RBWG Classes Autumn, 2019
Because we are committed to keeping our classes small and because we can only continue to do this if participants commit to and pay for all classes, we ask that you pay for the full class amount up front. If you are interested in a class and cannot pay for it up front, just send Maribeth an email and we’ll work out a payment plan. As always, we are open to suggestions about classes you’d like to see offered. Please send suggestions to Maribeth at fischer.maribeth@gmail.com. To register and pay:
Click here for scholarship information. |
Weekly Calendar
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The Writer's Tool Box
Sign up for one session or take them all.
You pay only for the specific session(s) you want.
WHEN: Sat 10 a.m-12:30 p.m. (date for each class below)
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: $55 per session for RBWG members, $65 for non-members
You pay only for the specific session(s) you want.
WHEN: Sat 10 a.m-12:30 p.m. (date for each class below)
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: $55 per session for RBWG members, $65 for non-members
SESSION 1: Free Yourself from Your Self: Experimenting with Persona Poems -- Katherine Gekker
WHEN: Sep 28
Deadline to Sign up: Sep 10
What if you wrote from someone else’s perspective? In this introduction to persona poems, we will explore how speaking with voices other than our own can yield original, powerful writing that, paradoxically, helps our poetry become even more authentic. Prompts and exercises will facilitate our experiments with writing as historical figures, mythological creatures, relatives, animals, or inanimate objects in order to approach subjects in new ways. We’ll learn from other poets’ persona poems as well as from each other. And we’ll have fun doing it!
SESSION 2: Microediting: Finding the Perfect Words -- Sarah Barnett
WHEN: Oct 5
Deadline to Sign up: Sep 10
You're pleased with the story/essay/poem you've just written, but what would make it better? It could be a matter of identifying specific words that may be adequate, but aren't working as hard as they should and finding the stronger, better word. In this class, we'll practice strengthening our writing by substituting more colorful verbs and nouns for lackluster ones and eliminating unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. Participants will bring 2 pages, preferably from the beginning of a recent piece of writing they wish to work on and improve.
SESSION 3: Writing Nonfiction Picture Books -- Michelle Meadows
WHEN: Oct 12
Deadline to Sign up: Sep 20
RBWG member Michelle Meadows will lead a class on writing nonfiction children's books—with a focus on picture books for children ages 4-8. Michelle will discuss a variety of nonfiction approaches and the process for submitting your work to agents and publishers. Participants will deepen their understanding of narrative and expository nonfiction.
Michelle studied journalism and literature at Syracuse University. She is the author of several picture books, including two picture book biographies with Henry Holt/Macmillan: Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins and the forthcoming Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles.
SESSION 4: Poem Sketching — Ellen Collins
WHEN: Oct 21
Deadline to Sign up: Oct. 3
Artists make sketches before they paint, exploring shape and texture and object placement. These are the raw materials of the eventually more complete work. Writers, too, make sketches, not with visual images but by combining and recombining words until they begin to “feel” like poems. In this class, we will experiment with “poem-sketching,” a stress-free approach to writing poetry that taps into our creativity and rescues us from the dilemma of “I don’t know where to start!” It is ideal for the seasoned writer, the writer who feels stuck, and the writer who thinks poetry is beyond her reach.
Fiction
Fiction Workshop -- Maribeth Fischer (7 sessions)
WHEN: Tue 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sep 17, 24, Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG Members $315 Non-members $400
Deadline to Sign up: Sep 1
This is a class for those who are working on a novel or a collection of linked stories and want the discipline of a writers group but also the encouragement and constructive critiques that will develop both character and plot (which often makes it easier to figure out what to write next). Whether you are ten pages into the novel/collection or 100, each week we’ll discuss your writing and offer suggestions to enhance the fictional world, making it and the characters both more believable and compelling. In addition, each week, participants will be challenged to hone a specific issue in their writing (for instance, the use of unique gesture and action or a focus on the characters’ emotions), but for the most part, the goal will be to simply move the story forward. In addition to the in-class critiques, writers will be invited to give Maribeth 1500 words of their writing each week for further comments. Twice during the class, we will look at and discuss fiction by expert writers.
