WARNER RIVER WORKSHOP FOR WRITERS

Starting June 15, 2023 at the Pillsbury Free Library

What is it?  The goal of the workshop is to create, sustain, and nourish a community of writers in the Kearsarge area.

What do you mean “writer”? For our purposes,a writer is anyone who is writing, has written, or wants to write but hasn’t yet picked up that pen.

When/Where? The workshop will meet the third Thursday of every month at the Pillsbury Free Library in Warner, NH. Beginning June 15. 6:30 –8:00.

What happens at the workshop? Intended for anyone eighteen and up, the workshop will begin with a freewrite. From there we will have a craft lesson and a discussion. We’ll end with another freewrite. Occasionally, we will have a master class in which a professional writer will give a volunteer writer feedback on their work.

Craft lesson? These will vary from month to month. Characterization. Dialogue. Point of View. Scene vs. summary. Beginnings. Endings. Setting. The lessons will be structured so that no matter what your genre – fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, children’s literature – you will come away with a new sensitivity to what you put on the page.

Who’s teaching? Initially, the workshop will be facilitated by David Elliott, an award-winning,  New York Times best-selling writer, whose work ranges from picture books to work for the adult audience. David has published over thirty books and has taught creative writing at both the graduate and undergraduate level. He has recently retired from Lesley University’s Low Residency Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing where he taught for 20 years. Occasionally, we will have guest instructors, working writers with national reputations.

Should I attend? Why not? Again, no matter what your level of experience, you are welcome. The workshop is stress-free, a place where you can gauge your interest and skill as a writer, and a creative environment where each month you can increase your skill as well as your understanding of your own process. You will never have to read your work publicly, though for those who wish to, there may be opportunities.

Do I need to bring anything? An open heart, a sense of humor, and something to write with (pen and paper, laptop, whatever).

How much does it cost? As part of the Pillsbury Free Library’s ongoing commitment to providing programming for the community, the workshop iscompletely free.