WOW! Classes: Invest in Yourself, Write More
In This Issue
Quick Glance: Classes by Start Date
No Matter How Busy You Are, You Can Find Time To Write!
Journaling for Holistic Wellness
Short Fiction Writing
Food Writing: The Basics
Recipe Writing Intensive
Intro to Screenwriting
Intro to Playwriting
Mastering Point of View
Bring Out the Story-Teller in You
Writing Your Life into Short Creative Essays
Creating an Effective Book Business Plan
Finding Experts & Interviewing Them
Theme Power! Poetic Explorations
The Unwilling Grammarian
Become a Freelance Writer
Quick Links
Instructor Interviews on The Muffin
The Muffin
When time permits we interview our instructors so you can learn more about their courses and get to know them better. Below are some interviews we've conducted on The Muffin. The class dates listed in the interviews have passed, but the information is current. You can still click on the links and they shouldn't be broken. Here are a few with some of our instructors. Enjoy!

Melanie Faith shares her tips on personal essay writing and her course "The Art of Truth" here.

Instructor Christina Hamlett talks about her diverse journey as a writer and the differences of writing for film vs. stage here.

Karyln Thayer shares some fantastic grammar tips and talks a little bit about her class "The Unwilling Grammarian" here.

Mary MacRae Warren shares some delicious tips on food writing and talks about both her food writing and recipe writing courses here.

Margo L. Dill shares some social networking tips for authors and talks about her popular e-class with the same name here.

We also interview Margo about her class "Writing for Children" here.

Annette Fix shares some fantastic tips on query letters, submitting to agents, and perfecting your pitch (all topics she covers in depth in her class) here.


WOW! Women On Writing Classes & Workshops
Start your New Year off right! Resolve to focus on yourself and your writing career in 2011.

Greetings!


We hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday! Now that the holiday bustle is over, it's time to start thinking about yourself and the New Year.

January is about fresh starts. It's about taking what you've learned from the past year and applying it to your game plan for 2011. Some writers make resolutions (and if that works for you--great!), but I prefer to create goals and timelines to get things done.

One of the best, and fastest, ways to achieve your goals is to take a class. Find a topic that interests you and let your instructor be your guide, mentor, and accountability partner. The assignments will guarantee production on your part, and the instructor's feedback will be invaluable. Plus, you'll have a polished body of work to show for your commitment and the knowledge you need to enter the marketplace.

You don't have to spend a lot, either. The prices our instructors offer are affordable for writers on a budget. Take a look at other online writing classes and you'll find that ours are less expensive. But that doesn't mean they are less intensive. If fact, we have a few of the same instructors and the same classes for half the price. Our instructors are truly here to help you with your writing goals.

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. You do not have to be present at any particular time or day and can work at your own pace.

Make a positive change for yourself and your writing career in 2011. This is your year to shine!

Visit the Classroom Page to find out what's available to you.

Classes by Start Date 2011
Click on the title to read a full description. 

January 3:

No Matter How Busy You Are, You Can Find Time To Write!
with Kelly L. Stone

Journaling for Holistic Wellness with Linda M. Rhinehart Neas, M.Ed.

January 4:

Short Fiction Writing with Gila Green

January 10:

Food Writing: The Basics with Mary MacRae Warren

Recipe Writing Intensive with Mary MacRae Warren

Introduction to the Craft of Screenwriting with Christina Hamlett

Introduction to Playwriting with Christina Hamlett

Mastering Point of View (POV) with Diane O'Connell
(New!)

January 12:

Bring Out the Story-Teller in You with Karlyn Thayer

January 15:

The Art of Truth: Writing Your Life into Short Creative Essays with Melanie Faith

January 17:

Creating an Effective Book Business Plan with Deborah Riley-Magnus

January 19:

Finding Experts and Interviewing Them with Jodi Webb
(New!)

January 22:

Theme Power! Poetic Explorations with Melanie Faith


January 26:

The Unwilling Grammarian with Karlyn Thayer

January 31:

Get Paid to Write: Become a Freelance Writer! with Nicole LaMarco

February 4:

Intro to Book Reviewing: Turn a Love of Reading Into a Rewarding Sideline with Norah Piehl

February 7:

Blogging 101 and More with Margo L. Dill

How to Get the Right Literary Agent for Your Manuscript with Annette Fix

February 14:

Tantric Publicity for Authors with Deborah Riley-Magnus
(New!)

February 21:

Write From Your Soul: Pen Your Memoir in 2011 with Annette Fix
(New!)

