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International Women's Writing Guild

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Credit & Refund Policy. If you withdraw from a workshop…

  • At least 30 business days prior to class: you will receive a credit minus 15% administrative fee.

  • 7 business days prior to the workshop or event, you will receive no refund or credit.

If we must cancel a class for any reason, you are entitled to a full refund or, if you choose, a credit in the amount of your payment, to be used for any future IWWG class or event.

Credits are valid for five years from date of issue. They may not be converted into refunds.

Credits, scholarships, and discount codes cannot be applied retroactively to classes that have already been purchased.

Membership benefits are valid for a year after the date of purchase. Membership benefits may not be applied retroactively.

Memberships are non-refundable.

If you decide to withdraw from a class and receive partial credit, you may apply that credit to another workshop, only if that workshop has not yet begun.

If you have any issues or questions surrounding withdrawals, credits, or refunds contact us via email at writers@iwwg.org


Once you are registered you will receive a confirmation with  Zoom links or venue details. You will also receive a reminder 24 hours before the event. If you do not receive a confirmation or reminder, check your spam mail. If you cannot find your Zoom link, please write to writers@iwwg.org with at least 24 hours notice. We cannot send links the day of the event.  Links for free events will be posted on this page the day of the event. 

    • Sunday, December 15, 2024
    • 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    • ZOOM
    Register

    COMMUNITY MEETING & CONFERENCE OPEN MIC ANTHOLOGY

    Community Meeting & Discussion 6 pm to 7 pm

    Sign up for the community meeting. You are welcome to stay and listen to the reading after if you like - the zoom link is the same. 

    Join IWWG's Board and members for an open discussion on our plans for 2025. We welcome your questions, input and feedback on membership, online programs, and in person events!

    Conference Open Mic Anthology Reading 7 pm to 8:30 pm

    Sign up to read if you contributed to the Conference 2024 Open Mic Anthology

    You can still join the community meeting - the zoom link is the same for both

    The open meeting will be followed by a reading of our "Open Mic Anthology"




    • Saturday, December 21, 2024
    • 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
    • via Zoom
    Register

    One world, two hemispheres, three languages - a multilingual, musical & ekphrastic writing workshop with Kate Copeland


    One world, two hemispheres, three languages
    - a multilingual, musical & ekphrastic writing workshop with Kate Copeland -

    In this 90 minute workshop, we will look at a number of languages being used in different hemispheres of the world, to combine those with research on language processing in both hemispheres of the brain. We will travel lands and dictionaries to look for art, tunes and poetry… and then freewrite ourselves, prompted by Vasalis, Alejandra Pizarnik and Kate Bush, a.o. You will receive a document with all sorts of information to muse on later. Cultural communication and IWWG galore !


    Kate’s love for languages led her to teaching, her love for art & water to poetry. She is curator-editor for Ekphrastic Review & runs linguistic-poetry workshops for TER & IWWG. Find her poems @TER, WildfireWords,Gleam,Hedgehog Press [a.o.] Kate was born@harbour city & adores housesitting@the world.

    • Sunday, December 29, 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • ONLINE
    Register

    Featured Author/Open Mic with Carole Duff

    Carole Duff is a veteran teacher, flutist, naturalist, and writer who lives in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband, author K.A. Kenny and two large dogs. She posts weekly to her long-standing blog Notes from Vanaprastha, and has written for Brevity Blog, Cleaver Magazine, Huffington Post, Mockingbird, Please See Me, Streetlight Magazine, The Sage Forum, for which she is a regular contributor, and Women Writers, Women's Books, among others. Carole's memoir Wisdom Builds Her House released in August 2024 and is available in paperback, e-book, and audiobook.

    • Wednesday, January 08, 2025
    • 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
    • via Zoom
    Register

    Three Tools for Creating Believable Characters (starting at $50)


    Three Tools for Creating Believable Characters: How do writers make characters "come to life" on the page for readers--including agents and editors? This course will delve into three tools (character timeline, setting timeline, identifying characters' wants and needs) that authors can use to create vivid, believable characters. Further, this course will show how all three tools work together and intersect with plotting and theme.



