Upcoming Classes Offered
Since fall of 2010, Tiffany has been offering creative writing classes through Tri-State Community School for the Arts. Centered around themes, these classes will explore the basics of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry writing to help build and hone skills.Fall classes begin the week of August 28, 2011 and run through December 16, 2011. For more information about the school or to register, please visit tristatearts.com.
Fall 2011 Creative Writing Classes (specific days and times TBA)
CW01 Introduction to Creative Writing
Ages 12 to 16. Explore your inner writer during this creative writing class. All levels of skill are welcome to participate. Try your hand at writing action/adventure stories, mysteries, horror stories, or anything you can create with your own imagination. We will learn and practice together through the use of creative writing prompts and short readings.
CW02 Introduction to Fiction Writing
Ages 17 to adult. An introduction to writing fiction, particularly short stories. Stories of various genres such as speculative fiction, historical fiction, and others will be explored, and students will try their hand at writing their own short story in various genres of choice. Elements of fiction writing such as setting, plot, character, and conflict will be explained, and students will be able to master these basic skills. The goal of this class is for each student to have a collection of short stories by the end of the semester. The instructor will provide individual feedback on final work as well as information on becoming a published author.
CW03 Introduction to Poetry Writing
Ages 17 to adult. Writing poetry has been described as an intimate act—poets take their own experiences and give them away in language (The Poet's Companion). Working with language can be a rewarding challenge, and all poets must know the tools of their trade. This class will serve as an introduction to craft and the workings of prosody—for example, sound, word choice, line endings, syntax manipulation, capitalization, punctuation, white space, not to mention choosing subject matter and the importance of crafting your own voice. Geared towards beginners, this class will also be appropriate for poets who want to brush up on new skills. As with all writing classes taught by Ms. Santos, the importance of specific, kindly stated, constructive critiques are stressed.
CW04 Create Your Own Storybook
Ages 4 to 6, Ages 7 to 9, Ages 10 to 12. This class will focus on storytelling for young students and will include opportunities for students to verbally tell stories or tell a story through pictures as well as writing down a story. Geared toward elementary school children, this class will also be relevant for Pre-K and pre-reading/writing students and is an ideal jump-start for Elementary School. The goal of this class is for each student to have a collection of stories written by him or her in a book he or she designed.
CW05 Intermediate Writing Craft
Ages 16 to adult. As every established writer knows, constructive feedback is invaluable to the creative process. This more advanced writing class will target individual students' writing strengths and where there is room for improvement. Writers of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry are all welcome. Special topics such as Overcoming Writer's Block, Evocation & the Art of Exposition, Revitalizing Your Revision, and Understanding the Publishing Process will be discussed. These special topics are also available as separate workshops. The instructor will develop personalized reading suggestions for each student as well as individualized feedback.
Fall 2011 Creative Writing Standalone Workshops (specific days and times TBA):
CW06 Overcoming Writer's Block
Nothing in writing can be quite as difficult as facing a blank page! Whether or not writer's block is “real” or not, all writers can become stuck from time to time. This workshop focuses on positive strategies for becoming unstuck and is designed for all types of writers, from those who have a daily practice to those who have not written in years but desire to begin again. Advanced registration and a small fee is required to hold your spot in this workshop. Workshops are limited to 7 students.
CW07 Evocation & the Art of Exposition
While writers are told to “show, don't tell” when writing, a distinction must be made between scene-killing summary and character building exposition. The art of exposition often becomes lost in the drive to “show” a scene, and writers miss valuable opportunities to evoke characters on the page. This workshop will focus on the three main types of exposition that can be deployed to meet the needs of specific characters or scenes. Handouts and exercises will be provided. Students are encouraged to bring to the workshop any writing project they are hoping to enhance. Advanced registration and a small fee is required to hold your spot in this workshop. Workshops are limited to 7 students.
CW08 Revitalizing Your Revision
Yes! Your writing project is complete. Congratulations! Now the work of revising begins. Where do you start? How do you keep yourself from being overwhelmed or loosing sight of your vision? This workshop will give practical suggestions on revision strategies and plans to help you keep your sanity. Students are encouraged to bring a completed writing project. Advanced registration and a small fee is required to hold your spot in this workshop. Workshops are limited to 7 students.
CW09 Understanding the Publishing Process
As technology advances, the publishing world is constantly changing. How can you get your work out there and into the hands of readers? This workshop covers the basics of the publishing process for novelists, short story writers, memoirists, and poets. Targeted information for getting your work published will be available. A query letter or cover letter critique is included for each student. Advanced registration and a small fee is required to hold your spot in this workshop. Workshops are limited to 7 students.
CW10 Make Your Own Story
Looking for FREE activities for your children? This free drop-in workshop focuses on storytelling for young students and includes opportunities for students to verbally tell stories or tell a story through pictures as well as write a story down. Held at the Tri-State Community School for the Arts, 115 Baltimore Street, Cumberland, MD, and geared toward elementary school children up to age 12, this workshop will also be relevant for Pre-K and pre-reading/writing students. Story prompts, pencils, crayons, collage materials, and other things to make a story will be on-hand for children to create their own story. Parental supervision is encouraged. No registration is necessary, simply drop-in and create!
