“Fuel Your Writing Practice” Class Package

$196 for members

$436 for nonmembers

Fuel your writing practice with these four fantastic classes taught by some of your favorite instructors.

This is the perfect package for any writer looking for tools to keep their writing momentum going. From challenging writer’s block to pre-writing to getting to the end, writers will find themselves better equipped to take on any writing project after these four classes. Everyone who purchases the package will get the chance to meet their fellow cohort in three virtual meet-ups. 

Before purchasing, be sure to check the dates. As always, there are no refunds on classes.

Each class can be purchased individually by clicking on the class title.

Can’t make it to every class? No worries! All registrants will have access to the class recordings for the duration of the package, plus an additional month.

“Banish the Block! Moving Past Fear and Finding Inspiration in Your Writing” with Stacey Swann

Saturday, October 16, 2021, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CDT

Do you feel called to write, but find it almost impossible to sit and face the blank page? Do you spend far more time avoiding writing (or worse yet, beating yourself up for avoiding writing) than actually sitting down to work? This feeling goes by many names: writer’s block, resistance, self-doubt, and fear (or we may mislabel it, saying we are just too busy or are natural procrastinators). But no matter what we call it, using various readings and prompts, this class will help you dismantle your personal fears and destructive attitudes and get you writing!

Stacey Swann’s debut novel Olympus, Texas—published in 2021 by Doubleday, W&N (UK), and Bompiani (Italy)—was a Good Morning America Book Club pick, an Indie Next selection, and longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Swann holds an M.F.A. from Texas State University and was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. Her stories have appeared in Epoch, Memorious, Versal, and other journals, and she is a contributing editor of American Short Fiction.

“Write Before You Write: Outlining, Planning, and Plotting” with Jennifer Ziegler

Saturday, November 6, 2021, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CST

Do you ever start a manuscript and end up lost in your own story? Or perhaps you know what is supposed to happen but still find that your writing is blocked?

Before launching into writing that exciting new book idea, it’s important to take key first steps that will help prevent project-killing situations. If you tend to get overwhelmed by your own story, find yourself written into logistical corners, or get told that your book is too “thin” or has “unrelatable characters,” this is the class for you. This class will identify common problems, prescribe remedies, practice helpful exercises, and discuss how you can keep going until “The End.” Discover the pre-writing steps you should take depending on you and your project. Participants will walk away with a clearer idea of what kinds of writers they are and how they need to approach and prepare for new writing projects, plus tips and tricks they can use before launching into a writing project.

Jennifer Ziegler is the author of more than 25 books, including everything from stand-alone novels to series work to TV tie-ins, that range in genre from quirky comedy to action-adventure to dystopian. Her books have been featured on the Lone Star List and International Reading Association’s Young Adults Choice list, recommended on NPR’s “Tell Me More,” optioned for film, and adapted into stage musicals. She also had the honor of serving as The Writers’ League of Texas’s Program Director for several years. Jennifer is currently on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA WCYA program. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, author Chris Barton.

“What Your Character Wants: Uncovering the Driving Force of Your Novel” with Sherri L. Smith

Saturday, November 13, 2021, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CST

Starting a narrative is relatively easy: having an idea or writing a single page is enough. Finishing a novel, however, is different. Fear increases as we approach the end. When is it done? How long should it be? What must the ending accomplish? When does editing truly begin? How and when should I pitch it to agents? What if indie presses or self-publishing are a better fit? In this workshop, we discuss everything you need to do in order to finish your manuscript and get it out in the world.

Gabino Iglesias is a writer, journalist, professor, and book reviewer living in Austin, TX. He is the author of ZERO SAINTS and COYOTE SONGS and the editor of BOTH SIDES. His work has been nominated to the Bram Stoker and Locus awards and won the Wonderland Book Award for Best Novel in 2019. His nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. His fiction has been published in five languages, optioned for film, and praised by authors as diverse as Roxane Gay, David Joy, Jerry Stahl, and Meg Gardiner. His reviews appear regularly in places like NPR, Publishers Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, Criminal Element, Mystery Tribune, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and other venues. He’s been a juror for the Shirley Jackson Awards twice and has judged the PANK Big Book Contest, the Splatterpunk Awards, the horror category of the British Fantasy Awards, and the Newfound Prose Prize. He teaches creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University’s online MFA program, has offered writing workshops through institutions like On Stage Sacramento, the Writers’ League of Texas, Hub City Press, the las Vegas Writers Lounge, and others. He runs a series of low-cost online writing workshops. You can find him on Twitter at @Gabino_Iglesias.