writing workshops – Willona M. Sloan

July 30, 2021

Virtual Poetry Writing Workshop – Sunday, 8/1

Taking Off the Mask: Creating Poems to Celebrate Ourselves

Join me for a free and fun workshop hosted by Bloombars (Washington, DC)

Date: Sunday, August 1, 2021
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EST
Cost: Free
Register: To register, please email Gowri at gowri@bloombars.com. Registration is required.

In this interactive poetry writing workshop, we will create poems that fully celebrate our identities, cultures, talents, and gifts. We will engage in guided writing exercises, using works of poetry and visual art as writing prompts.
Open to writers of all ages and all levels.
This event is supported, in part, by Poets & Writers.

October 6, 2018October 6, 2018

Creative Writing Workshops – November

Join us for a series of upcoming workshops at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The workshops are hosted in partnership with the exhibition Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now.

The exhibition Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now explores this relatively unstudied art form by examining its rich historical roots and considering its forceful contemporary presence. The show features works from the Portrait Gallery’s extensive collection of silhouettes, such as those by Auguste Edouart, who captured the likenesses of such notable figures as John Quincy Adams and Lydia Maria Child, and at the same time, the exhibition reveals how contemporary artists are reimagining silhouettes in bold and unforgettable ways. Continue reading “Creative Writing Workshops – November”

December 3, 2017December 3, 2017

January Writing Workshops

Sweat image — Image Credit: Destitute Pea Pickers in California. Mother of Seven Children. Age 32. (“Migrant Mother”) by Dorothea Lange via National Portrait Gallery

Join me for a new series of writing workshops in connection with the exhibition “The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers” at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition combines art and social history with representations of American laborers across genres and centuries of art.

Strike a Prose: Fiction Inspired by “The Sweat of Their Face”
In this creative writing workshop, we will use the photographs and paintings from the exhibition to inspire short stories. We will read and discuss fiction focusing on issues of labor and social justice in the U.S. and write our own stories. Open to writers of all levels ages 18+. All workshops are FREE.

Strike a Prose: American Workers in the 20th Century (Fiction & Nonfiction)
This creative writing workshop will focus on issues of twentieth century labor. We will read and discuss short stories and historical essays, and draw on the artwork in the exhibition to create new writing. Open to writers of all levels ages 18 +.

Strike a Prose: Stories on Their Faces (Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry)
Using guided writing prompts, we will develop stories and poems inspired by the portraits and images from the exhibition. Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry prompts will be offered. Open to writers of all levels ages 18+.

February 15, 2017April 20, 2017

Strike a Prose: Writing Workshops at the Portrait Gallery

I’m teaching six writing workshops at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in connection to groundbreaking media arts exhibition, Bill Viola: The Moving Portrait. We will use videos, images, and installations to generate creative writing.

bill-viola

video still: The Raft / Bill Viola Color / Bill Viola Studio

There are two of the same workshops per session. So, you can come to all three sessions!

Continue reading “Strike a Prose: Writing Workshops at the Portrait Gallery”

May 28, 2014June 12, 2014

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!

How 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. 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 labels 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 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.