Classes & Workshops

• Writing the Unknown

  Instructor: Sarah Gerkensmeyer
  Date: Saturday, June 1
  Time: 10 a.m. -  12:30 p.m.
  Location: IWC classroom
  Cost: $48 non-members, $33 members, $28 student/teacher/senior members

  We are all familiar with the advice to “write about what you know.” What about Eudora Welty's advice: “Write about what you don't know about what you know”? How does a sense of the unknown and the uncharted... learn more

• Fundamentals of Playwriting

  Instructor: Andy Black
  Date: 5 Saturdays: June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
  Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  Location: Marian University/Marian Hall-Room #216
  Cost: $190 non-members, $130 members, $110 student/teacher/senior members

  Playwriting allows writers to tell stories using a unique medium--live performance.  But how to leverage the opportunity so that it harnesses the full power of the audience’s imagination?  Just click your ruby... learn more

• Flash Fiction

  Instructor: Joanna H. Woś
  Date: Sunday, June 2
  Time: 1-4 p.m.
  Location: IWC classroom
  Cost: $57 non-members, $39 members, $33 student/teacher/senior members

  Flash fiction or short-shorts-no matter what you call it, writing stories that are 750-1000 words in length is a challenging and rewarding practice. The writer learns compression and essential details and the reader gets a satisfying piece in return. We... learn more

• Poetry Boot Camp

  Instructor: Norm Minnick
  Date: 6 Mondays: June 3, 10, 17, 24; July 1, 8
  Time: 7-9 p.m.
  Location: IWC classroom
  Cost: $228 non-members, $156 members, $132 student/teacher/senior members

  When poets gather to write new poems, they can break through old habits and write something stronger and truer than before. To help this happen, the instructor and class members will work together to create... learn more

• Scenes from a Book

  Instructor: Candace Denning
  Date: 6 Wednesdays: June 5, 12, 19, 26; July 3, 10
  Time: 7-9:30 p.m.
  Location: IWC classroom
  Cost: $285 non-members, $195 members, $165 student/teacher/senior members

  A good story isn't simply told.  It is shown to the reader through skillfully constructed scenes that contain a sense of place, revelation of character, dramatic action and dialogue. A well-written scene can be experienced... learn more

• Creative Nonfiction: Taking Root

  Instructor: Sarah Layden
  Date: 3 Tuesdays: June 11, 18, 25
  Time: 7-9 p.m.
  Location: IWC classroom
  Cost: $114 non-members, $78 members, $66 student/teacher/senior members

  In this three-session class, we'll focus on developing the essay and memoir material that lives beneath the surface of our lives: the roots of a family tree, the foundations of places and spaces, and the layers upon layers of... learn more

• Novel Ideas

  Instructor: Barbara Shoup
  Date: Wednesday, June 12
  Time: 10 a.m. -  4:00 p.m.
  Location: Marian University
  Cost: $100 non-members, $75 members  (2 prices only-No further discounts for students, teachers or seniors for this workshop.)
  Bring a sack lunch
  

  Where do ideas from novels come from?  How are novels made?  Whether you’ve started a novel, finished a draft of a... learn more

• Before and After: Exploring the Moments That Shaped Your Life

  Instructor: Barbara Shoup
  Date: Saturday, June 15
  Time: 1-4 p.m.
  Location: Marian University/Marian Hall-Room #216
  Cost: $57 non-members, $39 members, $33 student/teacher/senior members

  There is great tension and conflict in the events of our lives with which we mark time, saying “before” and “after.” These can be births, deaths, divorces, accidents, moves—anything, large or seemingly small, that created a shift in how... learn more

• Creating and Maintaining Your Website

  Instructor: Eva Snider
  Date: 4 Thursdays: June 20, 27, and July 11, 18
  Time: 7-9 p.m.
  Location: IWC classroom
  Cost: $152 non-members, $104 members, $88 student/teacher/senior members

  It’s quickly becoming a virtual necessity for writers to have their own websites. For many, though, creating and maintaining a website can be an intimidating endeavor. This class will pull back the curtain on web design... learn more

• Introduction to Writing Fiction: Craft Frees Talent

  Instructor: David Hassler
  Date:  Sunday, June 23
  Time: 1-4 p.m.
  Location: IWC
  Cost: $57 non-members, $39 members, $33 student/teacher/senior members

  This class offers an overview of the basic elements of the craft of writing fiction.  We'll cover how to go about creating characters, showing settings and description, rendering effective dialogue and dialect, creating a solid plot and structure, and much more.  We'll... learn more