The Muse Writers Center Classes
When you take a class at The Muse Writers Center, you'll find yourself part of a diverse community of writers in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Classes range from those geared for novice writers or those with some writing experience who are looking for a structured environment in which to bloom to those geared for intermediate, advanced, or professional writers.
No matter what kind of class you take, you will be a vital part of the class. Attendance and class participation is critical, as you will be helping both yourself and your classmates develop your craft.
General Classes and Writing Workshops
Some classes are seminars where you will be learning a specific aspect of craft. In general, classes combine creative exercises designed to inspire, readings selected to support your work, and discussions to stimulate that work within an encouraging and nurturing environment. Most classes include a workshop component--based on the undergraduate and graduate-level workshop model, where current work is distributed to all members of the group for helpful criticism and advice. In a workshop, students are expected to both produce work for group critique and take time to provide feedback to other class members. Deadlines and guidance from our experienced instructors encourage participants to produce their finest work.
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Writing Studios
Continuing from the Intermediate Writing Workshop model, Muse Writing Studios are open to advanced and professional writers who are looking for a community and guidance while working on a project or refining their craft. Writing Studios are generally closed to open registration. Permission by the Studio’s teacher and a submission of a writing sample is often required for admittance into the Studio Group.
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Writing from Life
It is the details that make stories sing. The unadorned scene, the distilled moment, the resonant image, are best conveyed by the careful choice and placement of words. In this workshop we'll write longhand to cues, a timer ticking away, and then read our work out loud (you can always opt out) in a safe, positive environment. You can write in whatever form inspires you, from prose (memoir, fiction) to poetry. Each writer also can bring a longer form, out-of-class piece for group critique, under the guidance of Janine Latus.
Tuesdays, 7-9:30 p.m.
a 6 week session beginning July 27
Instructor: Janine Latus
Open to: writers of all levels of experience
Meets: July 27, August 3, 10, 17, 24, & 31
Session cost: $155
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
Join the Waiting List by email for Writing from Life
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The Riches of Everyday Life: A Memoir Workshop
The memoir can be the most engaging of literary forms. Certainly it is the most intimate. And it's not just for writers with stories of great success, exotic adventures or personal tragedy. As Rainer Maria Rilke suggests in Letters to a Young Poet, there are boundless riches in everyday life. It is up to us, as writers, to learn how to call them forth, as he puts it, and to give them meaning in well-constructed personal narratives. In this workshop-open to those who are already working on memoirs as well as those who are trying to start one-we will explore the techniques of accomplished memoirists and learn how to apply them to our own writing. The workshop is designed for intermediate-level writers (some experience is recommended, but students will not be pre-screened) who are working on book-length memoirs. However, those who wish to work on shorter personal essays are also welcome. We will meet every other week, and critique three to four pieces per session on a rotating basis.
Sundays, 4-6:30 p.m. (bi-weekly)
a 6 week session beginning June 13
Instructor: Tom Robotham
Open to: writers with some experience
Meets: June 13 & 27, July 11 & 25, August 8 & 22
Session cost: $155
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Open Studio
Sometimes we begin a short story and discover a novel, or a memoir mysteriously evolves into a poetry collection. This multi-genre studio welcomes poetry, fiction, non-fiction and memoir. Allow the work to become what it is and share it with a group of experienced writers. Writers will submit work to all members in advance (via e-mail). All submissions will be critiqued at the following meeting.
Sundays, 4-6:30 p.m. (bi-weekly)
a 6 week session beginning June 13
Instructor: Lisa Hartz
Open to: advanced writers. New members must receive instructor approval for enrollment
Meets: June 13, 27, July 11, 25, August 8, 22
Session cost: $155
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Writing Your Personal Narrative
Sometimes it is only through the process of story telling that we realize the nuance and profoundness of our own lives. Each of us has a book to write about our lives, but we also have stories to tell about our days. We and the people around us are characters. Our homes and communities are settings. Our joys, our pain, our goals, and our heartbreaks are what move our personal narratives forward. This class will teach you how to make your life a story. Writers will be afforded the chance to write in any form (prose, poetry, drama, even fiction). Work completed prior to the course can be brought to workshop. You are a protagonist.
Sundays 1-3:30 p.m.
an 8 week session beginning June 6
Instructor: Jesse Scaccia
Open to: writers of all levels of experience
Meets: June 6, 13, & 27, July 11, 18, & 25, August 1 & 8
Session cost: $195
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Journalism 101
The line between journalist and citizen is becoming thinner and thinner. Print media outlets are shutting their doors. Yet journalists remain as important to democracy as ever. We need average people to take up the cause. This course, appropriate for anyone from teens to seniors, will cover all the basics of journalism: methods, style and ethics. Hard news, profiles, features, and investigative reporting will all be explored.