WHEN: Tue 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sep 17, 24, Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG Members $315 Non-members $400
Deadline to Sign up: Sep 1
This is a class for those who are working on a novel or a collection of linked stories and want the discipline of a writers group but also the encouragement and constructive critiques that will develop both character and plot (which often makes it easier to figure out what to write next). Whether you are ten pages into the novel/collection or 100, each week we’ll discuss your writing and offer suggestions to enhance the fictional world, making it and the characters both more believable and compelling. In addition, each week, participants will be challenged to hone a specific issue in their writing (for instance, the use of unique gesture and action or a focus on the characters’ emotions), but for the most part, the goal will be to simply move the story forward. In addition to the in-class critiques, writers will be invited to give Maribeth 1500 words of their writing each week for further comments. Twice during the class, we will look at and discuss fiction by expert writers.
Mixed Genre
The Language of Food: A Taste of Food Writing -- Sarah Barnett (3 sessions)
WHEN: Wed 3–5 p.m. Oct 2, 16, 23 (No class Oct 9)
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG members $135; non-RBWG members $150
Deadline to Sign up: Sep 15
"First we eat, then we do everything else." — M.F.K. Fisher
Whether it's a memorable Thanksgiving or that fruitcake we love to hate, everyone has feelings, memories, stories associated with food. In this three week class we'll examine some excellent food writing found in poems, novels, stories and essays and experiment with exercises to whet our appetites for writing a longer piece. The goal is for participants to write a food-centered memoir or poem, or to create a memorable food/eating scene to incorporate into a longer story/novel/essay.
Margaret, Are You Grieving? -- Gail Comorat (2 Sessions)
WHEN: Fri 10 a.m—Noon Nov 1, 8
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG members $90 non-RBWG members $100
Deadline to Sign up: Oct 15
Margaret, are you grieving
Over Goldengrove unleaving?
—Gerard Manley Hopkins
Whether you are grieving the coming of winter or the aging process (both addressed in the Hopkins poem), we are all grieving over something. Perhaps you’ve recently lost a family member or close friend, and as a writer, you’re struggling with how to find the words to write about loss and what it means to lose. This is a 2-day class for both poets and prose writers. For the first session, we’ll spend time reading essays and poems about personal loss and work on writing from prompts. We will discuss how metaphor and third person might work to aid us in writing about grief, how writing a list can help take off some of the weight we carry with a loss, and also how to avoid sentimentality. After the first class, we’ll break for a week to work on a chosen piece and return to discuss the writing process and the “piece in progress.”
Experiments in Creative Writing III -- Maribeth Fischer (8 sessions)
WHEN: Fri 3-5 p.m. Sep 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG Members $360; non RBWG $400
Deadline to Sign up: Sep 1
In our zeal to set up narratives with momentum, in our urgency to get to the point, I worry that we might be sanding off the
edges of our stories, filtering out a certain kind of delicacy or complexity, using our GPS to calculate the most expedient
route and preemptively rejecting certain kinds of narrative trajectories as too ambitious, too dangerous, too ridiculous, too
bonkers to attempt. What remains to be said? We won’t learn the answer unless we risk flailing, playing the serious game of
experimentation.
—Karen Russell, Associated Writing Program Keynote Address 2015
You know you want to write something… but you aren’t really sure what. You might not even have a specific subject in mind. Still… you long to write something…
In this course, we will experiment with various creative structures and techniques—a different one each week—any one of which could be the jumping off point into a more polished piece of writing. Examples of things we will explore: an “I remember” story/essay; an essay or story made up entirely of various beginnings (to the essay or story); a story or essay written as a quiz, another written as a series of short letters or “postcards;” and more. Along the way, we’ll study examples of writing that use these structures. Participants will be invited to complete a short assignment each week and will receive personalized feedback from Maribeth.
