This Event is for Members only.
Click here to learn more about benefits of membership
Can’t make it to the live class? No problem! All classes are recorded and made available to class registrants for one month.
Learn how to hook your readers from the very beginning.
Most editors of both magazines and presses will say that they read the first, last and middle page of a story before deciding if they want to read more. Potential readers are even less forgiving. So how do we snag our readers and make them want to read more?
In this class, we’ll look at examples of powerful first lines and pages, and discuss strategies for selecting a powerful first line and first pages. Feel free to bring the first line of your story or novel for a mini first-line “workshop.” We’ll also do exercises to evaluate our current first pages and how to decide if we’re starting our stories in the right place.
In addition, this class will include the option to send in your first page to be workshopped by the class. If you’d like to volunteer your first page, please email WLT Program Director Sam Babiak at sam@writersleague.org with your submission by Wednesday, May 3 at 5:00 PM CDT. It should be limited to one page (between 250-400 words), double spaced, and in Times New Roman 12pt font. Please note: not all submissions will be chosen.
TAKE THIS CLASS IF:
The deadline to register for this class is Wednesday, May 3 at 5:00 PM CT.
Meg Eden Kuyatt is a 2020 Pitch Wars mentee. Her work is published or forthcoming in magazines including Prairie Schooner, The Rumpus, Poetry Northwest, Crab Orchard Review, RHINO and CV2.
Meg received her MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland College Park. She teaches creative writing courses and has taught at a range of places, including Anne Arundel Community College, Southern New Hampshire University online, University of Maryland College Park, Eckleburg Workshops, and The Writer's Center in Bethesda since 2013. .
She is the author of five poetry chapbooks, the novel Post-High School Reality Quest (2017) the poetry collection Drowning in the Floating World (2020), and the forthcoming novel-in-verse Good Different (2023). She is also a participating author with the PEN/Faulkner Writers in Schools program.
Besides being a writer, Meg has worked as an advertising manager, creative writing instructor, eBay seller, research assistant in linguistics and neuroscience, and publishing and marketing contact for a small press. She is the webinar coordinator for the SCBWI MD/DE/WV region, and runs the Magfest MAGES Library blog, which posts accessible academic articles about video games.
Meg Eden is a follower of Christ, neurodivergent (autistic and anxiety disorder), an extroverted-introvert, and a complete nerd for all things Pokémon and Fire Emblem. She loves to hear about what people believe, what shows and games they love, and why. She lives with her husband and two cats.
Before purchasing, please read all policies as noted below and on our Classes page.
If your browser has difficulty with our website store, or if you prefer to mail in a check, click here for a class registration form. The document provides instructions on where to mail it. If you prefer this option, please email wlt@writersleague.org with a copy of the form as well to ensure we add you to the class roster as soon as possible.
Expecting to see the member price, but it’s not appearing?
Confirm you are logged into your account first and foremost. The member price will only appear when you are logged into your account and have an active membership on file. If you are having trouble accessing your account, please email member@writersleague.org and explain the situation.
Class & Event Registration Policy
Once a purchase has been made, registrations are not refundable and cannot be transferred to a different class or event. No exceptions will be made. If you purchase a registration and then find you cannot attend the class or event, someone else can attend in your stead. Simply contact us at wlt@writersleague.org and let us know the name and contact information for the person who will be using the registration so that we can update the class or event roster.
Credit Card Transaction Handling Fee Policy
All credit card transactions will incur a 4% handling fee. If you’d prefer to pay by check for membership, a class, or an event, you can use the provided forms on the membership or event pages and mail to: WLT, P.O. Box 14355, Austin, TX, 78704.
HOW WLT CLASSES WORK:
Our classes offer a combination of lecture and practical exercises, determined by the individual instructor, on focused aspects of the craft and business of writing. Your fellow participants will come from a range of writing experience, from beginners to people with MFA degrees and published books. WLT instructors, participants, and administrators all work together to create a welcoming, supportive environment.
If you haven’t taken a class with us in recent years, feel free to email the WLT staff at wlt@writersleague.org if you’d like to discuss whether our programming is the right fit for your needs.
HOW ONLINE CLASSES WORK:
Once you register for the class, you’ll receive an email with detailed instructions no later than 48 hours before the class date. You should expect 2-2.5 hours of direct teaching and 30 minutes of Q&A (for three hours total). If you need to leave the class early or can’t attend the class on that date, all registrants will have access to the recording for one month after the class date. No microphone or camera required, just an Internet connection capable of streaming video. All online classes are hosted on Zoom. To learn more about how Zoom works, click HERE.
Plan to log in to the online platform an hour before the class so that you can update your software or any other settings required to access the platform. (Updates usually only take a few minutes, but you don’t want to wait until the beginning of class.) Questions? Email us at wlt@writersleague.org.
This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.
Writers’ League of Texas classes and workshops are also funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts – Investing in a Creative Texas. For more information, go to www.arts.texas.gov.
This project is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
This project is supported in part by the Mid-America Arts Alliance. For more information, go to www.maaa.org.
