, and why they do the things they do in order to make them believable to the reader. This course will teach writers how to develop their characters so their readers will identify with them--whether or not they like them.
WEEKS AT A GLANCE:
Week 1: Review character sketches, analyze the elements, and determine why they do or do not work.
Week 2: Develop a character sketch and share it with classmates for constructive critique.
Week 3: Set the character in a short story for possible submission to a contest or magazine for publication.
 ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: I have been teaching online at the undergraduate level since 2004. I also teach faculty in the art of online teaching. I wrote and taught the entire curriculum for a 21-course certificate in Online Teaching Strategies and am currently working on a book of the same title. I have been writing since I was 16 and have published articles in newspapers, magazines, and journals. I won a writing contest with my character sketch at WritingForMoney.com. I currently write online for eHow.com, Suite101.com, and HubPages.com.
COST: $125, which includes access to a private blog group, email support and feedback from your instructor. (3 weeks, starting 10/5/2009) Limit: 10 students. Early registration is recommended.
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MAGAZINE WRITING SUCCESS: There is Still Work in Magazine Writing. How To Get it--and Keep Building On it.
INSTRUCTOR: Wendy Meyeroff
START DATE: Thursday, October 15, 2009
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a class for writers who'd like to build a portfolio (and make
money). Magazine articles are a great place to start. The class not
only discusses writing non-fiction articles for well-known publications
(e.g., Cosmo, Good Housekeeping, Wired),
it teaches students to look beyond them and points out other avenues
for both income and recognition. This is NOT a how-to-write class; it's
about finding saleable story ideas, marketing yourself and your work,
and getting the best price for it. At the end of class, students
receive a free e-zine summarizing top 10 class highlights, for easy
review.
WEEKS AT A GLANCE:
Week 1: Broadening Your Horizons. Includes introducing students to outlets beyond well-known publications
Week 2: Tricks of the Trade to Help You Get In (Includes a Checklist for Magazine Analysis)
Week 3: Creating More Effective Query Letters
Week 4: Setting Your "Hourly Rate"
Week 5: The Art of Negotiating
Week 6: Going Green: Extra Income Through Recycling Your Articles
 ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
I started as a reporter and then also an editor at a variety of trade
magazines (pharmacy, optical and telecommunications). My work on the
pharmacy magazine eventually got me a freelance assignment: a newspaper
column, "Health & Beauty Hotline," which was distributed to over
250,000 readers weekly for three years. These clips got me into Family Circle magazine and then to Woman's Day, Working Mother, and Weight Watchers
(plus many other publications). That led me to become one of the first
writers for webzines, like CBSHealthwatch.com. And all of this helped
me get commercial contracts for much more money down the line.
COST:
$150, which includes access to a private Yahoo!
Group, email support and feedback from your instructor, weekly
assignments, and a FREE e-zine offering top 10 highlights from class,
for easy review. Limit 25 students. Early registration is recommended.
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BECOME A FREELANCE WRITER!
YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO FREELANCE WRITING BASICS
INSTRUCTOR: Nicole LaMarco
START DATE: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
DURATION: 10 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This class is for beginning freelance writers
or for those who are interested in becoming freelance writers. It
includes all of the basics of freelance writing: overviews of the
different fields in freelance writing, what is needed to begin, how to
store ideas, where to get ideas, how much you should make, where to
find clients, and how to get clients.
In this
class, I am your writing mentor through every lesson and every
assignment. Make some extra money with your writing or create your own
full-time freelance career! Learn from my personal stories,
information, resources, goals, activities, lessons, and assignments.
This class will provide the you with the structure and guidance you
need to receive compensation for your writing. A certification will be given to those who
pass the entire class.
WEEKS AT A GLANCE:
Week 1: Let's Get Started!
This is the introduction to my class. I will outline the goals of this class. You will receive my email address so you can contact me with any questions you may have throughout the class. I'll also discuss what it takes to become a successful freelance writer.
Assignment: Assess why you want to become a writer, how well you can work on your own, and the importance of business skills in freelance work.
Week 2: Choosing a Writing Field
You will get my ebook on the different fields of freelance writing to study. I will talk about the most lucrative freelance writing careers and how the economy is changing the world of freelancing. I will also discuss the importance of choosing a freelance writing niche.
Assignment: Choose your freelance writing niche.