*Participants should be comfortable with the workshop method—giving and receiving constructive critiques.
WHEN: Wed 3–5 p.m. Oct 2, 16, 23 (No class Oct 9)
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG members $135; non-RBWG members $150
Deadline to Sign up: Sep 15
"First we eat, then we do everything else." — M.F.K. Fisher
Whether it's a memorable Thanksgiving or that fruitcake we love to hate, everyone has feelings, memories, stories associated with food. In this three week class we'll examine some excellent food writing found in poems, novels, stories and essays and experiment with exercises to whet our appetites for writing a longer piece. The goal is for participants to write a food-centered memoir or poem, or to create a memorable food/eating scene to incorporate into a longer story/novel/essay.
Margaret, Are You Grieving? -- Gail Comorat (2 Sessions)
WHEN: Fri 10 a.m—Noon Nov 1, 8
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG members $90 non-RBWG members $100
Deadline to Sign up: Oct 15
Margaret, are you grieving
Over Goldengrove unleaving?
—Gerard Manley Hopkins
Whether you are grieving the coming of winter or the aging process (both addressed in the Hopkins poem), we are all grieving over something. Perhaps you’ve recently lost a family member or close friend, and as a writer, you’re struggling with how to find the words to write about loss and what it means to lose. This is a 2-day class for both poets and prose writers. For the first session, we’ll spend time reading essays and poems about personal loss and work on writing from prompts. We will discuss how metaphor and third person might work to aid us in writing about grief, how writing a list can help take off some of the weight we carry with a loss, and also how to avoid sentimentality. After the first class, we’ll break for a week to work on a chosen piece and return to discuss the writing process and the “piece in progress.”
Experiments in Creative Writing III -- Maribeth Fischer (8 sessions)
WHEN: Fri 3-5 p.m. Sep 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG Members $360; non RBWG $400
Deadline to Sign up: Sep 1
In our zeal to set up narratives with momentum, in our urgency to get to the point, I worry that we might be sanding off the
edges of our stories, filtering out a certain kind of delicacy or complexity, using our GPS to calculate the most expedient
route and preemptively rejecting certain kinds of narrative trajectories as too ambitious, too dangerous, too ridiculous, too
bonkers to attempt. What remains to be said? We won’t learn the answer unless we risk flailing, playing the serious game of
experimentation.
—Karen Russell, Associated Writing Program Keynote Address 2015
You know you want to write something… but you aren’t really sure what. You might not even have a specific subject in mind. Still… you long to write something…
In this course, we will experiment with various creative structures and techniques—a different one each week—any one of which could be the jumping off point into a more polished piece of writing. Examples of things we will explore: an “I remember” story/essay; an essay or story made up entirely of various beginnings (to the essay or story); a story or essay written as a quiz, another written as a series of short letters or “postcards;” and more. Along the way, we’ll study examples of writing that use these structures. Participants will be invited to complete a short assignment each week and will receive personalized feedback from Maribeth.
*Participants should be comfortable with the workshop method—giving and receiving constructive critiques.
Nonfiction
Writing the Ordinary -- Maribeth Fischer (8 sessions)
WHEN: Mon 3-5 p.m. Sep 16, 23, 30 Oct 7, 14, 21, 28 Nov 4
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG Members $360; Non-members $400
Deadline to Sign up: Sep 1
The world is grim right now. Problems are dire. It’s rotten, catastrophic. But also filled with wonders, joys, amazing places and
things, heroic behaviors. Pratfuls and ridiculosity….
