NH Writers' Project

Fall 2008
Archive of Classes and Workshops held in Fall of 2008

3 hour Intensive Class with novelist and Cosmopolitan editor John Searles
November 2, Manchester

Drive your Reader Wild and Six Other Scintillating Secrets Every Writer Should Know

One-Day Workshop with Carla Gericke
October 4, Portsmouth

How to Flash: Tell a Story in 500 Words or Less

One-Day Workshop with James Patrick Kelly
October 11, Portsmouth

Twenty-First Century PR: Promoting Your Career On the Net

John Searles in Manchester, NH

Driving Your Reader Wild and Six Other Scintillating Secrets Every Writer Should Know
John Searles

All writers face the same challenge: getting their readers' attendion. And once they get it, how do they keep it? This class will explore taking risks in fiction and facing the "what ifs" head on in order to pull readers into the world of your story. Drawing on his unique perspective as books editor for the #1 best selling women's magazine and as a novelist whose work explores taboo territory, John Searles will explain how to master the art of intrigue.

Class Date: Sunday, November 2, 2008
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, NH
Cost: $60 NHWP members; $75 nonmembers
Class Limit: 25

John Searles is the author of two best-selling novels, Strange But True and Boy Still Missing, both published by HarperCollins. He is the Deputy editor of Cosmopolitan, where he oversees all book coverage for the magazine. He appears regularly on NBC's Today Show to announce his favorite book selections. Both of John's novels have been optioned for film, and he has written the screenplay adaptation of Strange But True, which is currently in development with GreeneStreet Films. John received his Masters degree in creative writing from New York University. He lives in New York city.

Workshops on the Seacoast

How to Flash: Tell a Story in 500 Words or Less
Carla Gericke

Think you can write a story in under 500 words? How about six? From Hemingway’s classic six liner, “For sale: Baby shoes, never used,” to Aesop’s Fables, flash fiction practitioners include Chekhov, O. Henry, Kafka, and Lydia Davis. When you “flash,” you are forced to write with flair and care. Whether you are writing poetry, blogging, or working on longer works, flash fiction can improve your prose. We will explore the genre in depth, including potential publishing markets. We will study award-winning flash fiction, do in-class exercises, and participate in a group critique session. The focus of the class is on improving your craft and generating new material.

If you’re looking for a chance to have some fun and showcase your flash fiction, don’t forget to sign up to be a contestant at NH Literary Idol, Friday, October 24th at the Portsmouth Literary Festival. Carla can’t judge, but she’ll be there to cheer you on!

Date: Saturday, October 4, 2008
Time: 9:00 a .m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Southern New Hampshire University Seacoast Campus,
Portsmouth, NH
Cost: $85 NHWP members; $105 nonmembers
Class Limit: 15
Recommended Level: All

Carla Gericke was born in South Africa, raised in a diplomatic family, and has lived and traveled all over the world. She holds an M.F.A in creative writing from City College of New York, where she also taught. Gericke is the recipient of various awards and scholarships, including from A Room of Her Own Foundation. The first writing contest she ever won was for her flash fiction piece, The Mighty Zuluman. Her work has appeared in Epiphany, Inkwell, Pindeldyboz, Word Riot, Bonne Route, and elsewhere. She is the Program Manager at the New Hampshire Writers' Project.

Twenty-first Century PR: Promoting Your Career on the Net
James Patrick Kelly

You've heard about blogging, podcasting, and the like and you're wondering what all the fuss is about. This day long workshop will explore ways to grow your readership digitally. We will look at what works, what doesn't, and how to budget your time to strike a balance between promoting the work and creating it. We'll start with the basics of good website design and then move on to deciding the kinds of content. We'll explore the ins and outs of copyright, Creative Commons and public domain. We'll talk about creating blogs and podcasts. We'll learn how some writers have been able to convert their digital PR into new revenue streams. And, most important of all, we'll try to figure out which of the shiny new internet toys are the most effective for writers who have busy lives.

This workshop is for writers in all genres, including fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction. Attendees should bring along a short piece - not more than five minutes – to record at the workshop for future podcasting.

Date: Saturday, October 11, 2008
Time: 9:00 a .m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Southern New Hampshire University Seacoast Campus,
Portsmouth, NH
Cost: $85 NHWP members; $105 nonmembers
Class Limit: 15
Recommended Level: All

James Patrick Kelly has written novels, short stories, essays, reviews, poetry, plays and planetarium shows. His most recent book, The Wreck Of The Godspeed,was published in August. He has won the Science Fiction Writers of America's Nebula Award and the World Science Fiction Society’s Hugo Award and his work has been translated into eighteen languages. He writes a column on the internet for Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine and is on the faculty of the Stonecoast Creative Writing MFA Program at the University of Southern Maine. He produces two(count 'em – two!) podcasts: James Patrick Kelly's StoryPod on Audible.com which features him reading fifty-two of his own stories and the Free Reads Podcast where he most recently finished podcasting his novel Look Into The Sun. His website is www.jimkelly.net.