Week 3: Creating Your Portfolio
Every writer needs a portfolio. This is especially important for those just starting out. I will show you how to put together a portfolio even if you don't have any clips. I will also show you how to store your work and stay organized.
Assignment: Put together a portfolio.
Week 4: Yes, You Need a Resume
I'll teach you how to write an eye-catching resume that will include all of your skills, experience, and education. I will give you a freelance writing template to help you create your own resume.
Assignment: Create your writing resume.
Week 5: Bagging Your First Client
At this point, you will be ready to obtain your first client! I will show you how to market and promote your services in the freelance industry. I will also teach you how to stand out from the competition, where to get clients, and how to find potential clients.
Assignment: Obtain your first client.
Week 6: Money Making Writer
This lesson will discuss how much money most writers and editors make in their respective fields. I will help you figure out how much money you want to make, and how you can calculate your hourly rate.
Assignment: Calculate your hourly rate and set up a fee schedule.
Week 7: At Home and at Work
I will help you find your own office space in your home, and you will learn how to let your family know when to leave you alone so you can work. You will get tips on setting up a home office, eliminating distractions, and discussing working from home with family and friends.
Assignment: Have a discussion with family and set up a home office.
Week 8: Bookkeeping 101 for Writers
Tax time can seem difficult for the self-employed, but it is actually really easy. I will discuss how important record keeping is, how to stay in a budget, and how to file taxes. A tax expert will be available to answer your questions!
Assignment: The assignment will be how to keep a space for tax purposes in the office and how to store records.
Week 9: Writing Resources
I'll guide you to the greatest resources for writers on the web: blogs, websites, forums, and more. You'll see where I get my writing gigs and I will even give you links to places where I currently work so you can apply for a writing job! I will also give you links to the best writing resource books out there so you can add them to your bookcase.
Week 10: You're a Writer!
You are now a writer and you need to get used to saying it. I will teach you about maintaining a good clientele, keeping resumes up to date, making more money, setting goals, and more. You are ready to go it alone.
 ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Nicole LaMarco has been a full-time freelance writer for 8 years. She
specializes in ghostwriting and copywriting. She enjoys helping other
newbie writers find success with her website and ezine, Writing Pays, as well as with her email class Become a Freelance Writer.
COST:
$150, which includes email support and feedback from your instructor, weekly assignments, and a FREE ebook, Paying Markets for Writers, (valued at $19.95). Paying Markets for Writers contains direct links to over 1,000 paying publications online! (10 weeks, starting 10/20/2009) Limit: 25 students. Early registration is recommended.
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SHORT FICTION WRITING
(Great for Flash Fiction Writers!)
INSTRUCTOR: Gila Green
START DATE: Tuesday, November 3, 2009
DURATION: 8 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Through writing exercises and classmate and instructor feedback we will
delve into the fundamentals of short fiction with a view to publishable
work. We will explore a variety of craft elements including: character,
plot, point of view, description, dialogue, setting, pacing, voice and
theme.
Course objectives:
- To complete at least one work that is publishable.
- To
encourage you to read published short fiction including, short stories,
personal essays and flash fiction (Fiction under 800 words).
- To increase your confidence and skills as a writer.
- To develop a foundation for the skills of crafting, editing, and revising.
WEEKS AT A GLANCE:
Week
1: Discuss: What is the difference between a short story and an
anecdote? An anecdote and a joke? A personal essay and a short story?
In-class exercise: Write an anecdote.
Week 2: Discuss descriptions (character sketches). In-class exercise: Write a character sketch of someone you cannot forgive.
Week
3: Discuss: Two students will present and their pieces will be
workshopped. In-class exercise: Revision of previous exercises.
Week
4: Discuss: Two students present their pieces for workshopping.
In-class exercise: Let's talk about beginnings. How do you "enter" a
story?
Week 5: Third pair of students' work workshopped.
In-class exercise: Choose the first line of a previously published
story and rewrite it.
Week 6: Fourth pair of students' work
workshopped. In-class assignment: Endings. Identify the last section of
a story and rewrite it. Let's examine the style of the ending and
contrast/compare with the style of the beginnings we looked at
previously.
Week 7: Fifth pair of students' work workshopped. In-class assignment: Discuss in-class assignment from last week (Endings).