—David Quamman, Creative Nonfiction, Spring 2017
Often people take memoir classes because they have specific stories they want to tell—about a significant person or an event, about something that happened to them. In this class, however, participants will search for topics to write about in the ordinary, in the everyday. We will write about the small moments, about the things we love to do—biking, shopping in thrift stores, doing yoga, reading. We’ll look at the use of journals, which Anthony Doerr said should be “a love letter to the world,” and look at the literary journal River Teeth’s “Beautiful Things” column. We’ll try to capture “A day in a life,” and be inspired by the collecting of data about ordinary things—tracking in a given week the number and variety of “thank you’s” that we’ve encountered, or examples of kindness. The goal will be to hone our writing skills by writing what we know well. Each week we’ll have a different reading and exercise that forces us to study the ordinary and write about it, while meeting the challenge of how to make compelling essays out of everyday topics.
Let Me Tell You a Story -- Judy Catterton (5 sessions)
WHEN: Tue, 10 a.m.-Noon Sep 17, 24, Oct 1, 8, 15
WHERE: Kings Creek, Rehoboth (Judy’s home)
COST: RBWG members $ 225; non-RBWG members $250
Deadline to Sign up: Sep7
“Let me tell you a true story. “ How many times have you said that? And, don’t we all have stories to tell of our experiences, our jobs, our families—our lives? This class will focus on how to tell those stories: tell them straight, tell them slant, write about entire chapters of your life or only a single episode. Tell these stories so others will see you and maybe see themselves as well. There are numerous ways to craft a true story: as a straightforward memoir, detailing key aspects of your life; as a series of vignettes on a related topic; as a stand-alone essay that is steeped in research. However you want to tell your true stories, this class will help you explore and experiment with different options. For writers who are just getting started as well as those who have been writing for some time.
Magazine Writing: Where Reporting, Poetry, and Fiction Meet -- Bill Newcott (4 sessions)
WHEN: Wed 10 a.m.-Noon Oct 9, 16, 23, 30
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG members $180; non-RBWG members $200
Deadline to Sign up: September 24
In a world where media outlets feel entitled to free written content, print magazines remain one of the few places that endow any amount of remunerative value on the work of the writer. And while the number of print outlets continues to dwindle and the amounts they can afford to pay drop accordingly, there remains demand for good, solid magazine content. On the other hand, as their editorial staffs shrink — especially in the copy editing and research departments — magazines insist more than ever that their writers submit stories that are essentially ready to go on the first draft. In this four-session class, we’ll explore some basic skills any magazine writer needs to master, including:
How to decide where to pitch articles
Where to find story ideas
How to find the “voice” of a magazine
Reverse engineering a good magazine article
Repurposing used articles
How to write a proposal that shows you can deliver
In the first class, participants will identify a magazine they want to write for. By the end of the final session, they will have completed a story pitch that is ready for submission.
Bill Newcott, an award-winning freelance magazine writer for magazines including The Saturday Evening Post and Delaware Beach Life, is a former editor/writer at National Geographic Magazine, AARP the Magazine, and The National Enquirer.
Travel Writing: Capturing The Essence of Place -- Bill Newcott (4 sessions)
WHEN: Thu 10 a.m.-Noon Oct 10, 17, 24, 31
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG members $180; non-RBWG members $200
Deadline to Sign up: September 24
There’s a big difference between keeping a personal travel journal and creating a travel piece for publication. In this class, we’ll explore the techniques successful travel writers use to not only describe their on-the-road experiences, but also draw their readers in as virtual companions along the way. Class participants will start out identifying travel experiences they’d like to write about, then through class discussion and examination of published examples we’ll develop those singular concepts into fully realized articles, seeking out the intimate details, memorable people, and little-known histories that make good travel writing come alive.
Bill Newcott is former Expeditions Editor at National Geographic Magazine and Travel Editor for AARP The Magazine.
WHEN: Mon 3-5 p.m. Sep 16, 23, 30 Oct 7, 14, 21, 28 Nov 4
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG Members $360; Non-members $400
Deadline to Sign up: Sep 1
The world is grim right now. Problems are dire. It’s rotten, catastrophic. But also filled with wonders, joys, amazing places and
things, heroic behaviors. Pratfuls and ridiculosity….
