Category: Writing with Willona

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Raise More Money with Creative Content (Onsite Training)

content meeting

Creative content has become a critical part of doing business. How well are you telling your organization’s story?

Whether your goal is to motivate your current donors, reach out to new donors, or secure grant funding, you need stories that convey the impact of your programs and services. If you’re not telling stories, you’re leaving money on the table.

In this one-day training, your team will learn:

  • Best practices for developing stories that inspire and motivate donors.
  • How to find and identify compelling stories.
  • How to plan an annual editorial calendar and production schedule.
  • How to track and evaluate how well your stories are performing.

Willona Sloan has several years of experience as a writer and content developer working with nonprofit organizations. Learn more about how to create a content culture at our organization.

Contact Willona about bringing this training to your organization.

 

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Build Cultural Understanding through Creative Writing

Willona Sloan is an experienced workshop facilitator from Washington, DC. She teaches creative writing and arts writing workshops, and hosts the Writing with Willona series of literary social events such as happy hours, wine tastings and dinner parties for shy writers who want to have fun. Willona’s workshops are intended to foster dialogue and increase understanding within our global community.

Contact
Willona M. Sloan
E: willonasloan@gmail.com

Available workshop options include:

Teaching writers at Nordic House in Reykjavik. Iceland

One-Day Writing Workshop
In a one-day seminar that combines reading, discussion and guided and independent writing exercises, students will read selections by U.S. writers of color and generate new writing in response to these works.

Multi-week Writing Workshop
Students will be given weekly reading and writing exercises. Students will read and discuss texts, create new writing and develop a creative project.

Continue reading “Build Cultural Understanding through Creative Writing”

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Arts and Culture Writing: How to Build Your Portfolio for Publication

Days: 4 Wednesdays
Time: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Dates: 8/6/2014 – 8/27/2014

The Writer’s Center at Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center (4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD)
Register: https://www.writer.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=353

In this four-week class you will learn tips for interviewing artists and musicians; writing art and music reviews; and contacting record labels, publicists and artists.

Through weekly assignments you will learn how to build a professional arts and culture blog to serve as your portfolio, as well as how to market your writing and pitch ideas to publications. Students must complete 400- to 500-word writing assignments each week. You will be encouraged to launch your own arts and culture blog.

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Write About Music: Get Money

You know everything about the underground Finnish hip hop scene. You’re deep into the Angolan death metal scene. You love music and you get it. Now, get paid to write about it.

Join me for my “Breaking into Music Journalism” class next Saturday, July 12, at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, MD.

This a full-day boot camp. We will practice strategies for reviewing music, conducting interviews, and pitching stories to editors.

470748637You will learn how to land the interview, act professional and get the juicy quotes. We’ll discuss how to find your unique style and voice, how to build an engaging story, and how to work with editors. You will also learn how to create your own music blog where you can showcase your work.

Here’s the deets:

Break on Through: Breaking into Music Journalism
Saturday, July 12, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
The Writer’s Center (4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD)
Open to All Levels
Register: https://www.writer.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=353

Get published.  This is your time.

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Summer Writing Workshops!

It’s time to start making money from your writing! Please join me for one of my summer writing workshops at the Bethesda or Capitol Hill locations of The Writer’s Center!

writer with exploding headHow to Write A Lot

Saturday, June 28, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Location: Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital (921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, D.C.) Open to All Levels Cost: $50 Register: https://www.writer.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=353 

Do you find it impossible to squeeze time for creative writing into your hectic life? Well, you can’t publish if you’re not writing. Writing requires discipline and commitment. Here, you will learn how to develop the habits of a successful writer, including how to set and track your writing goals, create a schedule and project plan, and use writing prompts to advance your story or generate new work. We also will do in-class fiction and non-fiction writing exercises designed to show you how to make the most of your writing time. There are no good excuses! This class is for all busy writers.

Break on Through: Breaking into Music Journalism

Saturday, July 12, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.admin-ajax Location: The Writer’s Center (4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD) Open to All Levels Cost: $80 Register: https://www.writer.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=353 Are you interested in breaking into music journalism? Here you will learn how to score interviews with bands and work with record labadmin-ajax (4)els and publicists to review new records. You will learn tips for writing compelling feature stories, artist profiles, and live show reviews. You also will learn how to sell your writing for publication and how to build your own music blog to showcase your work.

Arts and Culture Writing: How to Build Your Portfolio for Publication

(4) Wednesdays, August 6 – August 27, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Location: The Writer’s Center (4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD) Open to All Levels Cost:$135 Register: https://www.writer.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=353 admin-ajax (1) Breaking into arts writing takes determination — and good clips. The best way to land your first paying gig is to have a portfolio of reviews and feature stories that demonstrate your skill and writing style. You will learn tips for interviewing artists and musicians; writing art and music reviews; and contacting record labels, publicists and artists. Through weekly assignments you will learn how to build a professional arts and culture blog to serve as your portfolio, as well as how to market your writing and pitch ideas to publications to sell your first story. Students must complete 400- to 500-word writing assignments each week. You will be encouraged to launch your own arts and culture blog.

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Scholarship Available for Writing with Willona Class

I have been fortunate to have opportunities to learn and advance my writing career even when I didn’t have the money to pay for professional development or graduate studies. That’s why I have decided to offer a scholarship to one student who like to take any of the three course I am offering this fall at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda. This is not necessarily a needs-based scholarship; it is an opportunity for me to help a person who needs a chance to take a professional development workshop to achieve a personal and professional goal.

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My Fall Classes at the Writer’s Center

These are three separate classes.

How to Write A Lot

11/2/2013
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Time: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Writer’s Center (Bethesda, MD)

Do you find it impossible to squeeze time for creative writing into your hectic life? Well, you can’t publish if you’re not writing. Writing requires discipline and commitment. Whether you are working on a novel, a short story, or your blog you must learn how to set boundaries and focus on your writing.In this class you will learn how to develop the habits of a successful writer, including how to set and track your writing goals, create a schedule and project plan, and use writing prompts to advance your story or generate new work. We will also do in-class fiction and non-fiction writing exercises designed to show you how to make the most of your writing time.There are no good excuses! This class is for all busy writers.

Register on the Writer’s Center website.

Continue reading “My Fall Classes at the Writer’s Center”

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Personal Writing Workshop for Teens

unleash_your_writing_creativityBeneath the Surface: A Personal Writing Workshop

When: June 11, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Where: Cleveland Park Library (Washington, DC). The library is next to the Cleveland Park Metro.

Cost: Free

Join us for a fun and interactive writing workshop where you can discover exciting new things about yourself. We will talk about how to write great essays that grab readers’ attention and you will have a chance to do some creative writing as well.

It’s first come, first served. Get more info here.

This workshop is available to all teens and is free.

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Crafting Your Identity: Creative Nonfiction Workshop on May 4

Crafting Your Identity

When: Saturday, May 4, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PMmulticultural_people_photos_on_sphere
Where: The Writer’s Center (4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, Md)

Register here.

Are you working on an essay or memoir in which you explore your cultural heritage, racial identity, or ancestry? We will read and discuss selections of essays and memoirs by writers who celebrate their cultural, racial or ethnic identities and also raise issues related to discrimination, assimilation and frustration in relation to expressing those particular identities.

You will create new work by doing in-class writing exercises. Also, you may bring a nonfiction writing sample to workshop during class.

Writers of all levels and cultural backgrounds are welcome!