    Sharon Short is the author of more than fifteen published books. Her newest, Trouble Island, is historical suspense (Minotaur Books), set in 1933 and inspired by true family history. Short is a contributing editor to Writer’s Digest, for which she writes the column, “Level Up Your Writing (Life).”




    • Wednesday, January 08, 2025
    • Wednesday, February 19, 2025
    • 6 sessions
    • via Zoom
    Register

    Gateway to Memoir (starting at $199)



    Interested in writing memoir but not sure where to begin? Got a memoir in the works but could use some guidance? “Gateway to Memoir” is a foundational workshop that will show you the basics of the genre. We will spend four weeks discussing time in memoir, the ethics of writing memoir, establishing place and how to turn the people who populate your past into characters. The final two sessions will be reserved for workshopping writing submissions.





    Minda Honey’s essays have appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Oxford American, Teen Vogue, and Longreads.

    Her debut memoir, THE HEARTBREAK YEARS is a hilarious and intimate portrait of a Black woman finding who she is and who she wants to be, one bad date at a time.

    • Thursday, January 09, 2025
    • Thursday, January 30, 2025
    • 4 sessions
    • via Zoom
    Register

    Putting Our Grandmothers on the Page: Poetry, Prose, Memoir & Monologue (starting at $150)


    “Grandma, come back, I forgot
    how much lard for these rolls.”

    Carolyn Forche’s poem, "The Morning Baking," is an address to her dead grandmother that evokes powerful longing and confronts the limits of memory. Grandmothers are a universal archetype––those from whom we are descended, the grandmothers we are, as well as those who influence us from fairy tale and myth. Grandmothers are rich thematic territory for poetry and prose, but we face challenges of writing past cultural stereotypes or into historical silences. How do we leap beyond sentimentality to grapple with shifting cultural norms? Grandmothers both illuminate and shadow our personal, family and cultural identities. In this writing generative workshop, participants will use prompts of personal photos, objects, and memory to excavate and expand our ideas and feelings about “grandmother.” New and experienced writers are welcome.


    Kelly is a poet, playwright and workshop facilitator and author of four poetry collections. Her award-winning plays are produced around the US and Canada, and published by dramatic publishers. A past IWWG Board Member, Kelly teaches creative writing, including Monologue Play Labs & Showcases.

    • Wednesday, January 15, 2025
    • 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
    • via Zoom
    Register

    Elevate Your Fiction in Any Genre (starting at $50)


    Elevate Your Fiction in Any Genre: Readers love stories that fit genre expectations. That's why stories and memoirs are classified into genres--so readers can narrow down the numerous options to a subset of books they think will interest them. But how can you make your story really stand out to readers--even while fulfilling genre expectations? This course focuses on how to overcome this seeming conundrum to create stand-out stories that readers will remember--and tell other readers about.



    Sharon Short is the author of more than fifteen published books. Her newest, Trouble Island, is historical suspense (Minotaur Books), set in 1933 and inspired by true family history. Short is a contributing editor to Writer’s Digest, for which she writes the column, “Level Up Your Writing (Life).”




    • Friday, January 17, 2025
    • Friday, February 21, 2025
    • 6 sessions
    • ZOOM

    6-Week Intensive: Transitions, Translations, Transformations

    with Carmen Bugan

    This minicourse explores literary language through the Protean lens of transitions (life transitions, travel and exposure to other cultures, languages, and ways of thinking); translations (work on producing several versions of a poem from another language); and transformations (reflecting on how the language of our writing changes over time). What does creative language know but keeps to itself—like wise Proteus who changes shape and is able to see into the future?  We will devote two sessions to each of these lenses, and participants will be asked to bring to class a favorite poem, an excerpt from a story, or a memoir. Each two-hour session will involve reading and discussion of example poems and guided writing exercises.  Work we will discuss: “When Giving is All We Have” by Alberto Rios, “Transformation” by Adam Zagajeswski; excerpts from The Snow Geese by William Fiennes (review here); and excerpts from “The Wonderful Adventures of Nils” by Selma Lagerloff. This course will help ease writers’ block and help writers meditate on the vast possibilities of creativity.


