Courting the Muse:
A Writer’s Conference
Sharpen your pencils for a day of presentations, workshops, readings, and discussions designed to inspire and improve your writing. Benjamin Percy, award-winning fiction writer and professor in the MFA program at Iowa State, provides the opening general session. Create your own learning experience by selecting two workshops from six intriguing options including screen writing, short story, poetry, children’s literature, investigative journalism, and fiction. Workshop writers/instructors include Fleda Brown, Elizabeth Buzzelli, Ben Percy, Lynn Percy, Anne Stanton, and Leslie Tye. Well-known author and IAA creative writing instructor, Anne-Marie Oomen, and Fleda Brown, poet, professor, and recent Delaware Poet Laurete, provide the wrap-up with a don’t-miss reading and Q & A. In partnership with Michigan Writers. Luncheon and materials included. Click here for brochure (.pdf).

Fri., Nov. 20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
NMC Oleson Center
Cost: $95, includes luncheon
Code: 5685

Discover the Story in You—
Beginning Fiction Writing:
A One-Day Workshop
All those stories you’ve always wanted to write—make them come to life in this day-long intensive on writing fiction designed for beginning writers. Author Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli guides the focus through developing ideas, outlines, rounding out characters, beginnings, middles, and ends. You’ll leave with a story on the way. Bring ideas, enthusiasm, writing pad, and pen to have an exciting and significant day. Lunch is included.

Sat., Oct. 3, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.  
Oleson Center Rm. 112
Instructor: Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli
Cost: $79 (includes lunch)
Code: 5687

The Art of the Personal Journal
There are many reasons to write—to gain personal insight, collect pieces of your story, process your way through difficult times, establish a meaningful practice, and reflect on the world around you. Get started (or restarted) as you learn the basics of journal keeping. Master story teller, Chava Bahle, guides your discovery of mining your experiences to develop “tellable” tales in written or spoken form. You’ll explore journal styles and work with prompts to get you started. Bring a notebook and writing tool.

4 Tues., Nov. 3-Dec. 1, 3-5 p.m.
(no class Nov. 17), University Center Rm. 213
Instructor: Chava Bahle
Cost: $75          Code: 5688

Shaping Your Narrative
Short story, memoir, chapter from a novel, creative non-fiction—learn strategies to strengthen the story you want to tell. Novelist and writing professor, Stephen Lewis, guides this workshop process for exploring your work from fresh perspectives. Become a more effective writer as you work to sharpen your language, combine narrative elements for best effect, and engage the reader. Bring a narrative you would like to work on to the first class. (This could be something you have just started or revision of a work in process.) The setting is a computer lab making it easy to project work, make changes, and save class-edited revisions and ideas. Not comfortable with computers? Low-tech options will be available.

5 Mon., Sept. 28-Oct. 26
6:30-8:30 p.m., University Center Rm. 103
Instructor: Stephen Lewis
Cost: $89          Code: 5686

Grammar Refresher
Is it I or me? Got or have? A comma goes where? If you find yourself rearranging sentences to avoid language traps or you know your language skills could use some sharpening, it’s time to build your confidence. Through discussion and exercises, you will revisit typical problem areas like subject/verb agreement, pronoun reference, and troublesome verb forms.

2 Mon., Nov. 2 & 9, 1-3 p.m.  
University Center Rm. 209
Instructor: Stephen Lewis
Cost: $45    Code: 5689

Self Publish a Children’s Book
You’ve got an idea for a children’s book or maybe you have it written. Now what? What does the self-publishing option look like? Self-published author of two successful children’s books and publisher of a previous downtown magazine, Sonja Richards, walks you through the process as you explore the pros and cons. You’ll look at timelines, costs, and marketing aspects as well as critical details like ISBN numbers, bar codes, and the Library of Congress process. Leave with a clearer answer to “what’s next?”

Mon., Nov. 2, 6-9 p.m.
University Center Rm. 215
Instructor: Sonja Richards
Cost: $45      Code: 5690

Apprentice Poetry Workshop
This joint offering with the Communications Area is a creative writing class, so the emphasis will be on writing new work, both in the classroom and on your own. We’ll also read great books, discuss the art and craft of poetry, and receive critical feedback on works-in-progress. This workshop provides a supportive and convivial atmosphere for both new and more experienced poets. By the end of the course you can look forward to a polished portfolio and a fuller comprehension of the genre. Required text available at the NMC Bookstore (995-1285).

15 Wed., Sept. 2-Dec. 16 
5:30-8:30 p.m., Scholars Hall Rm. 202
Instructor: Holly Spaulding
Cost: $242 (does not include text)
Code: 5552