Thursdays 7-9:30 p.m.
an 8 week session beginning June 3
Instructor: Jesse Scaccia
Open to: writers of all levels of experience
Meets: June 3, 10, 17, & 24, July 1, 8, 15, & 22
Session cost: $195
THIS CLASS IS CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Flash Fiction
In this workshop we will learn that writing great stories doesn't take twenty hours or twenty pages! We will focus on very short fiction (under 1,000 words) as a way of learning how to evoke the beauty of language and master the sentence form. We will discuss how the inspiration for flash fiction can come in many forms—a postcard; a song; a conversation in a coffee shop, and that even the busiest or most inexperienced writers can create beautiful stories. Together we will master the six-word story, learn how to keep a writer's notebook, and write our autobiographies in one page. You will also have at least one opportunity to workshop your own work of flash fiction.
Wednesdays, 7-9:30 p.m.
a 4 week session beginning July 14
Instructor: Victoria Kelly
Open to: writers of all levels and experience
Meets: July 14, 21, & 28, August 4
Session cost: $120
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Short Story Workshop
This class will focus on the art, structure, and possibilities of the short story. We will examine the fundamental unified structure of the short story and apply them to our own stories. Each session, one or two students (depending on class size) will provide their stories to their peers. The following session, we will then "workshop" those stories, following a specific set of guidelines. In addition, students will read one or two stories and essays that speak directly to the concerns of the formal elements of short story writing. For example, a passage from E.M. Forster's Aspects of the Novel or John Gardner's Art of Fiction paired with Chekhov's "Lady with the Pet Dog." Instructor will provide stories and essays in .pdf via email prior to class.
Sundays 1-3:30 p.m.
an 8 week session beginning June 6
Instructor: Gregory Schneider
Open to: writers with some experience
Meets: June 6, 13, & 27, July 11, 18, & 25, August 1 & 8
Session cost: $195
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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The Fiction Workshop
The Fiction Workshop continues with returning writers and new members with writing experience. Members of the group will actively write and revise original short stories and chapters of novels. All members of the group will have the opportunity to submit material for the workshop. You will have at least three opportunities to be critiqued during the session.
Wednesdays, 7-9:30 p.m.
a 6 week session beginning June 2
Instructor: Caitlin Hayes
Open to: continuing members and new members with some writing experience
Meets: June 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30, July 7
Session cost: $155
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Introduction to Fiction Writing
We all have stories to tell, whether we are aiming for short stories or novels, and in this class we will begin to explore both the fundamentals of craft and the even more crucial challenge of carving out a space for yourself as an artist. We will work at every level with your stories, from the mystery of the creative impulse itself to the logistics of getting a character from one end of the room to another. We will study excerpts from the fiction masters to see what we can learn and what we can copy. With any luck, we'll also have some fun getting to know each other and ourselves along the way. Come join us! Your instructor will make every effort to tailor the submission schedule to your goals.
Tuesdays, 7-9:30 p.m.
an 8 week session beginning June 1
Instructor: Mary Westbrook
Open to: writers of all levels and experience
Meets: June 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29, July 6, 13, & 20
Session cost: $195
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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The Fiction Studio, Sections A & B
Open to advanced writers. New members must receive instructor approval for enrollment. Three or four students will submit work to each meeting according to an agreed upon schedule. Manuscripts will be submitted in advance via e-mail by an agreed upon deadline. Instructor will set page limits for submissions.
Mondays, 7-9:30 p.m. (bi-weekly)
A Section: a 6 week session beginning June 7
B Section: a 6 week session beginning June 14
Instructor: Tim Farrington
Open to: continuing members and new members with extensive writing experience. New members must send writing samples and receive instructor approval for enrollment
A Section Meets: June 7 & 21, July 5 & 19, August 2 & 16
B Section Meets: Meets: June 14 & 28, July 12 & 26, August 9 & 23
Session cost: $155
SECTIONS A & B ARE BOTH FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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The Poetry Workshop, Section A
This continuing course, for poets with some experience, is designed to help you compose and respond to poetry through creative exercises, readings, and discussions. Each member of the group will write and revise original poems; together, we will explore your handling of voice, imagery, structure, word choice, and line in a stimulating and supportive workshop environment. Work will be submitted prior to the start of each meeting. All poems will be critiqued during that meeting.
Mondays, 7-9:30 p.m.
a 6 week session beginning June 7
Instructor: Patti Hinson
Open to: continuing members and new members with experience writing and workshopping poetry
Meets: June 7, 14, 21, & 28, July 5 & 12
Session cost: $155
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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The Poetry Workshop, Section B
This continuing course, for poets with some experience, is designed to help you compose and respond to poetry through creative exercises, readings, and discussions. Each member of the group will write and revise original poems; together, we will explore your handling of voice, imagery, structure, word choice, and line in a stimulating and supportive workshop environment. Work will be submitted prior to the start of each meeting. All poems will be critiqued during that meeting.
Thursdays, 7-9:30 p.m.
a 6 week session beginning June 3
Instructor: Patti Hinson
Open to: continuing members and new members with experience writing and workshopping poetry
Meets: June 3, 10, 17, & 24, July 1 & 8
Session cost: $155
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Intensive Poetry Studio
In this studio, we will renew our process while actively and intensively writing and revising original poetry. The early sessions of class will be dedicated to in-class writing in specific areas of focus, while sharing poetry by modern writers that have engaged us. The later sessions of class will include the careful review of members’ work, as well as the examination of the literary and commercial marketplace through class presentations. Submission of work for publication will be encouraged.
