The

Writers'

Workshoppe

820 Water Street

Port Townsend, Washington

1-360-379-2617

Hours: Wed - Mon 11am - 5 pm, closed Tuesday

820 Water Street
Port Townsend , WA 98368
ph: 360-379-2617
alt: 206-697-9661
annaquinn(at)writersworkshoppe(dot)com

workshop schedule

To register simply click on 'contact us' and send us an email regarding the workshop you would like to attend. Anna will get back to you to complete your registration.

“The act of writing is a way to possess your own life.” - Cassil

We welcome anyone who desires to express themselves through the written word, no matter how much or how little experience they may have.

Most workshops are limited to six students, so sign up early.

Workshops held
Wednesdays through Sundays
Wednesdays

Creative Exercises w/Anna Quinn,
May 19 - Jun 23, 1:00-2:00, 6 weeks, $60

“Is it not of the imagination that the sharpest pleasures arise?” DeSade

Writing exercises have long been a part of elevating the art of writing for new and established writers. Just as every singer, dancer, visual artist, must constantly practice, so too must the writer. Come lose yourself in the magic of creating and tap into the energy that keeps your writing alive.

Works-In-Progress w/Anna Quinn,
May 19 - Jul 21, 3:00-4:00 9 weeks, $90
May 19 - Jul 21, 5:45-6:45 9 weeks, $90
“You are in the midst of a moving process. Nothing fails then. All goes on. Work is done. If good, you learn from it. If bad, you learn even more.” – Ray Bradbury
Whether you are on the first sentence or the last sentence of a novel, a short story, memoir, or magazine article, this workshop will take your writing to the next level. Maybe you wonder if your characters breathe? Or if your flashbacks work? Should you switch to third person? Is your imagery vivid enough? Perhaps you even wonder if you are wasting your time. Each week you will bring a 300 word piece for the group to review. Worshop participants can help answer your questions and build your confidence. You will have supportive companions who understand the writing process.

Technical Article Writing for the Business Press w/ Terry Persun, May 12, 7:00-8:30 pm, $15

The money is where the technology is. We can see that when looking at companies like Microsoft, and hot products like the iPod. So, how do you write for the business press, who do you talk to, how do you get published. We’ll cover the ins and outs of working with business-to-business magazines.
Marketing Your Books, Articles, and You w/Terry Person
July 14 7:00-8:30 $15
Marketing is a major part of getting your material out to the world. There are some basic things to understand about marketing, including when to start and how much time and money to spend. Although this is an individual decision, we’ll discuss some general guidelines and come up with suggestions on how to continue marketing older materials.
Thursdays

Hesitant Writer w/Anna Quinn, June 3 - July 22, 12:00-1:00, 7 weeks, $70

“Do you have the courage to bring forth this work?” –Jack Gilbert

The treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say “yes.” Maybe you only wish you could write, or perhaps you’ve been writing great stories in your mind, but just can’t seem to get them on paper. Maybe your friends say you write great letters and you should “do something with that talent.” Whatever your reason, through a series of imaginative writing exercises, this no-pressure workshop will help you build your confidence and discover the inexhaustible wealth of creativity within you.

Works-In-Progress w/Anna Quinn, May 20 - Jul 22, 2:00-3:00, 9 weeks, $90
“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.” - Elmore Leonard
Whether you are on the first sentence or the last sentence of a novel, a short story, memoir, or magazine article, this workshop will take your writing to the next level. Maybe you wonder if your characters breathe? Or if your flashbacks work? Should you switch to third person? Is your imagery vivid enough? Perhaps you even wonder if you are wasting your time. Each week you will bring a 300 word piece for the group to review. Worshop participants can help answer your questions and build your confidence. You will have supportive companions who understand the writing process.

Works-In-Progress w/Kathie Meyer
May 20 – Jul 22, 6:30-7:30 - 9 wks, $90
See Works-In-Progress description above.
Fridays

Works-In-Progress w/Anna Quinn, May 21 – Jul 23, 12:00-1:00, 9 wks, $90
Whether you are on the first sentence or the last sentence of a novel, a short story, memoir, or magazine article, this workshop will take your writing to the next level. Maybe you wonder if your characters breathe? Or if your flashbacks work? Should you switch to third person? Is your imagery vivid enough? Perhaps you even wonder if you are wasting your time. Each week you will bring a 300 word piece for the group to review. Worshop participants can help answer your questions and build your confidence. You will have supportive companions who understand the writing process.
Saturdays

Memoir-In-Progress w/Anna Quinn, May 22 – Jul 24, 11:00-12:00  9 wks, $126
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection.” Anais Nin

To make readers care, your memoir must be told with the finesse of fiction. Whether you are on the first sentence or the last sentence of your memoir, you will learn to apply such craft elements as character, plot, description, dialogue, setting, pacing, and theme. This workshop is devoted almost exclusively to the reading, critiquing, and discussion of participant work. Work towards completion of your memoir in a supportive, challenging environment.