    Dr. Carmen Bugan, a George Orwell Prize Fellow, is a prize-winning poet and writer who has published ten books including poetry, memoir, and literary criticism.  Her new and selected poems, Lilies from America was a Poetry Book Society Special Commendation. Her memoir, Burying the Typewriter won the Bakeless Nonfiction Prize, was shortlisted for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, and was serialized for radio as a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. Her book of essays, Poetry and the Language of Oppression (Oxford University Press) was named an “essential book for writers” by Poets and Writers.  Bugan appears at book fairs and festivals such as the London Book Fair, the Cork Literary Festival, The Goteborg Book Fair, and Le Livre sur les Quais (Morges, Switzerland) and lectures widely at universities in Europe, Middle East, and the United States. She is a member of the Geneva Writers Group and of the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers. She teaches memoir, creative writing, and provides book doctoring and private tutorials. Her forthcoming book of poems, Tristia, will be out this winter.




    • Sunday, January 19, 2025
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • ZOOM
    Register
    Abby Jiang is a Chinese-American author born in Shanghai. She grew up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (文化大革命), a time when she was sent to a factory and the countryside to learn from workers and peasants as part of the movement's policies.

    After the Revolution ended in 1976 and China reopened its universities, Abby took the national entrance exam and graduated from the Library Science program at the Fudan University branch school in Shanghai, now known as Shanghai University. Following her graduation, she worked as a librarian at a research institute in Shanghai, where she was soon promoted to chief librarian.

    In 1987, Abby immigrated to the United States and settled in New Jersey. She is married and has one daughter. Over the years, Abby has worked at the library of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as well as in other public and research libraries. She has also gained experience as a bookkeeper for a law firm and as a licensed Realtor.

    • Wednesday, January 22, 2025
    • 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
    • via Zoom
    Register

    Paths to Publishing (starting at $50)


    Paths to Publishing: You've written a memoir, novel, or book! Or a story or essay! Now... how do you get your prose into the hands of readers? There are many paths--traditional, self-publishing, or a hybrid approach. And all can seem daunting. This course defines these paths, explores each path's pros and cons, helps participants discern which might be the right one(s) for them, and gives practical how-tos and next steps.



    Sharon Short is the author of more than fifteen published books. Her newest, Trouble Island, is historical suspense (Minotaur Books), set in 1933 and inspired by true family history. Short is a contributing editor to Writer’s Digest, for which she writes the column, “Level Up Your Writing (Life).”




    • Monday, January 27, 2025
    • 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • via Zoom
    Register

    Having the Last Word: Obituary Writing 101 (starting at $45)



    This workshop presents end-of-life storytelling in the form of obituary as a life-affirming privilege and gift. Instructor Andi Penner shares her extensive experience with eldercare, her passion for end-of-life planning, and her expertise as a writer and editor to teach you the craft of writing bespoke personal remembrances. In this generative workshop, you will learn to compose stories, instead of filling in a template, that recall and honor a life (perhaps your own). You can find some of Andi's writing at andipenner.substack.com, but you won’t find her obituary online just yet!


    Andrea (Andi) Penner, whose poetry and prose has been published in literary magazines, anthologies, and academic journals, lives and writes in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is passionate about end-of-life planning, including obituary writing, as a way to honor our loved ones.


    • Thursday, January 30, 2025
    • 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
    • via Zoom
    Register

    Writing Gender (starting at $45)


    In this workshop, we will draw on literary examples and exercises to learn ways to create our own stories, anecdotes, and images of gender, stories that began before we were born, in the ways our families understood maleness and femaleness, and grow and change throughout our lives, as we do.





    Joy Ladin (www.joyladin.com) has published eleven books of poetry, including recently published Family and National Jewish Book Award winner The Book of Anna, and three books of about gender, Once Out of Nature, Through the Door of Life, and The Soul of the Stranger.