February 23:

Social Networking for Authors: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and More! with Margo L. Dill

March 1:

The Secret to Freeing Your Creative Mind with Kelly L. Stone

March 7:

Empower Your Muse, Empower Your Writing Self with Kelly L. Stone
(New!)

March 9:

Writing for Children: Short Stories, Articles & Fillers with Margo L. Dill

March 21:

Writing a Middle-Grade Novel with Margo L. Dill
(New!)

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Below are brief descriptions of courses starting in January 2011.

For complete listings including price and a week-by-week glance of what you'll be learning, please visit the Classroom Page.

No Matter How Busy You Are, You Can Find Time To Write! Starts Monday!
Kelly L. Stone Instructor: Kelly L. Stone

Start Date: Monday January 3, 2011
Duration: 4 Weeks

Students learn unique and creative ways to fit writing time into their busy lives, including how to set achievable writing goals, how to create a Writing Action Plan, and how to manage distractions and interruptions. Includes a FREE critique of up to 25 pages!

From Kelly L. Stone, author of Time To Write.


Limit: 25 Students
Price: $125

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.

Journaling for Holistic Wellness Starts Monday!
Linda Rhinehart Neas Instructor: Linda M. Rhinehart Neas, M.Ed.

Start Date: Monday January 3, 2011
Duration: 9 Weeks

Through writing prompts from a workbook created by the instructor, students will answer specific questions on the nine aspects of life found on the wellness wheel--physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural, economic, vocational, environmental, social and spiritual. These prompts will lead to self-discovery that will help the students to hone their writing skills. Various readings of other authors' work as well as writing assignments to share with the group will be assigned weekly.

Limit: 10 Students
Price: $125

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.

Short Fiction Writing Starts Next Tuesday!
Gila Green Instructor: Gila Green

Start Date: Tuesday January 4, 2011
Duration: 8 Weeks

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.

Limit: 8-10 Students
Price: $175

Visit the Classroom Page for a full description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.

Food Writing: The Basics
Mary MacRae WarrenInstructor: Mary MacRae Warren

Start Date: Monday January 10, 2011
Duration: 6 Weeks

Through lectures, writing exercises, and instructor feedback we will cover the basics of food writing (in print and online formats). Students should complete the class with at least one work suitable for publication. We will explore food writing essentials including: food reporting and research, techniques for developing sources in the food world, resources for covering food news, and conventional forms of food writing.

Limit: 25 Students
Price: $175

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.
Recipe Writing Intensive
Mary MacRae WarrenInstructor: Mary MacRae Warren

Start Date: Monday January 10, 2011
Duration: 3 Weeks

In this three-week intensive, we will learn what makes a recipe good (or bad), how to format and test recipes, how to write step-by-step instructions that are lively and interesting as well as accurate.

Limit: 10 Students
Price: $125

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.
See You at the Movies: An Introduction to the Craft of Screenwriting
Instructor: Christina HamlettChristina Hamlett

Start Date: Monday January 10, 2011
Duration: 6 Weeks


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.

Limit: 10 Students
Price: $150

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.
All the World's a Stage: An Introduction to Playwriting
Instructor: Christina HamlettChristina Hamlett

Start Date: Monday January 10, 2010

Duration: 6 Weeks

In this class, you'll be learning what makes a play successful...and how to write one yourself! Each module consists of a lecture and writing assignment, as well as interviews, websites and anecdotes. Ideally, it should only take one week to complete each exercise. The final assignment will be the writing and submission of an original 15-minute one-act play, which will be professionally critiqued for its adherence to all of the principles addressed in the class.

Limit: 10 Students
Price: $175

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.
Mastering Point of View New!
Diane O'Connell Instructor: Diane O'Connell

Start Date: Monday January 10, 2011
Duration: 8 Weeks

What's the secret every successful author knows and most new authors don't? It's point of view (POV). In this interactive workshop, New York book doctor Diane O'Connell will show how truly understanding and mastering point of view can fix an ailing manuscript and turn a decent but lackluster novel into a page-turner.

Limit: 20 Students
Price: $125

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.
Bring Out the Story-Teller in You
Instructor: Karlyn Thayer
Karlyn Thayer
Start Date: Wednesday January 12, 2011
Duration: 6 Weeks

This class teaches story-writing from the idea of thinking before writing. Emphasizes correct story structure. Topics covered include: the value of an outline or synopsis; bringing characters to life; building a plot; viewpoint and mechanics; and keeping the action and conflict going. The class includes weekly assignments and critiques from the instructor.