Poetry-In-Progress w/Peter Quinn, May 22 – July 24, 1:00-2:00  9 wks, $90
“Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words.” Poe

Poetry is a very personal art form; at its best it flows freely from the heart and soul of the poet. Poetry has stylistic conventions and rhythmic patterns that once understood can enhance the emotional content of your verse with design and structure. In this workshop, you will have the support of fellow poets encouraging your individual poetic “voice” and perhaps write something stronger and truer than ever before.
Plotting Your Novel In Two Days w/ Mary Buckham, Sep 11 and Sep 12, 9-5, $250
Have you hit the point where you’re stuck in your story?

Do you need to find a more efficient way to create strong stories in a timely manner? Do you want to write a bigger, more complex, character-driven story?
Do you need a simple way to find plot holes? Would you like lots of one-on-one time over a two-day period with a multi-published author/writing craft instructor to make sure your plot is as strong as possible?

Author Mary Buckham is a national speaker who teamed up to create the highly successful Break Into Fiction® Template Teaching Series, which is now out in a book, Break Into Fiction: 11 steps to Building a Story that Sells. Join Mary as she shows you how to plot a strong story in two-days that will hum with potential.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Jon Franklin, who participated in a two-day Plotting Retreat with Mary, wrote a cover comment for their new book: “These writers know their business and, what¹s more, know how to explain it. Break into Fiction® is solidly grounded in storytelling fundamentals, but then goes much farther into the practical detail that determines whether your book will bring a check or a rejection slip.”

The Teenage Novelist: Novel in a Nutshell (teens) w/Katherine Grace Bond, July 10, 9:00-2:00 $75

Do you become offended when your friends ask whether Marvin Whickpucket is a real person? Obviously he’s real; He’s in your novel. So are the 43 space-time portals which can be accessed only by eating waffles. If this makes sense to you, we’re here to help.
Novel-in-a-Nutshell will launch your idea – or get that manuscript you’re “stuck” on back in action. We’ll explore plot structure, characterization and scene-writing, with time for in-class reading and group critique.

Crime Story w/Greg Saville, July 17, 10-4, $100
"Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent."
- Sherlock Holmes

What's behind the yellow tape? Writing plausible cop and crime stories takes
special knowledge: investigative methods, cop-jargon, what crime scenes feel like, how crime ripples through lives, and much more. Satiate your curiosity and learn about the world of cops, courts and criminals. Share your prose with like-minded writers and pick up writing tips from a practicing criminologist and ex-cop about the reality, and fantasy, of crime.

Get Published, Stay Published, w/ Terry Persun,
Saturday, July 31st, 1:00 – 3:00 pm, $15
Writing and publishing is hard work and takes some organizational skills, commitment, and training. Writing, like any other art, requires skill and creativity. That said, there are three specific things you can do that will help you get into the game and stay there.

Two Day Poetry Intensive w/ Gary Lilley
Saturday and Sunday, August 14th and 15th, 10am - 4:00pm, $150

In this workshop you will follow the path of the poem.By allowing it to lead you, by getting out of the way of the creative self, the poem will generate its own resonate heat. Gary will provide you with a literary tool-bag of elements, the tools that are most important in developing personally satisfying, richly detailed, poetry.    This workshop is for writers of all levels. This workshop is craft oriented, utilizing the close read, the analytical process, and discovery within your own work in a fun, non-competitive and supportive setting. If you are creating new poems this workshop will help you to start the process with stronger drafts, and if you consider yourself a higher level writer this workshop will move you towards achieving a more dynamic overall quality in finishing your poems.
Gary Copeland Lilley is a North Carolina native and earned his MFA from the Warren Wilson College Program for Writers. His publications include four books of poetry of which the most recent is Alpha Zulu from Ausable/Copper Canyon Press. He currently lives and teaches in Port Townsend, WA .
Sunday

Details, Details w/Anna Quinn, Jul 18, 10:00 – 4:00 $60
When you write a story or article, you have more in mind than simply creating pictures. Every detail you choose evokes a feeling, creates a mood, develops a character and delivers a message. If it delivers the message you want, it works. If it delivers a message you don’t want, it doesn’t. At some level the reader is asking “Why are you telling me this?” and if she doesn’t understand why, she’ll create an answer or lose her bearings.
In this workshop you'll learn effective ways to use detail to capture the reader’s imagination and keep your story in motion. We’ll look at how both “show” and “tell” can enrich a passage. You’ll not only tell the reader there’s a hallway, puddles and an elevator in the scene, but you’ll give him something to watch while you’re doing it.