—David Quamman, Creative Nonfiction, Spring 2017
Often people take memoir classes because they have specific stories they want to tell—about a significant person or an event, about something that happened to them. In this class, however, participants will search for topics to write about in the ordinary, in the everyday. We will write about the small moments, about the things we love to do—biking, shopping in thrift stores, doing yoga, reading. We’ll look at the use of journals, which Anthony Doerr said should be “a love letter to the world,” and look at the literary journal River Teeth’s “Beautiful Things” column. We’ll try to capture “A day in a life,” and be inspired by the collecting of data about ordinary things—tracking in a given week the number and variety of “thank you’s” that we’ve encountered, or examples of kindness. The goal will be to hone our writing skills by writing what we know well. Each week we’ll have a different reading and exercise that forces us to study the ordinary and write about it, while meeting the challenge of how to make compelling essays out of everyday topics.
Let Me Tell You a Story -- Judy Catterton (5 sessions)
WHEN: Tue, 10 a.m.-Noon Sep 17, 24, Oct 1, 8, 15
WHERE: Kings Creek, Rehoboth (Judy’s home)
COST: RBWG members $ 225; non-RBWG members $250
Deadline to Sign up: Sep7
“Let me tell you a true story. “ How many times have you said that? And, don’t we all have stories to tell of our experiences, our jobs, our families—our lives? This class will focus on how to tell those stories: tell them straight, tell them slant, write about entire chapters of your life or only a single episode. Tell these stories so others will see you and maybe see themselves as well. There are numerous ways to craft a true story: as a straightforward memoir, detailing key aspects of your life; as a series of vignettes on a related topic; as a stand-alone essay that is steeped in research. However you want to tell your true stories, this class will help you explore and experiment with different options. For writers who are just getting started as well as those who have been writing for some time.
Magazine Writing: Where Reporting, Poetry, and Fiction Meet -- Bill Newcott (4 sessions)
WHEN: Wed 10 a.m.-Noon Oct 9, 16, 23, 30
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG members $180; non-RBWG members $200
Deadline to Sign up: September 24
In a world where media outlets feel entitled to free written content, print magazines remain one of the few places that endow any amount of remunerative value on the work of the writer. And while the number of print outlets continues to dwindle and the amounts they can afford to pay drop accordingly, there remains demand for good, solid magazine content. On the other hand, as their editorial staffs shrink — especially in the copy editing and research departments — magazines insist more than ever that their writers submit stories that are essentially ready to go on the first draft. In this four-session class, we’ll explore some basic skills any magazine writer needs to master, including:
How to decide where to pitch articles
Where to find story ideas
How to find the “voice” of a magazine
Reverse engineering a good magazine article
Repurposing used articles
How to write a proposal that shows you can deliver
In the first class, participants will identify a magazine they want to write for. By the end of the final session, they will have completed a story pitch that is ready for submission.
Bill Newcott, an award-winning freelance magazine writer for magazines including The Saturday Evening Post and Delaware Beach Life, is a former editor/writer at National Geographic Magazine, AARP the Magazine, and The National Enquirer.
Travel Writing: Capturing The Essence of Place -- Bill Newcott (4 sessions)
WHEN: Thu 10 a.m.-Noon Oct 10, 17, 24, 31
WHERE: Lutheran Church of Our Savior (behind Big Fish Grill), Rehoboth
COST: RBWG members $180; non-RBWG members $200
Deadline to Sign up: September 24
There’s a big difference between keeping a personal travel journal and creating a travel piece for publication. In this class, we’ll explore the techniques successful travel writers use to not only describe their on-the-road experiences, but also draw their readers in as virtual companions along the way. Class participants will start out identifying travel experiences they’d like to write about, then through class discussion and examination of published examples we’ll develop those singular concepts into fully realized articles, seeking out the intimate details, memorable people, and little-known histories that make good travel writing come alive.
