The pen may be mightier than the sword, but at this Saturday’s “Be the Writer” workshop in Staunton, local entrepreneurs are the driving force behind a local writing workshop.
Award-winning author Heather Hummel (Gracefully and Through Hazel Eyes) and author/editor Tanya Brockett (The Loan Solution: Nine Steps to Community Express) will bring their knowledge and advice to a classroom setting to motivate aspiring writers. In addition to the expertise they bring as writers and editors in their own right, their entrepreneurial spirit and local connections have helped transform the workshop from merely a class to a hands-on and community-based experience.
In addition to her writing and editing background, Tanya is also the Director of Operations for the Staunton Creative Community Fund (SCCF), a nonprofit in Staunton dedicated to helping small businesses start and expand through training, consulting, and direct funding. Several of its clients are aspiring writers. The workshop will be hosted at Energy Restructure, a downtown Staunton business located at 219 W Beverley Street, and a client of SCCF. Likewise, supplies for the class will be available at Bookworks, located at 101 W Beverley Street in downtown Staunton, and a recipient of one of SCCF’s first small business loans.
“I am so excited to see local businesses coming together to support this great class,” says Tanya Brockett. “Many writers rely upon their local experiences, their community, and other writers as a source of inspiration. The collaborative spirit of the Staunton community makes it the perfect setting for creativity.”
The workshop will be run in two sessions. The first, three-hour session will address the many aspects of writing, including the business of writing, publishing, and the creative writing phase. The second session will be a peer-based, hands-on critique workshop where local writers can share ideas and learn from each other. Details for each class are listed in full below.
Saturday, July 18: Be the Writer
Location:
Energy Restructure, located at 219 W Beverley Street Time:
9:00 am – 12:00 pm Topics:
The First Hour: So you want to be a writer?
1. Writing: The business side
2. Deciding on your genres
3. Finding places to publish your work and making money as a writer
4. Building your platform (What is a platform? Come to the workshop and find out!)
5. Breaking through “Writer’s Block” (and why Heather doesn’t believe in it)
6. Finding your creative writing place
The Second Hour: Traditional versus Self Publishing
1. Deciding which route is best for your work/situation (the answers may surprise you)
2. Self Publishing: Shifting the Paradigm of self publishing
3. Traditional Publishing: Secrets to writing a great book proposal or query letter
4. Finding an Agent: Why there is a 96% rejection rate and how you can beat the odds
The Third Hour: Writing Workshop Etiquette—What Your Mother Didn’t Teach You
1. Choosing what to submit to a workshop
2. Be constructive, not destructive, when giving feedback to other writers
3. Be receptive to feedback from other writers
4. Prepare for SESSION TWO workshop
Aug. 1: Workshop Critique
Location:
Energy Restructure, located at 219 W Beverley Street Time:
9:00 am – 11:00 am Topics:
Each participant will receive a Be the Writer handout and an evaluation (including edits, comments, and feedback) of a selection of his/her work from Heather Hummel and Tanya Brockett.
Pre-registration is encouraged by Friday, July 17 (limited seating for walk-ins). A registration form is available at www.heatherhummel.net or by calling 434.466.4338. Forms are also available at the SCCF office.
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Chris Graham
