Join accomplished, professional writers as they explore their creative world and give you tips on how to be a better writer. These experts will work with you in a very positive, supportive environment designed to stoke your creativity.

This one-day workshop will help you clarify your thoughts and help you put them on paper. Workshops include poetry, essays, playwriting, and short stories as well as on how to get your work published. Most of the presenters are faculty at Middlesex County College and published authors.

FEES

General Public $75 in advance; $80 at the door
$35 students - for promotional code please contact Linda Friedman at LFriedman@middlesexcc.edu or 732-906-4250.
Special rate: teachers who recruit 5 students are invited to attend free. Call 732-906-4250 for details.

SCHEDULE

8:30-9 a.m.
Coffee

Session I - 9:00 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.
The Memoir, Shirley Wachtel. Not an autobiography, the memoir is a distinct and wonderful genre.

Blogging, Chandra Hayslett. This workshop will focus on who should be blogging, sample topics, advertising your blog and making money off it. You will leave the class with your first blog post.

E-Prime, Dan Zimmerman. ‪ E-Prime is a writing process that excludes all forms of the verb to be. This simple, direct method can help clarify thinking and strengthen writing. You already often do it, pretty much without thinking. Find out how to turn your instinct into an instrument!

Creative Writing Workshop, Emanuel di Pasquale & Hank Kalet. Bring your essays, short stories and poems in for a critique. What is working? What isn’t? Constructive criticism will make you a better writer and poet.
 

Session II - 10:30 - 11:50 a.m.
Blogging, Chandra Hayslett. This workshop will focus on who should be blogging, sample topics, advertising your blog and making money off it. You will leave the class with your first blog post.

How to Write Children's Books, Frank Finale. Learn the art of children’s literature from this published children’s author.

Marketing Your Books and Magazine Articles, Shirley Wachtel. Have an idea in mind but not sure how to get it published? This is the workshop for you.

Dream Journal, Mat Spano. Every night, we plunge beneath the surface into a world of mermaids and sea serpents, leviathans and angel fish – the world of dreams. In this workshop, we will learn techniques for recalling, recording, interpreting and realizing dreams by using the most effective dream-catcher of all—the dream journal, plus its practical uses and applications—from therapeutic effects to its use in creative projects.

11:50 a.m.-1:05 p.m.
Lunch (provided)

The New World of Words, Lunchtime Panel. Enjoy a discussion with representatives from new media: Patch.com, NJSpotlight, and others.

Session III - 1:15p.m. - 2:35 p.m.
Journalism in the Digital Age, Hank Kalet. Newspapers are less powerful than they used to be, but journalism is as important as ever – maybe more so. What tools do you need to be a digital journalist in this new age?

Let’s Talk About Writing, Steven Barnhart. Bring your poems, essays, short stories and let Dr. Barnhart work with you, with a critical – yet constructive and encouraging – eye.

Writing for the Stage and Screen, Ben Marshall. Have an idea for a play or movie? This workshop will help you hone it into a script. Just curious about the process? That’s OK too.

Teaching Creative Writing to Children, Melissa Edwards. It’s not the same as teaching creative writing to adults. Let kids’ imaginations soar and help them get their thoughts on paper.

Session IV - 2:45 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.
E-Prime, Dan Zimmerman. ‪ E-Prime is a writing process that excludes all forms of the verb to be. This simple, direct method can help clarify thinking and strengthen writing. You already often do it, pretty much without thinking. Find out how to turn your instinct into an instrument!

Teaching the Research Paper, Melissa Edwards. Aimed at teachers, this workshop will show you how to teach the writing of scholarly and research papers.

Revising and Perfecting the Manuscript, Glenn Schiltz. Reading your work with a critical eye is often the most important part of the writing process. This workshop will give you the tools to do that.

How to Write Children's Books, Frank Finale. Learn the art of children’s literature from this published children’s author.

4:30-5 p.m.
Essay/Spoken Word Contest ($100 prize. Must register in advance.)