Limit: 10 Students
Price: $140

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.
The Art of Truth: Writing Your Life into Short Creative Essays
Melanie Faith Instructor: Melanie Faith

Start Date: Saturday January 15, 2011
Duration: 5 Weeks

Do you find yourself sharing cherished anecdotes with friends and always mean to craft them into essay form someday? Have you long wanted to write down and explore further those meaningful memories of childhood, young adulthood, college, and beyond? Then this course is for you! Using prompts from our insightful class text, Courage & Craft: Writing Your Life Into Story, students will pen five essays of 1,000 words or less, for constructive and helpful feedback from the instructor. Students will also read and study several short creative nonfiction essays from top essayists, representing a wide variety of forms and themes, and receive style tip handouts to apply to their own writing. To encourage class interaction, there will be a Google group where students may post thoughts on the writing process, favorite essays, or questions of the instructor.

Limit: 8-10 Students
Price: $160

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.
Creating an Effective Book Business Plan
Instructor: Deborah Riley-MagnusDeborah Riley-Magnus

Start Date: Monday January 17, 2011

Duration: 4 Weeks

One of the most productive things an author can do is write a Book Business Plan. It's a required exercise for authors writing non-fiction book proposals and easily as important as actually writing the book, whether non-fiction or fiction. Why?

1) Writing is a business
2) Writing is YOUR business
3) Nothing reminds a business person about the importance of their business more than a business plan

This is the reason the very first serious effort you should make in building your platform should start with a Book Business Plan. Don't be afraid, it's not so bad. If you're writing fiction or non-fiction, this is a critical step in assuring the success of your project and taking yourself seriously as an author. For this workshop, we will explore why and how an author should put all the ducks in line, numbers where they belong, and place everything in a neatly wrapped package.

Limit: 15 students
Price: $125

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and to find out what you'll be learning week-by-week.
Finding Experts and Interviewing Them New!
Instructor: Jodi WebbJodi Webb

Start Date: Wednesday January 19, 2011

Duration: 6 Weeks

Are you intimidated by the idea of interviewing an expert for your article? Do you need help finding knowledgeable sources? Do you want the opportunity to polish your interviewing skills? This class will help you track down experts, contact them, and conduct a successful interview. Includes a 30 minute call with the instructor (student conducts a 15 minute interview, with instructor playing the part of the expert, followed by a 15 minute interview critique).

Limit: 10 Students
Price: $150

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.
Theme Power!: Poetic Explorations
Melanie Faith Instructor: Melanie Faith

Start Date: Saturday January 22, 2011
Duration: 4 Weeks

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.


Limit: 8-10 Students
Price: $145

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.
The Unwilling Grammarian
Instructor: Karlyn ThayerKarlyn Thayer

Start Date: Wednesday
January 26, 2011
Duration: 4 Weeks

Do you hate grammar like you hate snakes? This class, "The Unwilling Grammarian" takes an easy and fun approach to grammar. Other grammar courses require students to learn dozens of complicated terms. This course begins by asking you to learn two terms only, and shows you how those two terms can be the key to writing success.

I don't want to mislead you. In no way will the study of grammar ever be a ride on a carousel or even a walk in the park. But in "The Unwilling Grammarian," you'll be asked for homework that will amuse you rather than frustrate you and send you screaming from your computer.

Students will look at grammar with a new perspective--not as a necessary evil, but as a study that's understandable and satisfying. Who knew that punctuation, often considered to be beyond understanding, could actually be fun?

Limit: 10 Students
Price: $140

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.
Get Paid to Write: Become a Freelance Writer
Instructor: Nicole LaMarcoNicole LaMarco

Start Date: Monday January 31, 2011

Duration: 10 Weeks

This class is for beginning freelance writers or for those who are interested in becoming freelance writers. It includes all 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.

Limit: 10 Students
Price: $150

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete description and what you'll be learning week-by-week.
We hope you are excited about these classes!

For classes beyond January, please visit the
Classroom for complete listings (we ran out of room!).

Our instructors are great accountability partners and will help you get started as a writer, get your work published, hone your writing skills, or make extra money with your writing.

Personal Attention from InstructorsWOW! Women On Writing Classes combine the best writing instruction with the convenience of the Internet to create a great learning environment. All class sizes are limited so you get one-on-one instruction from our teachers as well as a community of classmates to share ideas with. Best of all, you create your own schedule and work at your own pace. There's no specific time you need to be present.

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: [email protected].

We'll be updating our classroom page periodically with new classes and workshops, so please check back often. Write on!

Here's to a productive and prosperous 2011!

Angela, Marcia & Team WOW!
WOW! Women On Writing

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