Tuesdays, 7-9:30 p.m. (monthly)
a 5 week session beginning May 18
Instructor: Michael Khandelwal
Open to: advanced poets. New members must receive instructor approval for enrollment
Meets: May 18, June 15, July 20, August 17 (till 10:30 p.m.) & 21 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.)
Session cost: $125 (no returning student discount)
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Children's Picture Book Writing Workshop
This hands-on workshop introduces basic information about the craft of writing for children and will also delve in the business of publishing children's picture books. Participants will develop a picture-book manuscript, get feedback, and work to strengthen the story with revision. The workshop also provides an overview of the editing, illustration and publishing process. Students should bring their imagination along with their favorite children's book for discussion.
Saturdays, 1-3:30 p.m.
a 6 week session beginning June 5
Instructor: Karla Martin
Open to: writers of all levels of experience
Meets: June 5, 12, 19, & 26, July 3 & 10
Session cost: $155
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Learning to See: A Photography Workshop
"I hate cameras. They interfere, they're always in the way. I wish: if I could just work with my eyes alone," Richard Avedon wrote. Cameras are simply tools. In this class we'll focus on using any tool at our disposal to capture light. Participants may use any tool ranging from the $2000 digital camera to a $25 plastic camera. Through a combination of photographic assignments and studying great photographers, students will develop an understanding of light, shape and composition. Students will be expected to share and discuss their work in a workshop environment.
Tuesdays 7-9:30 p.m.
a 6 week session beginning June 1
Instructor: Roberto Westbrook
Open to: photographers of all levels of experience
Meets: June 1, 8, 22, & 29, July 6 & 13
Session cost: $155
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Screenwriting 202
An intensive program to complete scene writing, work on dialogue, insert film language and finalize your characters arc. Students can also work on finishing their treatments or working on their pitches. Class will write extensively in class and workshop with the teacher and fellow students. Lunch will be provided as part of the tuition.
Saturdays 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
a 3 week session beginning June 5
Instructor: Kip Watson
Open to: screenwriters with some experience
Meets: June 5, 12, & 19
Session cost: $175
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Standup Comedy
Learn the secrets of being a Standup Comic from one of the top professionals in the business. Learn the art of writing Standup, performing, and everything you have always wanted to know about Standup Comedy. At the end of the 8 week course you will be able to perform a 5 minute standup comedy routine.
Saturdays, 4-6:30 p.m.
an 8 week course beginning June 5
Instructor: Ken Phillips
Open to: persons of all levels of experience
Meets: June 5, 12, 19, & 26, July 3, 10, 17, & 24
Session cost: $195
THIS CLASS IS CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Standup Comedy Studio
Intermediate comedy class for those with some standup experience. This 8 week course will hone your comedic writing skills and develop your standup routine. Your graduation will be performing a 10 minute routine at several venues in Hampton Roads.
Wednesdays, 7-9:30 p.m.
an 8 week course beginning June 2
Instructor: Ken Phillips
Open to: performers with some experience
Meets: June 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30, July 7, 14, & 21
Session cost: $195
THIS CLASS IS CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Poetry Workshop for Teen Writers
This course, designed for rising 9th-12th graders, will help you write, read, and appreciate poetry, no matter your previous experience. Through in- and out-of-class creative writing exercises, readings, and discussions, we will work toward finding the poetry in our lives and cultivating our craft. We will explore the mechanics, the mystery, and the pleasures of poetry in an inspiring and supportive workshop environment.
Saturdays 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
a 4 week session beginning July 10
Instructor: Patti Hinson
Open to: rising 9th-12th graders of all levels and experience
Meets: July 10, 17, 24, & 31
Session cost: $120
THIS CLASS IS CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Young Writers Workshop
Kids, have fun with your words—out loud and on paper. Bring your imaginary friends to life. Or invent a few! Make yourself laugh with words, words and more words. We'll read stories from across America and around the world. Local poets will share their work selected especially for our workshop. Learn to express yourself in writing in a guided, friendly and supportive environment.
Saturdays 1-3:30 p.m.
a 4 week session beginning June 26
Instructor: Tracie Liguid
Open to: writers ages 8–11, of all levels of experience
Meets: June 26, July 3, 10 & 17
Session cost: $120
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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Fiction Workshop for Teen Writers
This class we will focus on the joy of telling our stories, the fascination of the writing process, and the ways in which the craft of fiction can both set us free and ground us in a deeper reality. Spelling optional. Some writing will be in class, with the opportunity to bring in out of class writing to share.
All students will meet together at the first class on Saturday, June 5 when their instructor will evaluate and place them in either Section A or Section B, depending on their experience and maturity.
Saturdays 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (bi-weekly)
a 7 week session beginning June 5
Instructor: Tim Farrington
Open to: writers ages 12-18 of all levels and experience
Section A Meets: June 5, 12 & 26, July 10 & 24, August 7 & 21
Section B Meets: June 5 & 19, July 3, 17, & 31, August 14 & 28
Session cost: $175
THIS CLASS IS FULL AND CLOSED TO REGISTRATION
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