    • Monday, February 03, 2025
    • Monday, February 24, 2025
    • 4 sessions
    • via Zoom
    Register

    Between the Lines: Exploring Four Stories
    by Women Writers
     
    (starting at $139)


    In Between the Lines, we'll explore short stories by four different women, paying attention to how they're created, how they make us feel and what they make us think. We'll look at each story's language, patterns, characters, points of view and references to real events or other texts. We’ll ask: What did this writer HAVE to tell us? And how are we affected by what they said? A short writing prompt will follow each discussion, with time for optional sharing.




    Anndee Hochman is a journalist, essayist, storyteller and teaching artist. For more than 30 years, she has guided learners of all ages in reading, discussing and writing memoir, poetry, live storytelling and creative non-fiction. Her books include Anatomies: A Novella and Stories (Picador USA) and Everyday Acts & Small Subversions: Women Reinventing Family, Community and Home (The Eighth Mountain Press).

    • Tuesday, February 11, 2025
    • 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
    • via Zoom
    • 100
    Register

    The Modern Publishing Landscape


    The publishing industry today looks much different than it did a decade ago. In that time, self-publishing has outgrown its longstanding 'vanity' stigma and become a viable publishing option for many writers. The traditional publishing industry has also experienced great changes and as a result it just isn’t what it used to be, even for those who’ve found success within the system.

    This workshop provides an overview of the modern book publishing landscape and gives advice to authors on how to successfully navigate it. We’ll discuss the general publishing options of Traditional Publishing, DIY, and Assisted Self-Publishing — how it all works and the logistics of moving your book from the computer screen to the bookshelf.


    Emily Perkins is the Senior Publishing Consultant at FriesenPress – the largest publishing services provider in Canada.

    Her publishing career spans over 20 years – and the globe. She spent years in Amsterdam working in graphic design and later worked as a typesetter and proofreader in the financial printing industry.

    Emily’s eclectic experience allows her to provide a holistic approach to her part in guiding the FriesenPress sales team, which ensures authors self-publish the best possible books.


    • Thursday, February 20, 2025
    • Thursday, March 27, 2025
    • 6 sessions
    • via Zoom
    Register

    World Building for Any Novel (starting at $129)


    A character’s world greatly impacts how that character responds to the obstacles they face and ultimately shapes who that character becomes. This mini-course will discuss the techniques necessary to create and/or strengthen works with complicated and layered worlds and timelines. This course is for any project with large worlds, whether that be science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, intergenerational novels, or a mystery novel, or if you simply want to understand how to incorporate diverse characters and perspectives. We will explore how to keep your readers engaged in such layered storylines. Considering writers such as Octavia Butler, N.K. Jemisin, and Margaret Atwood, we will be inspired to write stories that immerse readers in worlds that illuminate today’s conversations. We will spend four weeks learning world-building techniques, developing the character of multiple protagonists, incorporating diverse characters and world settings, and keeping track of your world’s details/rules. The final two weeks will be spent generating materials or making plans for revisions using your new tools. Start a novel, strengthen one already begun, or even finish a short story during our exploration of world-building techniques.



    Melissa Michal is of Seneca, Welsh, and English descent and is a fiction writer and essayist. Melissa has work appearing in the SFRA and other spaces. Her story collection, Living Along the Borderlines, was a finalist for the Louise Meriwether first book prize and she writes Indigenous futurism novels.




    • Wednesday, April 02, 2025
    • Wednesday, May 07, 2025
    • 6 sessions
    • via Zoom
    Register

    Gateway to Memoir II (starting at $199)



    In this 6-week workshop we will build on the foundation and skills developed during Gateway to Memoir I with more of a focus on:
    Developing and strengthening your voice as a writer
    Identifying narrative arcs at the chapter and book level
    How to do self-research to aid your memory

    The final two sessions will be reserved for workshopping writing submissions.





    Minda Honey’s essays have appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Oxford American, Teen Vogue, and Longreads.

    Her debut memoir, THE HEARTBREAK YEARS is a hilarious and intimate portrait of a Black woman finding who she is and who she wants to be, one bad date at a time.





Contact Us!

Email (quickest response):
writers@iwwg.org

Mailing Address:

IWWG

att: Michelle Miller

22 Parsonage St #293

Providence, RI 02903

telephone: (518) 290-1636 


NYC Address:

888 8th Avenue, #537
New York, NY 10019


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