Week
8: The importance of revision. Revisions due. In-class assignment:
Revise any previous in-class assignment. Share with the class. Final
discussions.
 ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Originally from Ottawa, Gila Green's stories have appeared in tens of
literary magazines in the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, Israel, and Hong
Kong. Her short story collection, White Zion, is a finalist for the Doris Bakwin Award (Carolina Wren Press, 2008). Her stories have been short listed for WordSmitten's TenTen Fiction Contest (2008); The Walrus Literary Award (2006/7); the Eric Hoffer Best New Writing Award (2008) and the Ha'aretz Short Fiction
Award (Tel Aviv, 2006). Gila has an MA in Creative Writing from Bar
Ilan University (Israel) and a Bachelor of Journalism degree from
Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada).
COST:
$150, which includes access to a private Google Group, email support
and feedback from your instructor, weekly assignments, as well as
downloads from the Google Group files. Skype & Skype chat. (8 weeks, starting 11/3/2009) LIMIT: 8-10 STUDENTS. Early registration is recommended.
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WRITING "REAL LIFE" FOR MAGAZINES
INSTRUCTOR: Linda DiProperzio
START DATE: Monday, November 9, 2009
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Love reading about ordinary people that have done something
extraordinary? Those are "real life" stories, and magazines love
receiving pitches freelance writers who cannot only craft a compelling
tale, but find the people to profile. Not only do I share my real life
experience as a freelance writer who specializes in real life stories,
but I also offer valuable feedback on all assignments and ideas. My
previous students have been published in such national publications as Redbook, In Touch, Woman's World, Cooking Light, Prevention.com, Vibe, and Ladies' Home Journal.
WEEKS AT A GLANCE:
Week 1: Different types of real life stories/how to find people to profile
Assignment: Start looking for a real life person to profile (if you
choose to do a roundup, you will need to find 3-5 people)
Week 2: Conducting the interview
Since you're likely not dealing with a famous person, doing research
beforehand might be a challenge. How to prepare for the interview, and
how to handle a "difficult" interviewee.
Assignment: Set up your first interview(s) and write 10-15 interview
questions in advance.
Week 3: Plotting out your story
Once you've interviewed the subject, it's time to write! How do you fit
someone's life story into a 1,000-word (or sometimes less) article? How
to figure out what information to include and what to leave out;
creating an outline; etc.
Assignment: Create an outline for your story
Week 4: Writing the story
Transferring the right emotion to the story; first person vs. third
person; etc.
Assignment: Write an 800-1,000-word story
Week 5: Pitching to the right magazine/How to pitch
Every magazine has its own way of doing "real life." How to find the right fit for your stories.
Assignment: Write a pitch letter for your story
Week 6: Self-editing and revising
The importance of editing your own work
Assignment: Revise your story and pitch it to an editor
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: As a full-time freelance writer and editor, Linda DiProperzio has worked for such publications as Marie Claire, Woman's Day, All You, The Knot, Woman's World, The Nest, and Seventeen. She began her career at Hachette Custom Publishing, and then moved on to First for Women,
where she crafted and edited stories ranging from women's health and
relationship articles to celebrity fashion trend and travel pieces.
Linda has an MA in magazine journalism from NYU, and has taught for
Mediabistro, Seton Hall University, and William Paterson University.
She currently teaches for the University of Phoenix.
COST:
$200, which includes email support and feedback from your instructor, weekly
assignments, and a weekly one-hour online chat (Wednesday nights at 9PM
EST) held through Yahoo! Chat. (6 weeks, 11/9/2009 - 12/21/2009) LIMIT: 10-15 STUDENTS. Early registration is recommended.
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We hope you are excited about these new classes! Fall is the perfect time to focus on your education.WOW ! Women On Writing ensures that our instructors will work with you one-on-one. In most cases you will receive emailed course materials and assignments, or for those with groups, you will be able to download course materials. Your instructor will give you assignments and personal feedback, and guide you through a charted course of learning. Our instructors are wonderful ladies who go above and beyond to help you achieve your writing goals. If you have any questions, or would like to suggest a course topic you are interested in, we'd love your feedback. Email us at: classroom@wow-womenonwriting.com. We'll be updating our classroom page periodically with new classes and workshops, so please check back often. Write on!
Warmest,
Angela, Marcia & Team WOW!
WOW! Women On Writing
Invest in yourself, write now.
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