Bill Newcott is former Expeditions Editor at National Geographic Magazine and Travel Editor for AARP The Magazine.
Online/Poetry
The Magic of the Ordinary (Online) ~ Gail Comorat (4 Sessions)
WHEN: Tuesdays Oct 1, 8, 15, 22
COST: RBWG members $ 180; non-RBWG members $200
Poems come out of wonder, not out of knowing--Lucille Clifton
Dean Young says that we should never begin a poem with an idea or what we think we might want to say. But isn’t that how we most often begin—with an idea or a memory? What if we put that kind of poem aside? What if we instead become poets of observation and begin with writing down images? Mary Oliver said she never took a walk without a notepad and pen. In this online class, you’ll be assigned to write not what you know, but about what you see: a four year old’s wonder over a dead worm, an elderly man tossing bread to fish in a pond. We’ll become cameras first, collect pictures of people and places intentionally studied. We’ll let those observations lead us into the poems. This is a class for anyone who feels stuck, a way to walk away from what you know and into a world of seeing the everyday magic of the ordinary.
A Crash Course in Japanese Verse (Online)— Gail Comorat (4 Sessions)
WHEN: Tue Oct 29, Nov 5, 12, 19
COST: RBWG members $180; non-RBWG members $200
The primary purpose of reading and writing haiku is sharing moments of our lives that have moved us, pieces of
experience and perception that we offer or receive as gifts. At the deepest level, this is one of the great purposes of all art,
and especially of literature.
—William J. Higginson
This is a class for both prose and poetry writers. Japanese verse is a great starting place for every writer because it employs tight, vivid language. Many of us are familiar with haiku, but there are other types of Japanese poetry. For example, haibun employs beautiful prose combined with haiku, the two pieces working together in a way to heighten the reader’s emotional experience. In this four week class we’ll read and write haiku, haibun, renku, senryu and tanka poems, and work from prompts to write our own. I’ll provide you with a list of journals that feature these forms of poetry, and we’ll talk about what editors are looking for and how to submit to them.
WHEN: Tuesdays Oct 1, 8, 15, 22
COST: RBWG members $ 180; non-RBWG members $200
Poems come out of wonder, not out of knowing--Lucille Clifton
Dean Young says that we should never begin a poem with an idea or what we think we might want to say. But isn’t that how we most often begin—with an idea or a memory? What if we put that kind of poem aside? What if we instead become poets of observation and begin with writing down images? Mary Oliver said she never took a walk without a notepad and pen. In this online class, you’ll be assigned to write not what you know, but about what you see: a four year old’s wonder over a dead worm, an elderly man tossing bread to fish in a pond. We’ll become cameras first, collect pictures of people and places intentionally studied. We’ll let those observations lead us into the poems. This is a class for anyone who feels stuck, a way to walk away from what you know and into a world of seeing the everyday magic of the ordinary.
A Crash Course in Japanese Verse (Online)— Gail Comorat (4 Sessions)
WHEN: Tue Oct 29, Nov 5, 12, 19
COST: RBWG members $180; non-RBWG members $200
The primary purpose of reading and writing haiku is sharing moments of our lives that have moved us, pieces of
experience and perception that we offer or receive as gifts. At the deepest level, this is one of the great purposes of all art,
and especially of literature.
—William J. Higginson
This is a class for both prose and poetry writers. Japanese verse is a great starting place for every writer because it employs tight, vivid language. Many of us are familiar with haiku, but there are other types of Japanese poetry. For example, haibun employs beautiful prose combined with haiku, the two pieces working together in a way to heighten the reader’s emotional experience. In this four week class we’ll read and write haiku, haibun, renku, senryu and tanka poems, and work from prompts to write our own. I’ll provide you with a list of journals that feature these forms of poetry, and we’ll talk about what editors are looking for and how to submit to them.
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